Chapter 236 – Exploiting the System

The moment Lu Yan stepped onto the Steel Ground, an invisible pressure immediately descended upon him. This entire world was attempting to expel him, urging him to leave.

It was the repulsion force originating from the version fragment, rejecting all lifeforms outside of the Mechanized Version. Any being below Foundation Establishment was not even qualified to set foot here.

And the stronger one’s cultivation, the greater the repulsion from heaven and earth.

Lu Yan’s expression shifted slightly as he lifted his gaze to the sky.

The blue sky and white clouds within the version fragment suddenly transformed before his eyes into vast torrents of flowing data. The dome of heaven appeared like a massive cage, its projected image merely giving the illusion of sky and clouds.

In his spiritual platform, Lu Yan’s soul—having just broken through to the Golden Core stage—was stirred. Before his eyes, the rules of order unfolded in full clarity.

Suddenly, illusory text popped up before him:

【Current Version: Mechanized Version】
【Core Rule: Machine Dominion – Superstring Convention】

All energy systems in this version are forcibly adapted to machine-life logic.
All other systems—such as Cultivation and Magic—are subjected to Ninefold Suppression Shackles.

In the blink of an eye, nine invisible chains descended from the sky, coiling downward like divine dragons toward Lu Yan.

These were suppression chains on the level of rules themselves. Even a Soul Formation cultivator who could merge with heaven and earth and wield laws would be unable to exempt themselves from their pressure.

Once all nine shackles descended, even a peak Nascent Soul cultivator would be forced down to the Golden Core realm.

This was the final trump card of all major version forces. Within each version fragment, the core rules granted absolute suppression over outsiders.

No matter how vast the difference in strength between versions, under this level of suppression, all resistance became futile.

Yet just as the nine suppression shackles were about to latch onto him, Lu Yan took a bold step forward—proactively advancing to meet the core rule’s chains.

The entire version fragment trembled.

The winds in the heavens howled and twisted, the steel-forged land groaned and warped, and the screech of twisting metal echoed across the skies.

Hundreds of miles away, the Mechanized City—like a slumbering iron beast—abruptly halted its motion. Though its advanced balance systems were immune to the seismic distortions of the Steel Ground, and though it had remained unmoved by the changing celestial signs, this sudden upheaval still made the thirteen councilors of the Mechanized City uneasy.

Inside the round table hall, a mechanical councilor stared at the sky and ordered in a deep voice:

“Activate the Sky Phenomenon Satellite. Trace the source of the disturbance.”

After issuing the command, he turned to the other councilors.

“How is the Chain Axis City operation progressing?”

Just as he finished speaking, all the councilors received a simultaneous transmission.

The moment they read it, their expressions changed drastically. Even their digitized thought processes couldn’t hide the storm brewing within.

“The Prophet Mech ambush… failed? How is that possible?!”

“The Causal Synergy Module is the most complete and unique of all our rule-based modules.

We’ve never excelled at rule-based power, but this module broke that limit—its authority nearly rivaling a budding Heavenly Gang Divine Art from the Xianxia version.

It traces cause and simulates future. How could it fail?”

“Did someone leak intel?”

Voices of doubt and disbelief filled the hall. Then, more detailed intel streamed in from Chain Axis City.

From Lu Yan’s appearance, to the demigod’s attack, to his vanishing like a dream bubble—even the Prophet Mech failed to trace his whereabouts.

From start to finish, the entire operation seemed like some ridiculous joke.

One councilor, now a full machine construct, sat in his virtual seat, his face grim.

“A peak demigod, a Prophet Mech equipped with the Causal Synergy Module, and two satellite-grade anti-Immortal war fortresses—this was nearly the full extent of our top-tier strength.

With this failure, we no longer have a second chance.”

A Brain-in-a-Jar councilor sighed.

“Individual combat strength… has always been our weakest link.”

A flesh-mech hybrid councilor gritted his teeth.

“He’s only able to suppress our war fortresses due to that special divine ability.

If it comes to it, we can invite the Martial Heavens to act. Those lunatics are known as the apex of personal combat.”

“Don’t forget—he’s a True Disciple of the Alliance of Immortals. A bona fide Cancer of Longevity.

The Martial Heavens avoid the Cancer of Longevity like the plague. None of them would dare associate with the Alliance of Immortals. What qualifications do you have to invite them?”

The debate raged until a fully mechanized councilor suddenly spoke.

“If his divine ability can be blocked by satellite-grade fortresses, then the Mechanized City should be unaffected.

As long as we prevent him from using his suppression ability at close range, we can easily kill him within the city!”

The others stared at him like he was a fool.

The Brain-in-a-Jar councilor immediately rebuked him:

“The Mechanized City must not leave its core territory. That is an iron law!

We can afford to lose a few fortresses or resource bases.

But if the Mechanized City leaves its core zone, the lack of rule protection would invite countless versions to strike from the shadows.

The City is our core. It must not be moved.”

Everyone agreed.

The Data Councilor even joked:

“Unless… he walks into the core territory himself. Then we can crush him with impunity.”

The room chuckled—clearly seeing that as an absurdity.

No one, even in the weakest era of the Mechanized City, had ever breached the core territory.

Just as the atmosphere was relaxing, a blood-red light flashed through the council chamber.

The mainframe’s cold mechanical voice echoed:

“Intrusion detected—Sky Phenomenon Satellite!”

“Number of intruders: One.”

Every councilor’s face contorted in shock. A virtual display projected above the round table, revealing a figure streaking across the sky in radiant flight—Lu Yan.

