Chapter 274: Is Everyone Coming to Seek Him Out?
Chapter 274: Is Everyone Coming to Seek Him Out?
A Beast King crisis.
Just like that, it ended in a dramatic fashion.
The officers at the defense line stared at the video of the Beast King fleeing in panic, completely stunned for a long time.
The capital.
Every major exit leading out of the city was completely jammed.
Not just with cars—
Even people couldn't squeeze through.
Every evacuee had fear and anxiety on their faces.
Although most citizens hadn't seen footage of the Beast King, they had all heard how terrifying it was. They knew that every time a Beast King appeared, it brought destruction.
Destroying a city was the least of it.
Some could even wipe out an entire small country.
Everyone knew that if they didn't escape in time, they wouldn't stand a chance once the Beast King arrived.
For many middle-aged men, the situation was even more unbearable. Their wives and children were stuck in their cars, unable to move an inch. How could they not panic?
Some with short tempers jumped out of their cars, getting into fights with those cutting the line or driving recklessly.
Just as chaos broke out at multiple intersections—
A loudspeaker suddenly blared with an urgent announcement:
"Emergency notice! To all citizens of the capital, the Beast King crisis has been resolved. Everyone can return home."
"Emergency notice! To all citizens of the capital, the Beast King crisis has been resolved. Everyone can return home."
The broadcast kept repeating.
The announcer's voice was trembling—not from fear, but from excitement and relief.
The fleeing citizens erupted in an uproar.
"The Beast King crisis is over? What happened?"
"Impossible! How was it resolved?"
"Are they trying to trick us into turning back so the big shots can escape first?"
"Come on, stop with the conspiracy theories. If those elites wanted to leave, they would've taken military transport long ago."
"I still don't believe it. Weren't Beast Kings supposed to be unbeatable?"
Many people were dumbfounded upon hearing the broadcast.
Some even felt like it was a joke.
Those who were more skeptical outright refused to believe it.
After all, every past Beast King event had ended in catastrophe—without exception.
How could this one be solved so easily?
And more importantly—
The broadcast didn't even explain how the crisis was resolved.
Because of that, the doubters remained at the city exits, refusing to go back.
People tend to follow the crowd.
Seeing others unwilling to return, many hesitated as well.
In the end, it wasn't until the top government officials arrived in person to reassure the public, making multiple guarantees, that the citizens' doubts were finally put to rest.
That Afternoon
Chen Ye boarded a train back to Magic City.
As for how he scared off Sun Houzi, the military and high-ranking officials chose to keep it classified and did not disclose it to the public.
So—
No one knew that the person who resolved the Beast King crisis was actually the son of Chairman Chen.
However, Chen Ye's identity wasn't completely hidden.
At the very least, the high-ranking officials were now aware of him.
They also knew that his heroic talent compatibility was actually S1.
(Not something Chen Ye himself revealed—it was Qin Muyin who mentioned it.)
Chen Ye had expected Ba Liming to challenge him to a sparring match. But surprisingly, that never happened.
Ba Liming's explanation was simple:
"Your strength has far surpassed mine. I may be a battle maniac, but I don't enjoy humiliating myself."
Chen Ye had also expected the higher-ups to approach him for a serious conversation.
That didn't happen either.
This actually made him sigh in relief.
He didn't like dealing with big-shot politicians.
According to Qin Muyin, the government had previously been considering an escape strategy, planning to build spacefaring ships and abandon Blue Star due to the threats posed by the Cosmic Overlords.
But after discovering Chen Ye, the officials were thrilled—as if they had found real hope.
An S1-tier hero talent was practically legendary.
Although the spaceship plan wasn't abandoned, it was no longer a top priority.
The central leadership, aware of Qin Muyin's close relationship with Chen Ye, even had her pass a message to him:
"Whatever you need on your path of cultivation, the nation will do its utmost to support you."
That Night, 8 PM
Chen Ye arrived back at Magic City Martial University's dormitory without any issues.
Meanwhile, the Beast King incident had caused an online frenzy.
Countless netizens were baffled by the event's bizarre conclusion, leading to heated discussions across various forums.
The official response from the government was:
"This Beast King was different from previous ones. It seemed to have some goodwill toward humanity and chose to leave on its own without causing destruction."
Surprisingly, many people accepted this explanation.
After all, if not for that, they couldn't imagine what kind of power the nation had that could actually drive away a Beast King.
A secret weapon?
