CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 186: THE TRUTH OF ZHAO HUOWANG

Lu Yan’s expression suddenly changed, his eyes full of disbelief.

In that instant, Lu Yan even thought he was seeing an illusion.

But when he focused again, the three options for the Longevity Version in front of him remained undeniably real.

The sentence formed by the three options was exactly the one Lu Yan saw during the last version update.

[Little friend, what are you hesitating for?]

"How is this possible?"

The last Longevity Version had already shown anomalies, an unknown will had infiltrated through the version update panel, attempting to entice Lu Yan to choose the Longevity Version.

Thinking he had escaped by choosing the Demon Version, he never expected the Longevity Version to still pursue him relentlessly, even replacing all of Lu Yan’s three options with the Longevity Version.

This meant no matter how Lu Yan chose, there was only the path to the Longevity Version.

"Who exactly is it?"

"Longevity Celestial Dao? A peak being with the unique features of this world?"

"What is its relentless pursuit’s purpose?"

"Why does it want me to enter the Longevity Version?"

A flood of questions filled Lu Yan’s mind, and the constant threat of a lethal crisis gnawed at his heart, making it difficult for him to calmly think.

Initially, he thought he had successfully stalled till the version update time. Once the version update started, he could easily counter that Nether Abyss Realm pinnacle being.

But the appearance of three Longevity Version options on the update screen shattered Lu Yan’s previous illusions.

Once he chose the Longevity Version, not only would he face the pursuit of a Nether Abyss Realm being but also the malevolence from an unknown entity within the Longevity Version.

This crisis seemed like an unsolvable death trap.

"No! I still have an ace up my sleeve!"

A flash crossed Lu Yan’s mind, suddenly reminded of the version permissions he obtained after representing Heaven.

[Permissions: Designated Version

Through the progress of version updates, charging can be completed twice; after two completions, designated version permissions can be obtained, allowing the choice of one previously appeared version to replace the current update options.]

[Designated Version Charge: 2/2]

A string of text appeared on the top left of Lu Yan’s vision, instantly bringing him hope.

The last designated version charge was already 1/2, and now it was full after completing the Demon Version charge, allowing him to choose any version to enter.

Subsequently, on the left side of the interface, beneath the designated version permission, various version worlds appeared in Lu Yan’s eyes.

Spiritual Energy Revival, Cyber, Xianxia, Apocalypse, Weird, Learning, Infinite, Fierce Ghost...

The left showed the designated version permissions, and the right displayed the three Longevity Version options, leaving Lu Yan in silence.

Undoubtedly, with the designated version card in hand, Lu Yan could ensure that this version update didn’t fall into the Longevity Version trap.

But doing so presented another problem: what to do in the next version update?

Lu Yan could choose the version with the lowest energy level, the Spiritual Energy Revival Version. Even if pursued by a Nether Abyss Realm powerhouse, his cultivation cannot exceed the Qi Cultivation Stage in this version, and Lu Yan could easily kill him with one hand.

But after killing the Nether Abyss Realm powerhouse, how should Lu Yan resolve the subsequent crisis?

The Longevity Version had appeared in the last version update, and this time it directly occupied three version options. Based on such changes, there’s a high chance it will appear again in the next update.

In the next version, Lu Yan would no longer have the designated version permission. If the situation of three Longevity Version options reappears, Lu Yan would then have no choice.

The Longevity Version seemed like an invisible ghost chasing Lu Yan, impossible to shake off.

The current situation was entirely a dead end!

"No matter which option, they’re all just roads to death."

A heavy sense of mortality pervaded Lu Yan’s heart, as if everything had already been decided the moment he saw the Longevity Version.

He stared blankly at the three Longevity Version options on the right side, a thought quietly rose in his heart.

"Since I’ll eventually have to face the Longevity Version, why delay until the next version update?"

"Perhaps the entity behind the Longevity Version doesn’t harbor much malice towards me, and I’m just frightening myself?"

Lu Yan’s mind seemed to stagnate, his body moved slowly like rusted machinery, raising his right index finger intending to point at the three options on the right side of the version update screen.

At that moment, the Supreme Dao Foundation within Lu Yan suddenly trembled, like the sound of the Dao thundered in his mind, instantly bringing him back to clarity.

Lu Yan’s hand was nearly touching the options on the update screen.

Realizing what was happening, Lu Yan’s heart burned with anger.

"Longevity!!!"

The last time, when there was only the single Longevity Version option, Lu Yan was also tempted by it.

Though in the Demon Version, Lu Yan’s strength increased significantly, this time, the number of version options he faced increased from one to three, enhancing the temptation by more than threefold.

Even Lu Yan fell prey due to a momentary lapse.

If it weren’t for the sufficiently high position of Supreme Dao Foundation, Lu Yan might have truly chosen the Longevity Version under the influence of temptation.

But after experiencing initial anger, Lu Yan felt a hint of pleasure rise in his heart upon reflecting.

He sharply realized a point: if the current situation was truly a dead end, why would the Longevity Version need to use temptation methods at this time?

Just need to wait until Lu Yan’s next version ends, then you can sit back and wait for Lu Yan to come knocking.

"Since the Longevity version chose to interfere through deception, this proves that there is a ray of hope in the designated version!"

Lu Yan began to organize his thoughts, his brain rapidly processing.

"The essence of the version update interface is my role as the Unchanging to guide the direction of the version update.

The existence within the Longevity version will certainly be restricted, impossible to be strong enough to directly rewrite the world’s version update.

If it were really able to completely distort the world version update, then the existence within the Longevity version would have long surpassed this world’s only limitation and could directly leap from the Longevity version to the Demon version, why bother going to such lengths to make me choose the Longevity version?"

