Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze, a transmigrator, finally activates his system after three years of earning emotion points by writing novels.
• The system, named 'Demonic Son System', requires killing Righteous Path cultivators to gain Demonic Points for cultivation advancement.
• Lu Ze, now a demonic cultivator, faces the threat of discovery and execution by the Spirit Cloud Sect, where he lives as an outer sect disciple.
• A mission from the system tasks Lu Ze with disrupting the cultivation of more than 30% of the Spirit Cloud Sect's disciples within five days.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze, initially excited about activating his system, becomes disheartened upon learning he's a demonic cultivator and faces potential danger.
• Lu Ze's aptitude in artifact forging improves due to his sensitivity to data and programming from his previous life.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between the Righteous and Demonic Paths, with the latter being oppressed and persecuted.
• The consequences of Lu Ze's transmigration and the activation of his system on his life and safety.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze interacts with an inner sect disciple, Senior Brother Ma, who shares his enthusiasm for demon extermination missions, oblivious to Lu Ze's new status as a demonic cultivator.
• Lu Ze's Demon-Seeking Compass incidentally points at him, raising suspicions about his identity.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze accepts a mission from his system to disrupt the cultivation of Spirit Cloud Sect disciples.
• He decides to use his game design skills from his previous life to create an addictive game for the disciples.
• Lu Ze chooses to create a Parkour Game, "Demonic Path Escape," for the Outer Disciples' movement technique training.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze: Shows determination and resourcefulness in using his unique skills to complete his mission.
• Wang Tai (Artifact Forging Hall's second senior brother): Reveals his dislike for Lu Ze and makes things difficult for him.
• Wang Ba (Outer Disciple): Shows arrogance and confidence in his abilities, aiming to excel in the Illusion Realm trial.

Significant Themes

• The potential of game design and entertainment in the Cultivation World.
• The disparity between the Inner and Outer Disciples' opportunities and resources.
• The importance of perseverance and unique skills in achieving one's goals, as seen in Lu Ze's determination to complete his mission.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze and Wang Tai: Lu Ze remains unfazed by Wang Tai's unfriendly attitude, seeing it as an opportunity to create a game.
• Wang Ba and Zhang Ming: Wang Ba's arrogance and disdain for Lu Ze contrast with Zhang Ming's more open-minded perspective.
• The Outer Disciples: They discuss Lu Ze, Wang Ba's confidence, and their anticipation for the Illusion Realm trial, showcasing their diverse opinions and expectations.

Plot points and events

• The chapter opens with Zhang Ming, a Qi Refining cultivator, trapped in a strange Illusion Realm where he must use the Cloud Shattering Art to flee a pursuing monster. He discovers he can move only while using the technique.
• The escape plays like a first-person running game: Zhang collects floating Spirit Stones for points, tracks his score and distance, and dodges obstacles. He is killed when he jumps into a wall of fire, ending his run at 21 steps and 18th place.
• Frustrated by his ranking but thrilled by the experience, Zhang immediately wants to play again.
• In the control room, Lu Ze observes that the disciples are engrossed in his game, Demonic Path Escape. He receives a small amount of Demonic Value when a player dies and realizes the system may count deaths in the game as his kills.
• Lu Ze concludes that games could provide a repeatable, sustainable way to earn Demonic Value, though deaths in-game appear to yield much less than actual killing.
• A system reward follows: because Zhang admired Lu Ze’s skill, Lu Ze randomly acquires Zhang’s Cloud Shattering Art (Mastery).

Character development

• Zhang Ming moves from confusion and terror to excitement and competitiveness. Despite dying quickly, he is eager to retry and improve.
• Lu Ze grows more confident in game-making as a way to advance his goals. He is intrigued by the possibility of farming Demonic Value through repeated in-game deaths, while still weighing the system’s limits.

Character interactions

• Zhang’s main interaction is with the game itself: he learns its rules under pressure, reacts to its hazards, and becomes motivated by the score and ranking.
• Lu Ze watches the players remotely through their screens. Though he does not directly meet Zhang, Zhang’s admiration triggers Lu Ze’s reward.

