Chapter 196: The Truth Behind the Version Invasion

Lu Yan’s mind trembled violently.

His expression grew solemn as he turned to ask Li Hao,
“Do you know the origin of the apocalypse? Were there any unusual phenomena when it first began?”

Li Hao had once been the leader of the Seventy-Third Base—a major stronghold with over several hundred thousand residents, one of the largest in the entire apocalyptic version. Even among the hundreds of bases, his status would be considered high-ranking. Logically, he should possess insight into the origins of the apocalypse.

However, upon hearing Lu Yan’s question, Li Hao instinctively frowned.

“Reporting to the Honored Envoy, I’m not withholding anything intentionally. The truth is, no base has a clear answer to the cause of the apocalypse—there are only a few mainstream theories.”

“The most widely accepted theory is that humanity defied the gods, and in their wrath, the deities punished the world by taking away part of people’s souls—resulting in the birth of countless zombies. According to this legend, the Underworld descended to save mankind from the catastrophe.”

“The second theory is the Sun and Moon Mutation Theory. Some scientists after the apocalypse discovered that the sun and moon in the sky had grown thirty percent larger compared to before the apocalypse.”

“Moreover, the sun and moon seem capable of releasing a special kind of energy. Exposure to their rays sometimes triggers an awakening into a Transcendent, granting extraordinary powers. It’s also believed that zombies derive their power from moonlight.”

“Some suspect that the sun and moon we now see are no longer the same celestial bodies from before the apocalypse. Their transformation might be the very reason this world fell into ruin.”

Lu Yan immediately dismissed the first theory.

It was obviously fabricated after the Underworld’s appearance—mere folklore. Others might believe it, but as the one who created the Underworld himself, Lu Yan certainly would not.

However, the second theory stirred a deeper understanding in him.

The sun and moon represent the forces of Yang and Yin—two of the most fundamental components of any world. The idea that they had grown in size by thirty percent was highly unlikely. Without corresponding shifts in the world’s laws, an increase in size would have no significant effect.

Unless the change originated from outside the version itself!

Suddenly, Lu Yan raised his head and looked toward the sky. Night had already fallen.

Despite the ghostly fog that blanketed the heavens, he could still see the bright, full moon hanging high, casting silver light over the land.

Yet for some reason, Lu Yan felt a chill from that moonlight—a kind of cold he had never sensed before.

The apocalypse had plagued this world for thirteen years. Zombies, stripped of their Earth and Heaven souls, possessed only the Human Soul and Seven Spirits, becoming threats to all living beings.

Then there was the ever-present moonlight and sunlight, constantly bathing the world in Lunar and Solar Essence, creating the foundation of the Transcendent System.

All of it struck Lu Yan as eerily familiar.

“The zombie plague represents the chaos of demons. The moonlight and sunlight mirror the true path of the world, shaping a growing system of Transcendents.

This system has rapidly matured. In just thirteen years, the world now has countless Ninth Stage Transcendents equivalent to the Golden Core Stage—progress as fast as the cultivation of demonic True Laws.

And most critically, the sun and moon have changed because of something outside the version.

Their ability to release Lunar and Solar Essence—it’s no different from the deities of the Demon World bestowing True Law!”

The pattern was becoming clear. A chill crept through Lu Yan’s heart.

If his deduction was correct, then this apocalyptic version was currently undergoing an invasion from another version.

Whether the invading force came from the Longevity Version or some other unknown version, one thing was clear: the future of the apocalypse looked grim.

This was only the early stage of the invasion. It didn’t seem too dangerous—yet.

But if left unchecked, the very foundations of the Transcendent System—sun and moon—could, like the Dao of Heaven in the Demon World, be polluted and warped. The entire world might fall into madness and corruption.

Only the disruption of versional order could allow another version’s Dao of Heaven to interfere.

That was how the apocalypse would be consumed—just like what happened to the Demon World.

“Perhaps the Dao of Heaven sensed this and that’s why, when I slaughtered zombies and stripped away their souls, I was rewarded with immense Heavenly Merit.”

“Because to the Dao of Heaven, this apocalypse is the result of an external invasion. And it wants me to purge the apocalypse entirely!”

Everything finally clicked. Only one final confirmation was needed.

With that in mind, Lu Yan raised his finger and wrote a series of names in the air using spiritual power:

Lightdance Corporation, Green Wu Sect, Archaeological Association, Great Yi Sect, Destiny Group, Destiny Sect.

These were all names used by the Ten Great Sects across the Urban and Immortal Cultivation Versions.

After finishing, Lu Yan turned to Li Hao and asked:

“Have you heard of any of these names in the apocalypse?”

Li Hao studied the characters, scanning them carefully. After a moment, he pointed to one:

“In the early days of the apocalypse, there was a powerful base called Destiny. Its core members were incredibly strong.

