Chapter 164: Something Dirty Is Here!

On the virtual interface, a deep and impenetrable darkness blanketed the three choices, causing Lu Yan’s expression to stiffen.

In the past, every version update interface Lu Yan had encountered contained only brief lines of text—never any unnecessary visuals.

But this time, the update brought with it numerous anomalies. From the indescribable malice at the very beginning to the dark backdrop of the update screen, everything signaled that this version update was anything but normal.

“Could it be because I replaced the Heavenly Dao and altered the world’s destiny through my ‘Man Replacing Heaven’ act? Did that bring some kind of unpredictable change?”

It was the only explanation Lu Yan could come up with. He then looked toward the first option.

A sword scar ran straight across the words of the first option, radiating a killing intent that defied description. Even though it existed only within a virtual interface, Lu Yan could feel the heart-piercing sword intent emanating from the scar.

In the previous Xianxia Version, Ji Xingyao had forged her Earth Dao Foundation using Heaven-Man Sword Intent.

But before this terrifying sword scar, Ji Xingyao’s sword intent seemed as fragile as a flickering firefly, ready to be crushed at any moment.

Lu Yan could only avert his eyes to avoid the oppressive pressure and read the text underneath.

“Ascension Version?”

Under normal circumstances, Lu Yan wouldn’t find this version suspicious. The description suggested the lower realm was stable, with possible dangers only appearing in the world one ascends to.

But now, with this image—that sword scar cutting through all the text—it was obvious to Lu Yan that the Ascension Version was a massive trap.

“Does this mean the upper world after ascension is inherently full of crises, and by choosing this, I’ll be sent straight there?”

The ominous imagery led Lu Yan to assume the worst-case scenario.

“The fact that this sword scar appears on the update interface—could it be a warning following a UI upgrade? Or maybe… this version update is fundamentally different, and the scar signifies a deliberate targeting by the Ascension Heavenly Dao?”

Lu Yan couldn’t be sure.

The version update interface originated from the synergy between Lu Yan’s Immutable Trait and the world’s version update process.

Because the Immutable Trait allowed him to partially interfere with the world, he could steer the direction of version changes.

But the current circumstances clearly didn’t feel right. With no better clue, he shifted his attention to the second option.

This one was still shrouded in dense darkness, almost impossible to pierce. Deep within that gloom, Lu Yan could faintly make out several shadowy outlines.

He tried to discern them through the flickering shadows and eventually saw them clearly:

A skeletal, withered Bodhisattva seated on a lotus platform; an Immortal covered in feathers standing atop a crane; a Confucian scholar surrounded by grotesquely twisted figures bowing down in worship.

Seeing this, Lu Yan’s heart immediately tightened.

“This Demon Version is absolutely not as simple as the text description suggests.”

“Though it says gods and Buddhas granted true techniques to protect humanity, those shadowy outlines suggest the so-called ‘true teachings’ might be deeply tied to the origin of the demons themselves.”

Lu Yan instinctively ruled out the second option and turned his eyes to the third.

The third option bore none of the strange anomalies the first two had. It looked exactly like the version choices Lu Yan had seen in previous updates, which helped him feel a little more at ease.

But the moment he read the text, Lu Yan froze in silence.

“Young friend, what are you hesitating for?”

No version description. No visual cues. No apparent danger. Just one line—a simple, cordial question.

But Lu Yan’s instincts screamed at him with overwhelming terror. A chill of dread rose to its peak.

It was as if he could see a kind old man, smiling gently and asking him if he’d like to choose the third option.

“That’s impossible!”

Lu Yan immediately tried to reject the thought.

He hadn’t made a choice yet, which meant that none of the versions had actually started. At most, there was a slight karmic link between his current state and the three options.

How could anyone bypass version barriers and interfere directly with the update interface through mere karmic threads?

Even beings possessing the “Only One in This World” trait shouldn’t be able to pull this off.

Yet the words were there—real and undeniable—plunging Lu Yan into confusion.

“Maybe I should… just pick it and see?”

The thought surfaced in his mind out of nowhere, and he almost blurted aloud—

“Pick—no! That’s not right!”

In a sudden jolt of clarity, Lu Yan broke free from the mental haze.

Inside his Sea of Consciousness, his divine soul rapidly shifted hand seals. A mighty ancient bell, condensed from soul power, manifested in the void.

Second-Grade High-Rank Divine Soul Spell: Soulbell Law Suppression!

The soul imprint struck the bell hard.

BOOM!

The deafening chime echoed through his Sea of Consciousness like a holy flood, dispersing the mental fog. In the wake of this Soulbell’s cleansing, Lu Yan finally stabilized his mind.

Only then did he exhale deeply.

He avoided looking directly at the third option and muttered quietly to himself:

“This version… has something dirty in it.”

The first two choices, though bizarre and dangerous, only produced visible anomalies. They didn’t contain any actual consciousness that could cross boundaries and threaten Lu Yan.

But this third Longevity Version—its mere line of text carried a will that could beguile the heart, attempting to make Lu Yan willingly choose it.

If he hadn’t built the Supreme Dao Foundation and undergone a soul-level transformation, he might have really been seduced by that one sentence.

There was no doubt—both of the first two versions were deadly traps.

But the last one—that was something unprecedentedly lethal.

No matter which of the three he chose, their danger far surpassed that of the Cyber Version, making Lu Yan deeply uneasy.

“Is this… the backlash I’m facing for completing the ‘Man Replacing Heaven’ act and altering the Heavenly Dao?”

Lu Yan had encountered a situation like this once before.

It was back during the Xianxia Version, when he took out Ji Xingyao’s photo, which triggered a Heavenly Dao correction and created a 1% version deviation.

After that event, he too had faced three equally hopeless options during the following update.

But back then, there were no strange visuals—only a well-disguised Cyber Version that eventually lured him into a trap.

At that time, he had simply incurred the hostility of the Xianxia Heavenly Dao.

Now, after overthrowing the Urban Heavenly Dao, the repercussions were even more terrifying.

Once again, the version update presented him with three deathtrap options, and this time, the last one was beyond anything Lu Yan had imagined.

No matter which path he chose, it felt like a predetermined dead end.

(End of Chapter)