Unfilial disciple Is it you

The adventure mode of "Plants vs. Zombies" isn't particularly lengthy.

For players from his previous life, even if it was their first time playing, they could probably clear it in just 7 to 8 hours.

But the cultivators of this world had far too little exposure to games.

Their instincts for utilizing various tools were somewhat lacking.

Lu Ze's "Spiritual Plants vs. Zombies" had been out for a full day, and by evening, no one had yet cleared it.

Most disciples were stuck on the fourth level.

The combination of night, fog, and a pool of water had given them a hard time.

Yet, far from being discouraged, the disciples were only getting more addicted.

Winning or losing aside—

Watching the entire spiritual field fill with sunflowers puffing out spiritual energy, the energy counter in the top-left corner steadily rising;

Peas, needles, and bubbles filling the screen as they rained down on the invading zombies…

The sheer satisfaction of building up like this was simply too easy to get hooked on.

...

Late at night.

Thunder Peak, Qingyun Pavilion.

"One more hit… one more hit… YES! IT'S DOWN!!!"

"I DID IT!!! I CLEARED IT!!!"

The entire pavilion shook.

A roar erupted from inside, carrying an astonishing force that even made the surrounding barrier tremble.

"Ahem, ahem… my apologies for the outburst."

Zhong Yi cheerfully exited the illusion realm and used a spell to tidy up the mess in his room.

He had just cleared the final level of the adventure mode and, in his excitement, let out a shout infused with a bit of uncontrolled spiritual energy.

Thankfully, as a true disciple, he lived alone, and the barrier around his residence prevented any minor incidents.

"This illusion realm… it's just too much fun… tsk tsk!"

Zhong Yi savored the thrill of his victory, still buzzing with excitement.

The final battle had been against a Demon God Zombie controlled by the Demon Sect, and the fight had been nerve-wracking—he’d been instantly killed multiple times.

"Oh right, 'Spiritual Plants vs. Zombies' has a forum too. Let’s check it out!"

Suddenly remembering the forum, Zhong Yi hurriedly re-entered the illusion realm.

Ever since Lu Ze introduced the concept of a "forum" in "Escape from the Demon Sect," it had become wildly popular among the disciples.

It was the perfect place to exchange tips and share experiences.

After "Nameless" claimed the top spot on the leaderboard, the disciples realized they didn’t have to use their real names in the illusion realm. Soon, giving themselves nicknames became a trend.

Disciples eagerly adopted titles like "Daoist So-and-So," indulging in the fantasy of being revered masters.

This time, Lu Ze had put even more effort into the forum’s design, making it more functional and user-friendly than before.

Right now, the "Spiritual Plants vs. Zombies" forum was absolutely booming.

Most disciples were stuck on the third or fourth level and had flocked to the forum for help.

[Fellow disciples, how do you deal with the General Zombie at night?]

[My spiritual energy is always running out. How do you guys manage to fill the entire field with plants?]

[Help! Should I pick the Small Spray Mushroom or the Cowardly Mushroom?]

[How do I counter the ladder zombie? My Tall Nut gets wrecked the moment it touches it! (crying)]

[Level 4 is too hard. Junior Brother Lu Ze’s design is a bit unfair.]

[How do you handle the fog? If I bring the Fog Dispersal Card, my firepower’s too weak, but if I don’t, I keep getting ambushed…]

...

Zhong Yi couldn’t help but chuckle as he scrolled through the posts.

From what he could see, the highest progress among his fellow disciples was still at Level 4.

Meanwhile, he had already cleared the entire adventure mode!

A sense of superiority welled up inside him.

Back when he was active in the "Escape from the Demon Sect" forum, his arguments about battle strategies and solo runs were always mocked because of his poor performance.

"What’s your high score?"

"Come back when you’ve solo-run past 3,000 steps, then we’ll talk."

"You call yourself a true disciple? If you’re a true disciple, then I’m an elder!"

"Enough talk. If you disagree, let’s settle it in a duel."

...

Perhaps because they were using pseudonyms, some disciples had become unusually aggressive in their discussions.

At times, Zhong Yi got so furious he even considered tracking them down in person.

In Lu Ze’s previous life, this was called "wanting to crawl through the internet and strangle them."

But since he truly sucked at "Escape from the Demon Sect," he had no choice but to endure the humiliation in silence.

This time, however, things were different!

In "Spiritual Plants vs. Zombies," he was miles ahead!

Finally, it was his turn to show off…

Zhong Yi began replying to posts one by one.

"From someone who just cleared it: Don’t listen to the guy above. Cherry Bombs are too expensive. When you’re low on energy at night, the Hypno-Shroom is the best against the General Zombie."

"Here’s a strategy that works all the way to the end: Prioritize planting two full columns of Sunflowers or Sunshrooms. If you lose, come fight me."

"Easy for someone who’s already cleared it: Both are strong, but I prefer the Small Spray Mushroom. Must-have!"

