The Bizarre Disappearance

Shen Long paused, his hand holding the teacup still, and frowned as he looked at Chen Zhihao was standing awkwardly below.

Tell me what happened?

Chen Zhihao was sweating profusely. He swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear. Even now, he felt like he was in a dream.

A few months ago, he was wanted by the state for interfering in college entrance examination results, and had no choice but to go in with his wife.

After months of hiding and fleeing, the couple endured great hardship. Fortunately, Shen Long established a safe base, and the couple joined without hesitation.

Later, thanks to their daughter Chen Xuewei and Shen Beijun's relationship, the two of them lived a relatively comfortable life in the City of Kings.

Chen Zhihao became the captain of a Shen Sect team because of his good gaming skills.

This morning, his squad left the city together with a 20-person level 99 squad exploring the Monster Region.

Of course, Chen Zhihao's team didn't have the strength to explore the Monster Region. They were going to a Beast Zone, and they were traveling the same route as the teams exploring the Monster Region.

On their journey, they encountered the entrance to a new secret realm.

The secret realms in <Cloud Sea> are not fixed; instead, new entrances to secret realms will randomly appear in various locations throughout the game after a period of time.

Everyone was curious about this newly appeared secret realm. The level 99 team had a mission to explore the Monster Region, and they didn't plan to fight in this secret realm, but the team leader still curiously reached out to take a look at the secret realm information.

To his surprise, he discovered that this was actually a level one secret realm!

This is simply unheard of.

As we all know, the level of the secret realms that appear in a region corresponds to the level of the creatures in that region. That is to say, an 85-level region should only have 85-level secret realms. But here, a level 1 secret realm has appeared!

That's so strange!

Furthermore, isn't the lowest level of the Cloud Sea Secret Realm Level 10 Secret Realm? Where did this level 1 one come from?

Driven by curiosity, the leader of the level 99 team decided to enter the secret realm to see what was going on.

Some team members tried to stop them, saying they had a mission to complete and shouldn't waste their time.

The captain, however, thought, "How difficult can a level one dungeon be? I could probably clear it in three to five minutes."

Everyone thought it made sense, so they agreed to enter the secret realm.

Chen Zhihao's teammates also suggested entering the secret realm to take a look, but he refused.

The appearance of a level 1 secret realm in a level 85 area is eerily strange. Furthermore, after a series of events, Chen Zhihao has become more cautious and careful, and he won't do anything when he's unsure.

Chen Zhihao waited at the entrance of the secret realm for ten minutes. When the level 99 team still hadn't come out, he left two team members there to wait while he led the others to level up.

But by the afternoon, Chen Zhihao still hadn't heard from the two team members, so he messaged them to ask about the situation.

The two told him that the level 99 team had not yet left the secret realm, and only then did Chen Zhihao realize that something was wrong.

He tried to contact Shen Long, but was told that Shen Long was busy creating Profession and that no matter what happened, he had to wait until Shen Long finished.

Chen Zhihao had no choice but to lead his team back.

This 20-member level 99 team can be said to be the top combat force of City of Kings. Most of them leveled up during the event. If something happens to them, it will be a major blow to City of Kings.

Chen Zhihao stopped leveling up and instead led his men to sit with Shen Long at the entrance of the secret realm, replying to messages.

Before he could receive a reply from Shen Long, something terrifying happened.

The entrance to the secret realm has disappeared!

The halo of light at the entrance gradually dissipated right in front of them.

That's not important. What's important is that the level 99 team hasn't appeared yet!

A strange chill exploded from his spine, rushing straight to the top of his head. In that instant, Chen Zhihao felt as if all the blood in his body had frozen.

Everyone present felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, as if an invisible fear permeated the surrounding air.

The entrance to the secret realm vanished along with all the players who entered!

Those weren't ordinary players; they were 20 level 99 players, practically the server's top-tier combat power.

"What did you say? The secret realm they entered has disappeared!"

Shen Long suddenly stood up from his chair, crushing the teacup in his hand.

At first, he didn't take it seriously. In his view, the 20 people were very strong, and even if they went missing, nothing would happen.

But what he heard was that these people had disappeared after entering the secret realm.

Now that the entrance to the secret realm has disappeared, and 20 level 99 players have vanished without a trace, how could Shen Long not panic!

Those were his top-tier combatants, and he was waiting for them to help him explore the Monster Region and obtain more treasures.

Not to mention Shen Long, even Xiao Fan could sense something different after hearing it.

Xiao Fan had only seen two entrances to the disappearing secret realms: Cyberpunk City and Cyberpunk World.

