Chapter 7

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Chapter 7: The Gaze of the River of Time

“Such drastic changes?” Su Wen frowned. If each journey to the future through the chaos in time and space led to a different future, it was beyond his expectations. This time, the Jiang City Battlefield was like this; who knows what it would be like next time? It all comes down to luck! If you’re lucky, you might live longer; if not, you could be wiped out immediately. But if these future changes were triggered by one of his actions…

“Could it be the Star God?” Su Wen quickly identified the key issue. Last time, he completed the time jump at the police station, and it ended swiftly without much discussion. He hadn’t said much; the only possible impact was owing the police station one million and borrowing three million from Li Wenze. Four million is a lot for an ordinary person, but in the grand scheme of an era, what is four million? That leaves only one person: the Star God!

Reflecting further, Su Wen recalled practicing the Body Refinement Technique several times in his room to hone his skills, feeling his energy surge afterward. If all went as expected, the Star God must have been observing him from nearby, found the Body Refinement Technique impressive, and recorded it. If the Body Refinement Technique emerged ten years earlier, significant changes in the future wouldn’t be surprising. Extending the timeline to ten years, the effects of the Body Refinement Technique would be astounding to imagine.

But all this was just Su Wen’s speculation. Once he returned, he would know the specifics. If the Star God had recorded it, he would surely be questioned upon his return. After all, the Body Refinement Technique was originally developed by the Star God and the abilities research team, so it’s their creation. Taking it early isn’t unexpected.

【Not far from you, battle fluctuations rage.】

【Do you wish to proceed to observe the battle and seek an opportunity to join, or retreat to find a new path?】

Su Wen didn’t hesitate and chose to retreat.

【Oh, timid God of Wealth! Acknowledging your low strength, you’ve made a wise choice.】

【On your retreat, you see ruined walls and collapsed structures, especially the energy and blood remnants in the craters, starkly illustrating the brutality of war.】

【Simultaneously, you notice powerful figures soaring across the sky, swiftly heading toward the distant battlefield.】

【Soon, roars echo from beyond the horizon, accompanied by heroic declarations, as several strong fighters bleed in the air.】

【Oh, God of Wealth from the past! Does the death of your comrades stir your blood? Are you willing to follow in their footsteps and draw your blade against the otherworldly foes at the horizon?】

Su Wen: “……”

With his Zero Tier abilities, would he dare to join battles where others fly and vanish? Is he afraid he wouldn’t die quickly enough? After all, in ten years, his Zero Tier status might not even qualify him to be cannon fodder.

【You gave up on the idea of joining the battle and sped up your pace towards Jiang City.】

【Oh, timid God of Wealth! You come from the past, roam freely in the future, manipulating the power of Wealth Source and toying with the laws of causality.】

【Yet, despite your apparent strength, you let your comrades die before your eyes; you can’t even muster a simple curse against the enemy. One day, you’ll feel ashamed of your actions.】

Su Wen stared at the words before him, his face filled with confusion.

The words were dripping with subjectivity; he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was trying to lure him to his doom.

Just look at these adjectives—first timid, then cowardly.

What could a nobody like him possibly do?

Would he just get in the way?

Or would he leap in front of the enemy, drenching them in his own blood, using his life to deliver the ultimate insult?

【You moved cautiously, hiding and sneaking, until you finally reached the outskirts of Jiang City.】

【But as you looked at the completely different, almost unrecognizable gate of Jiang City, your mind began to spin.】

【Beside the main gate of Jiang City, there was a small door. Both doors seemed to open at the same time, allowing people to pass through.】

【Oh, young God of Wealth! The choice is yours.】

Su Wen frowned as he considered the options for entering the city.

The main gate of Jiang City had clearly been built to defend against the invasion of otherworldly creatures.

But he wasn’t sure which gate to take.

His wallet was empty of Wealth Source, and he was hoping this chaos in time and space would bring him some Abilities or martial skills.

【You hesitated, unable to make a decision due to your lack of Wealth Source.】

【So you stood to the side, trying to observe how others entered the city.】

【But your sneaky behavior caught the attention of the city guards, who suspected your prolonged observation of Jiang City’s defenses was suspicious.】

【Following battle regulations, the guards shot you dead.】

【You died.】

【The faint power of time and space within you began to tremble, as the river of time in this world sensed that your soul didn’t belong to the current time point. Unwilling to accept your true spirit, it chose to expel you.】

【Under the protection of the power of Wealth Source, your soul and true spirit began to return to the current time point.】

【Because you disrupted the order of time and space multiple times in a short period, you drew the attention of the river of time.】

【You gained a buff: Gaze of the River of Time.】

【For the next 4 hours, your Wealth Source consumption related to time and space will double.】

Su Wen’s mouth twitched. How could there be such a buff?

He hadn’t used the chaos in time and space that often, had he?

Did that really upset the river of time?

Was he just a tiny ripple, splashing around a couple of times, and somehow managed to catch the attention of the river of time?

Hmm…

The river of time, stretching across past, present, and future, sounded so grand—did it really have anything to do with him?

Or was this some kind of restriction on his Sub-talent for chaos in time and space?

Did it mean he shouldn’t use it too often?

If he did, would he have to pay more?

Is that what it meant?

The river of time seemed a bit stingy, maybe even greedy, with a bit of a temper. To calm it down, you either paid up or waited for time to fix things—was that the idea?

【You gained a new buff: Gaze of the River of Time.】

【For the next hour, your Wealth Source consumption related to time and space will double. (Stackable)】

Su Wen: “…”

What was this?

Why did the buff add another hour?

Was it because he said the river of time was a bit…

The river of time, transcending countless worlds, existing eternally beyond the universe, was truly one of the most powerful, most elusive, and most indescribable forces in existence.

The awe he felt for the river of time was endless; even the most elaborate words seemed meaningless in its presence.

“Ahem!”

Su Wen coughed lightly and quickly shifted his focus.

He finally understood—the gaze of the river of time was really watching him!

So he needed to keep his thoughts in check and make sure he got through these five hours safely. He couldn’t let it add any more time.