After clearing the Unsealed Dungeon, along with Wan Jiang clearing the first floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower, Yi Tian's funds had reached 36.4.
He was still some way from recruiting special talent, but it was a substantial sum.
"I wonder what this settlement will bring."
Yi Tian began checking yesterday's Management Log.
[Management Log] [Wan Jiang: Placed first in the New Recruit Drill. Reward: Funds +2!] [Wan Jiang: Ranked first in merit in the Vanguard Regiment's Demon Tide Reserve Team. Reward: Funds +5!] [Bai Qiu Li: Achieved the first clear of the Solo Dungeon-Ghost Valley on Hell difficulty. Reward: Funds +4!] [Bai Qiu Li: Achieved the first clear of the Solo Dungeon-Bloodfiend on Hell difficulty. Reward: Funds +4!] [Bai Qiu Li: Cleared Bloodfiend-Hell difficulty three times. Reward: Funds +0.3!] ---- [You shared the experience earned by your employees (monster farming, drills, first clears)-84,000!] [Your level has increased to: Level 16!] ------
Rewards like those from the Unsealed Dungeon and the first floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower had already been collected by Yi Tian ahead of time, so they did not appear in the Management Log.
So far, his income in funds was quite impressive.
Yi Tian's funds rose again to 51.7!
His experience had also surged, but since the experience required increased exponentially at higher levels, he was not leveling particularly quickly.
But Yi Tian noticed a problem:
"What the hell has Jiang Che been doing?"
Pioneering, first dungeon clears, and even farming dungeons for levels all counted as achievements and would yield some funds.
Yet Jiang Che had yielded nothing at all.
"Did he slack off all day? No, his experience clearly went up quite a bit..."
Jiang Che had now reached level 10, tier 1, and his class had advanced from Kung Fu Kid to Qi Force Warrior.
Yet according to the settlement panel, he had not run a single dungeon.
The three siblings-Jiang Che, Jiang Xing, and Jiang Han-had planned to transition from a power-leveling team to a pioneering team, earning money by exploring dungeons and secret realms and selling guides or materials. Presumably, their early progress had not been smooth.
"I'll ask him when we meet tomorrow."
By contrast, Bai Qiu Li made Yi Tian very happy. She challenged Hell-difficulty dungeons almost every day.
Of course, her Frostmoon Sword Envoy class had high damage and mobility, making it well suited to solo runs.
As he was thinking, a notification about Bai Qiu Li suddenly popped up:
[Bai Qiu Li has transferred 0.5% ownership of the secret realm's output to you. You currently control 10% ownership of the secret realm's output!]
Only then did Yi Tian remember...
When an Unsealed Dungeon was cleared, all members divided 10% ownership of the secret realm's output according to their contributions. This was the reward for those who unsealed the Unsealed Secret Realm.
Yi Tian had originally received 9.5% ownership, while Bai Qiu Li had received 0.5%, which she had now transferred to him.
The remaining 90% was the reward for those who cleared the secret realm.
It would belong to the first team to clear it.
Once the Unsealed Secret Realm appeared and was conquered, those who held ownership could continually collect equipment, materials, and other resources produced by the realm...
Obtaining ownership of a secret realm's output was like acquiring a gold mine!
Even handing it over to the state would earn enough wealth to live comfortably for a lifetime.
Therefore, competition for a secret realm's first clear was even fiercer than for a dungeon's.
Not only would the state dispatch talent from across the country to form pioneering teams, but major Classholder Guilds and even other races would find ways to compete.
All teams would enter the secret realm simultaneously, and whichever team cleared it first would become its owner.
Yi Tian was still very interested. Clearing a Medium Secret Realm would surely count as an honor, and the Profit Sharing payout would certainly be substantial!
"The Medium Secret Realm will spawn in a day..."
Crimson Emperor City, Yagu Dynasty.
In the other world connected to the Otherworld Passage north of Dingcheng, Crimson Emperor City stood majestically atop the world.
At its center stood a dragon-shaped palace, like a mighty dragon about to take flight. Every "scale" was a crystal of epic-grade material.
Upon the throne inside the palace, the dragon king clad in dark-red scales had eyes like blazing suns, and his voice was low and commanding.
"Where is the envoy?"
"Lord Crimson Emperor, the Dragon Envoy has yet to return," a half-dragon attendant replied, bowing beneath the throne.
"Hmm?" The Crimson Emperor, dragon king of the Yagu Dynasty, voiced his displeasure.