Significant themes

• Entertainment as a tool: Lu Ze’s game both captivates players and potentially serves his cultivation interests.
• Competition and persistence: Zhang’s poor result makes him more eager to try again.
• Creative adaptation: Lu Ze reshapes familiar game mechanics into a cultivation-world setting.
• Ethical ambiguity: Lu Ze views repeated virtual deaths as a possible substitute for killing real cultivators, raising questions about the consequences of turning suffering into a resource.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Ze discovers that genuinely impressing someone with his game lets him randomly copy one attribute from that person’s status panel. He realizes the game has already helped Zhang Ming improve his Cloud Shattering Art from minor to major mastery.
• Zhang Ming spends about an hour and a half in the trial, running through increasingly difficult stages filled with obstacles and rewards. He reaches a personal-best distance of 2,407 steps, scores 5,336, and takes first place.
• After the trial, Zhang explores the game’s home screen and shop. He learns that Spirit Stones earned in play can buy mounts, artifacts, and cultivation methods that provide bonuses or skills.
• Zhang hopes to save enough for a Golden Horned Immortal Beast mount, expecting its speed and Spirit Stone bonuses to help him progress. He mistakenly believes he is close: the stones he collected are mostly fragments and dust, while the mount requires high-grade Spirit Stones.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze becomes excited by the possibility that the game can improve players’ real abilities—and, by impressing powerful cultivators, potentially improve his own. His ambition briefly turns toward becoming a great cultivator before he remembers he belongs to the Demon Path. He designed the shop to keep players engaged, using familiar game mechanics while avoiding real-money purchases.
• Zhang Ming grows more confident and enthusiastic as he notices his rapid improvement and wins the leaderboard. His awe leads him to imagine the trial as an ancient secret realm made by an unfathomably powerful master. He also takes pleasure in seeing the arrogant Wang Ba near the bottom of the rankings.
• The two do not meet directly in this chapter. Lu Ze observes Zhang’s progress through the game, while Zhang interprets its features as the work of a mysterious, powerful creator.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and irony: Lu Ze sees a game with familiar mechanics; Zhang interprets it as a profound cultivation trial. The shop’s currency labels and rarity system also mislead Zhang.
• Games as training: The trial’s challenges appear to improve Zhang’s actual movement technique, blurring the line between entertainment and cultivation.
• Progress and motivation: Lu Ze deliberately gives players goals—better skills, mounts, and artifacts—to encourage repeated play, even though purchases use only in-game currency.
• Ambition and identity: Lu Ze imagines using the game to rise in cultivation, then comically recalls that he is a member of the Demon Path.

Plot points and events

• After three hours, the Outer Disciples’ initial access to the Training Hall’s Illusion Realm expires. They praise the exciting, useful Demonic Path Escape trial and regret that they have limited time to use it.
• Lu Ze offers them five-day Temporary Tokens with unlimited play time for one Spirit Stone each. The eager disciples rush off to fetch money, giving Lu Ze the extended participation he needs for his task.
• Wang Ba, disgruntled because he ranked near the bottom, claims the Outer Disciples were given inferior training. The others defend the trial and suspect he is simply bitter about his score.
• Lu Ze criticizes Wang Ba’s cultivation and demonstrates his mastery of the Cloud Shattering Art by appearing behind him in a flash. Wang Ba leaves in anger, threatening future retaliation.
• As Outer Disciples cross the Sect Plaza on their way to get Spirit Stones, they excitedly discuss strategies and milestones in the trial. Inner Disciple Xiao Hongzhi overhears them and is puzzled by their references to the unfamiliar Illusion Realm Trial.

Character development and interactions

• Lu Ze shows foresight and business sense: he prepared extra tokens to keep the disciples playing for five days. He also displays confidence and real movement-technique skill, sharply exposing Wang Ba’s lack of ability.
• Wang Ba is shown to be prideful and resentful, unwilling to accept a poor result. Lu Ze suspects his cultivation is shallow, perhaps built up with treasures rather than solid practice, and privately decides to tailor a future trial to keep him at the bottom.
• The Outer Disciples become enthusiastic converts to the game, debating its challenges and comparing tactics. Their excitement contrasts with Wang Ba’s hostility.
• Xiao Hongzhi and another Inner Disciple introduce a new point of interest: the Inner Disciples have not heard of the trial, setting up a possible spread of news beyond the Outer Disciples.

Significant themes

• Practice versus shortcuts: Lu Ze’s criticism of Wang Ba and his visible skill emphasize that genuine mastery comes from training, not status or accumulated treasures.
• Enjoyment as a path to improvement: The disciples find the trial both entertaining and useful, blurring the line between play and cultivation.
• Pride and humility: Wang Ba’s refusal to accept failure contrasts with the other disciples’ willingness to learn and improve.
• Opportunity and access: Lu Ze’s cheap tokens let Outer Disciples continue training despite their limited resources, while the Inner Disciples’ apparent ignorance suggests the innovation may soon reach a wider audience.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Hongzhi and another Inner Disciple are baffled by reports that Outer Disciples are eagerly repeating a new Illusion Realm Trial, Demonic Path Escape, even planning to train through the night.
• They visit the Artifact Forging Hall and try the Trial themselves. Their cultivation is restricted to Qi Refining, and both are quickly outperformed: Xiao reaches just over 300 steps, his junior brother a little over 200, while the leaderboard’s top player, Zhang Ming, has surpassed 2,000.
• Xiao realizes the realm’s rules deliberately suppress cultivation advantages. Lu Ze designed it this way so players of different cultivation levels could compete on equal terms.
• Embarrassed by losing to Outer Disciples, Xiao vows to return and reclaim the top spot. News of his defeat spreads, drawing more Inner Disciples to the Trial.
• The competition grows into a sect-wide frenzy. Inner Disciples keep failing to beat the Outer Disciples’ records, while the leaderboard continues to rise and players urge others to join.

