Chapter 317 – City Structure, An Unexpected Surprise

“It really is you, Mr. Lu!”

Quentin’s expression, which had just been frozen in shock, instantly melted into overwhelming excitement and joy the moment he confirmed Lu Yan’s identity.

Without hesitation, he strode forward and dropped to one knee in front of Lu Yan, his deep and sincere reverence forming a sharp contrast to the arrogance and coldness he had displayed toward the Reincarnators earlier.

Lu Yan, on the other hand, looked upon his drastically changed old acquaintance with great interest.

He clearly remembered that the last time he visited this Cyberpunk Version and first encountered Quentin, the man had been nothing more than a nobody scraping by in the underground, someone who had barely undergone the most basic and crude form of spirit energy modification.

Strictly speaking, Quentin hadn’t even qualified as a real Esper back then—just a thug with slightly enhanced physical attributes.

Though by the end of that version, thanks to Lu Yan’s massive influence and the revolution he sparked in the lower city, Quentin managed to secure a decent position in the newly reconstructed City Fourteen, stepping onto the stage of power for the first time.

But now, after just a few short years, this same Quentin had become a pivotal figure within the city’s enforcement forces, his strength advancing by leaps and bounds—he had reached the rank of a bona fide Dominion Angel-level Esper.

To put things into perspective, even Lu Yan himself, despite undergoing the trials of multiple versions and experiencing a complete transformation in power, had only progressed from the Qi Refining Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage in cultivation terms.

In terms of sheer speed of advancement, Quentin’s meteoric rise wasn’t far behind.

Of course, the situation couldn’t be measured by realm alone.

The cultivation system emphasized gradual progression, the firming of one’s foundation, and deep comprehension of the Great Dao—requiring slow and steady accumulation over time.

But the Esper system in this world leaned heavily on technological enhancement. As long as one possessed enough resources and top-tier tech, they could undergo high-level spirit energy surgeries and rise to power in a flash.

Thus, the difference between the two systems couldn’t be judged by realm level alone.

Nevertheless, Quentin’s current strength and status served as a powerful indication of just how far both he and City Fourteen had come during Lu Yan’s absence.

“It seems you’ve done quite well for yourself these past few years. You’ve even reached the rank of Dominion Angel.” Lu Yan smiled, a note of praise in his voice.

Quentin, still kneeling, bowed his head even lower, his expression growing even more respectful.

“You flatter me, Mr. Lu. Everything I am today—I owe it all to you.”

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“Oh? And how exactly is that connected to me?”

He didn’t recall ever giving Quentin the kind of opportunity that would fast-track someone to Dominion Angel-level power.

Quentin lifted his head, his eyes filled with awe and respect.

“Mr. Lu, do you still remember Sharke?”

Lu Yan nodded.

Quentin continued, “You might recall that when City Fourteen was first established, our spirit energy modification technology could only elevate someone to a High-Rank Esper at best.”

“As for the higher-tier modifications that would create Extraordinary Espers, we only had fragmented data—completely unusable for actual enhancements.”

“But then, word of the Heavenly Dao Codes you left behind began to spread. As their effectiveness against the surveillance systems of the AI God became more evident, high-ranking figures within the mega-corporations—those unwilling to let go of their power—started contacting us in secret.”

“They wanted to form covert alliances with City Fourteen to resist the AI God’s control.”

“To demonstrate sincerity, they began providing us with advanced spirit energy modification technology.”

“This included the complete transformation blueprint for Extraordinary Espers, and even partial data for Dominion Angel-level modifications.”

“However, those Dominion Angel modifications were derived from countless simulations run by the AI God itself—near-perfect enhancements that represent the pinnacle of individual combat ability, second only to the legendary Seraph-level modifications that no one has ever seen.”

“Even those high-level contacts from the mega-corporations were unwilling to hand over such core data freely.”

“So the council took another path. They secretly dispatched elite spies to infiltrate the mega-corps, hoping to steal the modification data.”

“At the time, due to your sudden disappearance, Mr. Lu, Sharke became the target of various factions and was forced out of power.”

“Left with no choice, he accepted a deep-cover mission to infiltrate a mega-corporation.”

“Then, just over half a year ago, Sharke somehow accomplished a colossal feat within the mega-corp. He never revealed the details, but the result was that he became one of its top leaders and acquired the complete Dominion Angel-level modification blueprint.”

“Not long after, the Celestial Canopy—the AI God’s surveillance network—began rapidly expanding with the intent of enveloping the entire world.”

“Fearing exposure, Sharke chose to flee back to City Fourteen, bringing that precious modification blueprint with him.”

“With it, he reestablished himself as a dominant force, forming and commanding our city’s most powerful armed group—the Enforcement Team.”

“I myself received my Dominion Angel-level transformation thanks to Sharke’s help.”

“And before he began my modification, Sharke solemnly told me—his incredible achievement within the mega-corp and the acquisition of the Dominion Angel technology… were all thanks to you, Mr. Lu.”

“Without your help, none of it would’ve been possible.”

After laying out all the cause and effect spanning these past years, Quentin looked at Lu Yan with even deeper reverence.

Sharke had always kept the specifics of his success a secret, and though Quentin had been curious, he hadn’t fully understood the story.

But now, after witnessing Lu Yan’s godlike powers—wiping out powerful Reincarnator squads with a mere flick of his finger—Quentin finally understood everything.

