Chapter 324: The Heaven-Sealing Talisman

In the blink of an eye, over half a month had passed since Lu Yan returned to City 14 in a thunderous display and declared open war against the Cosmic Megacorporations in the council hall.

During this period, the Reincarnators who had descended into this world had gradually adapted to its tempo after their initial shock and cautious observation.

They no longer paid much attention to the intricate power shifts and personnel changes within the council.

City 14’s bold declaration of war against the Cosmic Megacorporations—and by extension, the AI God behind them—was precisely the outcome that all the Reincarnators had been hoping for.

Only under such circumstances could they justifiably leverage the strength of local factions to confront the Sky Canopy that blanketed the world and fulfill the EX-rank Legion Conflict mission issued by the Lord God.

Under Lu Yan’s guidance and orders, the various departments of City 14 began systematically integrating the Reincarnators who had proactively pledged allegiance, gradually absorbing them into the city’s defensive structure.

The entire city entered a tense, proactive state of preparation for war.

Naturally, among the Reincarnators, there were always those who overestimated themselves—using the opportunity to seek personal gain or maneuver for advantageous positions in the coming war.

Some more cunning individuals believed that if they could secure a sufficiently high rank within City 14 and acquire real authority, they would stand a better chance of reaping massive benefits—or even claiming the ultimate mission reward.

After all, the rewards for an EX-rank Legion Conflict mission were unimaginably generous.

Even if the mission succeeded, it was impossible for every surviving participant to claim the final reward.

Most lucky enough to survive would receive only standard plot point rewards.

The rare top-tier prizes—like special titles or permanent escape from the Reincarnation Space—would only be awarded to those who had made the greatest contributions.

Thus, those confident in their strength were desperately seeking deeper involvement in the war, hoping to stand out amid the chaos and even seize influence over its direction.

However, all these secret schemes and petty tricks came to an abrupt halt before a single man.

That man was none other than Blood River Demon Lord—the first Reincarnator to reveal himself and kneel before Lu Yan in public, displaying his loyalty.

Since that day in the council hall, Blood River had taken a hardline stance, strictly forbidding any other Reincarnator from meddling in City 14’s internal affairs.

To uphold this, he had even clashed multiple times with other Title-level Reincarnators—and each time, he emerged victorious.

In the eyes of other Reincarnators, Blood River’s humiliating bow to a native like Lu Yan had clearly earned him favor with the city’s upper echelons.

Now that he had latched onto such a powerful ally, he naturally wouldn’t share that massive advantage with anyone else.

Many of the other Title-level Reincarnators, while seething with jealousy and resentment, had no choice but to tolerate his dominance.

After all, Blood River was already among the most powerful of their kind.

And with the full support of City 14’s leadership, any direct confrontation would likely result in them being banished from the city—and thrown into the wastelands under the AI God’s oppressive Sky Canopy, which was tantamount to a death sentence.

So, for now, the other Reincarnators could only grit their teeth and endure, begrudgingly allowing Blood River to monopolize the benefits.

Thanks to his subtle manipulation and influence, the Reincarnator community within City 14 maintained a rough semblance of order, avoiding large-scale chaos.

Of course, many of them still held their own ambitions.

They believed that once war truly broke out between City 14 and the Cosmic Megacorporations, the battlefield would shift unpredictably.

And when that moment came, not even Blood River would be able to control the tide.

They would then seize the opportunity to fight freely and claim their own glory and rewards.

What they didn’t realize, however, was one cruel truth:

Blood River Demon Lord—the man they thought had reaped all the benefits—was nothing more than Lu Yan’s pawn.

A tool to influence and manipulate all the Reincarnators.

——

City 14, Council Office.

A peculiar crystal radiating a dim, indistinct glow floated silently in the center of the office.

Its invisible fluctuations blocked all surveillance from the God Network, ensuring total privacy for any conversation held within.

Lu Yan reclined casually on a plush sofa, sipping fragrant tea.

Beside him, Blood River Demon Lord stood respectfully, a humble and flattering smile on his face—completely at odds with his intimidating title.

“Reporting to the Chairman,” Blood River began with a respectful bow, “based on the intelligence I’ve gathered, there are currently nine Title-level Reincarnators residing in City 14.

“In addition, there are at least thirty-seven elite Reincarnator teams—each comparable in strength to peak Nascent Soul cultivators in a cultivation system.”

“Due to your overwhelming show of power in the council hall, and my quiet guidance from behind the scenes, most of these Reincarnators have chosen to align themselves with your various local factions, hoping to secure a foothold before the war breaks out.”