Character developments

• Xiao Hongzhi shifts from baffled observer to competitive participant. His pride is wounded by the defeat, motivating him to keep trying.
• Yang Zhuo, Xiao’s junior brother, shares his surprise and is likewise discouraged by their poor results.
• Lu Ze is revealed as the creator of the Trial’s equalizing rules, intended to attract players regardless of cultivation level.
• Zhang Ming becomes a celebrated, almost mythical competitor among the Inner Disciples after setting an exceptional record.

Significant themes

• Skill over status: Suppressing cultivation makes achievement depend on performance rather than rank or strength.
• Pride and rivalry: The Inner Disciples’ desire to “save face” turns a training activity into a competitive obsession.
• Unexpected appeal of play: A simple Trial becomes popular because it is challenging, engaging, and repeatable.

Character interactions

• Xiao and Yang compare their results and try to understand the Trial’s rules.
• Xiao’s defeat—and the rumors surrounding it—provokes other Inner Disciples to challenge the Outer Disciples’ leaderboard.
• Players encourage one another through Spiritual Sense messages, mixing competitive boasts, confusion, and calls for reinforcements.

Key plot points and events

• Inner Disciples discover Lu Ze’s “Demonic Path Escape” trial and quickly become hooked, driving his demonic-value earnings from under five points that morning to thirteen.
• Lu Ze spends ten points to advance from the third to the fourth level of Qi Refining. Encouraged by the system’s ability to compensate for his poor natural aptitude, he begins planning how to increase his earnings further.
• He finds Zhang Ming, an Outer Disciple, upset that powerful spirit beasts in the trial cost far more than the rewards players earn. Lu Ze comforts him and suggests buying a cheaper Golden Core-stage mount first, which can help him earn spirit stones toward better purchases.
• Players discuss the trial’s difficulty, scoring, and unusual cultivation methods. When they wish they could play it elsewhere, Lu Ze offers Inner Disciples Crystal Replicas for ten spirit stones each.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze grows more confident about pursuing cultivation now that his system lets him progress despite his lack of innate talent. He also shows his talent for manipulating the trial’s popularity: he encourages Zhang Ming to keep playing because strong scores keep other players engaged, and he turns demand into a replica business.
• Zhang Ming shifts from bitter frustration to renewed determination after Lu Ze’s advice. He respects Lu Ze as a senior and immediately returns to earn spirit stones.
• The Inner Disciples go from skeptical observers to enthusiastic players, sharing strategies and comparing results with Outer Disciples. Their shared enthusiasm helps Lu Ze’s trial spread and generate more demonic value.

Significant themes

• Effort and perseverance: Lu Ze frames hardship as part of attaining valuable rewards, while Zhang Ming accepts the challenge.
• Talent versus opportunity: Lu Ze’s progress suggests that persistence and the system can overcome his poor natural aptitude.
• Commercial ingenuity: Lu Ze balances helping players with pursuing his own goals, using the trial’s popularity to earn both demonic value and spirit stones.

Key plot points and events

• Still stung by losing to Zhang Ming, Golden Core cultivator Xiao Hongzhi uses Lu Ze’s Demonic Path Escape to beat his junior’s survival record. He becomes so absorbed that he plays through the night and misses cultivation.
• Lu Ze has increased the game’s difficulty and added face-to-face battles and a Forum. Battles include multiplayer tracks, teams, and usable weapons and traps, making the Trial far more competitive.
• The Training Hall quickly fills with excited players. The new features spread by word of mouth, drawing disciples away from classes and pushing Outer Disciples to take paid tasks so they can afford more play.
• Xiao Hongzhi hears about the battle mode during a lecture and eagerly anticipates trying it, despite his usual diligence and devotion to his teacher.
• On the fifth day of the game’s launch, Lu Ze is close to completing his task. His demonic value has surged and his cultivation has reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer, just 200 points short of Foundation Establishment.
• While cleaning, Lu Ze finds what appears to be Xiao Hongzhi’s diary. Its brief entries suggest Xiao has repeatedly been “fleeing” from the game. Lu Ze wonders if he has made the Trial too punishing.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Hongzhi shifts from disciplined cultivation and study to compulsive gaming, driven by pride and his desire to surpass Zhang Ming. He feels guilty about neglecting cultivation and hides the truth from Grand Elder Chao Wendao, who mistakenly praises him for studying all night.
• Lu Ze grows more confident in the game’s appeal and deliberately adds competitive features, while remaining anxious about concealing his Demon Path identity. Xiao’s diary gives him a moment of doubt about the game’s difficulty.
• Chao Wendao notices poor class attendance and assumes disciples are pursuing serious cultivation. His encouragement of Xiao contrasts with Xiao’s actual all-night gaming.
• The disciples’ conversations and battles are full of boasting, taunts, accusations, and improvised attacks, showing how quickly the game has turned friendly rivalry into intense competition.