Sure, he himself had relied on luck and Sharke’s backing to rise from a High-Rank Esper to a Dominion Angel.

But this man before him, Mr. Lu, had soared far, far beyond his understanding—beyond the limits of his imagination!

Lu Yan, too, showed a touch of emotion after hearing all of this.

He hadn’t expected that the “casual pawn” he’d placed in that old version’s long-term scheme would, in this Cyberpunk Version, trigger such a massive chain reaction… one that ultimately granted City Fourteen access to critical, high-end technology.

But now that Sharke held such power and influence, it would certainly benefit Lu Yan’s future plans in this world.

“Where is Sharke now?” Lu Yan asked offhandedly.

Quentin replied immediately, “Today is the scheduled City Council Meeting.”

“As per routine, Sharke should currently be attending the meeting at the Council Hall. If it weren’t for the emergency involving Reincarnators earlier, I’d be there myself.”

Lu Yan nodded lightly. “In that case, take me to see this ‘City Council.’”

Quentin bowed and obeyed without hesitation.

His gaze then swept to the street, where the remaining members of the Ascender squad trembled with fear, unable to flee.

“Mr. Lu, what about the Reincarnators?” he asked cautiously.

These were the few lucky survivors of the earlier clash.

Though the Ascenders had been trapped within Bai Wuji’s Sword Domain, they had used Huangsha’s Solar Disc to escape the instant Lu Yan shattered the domain. That was the only reason they survived the Buddha Realm in the Palm.

But what they had seen—the absolute annihilation of multiple powerful Reincarnator teams by Lu Yan’s unfathomable divine powers—had terrified them to their core.

They didn’t even have the courage to run.

Now, hearing Quentin bring them up, the survivors turned pale with fright and immediately dropped to their knees.

“Mr. Lu, we surrender! We’re willing to serve!”

Lu Yan’s gaze swept over them calmly. Then he flicked his finger.

A faint ripple of destructive power spread forth.

Puff!

Huangsha—the eagle-headed Ascender and the strongest of the survivors, a Soul Transformation-level Reincarnator—didn’t even have time to scream.

He disintegrated instantly, vanishing into dust.

Only his Solar Disc, still glowing faintly with solar divine power, remained floating in midair.

Lu Yan raised his hand, and the artifact flew obediently into his grasp.

After inspecting the Solar Disc for a moment, he turned to the remaining four Reincarnators and said plainly, “These ones seem useful. You can deal with them.”

Though these survivors were all at least Nascent Soul-level, equivalent to Dominion Angels in this world, none dared resist the Enforcement Team.

Having seen Lu Yan’s might, they surrendered without a hint of defiance.

Once the captives were taken away, Lu Yan boarded a private airship with Quentin and headed for the Council Hall.

Along the way, Quentin explained the current state of City Fourteen’s internal power structure.

“Mr. Lu, the city has changed dramatically since you left,” he said with a sigh.

“With support from high-ranking corporate defectors unhappy with the AI God’s control, we’ve expanded tremendously in just a few years—our size and strength have multiplied several times over.”

“But with growth comes internal strife.”

“After you left, many of the founding elders who once held power were assassinated or pushed out of the core ranks.”

“Sharke, lacking strength and refusing to bow to certain factions, was branded a spy and forced into his dangerous mission.”

“He’s not the only one—there have been countless such cases over the years.”

“Only after Sharke returned with the Dominion Angel technology and took control of the Enforcement Team did order begin to return.”

Soon, the airship arrived at their destination.

Lu Yan stepped out and entered the heavily guarded Council Hall.

As they walked through a wide corridor toward the council chamber, Quentin lowered his voice and continued:

“Currently, City Fourteen is divided among three major powers.”

“The strongest is led by Sharke, who controls the Enforcement Team and the city’s most advanced Dominion Angel technology.”

“Another is the Resistance Army, composed of underground factions who first resisted the AI God, along with exiles from other cities. They’re numerous and reportedly backed by mysterious forces.”

“The third is the City Council—which officially holds the highest authority.”

“But in reality, this council is controlled by power-hungry aristocrats from other AI-controlled cities. They manipulate City Fourteen remotely through wealth and influence.”

“Lacking military power, the Council used to be the weakest of the three.”

“But that balance shifted when mysterious Reincarnators began entering City Fourteen three days ago.”

“Using their influence and vast resources, the Council quickly recruited large numbers of Reincarnators as mercenary reinforcements.”

“This has thrown the previous power structure into flux.”

“Today’s meeting is intended to reestablish authority among the three sides.”

As he spoke, they reached the end of the corridor. Quentin respectfully opened the massive alloy doors.

Lu Yan stepped into a grand, coliseum-like Council Chamber.

At its center lay a circular platform for deliberation. Surrounding it were countless tiered seats, now filled with representatives from various factions.

And the moment Lu Yan set foot inside the hall—

Two voices, full of shock and disbelief, rang out from opposite sides of the chamber.

“Mr. Lu?!”

One voice was raspy but filled with joy, the unmistakable tone of a long-lost friend reunited.

Lu Yan followed the voice and saw Sharke, now one of the great powers of City Fourteen.

The other voice, however, came as a complete surprise.

Its owner had undergone heavy Esper modifications, with massive arms and metallic ox horns on either side of his head.

It was none other than the former leader of the Black Robe Gang from the Mysterious Version—now a top executive in the Union.

Sain!

(End of Chapter)