World version update

Chapter 327 Establishing Prestige
The almost miraculous effects of the Heaven-Covering Talisman stirred up a huge wave among the reincarnators in City Fourteen.

The news spread at an almost viral speed, affecting not only those who were active in the open among the reincarnators, but also those who usually remained deeply hidden as lone travelers. At this moment, they could no longer remain calm.

Since stepping into this bizarre cyberpunk version, these once powerful figures who dominated countless worlds have come to deeply understand what it means to be powerless.

The intelligent God high above the heavens, like a cold and omnipotent observer, makes all their power seem pale and laughable.

Those powerful reincarnators who were once capable of overturning rivers and seas and shattering stars are now as fragile as newborn infants under the gaze of God's Eye.

Especially those few who had already reached the pinnacle of the title level, they once believed that they had reached the ultimate in the extraordinary, and that apart from the ethereal God, there was no power in the world that could surpass them.

Even the creator gods in those mission worlds, or the Great Luo Golden Immortals with profound Taoist magic, are nothing more than equally matched opponents in their eyes.

However, the appearance of the intelligent god was like a resounding slap in the face, severely damaging their pride.

They began to wonder if there existed a higher, more incredible realm beyond the title level.

They longed to uncover the secrets behind the celestial canopy and the intelligent God, yet they were deeply afraid of the destructive divine punishment. It was not until the emergence of the Heaven-Covering Talisman that they saw a faint but incredibly alluring glimmer of hope.

Almost the instant they learned of the existence of the Heaven-Covering Talisman, more than ten titled Reincarnators with auras as deep as the abyss turned their gazes toward the Blood River Demon Lord as if they were a swarm of sharks smelling blood.

At this moment, on the ruins of the border of City Fourteen, the Blood River Demon Lord stood proudly amidst a bizarre and distorted realm.

The spatial structure of this area has long been torn apart and reorganized by a powerful force. The void presents a strange fold and fault, and time here has become chaotic, sometimes as slow as a snail, and sometimes as fast as lightning.

If an ordinary reincarnator were to accidentally stumble into this spacetime rift, they would likely lose their way in an instant and be torn to pieces by the chaotic spacetime currents.

However, for a demonic giant like Blood River Demon Lord, who was at the Void Refinement Realm, such a scene was merely a trivial trick.

If he so desires, he can easily tear apart this distorted spacetime with his powerful physical body at any time.

But he did not do so, because he clearly sensed that at several key nodes in this distorted spacetime, powerful and terrifying auras were firmly locked onto him, like tigers poised to pounce, exuding undisguised hostility and greed.

The owner of each aura was a titled reincarnator who was capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

"The Heaven-Covering Talisman is such a heaven-defying object, which concerns our life and death in this realm. We will not allow you to keep it all to yourself!" A deep roar, like a thunderclap from the heavens, exploded in the distorted spacetime rift.

As the words were spoken, blinding lightning, like wildly dancing silver snakes, instantly spread across the entire realm, emanating a suffocating aura of destruction.

"Blood River Demon, quickly hand over the origin and method of obtaining the Heaven-Covering Talisman!" From another direction, a chilling voice, like a venomous snake's tongue, carried a sinister killing intent.

"We are not people who would seize by force. We are willing to exchange with you for something of equal value. Please, Demon Lord, do not make a mistake!" A relatively gentler voice rang out, but the oppressive feeling contained within it was in no way diminished.

"No matter how varied your demonic methods may be, you won't gain the slightest advantage against so many of our comrades today. If you know what's good for you, obediently share the secrets of the Heaven-Covering Talisman; otherwise, don't blame us for showing no mercy!"

This time, the situation is completely different from before. It is no longer the tentative contact made by a few titled reincarnators to the Blood River Demon Lord.

Last time, Blood River Demon Lord certainly gained the biggest advantage and benefits by connecting with the city council, but he also paid the price of losing face.

In addition, given his formidable strength, the various titled reincarnators were somewhat wary and did not truly break off relations.

However, as the incredible power of the Heaven-Covering Talisman became public, all the reincarnators keenly realized that this thin talisman was very likely the key to their success in this extremely difficult legion battle.

Such a precious treasure, how could we allow others to easily lay a finger on it?

Blood River Demon Lord felt the greedy and threatening gazes around him, and even with his ruthless nature, he couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed.

