Conquering the Illusion Realm with Senior Shen Yan

【Did... Senior Brother Shen just swear?】

【Seems like it】

【Ten years as fellow disciples, and I’ve never heard Brother Shen swear. Truly rare!】

【Is this illusion really that hard? Isn’t it just using your arms to climb up?】

【Not at all! Fellow Daoist, look closer—this illusion crafted by Old Demon Lu is full of hidden intricacies... its operating rules are downright bizarre!】

【Now that you mention it, that’s true. Even Senior Brother Shen has failed so many times.】

【Old Demon Lu? What a fitting name, haha!】

...

Not only Shen Yan in the illusion, but even the observing disciples of the Tianxuan Sect gradually began to notice the peculiarities of the illusion.

Thinking you could clear it just by relying on upper body strength?

That was far too naive.

The rule modifications Lu Ze had implemented were inspired by the infamous game Getting Over It from his past life.

First, the cultivators’ cultivation realms were restricted, just like in previous illusions.

At best, they were just slightly stronger ordinary people.

Second, how high or far the jar could jump wasn’t just dependent on the cultivators’ strength—the angle between the hammer and the contact surface mattered even more.

Third, the cultivators’ shoulder joints were fixed, making it impossible to move freely. Whether exerting force or adjusting angles, everything felt awkward and unnatural.

Thus, the cultivators truly became like Bennett Foddy from his past life—trapped in a jar, serving a prison sentence.

And to top it off, the physics of this world were utterly absurd. Concepts like friction and balance from the normal world simply didn’t apply here...

...

In short,

All these bizarre yet self-consistent rule restrictions were what made the illusion so difficult.

Even Shen Yan, who had breezed through It Takes Two with a smile, couldn’t help but let out a curse.

Had he been playing alone, he might not have reached this point.

But alas, he was livestreaming.

Lu Ze had even thoughtfully titled his stream "Witness the Great Moment of Man and Hammer Becoming One!", attracting a flood of Tianxuan Sect disciples to watch.

Shen Yan cared deeply about his image.

Being watched so intently while making repeated mistakes made him far more prone to frustration than usual.

‘No, no, that was too unbecoming just now... I can’t keep this up!’

Shen Yan shook his head, trying to clear his mind of distractions.

After glancing at the barrage of comments floating in the sky, he forced his signature warm and composed smile back onto his face.

“Fellow Daoists, Brother Lu’s illusion was designed to help me achieve the state of ‘man and hammer becoming one.’ It’s only natural for it to be challenging...”

“But rest assured, given my innate talent in the Way of the Hammer, breaking through is only a matter of time.”

“Please, bear witness!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than—perhaps due to his overly passionate delivery—he swung the hammer too hard.

The powerful recoil from striking the rock sent him flying backward, tumbling all the way back to the bottom of the valley.

“I...”

Shen Yan took a deep breath. Remembering he was still livestreaming, he swallowed the curse on the tip of his tongue.

Then, with great effort, he forced out a strained smile: “Ha, haha...”

The chat fell silent for a few seconds.

【As expected of Brother Shen! Even in such a situation, he can still laugh!】

【Truly a natural-born prodigy, finding joy in hardship, playing the illusion with a smile.】

【Everyone, type ‘haha’ to share the joy with Senior Brother Shen! Haha】

【Haha】

【Hahaha】

...

“......”

Staring at the sky full of 【haha】s, Shen Yan’s smile grew even more bitter.

“Haha...”

【Hahaha】

...

...

At the same time.

In the room next to Shen Yan’s, Lu Ze was chuckling to himself while holding the Illusion Tower.

“What’s so funny? What mischief have you done now??”

Nangong Yuan pushed the door open, eyeing Lu Ze with suspicion, his expression stern.

“Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking how great the atmosphere in the Tianxuan Sect is, with disciples encouraging each other.”

Lu Ze waved his hand dismissively, hiding the Illusion Tower behind his back.

He made no mention of how he’d egged the other disciples into spamming 【haha】 in Shen Yan’s chat.

Sensing something amiss, Nangong Yuan immediately pulled out his own Illusion Tower to investigate.

One glance at Shen Yan’s livestream was enough.

“......”

After watching for a few seconds, Nangong Yuan’s lips twitched slightly.

“I’m innocent! Brother Shen asked me to create this illusion!”

Before Nangong Yuan could even reprimand him, Lu Ze raised three fingers to the sky, swearing solemnly.

“Fine, I believe you.”

Nangong Yuan rummaged through his storage ring before pulling out a jade pendant and handing it to Lu Ze.

