The next day.
Lu Ze woke up early.
The number of people on Li Fire Peak had inexplicably increased.
On the way to the Artifact Refining Pavilion, countless disciples whispered among themselves.
"Did you see it last night? Some expert was breaking through in the back mountains, and it actually caused such celestial phenomena!"
"Like we had a choice… The sky was so bright, we couldn’t even sleep."
"I heard the elders rushed to the back mountains overnight to find them but came up empty-handed."
"Honestly, what’s the point of hiding like that?"
"My senior brother said no one actually broke through. It was just the lingering spiritual energy from the three true disciples sparring on Li Fire Peak yesterday. Under some coincidence, it manifested as those phantom projections."
"That actually makes sense… No wonder those three phantoms resembled the true disciples!"
"Why were the true disciples on Li Fire Peak?"
"Supposedly, they were trying out 'Escape from the Demon Sect.'"
"Seriously? Even true disciples are into it?"
"Well, not exactly. Only Senior Sister Li gave it a try, and she instantly broke the record—5,000 steps!"
"Wait, what?! We inner disciples trained nonstop for five whole days and barely hit 4,000 steps… Senior Sister Li surpassed that in one day?"
"Correction—one afternoon."
"Damn… True disciples are on another level!"
"What happened to those who said cultivation realm doesn’t affect performance? Gone quiet now, huh?"
"Huh? Senior Sister Li isn’t at the top? Why is there a nickname instead of her real name?"
"Probably another true disciple who didn’t want to reveal their identity."
"Then where’s the third true disciple? Their name isn’t on the leaderboard."
"Trivial illusion trials probably aren’t worth their time. They likely never even tried it."
"Fair point."
…
Lu Ze listened with great amusement.
Damn, they’re all talking about me.
He could barely suppress the grin threatening to split his face.
So this is how it feels to secretly flex!
As for the phantom projections, even he wasn’t entirely sure.
But according to ancient texts, the Myriad Illusions Profound Demon Immortal Body could convert all phenomena into Dao power—that was probably the reason.
But he’d never even seen the three true disciples cultivate before.
Unless…
A sudden realization struck him.
Perhaps their deaths in "Escape from the Demon Sect" automatically fueled his immortal body’s cultivation.
That would explain it.
The phantom projections of plants, insects, and beasts were likely traces left by outer disciples.
As for the immortal-demon wielding boundless lightning…
That had to be the mysterious powerhouse who always gave him +10 Demon Points.
He didn’t know the exact purpose of these projections, but they couldn’t be anything bad.
The surrounding disciples were still debating the true disciples’ involvement in "Escape from the Demon Sect."
One claimed he’d seen Zhong Yi’s name appear right above his on the leaderboard, while another scoffed that a true disciple would never perform at an inner disciple’s level.
The argument raged on.
Most sided with the latter.
They believed someone as diligent and upright as Senior Brother Zhong Yi would never stoop to such trivial entertainment.
Lu Ze nearly laughed out loud.
The Zhong Yi they praised for his discipline was probably holed up in his pavilion, obsessively playing "Escape from the Demon Sect" right now.
How did he know?
Because since waking up, the constant chime of [+1.2 Demon Points] in his ears could only mean one thing—Zhong Yi was still at it.
An entire night had passed.
Not only was Senior Brother Zhong’s enthusiasm undiminished, but his Demon Point contributions hadn’t slowed either.
Truly, he’d struck gold this time.
…
With the outer disciples’ illusion training period over, Lu Ze returned to the Artifact Refining Pavilion’s external repair station.
Normally, he handled minor artifact repairs.
But since most artifacts were durable and rarely broke, he usually had plenty of free time.
Otherwise, he’d never have managed to serialize so many novels simultaneously.
Now, though, he no longer needed to write. The latter half of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was already complete, ready for scheduled releases.
Since he was no longer a cultivation cripple, actual cultivation took priority.
While the system had boosted his realm,
cultivation wasn’t just about levels.
The system-granted foundation, though not unstable, lacked the depth and techniques one should naturally possess at this stage.
Only through genuine cultivation could he solidify his foundation and stand firm.
Closing his eyes, Lu Ze slowly circulated his spiritual energy, practicing the basic techniques taught to outer disciples.
He couldn’t help but hope some kind senior brother might drop a higher-tier cultivation manual for him…
…
"Lu Ze! What do you think you’re doing?!"
His cultivation session was abruptly interrupted.
Lu Ze opened his eyes, irritation flashing as he recognized the intruder—
Wang Tai, the Artifact Refining Pavilion’s second senior brother.
"Senior Brother Wang, what brings you here?"
Lu Ze replied politely.
Basic courtesy was still necessary, even toward a fellow sect member he disliked.
"You? Cultivating? Hah!"
Wang Tai didn’t bother hiding his scorn, raising his voice mockingly.
"Since when did the sun rise from the west? Three years stuck at early Qi Refining, and now you’re putting on this act?"
"Cultivation is every Lingxiao Sect disciple’s duty. What’s wrong with that?"
Lu Ze shot back coldly.
Wang Tai had always looked down on him.
During his time at the Artifact Refining Pavilion, Lu Ze had endured countless provocations.
Though cautious, he never groveled.
When pushed, he always pushed back—
whether as a powerless outer disciple or now, with fate on his side.
"You—"
Wang Tai seemed ready to explode but suddenly checked himself, as if remembering something.
"Whatever. Anyway—about that movement technique illusion trial I assigned you recently. Who gave you the illusion crystal?"
"You mean 'Escape from the Demon Sect'?"
"Yes, that one."
"I made it myself. Is there a problem?"
"You… made it?!"
Wang Tai gaped at him like he’d seen a ghost, disbelief written across his face.
Second Elder had personally tasked him with investigating this. The creator’s mastery of spellwork and ability to manipulate minds suggested a demonic cultivator.
Was Lu Ze a spellwork master?
Was he a demonic cultivator?
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
