Chat Group Restarts, True Gold Stands the Test of Fire, Black Iron Also Shines

Chen Yi had always shown due respect to the Immortal Emperor Wuji. After all, unlike Ling Xiao, who was constrained and even trapped deep within the River of Time—reduced to acting through a mere imprint of his will across endless epochs, unable to exert much of his true power—Wuji was a different story.

Yet even Ling Xiao, weakened to the point of near-powerlessness as a former Immortal Emperor, had managed to borrow Wuji’s power through his mastery of the Primordial Chaos Creation Dao, landing Chen Yi a heavy blow with a single strike of the Heaven-Earth Wuji Qiankun Seal!

If Wuji himself were to step onto the battlefield in person... even Chen Yi would have no choice but to retreat momentarily. He’d have to treat the situation with utmost seriousness, not daring to make any careless moves, lest Wuji seize the slightest opening to exploit.

Fortunately, Wuji had not personally intervened. He was fastidious to an extreme, his obsessive cleanliness so severe that he insisted on thick layers of protection before even setting foot in the lower realms, avoiding direct contact at all costs.

This hesitant, half-hearted approach of his was far less oppressive than Ling Xiao’s presence.

How to put it?

The two Immortal Emperors left entirely different impressions on Chen Yi.

Ling Xiao appeared weak at first glance, but in reality, he still packed a punch—enough to knock Chen Yi flat on his back if he got serious.

Wuji, on the other hand, seemed formidable at first glance, but in practice, he was soft and indecisive, as if playing hard to get, leaving Chen Yi utterly unable to decipher his true intentions.

“Well, at least one thing is clear now—he wants to unravel the secrets of my Chaos Prismatic Pearls!”

“Let him try. Without my will to activate them, those pearls are nothing more than condensed primordial essence anyway. They were gifts from the Immortal Ascension Tribulation—returning them wouldn’t be a loss.”

“Though, come to think of it, there are dozens of Chaos Prismatic Pearls hidden in this corner of the immortal realm, yet he insists on targeting the few Han Qianxue carries. I wonder if he genuinely hasn’t noticed them or is just pretending not to...”

“Hmm, probably the former. Given his aversion to direct contact, the feedback from his will projection is sluggish. Unless the Chaos Prismatic Pearls actively reveal themselves and jump in his face, he likely won’t detect them.”

“In that case, I won’t hold back!”

Chen Yi’s gaze deepened as he glanced at the foolish dragon convulsing over the nine Chaos Prismatic Pearls. Without a sound, he flicked out thirty-six more pearls, each wrapped in the same material used to craft the Veil of Heaven’s Shroud, and began silently setting up an array.

Setting aside the nine suppressed pearls, there were currently sixty-three Chaos Prismatic Pearls hidden in this corner of the immortal realm.

At most, they could only fuse into two four-star pearls, limiting their potential power. Meanwhile, under Wuji’s influence, the foolish dragon had foolishly fused a Dao Ancestor-grade treasure into a fragment of the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk—a move that degraded its rank but, in a way, made the dragon more complete.

It was worth noting that the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk was a Chaos Supreme Treasure, the foundation of an Immortal Emperor’s Dao. At its peak, even a Dao Ancestor-level powerhouse would struggle to subdue it, let alone beings below the Great Luo realm—the disk could crush them effortlessly.

Now, though fragmented, the little golden dragon held one-fifth of it. After fusing with a Dao Ancestor-grade treasure, it had at least reached the level of a pseudo-Chaos Supreme Treasure. Coupled with Wuji’s backing from the shadows, the extent of its power was anyone’s guess.

For safety’s sake, it was best to lay the groundwork first and wait for the remaining hundred Chaos Prismatic Pearls to arrive.

“That’s more like it, Sister Qianxue. We’re all on the same side—why would we ever harm you?”

Inside the immortal realm’s corner, as Han Qianxue absorbed vast amounts of immortal qi and harmonized with heaven and earth, emitting an aura of camaraderie, the other members smiled warmly at her.

“It’s free time now. Need me to show you around?” offered Murong Dugu, a man with strikingly feminine features, in a friendly tone.

Han Qianxue forced a professional smile. “Thanks, Seventh Brother, but no need. I’m not a child—I won’t get lost.”

“Hahaha, fair enough. Suit yourself.”

Murong Dugu chuckled before drifting away, swaying back and forth like an NPC in a game waiting for a player to trigger a quest.