Significant themes

• Addiction and misplaced priorities: The game draws disciples away from cultivation, classes, and rest.
• Competition and pride: Leaderboards and battles fuel the desire to outperform others, especially for Xiao.
• Irony and misunderstanding: Elders interpret gaming as diligent cultivation, while disciples disguise their fixation as spiritual discussion.
• Unexpected influence: Lu Ze’s creation reshapes the sect’s routines and behavior far beyond what he anticipated.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze completes the sect task, exceeding requirements and triggering a critical hit reward: 'Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique'.
• Lu Ze visits the Scripture Repository to learn about his reward, using Lin SuSu's token to access restricted materials.
• Lu Ze discovers that the physique allows him to emit both Righteous and Evil aura at will, perfect for his Both Righteous and Evil system.
• Lu Ze realizes that the Demonic Value required for his next cultivation breakthrough has increased significantly due to the new physique.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze: Becomes more confident in his cultivation path after learning about his new physique's capabilities.
• Lin SuSu: Revealed to have higher status than ordinary Inner Disciples, showing that she's not just a shy librarian.

Significant Themes

• The power of ancient bloodlines and physiques.
• The duality of Righteous and Evil paths in cultivation.
• The consequences of exceeding expectations and receiving extraordinary rewards.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze and Lin SuSu: They interact casually, with Lu Ze showing kindness and Lin SuSu revealing her true status.
• Lu Ze and the System: Lu Ze understands that his new physique is perfectly suited for his Both Righteous and Evil system.

Plot points and events

• Second Elder Ding Mingcang warns Grand Elder Chao Wendao that a popular Illusion Realm Trial, “Demonic Path Escape,” is distracting disciples from cultivation and may be a Demon Path scheme. He presents confiscated Mini Illusion Towers and Crystal Stones.
• Chao recognizes the stones as Replicas and finds their unusual, fragmented Spells intriguing. Since the Trial is connected to the Artifact Forging Hall, he first suggests involving Elder Nangong, then leaves Ding to investigate.
• Ding learns that Artifact Forging Hall disciple Lu Ze sold the Crystal Stones. Concerned both about the Trial and the profits bypassing the sect’s control, he orders a thorough investigation and demands the creator be brought in.
• At Severed Thought Cliff, True Disciple Zhong Yi tells combat-obsessed Mu Yawen that the Trial is unexpectedly popular—even among Inner Disciples. Li Moran joins them, explaining that her master also considers it suspicious and has asked the peak’s True Disciples to assess it. They decide to investigate by trying it.
• At the Illusion Training Hall, Lu Ze notices it is nearly empty: Outer Disciples’ passes have expired, while Inner Disciples play on their own towers. Though aware that the Enforcement Team has begun confiscating devices, he is confident he has done nothing wrong and accepts that the game might be shut down.
• Lu Ze’s main concern is earning Demonic Value. His new physique has made each advancement much more costly, so he needs to attract more players. A system notification grants him 10 Demonic Value.

Character developments and interactions

• Chao Wendao responds to the suspected infiltration with enthusiasm rather than alarm, treating it as a welcome diversion; he is nevertheless intrigued by Lu Ze’s Replica technology.
• Ding Mingcang takes a stern, practical stance, combining concern over discipline with resentment that a major business is operating outside the sect’s financial control.
• Mu Yawen is instantly eager to try the Trial because of her love of combat. Zhong Yi acts as the curious organizer, while Li Moran reluctantly joins under her master’s instructions.
• Lu Ze remains confident and untroubled by the investigation, viewing the Trial as legitimate training and focusing on expanding its audience.

