Chapter 318 – Glorious Councilor

Although the current Sain before him had most of his body replaced by cold machinery and complex psionic circuits—especially those metallic ox horns protruding from his head, giving him a distinctly inhuman appearance—his facial features still retained a trace of familiarity from Lu Yan’s memory.

More importantly, that unique aura emanating from the depths of his soul was something no external modification could ever mask. Lu Yan was one hundred percent certain: this half-human, half-machine entity was the very same Sain he had once encountered in the Mysterious Version.

Behind Sain stood several dozen psionics dressed in a strikingly similar style.

Most of them wore dark-colored combat uniforms, their bodies marked with varying degrees of mechanical modifications. Their eyes were filled with vigilance and resolve.

From their formation and imposing presence, it was clear they belonged to the same organization, with Sain at the helm.

Immediately, Lu Yan recalled what Quentin had said earlier about the power structure of City Fourteen—specifically, the Resistance Army formed from the union of various opposition groups.

“Black Robe Gang… Union… Information-Mapped Resistance Army…”

A series of keywords rapidly flashed and connected within Lu Yan’s mind.

In just an instant, he understood exactly what was going on.

Back in the Mysterious Version, Sain had been personally selected by Lu Yan as one of the leaders of the guild.

With the secret backing and strong support of the Victoria royal family, the fledgling guild had at one time received a coalition of support from the old government, traditional nobles, and emerging capitalists.

But the most critical reason was simple—everyone knew that standing behind this guild was a mysterious and unfathomably powerful figure: Lu Yan.

At its core, the guild represented the interests of the lower-class populace, which naturally placed it in direct conflict with the elite class that controlled most of society’s resources—namely the old government, aristocracy, and new capitalists.

And when the version transitioned from the mysterious and occult Mysterious Version to the technologically advanced, class-divided Cyberpunk Version, massive shifts occurred in worldview, social structures, and even power systems.

Under such circumstances, the guild that Lu Yan had once cultivated was, through information mapping, transformed into an underground resistance force—one that now opposed the tyrannical rule of the mega-corporations and the AI God.

And given the unique status of City Fourteen, this resistance force evolved into one of its three dominant factions.

As one of the original public faces of the guild, Sain had naturally used the effects of information mapping and his own strength to become the primary representative of the Resistance Army in City Fourteen.

Lu Yan recalled that the Great Collapse Version he had experienced was a chaotic fusion of different version worlds, with their respective rules and powers clashing violently in a short span of time.

This led to severe interference and weakening of information mapping between versions.

Afterward, Lu Yan had deliberately begun guiding the divine institution he created—the Divine Court and Netherworld—so that its influence could map across an endless number of version worlds.

Yet he had unconsciously overlooked the guild he had once established in the Mysterious Version.

Had he not unexpectedly seen Sain today in the council chamber of City Fourteen, he might never have realized how that tiny guild, through version updates and information mapping, had evolved into something far beyond his expectations.

Lu Yan stood quietly in place, falling into brief contemplation.

Meanwhile, Sharke and Sain—having recovered from their initial shock—certainly weren’t tactless enough to leave a figure like Lu Yan standing idly at the entrance.

The two men quickly stepped forward, hurrying to greet him.

“Mr. Lu! I never imagined that after our brief parting at the Tower of the Universe, we’d be fortunate enough to meet again!” Sharke’s voice trembled with excitement and reverence.

By “Tower of the Universe,” he was naturally referring to the cyberpunk fragment from the Great Collapse Version. Though the mapping was somewhat distorted, the general reference remained accurate.

“Mr. Lu, Miss Anna has been deeply concerned about you ever since losing contact. None of us expected you to arrive here in person,” said Sain, his tone calm and full of deference.

After speaking, the two of them exchanged glances—subtle surprise flickering in their eyes.

As leaders of two of the three dominant forces in City Fourteen, Sharke of the Enforcement Team and Sain of the Resistance Army were naturally aware of their ideological and political differences. They were adversaries in some respects, allies in others.

When Lu Yan appeared earlier, both had been too overwhelmed to notice the other’s reaction.

