Chapter 94: Ambush

Zhao Huowang… Deceiving the Cerebrain… the Heavenly Dao Code!

Lu Yan’s heart trembled violently, and his face involuntarily revealed a rare look of shock.

One couldn’t blame Lu Yan for losing composure—the information He Dongsheng just shared was simply too staggering.

Back in the Xianxia version, Lu Yan had received the Heavenly Dao Treatise from He Dongsheng, and through it, had faintly glimpsed the true essence behind the world’s version updates.

He thought that was the end of it.

But now it seemed… the Heavenly Dao Treatise was only the beginning.

Its author, Zhao Huowang, had once again left behind something significant in this Cyber version—a piece of spiritual energy code capable of deceiving the cerebrain.

On the surface, it sounded like nothing more than a clever bug—an exploit that let a fake chip slip past the cerebrain’s inspection. Like a virus cleverly masking its identity, it made sense in terms of code and logic.

But if one truly understood the nature of spiritual energy code and the cerebrain… they’d realize just how absurd this really was.

Spiritual energy code was one of the foundational logics of the Cyber version’s supernatural framework.

The cerebrain, on the other hand, wasn’t just some hyper-advanced machine—it was a soul computer, possibly the core and greatest invention of this version.

In the strictest sense, the cerebrain wasn’t a mechanical program at all—it was a form of living being, existing on a different plane. Its ultimate evolutionary goal was to become the all-knowing, all-powerful Intelligent God.

If such an entity did gain control over the entire Megacorporation and dictated the fate of the Cyber version, then calling it the Cyber Heavenly Dao wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

And now, a single segment of spiritual energy code had successfully deceived a soul computer…

The implications were world-shattering.

Was it a flaw born from the very foundations of spiritual energy code?
Or a bug in the cerebrain’s evolutionary process?
Or perhaps—could this line of code even fool the Intelligent God?

If it could truly deceive even the God of this version, then the name Heavenly Dao Code was no overstatement—it was utterly fitting.

In that fleeting moment, countless thoughts raced through Lu Yan’s mind.

He reached out and took the chip that contained the Heavenly Dao Code, his expression solemn as he said:

“Thank you.”

Seeing Lu Yan accept the gift, He Dongsheng finally relaxed.

Though he was a lifelong forger, his intentions weren’t malicious. He just wanted to survive. And for someone like Lu Yan, who had helped him more than once, He Dongsheng genuinely felt gratitude and was glad to repay the favor.

“All right, we should get moving. This isn’t the place to catch up.”

“If the transport vehicle’s been hijacked, the Enforcer squads will be sweeping the Lower City soon. We have to get to the catacombs before they lock down the area.”

Lu Yan nodded, and the two quickly left the abandoned factory.

They chose quieter backroads. Patrol vehicles were already starting to appear on the streets.

But thanks to the shoddy infrastructure in the Lower City, it lacked the heavy camera surveillance and cerebrain monitoring found in the Central and Upper Districts. The patrol squads wouldn’t be able to locate escapees immediately.

Avoiding the enforcers and patrol cars, Lu Yan and He Dongsheng moved quickly. Just as they were approaching the elevator that led down to the catacombs, Lu Yan suddenly came to a halt.

“What is it?”

He Dongsheng noticed Lu Yan’s change in demeanor and asked cautiously.

Lu Yan didn’t respond. His gaze was locked on the abandoned mine ahead, his expression growing heavier by the second.

Behind that mine lay a subterranean elevator that led directly to the catacombs.

But despite being only a few hundred meters away, Lu Yan could feel an overwhelming sense of danger emanating from the path ahead. His soul intuition flared wildly, sending urgent, repeated warnings.

His eyes sharpened as they swept across the mine tunnel. In a deep voice, he spoke:

“You’ve been lurking long enough. Aren’t you going to come out?”

But there was only silence. No one replied.

He Dongsheng blinked. “Aren’t you being a little too paranoid?”

The next second, he watched as Lu Yan raised his right hand—and a flame of golden fire silently drifted toward the mine tunnel.

In that instant, the entire scene seemed to freeze.

Faint, blurry snowflake patterns flickered in the air, like a system stuttering, unable to render the environment properly.

Then—with a thunderous sound—the mine tunnel shattered, dissolving into countless light particles. What had once appeared real was revealed to be nothing more than a massive 3D spatial projection.

Behind the illusion lay reality—turrets, spiritual cannons, high-powered sniper rifles. The entire entrance was rigged with firepower, each weapon locked onto the entry path, ready to obliterate intruders in a flash.

“What the hell…”

He Dongsheng’s face turned pale. Had Lu Yan not sensed something was wrong, he might’ve stepped into that trap—and death would’ve been instant.

But Lu Yan remained expressionless, his eyes fixed beyond the projection.

There, a youth clad in a silver suit stood tall and composed.

Lu Yan immediately sensed it—this man was far beyond human.

That silver suit? Not clothing, but a part of his very flesh.

Upon it were countless strands of spiritual energy code, almost invisible. Every inch of the man’s skin, muscle, and bone was composed of condensed code.

His blood had become spiritual energy. Even his breath no longer exhaled carbon dioxide, but exhaust vapor from soul energy flow.

He was, in the most precise sense, a biological spiritual-energy machine.

The sheer power radiating from him already exceeded that of ordinary energy users, rivaling the Foundation Establishment-level cultivators Lu Yan had once met—such as Demon Cultivator Cheng Yu or Xie Yun from the Qingwu Sect.

In Cyber version terms, this man was a true High-Rank Energy User.

A being like that wouldn’t normally be found in the Lower City. Even in the Upper Districts, such figures held considerable authority.

“Could it be… because of the hijacked transport?”

Lu Yan briefly considered the possibility, but quickly dismissed it.

The transport only carried some minor criminals and low-level energy users. That wasn’t nearly enough to justify the deployment of a High-Rank Energy User.

Especially since the trap had been set in advance. This was not a response—it was premeditated.

Then, a thought flashed through Lu Yan’s mind. He recalled a face—and suddenly everything clicked into place.

His gaze turned calm as he looked at the silver-suited man.

With a flat tone, Lu Yan said:

“Looks like our dear Officer Scott still has some trust issues.”

(End of Chapter)