The zombies launched their attack.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone, Lu Ze's formation proved to be far more stable than anyone had anticipated!
During the daytime pool stage, attacks from the water were the weakest.
The three Gloom-shrooms at the front unleashed their full firepower, and with the slowing effect of the Winter Melons on either side, zombies of small and medium sizes couldn’t even advance a single tile before being wiped out.
As for the lanes beyond the Gloom-shrooms' range?
Four Gatling Peashooters paired with Torchwoods ensured the damage output was equally maximized!
The disciples watched in stunned silence.
"Could it really… be this simple?!"
"Did Lu Ze secretly lower the difficulty of this endless mode…?"
"Impossible! Elder Ding was watching the whole time!"
"Wait… Gloom-shrooms are this powerful?"
"Never judge a spirit plant by its appearance!"
"Don’t get too excited yet. The first wave is just regular zombies—the barbarian zombies haven’t even shown up!"
"Second wave… here come the barbarians!!"
……
Hordes of barbarian zombies crowded together.
Under the illusionary simulation, every step they took sent faint tremors through the ground.
Their imposing aura and pressure were even more intense than the 2D visuals of the past.
"Finally."
A faint smile curled at the corners of Lu Ze’s lips.
He had been waiting for these barbarian zombies for ages.
Any longer, and he might’ve dozed off.
Lu Ze perked up slightly, his sword dancing swiftly in his hands.
A Coffee Bean landed on the head of an Ice-shroom, jolting it awake instantly.
A surge of frigid energy erupted.
Every zombie was instantly frozen into an ice sculpture!
Countless flaming peas, frozen watermelons, and purple miasma rained down upon the barbarian zombies.
Within moments, just as the barbarian zombies were about to break free, they collapsed in defeat.
Then came the second wave, the third wave…
……
Once again, Lu Ze’s maneuvers left the crowd utterly dumbfounded.
Especially when the Gargantuars hurled their Imp minions from baskets, only for them to climb ladders placed on the backline plants—without dealing a single point of damage—the entire scene erupted in excitement.
"Holy shit! So that’s why he never removed the ladders!"
"Turning the enemy’s tactics into his own advantage? Brilliant!"
"He planned this all along?!"
"Lu Ze was already thinking about the 30th wave back in the second stage?!"
"He’s too strong!!"
"Brother Lu’s foresight is unmatched—we’ve underestimated him!"
"If illusions are like this, then so is cultivation… If not for his innate limitations, Brother Lu might’ve surpassed us all by now…"
……
Meanwhile.
In Lu Ze’s ears, the system notifications exploded like fireworks, one after another.
[Host has impressed righteous cultivator Xiao Hongzhi with his prowess, earning his admiration. Randomly acquiring one of his abilities.]
[Reward obtained: Nine Heavens Spirit Refinement Art]
[Host has impressed righteous cultivator Zhang Ming with his prowess, earning his admiration. Randomly acquiring one of his abilities.]
[Reward obtained: Six Months of Martial Insight]
[Host has impressed righteous cultivator Luo Hao with his prowess, earning his admiration. Randomly acquiring one of his abilities.]
[Reward obtained: Primordial Intent Technique]
[Host has impressed righteous cultivator Shen Cangtian with his prowess, earning his admiration. Randomly acquiring one of his abilities.]
[Reward obtained: Azure Abyss Sword Art]
……
Lu Ze’s movements faltered for half a beat before resuming.
His heart pounded wildly.
This was an absolute windfall!!
Originally, he’d been a little regretful—revealing his skills like this would speed up the disciples’ progress in the game, reducing the amount of demonic energy he could harvest.
But now? This was an overwhelming profit!
Who would’ve thought that a casual demonstration of endless mode would shock the entire sect to this extent?!
Nearly 30% of the disciples were showering him with loot!
Some rewards were mere months of martial insight, while others were full-fledged cultivation techniques or combat skills.
All of it—now his for the taking!!
‘A shame, though. Now that I already have Senior Brother Zhong Yi’s [Great Dao Truth Scripture], the other techniques feel a bit redundant.’
Lu Ze sighed inwardly.
Cultivation techniques were a one-and-done deal.
Having just acquired the [Great Dao Truth Scripture] from Zhong Yi, the other disciples’ techniques were somewhat wasted.
He couldn’t help but indulge in a wild fantasy—what if the system could convert surplus techniques into manuals he could sell for profit…?
……
……
At the Sword Inquiry Peak, atop the Cliff of Lost Thoughts.
Frost-laden sword energy continuously split the heavens and earth, as if intent on cleaving the entire valley asunder.
Only after a long while did the turbulence finally settle.
Li Moran exhaled softly, a wisp of cold breath dissipating into the air.
"Still no breakthrough…?"
She ran her fingers along the length of her silver sword, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
For months now, she had been stuck at the Great Perfection stage of the Nine Heavens Frost Sword Art, unable to advance to the pinnacle of mastery.
According to her master, Liu Qingmei, once the Nine Heavens Frost Sword Art reached its zenith, a single strike could freeze the world—even time itself would near a standstill.
Though the Great Perfection stage was already enough to dominate the Lingxiao Sect, and few across the Heavenly Profound Continent could rival her at the same level…
Li Moran remained unsatisfied.
Lately, while practicing her swordplay, she had sensed an impending breakthrough, yet it remained just out of reach.
No matter how relentlessly she trained, she was perpetually on the cusp—never crossing that final threshold.
She recalled her master’s teachings.
Breakthroughs required a catalyst.
Sometimes, observing a single flower or blade of grass could spark enlightenment.
But such serendipity was rare—where was she supposed to find it?
Li Moran sighed softly.
She sheathed her silver sword and retrieved a miniature illusionary tower from her storage pouch.
Lately, she had occasionally played [Plants vs. Zombies].
On one hand, it allowed her to keep her swordplay sharp even during moments of rest.
On the other, she genuinely found the game’s design intriguing.
In her opinion, it was far more engaging than [Demon Sect Escape].
Recently, after clearing a few rounds of endless mode, she found her subsequent sword training noticeably more effective.
Li Moran entered [Plants vs. Zombies] and, out of habit, glanced at the forum.
To her surprise, the entire front page was flooded with discussions about Lu Ze’s public demonstration of endless mode in the Lingxiao Plaza.
"Him? A public showcase?"
A thoughtful glimmer flashed in her eyes, and the faintest trace of a smile touched her lips.
A moment later, she exited the illusion.
Mounting her silver snow sword, she murmured under her breath.
"That person… it’s you again, isn’t it?"
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
