The Artifact Refining Pavilion, the central control platform for the illusion trial.
[Demonic Path Value +0.1]
[Demonic Path Value +0.1]
[Demonic Path Value +1]
...
Listening to the incessant system notifications ringing in his ears, Lu Ze was overjoyed.
After the outer sect disciples spread the news of "Escape from the Demon Sect," it quickly circulated among the inner sect disciples.
At first, the inner sect disciples didn’t believe it, dismissing it as mere fabrications by the outer sect disciples.
How could there be such an entertaining illusion trial in this world?
Outer sect disciples stronger than inner sect disciples?
Impossible!
It must be a lie!
But after visiting Lu Ze’s setup, without exception, every one of them became hooked.
Word of mouth spread, and more and more inner sect disciples came to experience "Escape from the Demon Sect."
"The amount of Demonic Path Value really does correlate with their cultivation level," Lu Ze nodded in satisfaction.
With the participation of inner sect disciples, Lu Ze’s Demonic Path Value skyrocketed.
In the morning, the inner sect disciples had contributed less than 5 points, but by the afternoon, the total had surged to 13.
"Time to level up!"
Delighted, Lu Ze summoned the system panel.
Behind his cultivation level, a small plus sign appeared.
[To advance from Qi Refining Layer 3 to Layer 4, 10 points of Demonic Path Value are required.]
[Proceed with the upgrade?]
"Yes!"
As the Demonic Path Value was deducted, Lu Ze immediately felt his body enveloped in a light, ethereal energy, his blood and qi swelling.
His cultivation, stagnant for three years, instantly broke through.
"As expected of a cheat—utterly overpowered."
Lu Ze briefly channeled his spiritual energy to confirm his new realm before withdrawing it.
Though he had a talisman to conceal his aura, caution was always wise.
His original body’s aptitude was poor, inherently unsuited for cultivation.
If not for his exceptional talent in artifact refining, he would have long been lost among the masses.
He had once resigned himself to a mediocre life—
A maintenance technician for cultivation equipment, neither outstanding nor lacking, idling away his days.
But now, with the system compensating for his innate shortcomings, the path of immortality no longer seemed out of reach.
What if he reached the pinnacle one day?
"Advancing to Qi Refining Layer 5 requires 20 Demonic Path Value… Hmm, that shouldn’t take too long."
Lu Ze glanced at the system, lost in thought.
The influx of inner sect disciples had multiplied his Demonic Path Value gains.
But the higher he climbed, the more points he needed.
At this rate, progress was still too slow.
Time to crank up the difficulty.
Fresh off his breakthrough and with Demonic Path Value flowing in faster, Lu Ze was in high spirits.
He stood up and walked into the training hall.
There, he spotted a dejected outer sect disciple slumped in a corner.
Lu Ze recognized him—
Wasn’t this Zhang Ming, the outer sect disciple who had gifted him the perfected "Shattered Cloud Art"?
"Junior Brother Zhang, what’s troubling you?"
In good humor, Lu Ze approached and inquired.
"High-grade…"
Zhang Ming’s lips twitched, his chest heaving violently.
"The Divine Transformation-stage spirit beasts in the shop cost high-grade spirit stones, but the ones earned in 'Escape from the Demon Sect' are low-grade!!!"
"That’s a hundredfold difference… A HUNDREDFOLD!!!"
"Which bastard set these values?! They clearly don’t want us to buy anything!!!"
His anguished cries drew sidelong glances from those nearby.
Lu Ze’s smile froze.
Because he was the very bastard Zhang Ming was cursing.
"Junior Brother Zhang, ‘Heaven bestows great responsibilities only after testing one’s resolve and tempering their will.’ Since it’s a treasure, how could it be obtained so easily?"
Lu Ze offered words of comfort.
This kid had a knack for gaming. Many inner sect disciples, frustrated that their scores couldn’t match his, kept replaying "Escape from the Demon Sect" out of sheer competitiveness.
As long as Zhang Ming kept improving, those inner sect disciples would surely contribute even more Demonic Path Value.
