Chapter 207: Unofficial History of the Cultivation World

The moment Lu Yan saw the third option, he made his decision without the slightest hesitation.

“I choose the Cultivation Version!”

There was no need for further explanation—Lu Yan understood that any delay could bring about unexpected changes. Even though the Longevity Version most likely could no longer interfere with the version update interface, he still wasn’t willing to take any risks.

As his voice fell, the space before him began to transform. The plains he stood upon gradually shifted into vast mountain ranges. In the blink of an eye, the world changed as if centuries had passed in an instant.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the air surged drastically. The decaying dusk of the Apocalypse transformed into the radiant sunset of the Cultivation World.

Ever since entering the Demon Version, Lu Yan had been shrouded in a deep sense of unease. Even when he entered the Apocalypse Version, that feeling never dissipated.

Only now, returning to the Cultivation Version, did the unease lingering in his heart finally fade.

The Cultivation Version—the place where Zhao Huowang’s dying words hinted at a sliver of hope—was Lu Yan’s only chance to resist the Longevity Version.

It wasn’t until the version update fully completed that Lu Yan truly let out a breath of relief.

In truth, during that final confrontation with the Longevity Version, he was far less calm than he appeared.

He couldn’t be sure whether the Longevity Version had other cards hidden up its sleeve.

The Human Emperor Banner and the version update’s balancing rules were already the limits of what Lu Yan could leverage. If the Longevity Version had pulled out one more trump card, he would have had no means of resistance.

Fortunately, the Longevity Version was ultimately unable to break through the limitations of the Singular Reality. With the advantage of home turf, Lu Yan managed to scrape together a narrow victory.

“Still, entering the Cultivation Version doesn’t mean everything’s smooth sailing now.”

Although Zhao Huowang’s warning pointed to the Cultivation Version as a place where a sliver of hope existed, just entering it didn’t mean one could grasp that chance.

During the six-month stay in this version, Lu Yan would have to seize every opportunity to find where that hope lay.

At this thought, Lu Yan calmed down and began analyzing the current state of the Cultivation Version with great caution.

Previously, upon seeing the Cultivation Version as an option, he had chosen it immediately, causing him to overlook some of the finer details on the update interface.

First and foremost, although the three options—Ghost, Starfield, and Cultivation—had successfully suppressed the interference from the Longevity Version, that didn’t mean these three versions were safe.

On the contrary, during the Apocalypse Version, Lu Yan had interfered with the version so drastically that he caused a 35% version shift, triggering the update system’s balance mechanism.

According to that mechanism, all three of the new options should contain significant danger.

The Ghost Version spoke for itself—its danger level was no less than that of the Demon Version.

The Starfield Version was a high-energy fusion of science and martial power. Its power level was undoubtedly high, and danger was to be expected.

Only the Cultivation Version was one Lu Yan had personally experienced several times already. By all logic, it should not pose any unpredictable risks.

However, Lu Yan had keenly noticed one critical detail—the text accompanying the Cultivation Version had changed.

Originally, the version description read: “Ascension? Longevity? What lies at the end of the Immortal Path?”

But this time, it had become: “Dao Struggle? Immortals Crossing the Sea? What lies behind the curtain among the seated immortals?”

Lu Yan had seen similar text changes before.

The first was in the Cyber Version, which shifted from building a sky curtain to the three-hundred-year Spirit Energy Tax.

The second was the Longevity Version, whose multiple text changes represented increasing levels of interference.

Such changes in description meant that the version itself had undergone alterations. In the case of the Cyber Version, it meant escalating peril. In the case of the Longevity Version, it signified direct meddling from the version’s will.

So, Lu Yan boldly speculated: either the Cultivation Version had undergone some unknown evolution during the years he was absent, drastically altering the situation…

Or the immortals hidden behind the Cultivation Version had begun to act, interfering directly.

Neither scenario boded well for Lu Yan.

Frowning, he muttered to himself, “I’ll have to take it one step at a time.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he scanned the open space around him. This time, he had purposely chosen not to place any books or manuals during the update to test transitions.

In fact, even during the last transition from the Demon Version to the Apocalypse Version, he hadn’t placed any items.

That time, it was because he was being hunted by the true body of the Sky Abyss God and had no chance to prepare anything.

But this time, it was intentional.

Ever since realizing that the Scripture of the Mysterious Womb was the source of the Longevity Version’s interference, Lu Yan had grown extremely wary of manuals carried between versions.

