After the Illusion Realm rankings concluded.

Just as Lu Ze had predicted, the player count for "eight directions venerable" plummeted.

Players were originally there for the rewards. Now that the event for claiming Spirit Stones while online was over, they naturally left.

After all, that level of Spirit Stone consumption was all outflow and no inflow; even a great Sect wouldn't be able to withstand it.

The Alliance Leader of the Illusion Alliance seemed to still hold a glimmer of hope for "eight directions venerable" and made some adjustments.

For example, the probability of Big Red was adjusted back, and there were extra rewards for Knife-run trades...

When it comes to probability, once it's been increased publicly, no matter how it's adjusted later, it's very difficult to reverse the decline.

If you don't change it back, there's no such thing as rarity value.

If you do adjust it back, players who join later will always feel like they are second-class citizens...

So even with the adjustment, the response remained mediocre, failing to stop the loss of players.

Having lost the player Foundation, the organic behavior of Knife-runs naturally couldn't be sustained either.

No matter how generous the Knife-run rewards given by the Illusion Alliance were, if there was absolutely no player demand, there would be no improvement at all.

As for the two Elders who had originally produced "eight directions venerable," Blood Crow and Rakshasa.

It was said that a great battle broke out in Luofeng Continent, with an immense momentum.

If Heart Demon hadn't intervened in time, Rakshasa would have almost been beaten to death by Blood Crow.

Even so, he was severely injured and was currently recuperating within the Illusion Alliance.

As for why he didn't return to the Green Mountain Sect...

It wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he couldn't.

Since Rakshasa's identity as a Green Mountain Sect Elder was exposed, the cultivation world was in an uproar.

A Void Refinement Realm Cultivator trying to suppress a junior with his cultivation, especially a junior who had just triggered a Sacred Phenomenon, naturally drew countless condemnations.

After Lingxiao Sect's Grand Elder Chao Wendao learned of this, he took people to the Green Mountain Sect that very day.

Eight Elders moved out in full force, lining up to block the entrance of the Green Mountain Sect.

With that formation, those who knew better understood they were there to demand an explanation, but those who didn't would have thought they were there to exterminate the Sect...

The Green Mountain Sect had no choice but to revoke Wei Chengqing's status as an Elder, expel him from the Green Mountain Sect, and compensate the Lingxiao Sect with many resources before the storm subsided.

Privately, however, the rift between the Green Mountain Sect and the Lingxiao Sect seemed to have deepened...

...

...

With the System rewards and the Heavenly Dao rewards all in hand, Lu Ze instantly transformed into a salted fish and lay flat.

It was just a pity that the "Incantation of Dao Transformation" wasn't obtained; he could only look for another opportunity later.

The "Ten-Cross True Incantation" given by the Fragment of the Heavenly Dao was a skill created by the world-famous Saint Zhang from the ancient chaotic era, specifically born for the "Great Dao Truth Incantation."

Ten characters, each possessing the Divine Power to turn the tide.

As powerful as it was, Lu Ze didn't like fighting and killing, and was honestly too lazy to Cultivate it.

He even thought about giving the "Ten-Cross True Incantation" to Zhong Yi, waiting for him to laboriously Cultivate it to Major Achievement, and then finding an opportunity to loot the skill from Zhong Yi's body in the Illusion Realm. That would be «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» much easier...

【"Li Moran" has sent you a team invitation (Accept/Decline)】

"Again..."

Lu Ze stretched, and his Divine Sense sank into the Illusion Realm.

His smurf account, Wuming, only had two friends on the list.

One was Zhong Yi, and the other was Li Moran.

Considering he was currently no match for Li Moran, Lu Ze obediently joined the team.

As soon as Lu Ze's figure entered the team space, two brief words rang in his ears:

"Practice shooting."

"...Okay."

A few days ago, Li Moran had asked Lu Ze how to become stronger in the Illusion Realm.

