Chapter 237 – Annihilation Pendulum, Mutual Destruction?

Before entering the version fragment, Lu Yan had never intended to brazenly charge into the Mechanized City.

Although Lu Yan possessed the Unchanging One trait, which rendered him immune to the core rules of the version fragment, how could a city that had operated this fragment for tens of thousands of years be without backup measures?

The war fortresses that made the Mechanized City famous across the Great Collapse Domain were only one of its weapons. That didn’t mean war fortresses were the only instruments of war it had.

According to the data preserved within the mainframe of one of those fortresses, the war fortresses were not the strongest constructs of the Mechanized City. In fact, this version fragment housed many forbidden mechanized creations, each no less powerful than a war fortress.

However, those forbidden constructs were deeply tied to the rules of the Mechanized Version. They could only function properly within the version fragment. If brought into the wider domain beyond the fragment, the absence of the Mechanized Version’s rules would render their functionality questionable. Even if they could run, they would not be able to display their full power.

As a result, those forbidden constructs were left within the version fragment—serving as the city’s final trump card.

Lu Yan’s original goal had simply been to stage an attack on Chain Axis City as a feint to draw attention, then slip into the version fragment to search for the algorithm of the war fortress mainframe.

If all went smoothly, he could even plunder a cache of rule-tier resources to enhance the Supreme Divine Ability Seed.

But what Lu Yan didn’t expect was that the moment he entered the version fragment, the Ninefold Shackles of the core rules descended upon him.

Granted, Lu Yan could ignore them thanks to the Unchanging One trait—and even went as far as to shatter the Ninefold Shackles with his own strength.

But shaking the core rules had a ripple effect across the entire version fragment. Such a massive disturbance had already caught the Mechanized City’s attention.

There would be no sneaking around now. And Lu Yan knew he couldn’t contend with the Mechanized City head-on. He had begun to consider withdrawing voluntarily.

Skimming the edges of the rule fragments, exploiting the Ninefold Shackles to harvest bits of the core rules, and stealing from the version fragment to empower the Supreme Divine Ability Seed—that still had significant value to him.

Just as he was preparing to act before the Mechanized City fully responded, something unexpected caught his eye: the Version Update interface.

【Current Version: Mechanized Version】
【Version Update Progress: 18%（？%）】

Strictly speaking, Lu Yan was still within the Great Collapse Version. The system merely displayed “Mechanized Version” because he was inside one of its version fragments. The rules and environment of the fragment had confused the interface’s judgment.

Once Lu Yan left the fragment, this minor bug would naturally disappear.

But the real issue lay elsewhere—Lu Yan saw two version update progress bars.

The first was the 18% he had accumulated after staying in the Great Collapse Version for over a month. Though far from enough for a global version update, within the smaller scope of the version fragment, it was more than sufficient to trigger multiple updates.

And the mysterious “?%” represented the update progress specific to the fragment.

Realizing this, Lu Yan instantly understood—he now possessed a weapon of mass destruction previously unheard of in the Great Collapse Version!

Why were version fragments the final strongholds of major powers? Why, even after tens of thousands of years of collapse, had so few versions truly perished?

It was all thanks to the core rules of the version fragments. These rules could suppress invaders while empowering the natives. As long as the version fragment wasn’t wiped out completely, even a fallen faction could retreat and eventually rise again.

Now, however, Lu Yan had the Unchanging One trait and the power to trigger a Version Update inside the fragment itself—he could completely destroy the Mechanized City’s core rule advantage.

If he could leverage that 18% to complete the update, the old rules would collapse—and with his trait, he would become the greatest beneficiary.

Even if it was just a glitch and the update failed, the short-lived chaos would be enough to disable most of the forbidden constructs of the Mechanized City.

Now armed with this advantage, Lu Yan stood unshakable.

It was this unexpected factor that made him abandon his original plan of grabbing a bit and running. Instead, he chose to confront the Mechanized City head-on.

And now, reality had proven him right.

The Mechanized City had played every card it had. Their forbidden constructs, supported by core rules, could easily annihilate a peak Nascent Soul cultivator.

But in the face of a Version Update, even those became meaningless.

Imperial qi spread across the fragment. Six thousand Yin Soldiers wielded soul-snaring chains, dancing across intricate formations. Six hundred more rode warhorses as formation cores. Five Ghost Deities manifested their divine forms, channeling vast imperial energy. The Yellow Springs Formation was instantly complete.

Then, like a river bursting from the depths of the earth, surging Yellow Springs water erupted upward. Yin Soldiers and ghost generals charged atop it toward the grand Mechanized City.

