This crossover traveler's strength surpassed that of the Four Emperors. It was probably at the Six Paths level—perhaps a bit beyond, though even so, the ceiling wouldn't be all that high. At the very least, Uchiha Madara as he currently stood could certainly engage the target in battle.
Besides herself and Uchiha Madara, there were two other group members. Four against one—no matter how you looked at it, losing simply wasn't an option.
Lin Fengjiao: "Ahem—I know I participated last time, but there's no limit on how many times you can join a task."
Lin Fengjiao: "I think I should still be able to contribute something."
Uncle Nine felt a little sheepish about it, all things considered. He had already taken part in the previous task. But the rewards tied to tasks like these were simply too precious to pass up—even for a Taoist priest, there was no refusing them.
After all, what kind of Taoist priest didn't pursue the Great Dao?
The Demon-Subduing Dao-Heart he had earned before had given him a substantial boost in strength, and his cultivation speed had risen noticeably as well.
Boil the Ancient One into Soup: "Nobody can say no to task rewards."
Ordinary Mortal Zhang Zhiwei: "This old Taoist's strength won't drag anyone down, will it?"
Uchiha Dance King: "Zhang Zhiwei, Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon-Tiger Mountain—I'm quite interested in your strength."
Uchiha Dance King: "After the task is over, how about we try it out in the Virtual Combat Arena?"
Ordinary Mortal Zhang Zhiwei: "No need to put me on such a pedestal."
The combat power of the early Naruto era was, in Zhang Zhiwei's assessment, little more than something mildly impressive with regard to ninjutsu—hardly worth calling truly formidable.
But once the battle between Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju had unfolded, he had been genuinely shaken.
If it had been the Madara of the early era, he could have traded blows with him. But Six Paths level? Don't underestimate a Taoist priest just because he doesn't watch anime—he had been catching up on the series these past few days, and the time he'd put in was no less than what these younger folks had managed.
He knew perfectly well what Six Paths-level power meant.
Zhang Sanfeng: "It seems this old Taoist doesn't have the ability to participate..."
Though the version of him from other worlds sounded formidable enough, his current self within the chat group sat firmly at the bottom in terms of strength.
For this task, he genuinely did not have the qualification to join.
Dried-Fish Sister Xiao Mai: "Don't feel bad, Zhang-daoshi. Watching the livestream with us is perfectly fine."
Dried-Fish Sister Xiao Mai: "Wait—you will be livestreaming, right?"
As she typed that, Xiao Mai suddenly remembered the last time they had gone without a livestream, and asked with a pitiful tone.
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "That depends on who gets selected. If I make it in, I'll livestream."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Alright, alright—enough talk. Let's just get started."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Chat group—I may not be much, but I am the group owner. If you don't give me a slot this time, just you wait."
Roxie Vale said this with a vicious edge.
But in reality, she spoke aloud at the same time:
"Chat group, I've never once asked you for anything before. This time, count it as me asking—please. There are too many people around right now, so let me kneel down to you here."
"I am the group owner, after all. Without me, I'd lose all face."
"If you stay silent, I'm taking that as your agreement, okay?"
After she finished speaking, Roxie Vale activated the chat group's roulette function. The names of every group member whose strength met the threshold and who wished to take part in this task all appeared on the wheel at once.
As the roulette spun, every group member's heart began to pound in unison.
Before long, the three members selected alongside Uchiha Madara were decided—
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner, Child of Nature, and Most Ancient God-Slayer.
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Yes! Yes! I actually got selected!"
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Hahahaha—the great Roxie Vale is finally rising to the occasion!"
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "This task is only a small step for me, but a giant leap on my path to greatness!"
Roxie Vale could no longer contain her excitement. She genuinely hadn't expected her own name to come up.
She had always felt this way—how could the group owner possibly be shut out of every single task? It was practically her birthright.
Thinking back to the rewards that Brandon White and the others had earned from previous tasks, the smile stretching across her face was impossible to hold back.
Most Ancient God-Slayer: "As expected, I was selected."
Most Ancient God-Slayer: "@Wuxia King—just you wait. After this task, I will definitely enhance successfully."
Most Ancient God-Slayer: "There will be only one strongest in the God-Slayer World. And that is me."
Wuxia King: "Luo Hao!"
Most Ancient God-Slayer: "Hmph."
Most Ancient God-Slayer: "That title can stay with you for a few more days. Before long, it will return to me once again."
Wuxia King: "Don't talk as though you ever had it in the first place."
Richest Man: "What a shame—I still didn't make it this time."
Richest Man: "Hold on—everyone from last time... @Child of Nature, why are you in there?"
Richest Man: "You participated last time too. How did you end up getting selected again?"
Richest Man: "This kind of luck..."
Child of Nature: "shrug.jpg"
Child of Nature: "There's nothing I can do about luck."
Most Evil Elf: "..."
Sacred Guardian Left Wing: "Being selected twice in a row is one thing. But if he keeps getting chosen in the next task—or even the ones after that—"
Sacred Guardian Left Wing: "Then I'd have good reason to suspect it isn't a matter of luck at all."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Always getting selected? That's impossible."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "You all might have forgotten—I am the group owner of this chat group."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "In chat-group novels, the group owner always occupies one slot in every task. That's simply how it works."
Perfectly Ordinary Group Owner: "Last time I just didn't have the strength. Now, though—heh heh heh."
Roxie Vale wore a wide grin as she indulged in fantasies of claiming a slot in every future task, ascending step by step until she reached the very pinnacle.
As for Brandon White?
Just good luck, that's all.
I am the true protagonist of this chat group!
Kasumi Shiko: "I don't know why, but I have a feeling the group owner just dug herself into a massive hole."
Dried-Fish Sister Xiao Mai: "+1 +1, agree.jpg"
"..."
The participating group members had been confirmed. The transfer would begin automatically in ten minutes.
Brandon White stepped back from the chat group and turned his gaze to the battlefield spread out before him. By now, both the Mutant Silver Wolf and Skyler Quinn had been pushed to the very edge of what their bodies could endure.
The injuries on both of them were painfully obvious—blood soaked through their clothes and stained their skin.
"It started right when the chat began, and it's wrapping up just as the chat ends."
"The middle part went by awfully fast, though..."
Brandon felt a flicker of surprise. Had he really spent that long chatting in the group?
"HOWL!"
The Mutant Silver Wolf let out a tremendous roar. Its entire body radiated a dense, swirling silver luminescence, while a sphere of energy—crackling with violent, searing light—churned and swelled within its maw.
"ROAR!"
Accompanied by a dragon's cry, endless flames converged upon Skyler Quinn. Above him, they condensed into a colossal dragon wreathed in fire, its golden eyes blazing with ancient authority. A suffocating, oppressive presence rolled off it in waves.
It was only a phantom—and yet it felt utterly, terrifyingly real.
"BOOM!"
The Mutant Silver Wolf's attack and Skyler Quinn's collided. The impact tore through the air with a sound that shook the very ground.
(End of Chapter)