Chapter 114: The Southern Wilderness Demon Realm (Seeking First Subscription)

I am officially launching this novel and seeking initial subscriptions.

Over the course of the journey, Ye Chen gained a basic understanding of his teammates. These second-transition experts were outstanding in both equipment and skills; their overall caliber was arguably the best in Lieshan City, surpassing even the elite first squad of Longteng. The fact that such a formidable team could not even pass the first stage of the Illusionary Realm served as a testament to the difficulty of the Southern Wilderness Demon Domain.

The entrance to the Illusionary Realm was located within the Scorching Sun Mountain Range. Coincidentally, the activation point was the very same Eagle-Drop Cliff where Ye Chen had once gathered Crimson Beauty flowers. As they traversed the winding, rugged mountain path, Monk Dingyuan and the others were exceptionally cautious, bordering on neurotic. Whenever the roar of a wild ape echoed in the distance, Longface and the others would turn pale.

Ye Chen watched them with a strange expression. Could these second-transition experts have suffered at the hands of the Savage Apes before? It wouldn't be entirely surprising; although the Savage Apes had low levels and their attacks posed little threat, their "Savage Charge" skill ignored level differences. Unless one's strength attribute was ten times greater than the ape's, one would still be sent flying.

Noticing Ye Chen’s expression, Monk Dingyuan whispered, "We were a bit careless during our first attempt yesterday. Longface and Huzi were accidentally knocked off the cliff by those Savage Apes. They didn't die, but it took them quite a while to climb back up. You should be careful, too."

"Brother Monk, why are you telling him about such embarrassing matters?" Longface and Huzi stiffened, their faces flushing red.

Ye Chen suppressed a laugh and said, "Don't worry. I’ve been here before; I’m well aware of the power of those Savage Apes."

As they ascended Eagle-Drop Cliff, they encountered two more attacks from Savage Apes along the way. However, this time, everyone was well-prepared, and there were no further tragedies of falling off the cliff.

Longface was the one who had triggered the quest, so only he could open the gate to the Illusionary Realm. He pulled a whistle from his bag and blew it hard. The giant eagles soaring in the sky seemed to heed the summons, suddenly tucking their wings and diving straight down toward the cliff.

*Pop, pop, pop.*

Just as the eagles were about to hit the ground, a ripple of water-like light appeared in front of the group. The giant eagles vanished into thin air as if plunging into a lake. Immediately after, a massive gate of light manifested before them. Through the gate, one could clearly see the landscape inside: a vast, seemingly endless sea of purple flowers. Beyond the flower sea stood a range of continuous mountains, blocking the view of what lay further ahead.

"How about it? Isn't it magical?" Longface looked at Ye Chen with a hint of smugness, but when he saw that Ye Chen remained completely unfazed, his enthusiasm deflated.

"Let's move. We need to hurry. An Illusionary Realm isn't a standard dungeon; the map is too large. If we don't pick up the pace, we won't be able to finish in a day." While the activation of the realm was indeed magical, Ye Chen had already seen a demonstration of it from 2058, so he felt no surprise.

The group stepped into the light gate. Once the last person entered, the gate flickered and vanished, leaving them standing before the vast sea of wisteria flowers.

"It's truly beautiful." Standing before the flower sea, Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh softly. If the girls saw this scene, they would surely be screaming with excitement.

"Beautiful?" Longface scoffed. "I doubt you’ll think it’s beautiful in a moment. This is a man-eating sea of flowers."

"I am well aware," Ye Chen glanced at Longface, then spoke sternly to the team: "Since you’ve agreed to let me be the leader, I hope you will strictly follow my orders, regardless of any personal dissatisfaction. If anyone acts on their own and causes a total party wipe, I am sorry, but I will not pay any compensation. Furthermore, the opportunity to enter this realm is precious; if someone causes everyone to waste a chance, I think everyone will be very unhappy. You are all companions and friends; I hope you won't do anything to sabotage your own people."

Hearing Ye Chen’s words, the team members turned serious. They were true gaming elites and understood these principles. Longface, who had always had issues with Ye Chen, stepped forward and patted his chest in assurance: "Don't worry, we understand. We’ve put in too much effort just to gain experience and gear. We won't do anything stupid out of personal emotion. Besides, we admire those with real ability. If you truly have the skill to lead us through the realm, we will respect you. If you need anything from us in the future, just say the word. We lone wolves don't care for the interests of guilds; we value loyalty above all."

The others echoed his sentiments. Ye Chen smiled. These guys might be unruly, but they clearly understood the gravity of the situation. From the fact that Monk Dingyuan had saved a spot for him yesterday, it was evident that they valued loyalty; otherwise, they wouldn't have left a spot open for the run.

