“Tower climbing?”
“Just that ordinary??”
“Returning to the basics – that’s a good theme!”
“Tower climbing… isn’t that just combat? I can do that!”
“What good would it do if you could? Can the old demon Lu do it? Or do you think you can do it better than he can?”
“Sigh, as long as old demon Lu’s around, we’ll never have our moment in the sun…”
...
Once the theme was announced, the cultivators buzzed with discussion, mostly tinged with pessimism.
Standing by the center of the lakeside, Sikong Che listened, then glanced subtly at the figure beside him—【Rakshasa】.
The latter gave him an imperceptible nod. Sikong Che returned a silent nod of his own.
“Though the theme is simple, I have additional requirements…”
Sikong Che cleared his throat and raised a finger, releasing a faint pressure that instantly silenced the murmurs in the crowd.
“Our Ten Thousand Dao Sect celebrates all paths leading to immortality… We dislike being constrained to a single solution.”
“Thus, for this theme, no single type of illusion realm may exceed one hundred in number.”
“Furthermore…”
“Those who insist on the same type as others will have their scores reduced on a sliding scale.”
As soon as Sikong Che finished speaking, he raised a second finger.
“Next requirement.”
“Our Ten Thousand Dao Sect believes in simplicity in all great paths… So please make these illusion realms as compact as possible.”
With that, Sikong Che stepped back behind 【Rakshasa】.
“Good heavens! Elder Sikong’s theme returns to the roots! Truly fitting for the first presenter at this exchange meet!”
【Rakshasa】 took over the conversation, feigning an expression of amazement. Then he grinned smugly toward Lu Ze’s direction, a hint of slyness curling at his lips.
“Everyone, Elder Sikong’s requirements have been stated. Now allow me to present the details…”
With that, he clapped his hands.
Azure spiritual energy transformed into a series of large characters, suspended directly above the Cloud Leisure Lakeside:
【Theme of this Illusion Realm: Tower Climbing】
【Condition 1: Each type of illusion realm can be chosen by up to 100 cultivators.】
【Condition 2: For those choosing the same type as others, the later your position in the selection order, the lower your scoring weight (First to tenth choosers: no weight reduction; Eleventh to twentieth: 10% reduction; Twenty-first to thirtieth: 20% reduction… and so forth).】
【Condition 3: The illusion realm must not exceed a radius of one hundred meters (if scores are tied, the smaller realm wins).】
【Deadline: One month】
【Scoring Method: Based on visitor count and playtime within the realm (determined by publicly available Heavenly Dao simulation data).】
...
The moment the three conditions were announced, the cultivators gathered by the lakeside surged forward in a frenzy.
“I want to choose! I know what I’m picking!”
“I was here first!”
“I go first!!”
...
Watching the crowd jostle, 【Rakshasa】 cast a mocking glance toward Lu Ze’s direction before clapping his hands again.
“Everyone, settle down!”
“Elder Sikong has already decided the order for selecting illusion realms.”
“According to the sequence numbers on your registration talismans, come up to the stage in order to choose your themes!”
At these words, Zhong Yi’s face fell. He stamped his foot in frustration.
“Damn! I knew these old foxes were up to no good… Their hearts are full of schemes!”
There were over seven hundred cultivators present.
Zhong Yi’s number was 369—right in the middle.
But Lu Ze had registered at the very last moment…
Ever since everyone learned that Lu Ze was participating, they’d abandoned all hope of winning. So no one else bothered to sign up.
Thus, Lu Ze’s number was the last one.
“I can’t accept this! I’m going to argue with him—Why decide priority by sequence number?”
Zhong Yi, fuming with indignation, saw golden talisman seals glow faintly around him. He was about to go confront 【Rakshasa】 when Lu Ze reached out and stopped him.
“It’s fine, Senior Brother Zhong.”
Lu Ze smiled faintly and raised one curved finger.
“This problem… I have nine solutions.”
“Nine of them.”
...
...
Deep within the Cloud Leisure Manor, a pavilion floated in the air.
“Brilliant! That’s how it’s done!!”
Watching 【Rakshasa】 announce the rules, 【White Crane】 clapped his hands excitedly.
