My Misfortune Crushed Instances-Chapter 197: Attending the Conference

Kong Ji shook his head and chuckled, "Don't think that everything will be the same after you advance. The frequency of the Secret Realm and the experience points needed to level up are different. Someone slightly weaker might not even gain a level after clearing it."

Li Rui said, "Alright, then I'll go in once and see what it's like."

"Hmm, although you don't need special training, don't rush to leave these two days. After all, once the candidates are confirmed, there need to be meetings to clarify things."

"Hmm?"

Li Rui frowned, "How many days is that going to take? I have other things to do."

"What kind of things?"

"School is starting."

"...."

Kong Ji did not expect this answer. There are quite a few Secret Realm agents who haven't completed their university degree, but those who haven't completed their education and still participate in the Secret Realm battleground are rare.

After all, even if a normal person awakens and doesn't start off badly, it still takes some time to reach a sufficient level of strength. It's almost impossible to catch the first battleground encounter. Once you miss it, you have to wait a few years, by then even medical students have graduated.

This time, because the level cap is low, the minimum requirement was raised. If the maximum level were set at 70, one might have to be at least level 40 to be eligible for registration.

Following Kong Ji's instructions, Li Rui stayed in the capital.

After several rounds of selection trials, the main list for the Secret Realm battleground was basically confirmed. Of course, the list was temporarily overflowing, since no one knows what might happen in the next three months.

To put it bluntly, if any official participants get stuck in the Secret Realm during this period, substitutes will be needed to fill the gaps.

The Superpower Division is highly efficient. Li Rui didn't wait long at the hotel before receiving a notice early the next morning for a major meeting that afternoon.

Due to the large number of people, it was inconvenient to meet at the Superpower Division, so the subsequent meetings were held at the military base where the selection took place.

Li Rui got into Cheng Mingyue's car, along with Dong Sanchuan's four-man team. Guan Gui, as usual, was doing his own thing, whereabouts unknown.

"The two of us should be in the same group."

Cheng Mingyue said while driving, "We're all under Boss Kong along with Guan Gui and some seniors I don't know."

Li Rui asked, "Isn't Brother Chuan there?"

"Hmm, his personal strength is sufficient, but since their small group is very cohesive, they decided not to split him off alone."

Cheng Mingyue said, "Task allocation is not rigidly based only on combat strength, right?"

Li Rui nodded.

As they spoke, the car pulled into the parking lot outside the venue. The two of them met up with Dong Sanchuan and his team and then entered the hall inside the building.

Unlike the meeting rooms in the Superpower Division building, this was a proper auditorium with a stage and curtains in front.

Li Rui noticed that every seat in the audience had a name label.

He found his seat on the side closest to the window, in the back rows, next to Guan Gui and Cheng Mingyue. As for Dong Sanchuan's group, they were assigned to a different section due to different team allocations.

After sitting down, Li Rui elbowed the Black-clothed Death God next to him, "Brother Gui, what will you do after these meetings are over? Go home?"

"No." Guan Gui replied curtly.

Cheng Mingyue chuckled quietly, thinking this person wouldn't engage in small talk.

However, she misjudged yet again. Despite Guan Gui's terse responses, Li Rui pressed on, "Then where are you heading?"

"Not sure."

"Just studying the Secret Realm? No rush to go abroad, right?"

"Hmm."

"If you've got nowhere to go, you can come find me." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Okay."

Honestly, Cheng Mingyue was shocked.

Though Guan Gui, sticking to his style of five words or less, was still stingy with words, he actually accepted someone's invitation.

"Hey, if you have time, you can find a place to spar with me." She quickly probed.

"Busy."

Guan Gui replied coldly with a single word.

"....."

Still turned down!

Cheng Mingyue was speechless.

One could only say that for Guan Gui to reply with a slightly less direct "busy" instead of a flat "no" was already giving face.

Li Rui found it strange. This big sister normally seemed laid-back, and if not for today's meeting, would likely show up in flip-flops. Yet she seemed to love sparring with people.

Perhaps she's one of those martial arts enthusiasts.

"Sister Yue, you're part of the Chi Jia Association, right?" Li Rui started chatting on the other side, mainly because the meeting hadn't started yet and he had nothing else to do.

"Mm-hmm."

"Do you often have field missions over there?"

"It's alright, slightly more than the Baili Association."

Cheng Mingyue smiled, "Because it's close to the chaotic area down south where there's a lot of smuggling, but it's still more peaceful than the Northwest."

The conversation went on for a while until the hall was filled.

Cheng Mingyue whispered to Li Rui, "The slightly chubby lady in the first row is the head of the Chi Jia Association's Changhu City branch in Nanlin Province. The people next to her are city-level heads or vice-heads. Those in the middle are likely from the department, possibly those with potential to become advisors."

"Hey, those sitting in front are all big shots anyway. Us juniors can just huddle in the back."

She was quite carefree about it, "But don't underestimate those sitting in the middle rows; they're national elites, at least level 40 and above."

Li Rui quietly absorbed this extra information, focusing more on those seated near him.

These were likely under Kong Ji's command, strong individual fighters, or those skilled in small team or solo operations.

If there was a common trait among the people in the entire auditorium, it was that they mostly seemed youthful, with the upper age limit appearing to be around forty.

It seemed age was also a criterion for Secret Realm battleground selection. After all, the opportunities in the Secret Realm are bountiful, looking towards the future.

More importantly, the level cap was below 50. Someone like He Pengxi, while strong, was beyond the cap and thus not eligible, let alone someone like the seasoned war god Song Yao.

Shortly after, Kong Ji entered, accompanied by people who seemed much more experienced.

While battleground selection considers the future, there needs to be a strong foundation, and these top-level individuals were the anchor points.

Their seats were in the row above the podium. Li Rui noticed that Kong Ji's seat was pretty centered, but the prime position was occupied by the true commander, the core person issuing orders for this Secret Realm battleground.

This man in a light blue shirt, with silver-rimmed glasses, looked scholarly and gentle.

Li Rui quietly asked, "Who's our commander?"

Cheng Mingyue also quietly replied, "A senior advisor at the Superpower Division's Strategic Execution Office, a level 50 Sword Master. A few years ago, he was called 'Heaven's Retribution' in the chaotic area because initially, he assassinated targets from long range, and no one knew how they died, thinking it was heaven's wrath."

"That sounds so cool. Hey, how do you know so much about him? Is he another rising star?"

"Too old to be a rising star."

Cheng Mingyue chuckled, "Because he's my uncle."