These two instances belong to the same series, and they are set against the backdrop of a real world invaded by the game.

Players who enter a secret realm may not be able to get out, just like Quan Lu's team before, who are still in the Cyberpunk World.

But...

The entrances to both secret realms disappeared after Xiao Fan led his team through them.

According to Chen Zhihao, the level 99 team did not clear the dungeon, so why did the dungeon entrance disappear?

Xiao Fan couldn't understand it.

Shen Long's face visibly turned ugly. His carefully cultivated team had mysteriously disappeared, and he didn't even know where to begin in the search.

"Useless! Didn't you know to stop them from entering the secret realm?"

Shen Long grabbed the teapot from the table and threw it at Chen Zhihao's face.

Chen Zhihao dared not dodge and could only endure it. Tea stains mixed with blood flowed down from his head, and he didn't even dare to wipe his face.

Shen Long's actions were clearly misplaced anger. How dare a squad leader block a team of level 99 players? Was that even within his job responsibilities?

"Dad, we can't entirely blame Uncle Chen. He's just a squad leader; how could he dare to stop those people?"

Seeing this, Shen Beijun, who was behind him, immediately pleaded for Chen Zhihao. He had taken a liking to Chen Xuewei and was also willing to plead for her father.

Shen Long turned around and glared at him fiercely, but he didn't expose his son.

"Get out."

Chen Zhihao felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly covered his head and ran out.

"Get out of here too!" Shen Long roared at Shen Beijun.

Shen Beijun rolled his eyes inwardly.

"He has no composure or magnanimity whatsoever as a leader; all he does is throw tantrums!"

His father is a complete brute! He searches for people who are missing, and if he can't find them, he raises them again. What good does throwing a tantrum do?

Shen Beijun left, cursing under his breath.

Xiao Fan: This truly shows the side of a loving father and filial son...

"Should I leave with Chen Zhihao to seek revenge, or stay here and listen to Shen Long's conversation?"

After considering for two seconds, Xiao Fan lifted his leg and followed Chen Zhihao.

After he left, Shen Long plopped down in a chair, pressed his temples, and opened his friends list. A moment later, the man who had previously received Si Ming walked in.

"Send someone to guard the coordinates of that secret realm entrance. Notify me immediately if the entrance reappears."

"It is the City Lord."

Just as the man was about to leave, Shen Long spoke again.

"Did that Mercenary group leave City of Kings last time?"

"No, they stayed in the city tonight and are currently staying at the Kaiyuan Hotel," the man replied truthfully.

"Take him out," Shen Long said.

The man looked up, clearly taken aback. He was a little confused; the Mercenary hadn't done anything, so why was Shen Long doing this?

But seeing Shen Long's gloomy face, the man dared not ask anything and could only obey and leave.

When Xiao Fan followed Chen Zhihao out, it was already completely dark.

The area they are currently in is likely where powerful and influential players reside in the City of Kings.

The streets are clean, the houses are tidy, and now that the lights are on, although there are few players on the street, you can still feel its prosperity.

Chen Zhihao's residence was some distance from the City Lord Mansion, and Xiao Fan followed him for a long time before finally arriving.

Looking at the small house in front of him, clearly the smallest template in the Construction System, Xiao Fan sneered inwardly. He would be at ease as long as the Chen Family was not doing well.

Seeing Chen Zhihao open the door and go inside, Xiao Fan quickly followed.

"Master, you've arrived! Ah, Master Hao, what's wrong?"

Hearing the noise, a voluptuous woman came out of the room. Upon seeing Chen Zhihao, she first called out, but then, seeing the bloodstains on Chen Zhihao's head, she screamed in fright and rushed over without even bothering to turn her hips.

"Wipe it off for me."

Chen Zhihao plopped down on the sofa, closed his eyes, and gave the order.

"Wait a moment, I'll go get the towel right away."

The amount of health lost was nothing to the player, but the feeling of humiliation made Chen Zhihao extremely angry.

But he had no choice; that was Shen Long! He wouldn't dare to resist even if he had a hundred lives, and he didn't even dare to show anger here.

"Sir, let me wipe it for you."

The woman came out with a damp towel and carefully wiped the dirt off Chen Zhihao's head.

Xiao Fan gritted his teeth; he finally understood what was going on.

Chen Zhihao not only lived a good life, he even kept a mistress!

How's the task I asked you to do going?

Chen Zhihao closed his eyes, enjoying the woman's services while asking questions.