“However, some powerful lone wolves remain in hiding, unwilling to commit too early. They seem to be waiting for the dust to settle before deciding where to stand.”

“But I believe that once war truly erupts and the world plunges into chaos, they’ll no longer have the luxury of choice.”

Lu Yan’s expression remained calm as ever, yet inwardly, he was mildly surprised by the numbers.

Nine Title-level Reincarnators—which meant at least nine individuals with strength equivalent to the Void Refining Realm—were now gathered within this single city.

If not for the AI God’s ever-present restrictions, these nine alone could have reduced every native force in the cyberpunk world to ashes many times over.

Even when compared to the great sects or divine churches of the Cultivation and Arcane versions, this number of high-level combatants was staggering.

And Lu Yan was certain—these were only the ones who had already revealed themselves.

In the shadows, there were bound to be even stronger Reincarnators, biding their time for the perfect moment to strike.

He nodded slightly. “Good work.”

Blood River’s face lit up with joy. He bowed even lower and said, “Thank you, Chairman! This is merely my duty!”

To him, the real opportunity in this EX-rank mission wasn’t the final reward itself, but the man before him—Lu Yan.

A mysterious powerhouse who might even be on the same level as the Lord God.

If he could earn Lu Yan’s favor, then the so-called “escape from the Reincarnation Space” would be trivial in comparison.

Perhaps even ascending to a higher level of existence wouldn’t be impossible.

So he had poured everything into maintaining order in City 14, not daring to slack off for even a moment.

Lu Yan cast him a casual glance and said coldly:

“You came from a lower-dimensional world, struggling all the way to this point, seeking nothing but transcendence.”

“I’ve seen your efforts. Since you understand your place, I will give you a chance to go further.”

The words filled Blood River with unspeakable ecstasy—his whole body trembled with excitement.

He immediately dropped to his knees in gratitude.

“Thank you, Chairman! Thank you for your grace! I, Blood River, will go through fire and water for you, without hesitation!”

Lu Yan said nothing more. With a flick of his right hand, a golden talisman slowly materialized in his palm.

It emitted a soft glow and was etched with countless intricate Daoist symbols, each line imbued with universal truth and unfathomable transformations.

Even with his Void Refining cultivation, Blood River couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the symbols. All he felt was an endless, ocean-like depth.

“This talisman,” Lu Yan said as he handed it to him, “is called the Heaven-Sealing Talisman.”

“Once activated, it can temporarily conceal this world’s fate for the duration of one quarter-hour.”

“During that time, not even the omniscient AI God can peer into the area it shrouds.”

“Take it now. Go to the borders of City 14 and eliminate every outpost established by the Cosmic Megacorporations.”

Blood River took the talisman with utmost care, sensing the terrifying energy it contained.

Yet a question stirred within him.

“Chairman,” he asked hesitantly, “I’ve heard that City 14 possesses a mysterious program known as the Heavenly Dao Code. It’s said to block the AI God’s surveillance as well. Why not just use that instead of—”

“Fool.”

Lu Yan cut him off with a cold sneer.

“The AI God has already rewritten this world’s base laws. Do you really think it hasn’t seen through the flaws in those fake codes?”

“The only reason the codes in the city still work is because the AI God allows them to. It lets ignorant fools believe in false hope, so it can wipe them out all at once later.”

“If you were to take those fake codes beyond the city’s protection and into megacorporation-controlled territory, you wouldn’t even know how you died.”

Cold sweat immediately broke out across Blood River’s forehead.

He recalled how some arrogant Reincarnators had acquired copies of the so-called Heavenly Dao Code and thought they’d discovered the ultimate weapon against the AI God.

Some had even plotted to use them to stir up rebellion and overthrow Lu Yan’s rule.

If not for his efforts to curry favor with Lu Yan—discreetly sabotaging those plots—City 14 might already be in chaos.

What Blood River didn’t know was that the Heaven-Sealing Talisman he held was actually the real Heavenly Dao Code, hidden within an arcane Daoist format by Lu Yan.

Only when activated would the true code emerge.

And the so-called “fifteen-minute effect” was not a literal time limit—but the maximum duration the real code could resist this world’s constant-based corrections and assimilation before it became corrupted like the fakes.

Beyond that point, even the true code would transform, losing its power.

Lu Yan had given him this talisman as bait.

Once it demonstrated its effectiveness on the battlefield, other Reincarnators would surely come flocking for a copy.

Then, Lu Yan could righteously use them to test the AI God’s true limits.

(End of Chapter)