In the Urban Version, the books he left behind had seemed harmless. Yet with just a bit of manipulation, those seemingly simple texts had the potential to trigger catastrophic disasters.

Especially in versions where text itself could carry powerful forces, such books were both dangerous and full of opportunity.

Since the threat of the Longevity Version had not yet been eradicated, and given that the Apocalypse Version was far from peaceful—still under threat of invasion—Lu Yan didn’t dare take unnecessary risks.

He didn’t even know what the next version would be. If he accidentally brought over some corrupted text, the consequences could be devastating. That was why he had abandoned the idea of leaving behind any books this time.

Looking around, Lu Yan had deliberately chosen a remote location dozens of kilometers away from Gathering Point No. 73.

Now, after the update to the Cultivation Version, the surrounding area had become wild and mountainous. Judging by the vegetation, Lu Yan confirmed he was still somewhere within the Wushan Mountain Range, though the exact location was unclear.

After a rough survey, his gaze fell upon the Gate of the Mysterious Womb, still pinned before him by the Human Emperor Banner.

After being suppressed by the Heavenly Dao Merit Artifact, the swirling vortex within the gate had come to a standstill. All laws and Dao remained dormant. Even the gate itself had turned to stone.

But Lu Yan knew this was only an illusion.

The moment the Human Emperor Banner was removed, the gate—still tainted by the Longevity Version’s corruption—would awaken again.

Though the remaining corruption might not cause chaos in the Cultivation Version, Lu Yan decided to err on the side of caution.

For now, he would keep the gate sealed until he found a way to resolve the issue once and for all.

This also meant that while the gate was suppressed, he couldn’t use the Human Emperor Banner freely.

“Still, that’s not a huge problem. The Cultivation Version isn’t riddled with crises like the Demon or Apocalypse Versions. A mere Foundation Establishment cultivation is enough to traverse most of the realm.

“If I really do encounter a threat I can’t handle, I can just retrieve the Human Emperor Banner—though it will carry some risk.”

With that thought, Lu Yan made his decision.

He reached out and gripped the Human Emperor Banner, circulating his mana to draw both the banner and the stone gate into his body.

The process was extremely slow. Lu Yan could feel faint traces of Dao Truth trying to resist from within the gate, but the banner’s suppression was absolute.

It took him nearly half a day, but he eventually managed to fully absorb both the Human Emperor Banner and the Gate of the Mysterious Womb.

Letting out a long breath, he summoned his mana and rose into the sky, scanning the surrounding terrain.

In the distance, at the edge of the mountain range, Lu Yan spotted a grand and towering Immortal City.

He racked his memory for maps of the Wushan region but found no record of such a city.

Intrigued, he flew toward the city to get a better grasp of his location and to see what changes had occurred in the Cultivation Version in recent years.

The city wasn’t far—just over a hundred kilometers away. If he could still use the Sky Abyss God’s spatial ability, he could’ve arrived instantly through two tears in space.

As he approached, the full scale of the Immortal City came into view.

It stood on a vast plain beyond the mountains, wrapped in swirling clouds and mist, giving it the appearance of a floating city—a true celestial paradise.

Lu Yan could feel that the spiritual energy density in the region had clearly increased. The city sat atop an immense spiritual vein, likely of the third grade or higher at its core.

In the Cultivation World, the grade of a spiritual vein often determined the strength of the faction that occupied it. The presence of such a powerful vein implied that there were at least several Golden Core cultivators backing this city.

Such a force was definitely not insignificant.

As he got closer, Lu Yan noticed more and more cultivators in the vicinity—numerous Qi Refining cultivators riding flying artifacts, and even the occasional Foundation Establishment expert.

He slowly descended at the city gate, where a third-grade protective formation shimmered faintly, slightly resisting his entry.

Lu Yan could sense that the grand formation connected to the city’s entire qi network. It was as if it coexisted with the heavens and earth. Once activated, it could unleash devastating power.

After seeing so many powerhouses in the last two versions, Lu Yan wasn’t particularly intimidated by this formation.

Still, the sense of unity with the world emanating from the array piqued his interest.

The Underworld Army stored in the Human Emperor Banner specialized in military formations.

Six thousand six hundred ghost generals formed the array’s nodes, allowing their battle arrays to reach terrifying power.

Whether it was the Nine Nether Yin Flame Formation or the Ghost God Formation, both were third-grade arrays capable of slaying Golden Core cultivators.

Yet these were not true orthodox formation techniques.