Among them were even the auras of several titled reincarnators, which he had never sensed before. Their identities were so mysterious that even the records about them in the Main God Space were vague, clearly indicating that they were ruthless characters who were hiding their true identities.

Fortunately, the unfathomable Speaker Lu had anticipated this and did not intend to keep the Heaven-Covering Talisman for himself. Instead, he chose to use it as leverage to influence the entire Reincarnator community by offering a bounty for the mission.

Although Lu Yan stipulated that the news would be released three days later, given the current tense situation, the Blood River Demon Lord couldn't care less about that now; any further delay might really backfire.

"Fellow Daoists, please hear me out!" Blood River Demon Lord took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the distorted spacetime rift.

"I'm sure you all know how terrifying the power of that intelligent god is. How could I, Blood River, possibly create a Heaven-Covering Talisman that can restrain its detection?"

He glanced around and said sincerely, "This Heaven-Covering Talisman does indeed come from City Fourteen. As for its true origin, I cannot tell you directly. But that mysterious gentleman has indeed given you all an opportunity to obtain this talisman."

"Three days from now, City Fourteen will officially launch its counterattack against the global giant."

At that time, any fellow cultivator of any title level can receive a Heaven-Covering Talisman for free from my Blood River.

These words eased the tense atmosphere slightly, and many titled reincarnators showed thoughtful expressions in their eyes.

Blood River Demon Lord paused for a moment, then continued, "However, there are prerequisites for receiving the Heaven-Covering Talisman. After obtaining the first Heaven-Covering Talisman, you must use it to independently destroy the three Soul Towers built by the Colossus of the Universe."

Only by completing this task will you be qualified to receive the next Heaven-Covering Talisman from me.

After listening to the Blood River Demon Lord's explanation, many titled reincarnators nodded in approval, already somewhat accepting the plan.

After entering this world, they also learned about a lot of information about the cyberpunk version through various channels, including the key information about the Soul Tower.

Legend has it that an intelligent God is attempting to construct a virtual world entirely composed of soul data, and the Soul Towers scattered across the globe are the core nodes providing massive soul computing power for this grand plan, their importance being self-evident.

Generally speaking, the number of Soul Towers in a city is directly related to its population size. Only the top 50 megacities have more than three Soul Towers.

These megacities are often vast, spanning thousands of kilometers, and are equipped with countless automated weapon systems and elite guard forces composed of the world's top psionicists.

Such a defensive system would be an impenetrable fortress for ordinary reincarnators. However, for titled powerhouses, a distance of a few thousand kilometers is merely a smooth road that can be traversed in a few breaths.

The city's so-called advanced weapons and psionic defenses are utterly useless and vulnerable in the face of their world-destroying power.

As long as they can successfully evade the omnipresent Eye of God, destroying a few Soul Towers is a piece of cake for them.

The hostility that had permeated the spacetime rift dissipated considerably, but some titled reincarnators still showed obvious dissatisfaction on their faces.

A young man dressed in a simple gray wizard's robe, with a gloomy face and eyes as cold as a venomous snake, slowly emerged from the shadows.

His voice was hoarse and deep, carrying a chilling undertone: "Only one Heaven-Covering Talisman can be obtained at a time? And you still need to complete that damn task to get the next one? Blood River, are you kidding us?"

The young man in the wizard's robes was none other than the Wizard Lord, renowned throughout the Cycle of Reincarnation for his soul magic and curse spells.

He glanced around, a contemptuous sneer curling at the corner of his mouth: "It's one thing for the Supreme God to command us, but a mere native force dares to give us orders?"

After saying this, a glint of mad greed flashed in the eyes of the Wizard Lord, and his voice suddenly rose: "Everyone, now that we know how to deal with that intelligent God, why should we be controlled by others?"

In my opinion, it would be better to capture those natives directly and force them to mass-produce the Sky-Covering Talisman.

"When the time comes, as long as we possess a sufficient number of Heaven-Shielding Talismans, let alone a mere Soul Tower, even completely destroying that damned celestial canopy will not be difficult."

Upon seeing that the Witch Lord was openly inciting other reincarnators in an attempt to sabotage Lu Yan's plans, the Blood River Demon Lord flew into a rage, his bloodthirsty aura surging instantly: "Witch Lord, how dare you be so presumptuous!"