Impossible.
One Month Later
The Beast King incident had long lost its heat.
Now, the hottest topic was the upcoming National Secret Realm.
It was already April.
There was less than a month left—
Until the annual National Secret Realm event.
More and more netizens started discussing this year's competition.
"The National Secret Realm event is just around the corner!"
"Yeah, I've been waiting forever. Time to farm some potential points again."
"Last year's champion was our very own Goddess Qin. Who do you guys think will take the crown this year?"
"Obviously, it'll still be Goddess Qin!"
"Speaking of last year's competition, wasn't it kind of weird? The top three teams were all from our country, and the biggest dark horse was the Martial University team."
"Heh, dark horse? Please, that was just dumb luck. Mark my words, if Martial University makes it to the top three again this year, I'll do a livestream of myself cutting Kun!"
As time passed, Chen Ye's peaceful days were once again interrupted.
That day, he was in his dorm playing games when his phone suddenly rang.
It was Qin Muyin calling.
As soon as he picked up, Qin Muyin got straight to the point.
"Chen Ye, I want to join your team for this year's National Secret Realm!"
Chen Ye was momentarily stunned before he immediately agreed.
"Qin-jie, with a powerhouse like you joining, of course, I'd be more than happy!"
The National Secret Realm caused memory loss.
Chen Ye had no recollection of what happened last time or what was inside.
Having a top-tier fighter like Qin Muyin on the team could only be a good thing.
She might not have been able to defeat Sun Houzi, but against those in the same rank, she was practically unbeatable.
"Then it's settled!"
"Wait, Qin-jie," Chen Ye asked, "how many people are you bringing?"
The National Secret Realm allowed a maximum of ten participants.
Chen Ye wanted to bring his friends along, so he needed enough spots available.
If Qin Muyin brought too many people, things could get tricky.
Qin Muyin thought for a moment and said, "Just me."
Hearing this, Chen Ye immediately let out a sigh of relief.
"No problem!"
The Capital
Law Enforcement Squad Headquarters
After hanging up, Qin Muyin paused in thought before calling for her assistant.
"Notify all main team members of the Law Enforcement Squad who are participating in this year's National Secret Realm. Tell them to gather for a meeting."
The assistant quickly left to carry out the order.
Once everyone arrived, Qin Muyin walked into the conference room.
"I called you all here today because I have an announcement to make."
She swept her gaze across the room before stating bluntly,
"This year, I'll be joining another team for the National Secret Realm."
The nine others in the room froze.
Their cheerful expressions stiffened in an instant.
Every one of them had been stuck in the Secret Realm, unable to progress due to lack of strength.
Every year, they relied on Qin Muyin to carry them to victory, gaining massive potential points to improve their abilities.
Now, with Qin Muyin suddenly announcing she was leaving the team, wasn't she abandoning them?
Without a powerhouse leading them, how were they supposed to achieve anything in the Secret Realm?
For a moment—
No one said a word.
They were too shocked, too unprepared to process the news.
Qin Muyin didn't care about their silence.
"Since there's still time, find someone else to replace me," she said casually before walking out of the conference room.
Her decision was simple—
She wanted to get stronger too.
Qin Muyin knew exactly how the National Secret Realm worked.
With that bald guy's strength, he would dominate the competition—the championship was guaranteed.
Since she knew this, Qin Muyin wasn't about to act foolishly.
She had spent years carrying others.
This time, she wanted to see what it was like to be carried.
On top of that—
Qin Muyin was highly competitive.
Lately, she had noticed more and more people surpassing her.
The Martial God and the bald guy were in another league.
Even Ba Liming, who had broken through the void, was stronger than her in individual combat.
She refused to be left behind.
Latching onto the bald guy's thigh was the safest bet.
As for whether her decision would seem heartless to the other nine members of the Law Enforcement Squad?
If anyone thought that, she had nothing to say to them.
She owed no one anything.
Just because she was their captain didn't mean she had to keep carrying them forever.
Most importantly—
With so many powerful contenders emerging, she wasn't even sure she could carry them to the top three anymore.
Qin Muyin had no intention of fading into obscurity.
She had to make a change before it was too late.
Martial University Dormitory
Not long after Chen Ye hung up on Qin Muyin, his father called.
And his reason for calling—
Was the same as Qin Muyin's!
"Son, I'm joining your team for the National Secret Realm this time!" Chairman Chen declared.
