Rebellious Disciple! Was It You?

The Adventure Mode of "Plants vs. Zombies" was not particularly long.

For players from Lu Ze's previous life, even on a first playthrough, it would probably have taken only seven or eight hours to clear.

But the cultivators of this world had played far too few games.

They had little instinct for using the various items.

A full day had passed since Lu Ze released "Plants vs. Zombies," and by evening, no one had cleared it.

Most disciples were stuck on Level 4.

The combination of night, fog, and a pool had given them no end of trouble.

Far from getting discouraged, the disciples only grew more addicted the longer they played.

Win or lose, that was beside the point.

Watching the sunflowers across the Spirit Field gush Spiritual Energy while the counter in the upper left kept climbing;

Watching peas, needles, and bubbles fill the screen as they pelted the invading zombies...

The satisfaction of building up their forces was almost too easy to get hooked on.

Late that night.

Thunder Peak, Azure Cloud Pavilion.

"One more hit, one more hit... Just one more!! It's down!!!"

"I cleared it!!!"

The entire pavilion shook.

His roar burst from within with astonishing force, making the Barrier around the pavilion tremble.

"Ahem. I lost my composure."

Zhong Yi emerged from the Illusion Realm with a delighted grin and used a Spell to tidy the wreckage of his room.

He had just cleared the final stage of Adventure Mode. In his excitement, his unrestrained shout had carried a trace of overflowing Spiritual Energy.

Fortunately, True Disciples lived alone and had Barriers around their residences. Otherwise, it would have caused a bit of trouble.

"This Illusion Realm is so much fun... Incredible!"

Zhong Yi savored every moment of his victory, still wanting more.

The final battle had been against a Demon God Zombie controlled by the Demon Cult. Every moment had felt perilous, and it had killed him in an instant more times than he could count.

"Oh, right! 'Plants vs. Zombies' has a Forum too, doesn't it? I should take a look!"

Remembering the Forum, Zhong Yi hurried back into the Illusion Realm.

Ever since Lu Ze had introduced the Forum in "Demonic Path Escape," it had been hugely popular with the disciples.

It was an excellent place to exchange insights and share experience.

After Nameless reached the top of the rankings, the disciples realized they did not have to use their real names in the Illusion Realm. Choosing a nickname became all the rage.

They began calling themselves this or that Daoist, indulging in the thrill of posing as lofty masters.

This time, Lu Ze had put even more effort into the Forum. Its features and user experience were better than before.

At that moment, the "Plants vs. Zombies" Forum was bustling.

Most disciples were stuck on Level 3 or Level 4 and had come to ask for help.

Fellow disciples, how do you deal with General Zombies after nightfall?

I never have enough Spiritual Energy. How do the rest of you keep filling your Spirit Fields with plants?

Help: should I choose Puff-shroom or Scaredy-shroom?

How do you handle that zombie carrying a ladder? One touch and my Tall-Nut is useless!! (Sobbing)

Level 4 is too hard. Junior Brother Lu didn't design it very well.

How are you supposed to deal with the fog? If I bring a Fog-Clearing Card, I don't have enough firepower; if I don't, I keep getting ambushed...

Zhong Yi chuckled as he read.

After scrolling through post after post, he saw that his fellow disciples had made it no further than Level 4.

And he had already cleared Adventure Mode!

A sense of superiority welled up in him.

Back when he had been hanging around the "Demonic Path Escape" Forum, his poor record had meant that whenever he brought up battle strategies or solo routes, the crowd ridiculed him.

"What's your record?"

"Come back and talk when you've made it three thousand steps solo, fellow Daoist."

"You're a True Disciple? If you are, then I'm an Elder!"

"Enough talk. If you disagree, come fight me."

Perhaps it was the nicknames, but some disciples' conversations had taken on a rare edge of hostility.

Sometimes they made Zhong Yi so furious he wanted a Real-life Fight.

In Lu Ze's previous life, that would have been called wanting to climb through the internet and hack someone down.

Unfortunately, he really was hopeless at "Demonic Path Escape." Unable to argue back, he had suffered the insults in silence.

But this time was different!

In "Plants vs. Zombies," he was miles ahead!

At last, it was his turn to show off...

Zhong Yi began replying to the posts one by one.

"Take it from someone who's cleared the game: don't listen to the person above. Cherry Bomb costs too much. Spiritual Energy is scarce at night, so Hypno-shroom is the best way to handle General Zombies."

"Here's a strategy that carried me all the way to the end: fill two columns with sunflowers or Sun Mushrooms first. If it fails, you can come hit me."

"This is easy for someone who's cleared the game: both are strong, but I prefer Puff-shroom. Always bring it!"

