Do None of the True Disciples Take Reading Comprehension Tests

What the hell!?

Lu Ze was dumbfounded.

Usually, the notifications he heard were increments like "+1" or "+0.1."

For outer sect disciples in the Qi Refining stage, some even gave as little as "+0.01."

But now, getting a sudden "+10" felt like striking it rich overnight.

Less than half an hour later...

[Demonic Path Value +10]

Another windfall crashed down on him.

"Could it be...?"

A bold guess flashed through Lu Ze's mind.

"Is a sect elder playing?"

The amount of Demonic Path Value was determined by the player's strength.

A while back, those inner and outer sect disciples had cultivations no higher than the Golden Core stage.

They often had to die dozens or even hundreds of times before dropping any Demonic Path Value.

But this player was different.

In just the time it took to burn an incense stick, they had already dropped Demonic Path Value three times in a row!

Clearly, they were dropping it every time they died!

[Demonic Path Value +10]

[Demonic Path Value +10]

Two more notifications came in rapid succession.

Seemed like they died right after respawning.

They were probably fuming.

Lu Ze was worried they might rage-quit—this guy was his golden goose for leveling up.

His current cultivation was too low; he could only monitor players in the training hall from the control room.

If he reached the Nascent Soul stage, he could use the terminal to remotely observe all players with his divine sense.

Then, he could tweak the difficulty for this big spender, luring them to keep playing.

"I wonder which elder it is..."

Lu Ze muttered under his breath.

Just then, three figures appeared outside the door.

Their robes were unfamiliar to Lu Ze, but he recognized them at a glance—these were the exclusive attire of core disciples.

Hearing they were here to try "Demon Sect Escape," Lu Ze couldn't suppress the AK-level grin on his face.

These were walking bundles of Demonic Path Value!

"Senior brothers, please follow me."

Lu Ze cheerfully led the trio to the training area.

"It's no different from other illusion trials. I don’t see what’s so special about it."

Zhong Yi eyed the shabby-looking illusion tower in the center, comparing it to the custom-made ones core disciples used.

When he turned around, he found the other two had already channeled their spiritual energy and entered the illusion.

No surprise there.

Li Moran had zero interest in anything unrelated to cultivation and just wanted to quickly complete the Grand Elder’s task.

Mu Yawen, on the other hand, was an illusion battle maniac, obsessed with anything related to combat training.

"Such impatience..."

Zhong Yi chuckled and shook his head before infusing his token’s crystal with spiritual energy.

His consciousness plunged into the illusion.

...

Back in the control room, Lu Ze was curious about how the three core disciples would fare in "Demon Sect Escape."

If anything went wrong, he needed to be ready to intervene.

"Let’s check on the big guy first."

Lu Ze focused his view on Mu Yawen’s illusion.

Mu Yawen was staring intently at the rules floating in the void, his brows furrowed in deep concentration.

Lu Ze grew puzzled:

‘Huh? The rules are straightforward enough. Surely he can’t be struggling to understand...’

Once all the rules finished displaying, Mu Yawen suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha! I get it! I’m being chased by demonic beasts!"

Lu Ze sighed in relief.

Guess he’d overthought it.

"So all I have to do is kill the demonic beasts!" Mu Yawen declared.

Lu Ze: "..."

Bro.

Did the sect’s entrance exam not include reading comprehension?

How did you arrive at that interpretation?!

The game had already started.

Mu Yawen’s character spawned on a path littered with traps.

He glanced back.

The moment the black demonic beast came into view, his eyes lit up: "There really is a demonic beast!"

Instead of running, he turned around and charged straight at it.

"Come on, you fiend! Let’s fight!!!"

Mu Yawen roared with laughter.

He frantically circulated his spiritual energy but got no response.

"Huh?"

Only then did he realize something was off.

"I see! This trial restricts my cultivation, so it’s testing my raw physical strength? Good! That’s a real challenge!!"

Lu Ze: "..."

This guy’s "understanding" was on another level.

Mu Yawen possessed the Indestructible Vajra Body, having honed his physique to perfection.

He was utterly confident in his body’s resilience—even a direct hit from the beast wouldn’t faze him.

"Bring it on!!"

He assumed a combat stance.

The next instant—

[Demonic Path Value +1]

Lu Ze was stunned.

This was the first time he’d seen someone not run in this game.

Not running was one thing...

But turning around to fight the monster?!

This wasn’t a monster-slaying game!!!

Lu Ze quickly switched his view to another core disciple’s illusion.

On one hand, Mu Yawen’s playstyle was too painful to watch.

On the other, he figured Mu Yawen was a safe bet—dying fast and dropping plenty of Demonic Path Value. A perfect leveling partner.

Next up was Zhong Yi.

This guy was much more normal.

Just... not very skilled.

He kept dying to traps left and right.

Lu Ze began to wonder if these core disciples were imposters.

Weren’t they supposed to be prodigies?

Then again, gaming and cultivation were two different things.

Back in his past life, the straight-A students weren’t necessarily better at games than the slackers.

In this world, while games relied on illusion towers and seemed cultivation-linked, Lu Ze’s rule adjustments had decoupled them from raw power—except for the requirement to use the Cloud-Shattering Step to sprint.

No wonder these core disciples were struggling.

At least Zhong Yi had a great attitude.

He laughed off every death, analyzing his mistakes and learning from them.

Each demise dropped 1.2 Demonic Path Value.

"Not bad," Lu Ze nodded approvingly.

A noob who loved playing and dropped good loot? Exactly the kind of player he needed.

These core disciples were all gems.

Finally, he checked on the last one—Li Moran.

"Yikes..."

Lu Ze sucked in a sharp breath.

The vibe was completely different.

Li Moran’s gaming skills were terrifying.

While the other two had died dozens of times, Li Moran hadn’t fallen once, already surpassing 2,000 steps in the escape.

For context, the current record—set by an inner sect disciple who grinded for five days to uphold their honor—wasn’t even at 4,000 steps yet.

Nearing the top, Li Moran dodged traps with expressionless precision.

His steady breathing suggested he wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

"Oh no."

Lu Ze’s heart sank.

He knew one thing for sure:

Players needed a goal.

The inner sect disciples had fought tooth and nail, even offering bounties, to reclaim first place from the outer sect.

Now the tables had turned—outer sect disciples would aim to surpass the inner sect.

But did securing first place mean peace for the inner sect?

Not a chance.

The gap between first and second was razor-thin.

If one side had a bit more luck, or if their magical artifacts or mounts were upgraded by another tier, the outcome might have been different.

But Li Moran,

in this game, was clearly at the pinnacle of power.

Once she reached the top, the gap between her and the second place would likely be absurdly vast.

With no goal left to chase, she would naturally lose interest in the game.

Lu Ze knew all too well the strength of a true disciple.

Ordinary disciples might die hundreds or even thousands of times before providing him with a sliver of demonic energy.

But a true disciple was different.

A single death would grant him demonic energy!

If Li Moran lost interest in his game, it would be a huge loss.

"No, I have to give her a purpose…"