In the round table chamber of the city, the mechanical councilors stared blankly at the scene unfolding.

Nearly all of them had long abandoned their mortal flesh to embrace cybernetic ascension. Several had even undergone complete conversion into Dominator-Class mechanized lifeforms.

Because of that, they could sense clearly the catastrophic changes sweeping across the version fragment.

A power akin to remaking the world had arrived. The core rules—under its pressure—seemed like clay, molded and kneaded at will. Their very souls trembled as though the existing rules were collapsing.

Yet ultimately, the rules were not fully rewritten—so they survived.

But the cost was devastating. Including the Laplace Demon’s All-Knowing Computation Core, every forbidden construct was destroyed by Lu Yan alone.

“What just happened?!”

The Brain-in-a-Jar councilor demanded, but no one could answer.

One of the Dominator-Class councilors, his silver body suddenly covered in rust, looked as though he had aged a thousand years in an instant. His energy systems failed immediately.

In the next moment, that once-invincible construct—worth as much as a satellite-class fortress—completely disintegrated. Along with him, three other fully converted councilors perished as well.

Of the original thirteen, only ten remained.

Terror lingered on all their faces.

“He shook the core rules!”

“Only by altering the rules of this world could someone destroy forbidden constructs and kill Dominator-Class lifeforms!”

Some councilors already harbored thoughts of retreat, ready to flee into the city’s innermost sanctums.

Just then, a voice broke their panic.

“Everyone, don’t lose your composure over a single setback!”

“Think about it—if he truly had the ability to rewrite rules at will, why would he have avoided our ambush at Chain Axis City?

With power like that, he could’ve crushed both the peak demigod and the Prophet Mech with ease.”

The others quickly snapped back to their senses.

“That’s right! If he were truly that powerful, he wouldn’t have been forced to retreat from demigod Cairns a month ago!”

“It must be some treasure on him that momentarily triggered the rule shift.”

“While we lost most of our forbidden constructs, we still have others that aren’t tied to the rules—they may be weaker, but they’re still formidable.”

“The Laplace Demon is down, but we can still restart the Nano Oblivion Swarm and Antimatter Cannons. We must strike now and kill him!”

“Kill him, seize the treasure that altered the core rules, and we can recoup all our losses!”

With renewed confidence, the councilors issued orders, and the Mechanized City stirred once more.

Its outer metal shields peeled away like the opening of Pandora’s Box.

A bluish glow pulsed from the defensive barrier, and three massive satellite-class war fortresses slowly rose from within the city—blocking out the sun like ancient titans.

These fortresses, second only to the forbidden constructs, were not affected by the core rules. Most had been stationed outside the version fragment to guard strategic locations.

The three now present had just completed basic assembly. They lacked their self-destruct hives and annihilation main cannons, which was why they hadn’t yet seen combat.

No one expected these incomplete fortresses would become the final line of defense.

Suspended like three suns, each released domain fields through nine embedded rule modules—blanketing the land, clashing with the advancing Yellow Springs Army.

Deep within the city, thousands of war factories activated the Mechanical Broodmother.

Countless mechanized lifeforms were sent into it. Though they screamed and struggled, it was futile.

Inside, their bodies were modified and rebuilt. Mechanical arms reassembled them in moments. Those who synced successfully became massive Golden Core-tier mechs, glowing with rune light and launching into the sky like a metal storm.

Others failed the transformation and were reduced to shattered metal husks.

This was the final resort of the Mechanized Race—their ultimate gamble for survival.

Originally, the most suitable candidates for conversion were Dominator-Class lifeforms, with a 100% success rate. Once modified, they could display strength rivaling Nascent Soul cultivators.

But the city had only three such beings—and all had died during the rule upheaval—crippling the Broodmother’s effectiveness.

Still, the silver mech storm clashed with the Yellow Springs Army, domain fields locking down the sky in a swirl of yellow and silver.

One mech after another fell to the corrosive waters of the Yellow Springs, but they still managed to halt the army’s advance.

Simultaneously, massive cannons within the city locked onto the battlefield. Each blast vaporized hundreds of Yin Soldiers, blowing holes through the formation.

The battle reached a stalemate—an endurance test. Would the mechs run out first, or would the Yellow Springs Formation collapse?

Then, high above, one fortress’s rule modules suddenly shut down.

Unnoticed, Lu Yan had already reached it. The Gate of Mystery Womb opened, suppressing all laws.

Heavenly Gang Art – Yin Talisman Triple Kill!

