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?
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
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."
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.”
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
