Witnessing Ding Mingcang being reduced to a mist of blood, the remnant spirit of the Heavenly Dao slowly dissipated its ferocious, colossal face.
The crowd standing below exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
The scene before them was simply too shocking!
"This Heavenly Dao spirit… seems different from what I imagined," Zhao Wendao murmured after a long pause.
"Having developed its own sentience, it may no longer be a pure embodiment of the Heavenly Dao… yet its power undeniably carries traces of the Heavenly Dao’s will," the Sect Master analyzed, narrowing his eyes.
"No wonder one can enhance their cultivation and even comprehend Dao techniques within the illusion realm. If such a formidable existence serves as the core of the formation, it makes perfect sense…"
"Though this one’s temper seems a bit… er… no, I mean—"
Zhao Wendao abruptly cut himself off, instinctively covering his mouth as he glanced around nervously.
He suddenly recalled that Ding Mingcang had been reduced to bloody mist for speaking ill of the entity.
"This one’s temper is indeed fierce, but as long as you don’t provoke it, it won’t intervene… Elder Zhao, rest assured," Lu Ze chimed in cheerfully, defusing the tension.
"Ahem, can you even call that a temper? That’s… that’s the dignity of a supreme being! That old fool Ding Mingcang brought it upon himself. Even if the Heavenly Dao hadn’t acted, I would have!"
Zhao Wendao’s face flushed red as he hurriedly defended the remnant spirit.
After all, he owed his recent breakthrough in Dao techniques to its grace. Gratitude, not resentment, filled his heart.
"Ding Mingcang… got what he deserved. His death was no loss," the Sect Master nodded in agreement.
The fact that a Lingxiao Sect elder had been publicly obliterated with a single slap didn’t faze him in the slightest.
"Zhao Wendao, relay my decree at once—"
"Yes!"
Zhao Wendao formed a seal with two fingers, conjuring a massive sound-transmission array above the Lingxiao Sect.
The Sect Master’s voice, authoritative and stern, echoed across the sect:
"The criminal Ding Mingcang, guilty of deceiving the Sect Master, slaughtering disciples, and defying the Heavenly Dao…"
"Has been sentenced to death!"
"Executed at noon this day!"
The proclamation resounded throughout the Lingxiao Sect.
"In this matter, I too bear fault. Trusting Ding Mingcang’s lies nearly cost our sect a monumental opportunity…"
After the announcement, the Sect Master turned to Lu Ze with a wry smile.
"I owe you recompense, though I’m unsure how to make amends… Very well. For millennia, our sect has never appointed a Holy Son. Given your unique circumstances, I shall—"
"Reporting to the Sect Master, this disciple has no interest in becoming a Holy Son. Studying artifact forging under Elder Nangong suits me just fine," Lu Ze interjected swiftly.
Holy Son?
No thanks.
With his system, he had no need for the sect’s resources in cultivation or techniques—nor any desire to toil for the sect’s benefit.
Under Nangong Yuan’s guidance, however, he could gain invaluable insights into crafting illusion realms.
Unfazed by the interruption, the Sect Master agreed without hesitation:
"If that is your wish… so be it."
"I recall Elder Nangong’s three true disciple slots are already filled. Given his exemplary teaching, he deserves recognition."
"With the position of Second Elder now vacant, Nangong Yuan shall be promoted to Second Elder, and Li Fire Peak shall rank as the Lingxiao Sect’s Second Peak. You shall become Li Fire Peak’s fourth-generation true disciple. Does this suit you?"
Lu Ze nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, that’s my master’s reward. What about mine?"
"Er…"
The Sect Master froze.
Zhao Wendao and Zhong Yi nearby also stiffened.
Even the usually ice-faced Li Moran nearly cracked a smile.
This was so quintessentially Lu Ze.
"Ahem, your reward naturally remains… Fine, why don’t you name it?" the Sect Master offered.
After a moment’s consideration, Lu Ze replied, "Then have the Lingxiao Sect’s finest materials crafted into an illusion tower for me."
Neither techniques nor artifacts seemed lacking to him.
A top-tier facility would be far more useful—speeding up large-scale illusion crafting while maximizing quality.
He’d once asked Nangong Yuan about the cost of such a device.
The elder had bluntly told him Li Fire Peak’s entire treasury might barely cover it, dismissing the idea as pure fantasy.
"Agreed. Additionally, I shall personally bestow upon you three protective artifacts to prevent incidents like today’s," the Sect Master pledged without hesitation.
"This disciple thanks the Sect Master."
"Oh, one more request."
"Please speak, Sect Master."
"It’s… well… Could you deliver a copy of the illusion tower and spirit crystals to the sect’s forbidden grounds? This old man would like to try it too…"
……
……
In the end, the crisis was resolved without further mishap.
Ding Mingcang’s death sent shockwaves through the sect.
After all, the entire Lingxiao Sect had witnessed their former Second Elder being annihilated in an instant—an unprecedented event among the Five Great Sects.
Soon, the full story would spread, as would news of Zhao Wendao and Li Moran’s breakthroughs within the illusion realm.
Once word got out that illusions could aid cultivation,
Not only would player numbers skyrocket—
Even those elders who once scorned illusions would clamor for a chance to enter.
Because,
Who wouldn’t crave a sliver of fortune touched by the Heavenly Dao’s laws?
Returning to the Spirit Jade Pavilion, Lu Ze hurried into the main world of My World.
There, the Heavenly Dao remnant spirit lounged above his Demon Castle, casually fishing as if nothing had happened.
"Thank you for saving me today."
Lu Ze clasped his hands in salute.
"Humph. A mere ant dared to insult me… Death was inevitable."
"As for you? Consider it incidental."
The remnant spirit didn’t even glance up, its tone as haughty as ever—though its voice now carried a faint, ethereal quality.
"I heard that slap took a heavy toll on you?"
Lu Ze asked with concern.
According to Nangong Yuan, after the seal was broken, one of the already-fractured runic rings surrounding the remnant spirit had dimmed further.
After millennia of erosion, the spirit’s power diminished with every use.
Serving as a "server" at least allowed replenishment through cultivators’ spiritual energy.
But annihilating Ding Mingcang had been a pure expenditure of its dwindling reserves.
This was a thigh Lu Ze needed to cling to at all costs.
Losing his "server" over a fool like Ding Mingcang would be catastrophic.
"It matters not."
The remnant spirit waved it off.
"So long as your plan succeeds, recovery will come swiftly."
Since becoming a server spanning the immortal realm, the karma of cultivators dying within illusions had forged a genuine connection with it.
Though progress was slow, the spirit could feel its eroded Dao essence and laws gradually repairing.
If Lu Ze could increase the "efficiency" of cultivator deaths, today’s expenditure would be trivial.
Moreover, the spiritual energy channeled by cultivators slightly overflowed—
This surplus was stored by the remnant spirit for self-restoration.
In truth,
Should Lu Ze abandon the server project now, the Heavenly Dao remnant spirit would be the first to object.
"So… when will this Heavenly Dao witness your so-called efficiency?"
The remnant spirit of the Heavenly Dao coldly reminded him.
"Don't forget, this Heavenly Dao only gives you one month!"
"You mean that matter..."
Lu Ze smiled faintly.
"One week at most, and you’ll see the results."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
