What's wrong with charging for such a great design

Lu Ze set up an array using the Yuan Guiyin Heavenly Mirror.

Then, he employed the [Frost Breath Technique] stolen from Li Moran to conceal his aura.

This time, the process of breaking through his cultivation realm was completely silent.

It didn’t cause the slightest ripple.

Lu Ze tested his abilities.

The size of the illusions he could currently create had expanded to around a thousand meters.

This meant medium-sized games could now be considered within his scope.

All he needed now was to wait for the right moment to legitimize his "path of illusion cultivation."

Given his rising fame, many had already begun speculating about it.

Of course, the most pressing matter at hand was still "Legends of the Three Kingdoms."

The spirit stones required to design medium and large-scale illusions all depended on its revenue.

However,

he couldn’t afford to be as shameless as Gouka in his past life.

After all, the purchasing power of ordinary disciples was limited—they simply couldn’t afford overly expensive items.

Setting exorbitant prices would only invite backlash.

What set Lu Ze’s path of illusions apart from others was one crucial principle: [Fairness].

If wealth or cultivation strength alone allowed players to dominate,

the balance would collapse.

Thus, Lu Ze decided not to profit by selling power advantages.

Though with future updates, overpowered characters like Jie Xusheng would inevitably make their debut,

their prices would never be as absurd as in his past life.

That said,

wealthy cultivators with deep pockets were prime targets for Lu Ze’s "harvesting."

If selling power was off the table, then cosmetic skins and flashy effects would be the way to go.

In illusions, visual effects had far greater impact than in his previous world.

He was confident this approach alone could yield mountains of spirit stones.

……

……

The disciples of the Lingxiao Sect were thoroughly engrossed in the standard card set.

Little did they know, the standard set was merely an unremarkable starting point.

In Lu Ze’s past life, the "Myths Rekindled" expansion had been the golden age of "Legends of the Three Kingdoms."

That very night,

Lu Ze released the long-prepared "Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest" card packs.

Truthfully, he had already designed the entire "Myths Rekindled" series.

But the eight divine cards were reserved as bait for heavy spenders.

The initial "Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest" packs each introduced a new gameplay mechanic, each with its own unique flavor.

Once players transitioned from the standard set to these richer battles, the divine cards would make their grand entrance.

That would be the true moment to empty the cultivators’ wallets.

Alongside the update, Lu Ze posted an announcement in both the illusion realm and the forums:

"New Card Packs Released! Popular Generals—Zuo Ci, Zhang Jiao, Jia Xu, and Young Zhuge Liang—Available for Free Limited-Time Trial!"

……

……

The update announcement sent the forums into an uproar.

"New card packs?!"

"Zuo Ci?! Isn’t he the mortal closest to being an actual cultivator? I’ve got to try him!"

"They’re all just mortals… feels like something’s missing."

"Mortals or not, the mechanics are what make it fun!"

"Wait, wasn’t Zhuge Liang already in the game? Another one?"

"Judging by the art, this ‘Young Zhuge Liang’ seems to be from his earlier years."

"Honestly, even if there were ten versions of Zhuge Liang, I’d take them all!"

"Agreed. Zhuge Liang’s so popular… my junior got him, and I’d pay 5 spirit stones just to swap!"

"Hold on… did anyone else notice the ‘limited-time free’ part? Does that mean it’ll cost spirit stones later?"

"With an illusion this good, charging spirit stones is only fair!"

"Exactly! If he didn’t charge, I’d feel like I was taking advantage!"

……

……

The release of the "Wind, Fire, Mountain, Forest" packs elevated "Legends of the Three Kingdoms" to new heights of fun and popularity.

While Lingxiao Sect disciples were over the moon, other sects weren’t as thrilled.

Without a sect server, they were stuck with local multiplayer—essentially a LAN version.

To make matters worse, Lu Ze had added a restriction in the update: the new content required server access.

His reasoning was sound—

The new "Celestial Ladder" ranked mode needed server support for fair matchmaking.

Local matches were too easily manipulated, making rankings unreliable.

This rule had already been implemented in "Immortal Clash."

To experience the ranked mode, players had to visit the Lingxiao Sect.

Previously, elders from other sects hadn’t cared much.

"Immortal Clash" hadn’t been compelling enough to justify the hassle.

Those who enjoyed it could simply play a few casual matches with disciples or attendants for fun.

But "Legends of the Three Kingdoms" was different!

The new cards and generals required an online connection.

Elders of the Tianxuan Sect, in particular, were obsessed with this strategic card game.

Out of seven elders, six could be found daily at the Lingxiao Sect, immersed in battles.

The seventh? That unlucky soul drew the short straw to guard the sect—a duty they rotated through.

Even elders who had once dismissed Lu Ze’s illusions as corrupting influences now wavered.

Perhaps it was time to install a Divine Resonance Array in their own sects…

……

Amid the cultivators’ card-playing frenzy,

Lu Ze was busy designing monetization strategies for "Legends of the Three Kingdoms."

The path of monetizing game stats couldn't be copied exactly from his past life.

The cultivation world didn't have billions of cultivators to exploit.

Lu Ze set his sights primarily on the elders.

500 spirit stones for a livestream gift? They'd spend it without blinking.

What's wrong with splurging a tiny bit of spirit stones to pull some flashy effects for your favorite generals? Perfectly reasonable, right?

With that thought, Lu Ze began designing unique skill effects for popular generals and eight divine-tier cards.

In his past life, players had to bankrupt themselves for a single limited-edition general.

This time, Lu Ze changed tactics.

Generals? He'd flood the market with them.

But the flashy effects? Those would be exclusive...

The more he thought about it, the more amused he became.

In the void, Zhuge Liang's skill effects grew increasingly extravagant...

......

......

In just a week,

the cultivators' card skills sharpened dramatically. Between cultivation sessions, they flooded the forums to exchange strategies.

["Can the Lord PLEASE stop picking Yuan Shao?? Are you insane?? I can't survive a single round as a loyal minister!"]

["Yuan Shao? More like Yuan GOD!"]

["Hmph, you plebs will never understand the joy of Yuan God."]

["Junior Brother Lu's general designs are brilliant! Yuan Shao players are becoming as arrogant as the man himself..."]

["Can the Zhuge Liang players speed up their turns?? Seven people waiting on you every time is unbearable!!"]

["Sun Ce is busted! Five skills after awakening? I need to pull him!"]

["Heh, just wait till you try him. Seven rebels in every match as Lord."]

["1v7 is fine—my problem is I’ve never even awakened him..."]

["Five skills? Sun Ce’s a blank slate!"]

["The Sun family’s world, the Sun family’s troops, achieving 5-4-3-2-0!"]

["Zuo Ci’s bleed-and-draw mechanic is OP... When Junior Brother Lu’s official version drops, I’m buying him immediately!"]

["Xiao Qiao’s illusion is downright devious—a true test of willpower!"]

["Relax, you can’t even see it."]

["Strange... Junior Brother Lu called it ‘absolute territory technology’ or something?"]

["So... when’s the official release?"]

["ANNOUNCEMENT! TOMORROW!!"]