As things stood, Ling Tian and Chi Xue had the best chance of breaking free from the Lord of the Universe's restraints by joining forces to face the final tribulation. But even if Chi Xue and the others didn't join forces with Ling Tian, it wouldn't matter much. They would surely face their tribulations before he did, and their tribulations would weaken the Lord of the Universe considerably, giving Ling Tian a better chance to break free from his restraints.
In short, it didn't matter whether Chi Xue and the others faced their tribulations alongside Ling Tian. The worst-case scenario was that Chi Xue and the others might perish during a task the Lord of the Universe assigned them in the future.
Hearing Po Qiong's words, Ling Tian pondered for a moment, then looked up at the sky. "Based on our previous deductions, the Lord of the Universe has been deliberately tempering us because he has something very important for us to do. Naturally, the more cultivators there are to do it, the better. Aside from me and Little Devourer, Po Tian and Chi Xue are the strongest. They even have a good chance of surpassing me. In this situation, the Lord of the Universe won't easily let them die."
"Especially since if Chi Xue and the others perished, and Little Devourer and I still failed to meet the Lord of the Universe's conditions—for example, if we couldn't break free of his restraints—wouldn't that leave him completely stumped? So there's a good chance he won't assign us a task that forces us to fight to the death," Ling Tian added.
"Mm, that's true," Po Qiong replied. Then, as if he'd thought of something, he continued, "More importantly, by the time the Lord of the Universe assigns you a task, you