Core Gameplay of Illusion Realm

Zhong Yi's maneuver not only stunned the cultivators but even Lu Ze, the designer himself, was utterly astonished.

The multiple approaches to clearing the dungeon instance were indeed one of the core gameplay mechanics.

Whether it was stealthy assassinations, brute-force berserker speedruns, trap setups, poison kills, or even investigating NPC routines to meticulously stage an "accident"—all were viable strategies.

Originally, this level was designed as a tutorial for covert assassinations.

Lu Ze never expected Zhong Yi to uncover the game's mechanics entirely on his own, without any hints.

And not just any solution—it was a flawless one.

His senior brother, though clumsy in the illusionary realm's operations, was in some ways a rare genius...

Turning a movie into a game-like illusion was both simple and challenging.

If it were a straightforward, linear adaptation of the film's narrative, it would have been easy.

But this was an illusionary space akin to a VR game.

A rigid design would have severely diminished the gaming experience.

So Lu Ze boldly expanded upon the movie's framework, adding layers of depth—

Assassination contracts, underground black markets, character progression, skill trees, side quests...

The town was essentially an open-world playground.

Among these, the assassination missions tied to the killer's identity stood as one of the game's core mechanics.

For this, Lu Ze drew inspiration from his past life's acclaimed series like Assassin's Creed and Hitman, designing diverse and thrilling mission solutions to immerse players deeply in their roles.

With both skill and cunning at their disposal, the design resonated well among the cultivators.

Right now, Zhong Yi was thoroughly enjoying himself, and the livestream audience was equally entertained.

Upon opening the Black Serpent Gang's Ledger and scrutinizing its entries alongside the secret notes, Zhong Yi's brow furrowed tightly.

The gang's activities, as the mission intel suggested, involved trafficking women and children to serve demonic factions.

The demonic sects abducted innocents, using a sinister elixir to corrupt infants into demonic cultivators!

On one hand, this bolstered their ranks.

On the other, they traded these lives with an organization called the Demon Suppression Bureau.

The bureau, an official arm of the government, was tasked with defending against demonic and monstrous threats.

Among its duties, slaying demonic cultivators yielded the highest merit points.

Yet, to inflate their kill counts and claim greater rewards, the bureau had secretly colluded with the demonic factions, trading in the lives of these corrupted cultivators!

The horrifying truth was...

Those demonic cultivators were once innocent human infants!

In other words, the authorities were complicit in allowing these demonic sects to abduct women and children across the land...

Zhong Yi's grip tightened around the notes and ledger, his fingers trembling with suppressed fury.

Every word on those pages was more chilling than the last—

Far worse than anything he'd witnessed not long ago.

This hidden clue not only expanded the illusion's lore but also set the stage for the unfolding plot.

Zhong Yi grew even more eager to see what would happen next.

Slipping away unnoticed from the chaotic manor, a mission summary screen popped up before him.

[Mission Complete!]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Assassination Target: Zhang San — +30]

[Time Bonus: +20]

[Combat Rating: +30]

【Stealth Assassination: +10】

【Locate the "Black Snake Gang Ledger": +10】

【Final Rating: Perfect】

【Reward Settlement: +1000 Copper Coins】

【Achievement Unlocked: Top-Tier Assassin (Novice)】

The live chat exploded in disbelief at this sight.

【Holy crap, full marks??】

【Brother Zhou from the other stream had to retry so many times just to get a top-tier rating...】

【He didn’t even fight once, yet maxed out the combat score】

【The reward payout got multiplied by ten… This is insane!】

……

"Haha, how can I not rub this in Old Zhou’s face?"

Zhong Yi smugly closed the mission settlement screen.

The surroundings suddenly vanished as the illusion transitioned into a cinematic cutscene.

This was a narrative sequence adapted by Lu Ze, inspired by film techniques from his past life but localized for this world—where the concept of "movies" didn’t yet exist.

The masterful use of camera angles, seamless transitions, and atmospheric tension had Zhong Yi and the live audience utterly captivated.

Especially when Li Ang stormed the mountain villa, swiftly dispatching the underlings with lethal precision, his shadowy movements ghostlike in the darkness.

Despite being only at the peak of Qi Refinement, he exuded an overwhelming aura of strength and reliability.

His formidable power, stoic demeanor, and the unexpected quirk of loving goat’s milk instantly solidified his character in everyone’s minds.

After each main quest, a segment of the "film" would play automatically, allowing players to rewatch the story from a third-person perspective.

The synergy between gameplay and narrative made the immersion incredibly deep.

Once the cinematic ended, Zhong Yi reluctantly returned to the town, still savoring the experience.

"Junior Brother Lu’s illusion realm is absolutely brilliant!"

Zhong Yi clicked his tongue in admiration.

With his freshly earned rewards, he wandered through the underground black market, sampling all sorts of novelties.

His character’s cultivation was stuck at the peak of Qi Refinement.

Though he couldn’t advance further in realm, he could still climb the ranks as an assassin.

Taking on missions, leveling up his assassin rank, and unlocking new skills formed the core combat loop of this illusion.

After exploring the town for a while, as evening approached, a mission reminder popped up.

【Main Quest: Return Home (To blend in with the townsfolk and avoid suspicion, Li Ang’s life follows a strict routine. Head back on time.)】

Zhong Yi initially wanted to ignore the quest and keep exploring, but his "Behavior Score" began steadily dropping.

"Guess Li Ang’s a man of discipline," he muttered with a shrug, following the quest marker toward home.

Li Ang’s residence was a large estate, laid out like an inn, housing multiple tenants who seemed to be renting there.

Just before reaching the estate, Zhong Yi noticed a faint glow around the nearby general store owner—a clear hint.

Seizing the opportunity, he stepped inside.

"Two bottles of goat’s milk, as usual?"

The shopkeeper, clearly familiar with Li Ang, smiled and pulled two jugs from the counter.

Zhong Yi nodded calmly, fishing out a few copper coins from his pocket to stay in character.

Sure enough, his Behavior Score in the top-right corner shot up.

"Roleplaying, cinematic storytelling, free-form combat… Heh, this illusion realm is something else!"

Zhong Yi couldn’t help but marvel—again—after just one hour.

He entered the inn.

Li Ang lived on the highest floor: the fourth.

Zhong Yi had just reached the staircase when two slender shadows draped over his face.

Curious, he looked up and saw a pair of smooth, delicate calves—belonging to a young girl—dangling through the gaps in the railing, swaying gently in the air.