He wasn’t the only one. The others were similarly occupied.

Shen Lingxi, formerly ranked second among the peak powerhouses and nicknamed “The Ever-Hungry Brat,” paced around the Land of Extreme Yin, soothing restless spirits, uprooting a Nine-Leaf Soul-Returning Herb only to replant it, and hauling chunks of Nethersoil back and forth...

Yao Suansheng, the former sixth-ranked powerhouse known as “The Primordial Heaven’s Brush,” dashed about in a Tai Chi Yin-Yang robe, clutching an engraving knife, looking busy yet accomplishing nothing discernible...

Su Le, the former eighth-ranked “Fallen Lord of Luochuan,” squatted on a branch of a towering divine tree, swaying his head absentmindedly, while below him, the fourth-ranked “Qianling’s Spark” swung a massive axe at the trunk...

The scene was harmonious yet undeniably eerie.

Han Qianxue’s heart ached, but her expression remained blank as she feigned camaraderie. Only after drifting out of sight did her vacant eyes regain clarity.

She wandered briefly, ensuring no one was watching, then froze in place like a wooden stake, sinking her consciousness into the depths of her mind to whisper:

“Boss, it was too crowded earlier. It’s safe now—what’s next?”

The next moment, the long-dormant anchor point of a certain chat group deep in her consciousness flickered faintly.

[Ding! Maintenance and upgrades complete!]

[The Multiverse Crossers' Mutual Aid Chat Group has successfully rebooted!]

In an instant, across countless worlds, pairs of dull eyes suddenly lit up.

“Hahaha! Heaven never seals off all exits!”

“Thirteen years—thirteen whole years! Do you have any idea how I’ve suffered?!”

“Pfft, the chat group only comes back after I’ve already become a Venerable? Even without it, I could still wipe out demons!”

“Damn witch still chasing me? My sword isn’t just for show!”

“......”

When Chen Yi had split the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk, he’d taken thirty-six chat groups, three Demon-Slaying Trial Grounds, and six Exorcism Dungeons with him.

The three trial grounds had been handed over to the Purple Star Immortal Court for public use, serving as examination sites to recruit talent.

The six dungeons had been converted into cultivation hubs, now perpetually packed.

Only the thirty-six chat groups had been left idle, their unfortunate crosser members abandoned without their golden fingers, forced to survive on their own, living life on the edge.

But today!

As the true master of these thirty-six chat groups, Chen Yi had noticed something—the little golden dragon, the artifact spirit of the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk, had crippled its own foundation, losing absolute control over the disk’s fragments...

It was time to reboot the chat groups!

He needed the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk’s rule-defying teleportation abilities!

“Hahaha! I’ll once again become the sharpest blade in the chat group!”

“My death will be beyond imagination—generate those quests now!!!”

Many members who’d planned to lay low abruptly halted their retreats, turning back with newfound confidence as they smirked at foes they’d once deemed unbeatable.

Chen Yi: ...

He had expected many crossers to perish during the chat group's shutdown. After all, as undocumented outsiders, they were neither favored by fate nor protected by the local Heavenly Dao—if the latter didn’t casually erase them, it was already a mercy.

But to his surprise, not a single one had died!

It had to be said, the tenacity of crossers was truly comparable to unkillable cockroaches!

The less talented ones played it safe, avoiding conflicts entirely. Even if opportunities were handed to them on a silver platter, they remained unmoved, stubbornly hiding away and waiting for the chat group to reopen.

The more talented ones were even more absurd. Without the cheat-like assistance of the chat group, they refused to take shortcuts and instead carved their own bloody path forward through sheer force!

"True gold fears no fire, and even black iron has its moment to shine. You’ve all done well. For this first wave of rewards after the reopening, I’ll double the funding for every one of you!"

Thirty-six chat groups, totaling 1,621 members—thirteen years of pent-up grievances erupted in an instant. They wouldn’t stop until they’d farmed to their hearts’ content!

Though the rewards were all in points, the Multiverse Store needed restocking. Without the supply from Ling Xiao’s treasury, Chen Yi had to foot the bill himself.

Of course, while he now commanded considerable wealth, his expenses were equally vast. Covering this funding wouldn’t hurt him much, but he’d much rather go squeeze some coins out of Ling Xiao.

After all, compared to Ling Xiao, all his assets combined were but a drop in the ocean!

But the immediate priority was delivering a hundred Chaos-Colored Pearls to support a corner of the Immortal Realm!