1251 Massive Recruitment
"You want me to team up with other Exiles to deal with a single Exile? Hahaha! Are you messing with me, Zheng Yanwu?!" Zheng Yanwu's Exile, a stout middle-aged man, erupted in laughter at the absurdity of the suggestion.
"Let me finish, Xie Jin. She's not just any Exile— she's an Exile from the Asura Clan." Zheng Yanwu said the magic words.
"..." Xie Jin's laughter abruptly ceased, and his face froze, overtaken by a profound and visceral terror.
"A-Asura Clan...? You want me to fight someone from the Asura Clan?! Are you completely out of your mind?! I'd sooner devour my own tongue than meddle with those monsters!" Xie Jin exclaimed, his voice quivering with dread.
"Is this Asura Clan really that terrifying? I've only learned about them from a friend." Zheng Yanwu frowned.
"Are you seriously proposing that we take on the Asura Clan when you know absolutely nothing about them?" Xie Jin retorted incredulously.
"The Asura Clan was once one of the most notorious powerhouses in the Nine Heavens! They aligned themselves with the Evil God and massacred countless cultivators, ultimately even killing the Celestial Emperor himself! Because of their crimes, their entire clan was banished to the Primordial Realm for the rest of their lives!" Xie Jin explained with a tone of gravity, providing context about the Asura Clan's dark history.
And he continued, "Even a hundred of us would not be able to defeat one of them, much less a dozen of us!"
Zheng Yanwu was inclined to believe that Xie Jin might be exaggerating and responded, "Even if that's the case, their powers should be restricted as an Exile."
"You clearly know nothing about them. What's terrifying about the Asura Clan isn't just their power; it's their very nature," Xie Jin sighed in a defeated manner, emphasizing the sinister essence that made the Asura Clan so fearsome. "They are a bunch of crazy bastards that wouldn't hesitate to torture your entire family if you accidentally bump into them."
"In any case, I strongly recommend against getting involved in this endeavor, unless you have a desire for a gruesome demise," Xie Jin warned with utmost seriousness.
Zheng Yanwu lapsed into silence upon witnessing Xie Jin's strong reluctance to join their campaign against Yuan's Exile. Xie Jin was known for his ruthlessness, even willing to slaughter innocent bystanders without hesitation, yet his unwavering determination to avoid the Asura Clan was a revelation that left him astounded.
"Fine, if you don't want to join, I won't pressure you. But I'm going to be a part of this even if I have to go alone. That scoundrel Yuan... He murdered my cousin and wreaked havoc in my family! I won't let him go unpunished!" Zheng Yanwu declared with determination.
Following Yuan's intervention in the conflict between Bai Lihua and Zheng Weimin, the Bai Family and the Zheng Family became sworn enemies. Furthermore, the Zheng Family which was ranked 5th in the Legacy Ranking before the drama occurred was dropped to the 8th place, slapping their faces even further.
"You stubborn fool…" Xie Jin shook his head and thought, 'I will probably have to start looking for a new master soon…'
Several cities away, Gu Banqiao was having a similar conversation with his Exile, who was a pretty lady.
"Since we don't know if this Exile is truly from the Asura Family or not, I won't make a decision until I see her myself. However, until then, I'll cooperate with you and the other Exiles. And in exchange for my cooperation, you'll let me have some fun later without any complaints."
Gu Banqiao shivered upon hearing her words, sensing a deeper and more ominous implication beneath their surface.
"Fine, just don't kill too many people," he sighed.
Sometime later, everyone gathered at the round table.
"How did it go? Did you guys manage to convince your Exiles to cooperate with each other?" Xiong Lu asked them.
"My Exile is willing to cooperate," Wilson Junior said.
"My Exile refused to give an answer until she saw the target for herself," said Gu Banqiao.
"Well, my Exile has outright refused to cooperate. He wants nothing to do with the Asura Clan— or so he said." Zheng Yanwu sighed, and he continued, "But I will continue trying to convince him. Even if he doesn't cooperate, I will do whatever I can to help."
"I understand. I'm sure those who are unwilling to cooperate will change their mind once we gather more forces." Xiong Lu said.
And he continued,"Now, on to the next matter. Wilson Junior, Zheng Yanwu, Gu Banqiao, I have a crucial mission for the three of you. I want you to use your own Exiles to seek out other Exiles. If that Exile doesn't have a Master, inform us so those without an Exile can have an opportunity to acquire one. If they already have a Master, I want you to recruit them, no matter the cost."
"Using our Exile to look for other Exiles, huh? This is pretty genius…" Wilson Junior muttered.
"How much time are we going to use to prepare for this whole campaign?" Zheng Yanwu asked.
"As much time as we need, but that does not mean we should take our time. If we take too long and Player Yuan reaches a point where we cannot defeat him even if we work together, we'll be screwed."
"If time is of the essence, we can use the Ten Great Families' power and influence. If we make an announcement about this, we should get a few recruits. Things will definitely progress much faster this way." Gu Banqiao suggested.
Xiong Lu nodded in agreement. "That's a sound plan. I'm certain the knowledge of Exiles will become public eventually. We should leverage our influence to recruit them before it becomes common knowledge," he concurred.
Thus, the following day, nine of the ten Great Families came together and collaborated with each other in a single, massive recruitment, something that had never been done before.
They announced that they were recruiting Players with an 'Exile', offering immense benefits, such as fame, wealth, and power, something the Ten Great Families were fully capable of fulfilling. However, they did not elaborate on the existence of Exiles, so their announcement also puzzled countless Players.