But now, as they each addressed him, it suddenly became clear—the other was also acquainted with this unfathomable Mr. Lu.

And from their equally deferential attitudes, it was obvious that Lu Yan’s identity and power were far greater than either of them had imagined.

Neither Sharke nor Sain were fools—they had clawed their way to power in one of the most complex environments imaginable.

In just a moment of silent eye contact, they reached a tacit agreement.

Both smiled knowingly and exchanged another glance.

Before today’s council meeting, both men had been secretly uneasy.

According to intelligence, the City Council faction—the nominal rulers of City Fourteen—had recently recruited a large number of powerful Reincarnators as reinforcements.

It was highly likely that during today’s session, they would attempt to suppress both the Enforcement Team and the Resistance Army in order to seize greater authority.

Sharke and Sain had even privately discussed whether they should set aside their differences and temporarily unite to resist the Council’s pressure.

And now, with the arrival of this mysterious and revered Mr. Lu—whom both sides feared and respected—their problem seemed instantly solved.

With Lu Yan as a common banner, the two factions had the perfect, unassailable reason to join forces.

As Sharke and Sain silently reached this strategic consensus with a glance—

Someone from the City Council finally couldn’t stay quiet.

At the highest seat in the council chamber sat a handsome but cold-eyed psionic, dressed in an immaculate silver-white suit.

His icy gaze swept over Lu Yan, who had just entered and immediately become the center of attention, and then over Sharke and Sain who had rushed to greet him. A flicker of displeasure passed through his eyes.

He slowly raised a small gavel—the symbol of the chairman’s authority—and gently tapped it against the desk.

Clack!

A crisp sound echoed throughout the vast council chamber, amplified by speakers and snapping everyone to attention.

“Silence,” the silver-robed chairman commanded, his tone devoid of emotion yet steeped in authority.

“This council meeting is now in session. All late arrivals and unauthorized individuals irrelevant to today’s agenda must leave immediately. Do not disrupt the council’s order.”

Sharke’s face instantly darkened.

He spun around, eyes sharp as blades, and glared at the chairman—Aivis.

His voice was laced with naked fury and threat: “Aivis! Who are you calling ‘unauthorized’?”

Sharke had long heard of Aivis.

He was a puppet—installed by a high-ranking executive from one of the mega-corporations, acting as a white-glove proxy in City Fourteen. Though supposedly here to represent corporate interests, in truth, he played both sides to enrich himself and his master.

Sharke had never held any respect for such opportunistic vermin.

The only reason Aivis remained in his seat was so they could continue extracting intelligence from the corporate giants about the AI God’s movements.

But now, with the Celestial Canopy continuing to expand, the internal power structure of the mega-corporations had begun to collapse. Former elites were losing influence, scrambling for survival.

In Sharke’s eyes, Aivis had already outlived his usefulness.

If not for the fact that Aivis had recently gathered a group of extraordinarily powerful Reincarnators as backers, Sharke would’ve purged him from the Council long ago.

But Aivis did not respond personally.

Instead, a burly middle-aged man with a tiger-like build stepped forward from behind him.

A faint but terrifying aura—belonging to a Soul Transformation-stage cultivator—began to seep out from the man like an invisible mountain pressing down on everyone present.

In this world, under normal circumstances, Dominion Angel-level psionics were already the peak of human potential.

Even powerhouses like Sharke and Quentin were, at most, equivalent to Nascent Soul cultivators.

But this man emanated true Soul Transformation might.

Everyone in the chamber—Sharke included—felt a primal fear rise from their souls. Their breathing became labored under the crushing pressure.

Even more shocking: behind Aivis, there were several such Soul Transformation-level Reincarnators standing silently.

Yet even in the face of such overwhelming power, Sharke clenched his teeth, eyes filled with unyielding defiance.

“This is an internal matter of City Fourteen! Are you Reincarnators really planning to openly declare war on the Enforcement Team?”

Sain stepped forward as well, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sharke.

“And the Resistance Army,” he declared. “We will never allow anyone to threaten the independence and autonomy of City Fourteen!”

At those words, even the previously smug Reincarnators backing Aivis frowned deeply.

They understood full well—the AI God and its Celestial Canopy were forces they could not challenge directly.