He had been worried that Lu Ze, given his position as a true disciple of the Spirit Firmament Sect, might cause a scene or simply withdraw from the competition…
But seeing everything go smoothly, he felt a surge of triumphant joy.
“Mastermind, your strategy was brilliant!”
【Cloud Sky】 cupped his hands toward 【Heart Demon】, full of admiration.
Just as 【Heart Demon】 had said—though Lu Ze’s mastery of illusion realms was unmatched, if you bound him with restrictions, what could he do?
On the Heavenly Dao’s arena, they couldn’t influence the board.
But here, this was their own turf!
For a “tower climbing” illusion realm, the obvious choice in anyone’s mind was combat-based challenge levels.
If they filled all those slots first, even Lu Ze—no matter how supreme his skills—would be helpless if his chosen direction was blocked!
They also made sure to occupy slots for anything Lu Ze had created before that could relate to “tower climbing”—like tower defense, movement techniques, and so on.
And if Lu Ze tried developing a brand new type?
Add the size restriction—he couldn’t win through epic-scale production either!
Thus, even someone as powerful as Lu Ze couldn’t claim a single point in this round.
【Heart Demon】, seated at the center, had remained silent this whole time, his eyes fixed on Lu Ze’s movements.
Deep down, a faint unease gnawed at him.
He wouldn’t feel safe until Lu Ze had confirmed his chosen illusion type.
...
...
Meanwhile.
Cloud Leisure Lakeside—mixed emotions among the cultivators.
Those with earlier sequence numbers wore brighter smiles.
Everyone knew that for a “tower climbing” theme, combat was the best solution!
The old classic, though simple, was reliable!
Just combine it with recent advances in illusion crafting—toss in levels, equipment, skills—and even a pig could whip up a passable illusion realm!
Under these conditions, everyone clearly understood two things.
First—if you couldn’t snag a combat illusion realm, you were doomed to lose!
Second—the earlier you selected combat, the greater your advantage!
Thus, the first hundred participants all chose combat-type illusion realms.
Even contestant number 100, knowing his score weight was barely a tenth of the original, still gritted his teeth and picked combat…
Getting ten points was better than one, right?
Who knew if the Illusion Alliance would later require a certain score for membership?
The line grew shorter, and the gloom on the remaining cultivators’ faces deepened.
“Sigh… if only I’d registered earlier…”
“I signed up as soon as that post went live, and I’m only number one hundred forty… How ridiculous were those ahead of me?”
“Is there anything besides combat that can salvage this mess…”
“Fellow Daoists, I’ve tested it for you—writing terms like ‘spell techniques’ or ‘cultivation’ won’t work. You just can’t deviate from combat!”
“That’s too ruthless, isn’t it?”
“Look on the bright side—old demon Lu is worse off than us! He’s last!”
“Haha! Just thinking that the world’s number one realm master will come back empty-handed like us—that makes this trip worth it!”
“Indeed! This wasn’t a wasted journey!”
“I’m really curious what old demon Lu will choose…”
...
Those who had chosen their illusion types and stood by the lakeside all turned their eyes to Lu Ze, the final person in line.
Some gazes held pity, some awaited a joke, others were mocking, and some were full of hostility.
"Next, contestant 749... Lu Ze!"
[RAKSHASA] raised his voice, looking at Lu Ze with malicious glee.
"Long time no see, Elder Rakshasa. Where are you making your fortune these days?"
Lu Ze took his time, grinning and casually greeting [RAKSHASA].
"You—!!"
[RAKSHASA]'s blood instantly surged. If it weren't for the presence of Zhaowendao and Nangong Yuan watching from the lakeside, he might not have held back and would have lashed out.
"Take care of yourself, don't overdo it. Losing to Elder [Blood Crow] is totally normal, hehe~~"
Lu Ze was almost smiling as he twisted the knife into [RAKSHASA]'s wound. Then he picked up the brush.
An unruly script, carrying a hint of Lu Ze's spiritual energy, was clearly imprinted on the white paper:
"【Illusion Type: Board Game】"
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.
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
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."
