I Had No Intention to Bully the Righteous Path

Lu Ze looked at the mission prompt and took a deep breath.

"Master."

Lu Ze stealthily patted Nangong Yuan's back and whispered,

"Do you think... there's any chance the elders here might just casually gift me a magic treasure or something?"

Nangong Yuan smirked without warmth. "How about I gift you a century's worth of cultivation instead?"

Lu Ze nodded. "That works too."

"Then take this palm strike infused with a hundred years of my cultivation first—"

Nangong Yuan glared, white spiritual energy gathering in his palm.

Lu Ze immediately bolted.

"See, I gave you all an opportunity, but no one wanted it..."

He muttered under his breath.

In an unnoticed corner, Lin Anzai and Li Jiujian were still arguing over whose disciples were stronger.

"No way! My Tianxuan Sect disciples must challenge the most insane difficulty! Lu Ze, when the finals come, throw them against those so-called 'super invincible crazy-hard enemies'!"

Lin Anzai grabbed Lu Ze and declared loudly for emphasis.

"Ha! As if we're scared? Without my Wuji Sword Sect's Sword Immortals, how will you even counter the demonic faction's aerial forces? Lu Ze, I agree with Old Lin—go for the hardest challenge!"

Li Jiujian refused to back down, chiming in.

"Just you wait! Tomorrow, I’ll have my Tianxuan Sect disciples tear down your Wuji Sword Sect's training hall first!"

"If you dare cross the line, don’t blame the Wuji Sword Sect for retaliating!"

...

Watching the two elders bicker, Lu Ze couldn’t help but grin.

"Ahem, Elders, are you truly insisting that I prepare the most difficult tier of enemies to act as the demonic faction?"

"Of course! Any demonic forces they can’t handle, my Wuji Sword Sect will eradicate!"

"Ridiculous! My Tianxuan Sect disciples will carry the banner!"

...

"Since both Elders insist, I’ll do my best to fulfill your request!"

Lu Ze struggled to suppress his laughter, forcing a solemn expression.

Well then.

He never intended to bully the righteous factions, but the whole world seemed determined to push him into it.

...

...

Over the next few days,

Tianxuan Sect and Wuji Sword Sect disciples trained day and night,

battling against those so-called "super invincible crazy-hard enemies."

The AI opponents came in three difficulty tiers, primarily differing in resource acquisition speed and aggression.

At fixed intervals, they’d gain fixed resources and launch fixed attacks.

Survive the initial onslaught, and victory was assured.

The cultivators had moved past their novice phase. Even against the highest-difficulty AI, teams of three to five could secure a win nine times out of ten.

Sacrificing one or two cultivators to weather the AI’s early-game aggression turned the rest into a steamroll.

No matter how skilled the AI’s micro was, it couldn’t overcome sheer numerical disadvantage.

Soon,

disciples from both sects began ramping up their training—

fighting two AIs, then three...

...

Before long, three days passed.

The first round of competition was an inter-sect tournament among the disciples.

This annual sparring event for new disciples had been held for years,

but this was the first time nearly the entire sect turned up to watch.

"Immortal Realm Domination" had spread to other sects, sparking widespread fascination.

Not just the Lingxiao Sect—

even disciples from other sects came to spectate.

Lu Ze had specially designed a spectator mode for the event, projecting the matches in a way that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

At his enthusiastic recommendation, the chatterbox senior brother Zhong Yi landed a new role as commentator.

And surprisingly, he nailed it.

His passionate play-by-play, paired with the clumsy yet intense matches, offered cultivators a fresh and thrilling experience.

That night, the "Immortal Realm Domination" forum’s activity skyrocketed.

[The Tianxuan Sect vs. Wuji Sword Sect match was epic!]

[Hah! Tianxuan’s formation masters almost had the Wuji Sword Immortals dead to rights, but who’d have thought their sword array would pull off a comeback?]

[The Wuji Sword Sect’s ultimate was held back so long—no one saw it coming!]

[Yunxian Palace’s mobility was impressive too. Speed is king in war!]

[Lingxiao Sect underperformed today... Got wiped before their late-game power spike.]

[Qingshan Sect had it worst, lol. Bonus damage against demons? Useless in sect battles.]

[You think Lu Ze held a grudge against Elder Yang and rigged it?]

[Nonsense! Lingxiao Sect’s design wasn’t OP either. That logic doesn’t hold.]

[Exactly. The demonic faction’s the strongest among the six factions—does that make Lu Ze a demonic spy?]

[That commentary today was fire! Senior Brother Zhong made it ten times more entertaining!]

[Entertaining, yeah, but weirdly... it made me hungry?]

[Fellow Daoist, same! I’ve gone through multiple fasting pills today.]

...

Lu Ze scrolled through the forum, amused.

Looks like livestreaming was about to become the next big thing in the cultivation world—perfect for binge-watching.

After reaching the Golden Core stage, cultivators barely needed food.

Fasting pills were the norm.

However, filling one's stomach and enjoying fine cuisine are two entirely different matters—even in the cultivation world, professions like spirit chefs exist.

Spotting a business opportunity, Lu Ze quickly reached out to the kitchen staff of the Lihuo Peak cafeteria.

While replicating illusion crystals was relatively low-cost, developing games was anything but.

When creating Demon Sect Escape and Spirit Plants vs. Zombies, the expenses hadn’t felt too burdensome.

But for Immortal Realm Domination, the intricate skill effects of grand formations required multiple talismans to portray, sending costs skyrocketing!

If not for the sect covering the expenses this time, Lu Ze’s savings from years of writing novels wouldn’t have been nearly enough.

With such an opportunity staring him in the face, Lu Ze wasn’t about to let it slip.

"Speaking of which… maybe it’s time to prepare a pay-to-win game…"

Lu Ze muttered to himself.

...

...

The next day.

The second round of matches began.

The Lingxiao Sect and the Qingshan Sect, both underperforming on the first day, were now locked in a heated battle.

"Master, care for a bite?"

Lu Ze cheerfully approached Nangong Yuan’s private seating area, carrying a steaming plate of Emerald-Shadow Braised Tendon.

Nangong Yuan, engrossed in the spectacle, caught a whiff of the Ironback Flame Boar’s fragrant aroma and involuntarily sniffed the air.

He picked up a piece of tendon and chewed slowly.

The refreshing crispness of spirit grass melded with the rich umami of the tendon, bursting across his palate.

Paired with the grand battle unfolding in the skies above, it was an experience unlike any other.

"Not bad, not bad! You’ve learned well!"

Nangong Yuan stroked his beard with a satisfied smile.

"Right? The other elders praised me too—said I had a great master."

Lu Ze grinned and nodded.

"You sent some to the other elders as well? Hahaha!"

Nangong Yuan chuckled and shook his head, though for some reason, his heart ached a little.

Everyone claimed this kid was clueless and ungrateful.

Yet here he was, spending his hard-earned stipend to treat the elders.

He’d had this dish at the cafeteria before—it cost 100 spirit stones per serving!

"Even with your true disciple stipend, you shouldn’t squander it like this! Next time, just buy something cheaper."

"Who’s squandering? It’s 300 spirit stones per serving, Master. You’re not thinking of skipping the bill, are you?"

Lu Ze held out his hand without a hint of shame.

"???"

Nangong Yuan gritted his teeth in frustration.

This little—!

Even with his elder discount, the cafeteria charged less than this!!

"Wait… what did you say the other elders told you?"

"That I had a great master."

"And who exactly is your master?"

"???"