Chapter 90: Advanced Knowledge of Compilers

“Earth Axis, Yin Wind Formation!”

In the abandoned mine outside Catacomb No. 33, a command rang out. A howling yin wind surged from the depths of the earth.

Icy cold air spread outward, and under the force of the yin wind, the surrounding cave began to rapidly erode, as if centuries had passed in an instant.

Solid rock crumbled into dust, jagged stone walls were scraped flat, and even the dilapidated mining tunnels vanished as if wiped away by an invisible hand.

In just a few short moments, the entire mine was swept clean.

“Stop.”

Another command echoed out. The howling wind slowly subsided, and Lu Yan stepped out from the shadows, Soul Banner in hand.

In the ghostly fog that filled the cavern, fourteen fierce ghosts stood neatly aligned in formation. As glowing energy codes lit up on their bodies, ghostly qi linked between them, forming a complete array.

This was the Yin Wind Formation—a First-Grade Low-Rank formation recorded in Mysteries of Formations, drawing on yin-cold air to summon the earth’s inner winds.

Its damage to physical matter was limited, but if one’s soul was caught unprepared, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would be gravely injured. It was one of the most vicious First-Grade formations.

Lu Yan wasn’t drawn to the Yin Wind Formation because of its cruelty. Rather, it was simply the only formation he could currently construct with his limited grasp of energy code.

The Yin Wind Formation matched the nature of the fierce ghosts and required few array nodes, making it the optimal choice for him.

Sweeping his gaze over the fourteen dazed and sluggish-looking ghosts, Lu Yan saw their bodies flickering with unstable code, like dying fireflies threatening to extinguish at any moment.

Lu Yan frowned, murmuring with disappointment:

“So this is all I can achieve without full soul modification and cerebrain code?”

It had been a full month since he committed to diving deep into energy code. Only three months remained before the next world version update.

During that time, Lu Yan had set aside almost everything else—aside from occasionally checking on Nine Dragons Strength Elixir production, he’d immersed himself entirely in formations and energy code.

With both systems complementing each other, he’d skipped over the beginner’s stage and swiftly grasped the fundamentals of both.

He even found time to perform an energy modification on Quinton.

Lu Yan erased the incomplete energy code on Quinton’s arm and replaced it with a First-Grade Low-Rank array: the Blood Refining Formation, written in energy code.

This not only made Quinton an energy user, but also granted him the ability to refine and enhance his body through blood power.

That single procedure stunned Quinton beyond words.

According to him, an Upper City energy modification worth two million only enhanced physical traits and boosted energy storage to the energy-user level.

As for mods like Silver Skin, Golden Bone, or Energy Surge that granted true combat abilities—they cost at least fifty million.

By merging the two systems and compiling a new energy modification, Lu Yan had already reached a level not far from a seasoned compiler.

Buoyed by Quinton’s praise, Lu Yan confidently attempted to analyze the energy code etched into the cerebrain spirit.

And then—he was brutally humbled by the cyber version’s accumulated soul technology.

The energy code engraved onto the soul was far beyond anything he could comprehend.

If normal First-Grade array runes and basic code were elementary math, then this level of soul modification was equivalent to advanced university calculus.

Even with the code right in front of him, Lu Yan couldn’t understand it. All he could do was copy it by rote.

Afterward, he used the ghosts within the Soul Banner as test subjects, trying to inscribe the copied codes onto their souls.

He ran hundreds of experiments, nearly causing two ghost souls to collapse in the process, and in the end only identified a few usable energy codes.

Using just those fragments, he barely managed to link the ghosts together and form the Yin Wind Formation.

The fact that he could coordinate fourteen mid-stage Qi Refining ghosts into a functioning formation was already impressive.

But it was still a far cry from his grand vision—an intelligent Soul Banner, commanding tens of thousands of ghosts to form the Ten Halls of Hell Formation and annihilate powerful enemies with a wave of his hand.

Lu Yan raised his right hand and waved, withdrawing the ghosts back into the Soul Banner. He pressed a finger to his brow, clearly troubled.

“I’m only able to inscribe energy code onto ghosts because the Soul Banner grants me absolute control over them. This can’t even be called real soul modification.

“At this rate, even if I spend ten years in the cyber version, I’ll never fully decode the cerebrain’s energy code.

“To complete the intelligent Soul Banner, I need to find true soul modification technology.

“At the very least, I need access to advanced compiler knowledge—the kind that can interpret higher-level code and help me understand the cerebrain.”

“But soul modification technology is top-secret even in the Upper City. Right now, I can’t even leave the Lower City. How could I possibly obtain something so classified?”

“On the other hand, tracking down a set of advanced compiler knowledge seems more feasible.”

The Upper City and Central City’s research centers and universities were bound to have such information. It only remained unknown to the Lower City due to strict knowledge suppression.

If he could somehow bypass that blockade, there might still be a chance.

Lu Yan’s eyes flickered thoughtfully as he considered his options.

Recently, tensions between the Lower and Upper City had been escalating. An air of unrest blanketed the entire catacomb region.

All eyes in the city were now focused on this underground world. During this period, the Central City’s lockdown might be slightly weaker than usual.

If he acted during this window, he might be able to acquire the compiler knowledge he needed.

However, with the God of Intelligence constantly monitoring the Central City, the moment he entered its surveillance range, he could fall under the deity’s watch.

Under those circumstances, Lu Yan couldn’t risk going himself. No matter how precious that compiler knowledge was, his own safety came first.

What’s more, Lu Yan’s current identity was completely forged. Entering the Central City with such a blatant fake meant a near 100% chance of exposure.

“So… I need a proxy—someone who can access the Central City and serve as my channel to acquire advanced compiler knowledge.”

“But ordinary people can’t get close to that kind of knowledge. And those who can usually hold high positions—they would never betray the Central City over a mere profit.”

As he mentally reviewed potential candidates, a familiar young figure emerged in his mind.

Combining that with recent reports from Shaq, the corners of Lu Yan’s mouth curved slightly upward.

“Unless… he has a weakness I can exploit.”

(End of Chapter)