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.
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
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."
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
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.