"Don't worry, sir, it's already started. I believe it won't be long before that Jiu Chen's name becomes tarnished," the woman said in a shrill voice.

Xiao Fan:??? What did that cunning old man do behind the scenes?

"Master, I don't understand why you want to deal with Jiu Chen? Although he is powerful, he seems to have never appeared in the City of Kings. Why should we bother to deal with him?" the woman asked, puzzled.

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhihao remained silent, his eyes closed, a sense of fear welling up inside him.

Yes, it's fear!

He never imagined that the boy he could easily crush back then would grow to this level.

The number one genius in gaming, that's quite a title...

Who could have imagined that a child from a poor family who lost both parents could grow up to be what he is today in just a few months?

The champion of Myriad Phenomena Platform broke Jian Qingfeng's record, led the newbies from the Zone 18 to clear the Trial Secret Realm that even the nation couldn't, soloed Magic Beast, and created Profession...

With each increase in Xiao Fan's fame, Chen Zhihao felt more afraid, including a regret he was unwilling to admit.

If he hadn't prevented Xiao Fan from contacting his daughter Chen Xuewei because of Xiao Fan's identity, perhaps the Chen Family wouldn't have been ruined by him, and he might even have gained a lot of benefits as Xiao Fan rose to power.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".

He and Xiao Fan are now sworn enemies, Chen Zhihao has no doubt that Xiao Fan will come looking for revenge sooner or later.

To protect himself, Chen Zhihao collected a lot of information about Xiao Fan and used this information to impersonate Xiao Fan and provoke other players.

As long as Xiao Fan has enough enemies, he won't have time to seek revenge on me.

"Shut up, just do what I tell you to do."

Chen Zhihao spoke calmly, and as soon as he finished speaking, a warm liquid sprayed onto his face, followed by a strong smell of blood.

What's going on?

Chen Zhihao immediately sensed something was wrong. He opened his eyes and saw a deep red color in front of him.

"Xiao Ya? Xiao Ya?"

Chen Zhihao shouted as he wiped the red from his eyes.

He glanced to the side and saw his lover, Xiao Ya, lying on the sofa, her neck covered in crimson blood; she was clearly dead. Chen Zhihao was horrified and immediately drew his longsword, looking behind him.

He was an ordinary-looking man holding a uniquely shaped purple longsword. There was no blood on it, but Chen Zhihao knew that he was the one who killed Xiao Ya.

"Silent and stealthy, this person is a master!"

Chen Zhihao made his own judgment.

He looked at Xiao Fan and spoke slowly.

"May I ask who you are, and why you wanted to kill Xiao Ya?"

Xiao Fan's lips curled into a cruel smile. He knew Chen Zhihao was sending a distress message, but he didn't care. He was confident he could kill him before anyone else arrived, and he wasn't even afraid of others knowing he was the one who did it.

"Chen Zhihao, what's wrong? Don't you recognize me?"

As Xiao Fan spoke, he canceled his disguise, revealing his unusually youthful face.

Chen Zhihao's eyes widened instantly, and his trembling finger pointed at Xiao Fan:

"You... you are... Xiao Fan!"

Chen Zhihao's face was filled with terror, not only because he saw Xiao Fan here, but also because of the strange change in that face in front of him.

"I remember you once told me that I would never be able to leave the Novice Village in my entire life. I'm sorry to have disappointed you."

Xiao Fan's tone was icy. When his grades were changed, he tried to find someone, but no one paid him any attention. Chen Zhihao not only humiliated him, but also threatened him with the lives of his uncle, aunt, cousins, and younger siblings.

He was determined to make the Chen Family pay the price then and there; he had been waiting for this day for a long time.

Chen Zhihao finally realized that Xiao Fan's ability to appear here silently meant that his strength was probably greater than he had imagined, and he was no match for him.

"What should we do?" Chen Zhihao asked, forcing himself to remain calm.

"Xiao Fan... don't be so smug. You've only been in the game for a short time. You're no match for me. For the sake of us being from Sea City, leave now and I might spare you this time."

Whether someone is a match or not, we'll only know after the fight.

Xiao Fan picked up his longsword and decided to use his God King Rank Skill directly, giving Chen Zhihao no chance. After the skill was used, he would disappear into the shadows, and even if Shen Long arrived, it would be useless.

"Xiao Fan, is this really necessary between you two? Even though I changed your grades, you've risen to prominence now, haven't you? I know you like Xue Wei, we can put aside our past grievances, I agree to your... your..."

Chen Zhihao was speechless, because he saw a Thunder Dragon staring intently at Xiao Fan's head.