"Both benefactors, please calm your anger. Do not act impulsively. All of us are well aware of the perils we faced when we fought alone—otherwise, we would not have gathered again today. Do not let a few heated words damage our bond and lead to actions you may regret later. Amitabha."
Master Huixin pleaded earnestly with a bitter and sincere expression, but it was useless. Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy, without distinguishing friend from foe, simply activated the noise-cancelling function of her helmet.
After driving everyone back, she left with a flourish.
Shadowkill was equally decisive, heading in the opposite direction with long strides.
Left behind were Master Huixin, Subway Line 5, and HandsomeBoyMe188—a ragtag group of oddballs standing there dumbfounded.
"From now on, you listen to me."
Master Huixin rarely spoke so directly, catching the other two off guard.
HandsomeBoyMe188, used to the master's gentle and kindly demeanor, snorted dismissively, "There's only the three of us left. Is there really a need to compete—"
Before he could finish, Master Huixin clamped his hand around HandsomeBoyMe188's throat, knuckles turning white from the pressure. The monk's arm, revealed under the sleeve of his robe, was taut with force. Gone was the gentle peacemaker from moments before.
With HandsomeBoyMe188's ear pressed close, he could hear every detail—the gurgling sounds from the other's throat, the muffled noise of the master's palm pressing against his windpipe. He even caught the low, hoarse whisper from the master's lips: "Benefactor, since you won't listen to reason, quiet down for a while—so you stop disrupting the order."
"I'll l-listen... I'll listen to you..."
Master Huixin got the answer he wanted but didn't let go immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to Subway Line 5.
"I'll listen to you too..."
There was no room for bravery at a time like this. HandsomeBoyMe188 and Subway Line 5 even began to suspect that this guy was a fake monk possessed by a demon. The ruthlessness in his eyes was too obvious—written plainly as, "If you don't agree, you die."
"Amitabha. This humble monk has just been discourteous."
HandsomeBoyMe188 and Subway Line 5 cursed him out in their hearts while forcing obedient expressions on their faces.
Master Huixin suddenly understood why Invincible Black Cyclone led the team the way she did. He let out a heavy sigh.
I wish to serve the Buddha, but...
When the Phosphorus-Armored Worms completely split from the monster horde and began searching again for humans with energy cores, Qi Xu's team had already adjusted quite well.
Qi Xu had even carefully mapped out the perfect escape route!
Just then, Qi Xu's group suddenly spotted a sneaky figure, vaguely human-shaped. At first, they thought it was some monster in disguise, but as they got closer, they realized...
It was Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy.
As if nothing had happened, she showed no embarrassment or awkwardness over the earlier split. Instead, she greeted them enthusiastically.
But she only took one step before Xie Shaoning swept his arm out, using the black longsword in his hand to slash out a sword energy that stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't bring any random trash near us. Turncoat, get lost!"
No sooner had Xie Shaoning finished speaking than he got a thumbs-up from both Cheese Topping and Endless Longevity—one on each side. He couldn't suppress his grin anymore, tossed his hair, and started showing off.
Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy, on the other hand, began playing the pitiful card: "Boss Cyclone, I really know I was wrong. I want to team up with you again... Master Huixin's strength is totally useless. He tricked me. We're still in the same chat group. Can you give me one more chance? I'll do my best.
You know my skill can cause large-scale group control. In this situation, I'm very useful. I'll definitely—"
"Bye-bye."
Qi Xu couldn't be bothered to waste words with her. Sure, you should unite all possible forces, but—
This girl was too insincere. Even now, her little eyes were still darting around schemingly. Repeated betrayal was the thing Qi Xu hated most. If you leave, you leave. If you could stick it out to the end, you'd earn some respect—at least your strength would prove your worth.
Wang Buyu had just sent over a message: "In her heart, she's thinking of tagging along for the rewards. If the final distribution isn't to her liking, she'll try to get the players in the livestream chat to turn on you. Don't fall for it."
Qi Xu gave an imperceptible nod. Even without Wang Buyu's warning, he had no intention of taking her back.
Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy's smile froze on her face. She had dared to leave Master Huixin because she thought she could come crawling back.
Though Invincible Black Cyclone had always acted decisive and ruthless, from the little details, you could see her kindness was no less than the monk's. And the people in her team weren't worth worrying about—everyone listened to her.
She never expected Qi Xu to reject her. Panic set in.
"Boss Cyclone, what I said was true. I'll definitely—"
"Don't block the way. And don't make me get physical."
Qi Xu's expression was stern, even a little angry. Only then did Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy quickly step aside.
Cursing in his head, Qi Xu thought, This girl is something else. She dares to say my kindness is no less than the monk's? Is that supposed to be an insult? How dare she!
Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy had no choice but to scurry back to find Master Huixin. Surviving out here alone for over ten hours? Impossible! She couldn't do it.
Over on Qi Xu's side, everything was perfectly arranged. They found an ideal hiding spot—a few large boulders that formed a tight, windproof nook. Together, they dug a hole.
It connected right to the gap between the boulders, and they split the seven people into two groups.
"Endless Longevity, Xie Shaoning, and Ember Kiss Starlight Moon are one group. Wolf Warrior 005, Cheese Topping Eight Percent Sugar, and Wang Buyu are the other group. The two groups will take turns running with all the energy cores along the route we just scouted.
The other group rests and recovers. If you run into danger—even if you haven't finished the lap—head straight back by the shortest route. Safety first."
"Understood."
"Got it!"
"Boss Cyclone, cough, you go with the other group. I've recovered. I can handle it with Xie Shaoning and Cool Sister." Endless Longevity said confidently.
But Qi Xu shook his head. "I'm in good shape. No problem. I can keep up with both groups. There are too many energy cores. Having me there will make everyone feel more at ease. Don't stress about the results. We'll divide the rewards according to contributions. I want a lot, so I have to put in the work too."
This was a rare, thrilling training opportunity, and Qi Xu couldn't bear to let it go.
Besides, the whole server was livestreaming. He had to perform well to truly become the undisputed strongest on the server, the one everyone looked up to.
Survival games worked like that—if you wanted more resources to keep growing stronger, you couldn't be afraid to stand out.
It was the same logic as whether or not to broadcast in the server-wide announcement. The game default: the strong must always stay in the spotlight. When it's time to shine, you have to shine!
..........
