Chapter 165: Version Authority

Lu Yan furrowed his brows.

In previous version updates, the decision had always been simple—go with whichever version offered the most benefits.

But this time, the update had become a game of survival. The priority was no longer profit, but choosing the version with the lowest risk of death.

He couldn’t help but mutter under his breath:

“Why the hell is it a death trap with three options? Why can’t I just pick the version I want directly?”

Just then, as if the update interface had heard his complaint, a blurry string of text began to emerge.

【Interference from Spiritual Qi Heavenly Dao Will detected. Version update permissions expanding.】

Lu Yan was stunned.

“Spiritual Qi Heavenly Dao Will interference? …Is that referring to me?”

Before he could fully understand what it meant, another line of text appeared:

【New Permission Unlocked: Designated Version】
【You may charge the designated version meter through version progression. Once fully charged twice, you will gain the authority to choose any previously appeared version to replace the current version update selection.】

As the new text concluded, a progress bar popped up in the lower-right corner of Lu Yan’s vision:

【Designated Version Charge: 1/2】

After carefully reading the description, Lu Yan quickly understood the situation.

Because he had replaced Heaven with Man in the last Spiritual Qi Recovery Version—effectively altering the version update process—he was now partially recognized as the will of the Heavenly Dao. His thoughts had interfered with the interface, thus granting him this new authority.

In other words, this was a reward for becoming a substitute for Heaven.

The “Designated Version Authority” allowed one to select any previously visited version after experiencing two updates. He had just completed the Spiritual Qi Recovery Version, so once he made it through the next one, he could choose to return to versions like Xianxia or Apocalypse.

But here came the critical issue…

“The meter’s not even full yet. What good is this now? I need something to fix this mess now! By the time the next version ends, I’ll be long dead!”

Lu Yan felt a migraine incoming.

Sure, the new authority was nice—but it wasn’t going to save him from the current crisis.

“Whatever. One step at a time.”

Lu Yan’s gaze drifted across the three version choices. He immediately eliminated the Longevity Version.

That one clearly had a boss squatting at the entrance. Entering it would just mean feeding himself to the wolves—Lu Yan had no intention of becoming a sacrifice.

Between the Ascension Version and the Demon Version, Lu Yan hesitated for a long time before finally settling on the Demon Version.

The sword scar across the Ascension option made it obvious—the power ceiling in that version would be extremely high. A single misstep and Lu Yan would face enemies completely beyond his capacity to resist.

The Demon Version, while eerie and unsettling, still provided some context from the clues given. It seemed the setting was one where demonic entities plagued the world, and though the so-called gods and Buddhas had passed down “true laws” to aid humanity, those very laws might be tainted and corrupt.

If Lu Yan simply avoided contact with these “true laws,” he might have a slim chance of surviving the duration of the version.

“I choose the Demon Version!”

The moment his voice fell, the world around him began to distort.

The clear skies were instantly swallowed by darkness.

Moonlight, like flowing mercury, poured down—only to be filtered into a sinister green by the thick mist that had crept in unnoticed.

Mountain winds carried unintelligible whispers through the forest, their enchanting cadence seducing people to wander into the bottomless black.

The shadows beneath the trees felt like gateways to another world, twisted roots of ancient trees hiding countless glowing green eyes that watched silently, waiting for prey to enter.

“So this is the Demon Version…”

Lu Yan swept his gaze across the surroundings with caution. A suffocating unease hung in the air as his powerful divine sense radiated outward like a wave.

But the moment his divine sense reached several hundred meters into the shadowy forest, Lu Yan’s expression shifted slightly.

The shadows in the woods twitched like living creatures, and the instant his divine sense touched them, one shadow morphed into a giant mouth and attempted to bite down on his spiritual perception.

The very next moment, the shadowy maw froze.

Lu Yan’s divine sense was simply too strong, at least ten times greater than others at the same stage. The shadow’s attack couldn’t even pierce it.

A lesser Foundation Establishment cultivator would’ve likely suffered serious soul damage.

Somewhat intrigued, Lu Yan manipulated his divine sense into a giant invisible hand and grabbed the entity. He forcibly dragged it out of the forest and into his view.

But the moment it left the woods, the shadow—capable of damaging a cultivator’s spirit—evaporated in the moonlight.

The whole thing was so clean it was as if he’d simply caught a wisp of shadow and nothing more.

Moonlight dissolving a shadow—that was natural enough.

“These shadows can devour divine sense? But divine sense is just a projection of one’s soul power… Does that mean they can consume souls?”

That thought chilled him.

And these kinds of soul-devouring shadows were everywhere in the forest. It would be nearly impossible to explore the area without encountering them.

Lu Yan looked farther into the mist-covered mountains. The green fog drifted dreamily through the valleys like a phantom.

He spotted a massive tiger sprinting through the forest, but even it was no match for the fog. As the mist brushed past, the beast’s flesh began to vanish before his eyes.

In just one breath, only a pile of bones remained.

Focusing carefully, Lu Yan realized this wasn’t fog at all. It was a swarm of insects—millions of them, so small that the naked eye mistook them for mist.

That brief encounter alone gave Lu Yan a brand-new understanding of the Demon Version.

Once he confirmed that the insect fog wasn’t headed in his direction, he withdrew his gaze and looked down at the spot before him.

Before entering this version, Lu Yan had strategically placed books, gold bars, a copy of Heavenly Dao Theory, and several backup copies of the Heavenly Dao Code—all in hopes of gaining something useful through version conversion.

Now, in this eerie Demon Version, all those materials had undergone changes.

Most of the hundreds of books had vanished, leaving only a scattered dozen. The copies of the Heavenly Dao Code and Heavenly Dao Theory were completely gone.

Oddly enough, the gold bars remained, though now they were stained with blood and reeked of rot.

Lu Yan was about to walk over and pick up the remaining books when he froze mid-step.

A troubling thought occurred.

“If the origin of the Demon Version lies in the so-called ‘true laws’ handed down by the gods… then what if these transformed books have now become those very same corrupt scriptures?”

As he was pondering, one of the books on the ground suddenly emitted a sinister purple glow, shooting straight toward him.

Startled, Lu Yan formed a hand seal and instantly cast his Second-Grade High-Rank Spell—Mystic Light Art.

But it was completely useless.

The protective spell didn’t even slow the purple light down.

The beam of light shot directly into Lu Yan’s Sea of Consciousness, and a torrent of information flooded his mind.

《Treatise on the Doctrine of the Mysterious Womb》

At the same time, in the sky above, the stars shifted into place. Trillions of celestial bodies aligned in accordance with the Dao, forming glowing words in the heavens.

【Celestial True Law Rankings】

【Third Place: “Treatise on the Doctrine of the Mysterious Womb”】

【Practitioners: 1】

(End of Chapter)