One and a half hours had passed.
Inside the Hall of Spirit Nurturing, the argument still raged on.
"Old Thief Yang, if you dare make trouble for my disciple again today, don’t blame me for not giving you face!"
Nangong Yuan’s face was flushed with anger as he pointed at Yang Zhengxin’s nose and roared.
He had always been fiercely protective of his own, especially since he had long-standing grudges against the likes of Yang Zhengxin and Ding Mingcang.
Hearing that Yang Zhengxin had forced Lu Ze to create a Grade-C or higher mechanism, Nangong Yuan had rushed over from the Artifact Refining Pavilion to demand justice.
"Hah! It was your disciple who provoked me repeatedly! Besides, making mechanisms was his own suggestion. He was the one who boasted that even a group of elders wouldn’t be able to pass his traps—how is that my fault?"
Knowing that Nangong Yuan was unreasonable, Yang Zhengxin matched his stubbornness with his own.
"Bullshit! My disciple is pure-hearted and simple-minded—he would never ask to create trap mechanisms on his own! You must have tricked him into saying it!"
Nangong Yuan immediately countered.
"I don’t care. Those words came from his own mouth… If you’re so capable, why don’t you design an immortal-grade mechanism for your disciple? I’ll pretend I didn’t see it!"
Yang Zhengxin sneered.
"You—!!"
Nangong Yuan was furious but helpless.
An immortal-grade mechanism?
If he had the ability to make something like that, would he still be the sixth elder of the Lingxiao Sect?
Even the sect master would have to step down for him!
"Today, forget immortal-grade… If even a scratch comes from his mechanism, I’ll admit defeat! Hahaha!"
Yang Zhengxin laughed again.
Just as Nangong Yuan was about to retort—
Lu Ze opened his eyes.
Exactly one and a half hours had passed.
"What? Giving up already?"
Yang Zhengxin taunted.
Lu Ze didn’t even spare him a glance, instead cupping his fists toward Nangong Yuan and Zhao Wendao. "Master, Grand Elder. This disciple’s illusionary realm is complete."
Zhao Wendao and Nangong Yuan exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They knew Lu Ze was capable of crafting illusions.
But this was far too fast!
For anyone else, one and a half hours would barely be enough to set up half the scene—how had Lu Ze already finished the traps as well?
"Disciple, if you’re unsure, I can assess it for you," Nangong Yuan quickly offered.
"Elder Zhao, you claimed this illusionary realm was the work of a sect disciple. Now Elder Nangong wants to take credit? Do you think the eyes of the other sects are blind?"
Yang Zhengxin naturally wouldn’t let them have their way and immediately challenged them.
The others present nodded in agreement.
Everyone understood the situation.
When Zhao Wendao suddenly announced that this year’s secret realm would be handled by a sect disciple, it was likely just to boost the reputation of some newly emerged genius.
If they had secretly prepared some things in advance and passed them off as the disciple’s work, that would be one thing—but to cheat so blatantly in front of everyone was too brazen.
"In my opinion, it’s better to let Elder Nangong handle the secret realm."
"Unacceptable. I’d like to see what kind of illusionary realm a junior could create."
"Hmph, this old man also wants to witness it… What kind of mechanism could possibly make even us hesitate?"
The elders from the other three sects chimed in one after another.
After all, Lu Ze’s earlier declaration had been far too arrogant, leaving them displeased.
Just as Zhao Wendao and Nangong Yuan were about to speak, Lu Ze stepped forward first.
"This disciple thanks Master for your kindness. However, designing trap mechanisms is a trivial matter—there’s no need for Master to intervene."
With that, he placed the illusionary crystal in his palm and presented it to the crowd.
"The illusionary realm is complete. Please examine it."
Hearing Lu Ze’s words, Nangong Yuan sighed softly.
He had always known Lu Ze was prideful, but never to this extent.
With just a little provocation, he had actually taken the bait?
With him and Zhao Wendao backing him, he could have easily avoided this.
But in the end, this was his disciple. He began calculating how to salvage the situation later.
If necessary, mutual destruction with Yang Zhengxin wasn’t off the table…
At this point, there was no turning back.
"Since that’s the case, let’s begin."
Nangong Yuan waved his hand, and a spatial spell instantly manifested.
The high-tier Illusion Tower from the Artifact Refining Pavilion was teleported to the center of the hall in an instant.
Lu Ze stepped forward, placed the illusionary crystal inside, and gestured for Yang Zhengxin to proceed.
For a brief moment, Yang Zhengxin hesitated.
There was something unsettling about the smile on Lu Ze’s face—
as if…
He was eagerly anticipating his entry.
"Hmph! Trying to intimidate me?"
Yang Zhengxin focused his spirit, and the strange feeling vanished from his mind.
He strode forward and stood before the Illusion Tower.
"Come! Let’s see how a mere Foundation Establishment disciple’s mechanism could possibly stop me from clearing it!"
As spiritual energy poured in—
Yang Zhengxin’s consciousness entered the illusionary realm designed by Lu Ze.
A line of text appeared in the space:
"A Cultivator’s Descent—100 Floors."
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.
y came from. The chests contained supplies, currency, class-change scrolls, skills, talents… and even godhood! The laws of the world were completely rewritten. This became a world where everyone gambled with their fate! Some people, despite having nothing, opened a divine artifact and rose to the top, eventually ruling the world. Others went bankrupt, opened nothing but worthless junk, and leaped from skyscrapers in despair. Lin Ye arrived in this world from another reality, utterly bewildered. “What is going on? Why is everyone a gambling addict?!” “Opening chests? No way. I refuse to gamble. I’ll start with myself!” Until— On his first chest, he obtained a Mythic Talent: Void Incarnation! He could become completely intangible, pass through all things, and reduce everything to nothingness! … On his fiftieth chest, he obtained a Mythic Weapon: Blade of Karma! With a single slash, karma shattered, twisting the universe and overturning the myriad phenomena of creation! … On his ninety-ninth chest, he obtained a Mythic Divine Treasure: Primordial Purple Energy! It could split open the heavens and earth, create all things, and evolve countless worlds with a single thought! Lin Ye: “Now that I think about it… shouldn’t someone have told me that every chest is guaranteed to contain something Mythic?!”
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
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."
