Increasingly Strange Moral Standards

"City of the Chosen?"

Zhou Yue raised an eyebrow at the name.

"Chosen" naturally referred to those favored by destiny.

What cultivator wouldn’t dream of being the Child of Destiny?

The words "City of the Chosen" brimmed with irresistible allure.

"Shh! Keep it down, old Zhou..."

Zhong Yi hastily made a silencing gesture.

"Are you stupid? The more people know, the more will go... and the more competition we’ll have for treasures!"

Zhou Yue was baffled. "Weren’t you the one who said, 'A true man should...'?"

"I..."

Zhong Yi’s face flushed.

"Was I doing it for myself? I was doing it for the three of us! For our team!"

The "drop zone" in Eternal Conflict was much larger than in PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds from his past life. No matter the flight path, most areas were accessible.

Even the few unreachable spots didn’t matter—Lu Ze had expanded the map significantly, filling it with richer details and more locations.

There was no need to worry about resource scarcity or the ensuing chaos.

In contrast, players’ movement speed and agility had been noticeably enhanced.

Zhong Yi had already calculated the closest drop point to the City of the Chosen based on the airship’s trajectory.

At the moment, the airship was buzzing with noise.

"Fellow cultivators, where are you all heading?"

"This one’s a wood-attribute cultivator—anyone for the Valley of Thousand Shadows?"

"How about the City of the Chosen? The name sounds promising!"

"What’s so great about the City of the Chosen? I’m the real Chosen One! Wherever I stand becomes the City of the Chosen! And I’m not afraid to tell you—I’m dropping at Stranded Beach. Any of you dare come fight me there?"

"Damn, this guy’s got a mouth on him! I’ll go beat him senseless!"

"Come on then, Stranded Beach—let’s see who’s tougher!"

"Chu Feiyu, was it? Say no more—Stranded Beach it is!"

Under the open provocation of a cultivator named Chu Feiyu, the crowd erupted in anger, many vowing to follow him.

Seeing this, Zhong Yi and his two companions exchanged knowing smiles.

They even pretended to be outraged, stirring the pot further by shouting, "Anyone who doesn’t go to Stranded Beach is a coward!"

As the airship neared Stranded Beach, Chu Feiyu leaped without hesitation, and a swarm of others followed.

Out of the 100 people on board, more than half vanished in an instant!

"Hahaha, perfect! They’ve all gone to Stranded Beach!"

Zhong Yi clapped his hands in delight.

By then, the airship had reached the optimal drop point for the City of the Chosen.

"Old Zhou, Junior Mu—let’s go!"

At Zhong Yi’s command, the trio selected [Descend].

The barrier beneath their feet vanished, and they plunged downward at high speed.

Unlike their usual sword-riding or levitation, this free-fall descent—adjusting trajectory with body weight—felt thrilling and novel.

Each of them wore a small artifact at their waist—a Spirit Parasol.

Deploying it would slow their fall, a simple enough concept.

"Open parasols!"

Zhong Yi shouted, and the three activated their Spirit Parasols simultaneously.

Bathed in a milky-white glow, their descent slowed until they floated like dandelion seeds on the wind.

"Hah! Just as I thought—no one’s here!"

Zhong Yi glanced ahead at the empty sky.

"Now look behind you..." Zhou Yue’s voice came through.

Zhong Yi turned his head—and froze.

Dozens of cultivators swayed mid-air, swinging their Spirit Parasols as they drifted toward the City of the Chosen!

At the front of the pack was none other than Chu Feiyu!

"Damn it!! This guy’s a sneaky bastard!!!"

Zhong Yi paled.

Turns out, Chu Feiyu had deliberately taunted everyone into going to Stranded Beach—while he secretly aimed for the City of the Chosen!

Even worse...

The crowd behind him had all been playing the same game, pretending to fall for the ruse.

The only ones who’d actually gone to Stranded Beach were probably the rare few honest souls left in the cultivation world...

Zhong Yi couldn’t help but sigh. When had cultivators’ moral standards become so... twisted?

"This is insane... There’s at least 40 heading for the City of the Chosen!"

Zhou Yue counted the pursuers, his heart pounding.

And that didn’t include the late jumpers still above them.

"Relax, we’re faster!"

Zhong Yi said with confidence.

The trio angled their bodies downward, diving at full speed.

A few meters above the ground, the glow of their Spirit Parasols faded, and the artifacts vanished.

"Old Zhong! Chu Feiyu’s right behind us!"

Zhou Yue yelled the moment his feet touched the ground.

"Pound him!"

Three against one—no reason to hold back.

They charged fists-first.

Unfortunately, inside this illusionary realm, neither cultivation nor martial techniques worked.

With everyone’s stats equalized, a straightforward chase on flat ground wasn’t easy.

Chu Feiyu was clearly a seasoned trickster—he bolted the second he saw them, forcing the trio into a frantic pursuit.

"Ugh! Fighting bare-handed is so damn frustrating!"

Zhou Yue swung his fist angrily.

The short attack range and sluggish wind-up made it feel useless.

Cornered from three sides, Chu Feiyu rolled clumsily into a dilapidated tiled house.

Just as the trio surrounded it, a voice rang out from inside:

"Which sect are you from? If you’ve got the guts, come in one at a time! Ganging up is just pathetic!"

The challenge instantly ignited Zhou Yue’s competitive spirit.

"Old Zhong, guard the door. Junior Mu, watch the window... I’ll handle him myself!"

Chest puffed out, Zhou Yue strode into the house.

Less than three seconds later, he backed out just as quickly as he’d entered.

"RUN!! HE’S GOT A SPEAR!!!"

Behind Zhou Yue, Chu Feiyu emerged with a vicious grin, brandishing a long spear.

"Fear not, senior brother!!"

Mu Yawen laughed, stepping in front of Zhou Yue and Zhong Yi and planting his feet firmly.

"I’ve dabbled in mortal combat techniques too! Watch me disarm him barehanded—"

The moment his fingers touched the weapon—

THUD!

Mu Yawen was sent flying several meters back...