Chapter 157 - 118: The Cluster Cannon Shows Its Might, Truth Is Only Within Firing Range!

Su Ruobing didn’t continue wasting words on Ji Fulin of Donglan City.

She tagged Li Chang’an in the group chat, sending a message: "You all should have heard of this Newcomer. He’s the Champion Scholar from the recent Reincarnator assessment, Li Chang’an. He just finished clearing out Cangxuan City and is now its City Lord!"

There were a total of three hundred fifty-two people in the group chat.

Most of them were just lurking; very few were actively posting.

In fact, despite seeing a Newcomer join, many had no intention of saying hello.

After all, an Exotic Beast Tide was likely to erupt next month. According to recent detections, this one was predicted to be the largest and most powerful in years, both in scale and energy intensity.

’It’s not even certain if this Newcomer can survive the Exotic Beast Tide.’

’If you get friendly with him now, what happens when he can’t fend off the Exotic Beast Tide and begs for help in the chat? Do you save him or not?’

’Save him?’

’The Exotic Beast Tide is incredibly dangerous. You’d be lucky just to protect yourself. Where would you find the resources to help a Newcomer?’

’Don’t save him?’

’But if you befriend him and then don’t help, who would ever dare be your friend again?’

Many in the group were veteran Reincarnators. Some were so shrewd, it was said even their eyelashes were hollow; they would never make a move that had only downsides and no benefits.

’Just ignore him. Not worth the trouble.’

However, when Su Ruobing introduced Li Chang’an as the Champion Scholar of the Reincarnator assessment, many of the lurkers suddenly had a change of heart.

They began popping up one after another to greet Li Chang’an.

This just went to show that the world of Reincarnators was also one where the strong preyed on the weak. The Reincarnator Association could prohibit open conflict, but it could never mend the fractures beneath the surface.

Li Chang’an had just joined the chat, which meant he was merely a Newcomer with no backing. Aside from a handful of top-tier figures who were already well-established, most Reincarnators in the group had little interest in mentoring their juniors.

But add the title of "Linjiang’s Champion Scholar," and his value proposition changed entirely.

For that exact reason, many people were now proactively greeting him, hoping to build a connection with Li Chang’an.

Li Chang’an wasn’t particularly moved by the attention. He took the initiative to type a message: "Hello, everyone. I’m Li Chang’an, the new City Lord of Cangxuan City. I’ll be in your care!"

Zhao Suran of Bajia City: "Champion Scholar Li, I graduated in the same class as you. My territory is Bajia City, which isn’t too far from Cangxuan City. We should keep in touch!"

With that, Zhao Suran from Bajia City sent Li Chang’an a friend request.

In the Main World, Li Chang’an tried not to make enemies unnecessarily.

Thinking that it was always good to have another friend, he accepted her request.

Caozhuang Anyi: "Li, I’m in Caozhuang. We may be a bit far from each other, but we share a connection. I graduated from Linjiang Second High School too, just a year before you!"

"Your graduating class is pretty unlucky, huh? You just got here and you’re already facing an Exotic Beast Tide the likes of which we haven’t seen in years. If you run into trouble, my abilities as your senior are limited, so I can’t promise I can help, but there are some helpful veterans in the group you can try asking for aid!"

After the crowd of sycophants and other assorted characters finished their greetings...

Deng Ankang, the Fire Lion City Lord, was the next to reply: "For Li to achieve such great results and still be willing to stay and contribute to Linjiang’s growth is truly admirable. You are a role model for us all!"

Qian Zhong of Blood Shadow City also replied: "Li’s decision was the right one!"

"This world is all about trade-offs. The great clans in the major cities might offer you excellent terms, but without any connections there, you’d just be a pawn for them. It’s fine if you can provide them with enough value, but if you can’t, those clans will eat you alive and spit out the bones."

"Linjiang might not be as prosperous, but it’s the place where you were born and raised. You have a natural sense of belonging here, without all those complicated troubles."

"Li, if you ever run into any trouble here in Linjiang, just say the word. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I, Qian Zhong, will absolutely help in any way I can."

Ji Fulin of Donglan City then piped up, adding, "Forgetting to add Linjiang’s own Champion Scholar, our rising star, to the group... Chairman Su, your work really isn’t up to snuff, is it?"

When he brought up Su Ruobing again, an awkward silence fell over the group chat.

No one said a word, but their collective silence spoke volumes.

’By all means, keep talking if you’re so good at it. Just make sure none of the blood splashes on us.’

In the end, it was Su Ruobing herself who broke the awkward silence. "Everyone, quiet down," she said coolly. "Since everyone’s here, I’ll announce the latest intelligence."

"According to the Association’s latest reconnaissance, the Dark Energy fluctuations in the Cave outside Linjiang City have exceeded 7.0. We predict that special Extraordinary Beasts may appear when the tide erupts."

"If any of you spot this type of beast near your cities, you must immediately notify the Reincarnator Association to identify its species."

"As long as these special beasts show no intention of attacking a city, Reincarnators below Tier Three should avoid provoking them at all costs."

"I’m sure you are all well aware of how terrifying special beasts can be, so I don’t need to elaborate."

"Additionally, the Reincarnator Association’s new list of Exotic Beast bounties is out. In the last few rounds, Linjiang’s overall point ranking has been near the bottom of Xiangnan Province."