Ghost Town

"Master, are we really going to let him... extort us like this?"

Watching the smug grin on Nine Nether Venerable's face as he strutted away, Lu Ze couldn't help but feel irritated.

"Do you think I'm an idiot? Can't tell the old fox is just trying to squeeze more money out of us?"

Nangong Yuan shot Lu Ze a glare.

Earlier, Nine Nether Venerable had put on a show, pretending to leave under the pretense that "Lu Ze's illusion realm wasn't worthy of testing him."

The Lingxiao Sect had paid a hefty sum to hire him, only for him to bail halfway.

Not only would the disciples be left without a teacher, but the sect's reputation would also take a hit if word got out.

Nangong Yuan had no choice but to swallow his pride and sweeten the deal.

"Is he really the only one in the world who can do this?"

Lu Ze was skeptical.

"You don't understand, you rebellious disciple... This ghost calamity is far more unusual than before."

Nangong Yuan shook his head.

"The ghost calamity in the northern part of Xianyuan Continent—the spirits can easily pierce through the spiritual defenses of cultivators of the same rank, directly affecting their minds..."

"At best, it causes trembling legs and overwhelming fear. At worst, it drives them mad, turning them into prey for the ghosts."

"Those above the Nascent Soul stage aren't at risk... since there aren't any ghosts that powerful. But for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment disciples, we can't afford to be careless!"

At this point, Nangong Yuan sighed.

For elders like them, dealing with ghosts was a matter of brute force.

Psychological torment?

Just slap it away.

But such methods couldn't be taught to low-level disciples.

Nine Nether Venerable, however, was different.

He had started his path by hunting ghosts as a mortal, so he had genuine expertise in dealing with spirits.

The Lingxiao Sect had specifically hired him because of his ability to face ghosts fearlessly, even as a mortal.

At the very least, their disciples wouldn't be paralyzed by terror when encountering those special ghosts.

"So... we hired him to make the disciples unafraid of ghosts?"

Lu Ze mused.

Nangong Yuan nodded. "Exactly."

"Well then..."

A sly grin spread across Lu Ze's face.

"The illusion realm I made might be able to do the same."

He thought back to his past life.

The newbies who had once trembled at the thought of entering a haunted house had ended up throwing dance parties inside one.

"Really?"

Nangong Yuan was surprised.

He had full faith in Lu Ze's illusion realms, which were always full of devious tricks.

"Really."

Seeing Lu Ze's confirmation, Nangong Yuan gazed thoughtfully at the door.

"In that case... Nine Nether Venerable's payment terms might need some adjustments..."

......

......

Nine Nether Venerable began his lectures at the Lingxiao Sect.

With the ghost calamity spreading panic across Xianyuan, the disciples' enthusiasm for learning ghost-related techniques was unusually high.

As more and more cultivators flocked to his classes, Nine Nether Venerable grew smug.

'So much for a prestigious sect. Pathetic.'

He recalled the two payment options Nangong Yuan had recently presented him.

The first was the original lump sum they had agreed upon.

The second was a performance-based model—payment scaled according to the number of attending disciples and the curriculum completed.

Nine Nether Venerable hadn't hesitated to choose the latter.

At the rates Nangong Yuan offered, he could easily double his original earnings!

"Heh, if I just split the original course into smaller parts... I could even triple it!"

Nine Nether Venerable gleefully calculated.

The practical combat training he had prepared was now stashed away.

Instead, he only summoned a few weak, harmless ghosts for the students to observe.

The real malevolent spirits?

He was saving those for the final exam, to squeeze more money out of the Lingxiao Sect.

The second payment plan had an additional clause:

At the end of the course, he would administer a ghost-related examination.

If the pass rate fell below 50%, it would mean the students hadn't learned enough—and the Lingxiao Sect would have to pay the maximum fee!

Those terrifying ghosts were his trump card to ensure failure.

......

......

At the same time, Lu Ze's new illusion realm went live.

A massive pop-up ad appeared in the most popular game, Immortal-Demon War:

[New Illusion Realm: Ghost Fear Village Released!]

[A cursed hamlet, plagued by death. Ghosts and demons lurk in every shadow...]

"As a cultivator... are you afraid of ghosts?"

The brief description instantly sparked the cultivators' competitive spirit.

On the Lingxiao Sect forums, discussions about Ghost Fear Village erupted.

[A ghost-themed illusion realm? Lu the Trickster really stays on top of trends.]

[Hah! After three lessons with Master Nine Nether, Junior Lu's illusion won't even faze me.]

[Seriously? You're asking a Nascent Soul cultivator if they're scared of ghosts??]

[What if your spiritual power is sealed?]

[No way I'd be scared...]

[Even if you break my legs and throw me into a ghost den, you won't hear me say "scared" today!]

[Maybe it's just to help us get used to ghosts? Master Nine Nether's course has an exam, right?]

[I have a feeling Lu the Trickster isn't that benevolent...]

......

......

Thunder Peak, Qingyun Pavilion.

As a die-hard fan of illusion realm games, Zhong Yi gathered his squad the moment Lu Ze's new release dropped.

A year ago, Qingyun Pavilion had been filled with cultivation manuals, scriptures, talismans, and magical artifacts...

Now?

The moment you stepped inside, you were greeted by a massive illusion tower.

Rumored to have been custom-built by Elder Nangong at great expense, it offered an unparalleled immersive experience.

It had practically become a pilgrimage site for illusion realm enthusiasts.

"A ghost-themed illusion realm? Sounds kinda boring."

Zhou Yue scoffed.

He was in the middle of a ranked match in Immortal-Demon War, riding a hot streak and reluctant to stop.

"But playing ten rounds gives you a free skin..."

Zhou Qiaoling's eyes sparkled as she read the fine print—Immortal-Demon War and Ghost Fear Village were running a crossover event.

Ten games, and you could pick any skin from the Phantom Haunt series—including her favorite, Zyra.

The first hundred players to unlock the Ghostbuster achievement would even get an exclusive limited-edition skin!

"Old Zhou, do you really think Junior Lu's illusion realms could be boring?"

Zhong Yi patted Zhou Yue's shoulder with a knowing grin.

"Unless... you're scared of ghosts?"

"Me? Scared? Fine! Let’s go in right now, and we’ll see who’s scared!"

Zhou Yue instantly flared up.

Zhou Qiaoling: "Big bro, I’m scared of you being a sore loser..."

"..."

"I’m playing! Junior Lu actually thinks I’d be scared of ghosts? Unacceptable!!"

Mu Yawen was the most eager, diving straight into the illusion realm with her spiritual sense.

The other three followed without another word.

Inside the illusion, darkness enveloped them.

Then—

A grotesque, blood-red eye suddenly snapped open in the void.

"...Is Junior Lu really resorting to cheap mortal tricks like this?"

Zhong Yi was utterly unimpressed.

The eye blinked shut, and the words Ghost Fear Village flashed across the darkness.

Then, Zhong Yi found himself standing in a cozy little cottage.