Chapter 262: I

Jia Ji thought for a long time, and ultimately arrived at two methods that weren't really methods.

First, quickly increase the member count to fifteen, and summon the exceptional Qiangzhe from every world.

Not to mention anything else—he alone could at best protect one city under a global nuclear explosion, and was utterly stretched thin.

But if there were enough "Crazy-level" Qiangzhe —about a hundred would do—they could collectively safeguard this planet without issue, reacting in time to eliminate the disaster before the nuclear blasts began.

Not to mention Yun Zǐ and Mián Yuè Fēngjī, who manipulate space and wield large-scale abilities; each could play an extraordinary role in this tech-based world, deploying things like " Guotulianchengzhen " and " Gaiyadajiejie " together.

He believed that once the group reached fifteen members, gathering the needed personnel from so many worlds would be no problem at all.

Even if the remaining worlds were ordinary girl-band, Qingchunrichang, school romance settings, it wouldn't matter—after all, even the Eastern world he'd just visited could summon twenty or thirty sages or great yāo, or going to the Demon Realm in Yu Yu Hakusho to fight a couple battles could easily net him dozens of battle-loving demon friends, not to mention Liáng Gōng's god who might enforce laws across worlds, or the Information Entity behind Chōmon.

Safe, and secure—he wouldn't have to risk his life everywhere anymore.

But it would take a lot of time.

The butterfly effect brought by Jia Ji had already altered the entire world; heaven and earth certainly wouldn't wait for him to be fully prepared before beginning the apocalypse.

He'd heard from Long Quán that during this celestial upheaval, every nation's bases had been struck by unknown entities—otherwise, some organized force might have immediately triggered World War III.

Perhaps this was the world buying him time, but how long that time would last was uncertain—it might stretch to 1999, or it might be only a few months.

The second method was the risky, efficient one—directly use the "Wanhua Mirror" to make a wish, seeking a member who could instantly resolve everything, or a world with a solution.

He'd added the Yu Yu Hakusho world and Xue Cai using this very tactic, so there was no reason it couldn't work again.

With just ten members gathered, he could ensure Beidou World survived this crisis and seize the initiative.

But the moment this thought arose, a cold dread surged through his body, making every hair stand on end—a sense of unease he hadn't felt in a long time.

"W-what's going on?"

It was just a small request—why did it feel like death stars were already flickering above his head?

Jia Ji swallowed hard. He'd long known his external aid disliked conventional paths, and seemed to increasingly demand higher combat power the further he progressed.

Clearly, after the tenth member joined, he wouldn't have to fight alone anymore—others could act in certain worlds, greatly reducing his burden.

So the ninth member to join certainly wouldn't come from some easygoing world—at least not an easy one for him.

But,

"A man… can't say no!"

"True resolve means carving a bright path forward through a pitch-black wasteland."

Clearly, Jia Ji was precisely such a man who wouldn't give up until he saw the coffin! A mere dead star and premonition—time didn't wait!

Though it felt like an eternity, it was merely because so much had happened in such a short span, leaving him no chance to pause.

From Jia Ji's own time perception, only a few months had passed—too little for someone to hibernate once—and the "Wanhua Mirror" had only just replenished its energy bar.

Since he'd decided, he must act.

He bathed, changed clothes, fasted, paid respects before the goddess statue in the Beidou Taisheng Hall, set a new group announcement for the first time in ages, added every detail about new member guidelines, and refined the group's rules.

In short, new members would understand the platform simply by reading the announcement—no more chaotic introductions from others.

【Big Goddess: Watch closely, my divine draw @all members】

【Xia Na: Hurry up already, don't dawdle】

【Forever Seventeen: Feels like ages have passed… I'm actually looking forward to it】

【Lányuán Yánzhū: Expectation +5 points】

【Yinyang Eye Jianzi: Five hundred billion points of expectation!】

…

Not just Jia Ji—every member of the seemingly low-profile group was brimming with anticipation.

After all, the group's recruitment speed was painfully slow.

Deep breath… deep breath… be water…

"Now… Wanhua Mirror, draw for me!"

Jia Ji could only hope for a massive luck burst—a single miracle pull.

But he seemed to have forgotten: his luck and fortune had always been poor.

【"Warrior Princess" has joined the group chat】

"Is this the Warrior Princess from the dungeon seeking encounters?"

Seeing the nickname, Jia Ji, who'd been tense, finally exhaled.

【Dead Angel: Welcome, new member】

【Xia Na: Welcome, new member】

【Forever Seventeen: Welcome, new member… remember to read the group announcement】

【Big Goddess: New member, post a photo @Warrior Princess】

"So it's not that scary after all."

He casually sent a message and began searching for information.

Though the gods called her "Sword Princess," she began leveling at age eight, rising from Lv. to Lv. in the shortest time ever recorded among all who reached Lv. worldwide—her terrifying achievements earned her the nickname "Warrior Princess."

"Wait… that's not right…"

Jia Ji quickly realized something was off—he'd misunderstood something.

Though Valen-something was the entire world's heroine, how could she solve Beidou World's crisis?

They hadn't even defeated their own world's three ultimate monsters—how could they handle an extinction-level threat?

Even he himself could rampage freely in that dungeon; her power level was insufficient.

But the "Wanhua Mirror" wouldn't make a mistake. Jia Ji fell silent, then reconsidered from another angle…

"Could it be… summoning the gods from heaven who've sealed themselves, bringing them to Beidou World, pulling the Beidou Goddess and others to Earth to build a labyrinth city? Everyone stops fighting—just shift to a medieval fantasy world!"

Tuo Qi, Lao, Ken Shi Lang, Lei Yi, Xiu Wu—all those innate star-bearers—seemed perfectly suited to forge heroic deeds in this world.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help glancing back at the group chat.

"Holy shit—it's Lihua Xiang?!"

"Xiang, what are you doing here?!"

(End of chapter)