Chapter Thirty-Seven: The True Boss

Once, in Yi Shen’s memory, the secret realms had always been an awe-inspiring existence. The mortality rate within them was truly daunting.

Not only were the monsters inside far stronger than those in the outside world, but death in a secret realm meant that not even a corpse would return to reality—someone could simply vanish without a trace. The teachers at the academy would repeatedly warn newcomers: always form a solid party before entering a secret realm, never tread into danger alone, even if you were ten levels higher than the realm itself. Facing multiple monsters still carried a high risk of injury and death, especially for those frontline professions; only with absolute confidence should one attempt to withstand such assaults. Some veterans would even use these man-eating places to frighten children.

Monsters in the otherworld came in all forms, and a single careless moment could spell disaster. It was best to wait until one was fully prepared before venturing into the secret realms for better equipment—there was no rush. Survival came first; only then could one hope to improve. Ironically, those prodigies who sought to rapidly strengthen themselves often suffered the highest casualty rates.

But now, as Yi Shen tackled the realm solo, he truly felt no pressure at all.

Though he made every effort to restrain himself, his unlimited ability to blink gave him confidence to survive, and his formidable output power allowed him to easily clear swarms of monsters.

Upon entering the first floor, Yi Shen, unfamiliar with the map and terrain, spent over thirty minutes pulling and clearing monsters. But by the time he reached the second floor, he was already moving with practiced ease!

This time, it didn’t even take him thirty minutes; instead, he swept through the layer’s monsters in three distinct waves.

Crystalline ice spread densely across the floor.

Blizzards raged everywhere.

Yi Shen traversed the secret realm like a true archmage.

The elemental monsters here could hardly have anticipated encountering such an outrageous mage, bombarding them relentlessly!

Yi Shen’s experience points soared at an astonishing rate.

After clearing the first and second floors, his experience had already surpassed ten thousand.

The guardian elite on the second floor was a massive elemental creature.

This monster did possess some ranged skills.

But under the cover of wind and water elementals, Yi Shen chose to confront it head-on and took it down with overwhelming force.

After so many attribute bonuses from his focused spell research—

In terms of defense, it was no match for Yi Shen.
In terms of damage output, it could not compare.
Even its recovery abilities fell short.
At best, its health bar was slightly higher than his.
Strip away that, and Yi Shen utterly dominated the elite from every angle! It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Yi Shen was the true boss here.

...

While Yi Shen was consumed with grinding monsters and gaining experience, elsewhere—

Jingmen Safe Zone.
Eastern District.

Inside the president’s office of the Peach Blossom Cove Guild’s main headquarters, a man in a black jacket sat in the president’s chair, his face dark and brooding.

His name was An Qing, formerly the vice president of Peach Blossom Cove Guild. Following the accidental death of President Zhao Weimin and the disappearance of several second-squad managers, he had naturally become the acting president.

The president’s position carried much honor—even allowing one to represent the Safe Zone at important meetings. But the upheaval that Peach Blossom Cove had recently suffered was so intense that he could barely keep up, and the entire management was in chaos.

“You’re not sticking to our original agreement. Now that Peach Blossom Cove is caught in the mire, you all want to save your own skins?”

“At first, you only said Bloodbath wanted to compete for three plots in the city. But now both Jingbei Industries and River Group have set their sights on Peach Blossom Cove! I expect an explanation. If things come to light, none of us will escape unscathed.”

The president’s office was equipped with a soundproof barrier.

Seated on the guest sofa was a woman. Any high-ranking guild member present would have recognized her as Jiang Jinying—one of the current vice presidents of Bloodbath Guild! Two major rival guilds meeting secretly during such turbulent times would cause a sensation if word got out.

Jiang Jinying wore a custom-made deep-blue leather dress that hugged her figure, accentuating every curve; glimpses of fair skin added a sultry allure.

She could hear the irritation and unease in An Qing’s voice, but she paid it no mind. Pouring herself a cup of water in the lounge, she replied unhurriedly:

“I didn’t expect you to be so ruthless, actually framing Zhao Weimin to death.”

“Zhao Weimin shouldn’t have died. With his death, Jingbei Industries was bound to move against Peach Blossom Cove—that has nothing to do with Bloodbath. And you pinned it all on Yi Qinfeng? Half of Peach Blossom Cove’s middle management are his brothers—how many do you think will believe you?”

“I can only promise that Bloodbath won’t target Peach Blossom Cove, but I can’t guarantee anything regarding River Group and Jingbei Industries.”

Jiang Jinying took a sip of tea, then shook her head and set the cup down—the flavor was disappointing, lacking the spark she preferred.

This situation truly exceeded her expectations.

She’d originally intended to negotiate further with Zhao Weimin, but An Qing had seized power instead, taking away Peach Blossom Cove’s two other major combat forces. Now, with the guild leaderless and only An Qing at the helm, she doubted he could hold things together.

“And another thing you need to understand: we’re partners in this. I don’t know if there’ll be rewards for me in the end, but aren’t you afraid Yi Qinfeng will come after you once he’s out? With his status, even if he leaves Peach Blossom Cove, any guild would welcome him. That can’t be said for you.”

“I sent people to look for his son, but the boy must have gotten wind and slipped away. If you can’t keep Peach Blossom Cove under control, it’s only natural that the vampires of Jingbei Industries will swallow you whole.”

Jiang Jinying cut straight to the point.

The entire Jingmen Safe Zone seemed calm on the surface, but in truth, the major guilds—and even the smaller ones—were all restless. Lately, underhanded dealings in various territories had increased dramatically.

Bloodbath Guild did indeed harbor ambitions of rising through Peach Blossom Cove’s troubles, but they hadn’t planned for things to accelerate this much.

Hearing her words, An Qing’s expression darkened further.

He was in the thick of it—he knew just how dangerous his position was. Had he known things would come to this, he’d never have taken the presidency, nor involved himself in this mess.

“So why are you here now? To enjoy my misfortune? Don’t forget, I still have influence in Peach Blossom Cove. If push comes to shove, I could defect to Jingbei Industries—they’d gladly take me in.”

Unwilling to be cowed, An Qing rose from his seat and walked over to Jiang Jinying.

She let out a soft laugh, looking at him with faint derision.

A traitor within the guild, sitting in the president’s chair—he actually thought it was some great achievement.