Lu Ze's answer was to bring in equipment he'd usually be reluctant to use and practice his skills intensely.

So these past few days, whenever Li Moran saw Lu Ze online, she would pull him in to bring her equipment.

Even someone as strong as Li Moran was inevitably heading toward bankruptcy after running full Tier 6 gear in solo-vs-trio matches every time.

"Bring me Reaper Spirit Bullets and a Tier 6 set."

Li Moran prepared her own weapons and spoke calmly.

"Spirit Bullets are ten Spirit Stones each, and a Tier 6 set is thirty Spirit Stones."

Lu Ze asked for the price quite openly.

"By the way, can I bring a Heaven-Swallowing Bag in to eat the leftovers?"

"...No, just commit suicide for me as soon as we get in."

Li Moran glared at him. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

If it were just to help carry equipment, she could just find Zhou Qiaoling.

But Lu Ze could provide some operational tips from the post-death spectator view.

In "operation xianyuan continent," which lacked a duel mode, this was the only way Lu Ze could give her instructional matches.

So even though Lu Ze's Spirit Bullets and Tier 6 sets were sold at many times the market price, Li Moran had no complaints.

"Fine, fine."

Lu Ze shrugged.

He was calculating in his mind that after the instructional matches were over, he would have Li Moran's cyber soul do some serious Knife-runs for his smurf account.

As an important source of Demonic Path Points, Lu Ze would still find ways to maintain Li Moran's interest in the Illusion Realm.

Helping her get stronger was a means to keep her around.

As for getting so strong she'd be invincible and never die again?

That was impossible.

No matter how strong a person was, they couldn't escape the sanctions of the matchmaking mechanism.

Lu Ze was very relieved about this point.

...

Lu Ze's account had a very high matchmaking intensity.

Every single match was a 'black room' lobby.

After Li Moran killed two teams in a row, she was taken down by a third team that came to third-party them.

"The positioning here was too exposed..."

"In a one-vs-three, the first thing to consider is splitting the lines of fire. This position..."

"You should have retreated here first to use meds and ensure your status before..."

...

After a round of review from Lu Ze, Li Moran thought pensively for a while, then looked at Lu Ze as if she had reached an Epiphany, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I see, I understand now."

Li Moran nodded.

Even in the Illusion Realm, Lu Ze could vaguely feel that this person had truly gained some new realization; her Aura even seemed to have strengthened a bit.

Lu Ze couldn't help but be a bit dazed.

What exactly did you understand???

Looking back to when Li Moran first encountered "operation xianyuan continent," she was completely unlike her usual self who slaughtered everyone; she was even a bit of a noob.

Although previous combat Illusion Realms were also different from reality, at least many weapons and Moves were somewhat similar.

What Li Moran was good at using had always been the sword.

So Lu Ze speculated that when it came to shooter games, Li Moran was experiencing a case of being out of her element.

But after just a few days, it was as if Li Moran had an Epiphany, and she suddenly became stronger.

And she was getting stronger and stronger.

This rate of improvement—if this were his previous life, Lu Ze would have definitely praised her as a "natural-born FPS prodigy."

"You've changed a lot recently. Did you realize something in the Illusion Realm?"

Lu Ze asked curiously.

Li Moran didn't shy away and nodded calmly.

"The sword is the leader of all weapons... If I can't even master a weapon like this, how can I speak of entering the Dao through the sword?"

Li Moran stroked the 【Heavenly Soldier Type 7】 in her hand as if she were stroking the blade of a sword.

"Then I understood."

"Those jittery trajectories are merely some somewhat manic Sword Qi."

After hearing Li Moran's explanation, Lu Ze's head was full of question marks.

He could only lament that she truly was a sword Dao Genius; she could reach an Epiphany doing anything...

Li Moran's eyes flickered slightly, and she suddenly asked, "By the way, the Heavenly Dao is going to start a Peak tournament in 'operation xianyuan continent.' Have you signed up?"