The Witch Lord didn't care at all, and instead let out a shrill laugh: "Blood River Old Demon, I think you've been a dog for those natives for too long, and you really think you're a watchdog wagging its tail and begging for mercy?"

Actually, you don't need to tell me; I can already guess that the so-called Heaven-Covering Talisman is definitely something that damned Speaker Lu came up with. As long as we capture him, all the problems will naturally be solved.

His eyes swept over the Blood River Demon Lord with a sinister glint, his tone filled with blatant threat:

"Since you provided the information, I can share the profits with you after the matter is settled."

"But if you remain obstinate and dare to obstruct us, then don't blame us for being ruthless. We'll get rid of you first, and then go after Speaker Lu."

Before he finished speaking, three figures emanating the same powerful and evil aura silently appeared behind the Witch Lord, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, clearly having already conspired with him.

As for the other titled reincarnators, they all tacitly chose to stand by and watch, their faces showing amusement.

The Wizard Lord's proposal was undoubtedly more in line with the lawless style of these reincarnators, and they would not suffer any loss if the Wizard Lord failed.

But if the Witch Lord really succeeds, they can obtain more Heaven-Covering Talismans at a lower cost, so why not?
The Blood River Demon Lord was so enraged that smoke seemed to be billowing from his seven orifices, and his chest heaved violently.

Although he knew that the chances of winning against four opponents were slim, he was well aware of how terrifying Lu Yan was. If he allowed the Witch Lord and the others to ruin Lu Yan's plan, his fate would be absolutely miserable.

With this thought in mind, he steeled his resolve, his demonic energy surging and his blood-red light blazing. Without hesitation, he stood in front of the Witch Lord and the others, ready to fight to the death.

Just as he was about to issue a stern rebuke and a fierce battle was about to break out, an unexpected change occurred!

In an instant, the entire distorted spacetime rift seemed to be gripped by an invisible giant hand, and everything fell into an eerie stillness.

The vibrant colors, the chaotic time, and the raging energy all froze at this moment, like a scene that had been paused.

Immediately afterwards, a vast and boundless terrifying pressure descended from the void, as if an ancient god had awakened from slumber.

Under this oppressive force, both the surging demonic energy of the Blood River Demon Lord and the evil spiritual light emanating from the Witch Lord and others flickered like candles in the wind, as if they would be extinguished at any moment.

At the deepest part of that distorted spacetime rift, a dazzling portal of light, beyond description, slowly opened.

Beyond the portal seemed to lie a dark and majestic divine kingdom, with a magnificent temple standing above the heavens. The strict divine order transformed into chains, completely sealing off the entire spacetime rift.

Immediately afterwards, at the very top of the temple of the gods, a stream of yin and yang energies circulated continuously, eventually transforming into an ancient writing brush with a handle as black as ink and a tip as white as jade, which silently fell into a hand.

That was a Yama King among the gods, located below the temple.

His expression was calm, his eyes indifferent, as if these titled powerhouses who could shake the entire cycle of reincarnation were no different from ants on the roadside in his eyes.

He held a black and white brush that exuded a mysterious aura and casually pointed it in the air towards the location of the witch master and his three accomplices behind him.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no devastating explosion of energy.

It was as if a deity who controls life and death was writing in the Book of Life and Death, and at the moment the pen touched the paper, everything was already destined.

In an instant, a terrifying, world-destroying power, capable of crushing stars and annihilating all things, spread out like an invisible tide, silently enveloping the Witch Lord, the three titled reincarnators behind him, and all matter and energy within a hundred feet of them.

Faced with that pure, unadulterated, world-destroying power, the Witch Lord and his companions couldn't even muster a semblance of resistance. The ferocious smiles on their faces and the madness and greed in their eyes froze instantly.

Immediately afterwards, their bodies, their souls, and all the laws and powers they possessed melted away as quickly as ice and snow exposed to the scorching sun, ultimately turning into the most primordial nothingness, leaving not a trace of their existence.

The whole process was incredibly fast, yet eerily calm.

In the next instant, the stagnation that enveloped everything receded like the tide, and the spacetime rift resumed its normal flow.

The playful and indifferent expressions on the faces of those titled reincarnators who were observing from the sidelines vanished instantly, replaced by a deep-seated fear and deathly silence.

(End of this chapter)