“Master, another protective artifact for me?”

“Mhm.”

Lu Ze accepted it gleefully, examining it closely—only to find that the engravings on it bore no resemblance to any defensive spell he knew.

“How does this one work?”

“Wear it around your neck.”

“Got it.”

Lu Ze fastened the pendant around his neck, and the engravings flickered with a faint light.

Pale blue spiritual energy patterns coalesced around him, slowly forming four large characters:

【Spare Me, Hero】.

“……Seriously? This piece of junk is for kids, isn’t it?”

This time, it was Lu Ze’s turn for his lips to twitch.

“What else? Even the best artifact can’t save you from your own recklessness!”

Nangong Yuan huffed, his beard bristling with irritation.

“By the way, Master, can the text be changed?”

Lu Ze suddenly had an idea.

“It can... Wait, what do you want to change it to?”

Nangong Yuan’s guard went up instantly.

“Change it to 【Haha】.”

Lu Ze replied cheerfully.

“......”

Nangong Yuan felt a headache coming on. Rubbing his temples, he couldn’t help but see Lu Ze as more and more like a demonic cultivator.

“Stop tormenting the True Disciple Shen Yan. Just let him be...”

...

...

Back in Shen Yan’s illusion.

The torment continued.

Though his face still wore a smile, the redness creeping up his neck betrayed his true feelings.

“Hook it, hook it!”

Shen Yan swung his iron hammer desperately, trying to latch onto an oil lamp wedged between two cracks in the rock.

“Don’t rush, fellow Daoists... Remember what I said at the beginning—play the illusion with a smile, with a smile... It’s best to sing while playing...”

With each attempt to hook the lamp, Shen Yan took a deep breath.

The chat was quick to chime in.

【Brother Shen speaks the truth!】

【So optimistic—it’s oddly moving】

【Haha】

【What should we sing? Coming Home Often?】

...

At the last comment, Shen Yan’s expression darkened instantly.

This particular viewer, whose name was 【Conquering the Illusion with Senior Brother Shen Yan】, always knew how to twist the knife.

It was this same person who had started the 【haha】 spam earlier.

As for Coming Home Often, it referred to a yellow rock at the base of the slope.

Every time he slipped and fell, he’d pass by it.

And every time he fell past it, the illusion would play a strange, unfamiliar melody with lyrics that went, “Coming home often, coming home often...”

He’d never heard it before, and it wasn’t particularly pleasant—just inexplicably melancholic.

What kind of twisted mind did Lu Ze have to come up with something like this?

The chat had even nicknamed that yellow rock the “Homesick Stone.”

Oh, right.

That was also a name coined by 【Conquering the Illusion with Senior Brother Shen Yan】.

Somehow...

Now, whenever he saw that username pop up in the bullet comments, it made his chest tighten with irritation...

This time, Shen Yan moved the massive hammer in his hands with extreme caution.

Bit by bit, he climbed upward along the oil lamps lining the narrow passage.

As he neared the exit of the cramped tunnel, excitement surged within him.

Heaven knew how many times this passage had thwarted him!

Now, he was finally about to make it through!

The thought filled him with both exhilaration and caution.

One wrong move, and he’d slip right back down to the "Nostalgia Stone" for another unplanned trip home.

Just as he approached the exit, he glanced up and caught sight of a lush green pine tree. A grin spread across his face:

"Hahaha! Finally out! That pine must be the legendary 'Welcoming Pine,' right?"

With a slight push, he squeezed a bit more of his body through the opening.

The exit was so close now. He swung his hammer rapidly, though the cramped space made it hard to maneuver—his arms had little room to adjust.

Using the hammer to prop against an oil lamp, he gave a forceful upward thrust, sending the jar flying out of the passage.

But then he felt it—the inevitable pull of gravity. If he slipped now, he’d slide all the way back to the Nostalgia Stone, and the familiar "Home Sweet Home" tune would play once more...

His breathing grew ragged.

In a desperate move, Shen Yan twisted his arms at an unnatural angle, reversing their motion just in time to hook onto the rocks at the tunnel’s edge.

"Success!"

The moment he relaxed, his hands instinctively clenched—

And in an instant, he was flung backward.

As the so-called "Welcoming Pine" shrank into the distance above him,

the unmistakable sight of the Nostalgia Stone came into view, accompanied by the cheerful melody of "Home Sweet Home."

The hope in Shen Yan’s eyes twisted into horror.

Right on cue, a teasing bullet comment floated past:

[Welcoming Pine? More like Farewell Pine!]

Horror gave way to utter despair:

"NOOOOO—!!!"