Apart from those who failed to awaken or didn't awaken at all, everyone was immersed in excitement and joy.
It wasn't just because the awakening success rate was high, but more importantly, because... throughout the entire process, no one had died!
With no fatalities, and the injured spirits and confused minds able to recover with proper care, there was no issue.
It could be treated as suffering a severe injury.
Who among the investigators hadn't been injured before?
This meant a world without sorrow.
Recalling the awakening process, the investigators still found it incredible.
"We always heard that the awakening tribulation was extremely dangerous and terrifying, like being gnawed by countless strange entities, like feeding oneself to evil. But today..."
"You mean to say today's awakening was easy? Isn't it because the awakening land of the Torch is truly miraculous?"
The investigators were also experiencing their first awakening.
Their previous understanding of awakening was based entirely on hearsay, only hearing how terrifying it was. This time... it wasn't easy, but it was indeed quite different from what they had heard.
Upon hearing this, Yang Chang stepped forward to inquire.
One investigator pondered, "Take those two potions, for example. After drinking the first one, the entire mind felt extremely calm, as if... as if entering a sage mode."
"After drinking the second one, it felt like something ignited within the body. I followed the Torch's instructions to guard my mind and waited patiently. After a while, I felt as if I had fallen into an abyss..."
"This is the beginning of awakening," Yang Chang stated at this point.
The investigator continued, "The subsequent process was somewhat similar to what many special-grade investigators in the bureau described. I saw a group of strange entities surrounding me, my rationality being constantly impacted. Just as I was struggling and thought I couldn't hold on, the mental impact suddenly weakened."
This investigator couldn't explain it clearly, as during awakening, they were putting all their effort into enduring and had no capacity to notice anything else.
At this moment, other investigators also gathered around, adding their accounts one by one.
"My awakening tribulation involved being constantly attacked by strange entities, my entire body was almost covered in wounds. But just when I thought I was going to die, the attack force suddenly weakened."
"Mine was a bit different. While I was constantly resisting the mental impact, enlightenment struck me. It was as if I suddenly understood something, and then I adjusted myself to face the impact of the strange entities with a more advantageous posture."
"Hearing you say that, it seems I also suddenly understood something at a critical juncture, and then I turned a crisis into safety."
"It's like comprehending a... hard-to-describe, yet tangible method of awakening that could resist the impact of strange entities."
"It's like a legacy!"
"No, more than just a legacy. It's as if, during our awakening, there were unseen figures secretly watching over us."
One person said.
After carefully recalling, others found this description to be very accurate, as if a profound power was protecting them.
Was this the mystery of the awakening land?
"Perhaps it's not just the awakening land. Have you noticed the names carved on the towering stone monument in the center?"
"I noticed!"
And many of those names were unforgettable.
Li Ergou, Li Sanniu, Wang Erhei, Chen Goudan, and so on.
These names...
And they were carved in such a place.
Yang Chang suddenly said, "Many soldiers sacrificed their lives in this place."
The investigators were stunned.
Turning their gaze, through the large stones surrounding the area, they could still vaguely see a small section of the towering stone monument's tip peeking out from within.
They couldn't help but recall those names, flashing through their minds.
The investigators bowed in solemn respect.
This was a legacy.
We will carry the weight of this legacy and continue forward.
So the investigators said.
The students of the Torch, clenching their fists and holding them across their chests, also said silently in their hearts.
...
On the way back, the students were filled with deep thoughts.
They needed to constantly remember the weight of the legacy and not let it down.
Yang Chang was also filled with immense respect and excitement, because this awakening had shown him hope.
As a high-ranking official of the Investigator Bureau, he could access data from various branches across the Eastern Huang Kingdom, unlike other investigators.
Two items among them were the most concerning.
One was the ever-increasing number of strange entities.
The second was the awakening failure rate, which was too high and too brutal!
Ordinary investigators only knew that the process was dangerous, but in Yang Chang's eyes, it was a list of names, names of those who failed to awaken and died, or turned into strange entities!
Shocking!
Among them were people he knew, excellent individuals, powerful ones, even former high-ranking officials of the Investigator Bureau like himself, with very advanced cultivation sequences.
Yet, they died under the awakening tribulation.
Sacrificing themselves in battles against strange entities, perishing while desperately resisting the tide of evil – that was heroic, and investigators faced it without fear.
But dying under the awakening tribulation was too frustrating, too unwilling!
Even, there was some fear.
Not fear of their own failure, but... what if Director Tang, Director Huang, Captain Rakshasa, these top powerhouses, the pillars of Eastern Huang, were to fail their awakening one day?
He believed in Director Huang and the others, but he also deeply understood the danger of awakening.
No one dared to say they were absolutely certain, and failure meant death.
Director Huang might not fear it himself, but his subordinates like Yang Chang were somewhat afraid.
The Investigator Bureau, the Eastern Huang Kingdom, could not afford to lose them.
Now, Yang Chang saw a glimmer of hope.
"Director Tang is said to have survived the third awakening, and Director Huang is showing signs of awakening, with his awakening day drawing near... Regardless, we must persuade Director Huang to awaken here."
