The Direction of the Next Game

[Mission Complete!]

[Host personally led the demonic faction to victory against the five major orthodox sects!]

[Reward obtained: Heaven’s Secret Vein Disk]

...

Lu Ze examined the treasure bestowed by the system.

It was a functional artifact.

Capable of encrypting formations and runic information, rendering them impossible to decipher.

"Fantastic!"

Lu Ze was delighted.

He immediately encrypted the core crystals of the four games he had already released.

The crystals in the players' hands would automatically update and encrypt during the next patch.

He had previously asked Nangong Yuan for some encryption techniques.

But no matter how advanced the techniques, they couldn’t escape the risk of being forcibly cracked by someone far stronger in cultivation.

The system’s rewards were truly different.

Now, he no longer had to worry about his games being cracked and pirated.

Money wasn’t the main concern.

If the secret realms weren’t officially released by him, he wouldn’t receive any demonic faction points—that would be a huge loss.

With this worry resolved, Lu Ze returned to his work.

The [Competitive Mode] update for Immortal Realm Domination had been released.

Inspired by the hero-based RTS mechanics of Warcraft III from his past life,

it differed from [War Mode] by emphasizing a stronger competitive aspect.

New mechanics like "Population" and "Immortals" were added, unit stats were adjusted, and resources on the map were drastically reduced.

Overall, it focused more on "competitive play."

Currently, [Competitive Mode] was well-received within the Lingxiao Sect.

"Immortals" were the equivalent of "Hero" units in Warcraft III.

Lu Ze designed them based on legendary figures from history.

Their skills were flashy, and their power was immense.

The disciples of the Lingxiao Sect were obsessed.

The only complaint was the high skill ceiling.

Especially when controlling two or three Immortals at once, many disciples admitted they couldn’t keep up.

This led to an enormous skill gap in [Competitive Mode].

Top players like Li Moran could effortlessly micro four Immortals while managing troops.

Then there were players like Zhong Yi.

He struggled even with a single hero.

Once, he played as the "Lingxiao Ancestor" and used [Thunderfinger]—a high-damage nuke—on a minion.

At the time, he was in a 2v2 with Zhao Wendao.

That misplay made Zhao Wendao burst into laughter, joking that the real Lingxiao Ancestor would descend from the heavens just to smite Zhong Yi with a bolt of lightning.

Their opponents happened to be forum users and uploaded the replay.

Trolls clipped Zhong Yi’s [Thunderfinger] fail and publicly shamed him on the forums, turning it into his eternal humiliation.

...

Another interesting trend emerged.

After Lu Ze’s crushing victory over the five orthodox sects in the tournament, more and more orthodox disciples began playing as demonic factions in-game.

The underhanded tactics Lu Ze used were now commonplace in both [War Mode] and [Competitive Mode].

Players had become ruthlessly efficient.

In [War Mode], some would abandon their troops and laborers but never leave home without their Spirit Cranes and Heavenhounds.

Rescuing villagers? They’d make the squad circle the area eight times to ensure no stragglers were left behind.

In [Competitive Mode], the plays were even wilder.

The Lingxiao Sect’s tower-rushing meta was infamous—more oppressive than in [War Mode].

Players loved rushing towers early to harass opponents, flooding the forums with complaints for days.

But counter-strategies soon emerged from other sects…

After all, [Competitive Mode] was fairly well-balanced.

...

After releasing [Competitive Mode],

Lu Ze drafted a six-month update plan before setting it aside to grow organically.

His next focus was the map editor.

The Immortal Realm Domination editor was slightly complex.

Beyond terrain design, players could customize Immortal skills and mechanics.

Most cultivators weren’t versed in illusion techniques, so Lu Ze had to make the interface as intuitive as possible.

It took time, but he believed it was worth it.

In his past life, Warcraft III’s potential skyrocketed because of its editor.

Genre-defining titles like League of Legends and the once-trending Teamfight Tactics

originated from player-made mods—DotA and Auto Chess.

Even battle royale mechanics like shrinking zones had early prototypes in custom maps.

Once players mastered the editor, they’d create endless new game modes.

This would ensure Immortal Realm Domination’s longevity.

And Lu Ze would keep earning demonic faction points.

Most importantly,

once players grew familiar with RTS-derived mechanics, the expanded audience would pave the way for MOBA games.

...

Lu Ze released the map editor in the new patch, then pondered a more pressing question—

What game should he make next?

After developing Immortal Realm Domination, he realized a major issue.

For large-scale games, the wealth he’d earned from writing novels wasn’t enough!

Game development required expensive spell talismans for skill effects.

The costs were astronomical!

If not for the sect covering expenses for the martial arts exchange, Immortal Realm Domination’s visuals would’ve been far less impressive.

Another concern weighed on him.

He was only 20,000 demonic faction points away from reaching the Golden Core stage.

Once there, he’d have more game genres to explore!

After some thought, Lu Ze made a decision.

First, a troll game to reach Golden Core.

Then, a gacha game to fund his future gaming empire!

"Perfect!"

Lu Ze nodded in satisfaction, then brainstormed ideas to "reward" his senior brothers.

Just then, his communication jade buzzed with a message from Nangong Yuan.

"Brat! Get to Thunderpeak Hall. Elder Zhao wants to see you."

"On my way~"

Lu Ze shelved his thoughts and hurried to Thunderpeak.

...

"Elder Zhao, what brings you to seek this junior?"

Lu Ze grinned at Zhao Wendao and Nangong Yuan.

These two were his golden geese.

Among the Lingxiao Sect elders, they were the most avid gamers.

"You! These [War Mode] and [Competitive Mode] updates of yours are ruining people’s temper!"

Zhao Wendao glared at Lu Ze, feigning sternness.

"Huh?"

Lu Ze froze, inwardly panicking.

If even Elder Zhao turned against his games, the rewards would plummet.

Frowning, he scrambled for a counterargument.

Zhao Wendao didn’t notice Lu Ze’s expression and sighed.

"Look at the mess you’ve made!"

"Since that tournament, how many disciples still behave properly?"

"In [War Mode], they scheme against each other—allies one second, backstabbing thieves the next!"

"Even saving a villager makes them suspicious!"

"And don’t even get me started on [Arena Mode]!"

"Nowadays, the mainstream is all about solo duels—everyone just wants to finish off their opponent as fast as possible!"

"We’re a righteous and prestigious sect! If this keeps up, everyone will only care about fighting alone. Is this the right ethos?"

After hearing Zhao Wendao’s explanation, Lu Ze finally let out a sigh of relief.

"So, Elder Zhao’s meaning is…?"

"Create a new illusionary realm to reform this trend! Make the disciples realize the importance of teamwork again!"