The Disguise Is Seen Through

Over the past few days,

Lu Ze had been accompanying Zhong Yi as representatives of their sect in battles against disciples from other sects, engaging in back-and-forth skirmishes.

Of course, he held back.

If he crushed them too brutally, he might discourage his future sources of demonic cultivation points, which would be counterproductive.

Since he wouldn’t earn extra rewards unless challenged directly, Lu Ze fought casually, quietly playing a supporting role to let Zhong Yi experience the thrill of carrying battles in the war mode.

Each match was a hard-fought struggle, ending with a narrow victory at the last moment.

After all, war mode wasn’t as mechanically demanding.

Once competitive modes like StarCraft or Warcraft were introduced, his senior brother Zhong Yi would likely become the scapegoat again.

The other major sects all regarded Zhong Yi as formidable, refining their tactics with the sole aim of defeating him.

But Lu Ze was bored!

So after returning to the Spirit Jade Pavilion, he secretly logged into an alternate account to crush inexperienced players.

Before long, the battle lobby was filled with lamentations.

[Looking for newbies! REAL newbies!! That guy named "Nameless" stay away!]

[Elder Nameless, which peak do you belong to? I’ll send you some treasures tomorrow—no hard feelings, definitely not because you broke my defenses with your sneak attacks.]

[Is Nameless some super-insane enemy player who changed their name?? Why so ruthless??]

[Nameless, you’re done for!! You’ve angered our sect’s elder!!]

……

Lu Ze chuckled while browsing the room names, thinking this alias had outlived its usefulness—time for a new disguise.

Just as he was about to log off, a message suddenly popped up.

[Player "Li Moran" invites you to a room. Accept?]

Lu Ze’s eyes lit up.

Rewards incoming!

……

……

Half an hour later.

Watching Li Moran’s base reduced to ruins, Lu Ze exited the match with satisfaction.

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve defeated a righteous cultivator far stronger than you!]

[Reward obtained: Minor Mastery of Frostblade Intent.]

Facing a gaming prodigy like Li Moran, Lu Ze didn’t dare hold back too much.

Who knew how far this genius had progressed?

Returning to the room, he noticed Li Moran hadn’t left yet. He lingered, waiting to see if there’d be a second match for more rewards.

Extra rewards only triggered if the opponent initiated the challenge, so he had to wait for her to speak first.

Besides, staying silent maintained his air of mastery.

Unexpectedly, a line of text appeared:

"You’re Lu Ze, aren’t you?"

"???"

Lu Ze was startled, scrambling for a response.

She continued:

"That day during the Demon Sect Escape duel, I scanned the entire Artifact Pavilion with my divine sense and found no presence beyond the Nascent Soul stage."

"I initially thought it was someone beyond my level."

"But if the illusion was your doing, it makes sense."

Reading this, Lu Ze suddenly understood.

No wonder Li Moran had spoken up for him at the Enforcement Hall—she’d already confirmed his identity.

Given her personality, she must be itching for a rematch.

Lu Ze figured there was no point hiding now. "Many thanks for your help that day, Senior Sister Li!"

……

At the Sword Inquiry Peak,

Jade Sky Pavilion.

The ice-sculpture-like maiden opened her eyes.

Tendrils of moonlight swirled gently in her silver irises before being devoured by their glacial depths.

Li Moran had entered Immortal Realm Domination under orders from her master, Liu Qingmei, to find a way to conquer the campaign mode.

Lu Ze’s campaign was so difficult that even her genius couldn’t crack it.

Hearing about "Nameless" in the battle lobby reignited her competitive spirit.

On one hand, she wanted to defeat Lu Ze.

On the other, she believed battling him might reveal the campaign’s weaknesses.

This match had been filled with Lu Ze’s signature "horrifying" tactics—sneak attacks, resource theft, tech sabotage…

A relentless barrage of underhanded tricks, impossible to fully counter.

At this thought, the corners of her lips curled faintly.

In just fifteen minutes, she’d gleaned crucial insights.

Li Moran typed slowly: "We’ll fight again another day."

……

An hour later,

Immortal Realm Domination posted an announcement:

[Congratulations to Lingxiao Sect’s "Li Moran" for being the first to lead her sect to victory against the demonic path!]

[Defending righteousness is everyone’s duty!]

……

……

The next day,

Lu Ze was summoned to the Spirit Nurturing Hall by elders still recovering from their injuries.

"Kid, did you secretly give your senior sister special treatment?" Li Jiujian glared accusingly.

"Not at all! Senior Sister Li is a natural genius—there was nothing I could do," Lu Ze waved his hands dismissively. This was Li Moran’s own breakthrough; he refused to take blame.

"Old Zhao, warn your disciples not to clear our Tianxuan Sect’s campaign! Otherwise, this old man will lose his temper!"

"Understood, understood… Ah, right. Lu Ze, the official martial assembly is in three days. Do you have a plan for the format?"

Facing Zhao Wendao’s question, Lu Ze nodded calmly.

"This disciple has prepared.

"First, sect-based team battles to determine initial rankings via win-loss records.

"Then, each sect sends one representative for a joint defense against the demonic onslaught in the finals, scored individually for a second round of points.

"Final rankings will combine both rounds."

After hearing the proposal, the elders conferred and unanimously approved.

The first round tested inter-sect rivalry; the second emphasized unity against evil.

"Then it’s settled!" Zhao Wendao nodded.

"Oh, and youngster—don’t make the demonic foes in Round Two too weak! Regular ‘insane’ difficulty won’t challenge our Tianxuan Sect!" Lin Anzai boasted.

Tianxuan disciples excelled at strategy, routinely defeating even "insane" and "more insane" enemies with just three to five coordinated players.

"Hmph! Our Infinite Sword Sect isn’t afraid either! Bring on ‘super insane’—we’ll take them head-on!" Li Jiujian declared with equal confidence.

"Ha! Don’t stop at ‘super insane’—serve us something even crazier! Just don’t drag us down, Infinite Sword Sect!" Lin Anzai shot back, determined to out-brag his rival.

Lu Ze watched their bickering with amusement.

He’d already decided: the final boss would be a [Super Ultra Mega Insane Enemy].

Win or lose, it didn’t matter to him.

His system tasks were complete; he didn’t need those few extra demonic points.

No reason to personally stomp the competition, right?

Just then, a system notification chimed:

[The final battle between righteousness and demonry approaches! Facing the united assault of the five great sects, Host must lead the demonic path to bloody triumph!]

[Task: Represent the demonic path and crush the five sects with overwhelming dominance!]

[Reward: Random treasure artifact.]