Unchanging One

As the sole Unchanging One amid the world's Version Updates, Lu Yan was like a loophole in the world itself, gaining the ability to glimpse the truth.

Through this string of text, he could learn the progress of the Version Update in advance. Once the progress bar filled, it meant the next Version Update would begin.

A Version Update meant endless variables. This was Lu Yan's greatest support, and the source of his confidence to resist.

Crossing the cluttered backyard, Lu Yan headed toward the warehouse. Just then, a book lying before the warehouse doors caught his eye.

The book seemed to have been left behind at the warehouse entrance. Three large words were clearly written on its cover: "Evergreen Art."

A cultivator's first realm was the Qi Refining Stage. Though the "Evergreen Art" was common as dirt, it was hailed as the most orthodox and gentle Cultivation Technique. No matter what method one switched to afterward, there would be no obstacles.

Most cultivators began by practicing the Evergreen Art, using it to step into the Qi Refining Stage.

If any other shop assistant had been beaten and cursed by the steward every day, seeing a Qi Refining technique like this would have sent him over the moon. He would have wanted nothing more than to start cultivating at once, become a cultivator, and flee this Spirit Talisman Shop.

Yet Lu Yan merely shook his head with a sigh and stepped over the Evergreen Art on the ground.

"This is the twenty-first time."

Lu Yan murmured softly. This was already the twenty-first time he had seen the Evergreen Art in the past three months.

Every few days or so, this copy of the Evergreen Art would refresh somewhere different.

Under the counter, on the shelves, in the kitchen, in the warehouse—almost anywhere, the Evergreen Art might appear.

Whenever that happened, the ill-tempered Steward Chu would be absent from the shop. Lu Yan had ample time to secretly hide the Evergreen Art or read and copy it.

But Lu Yan had never done so. He acted as though he had never seen this Qi Refining technique at all.

Taking a length of rope from the warehouse, Lu Yan went to an abandoned dry well in the corner of the backyard. With the rope, he easily descended to the bottom.

Though the dry well looked ruined, the space beneath it had long since been hollowed out. The loose earth had been turned into hard walls by the Mud-to-Stone Spell. This was clearly an underground chamber.

The moment he descended, a revolting stench of rot and blood rushed into Lu Yan's nostrils.

He took a rankless Illumination Talisman from his robes and tore it open. Spiritual light flickered from the talisman, transforming into firelight that illuminated the underground chamber.

The first things Lu Yan saw were the bones piled in the corner and the bloodstains covering the ground.

The piled skeletons seemed to retain expressions of savage distortion, as if they had suffered unimaginable terror before death.

Blood on the floor connected into intricate Array Patterns that glimmered red. At the heart of the formation stood a black banner as long as an arm. The few lines drawn upon it formed a scene that resembled purgatory.

This was not Lu Yan's first time beneath the dry well. Though he had already seen it several times, his heart still clenched whenever his gaze fell upon that banner.

It was as though invisible Vengeful Souls clung to the banner, releasing wails that only souls could hear.

Though Lu Yan did not know much about cultivation, after spending three months in Bamboo Forest Market, he had learned enough through constant exposure to recognize the artifact before him.

A Demonic Soul Banner!

It was the most famous magical artifact of the demonic sects. A thousand years ago, when the demonic path flourished, such artifacts had run rampant. Demonic Path Cultivators had slaughtered living beings to refine vast numbers of Soul Banners, crushing countless righteous sects until they could barely breathe.

Yet refining living beings into Soul Banners ultimately harmed the harmony of heaven. Heavenly punishment destroyed the Nine Hells Demonic Sect, once known as the holy sect of the demonic path, and the demonic path declined as a result.

The righteous path took the opportunity to rise, sealing away the methods of Soul Banner refinement. The various sects jointly laid down a rule: anyone who refined or used Soul Banners would be regarded as an enemy of the righteous path.

Even orthodox demonic sects did not dare use Soul Banner artifacts openly, much less Steward Chu, who was only at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining.

After exploring the underground chamber several times, Lu Yan had long since discovered that the bones on the ground belonged to assistants who had vanished from the Spirit Talisman Shop over the past few years.

To outsiders, Steward Chu was simply violent and bad-tempered, beating and cursing his assistants at the slightest provocation. Over four or five years, more than twenty assistants had fled the Spirit Talisman Shop.

In truth, however, those seemingly ordinary assistants had all been mortals with spiritual roots, selected by Steward Chu through a secret method.

Steward Chu abused the assistants and deliberately scattered copies of the Evergreen Art for those resentment-filled assistants to find.

Seeking to protect themselves, the assistants began secretly embezzling the shop's Spirit Stones to aid their cultivation. Once they reached the First Level of Qi Refining, Steward Chu would bring them beneath the dry well, extract their souls, and refine their spirits to forge the Soul Banner.

