Chapter 188: The Inescapable Gloom

"But if crystal core energy suffers from shortages, won't that also create a certain degree of danger?"

This time, Lu Kai actually thought the matter through quite thoroughly.

"I believe everyone should trust Boss Chen Yi's words. Only by pooling the power of the crystal core energy together can it be utilized to its absolute limit. Trying to grow stronger in isolation is completely useless. Think about it: every time the Boss distributes power to everyone, has he ever uttered a single word about wanting to hold back any of that power for himself?"

"That's different."

Opposing voices rose from within the crowd.

"Chen Yi possesses exceptionally formidable abilities, which sets him apart from us. Why should we use his standards to second-guess our own thoughts? You are being arbitrary by saying that."

"Very well."

Chen Yi stepped forward directly, a trace of a gloomy aura in his gaze.

"Since some people have different ideas, I can gather all of your personal power and return it entirely to you. But the premise is that I will no longer grant you any capabilities beyond that portion. After all, I still need to sustain the power required by everyone else who is willing to follow me."

These words struck the crowd like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instilling a deep sense of fear in their hearts.

If things truly unfolded as Chen Yi described, they would lose all their privileges.

At this, they looked at one another, their eyes filled with a helpless expression.

"Even so, assuming what you say makes sense, once we take back our own crystal cores, we should still possess—"

Seeing Chen Yi brandish the sharp blade in his hand, the crowd dared not utter another word. After all, everyone by Chen Yi's side possessed extraordinary martial prowess; with the slightest misstep, how could any of them hope to escape?

Swallowing hard, the others exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss as to what to do.

Chen Yi, however, swiftly withdrew his blade, casting his gaze across the rest of the group.

"I can state one thing to you clearly today: if anyone dares to stir up chaotic noise on my turf and expects us to make sacrifices for it, unless they possess absolute certainty, they will pay the price for their actions."

"Exactly."

Lu Kai and the others began to grow eager. "We think you're right, Boss. Should we now..."

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Yi smiled once more. "The apocalyptic disaster is merely at its beginning. The bottlenecks we've encountered so far are things humans can handle, but as time goes on, it's hard to say how these people will fare."

"We don't want the crystal stone's energy anymore."

At that moment, those people suddenly changed their minds, but Chen Yi refused to agree.

"Get your things and take them back immediately, as fast as you can. I cannot tolerate people who act perversely and preach one thing while doing another here. So, get lost."

Swiftly separating them from their ranks once again, Chen Yi and his group were left with just over a hundred people.

Aside from the armies of the zombie monkeys and the Cat King, whose forces remained relatively stable, Chen Yi turned his gaze to Chu Yunxi and the others.

"You all need to be careful. After all, the few of us are thoroughly human. Even with our special abilities, we must maintain our guard; the slightest misstep could lead to mutation."

Chen Yi knew that once their bodies underwent mutation, it would become extremely difficult to survive as humans and continue earning rewards from the Calamity Spell Wheel or other sources.

Therefore, he had to ensure that Lu Kai and the others could walk the path all the way to the end by his side.

According to his memories from his past life, the battles ahead would grow increasingly fierce. Every zombie would spawn countless split entities, and lurking around them might already be mutated creatures capable of surveillance.

Chen Yi needed to eliminate the hidden dangers around him as quickly as possible. With that in mind, he cast a cold, renewed gaze upon those fickle individuals who kept hesitating between leaving and staying.

"Get yourselves ready immediately. Those who want to leave must do so quickly, and don't make me waste effort straightening you out."

"What kind of attitude is that?"

A man instantly lifted his chin, but the next second, Big Kunpeng delivered a kick that left him half-dead.

Witnessing this wretch's fate, Little Kunpeng clapped his hands in applause from the side.

"Serves you right! Speaking to our boss in that tone means you deserve to pay the price."

"Enough."

Waving a hand at Little Kunpeng, Big Kunpeng rolled up his sleeves, still feeling a sense of unfinished business.

"His attitude toward our boss aside, the guy actually dared to dream of escalating the trouble and making everyone's lives unstable. Tell me, isn't he asking for it?"

"That's why you need to step in and deal with him."

Little Kunpeng blinked his eyes, transforming back into his true form in the blink of an eye.

"Dad, is it my turn to step up now?"

"Nonsense, change back right now."

Big Kunpeng patted his son on the head. He knew the boy wanted to show off, but he didn't want Little Kunpeng to experience this kind of warfare.

Chen Yi shook his head nearby. "You can protect him once, but what about the future? Ultimately, he needs to rely on his own strength. Otherwise, everyone will be dragged down into trouble. I believe Little Kunpeng himself doesn't want to become a useless person."

Hearing this, Old Kunpeng fell into deep contemplation. Had his protection been excessive?

"Dad, let me go, I can definitely do it!"

Seeing his eager expression, the Kunpeng Boss finally nodded.

"Very well, since you have a way, you may handle this."

"No!"

The men rapidly knelt and begged for mercy. "We know we were wrong. We are willing to pay the price for this. Not only will we give you all the crystal stones, but we can also take the lead in charging forward against those adversaries."

"Unnecessary."

Chen Yi shook his head. "People like you taking the vanguard would only bring us more danger. Leaving is your only option; staying here with me is completely useless. Our food supplies are already scarce, and there is no need to share them with you."

"Brothers, let's fight them to the death!"

The red-haired man who had instigated the trouble gritted his teeth. "Since Chen Yi refuses to give us a chance, we'll seize it ourselves! I refuse to believe he can kill all of us. Charge!"

Watching the red-haired man charge forward like a madman, the crowd chuckled and shook their heads, then swiftly stepped forward to resolve the self-righteous group in just two or three moves.

Of course, following Chen Yi's instructions, they didn't kill them; instead, they temporarily stripped them of their ability to resist.

Looking at the unyielding expression on the red-haired man's face, Chen Yi sneered.

"You have completely lost."

The red-haired man gnashed his teeth.

"You win by dishonorable means! If you had let me act earlier, I could have rallied far more people!"

"Hmph!"

Lu Kai sneered once again.

"With your capabilities, even giving you ten chances would be utterly useless!"