Their only hope lay in aligning with this world’s native powers—especially City Fourteen, the last refuge beyond the AI’s control.

That’s why they had humbled themselves to support the City Council, hoping to gain influence.

But they also knew—City Fourteen wasn’t solely under the Council’s thumb.

The Enforcement Team and Resistance Army were equally powerful.

If either of those factions held the true key to resisting the Celestial Canopy, making enemies of them now could spell disaster.

For a moment, the Reincarnators hesitated.

And just then, Lu Yan—who had been quietly observing from the sidelines—finally spoke.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached every corner of the hall.

“Who is he?”

Quentin immediately stepped forward and respectfully replied, “Mr. Lu, that man is Aivis, the current chairman of the City Council. He’s a white-glove proxy for a certain department head from the mega-corporation.”

He had no qualms exposing Aivis’s dirty background.

Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, lips curving into a faint smile.

Then he spoke with an indisputable tone: “A person like that… is unfit to be this city’s chairman. Replace him.”

The hall erupted.

Members of the City Council faction jumped to their feet, slamming the tables and shouting furiously:

“Outrageous! Who do you think you are?!”

“You think you can just walk in and take over?!”

“You dare interfere in the internal affairs of City Fourteen? Arrogant fool!”

Even the previously neutral or Council-leaning Reincarnators frowned, displeasure written all over their faces.

A few of the stronger ones even stepped forward, positioning themselves in front of Aivis.

“You’ve gone too far,” one of them said coldly. “The appointment of City Fourteen’s chairman isn’t something an outsider like you gets to decide.”

Aivis’s face was now dark as ink.

He stared daggers at Lu Yan, then at Sharke and Sain.

“Allowing an outsider to openly challenge the authority of our Council… Sharke, Sain—are you planning to secede and declare yourselves kings?”

“Outsider?” Lu Yan chuckled.

He flipped his palm.

A faint ripple distorted the space above his hand, and a bronze badge materialized in his grasp.

It bore the image of an eye formed from six interlocked gears, pulsing with a cold psionic glow.

The moment the badge appeared, the pupils of every native member of City Fourteen in the room shrank.

Then came a wave of gasps and shocked exclamations.

“That’s a Level-6 Glorious Councilor’s Badge!”

“Impossible! How can a Level-6 Glorious Councilor still be alive?!”

“If I recall, two years ago there was a brutal purge within the council. Every one of the Glorious Councilors who rebuilt City Fourteen was killed!”

Only after that purge did the current City Council take form.

The so-called Glorious Councilors were those who overthrew the mega-corporate rule of City Fourteen and participated in its reconstruction. Their deeds were so revered that they were honored with the title “Glorious Councilor.”

Back in the Cyberpunk Version during the Great Collapse, when Lu Yan destroyed the Soul Computation Center and laid the foundation for City Fourteen’s independence, he had been awarded the highest honor: the title of Level-6 Glorious Councilor and the accompanying badge.

At the time, he had kept it secret, anticipating the long-term implications of version updates.

Back then, there had been several Level-6 Councilors, so the badge—though prestigious—wasn’t absolute.

But as the city grew, the mega-corporate aristocrats infiltrated the council and launched a purge. Almost every true Glorious Councilor was slaughtered under false charges.

Only minor figures like Sharke, with lower ranks and influence, were spared—reassigned as spies.

Now, this new City Council had no true Glorious Councilors left.

In such a context, the sudden reappearance of a genuine Level-6 Glorious Councilor’s Badge was earth-shaking.

It represented not just identity—but history, achievement, and unmatched glory.

Its symbolic weight far exceeded that of Aivis, a mere puppet supported by external forces.

Aivis could be replaced at any time.

But Lu Yan’s badge was rooted in legacy and merit.

Of course, if Lu Yan had been a nobody, the badge would’ve meant little—people might’ve dismissed it as fake.

But now?

Lu Yan stood backed by the Enforcement Team, the city’s strongest military force, and the Resistance Army, the people’s voice.

And now he had revealed a badge of ultimate legitimacy and honor.

These three combined crushed all opposition!

(End of Chapter)