I solved this problem

Artifact Refining Pavilion.

Inside the tower where Lu Ze resided.

"No good, this is still too dull."

Lu Ze withdrew from the illusion he had just crafted, frowning in deep thought.

The process of creating the game these past few days had not gone smoothly.

While the game's theme had been decided, the question of which game to adapt for this world remained unresolved.

After determining that combat should be avoided,

Lu Ze's first thought was Fruit Ninja.

Memories of his past life—using his finger as a "sword" to slice countless fruits—flashed vividly in his mind.

The crisp sound effects, the explosion of fruit pulp—it was incredibly satisfying.

In the early days of mobile gaming, Fruit Ninja had dominated the scene.

Simple, soothing, addictive.

On the very first day, Lu Ze transplanted Fruit Ninja into the illusion tower.

But after a few rounds of testing, he was unsatisfied.

Random fruits appearing in midair, only for players to slash them apart—this spectacle lacked the impact it once had when smartphones were first introduced.

Moreover,

the disciples of the Lingxiao Sect had far more extravagant ways of practicing their swordsmanship.

What was so special about cutting a few fruits?

Even after increasing the difficulty, it still didn’t feel right.

He then tried replacing the fruits with attacking demons.

But that just made it indistinguishable from the standard sword-training illusions within the sect.

Lu Ze experimented with common level designs—upgrading weapons, unlocking skills, or introducing monster mechanics and weaknesses…

Yet no matter what he tried, something always felt missing.

The main issue was that cultivators' martial training was simply too flashy.

Without some truly ingenious design, it was unlikely to surpass the appeal of Demon Sect Escape.

Alternatively, he could expand the game world, relying on gameplay and worldbuilding to stand out.

Unfortunately, given Lu Ze’s current cultivation level—barely at the Foundation Establishment stage—the size of the illusions he could create was severely limited.

Otherwise, he could’ve just imported something like Sekiro or Nioh and let those who loved swordplay indulge to their heart’s content.

With such constraints on the illusion’s scope, he had no choice but to focus on creativity.

Lu Ze stared at the Fruit Ninja-inspired illusion, deep in thought.

"No matter how I design it, the core always comes back to swinging a sword."

"And once swords are involved, it inevitably becomes a combat theme."

"If it’s combat, how can it stand apart from the sect’s training illusions…?"

He muttered to himself, trapped in what seemed like an endless loop.

This wasn’t his past life.

Back then, games didn’t need much depth—just flashy visuals and satisfying combat feedback to achieve decent success.

But for cultivators, what was the point of combat?

The special effects of games from his previous world could hardly compare to the awe-inspiring duels between immortal experts.

"Then…"

"What if the purpose of swinging a sword wasn’t for combat?"

Lu Ze narrowed his eyes, searching for the one path forward in a maze of dead ends.

How could he design something that would keep disciples swinging their swords?

There had to be a driving force.

There had to be something that could only be achieved by swinging a sword.

Lost in thought, Lu Ze absentmindedly slashed the air.

A careless swing missed a single apple.

The fruit fell to the ground and vanished.

"Wait…"

Like Newton struck by the falling apple, inspiration suddenly struck.

An apple disappearing upon hitting the ground defied logic.

What if, instead of vanishing, it…

grew into something?

This whimsical idea ignited Lu Ze’s imagination.

He immediately modified the illusion.

He deepened the space below, elevating the player’s position high above.

The ground became soft, fertile soil.

"Again!"

Fruits rained from the sky.

Lu Ze executed a Z-shaped slash, reducing most to pulp.

Only one non-fruit plant was spared—a sunflower.

It landed in the soil.

In an instant, it took root.

And sprouted into a smiling sunflower.

Lu Ze grinned.

He had solved the puzzle.

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