But after just two years, the entire leadership suddenly vanished, and the base underwent a power shift. It was renamed Base Seven, which is what it’s known as today.”

“As for the other names, I’ve heard them in passing, but I don’t know the details. What I can confirm is that none of the current major forces in the bases use those names.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yan revealed a knowing expression.

Just as he suspected—the Ten Great Sects had abandoned this version.

Which confirmed that the apocalyptic world was indeed under version invasion—just like the Demon World had been.

Watching Lu Yan’s expression shift repeatedly, Li Hao grew nervous.

In his eyes, Lu Yan—who could command such a massive army of Yin Soldiers—was a peerless force. There should be nothing in this world capable of threatening him.

Yet here Lu Yan stood, clearly troubled. This unsettled Li Hao, whose entire fate was now bound to him.

After a long silence, Lu Yan’s expression finally steadied.

Because he realized something: encountering a world in the early stages of version invasion might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Even if he had purged the threat from the Longevity Version, the cycle of version updates would continue. Sooner or later, Lu Yan would face off against the Longevity Version again.

And since the Longevity Version seemed well-practiced in world invasions, Lu Yan would inevitably enter other invaded versions too.

Compared to those already corrupted by years of infiltration, this apocalypse was still early in its transformation—and there was no being in this world stronger than Lu Yan.

Given enough time, Lu Yan could refine the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and sweep through the entire apocalypse.

In that case, this version could serve as a training ground—to prepare for the battles yet to come.

“In that case,” Lu Yan thought, “the original plan must change.”

“Resolving the apocalypse invasion is not just about slaughtering zombies—it’s about restoring order so that the version’s Dao of Heaven can once again take control.”

Which meant—rebuilding civilization was a mission that could not be ignored.

With his goal in mind, Lu Yan glanced at Li Hao and said:

“Go find a Fifth Stage Transcendent named Guo Ze. I’ve tasked him with triggering a supermassive corpse tide.

He’ll use the tide to wipe out all the zombies within a hundred kilometers of the Seventy-Third Base—turning the area into a Safe Zone where civilization can begin anew.”

“A supermassive corpse tide? A Safe Zone? Rebuilding civilization?” Li Hao froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy.

For the Seventy-Third Base, this was undeniably good news.

If they could establish a Safe Zone and rebuild as Lu Yan described, they would attract a flood of people and easily surpass other bases in power and influence.

Under normal circumstances, Li Hao would worry about others trying to steal the fruit of their labor—whether rogue forces or rival base leaders.

But after witnessing the sheer might of Lu Yan’s Yin Soldier army, Li Hao no longer had any such fears.

“I shall obey the Honored Envoy’s command!”

Lu Yan glanced at the battlefield. The Yin Soldiers had nearly finished their purge of hostile Transcendents.

Since Li Hao would need a team to manage the Seventy-Third Base, and because Lu Yan had no way of distinguishing between ordinary Transcendents and hidden assassins who hadn’t yet reached the Golden Core stage, he had ordered the Yin Soldiers to hold back—using only Soul Chains to subdue their targets without tearing out their souls.

He continued his instructions:

“When you go out, screen everyone the Yin Soldiers captured. Identify those who participated in my attempted assassination.”

“Then compile their information for me. I want the names, ranks—especially those at the Ninth Stage—and photos, along with the names of their respective bases.”

An hour later, the sky was clear. The Yin Soldiers returned to the Soul Banner.

Inside the banner, Lu Yan had gained the souls of two Golden Core stage and twenty-one Foundation Establishment stage Transcendents, along with detailed intel on all the would-be assassins.

He also acquired a forbidden-zone map compiled by the major bases—detailing eleven large ruined cities, with five suspected to harbor Ninth Stage Corpse Kings.

Waving the Soul Banner, Lu Yan borrowed the Qiongyuan God’s spatial control to tear open a rift—and vanished from the Seventy-Third Base.

For the next half-month, vast armies of Yin Soldiers began appearing above many major bases.

They forcibly captured high-level Transcendents and base leaders, but never harmed ordinary citizens.

At first, this caused panic. So many elites taken—how could a base remain stable? If a corpse tide struck, they’d be defenseless.

But it soon became clear: the Yin Soldiers weren’t just capturing criminals. They were also cleansing the towns, ruins, and cities where zombies gathered.

Millions of zombies were wiped out, dramatically improving security around the bases.

As word spread, people began to rejoice. Some even carved replicas of the Soul Banner that had appeared during the Yin Soldiers’ descent—and enshrined them at home for daily worship.

Compared to Transcendents who enjoyed offerings but never dared step into zombie-infested zones, the Yin Soldiers became shining paragons of justice.

Some began to say:
“The Yin Soldiers punish only the wicked. If you did no wrong—why would they come for you?”

And thus, in the surging tide of the Underworld’s suppression of the apocalypse, the entire world began walking a new path.

(End of Chapter)