Such a golden goose couldn’t be allowed to flee.
"Senior Brother Lu speaks wisely. This junior has acted improperly."
Zhang Ming’s eyes cleared as he hastily rose and clasped his hands in respect.
"Trials are like cultivation… With such insight, Senior Brother Lu truly lives up to being an inner sect disciple. This junior is enlightened!"
"If Divine Transformation-stage beasts are out of reach, why not aim for Core Formation-stage ones? Those only require mid-grade spirit stones."
Lu Ze continued guiding him.
"The Core Formation-level 'Sweat-Blood Spirit Horse' may not offer much stat boost, but it increases spirit stone earnings, helping you save up faster."
"With enough effort, a Divine Transformation mount will eventually be yours!"
He patted Zhang Ming’s shoulder encouragingly.
"Senior Brother Lu is absolutely right!"
"Then why not go back and earn some spirit stones?"
"Understood!"
After seeing Zhang Ming off, Lu Ze continued wandering the training hall.
Outer and inner sect disciples who had just finished a round of "Escape from the Demon Sect" were exchanging tips, filling the hall with lively chatter.
"Strange, truly strange. How is my Core Formation-stage score barely any better than a Qi Refining junior’s?"
"What’s so strange about it? What use is high cultivation if you can’t bring it into the trial or utilize it properly?"
"Fair enough… If it purely relied on cultivation, how would this differ from other illusion trials?"
"But the spirit stones here are ridiculously hard to earn. I’d even trade real ones for in-game currency."
"Absolutely brutal. Without a week of grinding, forget buying a Core Formation spirit beast."
"The techniques in the shop are intriguing. I wonder if they actually exist."
"They must! An illusion trial of this caliber is surely the work of a supreme expert. The techniques are probably collected during his travels."
"Ah, this trial is so fun. If only I could take it back to my quarters."
"Such a precious illusion trial likely has no copies. We can only experience it here."
...
Hearing the inner sect disciples lament their inability to take "Escape from the Demon Sect" home, Lu Ze felt immensely gratified.
"If any of you seniors wish to do so, I happen to have some copies—10 spirit stones each."
Lu Ze pulled out the pre-prepared crystal copies.
For outer sect disciples, he had prepared temporary tokens. For inner sect disciples, these crystal copies.
Neither item was complicated to produce.
With the main program of "Escape from the Demon Sect" in hand, replication was mere busywork.
As for pricing, Lu Ze kept it modest.
Setting it too high would deter many cultivators, hindering his mission.
Besides,
Earning a few extra spirit stones paled in comparison to the thrill of amassing Demonic Path Value.
Of course, Lu Ze wasn’t some altruist who’d turn down easy money.
Spirit stones were, after all, hard currency.
But he wasn’t in a hurry.
Once his gaming empire took off,
A few cosmetic items or skins would have these wealthy, gullible cultivators emptying their pockets in no time.
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
+【Epic Battles!】 "Your Highness, they say Linxi Temple is miraculous. Won’t you make a wish?" "A wish? It should be making wishes to me." "That may be so, but since you’re already here..." "..." "Fine. Then grant this princess a consort to play with." "He must be obedient, devoted, and utterly infatuated with my body—so much so that he’d kneel and kiss my feet." "Your Highness, that’s not a consort. That’s a dog." "Then add clever, witty, heroic, ambitious yet pragmatic..." "Hmm, that’s enough for now. I’ll add more later." After tossing out these words half in jest, Princess Anle departed the temple—only to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Bodhisattva statue smiling at her. Meanwhile, Yang An, fresh out of university, was having a very bad day. Good news: He’d transmigrated into another world with a cheat granting tenfold combat power. Bad news: He’d immediately fallen into the clutches of a certain villainess. Good news: Said villainess possessed peerless beauty and royal status. Bad news: She was absolutely monstrous!!! In the frozen wilderness, Yang An knelt beneath Qin Guo’er’s feet, drenched in sweat despite the cold. Desperately clutching her porcelain-perfect foot—the very one poised to crush his throat—he could only think: How do I survive this?! Need answers NOW!
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