Significant themes

• Misjudgment and suspicion: A novel entertainment system is mistaken for possible Demon Path influence.
• Innovation versus institutional control: Lu Ze’s successful product attracts attention not only because it distracts disciples but also because it generates revenue beyond the sect’s oversight.
• Entertainment and discipline: The game’s popularity exposes how easily cultivators’ focus can be diverted.
• Ambition and progression: Lu Ze’s growing Demonic Value requirements turn player growth into an urgent obstacle.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze, an Outer Disciple, is astonished by a sudden influx of Demonic Value, suggesting a powerful player is dying repeatedly in the Illusion Realm.
• Three True Disciples, Zhong Yi, Mu Yawen, and Li Moran, arrive to experience "Demonic Path Escape."
• Mu Yawen and Zhong Yi enter the Illusion Realm, while Li Moran prepares to do so.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze: Realizes the potential of True Disciples in providing Demonic Value and plans to keep them engaged in the game.
• Mu Yawen: Demonstrates exceptional understanding of the game's rules and combat prowess, but lacks strategy.
• Zhong Yi: Shows resilience and analytical skills, learning from each death.
• Li Moran: Exhibits exceptional gaming talent, threatening to dominate the game and potentially cause other players to lose interest.

Significant Themes

• The disparity in gaming skills between cultivators and non-cultivators.
• The importance of goals and challenges in maintaining player interest.
• The potential for True Disciples to significantly impact Lu Ze's leveling progress.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze interacts with the True Disciples indirectly through the Illusion Realm, observing their gameplay and planning to keep them engaged.
• Mu Yawen, Zhong Yi, and Li Moran interact with each other through their shared experience in the Illusion Realm, though their gameplay styles differ greatly.

Plot and events

• Mu Yawen tells Zhong Yi that the trial’s beast seems impossible to kill. Zhong Yi explains that Demonic Path Escape is designed to teach outer disciples survival, not combat—though Mu insists that righteous cultivators should fight.
• Zhong Yi learns Mu reached 503 steps, slightly beating his own run. He assumes Li Moran is struggling too, but she reveals she ran 5,300 steps and already leads the leaderboard.
• Li Moran notes that the trial’s paths become confusing after 3,000 steps, with unmarked forks that can be fatal. She also concludes the realm was created by an expert, finding no trace of the Demon Path.
• A player named “Nameless” soon takes first place with 5,600 steps. Li Moran, reluctant to be outdone, decides to keep playing. Zhong Yi worries that his poor score will embarrass him and considers changing his in-game name; Mu follows suit.
• In the Control Room, Lu Ze reveals that he deliberately scored just above Li Moran to keep her interested. He watches the three disciples play, anticipating that their repeated deaths will generate demonic value.
• The system rewards Lu Ze for winning Zhong Yi’s admiration: he gains ten years of martial arts experience.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Yi is competitive and easily discouraged by comparisons, but remains enthusiastic about the game. He tries to hide his low score and is impressed by the leaderboard.
• Mu Yawen is direct, earnest, and surprisingly skilled, outperforming Zhong Yi while still questioning the trial’s logic.
• Li Moran remains composed despite her enormous score. Her competitive streak emerges when someone surpasses her, drawing her back into the game.
• Lu Ze strategically manipulates the leaderboard to retain players, especially Li Moran, while viewing the disciples’ enthusiasm—and deaths—as a source of demonic value. He particularly values Zhong Yi’s persistence, despite his poor performance.

Significant themes

• Skill is not determined by rank: The trial allows disciples of different standings to compete, and an unknown player even surpasses a True Disciple.
• Competition fuels engagement: Scores and leaderboards motivate Li Moran and make Zhong Yi self-conscious.
• Reframing failure: Deaths are part of a survival challenge and, for Lu Ze, a useful source of resources.
• Appearance versus reality: The game seems like harmless entertainment to the disciples, while Lu Ze secretly uses it to advance his own cultivation plans.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen enter the Illusion Realm and are impressed by its complexity and fairness.
• Zhong Yi dies repeatedly due to his clumsiness, but he appreciates the game's design and sound effects.
• Mu Yawen is kicked out of the Illusion Realm after trying to use her bloodline to fight a demon beast.
• Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen have a sparring match in the game, with Lu Ze helping them change their names to avoid confusion.
• Lu Ze adds more items to the game, leading to creative and unexpected uses by Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen.

Character Developments

• Zhong Yi shows analytical skills and appreciation for the game's design, despite his clumsiness.
• Mu Yawen demonstrates adaptability and quick learning in using items against Zhong Yi.
• Lu Ze shows satisfaction with the game's success and plans to create a recording system.

Significant Themes

• The game's fairness and ingenuity captivate the players.
• The use of items and strategies adds depth to the game and character interactions.