"And other investigators, special-grade investigators... Many special-grades in the bureau have shown signs of awakening multiple times, but only purged some of the mystery from their bodies when they lacked confidence. Now..."
"Compared to the training of students, this awakening ritual is more important!"
"Later, I need to discuss this further with the senior management of the Torch."
However, that would be Director Huang's job; his rank was not high enough.
What Yang Chang was most worried about was the cost of the Torch's awakening ritual – not how much their Investigator Bureau would pay, but how many people the Torch's awakening land could support and how much it would cost to operate.
He was afraid that the Torch would charge too little, giving their Investigator Bureau's exchange students a discount.
But in reality, holding the ritual was extremely costly.
Given the Torch's selflessness, this possibility was not nonexistent, and not small.
With the profound mystery and magic of the awakening land, it didn't seem like something that could be easily operated.
In places they couldn't see, there might be immense costs involved.
Yang Chang thought, "In any case, I need to return to the bureau and report the situation to Director Huang, and then bring a few investigators to have the bureau examine the results."
"The four days of exchange learning time were relatively short. The original plan was to return after ten days to half a month, but..."
Seeing the visible progress of the investigators, he felt that four days of training was not short.
It would definitely surprise the bureau greatly.
Those who opposed studying abroad at the Torch, believing the expenditure was not worth it, would definitely... not be able to utter a single word of objection.
...
Heritage Village.
Fang You was checking the information about the heritage land. After the awakening of sixty-five people this time, the bonus from 'First Awakening' had increased slightly, and it was not far from being completely perfected, that is, reaching its upper limit.
There would definitely be an upper limit.
No matter how high the bonus from the heritage land was, it couldn't guarantee absolute safety.
Only Guided Awakening could offer that, with the greater advantage being that the heritage land and guided awakening could stack.
"The awakening success rate is good, but the chance of touching upon awakening is a bit low."
"Out of eighty-eight people, eighteen failed to touch upon awakening... This is even with the heritage land's bonus greatly enhancing the effect of mystical boiling."
"Otherwise, I estimate that even half the people touching upon awakening would be a lot."
"This boiling potion is really quite poor."
He just wanted to leave a negative review.
Little did he know that a fifty percent chance of touching upon awakening was already an incredibly high success rate! Wanting a one hundred percent chance of touching upon awakening? That would only happen if one joined the ranks of evil gods.
"But at least, no one died this time, which shows that this path is indeed feasible. The prerequisite standard for this awakening is also about right, no need to raise or lower it."
"What needs to be studied and formulated next are the standards for the second and third awakenings."
"We also need to quickly raise the bonuses for the second and third awakenings through the guided awakening of secondary apostles."
With Aoki and the tree spirits here, there was almost no need for him to guard the place.
Fang You only left a few people to familiarize themselves with the affairs there before returning to the secret realm.
As soon as he returned to the secret realm base, Xiao Huan brought him another piece of good news.
"Master Wang Chui has created the high-grade combat suit."
"Combat suit?"
He thought back for a long time before remembering that he had specifically used the 'Worldly Guidance' authority to find several blue-level eerie objects and instructed Wang Chui to forge them into suitable eerie artifact armors.
It wasn't his fault for having a bad memory.
Only a few days might have passed in reality, but for him, it had been over a month. So much had happened in between that he had long since forgotten.
Fortunately, Xiao Huan helped him record and handle various matters.
He went to the forging workshop. Xiao Huan had already given notice in advance. Wang Chui was waiting there with a cheerful smile, pointing to his newly forged masterpiece with great pride.
"Old Wang, this time I will definitely live up to expectations. Master, please take a look."
"I have named this eerie object 'Silver Scale Battle Armor.' It is made primarily from 'Silver Scale Heart Armor,' with the addition of various precious mystical materials... Not only have the side effects been greatly reduced, but it also possesses considerable amplification capabilities."
What appeared before him was a suit of armor that seemed to be composed of thousands of tiny scales. When touched, it felt not hard, but soft and smooth.
On the chest of the armor, a red crystal was embedded, emitting a faint red light.
Silver Scale Battle Armor (Blue)
Type: Eerie Artifact
Ability One: Silver Scale Battle Armor possesses powerful defensive capabilities, providing all-around protection to the wearer against physical and magical impacts, as well as the gnawing of strange entities. The Silver Scale Battle Armor also possesses self-repair capabilities.
Ability Two: Silver Scale Battle Armor incorporates precious materials, giving it special amplification capabilities. When the power core in the center of the armor is activated, it will significantly enhance the wearer's strength, speed... This amplification ability has a short duration.
Side Effect: Silver Scale Battle Armor requires a small amount of fresh blood to be fed periodically, but it does not have to be the wearer's blood.
A blue-grade item actually possessed two abilities!
No wonder Master Wang Chui worked so hard for days and became bald... No wonder Master Wang Chui was bald; he must have had foresight and no longer needed to worry about going bald.
He took away six seemingly powerful Silver Scale Battle Armors, preparing to test just how strong they were.