Lu Ze's Coping Strategies

Hearing the mission prompt from the system, Lu Ze's brows furrowed slightly.

Even without the task reminder, he had already planned to take action.

Zhong Yi shared a deep bond with him, and several elders had even prioritized his safety over their sect's reputation.

Lu Ze had no intention of swallowing this insult.

After all, crafting an illusion to humiliate others was just a trivial matter for him.

The real issue lay in the mission's requirements.

Change the Righteous Path Cultivators' perception of the demonic path?

Such a thing couldn't be altered overnight, nor could it be achieved through a mere illusion.

This was a red line—one that spelled death for anyone who crossed it, even Lu Ze.

'This mission might be a bit too difficult to complete...'

Lu Ze clenched his jaw, silently strategizing in his mind.

As for Lu Ze stepping in, none of the other sect elders objected—in fact, they welcomed it.

Defeating Lu Ze in the illusion, climbing over his reputation to reach the Heavenly Dao...

This was a golden opportunity, one that any sect would gladly seize.

"Young friend Lu, after you."

Zhang Yuxian offered a polite smile and gestured for him to proceed.

Without hesitation, Lu Ze flashed onto the Demon-Slaying Platform.

Aside from the five major sects, six other factions—large and small—participated in the [Demon-Slaying Conference].

Eleven massive Illusion Towers were transported onto the platform.

"This Illusion Tower was specially crafted by our Qingshan Sect for the conference. For the next seven days, all representatives must remain inside without leaving."

Zhang Yuxian's voice boomed with pride as he explained the rules of this round.

"The theme of this illusion is [Righteous and Demonic], with no restrictions on presentation."

"The illusion must be completed independently by each representative—no external assistance is permitted... Otherwise, disqualification."

When he emphasized "external assistance," Zhang Yuxian deliberately paused, casting a meaningful glance at Lu Ze.

Lu Ze understood perfectly—the man was hinting that any intervention from the remnants of the Heavenly Dao would result in his loss.

"After seven days, all participating sects and organizations will jointly vote to determine the rankings!"

......

Qingshan Sect.

"Elder Zhang, how did it go?"

Seeing Zhang Yuxian return in high spirits, Yang Zhengxin hurried forward to inquire.

"Everything went smoothly. As expected, Lingxiao Sect’s representative was replaced by Lu Ze."

Zhang Yuxian took a sip of tea and nodded leisurely.

"Hmph, without the Heavenly Dao’s help... Let’s see how this brat plans to compete!"

A venomous flame flickered in Yang Zhengxin’s eyes.

Memories resurfaced—the humiliation he suffered a year ago at Lingxiao Sect, crushed by "Cultivator’s Descent: 100 Floors."

"Are you truly confident you can defeat Lu Ze?"

Zhang Yuxian narrowed his eyes, glancing at Yang Zhengxin and the young man beside him.

"Without the Heavenly Dao’s aid and under such tight time constraints... Even if he’s a genius, there’s no way he can win."

Yang Zhengxin spoke with absolute certainty.

They had known the [Righteous and Demonic] theme for a full month in advance and had begun preparations early.

They had even enlisted outside help—the young man beside Yang Zhengxin.

His name was Huang Qi, a master of illusion techniques renowned as the "Mirror Immortal." A distinguished Nascent Soul cultivator, he held considerable prestige within the Illusion Alliance.

With an elder laying the foundation and Huang Qi’s expertise shaping the illusion, combined with a month’s head start, Yang Zhengxin was certain of victory.

"If I recall correctly... Lu Ze’s illusions are known for their novelty, always capturing attention?"

Still uneasy, Zhang Yuxian pressed further.

"Elder Zhang, rest assured. I’ve thoroughly dissected his tricks."

Huang Qi wore a look of unwavering confidence.

"Just wait for the results. My illusion will undoubtedly surpass his."

Hearing this, Zhang Yuxian nodded, feeling slightly more at ease.

Cut off from the Heavenly Dao’s aid, a month of preparation—

With these two advantages stacked against him, no matter how talented Lu Ze was, Zhang Yuxian believed defeat was inevitable.

"Lingxiao Sect has basked in glory for far too long... But this alone isn’t enough."

Still seething, Yang Zhengxin leaned in and whispered to Zhang Yuxian:

"A mere true disciple wavering on the principles of righteousness and demonic paths... That’s worth making a fuss over, don’t you think?"

......

Demon-Slaying Platform, inside Illusion Tower No. 12.

In a void of milky white space, Lu Ze floated cross-legged, deep in thought.

Should he attempt the system’s mission?

He had to.

But...

Glorifying the demonic path as a whole was tantamount to suicide.

Even if he replicated the finest works from his past life, it wouldn’t matter.

Lu Ze closed his eyes, countless ideas flashing through his mind.

In his previous life, there were many excellent games with villains as protagonists.

But considering localization challenges and the project’s scale, most were quickly ruled out.

This competition allowed only seven days total—for both creation and playtesting.

Factoring in at least one day reserved for the cultivators to experience it...

Lu Ze had just six days to craft his illusion.

A massive-scale illusion was out of the question.

Even if he rushed to finish, it’d be meaningless if the cultivators couldn’t reach the ending.

"In other words..."

"Small-scale. Or rather, a compact setting."

Lu Ze nibbled his finger, murmuring to himself.

"Next..."

"A narrative-driven... RPG (role-playing game)."

To shift the Righteous Path’s view of demonic cultivators, the focus had to be on story and characterization.

"Finally..."

Lu Ze narrowed his eyes, pondering the "red line" issue.

"Center the perspective on specific 'individuals,' not the entire demonic faction."

With these conclusions, the pool of options shrank significantly.

Countless brilliant stories and characters flickered through his mind.

Just as he hesitated over which to choose, an image surfaced—the numb-eyed young man and the defiant girl he’d seen not long ago.

Then, a title emerged in his thoughts—

"This Killer is Not So Cold."