Chapter 63

After Xu Yuan saw the system's challenge invitations all being rejected, he couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. 

**"What? All rejected?"** 

He chuckled softly, then explained to Ken with a smile, 

**"We still have three challenges left that are useless, so I thought I'd challenge a few guilds—just so everyone can participate and have some fun."** 

**"But unexpectedly, when invitations went out, all of them were refused, one after another."** 

At this moment, everyone in the guild overheard the conversation between Ken and Xu Yuan. Hearing this, they all burst into laughter. 

**"Boss Steve, after you show your hand, who dares to challenge us?"** 

**"Hahaha, isn't that normal? Challenging us is basically asking for points to be deducted, right?!"** 

**"Oh, these guilds are so incited—Boss Steve, it's all your fault. They don't even have a chance to try!"** 

**"I bet the expressions on those guild leaders when they received Steve's invitation must have been priceless."** 

**"In that case, since our guild is number one, who can challenge us now?!"** 

The guild members immediately felt a surge of pride—their chests swelling unconsciously. Initially, everyone was a bit lost, thinking that the Cube Guild's ranking was just over 100, and they weren't overly confident. But after this guild battle, everything had changed. Now, the Cube Guild was truly the first guild! 

Xu Yuan's side was filled with laughter, joy, and a peaceful atmosphere. Meanwhile, on Long Teng's side, the mood was completely opposite. 

After Mo Teng returned to the guild's preparation area, everyone looked at him with a resigned expression. Long Teng approached and patted Mo Teng on the back, offering no words of comfort. 

Suddenly, Long Xiao, the vice president of the guild, spoke up. 

**"Actually, you could take another round, pretend to die accidentally, and avoid surrendering so humiliatingly..."** 

As vice guild leader, Long Xiao was naturally concerned about the guild's reputation. If Mo Teng had died in the confrontation with Xu Yuan, it would mean he was weaker. But since Mo Teng chose to give up, it reflected poorly on the guild's strength. Moreover, since the guild had actively challenged the Cube Guild, the outcome was especially embarrassing. Many in the guild would laugh at this defeat—and it would be difficult to regain face in future guild circles. 

Hearing this, the guild members whispered among themselves, nodding in agreement. 

**"Yes, no matter what, you have to hold on for the next round. Even if you have to die on purpose, better than giving up outright."** 

**"Honestly, if you give up now, it's better to just die immediately..."** 

**"All that effort we put in over the past hours—what's the point if it ends like this? Might as well die early."** 

**"In fact, if he keeps fighting, Steve might let his guard down. It's easier to deal with him then. If I were him, I'd stick to it for the guild."** 

**"Hey… but you have to admit, Mo Teng isn't easy. People are selfish—first thought is always themselves."** 

These guild members, adept at rationalizing and justifying, were speaking with a mixture of sympathy and practicality. Their words, however, did not escape Mo Teng's ears. 

Mo Teng looked at the group with a faint smile, and said calmly, 

**"Everyone's got a lot to say, huh. Why don't you all try it yourselves?"** 

**"I really want to see what expressions you'd have if you experienced Steve's mechanism firsthand."** 

**"But I finally understand one thing now."** 

**"This guild can't compare to Steve's with so many resources, and the reason isn't money, but brains."** 

After saying this, Mo Teng turned and left the guild, going offline. 

This act of discouragement was a realization for him. He understood clearly—he no longer had any attachment to the Dragon Teng Guild. 

When the players in the guild saw Mo Teng's departure, their faces turned awkward. 

**"Did he just call us brainless?"** 

Just as they were about to say something, they watched him disappear into the preparation area. Long Teng didn't have time to say anything either, only watching silently. 

Meanwhile, Vice Guild Leader Long Xiao spoke quietly, 

**"It's better to retreat. That way, we can tell the outside world that Mo Teng was bought and deliberately surrendered. It preserves some face for the guild."** 

Long Teng's eyes flashed with anger. He pointed at Long Xiao and snapped, 

**"Are you out of your mind?! Do you know how long Mo Teng has been with me? Do you know his strength? Do you know what he's done for this guild?!"** 

**"I think he's right. The reason our guild isn't as strong as the others is because of you and your reckless ideas!"** 

Long Xiao froze in place, stunned by Long Teng's outburst. The guild members, witnessing this scene, took a collective breath. Some quickly lowered their heads, trying to hide their embarrassment, afraid of Long Teng's wrath. 

No one dared to speak up in the tense silence. 

After a moment, Long Teng finally coldly said, 

**"I advise you to stop blaming others and stop disgracing the guild. From now on, don't mess with the Cube Guild. It's the best way for us to survive."** 

The guild members nodded silently, accepting his words. The scene left a deep impression on everyone—today's events would be remembered for a long time. They even felt a little relief: at least, the game wasn't in full PvP mode. If it were, messing with Steve would be a disaster beyond imagination. 

After Mo Teng's departure, the guild received some challenge invitations from higher-ranked guilds. In an attempt to improve their standing, they accepted some of these challenges. Though it was a mixed result, their ranking saw a slight improvement. 

Once all invitations from other guilds were rejected, Xu Yuan's system automatically teleported the guild members near his home base. Their confidence that the first place was secure was unshakable now. They looked forward to the upcoming rewards, especially the "unprecedented mysterious prize" the system had promised—something they believed would be extraordinary. 

As they gathered near Xu Yuan's house, conversations buzzed about the rewards. 

**"Boss Steve said before that the best performer would get a set of iron sleeves, but now it seems he's the best of all… so the sleeves might be out of the question."** 

**"Haha, the best is himself—he's the top in the entire game!"** 

**"Ken is also doing well, but he's had his iron jacket for a long time already…"** 

**"I think the gains from this event are worth more than a set of iron sleeves. Just learn from Steve's survival skills—who knows, maybe we'll wear iron sleeves someday too!"** 

**"Exactly, we need to improve quickly. I hope Boss Steve teaches us more skills in the future!"** 

Despite not participating directly, the players felt this event was a huge gain—learning strategies, understanding the mechanics, and seeing firsthand what it took to be at the top. 

Later, Xu Yuan returned to his basement, where he examined the storage chests behind the iron farming machine. The number of iron ingots was almost full double chest—an impressive harvest. 

He calculated that producing a full set of iron tools, armor, weapons, and shields would require 36 ingots. He took out six full stack, planning to craft ten iron armor sets, fulfilling his promise. He decided to distribute them to the most skilled players to maximize their utility. 

Just as Xu Yuan was about to leave the basement, Ken knocked on the door. 

**"Come in,"** Xu Yuan replied. 

Ken entered with a serious expression and said

 **"There's someone you need to meet."** 

Seeing Ken's seriousness, Xu Yuan understood something serious had happened. 

**"What's wrong? Who is it?"** 

**"You'll see when they come in,"** Ken replied, as he brought some guild members into the room. 

At the door of Xu Yuan's house, all the guild members gathered in a cluster. Among them was a girl with short hair, dressed in a JK uniform. 

Ken stepped forward and said, 

**"Bring her in."**