My Misfortune Crushed Instances-Chapter 31: Alone?

Of course, Li Rui would not refuse Zhang Xiaoguang, but he wasn’t overly enthusiastic either, just adhering to the principle of helping whenever he could.

"When we enter the secret realm, will we all appear in the same place?"

Zhang Xiaoguang shook his head and said, "Not necessarily. It depends on our different main quests, so the locations might differ. How about this: Didn’t the guide say there’s an immortal statue in the town center? Let’s meet up at the statue, how about that?"

"Okay."

"Thanks in advance then."

"No, no, don’t be so polite."

Li Rui was both amused and exasperated; this Zhang Xiaoguang really knew who to count on and wasn’t foolish enough to think that being a higher level meant being more impressive.

Actually, the reason was quite understandable; both of them had fought a giant root spirit in Bull head Mountain before.

Zhang Xiaoguang’s solo effort was time-consuming and laborious, whereas Li Rui wiped out everything in a sweeping victory, making the comparison between them crystal clear.

Li Rui took a taxi home and received a call from Zheng Hao.

"28th evening, same place."

"Okay."

Beep beep beep.

Their tacit understanding meant no more words were needed.

...

Three days later, at 4 p.m., the countdown on Li Rui’s hand was down to 30 minutes, and he sat in a familiar chair.

This time, Wang Ba and the others didn’t come. Having cleared a ten-star secret realm, they weren’t too worried about a six-star one, and they had other work in the real world, so they didn’t come.

Usually, the support team would only send a regular officer to oversee things, but Wen Yan chose to come personally. It wasn’t due to personal preference but at Wu Mengying’s request, to provide comprehensive attention to Li Rui and follow up promptly if anything unusual happened.

Although the name hadn’t yet become known nationwide due to the deliberate suppression by the Baili Association, he was definitely a prized asset at the Huangliang branch.

"Pay attention to those hidden options and don’t provoke dangerous NPCs. This time there won’t be any world NPC to help you."

"Got it, Sister Yan, don’t worry, I know what to do."

"Mm."

As the countdown gradually ended, Li Rui closed his eyes and entered the secret realm, alongside him, in the next room, was Zhang Xiaoguang.

...

Wuyun Province, in the ancient and grand Hee family mansion.

A woman sat in front of a chair, talking to the young man before her.

"Chengli, the Li Rui arranged by your grandfather is very capable. Once inside, don’t throw tantrums, listen to his advice, cooperate well, and don’t boss others around, understand?"

The young man was He Chengli, the same age as Li Rui, but with a face that seemed more tender, as if he just started high school, perhaps due to the slight baby fat on his cheeks.

"Mom, don’t worry. I always listen to the bodyguards when I go out, and in the secret realm it makes even more sense. Professionals should handle professional affairs."

If an ordinary person obtained an imprint, they would typically be absorbed by the local Superpower Division, but such families have their own training systems and do not need organizational support.

However, local families wouldn’t dare oppose the Superpower Division, so unless they were core family members, they would generally be sent to the organization to contribute manpower.

But He Chengli was among the core family members and wasn’t part of the four major official organizations.

The woman took his hand, looked at the imprint on his shoulder, and with only a minute left, she worryingly patted his head and personally secured the cuffs on his hands and feet.

"Go ahead, son."

He Chengli closed his eyes and entered the secret realm.

...

Rumble——

Another secret realm with faint thunder, but unlike the Demon Wind Temple, where the thunder was formed by the collision of Evil Qi, the thunder here was naturally formed, and the air was suffused with an oppressive heat, suggesting it might rain.

He Chengli opened his eyes and found himself in a small empty room with a few equally dazed people next to him, one man and two women.

He first directed his gaze at the man with a crew cut.

"Excuse me, are you Li Rui?"

The latter shook his head, "Hello, I’m Zhang Xiaoguang of the Baili Association."

He Chengli frowned and looked at the two women, and it was clear they weren’t Li Rui either.

"Hello, I am Wu Xing, and she is Mei Meng; we’re both from the Profound Spirit Association."

He Chengli smiled, "Are you two sisters? You look a bit alike."

"Cousins," Wu Xing being outgoing, whereas Mei Meng was evidently much shyer. "Who’s this Li Rui you mentioned, a friend? Oh, what should we call you?"

"My name is He Chengli. Li Rui... it’s hard to say, but he’s with the Baili Association too. Zhang Xiaoguang, do you know him?"

"Know him, know him,"

Zhang Xiaoguang nodded hurriedly, "Brother Rui is awesome; we should try and find him first."

He Chengli’s gaze scanned the faces of the two girls, pondered a bit, and didn’t rush to express any opinions. Instead, he took up the leadership mantle himself by saying, "No rush, let’s first see where exactly we are."

The two girls had no idea who Li Rui was, only that Zhang Xiaoguang seemed a bit timid. In contrast, the slightly chubby yet assertive He Chengli was more appealing.

Indeed, being a direct descendant of the He family from Wuyun Province, he had received training related to secret realms since childhood, so his composure was only natural.

Confidently, he said, "According to protocol, we’re born in an unknown location, so it’s best not to move haphazardly and first check our own situation. What level are you? I’m level 9."

He displayed the imprint on his arm, as revealing equipment, attribute points, skills, and such wasn’t advisable.

After all, things from the real world couldn’t be brought into the secret realm, including documents and IDs, so other people’s claimed identities might not be what they seemed, and it’s prudent to be cautious.

Zhang Xiaoguang: "I’m level 10, profession is Trap Master."

This made the two girls look down on him even more.

The level 9 person wasn’t scared at all, yet the level 10 person, who had already switched professions, immediately sought help.

They also showed their imprints, one was level 8 and the other level 7.

He Chengli said, "Not bad. Gu Xuan Town is a level 5-10 dungeon, so our levels are higher, we should be okay. Let’s take a look outside first."

He walked to the tightly shut door and found it unlocked, so he gently pushed it open a crack.

Whoosh——

Chilling gusts swept in from outside, instantly dispelling the stifling heat in the room and even making it a bit cold.

The dilapidated courtyard had cobwebs on the corners of the eaves and walls. More chillingly, at the gate of the opposite yard, on the beam, hung a piece of hemp rope tied into a noose, swaying in the wind, as if something was once hanged there.

"This is... Yujiang Ghost Garden"

The other three also came to the door, their expressions not looking good, for the Ghost Garden was the hardest mainline in the Gu Xuan Town secret realm.

[Main quest updated: Phase one, escape the garden through the front gate.]

Zhang Xiaoguang slapped his forehead, "Oh no, I promised Brother Rui to meet at the town center, but now we can’t go." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The two women showed more disdain, but He Chengli said, "No worries, don’t panic. Let’s get out first, then find him."

...

At this time, a handsome man walked into Gu Xuan Town.

"It’s really hot."

Li Rui glanced at the desolate street, "Why was I thrown into the outer spawn point alone? I must hurry up and find Zhang Xiaoguang and that Call me Fish guy."