For the next week,
The light of demonic arts spilled across the land.
Within the borders of the Great Zhou Dynasty, ghosts were forbidden to roam.
All of them had been wiped out by Lu Ze...
From vengeful spirits down to wandering souls, every last one had been collected into Lu Ze's Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
"This should be enough now."
Lu Ze gazed at the banner, packed to the brim with ferocious ghosts and malevolent spirits, feeling somewhat satisfied.
He suddenly realized how exhausting it was to create games for cultivators.
Between setting up formations and capturing ghosts, scaring them properly was no easy task.
...
...
Upon returning to the sect, Lu Ze immediately threw himself into the meticulous crafting of the illusionary realm.
The most distinctive gameplay feature of "Phasmophobia" was its use of technological detection results to highlight the fixed traits of each ghost type.
For instance, some ghosts would plunge their surroundings into bone-chilling cold.
Others enjoyed picking up pens to scribble in books.
Some would respond to players' conversations, while others would generate deafening noises...
Beyond these traits, each ghost also had unique characteristics.
This core gameplay was something Lu Ze decided to preserve.
What made his illusionary realms so captivating were the unique restrictions he imposed—essentially, the rules of the game.
It was the combination of these gameplay mechanics and cultivation limitations that transformed his illusionary games into a world unlike any other.
Lu Ze categorized the dozens of ghost types he had captured, mirroring the classification system of "Phasmophobia."
As for the various detection tools from the original game, he localized them into an array of magical artifacts—albeit low-tier ones.
Most of these were likely unheard of among high-ranking cultivators.
...
As the development progressed, Lu Ze grew increasingly excited about "Phasmophobia."
He realized that the Fear-Soul Resonance Array's effects within the illusionary realm were overwhelmingly potent!
Its ability to amplify and channel fear was perfectly suited for a horror-themed illusion.
Coupled with the "Formless Realm Manifestation" technique, which could materialize the intangible...
Ordinary methods could only achieve a superficial resemblance.
But with this technique, even the eerie, bone-chilling resentment of ghosts could be replicated within the illusion.
An unparalleled setting, an immersive atmosphere, and the Fear-Soul Resonance Array's manipulation of emotions...
The mere thought of Nascent Soul-stage cultivators trembling in fear, their lips quivering before ghosts, filled Lu Ze with anticipation.
...
...
A week later,
Just as Lu Ze was putting the finishing touches on his project, his master, Nangong Yuan, suddenly arrived at the Spirit Jade Pavilion accompanied by an elderly man clad in black robes.
"So this is the disciple you mentioned, the one who's suddenly taken an interest in ghosts?"
The old man, whom Nangong Yuan referred to as "Nine Nether Venerable," eyed Lu Ze skeptically.
"Indeed."
Nangong Yuan nodded, then explained to Lu Ze,
"This is Nine Nether Venerable Du Ming, a master of soul cultivation... I noticed your recent fascination with ghostly arts, so if you have any questions, feel free to seek his guidance."
Nangong Yuan elaborated further.
Not long ago, in the northern reaches of the Immortal Abyss Continent, malevolent entities had run rampant, causing a spectral calamity.
Ghosts that should have been easily vanquished had suddenly become far more troublesome.
Recently, the ghostly disaster had begun spreading outward.
To protect their disciples below the Golden Core stage from encountering these resilient spirits, the Lingxiao Sect had specially invited Nine Nether Venerable to teach methods for dealing with such sinister ghosts.
Among orthodox sects, few specialized in ghostly arts.
As a result, talents like Nine Nether Venerable were exceedingly rare—and rather arrogant.
"Ask away, and I shall answer without reservation."
Nine Nether Venerable stroked his beard, lifting his chin proudly.
"I do have one question."
Lu Ze blinked, pondering for a moment before speaking:
"Are you... afraid of ghosts?"
"Pfft—!!"
Nangong Yuan, who had been sipping tea, immediately spat it out.
"What did you say???"
Nine Nether Venerable stared at Lu Ze in disbelief, wondering if he had misheard.
The young man wore an innocent expression as he repeated, slowly and clearly:
"I said..."
"Are you afraid of ghosts?"
Nine Nether Venerable's eyebrows twitched.
Were it not for the fact that this brat was Nangong Yuan's personal disciple, he would have taught him a lesson right then and there.
He, a Soul Transformation-stage soul cultivator—
What kind of question was that?
Afraid of ghosts?
Afraid of ghosts his foot!
"Hahaha..."
Nine Nether Venerable suppressed his anger, his lips curling unnaturally.
"In all my years, I have walked side by side with ghosts. No matter how vengeful or powerful the spirit, they flee at the sight of me... What do you think?"
Lu Ze pressed further: "But what if you had no cultivation? Just an ordinary mortal?"
"Preposterous!"
Nine Nether Venerable waved his sleeve, turning away.
"Even as a mortal, I made my living hunting ghosts! How else do you think I achieved Soul Transformation through ghostly arts?"
"Ghosts? Even without cultivation, what is there to fear?"
"If a cultivator relies solely on power, neglecting the tempering of their mind, what use are they?"
Hearing this, Lu Ze quickly clapped in admiration.
"Venerable Du, your words are profound! I couldn't agree more!"
"What kind of master cultivator would one be if they were powerful but mentally fragile?"
"Coincidentally, I've crafted an illusionary realm that tests both a cultivator's mental fortitude and their strategies for handling ghosts..."
"Would Venerable Du be interested in giving it a try?"
Nine Nether Venerable scoffed at the proposal, his disdain evident.
In his field of expertise, he held an unshakable sense of superiority.
Then it struck him—this might be a perfect opportunity to leverage his pride for greater gains.
"Elder Nangong, is this how the Lingxiao Sect educates its disciples?"
Nine Nether Venerable deliberately feigned offense, frowning at Nangong Yuan.
"A mere illusionary realm, crafted by a disciple, and you expect it to challenge me?"
"If the Lingxiao Sect holds me in such low regard, why not say so outright? Must you humiliate me?"
"Absurd!"
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.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
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."
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
