Chapter 118: Version Update

For reasons unknown, even after the allied forces completely seized control of the Paradise Computing Center, the sky battleships and city defense systems still refrained from launching large-scale destructive weapons.

It was as if the moment Director Pran fell, the AI God had simply given up control of City No. 14.

With the allied forces victorious, everyone in the Paradise Computing Center was rescued. News of the triumph spread across the city’s internal networks.

People returned to the surface, celebrating humanity’s victory.

The nobles of the Upper District stood on the grandest podiums, pinning all the blame on the AI God and announcing a complete restart of the city’s political structure. A new parliamentary system would be built for City No. 14.

Leaders of several major Lower District organizations were granted positions as council members. The Upper District mobilized massive resources to demolish old Lower District housing and build new homes for the people, replacing synthetic food with delicious and fresh pre-made meals.

Beyond the societal changes, the Upper District also began strategic military preparations.

Although the AI God had lost its foothold in City No. 14, it still maintained dominance in other cities and could launch an attack at any time.

To prevent the AI God from spying, Heavenly Code runes were inscribed across every corner of the city.

They ramped up military development, unsealed previously banned weapons, and opened up psionic modifications to the public without regard for cost. Anyone willing to join the city’s defense forces could receive the highest level of psionic enhancements.

The entire city seemed to be moving toward a brighter future.

—

In Bunker 71, deep within the underground pharmaceutical factory…

Lu Yan passed through the now-silent assembly lines, retrieving the spiritual marrow ore embedded in the Feng Shui formation.

Inside the factory, the fledgling micro spirit vein had begun to collapse. The remaining spiritual energy quickly dissipated. Within a week, the energy density here would match that of the outside world.

After tidying up, Lu Yan stepped out of the factory.

Following the successful raid on the Paradise Computing Center, he had returned here to focus on refining the Soul Banner.

Finally, just yesterday, Lu Yan managed to stabilize the Soul Continent within the banner, reducing its overwhelming weight so it could fit into his storage pouch again.

However, he had made no progress toward fully refining the entire Soul Continent.

At present, Lu Yan could barely utilize the Soul Continent’s power. Its only true function was the same as when he smashed Director Pran’s head with it.

Although effective, this attack was slow and easy to dodge. The only advantage was that if the enemy stood their ground like a fool, even a Core Formation cultivator could be obliterated, body and soul.

Still, Lu Yan mused, this usage was beginning to drift from the idea of a “Soul Banner” and instead felt increasingly like the mythical Pangu Banner.

With City No. 14 stabilized, Lu Yan had also received generous rewards from Buweisi.

He now possessed complete soul modification technology, advanced compiler knowledge, modification techniques for High-Rank Psionics, and even a few high-capacity psionic fission batteries—enough to last him a long time.

And more than that, he had also gained a new identity.

Lu Yan took a bronze badge from his robe. On it was engraved an eye formed from six interlocking gears.

Below it, Lu Yan’s name was clearly inscribed.

This was the official identity badge from the newly formed city council after the reform of City No. 14. The six gears symbolized a Level-6 council member, second only to the nominal supreme chair—Pran.

Yes, Pran wasn’t dead.

The newborn soul created by the AI God was the one crushed by the Soul Banner. Pran’s original soul, previously suppressed, had survived.

Otherwise, Lu Yan would’ve already packed up that Transcendent Psionic’s body for himself.

To avoid creating inconsistencies across different versions, Lu Yan asked Buweisi not to disclose his Level-6 councilor status, keeping it only for verification if needed.

With the Cyber Version arc wrapped up, Lu Yan’s version update had arrived.

He returned to the same alley in the Lower District where it all began.

After confirming that no black-robed figures were going to jump out and rob him, Lu Yan began arranging his prepared materials in neat order.

“Advanced Compiler Knowledge,” “On Soul Modification,” “High-Rank Psionic Modification Techniques,” and psionic batteries…

Knowledge-based items were backed up in his storage pouch. As for the psionic fission batteries, Lu Yan didn’t dare toss them around.

These things were incredibly rare, and even the Upper District only had a few. Once he left the Cyber Version, he’d no longer have access to unlimited psionic energy. These batteries had to be used sparingly—losing even one would be a massive waste.

Lu Yan also pulled out piles of paper and blank chips, beginning his final preparations.

He engraved Heavenly Code onto over a thousand paper sheets and hundreds of chips.

Of all the tools that helped him in the Cyber Version, none were more valuable than the Heavenly Code. Lu Yan was determined to bring it into the next version with him.

The entire narrow alley was soon filled with Heavenly Code markings—on the walls, on the floor, and even on the space between all his items, carefully arranged at optimal distances.

Time ticked by.

The version update was about to begin.

At that moment, a message notification popped up on Lu Yan’s personal terminal.

Instinctively, Lu Yan looked toward it.

A line of text took over the virtual screen:

[Universal Mega-Corp passes Resolution No. 3571: Early collection of 300 years of psionic tax!]

In the next second, the world around him began to change.

The version update interface unfolded before his eyes.

[The Cyber Version has ended. Version Change Value: 11%]

A rather high number. Most of the changes Lu Yan introduced were confined to City No. 14. This 11% was likely due largely to him snatching an entire Soul Continent.

Without it, the impact of one city wouldn’t have been nearly as significant.

Before he could think further, the screen shifted again.

[Version update progress complete. Please choose one of the following versions:]

• Student Version: A world of pure study. No flashy supernatural elements. Only the purest pursuit of knowledge!
  Ranking system: Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle School, High School, University.
• Entertainment Version: A world that gathers classic works from countless dimensions. Use your wit to build your own entertainment empire!
• Urban Version: The best of times. The dullest of times.

(End of Chapter)