In a flash, the fortress’s reactor core groaned ominously. Energy circuits crumbled under the art’s interference, and the once-stable energy matrix began to surge uncontrollably.

Radiant power danced across the fortress’s surface like a volcano about to erupt.

Boom!

The first fortress’s reactor went critical. A blinding beam pierced the sky, splitting the heavens open.

Then—like dominoes falling—chain explosions followed. Each reactor detonated, turning the fortress into a blazing inferno, falling like a dying star.

The councilors, having sensed danger the moment the modules shut down, activated every defensive array.

But it wasn’t enough.

The impact of the first fortress shredded the barrier and pulverized nearby buildings.

It didn’t end there.

With Gate of Mystery Womb and Yin Talisman Triple Kill again unleashed, the second fortress came crashing down, devastating a fifth of the city.

Explosions tore across the land, incinerating all in their path. Streets became wastelands. Towers collapsed. Metal wreckage melted and fused with the scorched earth, forming a hellish landscape.

Flames shot skyward, painting the skies in hues of yellow and silver. Dense smoke blotted out the sun. The shockwaves flashed through the blaze like judgment day.

The third fortress, now alone, could no longer suppress the Yellow Springs Army.

With the Yellow Springs rising like a tidal wave, the ghost army surged toward the core of the version fragment—

The Mechanized City.

The corrosion of the Yellow Springs was the bane of all machines. Shields and alloys alike failed before its flood.

Tens of thousands of years of accumulation were swept away in one final charge.

In the round table chamber, the councilors stared in anguish.

Only the Brain-in-a-Jar councilor laughed coldly.

“He wants to destroy our city? Then he can be buried with it!”

“Exile the chamber and activate the Annihilation Pendulum!”

At his command, the chamber was isolated—exiled beyond this world.

And then, the Mechanized City’s final trump card was revealed.

A towering pendulum, forged from unknown metals and etched with forbidden glyphs capable of distorting reality. It had another name:

The Dimensional Resonator.

With its swing, terrifying dimensional force tore across the battlefield.

Space shattered like broken glass. The ghost army, war fortresses, and mech legions—all dissolved into nothingness.

The ripple twisted space itself, spreading like nuclear fission, endlessly.

Even the city—its foundation of thousands of years—was annihilated.

Lu Yan, though dozens of miles away, was still threatened by the dimensional tide, pulling him toward a foreign dimension.

Even if he escaped briefly, unless he left the version fragment, the exponentially expanding wave would eventually consume all.

This was the councilors’ final gambit—offering their city and fragment in exchange for Lu Yan’s life.

In a single breath, most of the ghost army was gone.

Lu Yan’s expression shifted. With a wave of the Human Emperor Banner, the Soul Domain Continent tore through space and descended.

This divine construct, formed from pure soul computation, was like a budding divine kingdom.

At its center hung a black sun, glowing with void light.

With this, Lu Yan resisted the tide.

Gripping the banner tightly, he poured his divine ability into it—channeling the Space Dao of the Abyssal God.

The crumbling space began to stabilize.

Three breaths passed. Before the temporal tide could fully form, it halted.

The Annihilation Pendulum stopped.

Even so, most of the city was erased.

The version fragment was now a wasteland.

The Mechanized City’s arsenal had failed. The ghost army held the formation just barely. The Yellow Springs surged like a flood, devouring all machines.

The once-glorious city was now in ruins.

Lu Yan slowly descended from the sky, eyes sharp as he scanned the wreckage.

In the exiled chamber, the councilors waited anxiously for the final judgment.

According to the Laplace Demon, the Annihilation Pendulum only needed thirty minutes. Once complete, the dimensional tide would erase all.

But this was its first use. No one could predict anomalies.

Finally, the Brain-in-a-Jar councilor spoke:

“Rest assured. The Pendulum can erase the city by the fifth breath. Once the tide forms, even destroying the Pendulum won’t stop it.

Rather than worry about the outside world, we should think about rebuilding.”

His words eased some fear. The others began discussing plans for restoration.

“Hopefully that treasure survives. It might offset our losses.”

“We gave up tens of thousands of years just to kill one man. Was it worth it?”

“I propose recalling all satellite fortresses and limiting ourselves to core resource zones. For the next three millennia, all efforts must go toward rebuilding.”

“As long as we hold the core, we can always rise again.”

Just as they made plans, a gaze filled with indifferent scorn pierced their space.

Everyone froze. An icy dread flooded their souls.

Then, a calm voice rang out:

“I’ve found you.”

(End of Chapter)