Recognition from the True Disciples

Zhong Yi played on, increasingly awed by the creator of this illusionary realm.

"This illusion seems simple, but it's driven by an intricate logic from start to finish."

"With such straightforward mechanics, even Qi Refining disciples can compete fairly against elite disciples like me..."

"Fairness, fairness... in this world, nothing is rarer than fairness."

"The melodies of this world are unlike anything I've ever heard, yet they fit so perfectly..."

"Even the sound of picking up spirit stones is delightful... and death holds no fear at all!"

"Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous!"

"I heard you can even buy spirit beasts and equipment—such ingenuity and wisdom are beyond anything our kind could achieve!"

"This illusion must be the work of a supreme expert... If fate allows, I must pay my respects!"

"Ah, damn it! Died again!!"

Midway through his musings, Zhong Yi demonstrated his notorious hand-brain coordination by burning to death from a fire talisman.

From his omniscient viewpoint, Lu Ze was puzzled:

If this guy talked less while gaming, maybe he wouldn’t die so quickly...

Still, his analysis was spot-on.

At least he was the first to notice how crucial the sound design was in the game.

"Oh right, I still need to change my name!"

Zhong Yi smacked his forehead, having forgotten this detail.

Back at the main menu, he stared blankly at the name-change option.

Naming things was his weakness—he had no idea what to pick.

He couldn’t just steal someone else’s name, could he?

Then his eyes lit up.

Actually... why not?

Remembering Mu Yawen’s earlier teasing, he felt both annoyed and amused.

But he knew Mu Yawen meant no harm—the guy was just simple-minded.

Their bond was ironclad.

Zhong Yi often ribbed Mu Yawen, and Mu Yawen retaliated with no-holds-barred sparring, yet they always laughed it off.

"Since you’re changing your name too, I’ll just borrow yours!"

Zhong Yi chuckled to himself.

...

At the same time.

"What should I call myself...?"

Mu Yawen scratched his head, stumped.

"Master said I should learn from Senior Brother Zhong—he’s sharp..."

"Ah, I’ll just use Senior Brother Zhong’s name! It’s not like he’s using it!"

...

...

Not long after.

A thunderous boom erupted in the training hall.

Zhong Yi hastily exited the illusion and opened his eyes.

There stood Mu Yawen, grinning sheepishly, his face smeared with soot.

"Junior Brother Mu, what happened?" Zhong Yi asked curiously.

"Got chased by that demon beast and couldn’t hold back—instinct kicked in, and I tried to unleash my bloodline power. Then... well, heh!"

Mu Yawen rubbed his head sheepishly.

Zhong Yi understood immediately.

This was a common safeguard in restricted-level illusionary realms.

Anyone forcibly breaking the creator’s imposed limits would be ejected.

But usually, only those far stronger than the creator could bypass such restrictions.

Mu Yawen was only at the early Nascent Soul stage—how could he break a master’s seal?

Unless...

The creator’s cultivation was actually low?

Zhong Yi dismissed the thought almost instantly.

Such brilliance, such craftsmanship—no ordinary amateur could’ve achieved this.

"The senior must’ve suppressed their cultivation when setting this restriction," Zhong Yi muttered.

It was the only explanation.

"By the way, Junior Brother Mu," Zhong Yi suddenly grinned, clapping Mu Yawen’s shoulder.

"You’re itching for a fight, aren’t you? Not satisfied just running from monsters?"

"Of course! You know me too well, Senior Brother!"

"Then let’s duel! In a way, it’s still combat."

"Deal! It’s been ages since we sparred!"

"Come on, I’ll send the invite."

Zhong Yi cheerfully initiated the match.

The moment they saw each other’s names, both froze.

"What the—Senior Brother, why are you named Mu Yawen?!"

"Excuse me?! Why the hell are you called Zhong Yi?!"

...

In the end, Lu Ze couldn’t take it anymore and stepped in, assigning them the names [Genius Cultivator Who Can’t Run] and [Battle Junkie Who Never Backs Down]. The chaos finally subsided.

The advanced gaming concepts of Lu Ze’s past life were a crushing advantage in this world.

Even the most worldly and disciplined elite disciples were instantly captivated by this novel battle mode.

At first, the simple-minded Mu Yawen suffered horribly under Zhong Yi’s relentless item abuse.

But soon, he began mimicking and counterattacking.

When it came to combat, Mu Yawen’s brain worked just fine.

The two were having a blast.

After days of Lu Ze’s tweaks, the battle mode’s item pool expanded far beyond basic traps and elemental talismans.

For example, the Position Swap Talisman.

Zhong Yi grasped its use immediately, deliberately staying just ahead of a pursuing beast.

Mu Yawen had barely finished laughing at his "slow" escape when Zhong Yi swapped their positions, leaving him bewildered as the beast’s lunch.

Then there was the Displacement Imp.

Mu Yawen, unsure how it worked, hurled it at Zhong Yi’s head.

Suddenly, all traps appeared inverted in Zhong Yi’s vision, leading to a string of mishaps—and Mu Yawen’s triumphant comeback.

And so on...

...

In the control room, Lu Ze watched the two elites duel with satisfaction.

Their awestruck expressions confirmed it—future "corruption points" were guaranteed.

Zhong Yi might be clumsy at gaming, but his mind was sharp.

His creative use of items was always unexpected.

If only Lu Ze’s current cultivation allowed for an in-game replay system.

Footage of Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen’s battles would’ve made perfect promotional material.

Just as Lu Ze was enjoying the show, a message flashed on his token:

[Li Moran has challenged you to a duel. Accept?]