“It’s him!”

“He really came!”

Their eyes widened in disbelief. No one could imagine a mere demonic True Disciple would actually dare to invade the Mechanized City itself.

“Does he think that, just because the Prophet Mech left, he can flatten the city alone?”

“Arrogant madman! He must pay the price!”

But then—

The core rules of the Mechanized Version activated.

The sky rippled with rings of law. Nine colossal chains descended from the heavens, each exuding a soul-crushing pressure.

These were the Ninefold Suppression Shackles.

They slithered through the air like nine divine dragons, glowing with cold metallic light. Their surfaces shimmered with cascading data streams—as if they carried the weight of all sentient beings and the power of foundational laws.

“It’s the Ninefold Shackles!”

The councilors beamed with vindication.

In thousands of years, none who entered this domain had escaped suppression.

“To reach this point, he’ll be remembered in history—but that’s all.”

“What can a mere demonic disciple do against core rules?”

But then, just as the chains neared him—Lu Yan charged toward them head-on!

The trait of the Unchanging One transcended all versions, beyond the dominion of any one version fragment. How could mere core rules suppress it?

Boom!

In the sky, rules clashed and erupted into a blinding storm of light.

The nine suppression chains shattered into countless rule fragments, sparkling and drifting through the air. Each shard radiated primal law energy.

Lu Yan was utterly unfazed.

The ten-layer Dao Foundation within him surged. The Supreme Divine Ability Seed bloomed with mysterious light.

As if called by an unseen force, the drifting rule fragments converged toward him, fusing into the chaotic sun within his body.

Each shard sparked a subtle energy pulse. Arcane Dao patterns etched themselves onto the Supreme Seed.

This was Lu Yan’s third time devouring the Ninefold Shackles within this version fragment.

As the rules collapsed and were absorbed, the fragment world trembled again.

The skies distorted, the earth cracked—the Steel Ground was torn open by a massive rift that revealed bottomless darkness.

On the distant horizon, the shadow of the colossal Mechanized City emerged.

It loomed under a stormy sky—grotesque and ominous.

Inside the council hall, the councilors stared in stunned silence.

They could not comprehend—could not imagine.

In thousands of years, no one had ever broken free of the core rules.

And yet today, Lu Yan—a mere mortal cultivator—had done the unthinkable, sending their logic spiraling into contradiction.

The Brain-in-a-Jar councilor was the first to snap out of it.

“Activate Final Battle Protocol!”

The others erupted like men waking from a nightmare:

“All satellite and secondary fortresses—launch immediately!”

“Anti-matter floating cannon array—deploy!”

“Even if we burn all resources—stop him outside the City!”

The heavens roared as the Mechanized City awakened like a slumbering beast.

From the depths of the earth, a deafening boom erupted. A dark silver sphere, a kilometer in diameter, slowly rose into the sky.

This was the city’s ultimate weapon—a technological marvel fused with immortal treasure systems:

Wondrous Heavens Engine – Nano Oblivion Core.

Its surface writhed with flowing metallic ripples like the veins of a living creature, exuding an aura of terrifying technological majesty.

In an instant, the world changed color.

Trillions of soul-devouring nano-swarm locusts spewed forth from the core, forming a sky-darkening metal storm.

Created to consume all alien energies, the swarm devoured spell power, martial force, divine power—nothing was spared.

Worse still, the locusts multiplied exponentially through consumption. In lesser versions, this would be an extinction-grade doomsday weapon.

The swarm darkened the skies, devouring light itself. It looked like a chasm had been torn across the heavens—as if the apocalypse had arrived.

High above, ten antimatter annihilation cannons took aim. Each gathered obliterating power, glowing like massive artificial suns.

The void twisted around them—each moment bringing them closer to a world-ending blast.

On the ground, the Mechanized City shut all external access. Its metal skin layered with refractive phase shields—reflecting all energy attacks until they dissipated.

Across the realm, the Laplace Demon All-Knowing Computation Core activated.

The city’s ultimate brain.

Modified over thousands of years, it had touched every corner of the version fragment. Countless data streams wove through the air—an inescapable surveillance web.

It could predict every future, calculate every move.

But its power consumption was so massive that it remained offline most of the time.

To activate it now meant that the full might of the version fragment was being unleashed.

Faced with such overwhelming force—

Lu Yan simply smiled.

Without summoning any divine arts or techniques, he slowly mouthed six words:

“Initiate: Version Update.”

In that instant—the world froze.

Cracks spiderwebbed across the void. Rules became visible—then chaotic.

Every Mechanized construct tethered to version rules felt a fatal threat—their foundation was collapsing.

The Nano Oblivion Core’s ripples froze, then shattered.

The swarm of nano-locusts fell like rain.

The ten antimatter suns destabilized, shrieking alarms.

Phase shields warped and cracked—defensive networks riddled with holes.

Even the Laplace Demon’s calculations spiraled into madness. Error data imploded midair.

One after another, these once-invincible tech wonders crashed into failure. Even basic computation failed.

The Version Update’s chaos swept across the world like a tsunami—dragging everything to the brink of collapse.

But then—

A new message appeared before Lu Yan’s eyes:

【Current Version Update Progress: 18%】
【Progress below 100% — Version Update Failed!】

The rules began to restore themselves.

But while rules could reverse—the Mechanized constructs tied to them could not.

Lu Yan watched it all in silence.

His right hand gripped the Human Emperor Banner.

Then he issued a command:

“Kill!”

From the imperial banner, boundless qi surged—and the Army of the Underworld descended!

(End of Chapter)