"Does Master mean... for me to represent the sect in the exchange?" Lu Ze speculated.
To his surprise, Nangong Yuan shook his head and said leisurely,
"No... On the contrary, Elder Zhao's intention is that you should not participate."
"Oh?" Lu Ze raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Being sidelined from such a high-stakes competition was quite unexpected, as it didn’t align with the sect’s interests.
"You brat..." Nangong Yuan sighed and patted Lu Ze’s shoulder.
"This rebellious disciple of mine—your talent in illusion arts is renowned far and wide."
"After causing such a stir alongside the Heavenly Dao’s remnant spirit... Now, every major sect has eyes on your position, eager to replace you."
"Elder Zhao wants you to stay out of the 'Demon-Slaying Day' as a way to protect you, lest you fall into some schemer’s trap."
After hearing Nangong Yuan’s explanation, Lu Ze suddenly understood.
Given his unparalleled achievements in illusion arts, he was already leagues ahead of everyone else.
There was no need to compete for the spotlight in such a minor event.
If he won, it would be expected.
If he lost, the loss would be immense.
After all, forming a bond with the Heavenly Dao and attaining enlightenment through illusions was such an extraordinary fortune that even many transcendent experts coveted it deeply.
When the time came, the theme of illusions would likely become another battleground for various factions.
Lu Ze had no reason to wade into that muddy water.
He was quite satisfied with Zhao Wendao’s decision.
He had no interest in doing thankless work.
Given the current situation, with the three major pillars—My World, Immortal-Demon War, and Eternal Tribulation—supporting him, his demonic path’s growth would remain stable for a long time.
Though he didn’t believe he would lose, crafting illusions was still somewhat draining.
In the year since unlocking his system, he had never stopped working on illusions.
Now that his illusion enterprise was stable, he was happy to take it easy and laze around like a salted fish.
What Lu Ze feared most was the system suddenly assigning him a task—like forcing him to represent the demonic path in the grand assembly or something similar.
Fortunately, after waiting for a long while, no system prompt echoed in his mind.
‘The system finally acted like a decent human…’
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief before asking curiously,
"Then who will represent the Lingxiao Sect in the illusion exchange during the 'Demon-Slaying Day'?"
"Elder Zhao’s disciple, Zhong Yi."
Hearing Nangong Yuan’s answer, Lu Ze felt reassured.
Whether in illusion construction techniques or game mechanics analysis, Zhong Yi had considerable talent.
Nangong Yuan didn’t hesitate to express his admiration for Zhong Yi:
"With your senior brother Zhong’s intelligence, handling such a competition shouldn’t be a problem."
Lu Ze couldn’t help but chuckle and added,
"Provided he doesn’t say those words himself."
Nangong Yuan: "..."
......
Over the next half-month, Zhong Yi visited the Jade Pavilion daily to seek Lu Ze’s guidance on various illusion-related matters.
For this kind and reliable senior brother, Lu Ze was happy to share everything he knew, holding nothing back.
The two weeks passed swiftly.
The [Demon-Slaying Day] arrived as scheduled.
As the Lingxiao Sect’s representative, Zhong Yi set off in grand style—a jade-green immortal sword strapped to his back, riding atop a violet flood dragon, an awe-inspiring sight to behold.
This journey marked the first and most classic segment of the [Demon-Slaying Day]:
Slaying the demonic cultivators.
Representatives from major sects and factions would each receive a clue related to a demonic cultivator.
These clues were said to be provided by the Qingshan Sect's secret treasure.
The representatives would hunt down the demonic cultivators indicated by their clues and bring them back to the Demon-Slaying Platform for public trial and execution.
"Old Zhong, if you aren't the first one back, I swear I’ll beat you until even your master can’t recognize you!"
Before setting off, Zhou Yue laughed and threatened.
"Hah, do you really think I’d show mercy to some lowly demonic cultivator?"
Zhong Yi waved his hand cheerfully, his figure vanishing with the wind.
Flecks of golden runes lingered in the air, slow to disperse.
……
……
Three days later.
As representatives from various factions gradually returned,
Zhong Yi of the Lingxiao Sect was nowhere to be seen.
"Elder Zhao… if Zhong Yi doesn’t return within the next three hours, your Lingxiao Sect will be disqualified."
Zhang Yuxian, the Grand Elder of the Qingshan Sect, tapped the table with his knuckles.
"A bet is a bet."
Zhao Wendao’s gaze was dark, unable to conceal the worry in his heart.
"Once the time is up, give me the clue my foolish disciple received."
Zhang Yuxian nodded. "Naturally."
At this point, Zhao Wendao no longer cared about rankings.
All he feared was that Zhong Yi had been unlucky enough to draw a reincarnated demonic overlord whose cultivation surpassed his own.
Right now, Zhao Wendao would gladly accept disqualification if it meant obtaining the clue from the secret treasure to investigate further.
Yet, at the very last moment before time ran out, Zhong Yi finally appeared.
His spirit seemed utterly broken.
"Disciple Zhong Yi…"
"…"
He paused for a long time, struggling to force out a few words from his throat.
"…Mission accomplished."
……
……
Midnight.
Thunder Peak, Qingyun Pavilion.
"Old Zhou, Junior Brother Mu, Junior Brother Lu…"
Zhong Yi’s face was haggard, as if his faith had collapsed.
"Tell me…"
"Are demonic cultivators always evil?"
"Must they always die?"
"Every single one?"
Lu Ze, Zhou Yue, and Mu Yawen exchanged glances, their brows furrowing simultaneously.
"Old Zhong!? Have you been bewitched by a demonic cultivator!?"
Zhou Yue bellowed, his voice infused with Daoist power in an attempt to dispel any mind-influencing hexes.
"Senior Brother Zhong, how is this even a question? Demonic cultivators are vile scum who use human lives to boost their cultivation—they deserve death a thousand times over!"
Even the usually gentle Mu Yawen grew agitated.
Only Lu Ze silently took two steps back.
Not evil, not committing atrocities, demonic cultivators who hadn’t used lives to cultivate…
They did exist.
All thanks to that damned system…
"Junior Brother Lu, do you think so too?"
Zhong Yi lifted his gaze to Lu Ze.
"What does Senior Brother Zhong think? Did you meet someone?"
Lu Ze avoided answering and instead posed a question of his own.
"Ah…"
Zhong Yi sighed deeply, his fingers swiftly weaving a spell in the air.
"See for yourselves…"
The three followed him in confusion, stepping through the teleportation array into the prison where captives were held.
Inside a special cell sat a disheveled young man covered in old scars, his face hidden beneath a thick beard.
Beside him stood a girl, trembling like a protective kitten, shielding the man with her body. Her wide, beautiful eyes glared defiantly, as if trying to ward them off.
Lu Ze, Zhou Yue, and Mu Yawen simultaneously furrowed their brows.
With keen perception, they sensed that the young man was a demonic cultivator, while the girl was merely an ordinary mortal.
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.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down 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."