The souls of cultivators were far stronger than those of ordinary people. Even cultivators at the First Level of Qi Refining far surpassed common mortals, making them precious materials for refining demonic artifacts.

Under normal circumstances, the disappearance of so many cultivators would surely have drawn an investigation from the cultivators of Bamboo Forest Market.

But all the Spirit Talisman Shop's assistants came from mortal cities, and no outsiders knew they had reached the First Level of Qi Refining. Thus, the cultivators of Bamboo Forest Market merely believed that some mortals had secretly fled because they could no longer endure Steward Chu's beatings and abuse.

Steward Chu's usual disguise was flawless, and since the assistants were mere mortals, no one cared where they went. As time passed, no one paid the matter any mind.

Using this method, Steward Chu had secretly collected the souls of more than twenty cultivators over several years to refine the Soul Banner.

Lu Yan, whom Steward Chu had chosen, was naturally one of the reserve materials.

Perhaps Steward Chu looked down on Lu Yan for being born a mortal, or perhaps the nearly completed Soul Banner had made him lower his guard. Either way, his disguise had not been thorough enough.

On Lu Yan's third day after entering the Spirit Talisman Shop, he noticed that Steward Chu was deliberately exposing the Evergreen Art before his eyes.

At first, Lu Yan had merely assumed it was bait deliberately laid by Steward Chu. So he put on an honest act and proactively reported it, only to receive a vicious beating from the enraged Steward Chu.

After nursing his injuries in bed for several days, Lu Yan began observing in secret. At last, he discovered that Steward Chu often visited the abandoned backyard at night, and that the cries of vicious ghosts would rise from beneath the dry well after dark.

Taking advantage of Steward Chu's absence, Lu Yan searched out the underground chamber beneath the dry well. There, he saw this unfinished Demonic Soul Banner and the method for refining it.

The so-called Evergreen Art was actually a quick cultivation method based on the deliberately altered Life-Sacrificing Spirit-Gathering Art. Once the assistants practiced it, it would consume their life force to strengthen their souls, making it easier to extract their souls and spirits for the Soul Banner's creation.

After several years of refinement, this Soul Banner was on the verge of completion.

The moment Lu Yan chose to cultivate the Evergreen Art and reach the First Level of Qi Refining would be the day Steward Chu completed his Soul Banner.

After discovering that a Demonic Path Cultivator was refining a Soul Banner behind the Spirit Talisman Shop, Lu Yan did not choose to report it to Bamboo Forest Market.

Lu Yan knew full well that Steward Chu, a mere cultivator at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining, might be an impressive figure in the eyes of mortals, but among true cultivators, he was only at the bottom.

Without backing, how could Steward Chu possibly obtain demonic secret arts or refine precious Demonic Path Magical Artifacts like a Soul Banner?

There had to be a major figure of the demonic path behind Steward Chu, perhaps even one within Bamboo Forest Market itself.

Using Steward Chu to refine the Soul Banner was merely a way to avoid staining their own hands with Karma.

Lu Yan was only an ordinary mortal. If he rashly reported this and became entangled in the conflict between righteous and demonic cultivators, he would most likely die without even a whole corpse left behind.

Rather than place his hopes of survival on the upper ranks of Bamboo Forest Market handling the matter fairly, Lu Yan preferred to trust himself.

He continued pretending to know nothing, ignoring the bait Steward Chu repeatedly cast before him while secretly recording Steward Chu's departure times.

After observing for some time, Lu Yan discovered that Steward Chu would leave the Spirit Talisman Shop every ten days for a while, apparently to report the Soul Banner's refinement progress to the person behind him. This was Lu Yan's opportunity.

During that time, Lu Yan intended to take anything valuable, then wait for the Version Update to arrive before escaping Bamboo Forest Market.

There was no furniture in the underground chamber. Apart from the formation used to refine the Soul Banner and the corpses, there appeared to be nothing else.

Lu Yan reached out and took a rankless Spirit Seeking Talisman. Tearing it open, he released a streak of spiritual light that spread throughout the underground chamber.

The Spirit Seeking Talisman was the lowest-grade rankless talisman. Even mortals could use it, and its greatest function was helping mortals perceive traces of spiritual energy.

As the Spirit Seeking Talisman activated, Lu Yan immediately turned his gaze toward the corner, where a faint trace of spiritual energy circulated.

After feeling around for a moment, Lu Yan pulled out half a loose stone brick and discovered a palm-sized bag behind it.

The bag appeared to be made from the hide of some beast, its surface embroidered with cloud patterns in gold thread. It looked exceedingly luxurious and extraordinary.

After staying in Bamboo Forest Market for three months, Lu Yan recognized at once that this gold-threaded bag was a Storage Bag. Judging by its appearance, it was not a low-grade item.

"Steward Chu isn't qualified to use such a high-grade Storage Bag. Since he hid it here, its origins must be shady, and he doesn't dare take it outside and use it freely. This is quite a windfall for me.

