As soon as Lu Yan set foot in the Land of Steel, he immediately felt an invisible pressure; this piece of heaven and earth was continually expelling him from this place.
This was a banishment from the Version Fragment, rejecting all creatures outside the Intelligent Machinery version. Creatures below the Foundation Establishment didn't even have the qualification to enter the Land of Steel.
And for creatures above the Foundation Establishment, the stronger their cultivation, the greater the rejection from the heavens and earth.
Momentarily, Lu Yan suddenly looked up to Above the Sky.
He saw the blue sky and white clouds within the Version Fragment transform into a torrent of countless converging information in his eyes; the sky seemed a vast cage, its projected images creating the spectacle of blue sky and white clouds.
On the Spirit Platform, Lu Yan's Divine Soul that broke through to the Golden Core Stage seemed to be touched, with the rules of order fully appearing before him.
Suddenly, illusory text popped up in front of Lu Yan.
[Current Version: Intelligent Machinery Version
Core Rule: Intelligent Machinery Dominion · Superstring Covenant
Under this version, all energy rules are forcibly adapted to Intelligent Machinery life logic, imposing Ninefold Shackles of suppression on alternative systems like cultivation and magic.]
In an instant, it seemed as if nine invisible shackles fell from Above the Sky, winding towards Lu Yan like nine divine dragons.
Shackles on the rule level are omnipresent; even a Divinity Transformation strongman, who merges with heaven and earth and masters heaven and earth rules, cannot exempt themselves from the suppression of the rule shackles.
Once the Ninefold Shackles all descend, even a Peak of Nascent Soul powerhouse would be demoted to the Golden Core Realm. Follow current novels on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩
This is the final trump card of various Version Fragments forces; the core rules within each Version Fragment have an irresistible crushing effect on other version forces.
No matter how significant the gap between versions, under this level of suppression, all means become futile.
Yet just before the Ninefold Shackles were about to touch Lu Yan, he proactively stepped forward to meet the Ninefold Shackles of the core rules.
The entire Version Fragment was shaken by it; weather changed Above the Sky, and the land of steel continuously trembled, the shrill sound of metal distortion resounding across the heavens and earth.
Hundreds of miles away, the Intelligent Machinery City, like a gigantic steel beast, suddenly halted its steps; its powerful balancing system immune to the tremors brought by the distortion of the land, while the weather changes within the Version Fragment could not affect this ultra-large war fortress forged over tens of thousands of years.
Nevertheless, the abrupt convulsion of the Version Fragment still left the thirteen Mechanical Senators in the Intelligent Machinery City with an inexplicable sense of unease.
In the circular hall, one Mechanical Senator watched the spectacle outside and ordered in a deep voice:
"Activate the celestial satellite, detect the source of the celestial anomaly."
After the order was relayed, this Mechanical Senator then looked at the other senators at the round table and asked:
"How far has the Chain Hub City's plotting progressed?"
As the words just fell, all the Mechanical Senators simultaneously received a message.
After checking the message, the faces of all the Mechanical Senators underwent a dramatic change, unable even with digital thinking to conceal the inner turmoil.
"Prophet Mecha ambush failed? How is this possible?"
"The Causality Coordination Module is among the rule modules manufactured by our Intelligent Machinery City, the most complete and unique one.
We inherently are not adept at powers on the rule level, but the Causality Coordination Module broke through this limitation, reaching a position almost close to the Celestial Spirit Great Divine Techniques of the still-nurturing Xianxia version.
Retracing causality foretelling future, how could it fail an ambush?"
"Could there be a leak somewhere?"
A series of questions rang within the council hall, followed by more detailed information transmitted from Chain Hub City.
From Lu Yan's appearance, to being pursued by a Peak Demigod, then fading into illusionary bubble, even Prophet Mecha couldn't track Lu Yan's trace.
The plotting by Intelligent Machinery City seemed like an absurd joke from start to finish.
The Mechanical Senator, whose information was uploaded into virtual projection, sat upon a virtual seat, his expression ominously grim.
"A Peak Demigod, a Prophet Mecha equipped with a Causality Coordination Module, and two Satellite-Class Immortal Hunting War Fortresses, this is practically the pinnacle force we can deploy.
This ambush failure means we no longer have a second chance to strike."
Another brain-in-vat Mechanical Senator also sighed:
"Individual strength will always be the weakest link for our Intelligent Machinery City."
The Flesh-and-Blood Mechanical Senator gritted his teeth:
"He merely relies on that special Divine Technique, which restricts our city's war fortress effects.
If necessary, we might invite the Celestial Martial Artist; those battle maniacs are almost universally recognized as the peak of individual strength..."
"Don't forget he's a true disciple of the All Immortals Alliance, a genuine Cancer of Immortality.
Those Celestial Martial Artists avoid the Cancer of Immortality, eager not to get involved with the All Immortals Alliance in any way, what right do you have to enlist the Celestial Martial Artists?"
After some arguing, suddenly a senator who was completely transformed into Intelligent Machinery spoke:
"Since his Divine Technique can be resisted by Satellite-Class War Fortresses, Intelligent Machinery City can also remain unaffected.
As long as we avoid him using the suppression rule ability closely, Intelligent Machinery City can easily annihilate him!"
With this statement, all Mechanical Senators looked at this senator as if they were regarding a fool.
The brain-in-vat senator bluntly rebuked:
"Intelligent Machinery City must not leave the core territory, this is the ironclad rule of Intelligent Machinery City!
We can afford losses like several Satellite-Class War Fortresses, a few resource bases for our city's substantial enterprises.