So This is a Free Task You're Making Me Work for Free

[Ding! The group leader has excellently completed the free mission. Rewards are being calculated.]

[Free mission rewards: 1 billion points, 100 million group EXP.]

[Rewards have been deposited into the chat group’s personal account. Please check.]

[Do you wish to return?]

"?"

"???"

"??????"

Chen Yi was momentarily covered in question marks as he stared at the sudden pop-up mission notification, wondering if he was hallucinating.

Is this for real?

The mission isn’t even fully done yet, and you’re already settling the rewards early? And with such a paltry amount?

You cap my combat power at 3 billion, and the reward is just 1 billion?

Are you kidding me?!

You think a measly amount of points is enough to hire an expert with over 3 billion combat power?

Dream on!

No wonder it’s called a "free mission"—must mean the rewards are freely skimped!

"System, you there? I’d like to have a word."

Feeling like he’d just been scammed, Chen Yi immediately opened the mission feedback interface, ready to vent.

[System busy, please—]

[Don’t ask. Each group member’s world has a maximum cap of 1 billion points. This rule prevents the group leader from endlessly exploiting members to farm points. Currently, Group 108 is at Level 39. If you want more, head to the Exorcism Dungeon.]

Chen Yi: "..."

Well, he’d expected the system to dodge again, but this time it actually gave a seemingly reasonable explanation.

"If this rule exists, why wasn’t it mentioned earlier? I suspect you just made it up on the spot!"

[System busy, please try again later.]

Damn it!

Here we go again!

After a long silence, Chen Yi quietly closed the mission panel.

Meanwhile, the West Sea Heavenly Dao was sweating bullets.

This lord had just been chewed out by the God of Light, and now he’d been silent for so long—was he pissed off?

"Esteemed guest from beyond, is there anything else you require assistance with? Please, feel free to command me!"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Chen Yi suddenly felt a wave of listlessness.

He’d originally planned to put some effort into Adolf Anlan to squeeze out a richer reward, but the system’s sudden interference left him feeling like he’d punched cotton.

Was it that he didn’t want to open the Exorcism Dungeon?

No, it was that the group members were too weak!

And the weak? They needed to train harder!

With that in mind, Chen Yi spoke up. "Let me ask you this—how long would it normally take for Adolf Anlan to cultivate to the rank of a 7th-tier mage?"

The West Sea Heavenly Dao hesitated before replying cautiously, "That depends... what do you mean by 'normal'?"

Chen Yi said calmly, "As fast as humanly possible, but no forced breakthroughs. He must retain his strength even after leaving this world."

The chat group system was precise in detecting combat power. Artificially inflating cultivation through external means was useless—if you couldn’t fight, you couldn’t fight!

Even someone like Fang Zheng, who relied on external artifacts, was no exception. The moment the Star-Suppressing Seal left his hands, he’d be dead meat!

Depend on mountains, and they’ll crumble; depend on trees, and they’ll fall. When working outside, the only one you can truly rely on is yourself!

The West Sea Heavenly Dao understood immediately. "Rest assured, I will provide the utmost support—bestowing upon Adolf Anlan the destiny of the new God of Light, allowing him to inherit the previous deity’s fortune. He will genuinely break through to 7th-tier lifeform status. The fastest would be... twenty years."

Now this was the kind of competence you’d expect from a seasoned Heavenly Dao.

Unlike some young, clueless Heavenly Dao that needed everything spelled out for them!

"Good. Twenty years it is. Don’t disappoint me." Chen Yi nodded slightly, his gaze profound.

Everyone in the group knew Adolf Anlan was a notorious womanizer. Getting him to focus on cultivation was like pulling teeth—he’d always end up "cultivating" in someone else’s bed.

But since the West Sea Heavenly Dao had given a concrete timeline, it surely had a solid plan in place.

Chen Yi hoped Anlan would prove himself. After all, he was the first in Group 108 to risk his life leading a charge. As the group leader, Chen Yi didn’t want him falling too far behind.

With everything settled, Chen Yi decisively took the Quasi-Immortal Dao Law Origin and returned.

Though the two worlds had evolved differently, with the foundation of the Quasi-Immortal Dao Law, no matter how recklessly the Zi Wei Heavenly Dao acted, it wouldn’t harm itself!

This was like using the West Sea World’s soil to grow his own tree. Once the tree flourished, he could transplant it back to his own land. If it failed, he’d only lose a precious Quasi-Immortal Dao Origin.

Besides, Chen Yi still had his interdimensional chat group. With enough effort, he could always find another pseudo-Immortal World to exploit!

Hell, he might even sneak into the real Immortal World and steal some Dao Law Origins!

After all, if the chat group dared to issue missions requiring 3 billion combat power, there had to be some big fish lurking in the public channels. Chen Yi wasn’t naive enough to believe otherwise.

The thought actually excited him.

No matter how great the Immortal World was, it had rejected him, even siccing the Immortal Ascension Tribulation on his tail. At this point, he couldn’t care less about it!

His own Zi Wei Heavenly Dao was far better—obedient, kind, and if he could nurture it to the point where he could move freely without suppressing his power, who needed the damn Immortal World?!

A golden nest or a silver nest could never compare to the comfort of home.

At this moment, Chen Yi added another grand ambition to his list—alongside conquering the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, he would elevate the Zi Wei Heavenly Dao until it matched, even surpassed, the Immortal World’s Heavenly Dao!

Whether he could pull it off depended entirely on how capable the chat group really was.

Soon, the clone that had completed the mission returned to the Illusory Star Cave Heaven via the teleportation channel.

Sizzle—

The moment Chen Yi’s true body retrieved the Quasi-Immortal Dao Origin, a unique ripple of Dao Law emanated.

Instantly, the Zi Wei Heavenly Dao came sniffing like an eager puppy.

"Yi-ge~ I smell Quasi-Immortal Dao Origin! Is it for me? It’s for me, right? I want it—"

"Hold on, let me erase the other Heavenly Dao’s imprint first!"

"Hurry up then... meow~"

The Zi Wei Heavenly Dao was as shameless as ever, morphing into an adorable beast and crouching beside Chen Yi’s true body, licking its lips and mewing pitifully.

Chen Yi had no choice but to speed up the refining process.

Why?

Because...

Damn it, it was just too cute.

If it were any other Heavenly Dao daring to rush him, Chen Yi would’ve slapped it into submission.

But this was the Zi Wei Heavenly Dao—it knew full well Chen Yi wouldn’t snap over something so trivial.

You’re really something, you sly little Zi Wei!