Character Interactions

• Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen's friendly rivalry and mutual understanding are highlighted in their sparring match.
• Lu Ze's satisfaction with the game's success and plans for improvement show his dedication to his work.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Ze initially declines Li Moran’s challenge, wary of getting close to a True Disciple, but accepts after she challenges him again. The game assigns him a quest to defeat the much stronger righteous cultivator.
• In the Illusion Realm duel, Lu Ze uses unconventional tactics: he throws a spittoon, combines Talismans into a trap, and exploits a loophole in the barrier to steal an item from Li Moran’s lane. He defeats her while she is bewildered by his methods.
• Lu Ze receives the Ice Breath Technique, a gold-quality skill that can hide its user from Divine Sense probes below the Integration Realm. Delighted, he sees further duels as a way to earn rewards and Demonic Value, though he worries that provoking senior cultivators could lead to a real-life fight.
• Zhong Yi asks Lu Ze for more Crystal Replicas of the game. Li Moran unexpectedly buys one too, while Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen privately conclude that the game must contain hidden cultivation benefits and resolve to keep playing.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze shows ingenuity and a willingness to exploit every game mechanic. He is pleased by the reward and considers using an obnoxious persona to attract more challengers, but decides his current weakness makes that risky.
• Li Moran begins the duel expecting to study a skilled, reclusive opponent. Though shocked by Lu Ze’s shameless tactics, she finds them amusing rather than repulsive and becomes interested enough to keep playing.
• Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen remain absorbed in their novice-level rivalry. Their mutual assumption that Li Moran has spotted a hidden cultivation method reveals how strongly they interpret the game through a cultivation lens.

Significant themes

• Ingenuity over convention: Lu Ze wins by noticing loopholes and combining tools creatively rather than fighting in an expected, honorable style.
• Appearances and sincerity: Li Moran dislikes false gentlemanly behavior more than openly underhanded tactics.
• Game and cultivation intertwined: Players treat the game as entertainment, training, and a possible source of cultivation insight, while Lu Ze also uses it to pursue concrete rewards and advancement.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze achieves Foundation Establishment using the system's help, causing a significant heavenly phenomenon.
• The commotion attracts the attention of several Elders, including the Second Elder of Numinous Ascent Peak, Ding Mingcang.
• Lu Ze uses the Ice Breath Technique to evade the Elders' Spiritual Sense probes.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze demonstrates his ability to quickly grasp high-level techniques (Ice Breath Technique) due to his physique and the system's martial insight reward.
• Elders, such as Ding Mingcang, show concern and curiosity about the cultivator causing the heavenly phenomenon.

Significant Themes

• The rarity and power of Lu Ze's Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique.
• The potential danger of exposing Lu Ze's secrets (Demon Path, the system) to the sect.
• The importance of cultivation secrecy and self-preservation in the cultivation world.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze interacts with the Elders indirectly through their Spiritual Sense probes.
• Lu Ze's actions potentially draw the attention of other characters, such as Li Moran, who might recognize the heavenly phenomenon as related to Lu Ze.

Key plot points and events

• Glazed Fire Peak is abuzz with theories about a spectacular display of phantoms and lightning from the previous night. Disciples conclude it came from the True Disciples sparring—or from them trying Lu Ze’s movement-technique trial, Demonic Path Escape.
• Senior Sister Li’s record-breaking run of five thousand steps astonishes the disciples, while the identity behind the leaderboard’s top nickname remains unknown.
• Lu Ze enjoys hearing the rumors, pleased that his work is attracting attention without anyone realizing he made the trial. He speculates that the phantoms and strange displays may be side effects of his unusual Immortal Physique and the cultivation energy he receives from others.
• He suspects that disciples’ deaths in the trial may be nourishing his Immortal Body. Meanwhile, repeated Demonic Value +1.2 notifications suggest that Senior Brother Zhong Yi is still playing the game through the night.
• With the Outer Disciples’ trial period over, Lu Ze returns to his repair station at the Artifact Forging Hall and begins practicing the basic cultivation method. Though the system has raised his level, he wants to deepen his understanding and strengthen his foundation.
• Wang Tai interrupts and mocks Lu Ze for trying to cultivate despite his formerly poor aptitude. He then asks where the trial’s Illusion Crystal Stone came from. Lu Ze claims he made it himself, prompting Wang Tai to react with shock: the Second Elder suspects the creator is a powerful spellcaster and possibly a Demon Path cultivator.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze is increasingly confident and amused by the attention surrounding his creation. He is also taking responsibility for his cultivation rather than relying solely on the system’s level increase. Despite his new prospects, he remains proud and unwilling to tolerate Wang Tai’s contempt.
• Wang Tai continues his antagonistic treatment of Lu Ze, ridiculing his cultivation before turning suspicious and alarmed when Lu Ze claims authorship of the trial.
• Senior Brother Zhong Yi, though absent from the scene, is revealed to be obsessively playing Demonic Path Escape, quietly supplying Lu Ze with a steady stream of Demonic Value.
• The disciples’ conversations show how little they know about the trial’s true creator and how readily they credit mysterious events to the sect’s elite.