Monk Dingyuan smiled, rubbing his bald head as he saw the tension easing. These were all his friends, and he didn't want any friction. This outcome was within his expectations. He knew Longface and the others were proud, but they were good at heart. As long as Ye Chen could prove his capability, he would surely win over these arrogant individuals. He believed Ye Chen had that ability.

"Captain Ye, the biggest challenge in this wisteria sea is the Bloodthirsty Demon Vines hiding among the flowers. They look exactly like ordinary wisteria and are impossible to distinguish. There are many of them, and if you aren't careful, you’ll be entangled. Their attack power isn't high, but they are highly toxic and possess a life-steal skill. We couldn't make it out of this sea yesterday. Does Captain Ye have a good solution?" Huzi asked solemnly after explaining the difficulties.

Ye Chen looked at Huzi with a mysterious smile. Through Monk Dingyuan’s private messages, he already knew that Huzi was the most knowledgeable of the group, a library-goer who mastered many tips and secrets. It was Huzi who had found the clues for this quest. Although he looked honest and simple, it was clear he was slightly unconvinced that Ye Chen could surpass him in his area of expertise. This wasn't an inquiry; it was a challenge. He was likely very confident in his skills and didn't believe Ye Chen could easily solve a puzzle he couldn't crack.

In reality, this guy would be a "tech geek," but he had chosen the wrong person to challenge. Ye Chen didn't rely on libraries; he relied on the system.

People like this were the easiest to win over: as long as you were stronger, they would respect you. It was clear Huzi held a high position in the team, so by winning him over, he would win over half the group. Ye Chen cleared his throat and spoke calmly: "I read a piece of history regarding the Scorching Sun Mountain Range. Legend has it that in the distant past, Eagle-Drop Cliff was not the end of the range. Beyond it lay a forest infested with demons, and the starting point was this vast wisteria sea filled with evil vines. To cross it, people created something called 'Demon-Revealing Powder.' By sprinkling it among the flowers, one could easily distinguish the demon vines from the real ones."

Ye Chen had done his homework. Of course, he hadn't actually spent time digging through legends; the secret had been provided directly by 2058. He was just using the legend to hide 2058's existence. The legend was real, but it was normal that Huzi hadn't found it; the library books were endless, and most were useless biographies. Only a few scattered words in those thousands of pages held secrets. Finding them was superhuman. Huzi finding the quest clues was already impressive enough.

"There is actually such a legend? I spent all of last night flipping through 123 books on the Scorching Sun Mountain Range and found nothing. It seems Captain Ye has put in even more effort than I have for this Southern Wilderness trip. I am truly ashamed of my previous dissatisfaction. With the amount of preparation you've put in, you deserve a larger share of the gear," Huzi said, looking at Ye Chen with newfound respect.

Seeing Huzi act so submissively, the others were also filled with awe. They already considered Huzi a freak for finding the quest clues; if Ye Chen was even better than him, he was practically a god. Their eyes burned with excitement. Longface even leaned in with a grin: "Captain Ye, have you prepared the Demon-Revealing Powder? Will it be enough for us to cross the sea?"

Ye Chen smiled and tossed a fist-sized ceramic jar to Longface. "Not just once—it's enough for ten times."

Longface hurriedly checked the item's stats and shared them with the impatient group.

[Demon-Revealing Powder] (Special Item): After scattering, it causes Bloodthirsty Demon Vines within a 15x15 yard area to reveal their true forms. 100 uses.

Seeing the stats, the team cheered. The vines weren't strong; as long as they were revealed, they were easy to handle.

"Great! Now we can walk right through the wisteria sea," Longface said excitedly, clutching the jar like a treasure.

Ye Chen shook his head and laughed, "Why rush to leave? Legend says this sea is a treasure trove. There are thirty-two Rare-grade treasure chests, and even Silver and Gold ones. Wouldn't we regret it forever if we missed them? I brought enough jars for everyone to have one. The vines aren't strong, so you can choose to go alone or in groups to hunt for treasure. Once the powder is used up, we will regroup and head to the next location."

Hearing about the thirty-two Rare-grade chests and the Silver and Gold ones, the dozen or so members were overjoyed. They thanked Ye Chen profusely as they dispersed to hunt for loot.

Watching his friends treat Ye Chen like a deity, Monk Dingyuan gave Ye Chen a thumbs-up with a wry smile before leading a Holy Priest in the direction Ye Chen had pointed out.

As for Ye Chen, his targets were certainly not those common items; he was after the Silver-grade chests and above.