"So for the event of the Longevity version blocking the entrance, it must be accomplished through certain things, or a certain version as a medium!

So, the root of the problem lies in... the Demon version?"

Lu Yan’s heart felt like a sudden crash of thunder, and the shadow that had been lingering in his mind suddenly began to clear up.

The issues that arose during the last version update were now being clarified one after another.

"The three options in the last version update excluded the Ascension version due to its high energy level; the Longevity version posed danger, seemingly the Demon version was the optimal solution, but in reality, it hid a trap.

The reason is that the Demon version was invaded by the Longevity version countless years ago!"

From the moment Lu Yan entered the Demon version, he detected that the Celestial Dao of this world was extremely abnormal, allowing all beings to steal the Great Dao, and the Great Dao to devour all beings, forming a bizarre demon reincarnation.

This system locked the upper limit of the Demon version; a normal Celestial Dao should not allow the Demon version to develop to this current state.

Moreover, Lu Yan’s interactions with various ancient families raised many doubts.

Initially, various families targeted the Li Family, which Lu Yan regarded as a bug in the correction process of the Demon Dao version update.

But after the matter ended, Lu Yan thought deeply and suddenly realized that if the Demon Dao could interfere with such a small bug like the rise of the Li Family, why does it turn a blind eye to the chaos of the Demon version?

Finally, and most importantly, is the matter concerning Zhao Huowang’s relic.

The memories in Lu Yan’s mind had been erased, unable to even recall the appearance of Zhao Huowang’s relic.

Lu Yan initially instinctively felt it was Zhao Huowang’s written text that triggered the Celestial Dao, consequently causing the Celestial Dao’s interference to erase Lu Yan’s memory.

But now in hindsight, the Celestial Dao, controlling the grand trend of heaven and earth, was inherently restricted, making it difficult to act upon individual lives.

The Demon Dao’s direct interference with Lu Yan’s memory was too abnormal, and completely inconsistent with the Demon Dao turning a blind eye to chaos.

Furthermore, even if Zhao Huowang left behind the "Heavenly Dao Discussion" in the Xianxia version, it wasn’t targeted by the Xianxia Dao, so why does the Demon Dao focus so intensely on Zhao Huowang’s relic?

Erasing memory and the existence of the relic reminded Lu Yan of another True Technique, the "White Bone Bodhisattva Observes the World’s Causes," which was third on the Heaven and Earth True Technique List before the emergence of the "Scripture of Profound Vagina’s Teachings," later pushed to fourth.

This True Technique has the ability to erase the existence of things, even interfering with memory and concepts.

Lu Yan’s situation seemed less like a move by the Celestial Dao, rather like being influenced by this True Technique.

Of course, all this information is merely speculation by Lu Yan; what truly connected this information was the message left in Zhao Huowang’s relic.

Lu Yan obtained the message through the traces left by the Supreme Dao Foundation.

[The Immortal took everyone away... It has come!]

Lu Yan was deeply puzzled when he first obtained this message.

What exactly is the Immortal Zhao Huowang refers to? Who is It?

These questions have always puzzled Lu Yan, even while being pursued by various True Martial Artists, he couldn’t find answers.

But now, if one was to place this It into the Longevity version, everything has an explanation.

It has come! Refers to the Longevity version’s invasion of the Demon version!

It was precisely because of the Longevity version’s invasion that led to the Demon version’s collapse, transforming it into a world where the Great Dao devours people.

While cultivating at the Beimang Forbidden Land Ruins, Lu Yan perused many writings on the origins of True Techniques and historical legends.

These tomes all start with deities and buddhas passing down True Techniques, merely glossing over pre-True Technique times, focusing solely on the cruel demons and the tough struggle of humanity.

Viewed from another angle, before True Techniques were passed, the Demon version hadn’t yet formed the demon reincarnation, there was not such a prevalence of Demon Qi, instead, Spiritual Qi was mainstream.

Back then, the concentration of Spiritual Qi in the Demon version was half that of the Xianxia version, sufficient to give birth to a resplendent cultivation system.

But it was only after deities and buddhas passed down True Techniques and established the Heaven and Earth True Technique List, that demon qi mixed with spiritual qi.

Lu Yan boldly guessed that the so-called passing of True Techniques by deities and buddhas was essentially the Longevity version spreading True Techniques that steal the Great Dao.

The greatest advantage of True Techniques is rapid achievement in combat; under the grand scenario of demon encirclement, True Techniques that steal the Great Dao became mainstream in this world, replacing the old cultivation system.

Over extensive time, the former cultivation system was erased, establishing the Heaven and Earth True Technique List, rendering martial and various techniques incompatible, plunging the Demon version into current chaos.

All beings pursue the Great Dao and True Techniques, yet upon death they are assimilated into the Great Dao forming reincarnation.

Given that the Longevity version is the "It" referred to by Zhao Huowang, then who precisely are the Immortals?

Lu Yan connected this especially notable point within the Demon version—the top 10 sects of the Xianxia version aren’t located in the Demon world, not even He Dongsheng who joined the Taiyi Sect has mysteriously disappeared.

Considering this, Lu Yan made a bold assumption.

Behind the 10 sects of profound orthodoxy, there are Immortals!

It was these Immortals behind the 10 sects who perceived the invasion from the Longevity version, causing people of the 10 sects to detach from the Demon version, avoiding the erosion of the Longevity version.

The truth in Zhao Huowang’s words is: Immortals led people of the 10 sects to leave the Demon version; Longevity version invaded this world!

The ray of hope Zhao Huowang hinted at is within the Xianxia version!