"Take it from a player who's cleared the game: one Magnet-shroom melts a thousand worries away. During the day, just add an Awakening Bean."

"As someone who's beaten Level 5, I disagree. Junior Brother Lu designed the levels well. There's nothing wrong with them!"

"I've cleared the game, so let me answer: going into a fog stage without Lampweed makes no sense."

Every time Zhong Yi spoke, he made sure to announce that he had cleared the game, as though afraid anyone might miss it.

Answering the posts one by one let him savor the thrill of acting like an expert online.

It felt far better than instructing his junior disciples in cultivation!

At first, quite a few disciples thought he was bluffing.

Some even recognized his name: he was the "Keyboard Warrior" who had argued with others for hundreds of replies on the "Demonic Path Escape" Forum despite his dismal record.

But as more and more disciples tried his advice and found it remarkably sound, they began speaking up for Zhong Yi.

They grew curious about what Level 5 was like, and what happened after clearing the game.

Seeing this, Zhong Yi opened a separate guide thread to share everything he had learned.

"If you want to clear the game, build up your Spiritual Energy first. The key is to plant two columns of sunflowers or Qi Mushrooms before anything else! That's the most important part!"

"The Wall-nut Brothers are especially useful. If you see pole-vaulting or Pogo Zombies, you must bring Tall-Nut."

"Ice Peashooter is my favorite plant. Always bring it."

"In night stages, put Puff-shrooms up front. Just treat them like expendable pawns of the Demon Path."

"Remember the special zombies' weaknesses, and make sure you bring plants that counter them!"

"Cherry Bomb? I never bring a plant you can only use once. Shooters and throwers have more than enough firepower."

From the perspective of Lu Ze's previous life, Zhong Yi's advice had its flaws.

But at this stage, it was invaluable experience for players tackling Adventure Mode.

Everyone eagerly took his advice, then asked him what Level 5 was like.

"It's actually simple. I found it easier than Level 4."

"Level 5 has you fighting zombies on a roof. Peashooters are almost useless..."

"The new throwing plants are strong, no weaker than shooters!"

"There's one called Watermelon Thrower. The watermelons it lobs are like cannonballs—they can smash a whole group of zombies at once! It's incredibly powerful!"

"But the zombie side is strong too. Near the end, one Barbarian Zombie almost tore through an entire lane by himself. It was absurd."

"In the final stage, you fight a Demon God Zombie the size of a small mountain."

"The Demon God Zombie is terrifying! It lifts a huge boulder and slams it down, crushing a whole cluster of plants in an instant! The battle is incredibly dangerous!"

"It looks something like this..."

Zhong Yi vividly recounted his experiences in Level 5.

He had restarted it more times than he could count, but he described it all with breezy nonchalance.

Many disciples said they wanted to see what the Demon God Zombie looked like.

Because of technical limitations, Lu Ze could not yet add screenshot or recording functions.

The Forum did, however, allow users to draw by hand.

Zhong Yi happened to be skilled at painting and calligraphy, so he immediately picked up a brush and sketched the Demon God Zombie for his fellow disciples.

They marveled at the drawing and declared that they, too, would work hard to see how formidable the Demon God Zombie was for themselves.

Thoroughly satisfied, Zhong Yi left the Forum.

"Ah, what a shame this Illusion Realm only has five levels... If only it had endless challenges!"

Zhong Yi spoke to himself.

Just then, he noticed something astonishing—

The third option beneath Adventure Mode had suddenly become selectable.

The words on it read: Survival Mode.

"!!!"

Delighted, Zhong Yi opened it at once.

It really was a new set of stages!

Just as he was about to dive in—

A voice of overwhelming authority rang in his ear: "Rebellious disciple!!!"

The roar jolted Zhong Yi. He hurried out of the Illusion Realm.

Sure enough, his master, Chao Wendao, was glaring at him in a fury.

"M-Master..."

Guilty, Zhong Yi quickly tried to hide the Mini Illusion Tower in his sleeve.

But how could that little move escape Chao Wendao's notice?

Chao Wendao seized his wrist and said sternly, "So you really were playing 'Plants vs. Zombies'!"

"I..."

Zhong Yi had no way to defend himself. With utter sincerity, he said:

"This disciple admits his fault for neglecting his cultivation! I only thought Junior Brother Lu had been wronged. I wanted to support him so he might receive a lighter punishment..."

"You're the Genius Cultivator on the Forum, aren't you?!"

Zhong Yi had originally called himself Genius Cultivator Bad at Escape. But after his fellow disciples' praise went to his head, he had changed it to Genius Cultivator.

Chao Wendao's question left Zhong Yi bewildered. "Yes... That's me."

"Quick, help your master figure out how to beat Level 3!"

"???"