Chapter 1716: Good thing (2)

The room fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by Xia Lei's ambition.

Nine-star—this level felt distant and almost illusory to many.

Even after becoming eight-star evolved themselves, the core members never imagined they could quickly obtain enough level-nine demon crystals to spin for nine-star evolution potions, given how difficult it was to hunt level-nine lifeforms.

Privately, they estimated that even with their leader's involvement, gathering enough crystals would take at least two years. With extraordinary luck, maybe one year.

But now, Xia Lei had outright declared her intentions—clearly, this formidable woman had no plans to wait that long.

While everyone wanted this to happen, wasn't it too difficult?

Did the two level-nine corpses brought back by the Death King Tree give her such confidence? But that creature wasn’t exactly reliable.

To accelerate Ye Zhongming's advancement to nine-star, they naturally needed to hunt level-nine lifeforms faster and in greater numbers. Though the population of level-nine lifeforms was currently growing, killing them remained extremely challenging. Even with Cloud Peak going all out, taking down one per month was already impressive—after all, level-nine lifeforms had their own territories, and traveling between them took considerable time, not to mention preparation. This pace was already the envy of other factions.

Xia Lei smiled. "I'm not boasting. This is a rational analysis—maybe a bit crazy, but absolutely feasible."

Without giving others time to ponder or question, she continued, "Second, internal reasons."

The atmosphere in the room instantly tensed.

Internal issues—those words were alarming.

"Perhaps Cloud Peak's dominance has inflated some people's confidence to dangerous levels. Maybe the ease of obtaining equipment has left everyone's pockets overflowing with more crystals than evolved from other factions. Or maybe our comprehensive protection has made them think danger is fading."

Xia Lei stood, her gaze sweeping across everyone in the room. Very few could meet her eyes—a testament to her authority.

Everyone knew Ye Zhongming treated his subordinates exceptionally well. No matter how many he killed outside or how 'ruthless' his orders seemed, to those loyal to him and Cloud Peak, he was more like a friend.

But Xia Lei was different.

She smiled more than Ye Zhongming and appeared more approachable, but everyone knew—those smiles and warmth lasted only as long as you didn’t cross her or threaten Cloud Peak’s interests. Otherwise, she’d still smile… while plunging a knife into your heart.

The reason the Chameleon focused most of its efforts externally was that Xia Lei handled internal affairs—dirty work she was both willing and adept at. 𝙧äℕÖʙĘＳ

During the downsizing, no one had openly opposed her, though some had shown reluctance or even passive resistance.

But if there had been genuine internal issues, none would have dared disobey.

Their tension wasn’t fear—just confusion. Cloud Peak had always been united, its members bound by brotherhood and shared life-and-death experiences. Even competition among them was spirited yet warm.

What problems could such a team have?

"First, lack of ambition." Xia Lei’s expression hardened.

"Confidence is good. Pride in Cloud Peak is good. But many have grown complacent in that confidence and pride. They don’t fear battle, yet they avoid it. They enjoy the equipment and scrolls Cloud Peak provides, but lack the drive to contribute value. Just look at the dwindling numbers at the training grounds—you’ll understand."

When things come too easily, they’re rarely treasured.

This mentality had begun creeping into Cloud Peak’s ranks. Though still elite and willing to die for Ye Zhongming, many had lost their former hunger to push forward.

Hadn’t Xia Lei just spoken of propelling Ye Zhongming to become the first nine-star? Against that goal, such complacency was unacceptable, making her crackdown inevitable.

"Second, arrogance."

Xia Lei was ruthless and domineering externally, but she adhered to principles and kept her word, just like Ye Zhongming. This was crucial for a faction’s reputation.

Though not a commercial entity like the Cannibal Chain or Five Rings Money, Cloud Peak had many business dealings. Losing credibility would hurt their income, and demon crystals was the lifeblood of their rapid growth.

Beyond Ye Zhongming’s craftsmanship, their ability to convert every advantage into vast amounts of crystals—which then funded evolution potions, scrolls, bloodlines, and jobs—was key. This virtuous cycle couldn’t be disrupted.

"Some of our warriors, feeling invincible, have grown lax and entitled. They act as if only their comrades matter, treating others as disposable—issuing orders, breaking promises. This worsened after we became the national No. 1 and expanded last time."

"Clearly, some have ‘floated away’—forgetting that besides enemies, we also have allies. They need a wake-up call."

"This includes ‘factional mentalities.’ I won’t elaborate—you know what I mean."

Several expressions flickered uneasily.

Ye Zhongming remained silent and calm, which only deepened the unease.

"Third, carelessness!"

Xiao Hu blinked, confused by the term.

"Cloud Peak distributes weapons and equipment, with periodic upgrades. Weapons can be passed down, but many restricted gears require specific user qualifications—yet we never reclaimed them during upgrades."

"Over time, many warriors accumulated multiple such items. I don’t oppose trading them for personal needs, but their methods? Selling at dumping prices, disrupting markets—fine, we’re wealthy enough to absorb the losses. But some just offload them without vetting buyers, flooding our rivals with our own gear."

"How does it feel to be attacked by equipment you once owned?"

"And my orders? Destroy all crystal weapons and gene warriors thoroughly after combat damage. Yet some still neglect this, letting factions recover fragments or remains. As captains, how do you justify this?!"

A few examples made her point clear: she despised this negligence.

The downsizing targeted not just personnel but also resource allocation, directly addressing these behaviors.

After letting them digest her words, Xia Lei clapped. "The specifics of the downsizing I’ll discuss with Zhongming later. Now, my goal: how to push him to nine-star."

"The Death King Tree was a fluke. My real confidence comes from these factors." Her sternness melted into a smile as she turned to Le Dayuan.

"Master Le, you explain the first one."