Money is a form and store of energy. Money is transmuted into work or things. Like energy, I struggle to come up with an example where it is truly destroyed.
We give money value with our thoughts, which imparts energy to the money. That is its true value. We create value and put it into the world. The benefit is that it serves as a proxy for barter for things and skills which require other forms of energy.
Energy is the currency of Nature, and causes work to be performed. So it goes with money. Because it is a proxy created by thought, I can see why you say money is illusory. Add near endless human desires to the mix, that is where the negative distortions show. Maybe we are arguing the same point!