Significant themes

• Hidden identity and reputation: Lu Ze’s creation becomes a sensation while his role remains concealed.
• Appearance versus reality: Disciples assume True Disciples would not bother with the game, while Zhong Yi is playing enthusiastically; Wang Tai also underestimates Lu Ze based on his past.
• Cultivation through unconventional means: Lu Ze’s progress appears linked not only to ordinary practice but also to the trial and its mysterious effects.
• Persistence and self-improvement: Lu Ze continues to cultivate despite past failure and public mockery.

Plot points and events

• Wang Tai confronts Lu Ze and reveals that a hidden Recording Orb has captured Lu Ze’s apparent confession to creating Demonic Path Escape. Wang Tai intends to bring him before Second Elder Ding, who is waiting at the Enforcement Hall.
• Lu Ze calmly agrees to go, but first handles the Illusion Crystal Stone, claiming he is checking for damage. Wang Tai sees nothing amiss and puts the Crystal in his Storage Ring before transporting Lu Ze away.
• Meanwhile, Demonic Path Escape is drawing crowds at the Outer Disciple dormitory. A server announcement tells players that the Illusion Realm’s creator is visiting the Enforcement Hall and invites them to exchange ideas.
• Excited disciples spread the news across the sect. Several prominent cultivators—including Mu Yawen and Li Moran—decide to go see the mysterious creator.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze stays composed despite Wang Tai’s attempt to trap him. His apparent cooperation masks a possible plan involving the Crystal, though the chapter does not reveal what he did.
• Wang Tai acts out of hostility and ambition: he hopes to satisfy Second Elder Ding and eliminate a rival by presenting Lu Ze as the culprit. He is confident the Recording Orb and Crystal will secure his case.
• Zhang Ming discovers the announcement while trying the game and immediately alerts other players, sparking a rush toward the Enforcement Hall.
• Mu Yawen pauses her demanding training to join Zhong Yi, while Li Moran interrupts her sword practice and sets out alone to meet the creator.

Significant themes

• Deception and appearances: Wang Tai believes he has evidence, while Lu Ze’s calm compliance leaves open the possibility that the situation is not what Wang Tai thinks.
• Popularity and influence: The game’s creator is admired across ranks, and a single announcement mobilizes disciples throughout the sect.
• Power and authority: Wang Tai relies on Second Elder Ding’s reputation and the Enforcement Hall’s authority to force a confession, while the disciples assume the creator is being welcomed rather than accused.

Chapter Summary: “Ascending the Hall”

Key events

• Wang Tai brings Lu Ze before Second Elder Ding Mingcang, who suspects Lu Ze of creating the popular Illusion Realm, “Demonic Path Escape.”
• Lu Ze admits making it but says he followed Wang Tai’s requirements and intended to help Outer Disciples practice the Cloud Shattering Art.
• Ding accuses Lu Ze of distracting disciples, damaging their Dao Hearts, and disrupting the sect. He raises the Enforcement Hall into the air so the judgment can be heard publicly.
• Lu Ze explains that the Illusion Realm restricts players to the Cloud Shattering Art and is designed to encourage cultivation. Outer Disciples below shout that it helped them improve the technique.
• Ding dismisses their testimony and suggests Lu Ze may be concealing the real creator. His anger is also fueled by the Illusion Realm’s large sales, which bypassed the channels from which he expects a share.
• Ding then blames the game for Inner Disciples neglecting cultivation. Xiao Hongzhi speaks up, admits their obsession reflects their own weak resolve, and says the game has improved his movement technique. Other Inner Disciples follow with similar defenses.
• When Ding insists that cultivation involves more than movement techniques and challenges Lu Ze to reproduce every aspect of it, Lu Ze confidently replies, “Of course I can.”

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze stays composed under interrogation and openly accepts responsibility for the game, while presenting it as a cultivation aid. His final answer suggests he may be capable of far more than Ding expects.
• Ding Mingcang appears to be enforcing discipline, but his concern about lost profits reveals a personal motive. He escalates the hearing into a public spectacle and refuses to be persuaded by the disciples’ testimony.
• Wang Tai initially presents Lu Ze but quickly tries to distance himself from the project when Lu Ze says he followed Wang’s requirements.
• The disciples shift from anxious spectators to public supporters. The Outer Disciples cite concrete gains; the initially hesitant Inner Disciples, led by Xiao Hongzhi, risk Ding’s displeasure to defend Lu Ze.