"Cleared-player advice: One Magnet-Shroom solves all problems. For daytime, just add a Coffee Bean."

"Someone who’s beaten Level 5 disagrees: Junior Brother Lu Ze’s level design is perfectly fair!"

"Cleared and here to help: If you’re not bringing a Plantern in the fog level, you’re doing it wrong."

...

...

With every reply, Zhong Yi made sure to flaunt his "cleared-player" status, as if afraid people wouldn’t notice.

Answering question after question, he reveled in the thrill of being an online expert.

This was way more satisfying than lecturing junior disciples in real life!

At first, many thought he was just bragging.

Especially those who recognized his username as the "Keyboard Warrior" from "Escape from the Demon Sect"—the guy who argued endlessly despite his terrible stats.

But as more and more disciples tested his advice and found it actually worked, they began defending Zhong Yi’s credibility.

Soon, disciples grew curious—what was Level 5 like? What happened after clearing it?

Seeing this, Zhong Yi decided to make a dedicated guide post, sharing all his insights.

"To clear the game, first build your energy. The golden rule: Always plant two columns of Sunflowers or Sunshrooms first! This is crucial!"

"The Nut brothers are incredibly useful. If there are pole-vaulting or pogo zombies, always bring Tall Nuts."

"The Snow Pea is my favorite plant. Must-bring."

"For night levels, place Small Spray Mushrooms at the front. Treat them like cannon fodder!"

"Memorize the weaknesses of special zombies and always bring plants that counter them!"

"Cherry Bombs? I never use one-time plants. The firepower from shooters and lobbers is more than enough."

...

From the perspective of his past life, Zhong Yi’s advice had some flaws.

But at this stage, for players struggling with the adventure mode, his tips were invaluable.

Disciples eagerly absorbed his wisdom and pressed him for details about Level 5.

"Honestly, it’s easier than Level 4—at least for me."

"Level 5 takes place on a rooftop, so Peashooters are almost useless…"

"The new lobber plants are insanely strong, just as good as shooters!"

"There’s one called the Melon-pult—its melons hit like cannonballs, wiping out entire groups of zombies! Absolutely brutal!"

"But the zombies are no joke either. Late-game, there’s a barbarian zombie that nearly tore through my entire defense line. Ridiculously OP."

"The final battle is against a Demon God Zombie the size of a small mountain."

"The Demon God Zombie is absolutely terrifying! It can lift a massive boulder and smash it down, instantly wiping out a whole patch of spirit plants! The battles are incredibly perilous!"

"It looks roughly like this..."

...

Zhong Yi vividly recounted his experiences in the fifth level.

Even though he had restarted the level countless times, he described it with an air of effortless nonchalance.

Many disciples eagerly expressed their desire to witness the fearsome visage of the Demon God Zombie.

Due to technical limitations, Lu Ze hadn’t yet developed the ability to "capture screenshots" or "record gameplay."

However, the forum did support manual drawings.

Coincidentally, Zhong Yi was quite skilled in calligraphy and painting, so he immediately picked up a brush and sketched a rough draft of the Demon God Zombie for his fellow disciples.

The disciples gasped in awe, each vowing to work harder so they too could witness the might of the Demon God Zombie.

Zhong Yi felt deeply satisfied and exited the forum.

"Ah, what a shame this illusionary realm only has five levels... If only there were endless challenges!"

Zhong Yi muttered to himself.

Just then, he noticed something astonishing—

Beneath the Adventure Mode, the third option had suddenly become selectable.

The words written there were unmistakable: 【Survival Mode】.

"!!!"

Overjoyed, Zhong Yi immediately opened it.

Sure enough, it was a brand-new level!

Just as he was about to dive in for some fun,

A thunderously majestic voice boomed in his ears: "You rebellious disciple!!!"

The roar startled Zhong Yi so badly he nearly jumped out of his skin, hastily exiting the illusionary realm.

As expected, his master, Zhao Wendao, was glaring at him furiously.

"M-Master..."

Zhong Yi, guilt-ridden, quickly tried to hide the Mini Illusionary Tower up his sleeve.

But how could such a clumsy trick escape Zhao Wendao’s notice?

Zhao Wendao immediately seized his wrist and scolded sternly, "So you really have been playing Spirit Plants vs. Zombies!"

"I..."

Zhong Yi had no defense and adopted an utterly penitent tone:

"I neglected my cultivation, and I admit my fault! I just thought Junior Brother Lu Ze was unfairly punished and wanted to support him, to ease his burden..."

"You’re the 【Genius Cultivator】 in the forums, aren’t you!?"

Originally, Zhong Yi’s username was 【Genius Cultivator Who’s Bad at Fleeing】, but after being showered with praise by his peers, he got carried away and shortened it to just 【Genius Cultivator】.

Caught off guard by Zhao Wendao’s question, Zhong Yi stammered, "Y-yes... that’s me."

"Come here and help your master figure out how to clear the third level!"

"???"