New Group Members Stabbing Each Other in the Back, Yet Still Admiring Fangzheng the Most

Three "newbies" had joined the group chat, and as the group owner, Chen Yi, despite his busy schedule, still had to spare a moment to give them a perfunctory welcome.

To be honest, waiting for the system to actively recruit new members was far too slow. Aside from the three founding members and Liu Ruyan, none of the latest additions had been invited through the system's normal procedures—Chen Yi had snatched them all through legitimate means.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with taking it slow, nurturing the newbies from scratch and ensuring their loyalty through careful cultivation. But inviting some seasoned veterans into the group would open up even broader horizons for Chen Yi!

[TMD, the Tribulation Is Still Chasing Me (Group Owner): Mu Chen, shut up. There are no privileges in this group. Respect is earned through strength. New members, start with a simple self-introduction.]

[Back to the Crowd: Haha, bro, I’m just too excited! You know me—I’ll behave in the group, so I’ll keep it short. I’m Mu Chen, late-stage Deity Transformation realm, current combat power 9.85 million. Do I deserve your respect?]

[Building in Another World: Group Leader, I’m Wang Jian. I transmigrated to a primitive world and now lead a tribe. By pioneering the Five Elements Construction Path and guiding the evolution of civilization, I’ve helped the weak human race stand firm in a world teeming with powerful races. The heavens favored me, bestowing the Five Elements Body Tempering Technique. My current combat power is 5.21 million!]

[I Want a Harem!: Ahem, Group Leader, don’t let my username fool you—it’s just a silly name I chose when I first transmigrated. I’m actually super proper!

Here’s my intro: I’m Shen Lang, the free-range Saint of the Enlightenment Sect. Though I have many female admirers, I’ve always kept myself pure. Current combat power: 6.66 million.]

"Tsk—"

On the Tianxu Continent, Fang Zheng, who had just finished his daily cultivation, couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath before bursting into laughter.

"Hahaha! The heroes of this world are as countless as fish in a river! Today, not only did I lose my spot as the runner-up, but I’ve also been pushed out of third and fourth place! Hahaha... Good, this is great! Everything I’ve lost today, I’ll take back!"

After laughing, his gaze suddenly turned as unshakable as stone.

To be honest, he had been slacking off in his cultivation lately—only training for ten hours a day! On top of working on projects for Zhao Gao, he even had to spare time to handle family affairs?

Decision made: he’d pass the family headship to Fang Fan ahead of schedule. That brat had been cultivating single-mindedly, constantly demanding resources from him, and his progress was even faster than his own!

It was time to temper his arrogance!

And so, the avatar of [I Really Don’t Want to Be Sacrificed] silently turned gray.

No one noticed at the time—except for Chen Yi, who picked up on the change immediately.

But he said nothing, merely curling his lips into a subtle smirk.

Sometimes, pressure was the best motivator. Fang Zheng had fallen behind, but his potential and ceiling far surpassed everyone else in the group.

Given time, the gap would close, and he’d surpass them all!

Unyielding, never discouraged, with immense perseverance—this was why Chen Yi had always admired him.

Compared to Fang Zheng, the rest of the group was a bunch of misfits.

[Back to the Crowd: Shen Lang, you’re full of crap! Back when I went to your world to help, you dragged me straight to a massage parlor! You played around like there was no tomorrow, and now you’re pretending to be pure? Pure my ass!]

Mu Chen had finally found an outlet for his pent-up grievances.

When Chen Yi had asked for recruits, he couldn’t refuse, so his good buddy Shen Lang had ended up on the list.

Though he hadn’t actually been sold off, Shen Lang had cursed him out for it!

If not for their decades-long friendship—fighting side by side, visiting brothels together—he would’ve kicked this bastard out long ago! (For details, revisit Chapter 29.)

Damn it, was it so wrong to push him out of his comfort zone?

Wasn’t it all for his own growth?

Brothers should be heart-to-heart, but this guy just didn’t get it!

Now that he had the chance, did Shen Lang really think he could play the innocent?

Then don’t blame him for exposing the truth!

[I Want a Harem!: Mu Chen, you bastard!!!]

[I Hate Cilantro: Shen Lang, I’m right here. You claim you’ve kept yourself pure—really?]

[Cold Palace Resident: Oh? Drama? Spill the tea, sis.]

[I Want a Harem!: Ahem, Sister Yuanyuan, that was the past. I’ve quit now!]

[Unemployed God of Light: Bro, I get you, but quitting? Impossible. I lasted a few days and it felt like ants were crawling under my skin—unbearable!]

[Runner-Up in Cultivation: Sounds like you’ve lived a little...]

[Sword Immortal of Two Empty Sleeves: Hard to quit? Not really. I did it. Listen to me, brothers—lust is a bone-scraping blade. It’ll only erode your will!]

[Fallen Genius: Brothers, I think you’ve misunderstood the Group Leader’s intentions. Let me be fair here—Group Leader, may I speak?]

With Fang Zheng, the master instigator, temporarily offline, Xiao Chunan seized the moment to step into the spotlight.

Honestly, Chen Yi was curious to hear his take—could he grasp the deeper meaning like Fang Zheng had?

[TMD, the Tribulation Is Still Chasing Me: 1]

With permission granted, Xiao Chunan’s heart leaped.

After quietly studying Fang Zheng’s methods for so long, it was finally his turn to shine!

If Fang Zheng wasn’t going to seize the chance to please the Group Leader, he would!

[Fallen Genius: After careful consideration, the Group Leader’s message is clear. He doesn’t forbid us from finding partners—he just doesn’t want us distracted by romance!

Cultivation is the foundation of life. It’s fine to relax and enjoy ourselves, but never at the expense of progress. In other words, this group bans simping!

Take Sister Yuanyuan, for example—she practices the Yin-Yang Harmony Path and spends her days dual cultivating, yet the Group Leader not only doesn’t scold her but even supports her. So there’s no need to fear dual cultivation. As long as your Dao heart remains focused, the Group Leader won’t punish you!

Group Leader, did I get it right?]

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Chen Yi shook his head slightly.

Well...

It was passable.

The meaning was roughly correct, but coming from Xiao Chunan, it just didn’t hit the same way Fang Zheng’s words would.

Ah, perhaps this was just talent. Fang Zheng’s dominance in this field might be unshakable.

[TMD, the Tribulation Is Still Chasing Me: 1]

After giving Xiao Chunan a simple acknowledgment, Chen Yi closed the chat and opened his personal account tab.

There was still an unclaimed reward from a free mission.

He’d been holding off on claiming it, worried that leveling up too quickly would alert the big fish in the public channels.

The gap between Level 39 and Level 40 is like an insurmountable chasm. The most obvious sign is in the public chat zones—Level 39 usernames appear in plain white, while Level 40 names blaze in eye-catching red!

For a newly established beginner’s group, this level of visibility is far too conspicuous. Anyone with half a brain would realize something’s off about this group.

But after catching Guyuan, a big fish from the second group, and learning that the higher-level groups’ old-timers had already taken notice, what’s the point of hiding anymore?

Remember, straight hooks catch the biggest fish—if they’ve got a problem, let them come and test their luck!

Coincidentally, the Violet Heavenly Dao had just finished recalibration, resolving the rejection issues with the nascent Immortal Dao’s origin essence.

Once these nascent Immortal Dao laws were successfully transplanted onto the Violet Continent, the next step would be seeking even higher-tier True Immortal Dao origin essence.

Better to prepare early—it was time to start laying the bait.

"Claim the free mission reward!"