Xu Yi continued, "Fellow cultivators, we all come from Huaixi Prefecture, and it wasn't easy for any of us to make it this far. I no longer have much ambition for this imperial examination. Aside from trying to win a few more benefits together with everyone, I'm mostly hoping we can all return to Huaixi together. So let's put earning points second and staying alive first. In my humble opinion, we should tally the monster cores by squad to avoid disputes over credit when we fight. What do you all think?"
Qiu Dao Ming said, "Brother Xu has considered us at every turn. Naturally, we'll follow your lead."
Everyone agreed that it was the right approach.
Xu Yi nodded. "I have some voice-transmission beads here. Each squad can take two. Try not to split up too far; ideally, stay within a hundred miles so we can look out for one another. We'll meet here every day at the hour of the Rooster." As he spoke, he tossed the beads toward them.
Everyone was grateful in their hearts and silently remembered his kindness.
Half a cup of tea later, after they had finished discussing everything and confirmed there were no loose ends, they split off in different directions and scattered.
Once everyone had gone, Xu Yi stayed put. He headed straight back to the beach, found a towering birch, climbed to its crown, and lay down.
He had little interest in this sort of monster-hunting, points-earning business. He couldn't be bothered to take part.
If he hadn't been given the position of squad leader, he might not have participated in this third round at all. He had come along only because it was his duty.
He didn't believe demons deserved to die. More importantly, these demons had their own awareness and