Chen Ye had no objections to his own father tagging along.
"No problem, Dad! You're always welcome to join."
Chen Ye chuckled before asking, "How many people are you bringing?"
"Just me."
"Oh? What about Shibo?"
"Your Shibo is too proud. He probably wouldn't feel comfortable riding on a junior's coattails," Chairman Chen said with a laugh.
Since Ba Liming wasn't coming, Chen Ye wouldn't force the issue.
"Alright, got it, Dad."
After hanging up, Chen Ye began planning his team for the National Secret Realm.
With the team nearly finalized, Chen Ye knew there were a few people he absolutely couldn't leave behind.
Tang Zichen was a must.
Then, of course, his close companions—Zhao Zheng, Cao Yu, Ren Qianqian, and Shao Wenhui.
That made six spots already taken.
Now, with his father, Chairman Chen, and Qin Muyin joining as well, there were only two slots left.
Hmm.
One of those should go to Old Liu.
After all, Old Liu had always been incredibly supportive of them.
Plus, Chen Ye knew that deep down, Old Liu wasn't satisfied with staying where he was—he wanted to push further and break into Tier 5.
Right now, Old Liu was just a step away from reaching that level. Helping him advance would be the perfect opportunity.
That left just one last spot.
Who should he give it to?
At this point, Chen Ye had full control over his own team selection.
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone suddenly rang.
A number he didn't recognize.
"Hello?" Chen Ye answered. "Who's this?"
"Hello, Mr. Chen, my name is Song Chengfeng. My father is Song XX, the Minister of XX Department... I'm calling to ask if I could join your team for the National Secret Realm—"
Beep.
Chen Ye hung up without hesitation.
He had expected this.
Now that his strength had been exposed, people were bound to come looking for him.
Sure enough—
More calls came in.
Some from numbers that were clearly VIP contacts.
Chen Ye rejected them all.
In the end, he simply activated call-blocking mode, ensuring that only familiar contacts could reach him.
Of course, he knew that these people wouldn't give up so easily. They'd definitely try other ways to get in touch.
But he didn't care.
He had no intention of giving in.
After thinking for a moment, he decided that the last slot should go to Zhao Huanhuan.
Last time, Zhao Huanhuan risked herself to provide them with critical intel.
She was worth keeping around.
Although Zhao Huanhuan had planned to quit entering secret realms, this was free potential points—she probably wouldn't turn it down.
The National Secret Realm was known for being one of the safest.
With his strength, Chen Ye was confident he could carry her through.
With that decision made, he quickly sent Zhao Huanhuan a message.
The reason he wanted to finalize the team quickly was to shut out any last-minute connections trying to pull strings.
If the team still had openings, those with influence might try to force their way in—and outright rejecting them could offend some powerful people.
A short while later—
Zhao Huanhuan replied.
[I'm here! Chen-ge, what's up?]
Chen Ye: [I wanted to ask if you'd like to join the National Secret Realm this year.]
Zhao Huanhuan: [I originally planned to quit because it's too dangerous, and I'm not that brave… But if you're leading the team, I'd definitely be interested. I've heard the National Secret Realm is pretty safe.]
Chen Ye: [Then you're in. You're free in early May, right?]
Zhao Huanhuan: [Yeah! I don't know why, but the higher-ups suddenly aren't rushing us on our current research project anymore, so taking two days off shouldn't be a problem.]
[Great. I'll contact you at the end of the month.]
[Got it! Thanks, Chen-ge, I appreciate you thinking of me.]
With the team fully set, Chen Ye immediately headed to Old Liu's office.
"Chen Ye? Come in, take a seat."
Old Liu had been reading a book when he saw Chen Ye enter, looking a little surprised.
"You need something?"
"Yeah," Chen Ye nodded. "It's about this year's National Secret Realm. I've finalized my team."
"Oh?"
Old Liu's heart skipped a beat.
Just two days ago, his niece had begged him to help her get into Chen Ye's team.
After all, last time, she reaped massive benefits from tagging along.
Old Liu had originally planned to bring it up with Chen Ye.
But now, hearing this—
He immediately decided to bury that thought forever.
Instead, he asked, "Who's on the team?"
Chen Ye handed him a prepared list of names.
Old Liu scanned the paper—
And was shocked.
"Qin Muyin? Chairman Chen?"
He couldn't help but exclaim, "I understand Chairman Chen… but Qin Muyin? Are you serious?"
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