Junior Brother Lu Is Too Conscientious

Elder Gu Tianheng of the Tianxuan Sect: ["Hah! Look at you, old man! Flexing with your 500 spirit stones, huh?"]

[Elder Gu Tianheng of the Tianxuan Sect gifted "Sword Storm."]

Li Jiujian of the Infinite Sword Sect: ["Yeah, I’m flexing. What about it?"]

[Li Jiujian of the Infinite Sword Sect gifted "Sword Storm x2."]

...

Watching the barrage of dazzling visual effects flooding the livestream space, Lu Ze couldn’t suppress the grin on his face.

"Sword Storm" was currently the most expensive gift in the livestream, costing 500 spirit stones.

He had anticipated that "Three Kingdoms Kill" would be a hit among the elders, but he hadn’t expected it to be this addictive.

They were even willing to splurge on gifts just to get a chance to play a few rounds.

The livestream gifts were purchased using contribution points earned within their respective sects.

1 contribution point could be exchanged for 10 spirit stones, meaning a single "Sword Storm" required 50 contribution points.

Though these elders weren’t members of the Lingxiao Sect, given their connections, it wasn’t hard for them to exchange points through acquaintances among the Lingxiao Sect’s elders or stewards.

Cultivators in this world had never encountered anything like this before.

The livestream chat erupted in awe.

["What is this? It looks so cool!"]

["Livestream gifts? Donations? This is something entirely new!"]

["500 spirit stones… That’s my monthly allowance…"]

["Is 'Three Kingdoms Kill' really that fun?"]

["Duh! You think the elders would sit here all afternoon if it wasn’t?"]

["You brat!! When’s the livestream ending? I want to play too!!"]

...

The eight players at the table paused their game, all staring in amusement at the gift effects.

"These livestream gifts sure have flashy effects, huh?" Zhong Yi remarked, impressed.

Zhao Wendao turned to Lu Ze with a puzzled look. "You went all out on gift effects, but the general skills are so plain?"

"General skill effects? Oh, they’re coming! And they’ll be even more spectacular than the gift effects, I promise!" Lu Ze replied with a sly smile.

General skill effects?

Of course they’d have them!

How else could he milk their wallets?

With the illusionary techniques at his disposal, the possibilities for visual flair were endless.

Just projecting the original artwork of the "Three Kingdoms Kill" generals as spectral figures behind the players would be a breathtaking sight.

Zhao Wendao nodded in satisfaction. "Good. That’s what I wanted to hear."

Lu Ze grinned. "You can rest assured."

The eight resumed their game.

Meanwhile, the livestream was flooded with more and more gifts.

All kinds of donations poured in, big and small.

["Junior Brother Lu, can I join in and try it out?"]

["When will these illusion crystals go on sale?"]

["I’m dying of envy over here!"]

["Will the Tianxuan Sect get access too?"]

["If not, can someone just make a physical card version to tide us over?"]

["Nah, without the effects and voice lines, it won’t feel the same."]

["Hurry up and release it! I can’t wait!"]

["Junior Brother Lu’s fame has spread across the five major sects. Will the illusion crystals get more expensive now?"]

["I’d buy it even for 100 spirit stones!"]

...

Seeing the flood of questions, Lu Ze quickly addressed them.

"Don’t worry, fellow cultivators. The 'Three Kingdoms Kill' illusion crystals will be available for purchase very soon."

"As for the price… rest assured, it’ll remain the same—10 spirit stones per crystal."

The chat exploded instantly.

["What?! Still just 10 spirit stones?"]

["That barely covers the cost… he might even be losing money!"]

["Junior Brother Lu is a saint!!!"]

["So generous… unbelievably generous!!"]

["Damn it, why aren’t I a disciple of the Lingxiao Sect?"]

["Is it too late to switch sects now?"]

["Young friend, you truly disregard wealth like dirt? Such virtue! I must gift you something!"]

["Count me in!"]

["Me too!"]

...

[Elder Gu Tianheng of the Tianxuan Sect gifted "Sword Storm!"]

[Li Jiujian of the Infinite Sword Sect gifted "Sword Storm!"]

["Pill-Loving Lamb Meat" gifted "Blazing Inferno!"]

...

For a moment, the screen was ablaze with dazzling gift effects.

Lu Ze almost felt guilty.

But then again, he wasn’t lying to them.

He had promised the illusion crystals wouldn’t increase in price—and they hadn’t.

It’s just that the game would have… optional in-game purchases.

Noticing the escalating hype, Lu Ze swiftly changed the subject.

"Disciples of other sects can also experience the illusion… but without the Lingxiao Sect’s soul resonance array, the full experience won’t be available."

"New generals and card packs will be released in the future. Stay tuned!"

...

...

That evening.

The "Three Kingdoms Kill" illusion crystals went on sale.

The Artifact Pavilion was instantly swarmed, its popularity surpassing even that of "Immortal Realm Domination."

The afternoon’s livestream had been a resounding success.

Even without the internet, word of mouth among cultivators had spread like wildfire.

Elders and powerful figures from other sects even personally visited the Lingxiao Sect to purchase "Three Kingdoms Kill."

Nangong Yuan was basking in the glory.

A crowd of elders and experts fawned over him, begging for favors to skip the line and buy the game.

He had never felt so important in his life.

In high spirits, Nangong Yuan designed a spell and tool for Lu Ze to automate the sale of illusion crystals, solving the crowding issue instantly.

This old man’s artifact-crafting skills are no joke… I’ve gotta find a way to learn them later!

Lu Ze quietly schemed about how to "borrow" some of Nangong Yuan’s techniques in the future.

"Oh, right, Master. Didn’t you owe me a magical artifact?"

Lu Ze suddenly remembered something important.

Before Nangong Yuan had returned to the sect, they’d made a bet.

If Lu Ze won the sect contract against Ding Mingcang, Nangong Yuan would gift him a treasure.

"Of course I remember."

Nangong Yuan generously produced a radiant, multicolored gourd from his palm and tossed it to Lu Ze.

This was Nangong Yuan’s personal storage artifact for rare items—a clear sign he was serious.

"Go ahead. Pick whatever you want."

"I want… an artifact that can conceal my aura."

Lu Ze didn’t hesitate.

Without questioning his motives, Nangong Yuan’s divine sense locked onto an item, which he then tossed into Lu Ze’s hand.

"Here—the 'Veil of Heavenly Obscurity.' It can mask even a Nascent Soul cultivator’s presence. Should be more than enough for your needs."

Lu Ze blinked.

He’d already prepared an elaborate excuse, but Nangong Yuan had trusted him without reservation.

"Many thanks, Master!"

Lu Ze accepted the artifact and bowed deeply.

Today, thanks to the collective efforts of the elders, his "Demonic Path Value" had finally reached the threshold.

He was ready to break through to the Golden Core realm.

[P.S.: Not feeling well. The last chapter will be written tomorrow. Can’t keep going tonight.]