He Wuji wants it, but don't I, Chen, want it too

When there's only one new member in the group, they're called a newbie.

When there's a whole bunch of new members, they become a faction.

Especially when the twenty-eight newcomers are all old-timers—not just allies but also forcibly dragged into the group!

So, upon arriving in this new world, they naturally stick together for warmth, prioritizing control over the situation. As for having a say... forget it. It's just the black-hearted boss's one-man show. At best, they can suppress the veteran members to avoid workplace bullying...

Though they could easily overpower them with force, they’re still afraid of violence.

And what about the old-timers?

Forget bullying—how dare these old geezers, who’ve already been disciplined by their boss, try to lord it over them?

We were here first! Everyone climbed step by step with the boss to get where we are today—the absolute inner circle!

Even the celestial immortal Han Qianxue suffered their cold shoulders, and only someone as kind as Senior Xu Jinghong kept things harmonious.

And now these old-timers think they can rise to the top just because they outnumber us?

How dare you!

"Stay sharp, boys, don’t lose face!"

"In fists and kicks, we might fall short, but in verbal sparring... my blade is no less sharp!"

"Not a single step back! If we lose the initiative, we’ll be at their mercy!"

"Damn, these old-timers have higher cultivation, faster minds, and greater numbers. We’re losing the argument..."

"Eh? Message cooldown? The chat speed’s been throttled—they’ve slowed down. Did the boss intervene? It’s the boss!"

"Great news, Zhou Zheng’s joining the fray!"

"Brother Chu Nan’s here too!"

"Gu Yuan’s stepping in!"

"Fang Zheng’s warming up!"

"Hahaha, the advantage is ours!"

"..."

The merging of two factions always comes with growing pains.

The newcomers, like a dragon crossing the river, stick together in unfamiliar territory.

The veterans, like local serpents, push back against the impact.

Only after weathering this initial conflict can harmony prevail.

As the group owner, Chen Yi leans slightly toward the veterans, so he reins things in.

After all, the crossing dragon is too fierce—too many, too quick. Without suppression, the local serpents can’t mount an effective defense.

"Tsk."

"Out of thirty group members, twenty-nine are already under my control. Only the Little Golden Dragon remains..."

"Little Golden Dragon, oh Little Golden Dragon, stop struggling and just... sigh, this idiot’s so stubborn!"

In a corner of the immortal realm, after rescuing the controlled members from Wuji’s grasp, Chen Yi stared thoughtfully at the twitching Little Golden Dragon.

Ordinary members weren’t closely monitored—left to roam freely, they were easily stolen from Wuji without him noticing.

But the Little Golden Dragon was different!

He wasn’t directly controlled by Wuji; he remained conscious, though only intermittently.

From what Chen Yi observed, it seemed Wuji was... training the Little Golden Dragon.

At first, Chen Yi thought fusing a Dao Ancestor-level treasure to lower his rank for a complete mechanism was self-sabotage, tricked by Wuji!

But upon closer inspection, it wasn’t so simple.

There seemed to be a mechanism at play that he couldn’t quite grasp.

First, clarify this: Little Golden Dragon = Zhao Huazhen + the artifact spirit of the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk.

Second, the Primordial Chaos Creation Disk was incomplete—only one-fifth remained. Fusing a Dao Ancestor-level treasure meant melting just that fragment, affecting the artifact spirit but not Zhao Huazhen himself.

So, the fusion was like adding a variable to a constant, implying some subtle transformation.

Chen Yi didn’t fully understand the principle, but he reached a conclusion:

Fusing the treasure wasn’t self-destruction—it unlocked the Little Golden Dragon’s potential and broadened his path!

"Hiss—"

"First nurturing, now training... has Wuji taken a liking to the Little Golden Dragon?"

"If so, this just got complicated..."

Chen Yi’s gaze darkened as he weighed his options.

Honestly, he’d already hit the jackpot—snatching twenty-seven elite talents, all at least mid-stage True Immortals. Cutting his losses now would secure his gains.

But keeping them here as spies? No good.

Wuji wasn’t like Ling Xiao—he wasn’t one to pretend not to notice.

Chen Yi had only succeeded by exploiting Wuji’s focus on the Little Golden Dragon and the distraction of his nine Chaos Pearls. Once Wuji wrapped things up, he’d easily spot the tampered "puppets."

Leaving the members here would be like throwing meat to a dog—not only futile but also exposing Chen Yi’s interference.

So, the old-timers had to be taken wholesale.

But then again, the Little Golden Dragon’s abilities were too valuable!

The Violet Heaven Immortal Realm needed a skilled World Ascension Envoy to regulate the myriad realms.

Why could the immortal realm influence all worlds?

Because the Heavenly Tribulation could sense every ascendant being, summoning the Immortal Path and opening the gates!

The weak Violet Heaven Heavenly Dao lacked this reach—its influence wasn’t so vast.

But the Little Golden Dragon possessed this power!

If Chen Yi took all twenty-seven members now, Wuji would tighten defenses, cutting off any chance to rescue the Little Golden Dragon.

What to do?

If Wuji wants him, can’t Chen Yi want him too?

Should I retreat from his dominance?

"Fighting here is no good—it’s Wuji’s turf, and I only have two five-star avatars here. He holds all advantages; I’d be at a disadvantage."

"Shifting the battlefield to the Void Abyss would work. He’s so fastidious—wearing gloves even in his own domain—he’d hate reaching into the filth of the Void. Even if he forced himself, he’d hesitate. Then, the advantage would be mine, and he’d be at a disadvantage."

"But how do I sneak the Little Golden Dragon out from under Wuji’s nose?"

"This big dumb dragon isn’t controlled, just groggy. If I act, he’ll resist, and Wuji’s watching closely—he’d react instantly. I’d be at a disadvantage from the start..."

"The Time-Altering Disk... useless. Its mechanism is strong, but the Little Golden Dragon’s is stronger, and Wuji can take over anytime. If my five-star avatar gets suppressed, it’s trouble..."

"Sigh, if only I had a complete Chaos Supreme Treasure. Only mechanisms can counter mechanisms. Swinging a big halberd is only good for smashing things—no finesse..."

Just as Chen Yi brooded, Ye Wuchen delivered earth-shattering news!