"It might even contain most of Steward Chu's possessions."

A smile crept onto Lu Yan's lips.

Ordinarily, mortals who had not entered the Qi Refining Stage possessed no spiritual power and could not use Storage Bags.

But there were some tricks in the market that used Spirit Stones to open Storage Bags. Lu Yan knew a little about them, and opening the bag would not be difficult.

With the item already in hand, Lu Yan looked toward the Version Update Progress bar. It had reached 99.9%; only a single step remained before the Version Update.

Once the Version Update was complete, Lu Yan could use the changes brought by the shifting version to escape this devil's den. Yet he was in no hurry.

He merely stood quietly beside the Soul Banner, as though waiting for something.

A quarter of an hour later, a disturbance sounded from beyond the dry well, as if someone were searching through things in the yard.

Then a fat figure dropped into the dry well with inhuman agility, appearing at the entrance to the underground chamber.

There was no doubt about it. The newcomer was Steward Chu.

"How did you find it?"

Steward Chu stared viciously at Lu Yan. The fat on his face trembled. At that moment, he had shed his usual mean and bitter demeanor, and the aura of a Mid-Stage Qi Refinement cultivator surged around him like a savage beast choosing someone to devour.

Waves of black mist curled through the gloomy underground chamber.

"I thought you were a hopeless idiot. Who knew you would actually find this place?

"I should have reported to my lord sooner, killed you, and replaced you with new material for refining the Soul Banner."

Steward Chu stepped forward, slowly approaching Lu Yan. A bloodthirsty curve lifted the corners of his mouth.

"But it isn't too late. Once I've tortured you to death, I can go find new material!"

Within the dark underground chamber, the oppression of a Qi Refining cultivator grew increasingly heavy.

Seeing Steward Chu return at this final moment, Lu Yan finally showed a satisfied smile.

Standing beside the Soul Banner, he extended his right hand toward the unfinished Demonic Soul Banner.

Steward Chu's pupils suddenly contracted. Then he bared his teeth in a vicious grin.

"Idiot! The Soul Banner is a demonic artifact. Even ordinary early Qi Refining Stage cultivators find it difficult to control.

"If a mortal recklessly touches the Soul Banner, there is only one outcome: the Vengeful Souls used to make it will devour you completely!"

Yet Lu Yan's expression did not change. On the illusory interface that no one else could see, the Version Update Progress had reached one hundred percent.

Version Update Progress is full. Choose one of the following versions to update.

Apocalypse Version: After the end of the world, what remains?

Cyber Version: The moment the Universal Mega-Corp built the sky curtain, even sunlight became a luxury.

Urban Version: This was the best of times, and also the dullest of times.

The instant Lu Yan's palm touched the Soul Banner, a quiet murmur left his lips.

"Update—Urban Version!"

In an instant, the world seemed to freeze.

Around Lu Yan, the dark underground chamber strewn with corpses collapsed with a thunderous crash, and the space expanded severalfold in an instant.

Pale white lights on the ceiling illuminated every corner of the underground chamber. The soil beneath his feet was replaced by hard concrete, while the piled bones became cold, stiff corpses.

Several medical beds now stood atop what had once been the demonic formation. In the freezer beside them were fresh organs that had just been removed.

The grim scene of demonic artifact refinement had vanished, replaced by a bloody factory for harvesting human organs.

Not far before Lu Yan, Steward Chu wore a white lab coat and held a bloodstained scalpel.

A trace of incomprehensible bewilderment still remained on Steward Chu's face.

He could not understand why the prey that should have been lying on a medical bed awaiting organ removal had changed into strange clothes, or why a black banner lay on the ground beside him.

"Wouldn't it be better to obediently offer up your organs, then die?"

Steward Chu's expression darkened as his bloated body moved step by step toward Lu Yan.

But facing the steadily advancing Steward Chu, Lu Yan smiled.

He could clearly sense that Steward Chu's cultivation at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining had vanished without a trace. He was no longer a Demonic Path Cultivator, but a doctor trafficking human organs.

Under the changing rules of the Version Update, no matter how heaven-reaching one's cultivation might be, one could only submit to the altered rules and fade into the common crowd.

He raised his right hand slightly and tore apart a rankless spirit talisman in his palm. In an instant, a layer of golden light surfaced around Lu Yan's body.

Small Golden Light Talisman!

With golden light protecting him, blades and swords could scarcely harm him. It was the life-saving treasure most relied upon by mortal nobles. Though it was a rankless spirit talisman, its value surpassed that of ordinary first-rank lower-grade talismans.

Before Steward Chu's stunned eyes, Lu Yan, glowing all over with golden light, drove his right fist viciously into Steward Chu's head.

Three months of fear and misery erupted in that moment.

"Now, it's my turn!"