The Array Codex of Profound Insight Lu Yan possessed only recorded three second-grade arrays. It lacked any foundation for third-grade arrays. Even Giant Spirit God had to brute-force deduce them with sheer computational power.

Without enough theoretical foundation, brute force alone was a flawed approach.

Now, for the first time, Lu Yan was seeing a proper third-grade formation. The way it harmonized with heaven and earth gave him new ideas.

“If I could obtain a proper third-grade array inheritance and grasp the mysteries of borrowing heaven’s power, the Underworld Army’s strength could increase again.

“Given their numbers and their unified qi through the Human Emperor Banner, if I could find a fourth-grade formation, it might even be possible to arrange a formation capable of withstanding a Nascent Soul True Lord.”

Having set one of his goals for this version, Lu Yan walked confidently toward the city gate.

The Immortal City had three gates—one massive central gate and two smaller side gates. The main gate was shut tight, covered in intricate array patterns and forbidden seals.

To the right, a registration area had several desks, with long queues of Qi Refining cultivators entering and exiting.

On the left side, a lone table stood, where only Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived via flying techniques.

Lu Yan walked toward the left gate. A green-robed Qi Refining cultivator quickly came forward and greeted him respectfully.

“Senior, is this your first visit to Nine Nether Immortal City?”

“Nine Nether?”

Lu Yan repeated the name, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.

The green-robed cultivator smiled broadly.

“Our Nine Nether Immortal City was only founded a little over a month ago, so it’s understandable that Senior hasn’t heard of us yet.”

Hearing this, Lu Yan already had a rough guess about the city’s origins.

“Explain in detail.”

The cultivator’s eyes lit up proudly.

“You may not know, Senior, but although our city is newly built, we’re backed by four genuine Golden Core cultivators.

“Even among the factions under the Green Wutong Sect, we’re considered top-tier. We rival even some of the more unorthodox sects.

“Our city lord is none other than Li Hao, former patriarch of the Li Clan who built the Wushan Market. He’s now a mid-stage Golden Core powerhouse.”

With that, Lu Yan confirmed his suspicion.

This so-called Nine Nether Immortal City was none other than the Gathering Point No. 73 from the Apocalypse Version.

His gaze swept over the hundred-zhang-tall city walls and the colossal infrastructure. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t reconcile this grand city with the dilapidated ruins of the gathering point.

The green-robed cultivator clearly didn’t recognize him.

This made sense—during the Apocalypse Version, Lu Yan hadn’t deliberately concealed his face, but most of the time, he stood high in the sky commanding the Underworld Army. He had rarely appeared in person within the gathering point.

Even the statues the people had carved of him featured only a vague and indistinct face.

Still, this development was a stroke of luck. Though his cultivation had dropped, the strength he had shown in front of Li Hao was more than enough to deter him.

Lu Yan could now leverage this city for a vast array of resources—and easily obtain the third-grade protective formation too.

As he pondered, the green-robed cultivator leaned in with a mysterious tone:

“Senior, did you know… our Nine Nether Immortal City has backing?”

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow. “Backing?”

The cultivator’s expression turned smug.

“Since you’re in the Southern Border region, you must know that it spans over eight thousand miles and teems with beast hordes.

“Every few decades, these beasts gather into waves and attack the surrounding lands.

“Just over a month ago, right after our city was founded, we were hit by the most catastrophic beast tide in a thousand years.

“Tens of thousands of beasts surged from the mountains to attack us.

“At the crucial moment, the Underworld Army descended from the heavens and annihilated the horde. The beasts couldn’t even resist.

“Among them were dozens of beasts stronger than Golden Core, and more than seven Nascent Soul Beast Kings were slain.

“Afterward, news of the Underworld Army spread like wildfire. Tales of the Mysterious Underworld Envoy began circulating through the cultivation world.”

“Some say that this envoy once destroyed a demonic city of a million in one night, nailing a Nascent Soul Beast King to the mountains and ripping out its soul.

“Others say he marched into demonic sects and, before their thousands of disciples, had the Underworld Army publicly execute Nascent Soul demons—shaming the entire sect.

“After the beast tide, the Underworld Army’s name shook the entire cultivation world.

“In just one month, over ten Golden Core factions and three Nascent Soul-level powers came here to pay respects.

“Even the Green Wutong Sect is sending an envoy soon.

“If you join our Nine Nether Immortal City, Senior, you’ll receive protection from the Underworld. Your status will rival that of orthodox disciples. Even the Ten Great Sects would have to show you respect!”

(End of Chapter)