Significant themes

• Self-interest versus justice: Ding’s official accusations mask his concern over profits and influence.
• Personal responsibility: The Inner Disciples argue that their obsession is a failure of their own discipline, not the game’s fault.
• Public pressure and collective support: Raising the hall makes the hearing public, but also gives disciples a chance to speak together.
• Unexpected potential: The chapter ends on a cliffhanger, with Lu Ze claiming he can reproduce every aspect of cultivation through the Illusion Realm.

Key plot points and events

• Second Elder Ding Mingcang accuses Lu Ze of creating the supposedly corrupting illusion realm Demonic Path Escape. He declares that Lu Ze’s cultivation will be crippled and that he will be expelled from the sect.
• Lu Ze is willing to accept expulsion but fears losing his cultivation, which he needs to keep making games.
• True disciple Zhong Yi arrives with Mu Yawen and Li Moran to plead for Lu Ze. Zhong Yi says the illusion realm helped him gain insights and argues that it does not corrupt people.
• Ding reveals Lu Ze to the assembled disciples, expecting them to doubt his innocence. They are stunned: Lu Ze is known as a low-level disciple from the Artifact Forging Hall who sold Crystal Replicas, and few believe he could have made such an advanced realm.
• Zhong Yi cautiously suggests there may be a misunderstanding, but Ding rejects the idea. He believes someone else created the realm and is using Lu Ze as a cover.
• Ding suspects the hidden creator may be the powerful figure responsible for a recent breakthrough phenomenon at Glazed Fire Peak—and possibly a member of the Demon Cult. He uses his pressure to demand that Lu Ze name the “true creator.”

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Ze remains mostly silent, inwardly frustrated by Ding’s rigid judgment and focused on protecting his cultivation.
• Ding Mingcang shows himself as authoritarian and suspicious. His stated concern about the illusion realm is entangled with his belief that a dangerous outsider is hiding behind Lu Ze.
• Zhong Yi demonstrates gratitude and compassion: although he barely knows Lu Ze, he admires the creator of the realm and still tries to protect Lu Ze once he sees him.
• Mu Yawen and Li Moran accompany Zhong Yi in support. Li Moran shows a brief, subtle sign of relief when she recognizes Lu Ze.
• The disciples’ reactions shift from excitement at seeing three true disciples intervene to disbelief and confusion when they learn the alleged creator is Lu Ze.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus ability: Lu Ze’s low status and modest cultivation make others dismiss the possibility that he created something remarkable.
• Authority and prejudice: Ding reaches a verdict before accepting evidence, treating Lu Ze as a means to uncover a suspected hidden enemy.
• Reputation and solidarity: Lu Ze’s creation has earned admiration among disciples, prompting people with little personal connection to him to come to his aid.
• Fear of the unknown: Ding’s suspicion of the Demon Cult and the unexplained breakthrough shapes his interpretation of events.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lu Ze is interrogated by Ding Mingcang about his claim to have created the Illusion Realm, 'Demonic Path Escape.'
• Ding Mingcang uses his cultivation pressure to coerce Lu Ze, but Lu Ze withstands it due to his Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique.
• Li Moran, an inner sect disciple, speaks up for Lu Ze, suggesting that the spells used in the Illusion Realm were not profound and could be accomplished by a Qi Refining Stage cultivator.
• Lu Ze explains his method of creating the Illusion Realm, using multiple spaces linked together to create an endless world.
• Ding Mingcang questions Lu Ze further, but Lu Ze answers all his queries confidently.
• Grand Elder Chao Wendao arrives, having heard the entire exchange, and praises Lu Ze's insights.
• Ding Mingcang insists that Lu Ze create another Illusion Realm in front of everyone to prove his claims.

Character Developments

• Lu Ze demonstrates his knowledge and quick thinking under pressure, earning respect from the disciples and even the Grand Elder.
• Ding Mingcang is revealed to be biased and unwilling to accept Lu Ze's achievements, leading to a loss of face in front of the disciples.
• Li Moran shows unexpected support for Lu Ze, challenging her usual indifferent demeanor.
• Grand Elder Chao Wendao is portrayed as fair and wise, willing to listen to and praise Lu Ze's accomplishments.

Significant Themes

• The theme of recognition and validation of one's achievements is prominent, with Lu Ze struggling to prove his work and Ding Mingcang refusing to acknowledge it.
• The power dynamics between cultivators of different realms and positions are explored, with Lu Ze's resilience against Ding Mingcang's pressure highlighting the disparity.

Character Interactions

• Lu Ze and Ding Mingcang's interaction is tense, with Ding Mingcang trying to intimidate Lu Ze and Lu Ze standing his ground.
• Li Moran's unexpected support for Lu Ze shows a shift in her usual indifference, potentially hinting at a change in her attitude.
• Lu Ze and Grand Elder Chao Wendao's interaction is respectful, with Chao Wendao showing clear admiration for Lu Ze's accomplishments.