The senior brothers will definitely be pleasantly surprised.

Zhong Yi never dreamed that his master, Zhao Wendao, the grand elder of Lingxiao Sect, would also be playing Plants vs. Zombies (Spiritual Edition).

The strategy post Zhong Yi had shared earlier had blown up so much that even Zhao Wendao saw it. From the screenshots posted by the user "Genius Cultivator," Zhao Wendao recognized his disciple’s distinctive drawing style and deduced the poster’s true identity.

Coincidentally, he had been stuck on the third level for ages, so he decided to seek Zhong Yi’s help in person.

Zhao Wendao projected the game screen into the air, and Zhong Yi guided him step-by-step on where to plant which spiritual crops. In no time, Zhao Wendao finally cleared the level.

"So that’s how you do it… Not bad, not bad. Your comprehension truly is the best among my direct disciples," Zhao Wendao stroked his beard, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. He was thoroughly satisfied.

"All thanks to your teachings, Master!" Zhong Yi replied humbly.

"Ah, one more thing—if Elder Lin comes asking for your help, don’t you dare tell him!" Zhao Wendao warned.

Zhong Yi froze. "Elder Lin is also…?"

Now he was even more baffled.

Just yesterday at the plaza, Elder Lin had been the first to dismiss Lu Ze’s illusion realm as child’s play, storming off in disdain.

And yet, he was playing it too?

"Indeed," Zhao Wendao nodded. "That old coot kept mocking me for failing the third level. Once I’ve mastered it, I’ll make sure to rub it in his face!"

"Understood, Master."

Zhong Yi quickly agreed.

He never would have imagined that two of Lingxiao Sect’s elders were both hooked on the game. It just went to show how addictive Plants vs. Zombies (Spiritual Edition) was.

If Lu Ze knew, he probably wouldn’t be too surprised.

In his past life, the year Plants vs. Zombies took the world by storm, even middle-aged and elderly folks who considered video games a scourge had become devoted players.

It was the definition of all-ages appeal.

"No resting tonight—stand by in Qingyun Pavilion! I’ll call for you if I run into trouble!"

"As you command, Master!"

……

……

The next day.

Law Enforcement Hall, Linxian Peak.

Ding Mingcang paced back and forth in the main hall, restless and uneasy.

He was sweating bullets.

He had assumed Lu Ze’s illusion realm was just some childish fruit-slicing game.

Who could’ve guessed there was more to it?

After just one hour yesterday, not a single disciple present had managed to clear it.

Rumors spread that both inner and outer sect disciples had gone wild over it.

The Artifact Refining Pavilion’s illusion training hall was opened for free, and outer sect disciples pulled all-nighters inside.

Meanwhile, the inner sect disciples’ dormitories were lit up late into the night, every one of them battling zombies.

At this rate…

He’d be sent to Reflection Valley for disciplinary seclusion!

No way!

"Elder Ding, I’ve looked into it—the situation isn’t as dire as you think."

Just as his anxiety peaked, Linxian Peak’s steward, Qian Yutang, rushed in.

"What’s the situation?" Ding Mingcang pressed.

"Many disciples did enter the illusion realm last night, but the content is limited. Most can clear it in one night."

"Some have already finished. Once they’ve beaten it, they likely won’t replay it endlessly, right?"

"Over the next six days, interest should wane, and usage time will drop sharply… So there’s no need for concern."

Qian Yutang explained.

"That’s a relief."

Ding Mingcang nodded, though his unease lingered.

Logically, no one would want to replay the same thing endlessly.

Even if some did, they’d be the exception.

But he couldn’t shake his worry.

Because Lu Ze clearly didn’t play by logic.

Most people could connect sword practice to fruit-slicing.

But who in their right mind would link fruit-slicing to planting crops—and then have those crops fight zombies?!

This world had gone mad.

"Elder Ding, there’s no need to fret. No matter how well-made the illusion realm is, disciples will eventually grow bored."

"Three thousand sword swings a day—can an illusion realm really achieve that?"

"Let’s be real, most outer sect disciples can’t even manage it. Given their numbers, that kid is bound to lose!"

Ding Mingcang found the reasoning somewhat sound.

The most fundamental sword drills were also the most tedious.

No matter how engaging Lu Ze’s illusion realm was, disciples would tire of it eventually.

Still, to be safe, he ordered:

"You’re close with Danqing Peak’s stewards, right? Have them ramp up the intensity of disciple training."

"Oh, and get the folks at Wenjian Peak involved too—tell them Lu Ze’s illusion realm is an insult to sword dao."

"If we increase the disciples’ workload, they won’t have time to obsess over illusions!"

……

……

Lu Ze hadn’t had a moment’s peace these past two days.

The Artifact Refining Pavilion was packed—not with customers seeking artifact repairs, but disciples begging for Plants vs. Zombies (Spiritual Edition) walkthroughs.

Some inner sect disciples even offered spirit stones in exchange for tips.

Lu Ze refused every request.

No way.

Right now was the golden window for farming demonic energy points.

Once players cracked the game’s mechanics and mastered plant placements, they could survive for ages on a single life.

From his observations:

After the first day’s trial-and-error, more and more disciples were clearing Adventure Mode.

Those still stuck were mostly struggling with the fifth level’s barbarian zombies or the final boss.

Survival Mode was now on their radar…

The progress aligned with Lu Ze’s expectations.

After all, Adventure Mode and the first five Survival Mode stages were near-perfect recreations of the original game’s difficulty curve.

Only the plant names and zombie designs had been tweaked.

The original’s difficulty scaling was a masterclass in game design—smooth, accessible.

Even a bunch of ancient cultivators with zero tower-defense experience could pick it up quickly.

Since releasing Plants vs. Zombies (Spiritual Edition), he’d been holed up in the Artifact Refining Pavilion, developing additional stages.

The first version he’d released days ago was intentionally incomplete.

The current Survival Mode only had five basic stages.

The advanced Hard Mode and the endless final stage were still locked.

The reason?

Lu Ze was tweaking the numbers.

His goal wasn’t to benefit cultivators—it was to harvest demonic energy.

If not for the sect contract with Ding Mingcang, he’d never have chosen Plants vs. Zombies as his second game.

Why?

Because the deaths were too slow.

If he stuck to the original stages, even the hardest endless mode would eventually be conquered.

So he took matters into his own hands.

Zombie stats, spawn rates, enemy combinations…

…

He made it brutal.

Even Lu Ze himself broke a sweat testing it.

"Perfect. This should do it."

After several test runs, he nodded in satisfaction.

The first few levels were relatively normal.

But after the fifth level, the difficulty abruptly escalated to that of the late stages in his past life.

By the thousandth level, both the number and strength of the zombies would rise even further...

Yet, he managed to keep them all within a carefully calculated limit.

Though it appeared daunting, there were still viable solutions.

The formations from his past life remained just as effective.

Thinking of what was about to unfold, Lu Ze felt a surge of delight: "When my senior brothers reach this point, they’re in for quite the surprise..."