Chapter 1249 Working Together "So, how many of us here are being accompanied by an Exile?" Chen Huacheng asked them before raising his own hand. And he continued, "I met mine a month ago, and my progress has skyrocketed since then." Three more individuals there raised their hands. "Wilson Junior, Zheng Yanwu, and Gu Banqiao, huh?" Fiery Queen named these three. "Xiong Lu, you don't have an Exile?" Chen Huacheng asked him. "N-No..." Xiong Lu hesitated, unable to divulge the grim truth that his Exile had already met their demise at Yuan's hands, as he was certain that they would make him into a laughingstock for such a blunder. "So, four out of ten of us have an Exile, huh? This makes me wonder just how many more players out there are receiving assistance from them," mused Zheng Yanwu, a young man with a scholarly appearance. "Wait. How does one even acquire an Exile?" Fiery Queen suddenly asked. She turned to look at the four with an Exile and continued, "How did you guys meet yours? Is there a specific location where you meet them? "As far as I am aware, they don't have any specific locations or triggers. They are scattered about in the Nine Heavens, so it's entirely up to fate whether you encounter one or not— kind of like hidden quests." Wilson Junior said, and he continued, "I encountered my Exile in Second Heaven about three months ago during a quest." "I also encountered mine randomly while adventuring in Third Heaven." Gu Banqiao added. "Same here." Chen Huacheng chimed in. "Damn it! There must be some kind of pattern or method to encounter them!" Queen Fiery exclaimed in frustration, her desire for an Exile's assistance burning within her. 'At this rate, I'll end up lagging behind everyone— even to some nobody who lucked out with an encounter, like Player Yuan!' Fiery Queen's concerns were shared by those without an Exile. It was becoming increasingly evident that having an Exile's assistance was pivotal to their success in Cultivation Online, and the disparity between those with and without an Exile would only widen as time passed. "Now that I think about it, Player Yuan received a Divine-grade servant even before the Second Heaven was unlocked. It's no wonder that his progression was so much faster than the rest of us! That bastard's had help from an Exile from the start since First Heaven!" Li Hongzhi, who did not have an Exile, exclaimed in vexation. Xiong Lu then spoke, "Not just that. His Exile was terrifyingly powerful. I watched her slay a Peak Spirit King without breaking a sweat— it was like watching an adult messing around with a damn toy! I have never seen anyone that dreadful before!" The room fell silent for a moment until someone said, "Anyways, what do you want us to do with this information?" After a moment of silence, Xiong Lu spoke in a cold voice, "His Exile may be powerful, but I doubt she's strong enough to handle multiple Exiles at once. If we group up and kill the Exile, Player Yuan's progression will definitely come to a halt, and we'll no longer have to worry about him! He's useless without the Exile!" "What?! That's unacceptable! I refuse to be a part of this cowardly nonsense!" Bai Lihua declared as she stood up, her face filled with anger. Xiong Lu looked at her and sneered in disdain, "Why? Because you're screwing him?" "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bai Lihua's brow furrowed deeply, her gaze oozing with killing intent. "Did you think we wouldn't find out about what happened between your Bai Family and the Zheng Family? I wouldn't be surprised if you had offered your body to him for his services. Why else would he bother paying attention to the Bai Family?" "You utter bastard, Xiong Lu! How dare you slander me with that load of crap! It's clear you're just bitter because Yuan knocked you off your high horse! And your desire to gang up on him is nothing but a testament to your own inadequacy! You're nothing more than a damn coward and a sore loser!" Bai Lihua seethed with rage, her words dripping with contempt. "You dare mock me?! I've been number one even before you started playing your first game, White Lotus! Do you think he's beaten me just because he got a little lucky with an Exile?! Delusional!" Xiong Lu roared back, his heart filled with rage. "Delusional or not, it's still a fact that Yuan's above you in Cultivation Online and in real life! You're just in denial!" "Fuck! Don't you let me see you in the game! I swear I will make you regret mocking me, White Lotus, you fucking bitch!" "Calm down, both of you," the others intervened, attempting to defuse the escalating tension in the room. "Hmph! If you want to group up and fight Yuan, go ahead! I won't be part of it! In fact, even if everyone here gangs up on him, you won't win! Goodbye!" Without saying another word, Bai Lihua's avatar disappeared from the room. After Bai Lihua left, the room descended into a heavy silence, punctuated only by the audible sound of Xiong Lu's labored breathing. "I won't waste any more of my breath. If you don't want to work with me to deal with Player Yuan, you may get out of my sight right now. However, just know that you will never receive the Xiong Family's support ever again if you refuse to help." The others swallowed nervously in the wake of his ominous words. Although they might not have appeared particularly significant on the surface, the Xiong Family held a formidable and influential position in the world, maintaining their coveted rank at the pinnacle of the Legacy Rankings for well over a century. They were definitely a powerhouse that one cannot afford to offend. When nobody left the room even after a whole minute, Xiong Lu sat back down and nodded, "Good, then let us begin." "Wait a moment." Fiery Queen suddenly interrupted. "What is it?" Xiong Lu glared at her. "What should we do with White Lotus? She knows of our plans and will definitely snitch to Player Yuan." "I'm sure she will do just that, but there's no need to worry. Even if she does tell Player Yuan about our plans, they won't know when or how it will happen, and Player Yuan will have to constantly watch she does tell Player Yuan about our plans, they won't know when or how it will happen, and Player Yuan will have to constantly watch his back." Xiong Lu said. "If you say so..." Fiery Queen nodded.