"Please calm your anger, my lord. Perhaps those of the Human Race wish to seek your protection and have detained the envoy with their flattery, delaying the envoy's return..."
Hearing this, the Crimson Emperor showed no suspicion.
After all, an envoy sent by the Yagu Dynasty represented him, the Crimson Emperor!
Apart from certain lawless elite professionals of Great Xia, no one dared show disrespect!
Especially those extremist anti-human organizations... They believed other races were the true rulers of the world and even volunteered to join the Yagu Dynasty. Flattering its envoys was commonplace.
Just then, a scout hurried into the palace with a report:
"Lord Crimson Emperor, Lord Azure Emperor has discovered a Medium Secret Realm forming not far from our battlefront! It is near Qingcheng, in the Human Race's Great Xia!"
"A Medium Secret Realm!" The Crimson Emperor's draconic eyes lit up with greed. "Good, very good!"
"With the war so pressing, we need a secret realm to replenish our resources!"
Among the Yagu Dynasty's Royal Dragonkin, three currently held the title of emperor: the Crimson Emperor, the Azure Emperor, and the White Emperor.
The Crimson Emperor possessed top-tier combat strength. He commanded the Yagu Dynasty's armies, spearheaded its wars abroad, and was one of the major enemies of Great Xia's East China region.
The Azure Emperor was known as the Dragon of Ten Thousand Laws. His exceptionally keen perception of magic and spiritual energy allowed him to sense the fluctuations produced by a forming secret realm.
It was precisely because of the Azure Emperor that the Yagu Dynasty could act ahead of time and seize the resources of many secret realms.
"Relay my orders!"
The Crimson Emperor was already impatient. Though the secret realm had appeared within Great Xia, a Medium Secret Realm was worth sending people to contest!
"Summon Maer, Yedela... Have them come at once. They must beat the Human Race to it and seize the secret realm!"
"Understood..."
The next day.
Yi Tian opened his bleary eyes. After washing up, he discovered that Bai Qiu Li had already left. Had there not been a few more signs of daily life in the apartment, he might have suspected she had never come home that night.
She really did go to bed later than Yi Tian and wake up earlier.
Yi Tian rubbed his messy hair and went to the cafeteria beneath the apartment building for breakfast.
To his surprise, Jiang Che came rushing over to find him.
"Boss, Boss! I finally found you!" Jiang Che sat down beside Yi Tian, his eyes full of anticipation.
Yi Tian had wanted to ask what he had done yesterday, but seeing his urgency, he instead asked, "What's the matter?"
"Boss, could you ask Qiu Li to team up with us?"
"?"
Meeting Yi Tian's puzzled gaze, Jiang Che explained, "Boss, my brother, my sister, and I have switched from a power-leveling team to a pioneering team..."
"But most dungeons we want to pioneer require five-person teams, and we just can't recruit any teammates!"
"All three of you have strong classes. How can you not find teammates?"
"Isn't a Medium Secret Realm about to appear? All the major Classholder Guilds are recruiting like crazy, trying to assemble their strongest forces to conquer it."
"They keep offering higher salaries than each other, so naturally, nobody wants to join a little team like ours."
Only then did Yi Tian realize that the Medium Secret Realm's appeal was even greater than he had imagined.
For every organization, it was a huge gamble. Winning meant wealth for the rest of their lives.
As a result, even the market value of skilled professionals was continually rising.
No wonder Jiang Che could not find teammates.
Then Jiang Che remembered something else and said indignantly:
"Boss, yesterday we actually came across a Lesser Secret Realm that had just spawned!"
"We were among the first to enter, but another five-person team with mediocre strength stole the first clear from us..."
"Oh?" Yi Tian finally understood why Jiang Che had gained levels yesterday without any clear records.
He had encountered a secret realm, only for someone else to clear it first.
In a secret realm, once the first team cleared it, all other teams automatically failed.
A Lesser Secret Realm was easier than a small secret realm, and there were plenty of records of pickup teams clearing them. With Jiang Che and Jiang Xing's abilities, someone else should not have beaten them to it.
"A mediocre team managed to steal your first clear?"
Yi Tian finished the last bite of his fried dough stick and asked curiously.
Though Jiang Che was annoyed, he answered seriously, "That team leader really did know a thing or two about tactics!"
"He actually managed a speed clear with four mediocre teammates..."
As he spoke, Jiang Che clenched his fists, growing indignant again:
"If he hadn't snatched that Lesser Secret Realm from me, we'd have enough money for a whole new set of equipment by now. We could even renovate Master's martial arts school!"
Though a Lesser Secret Realm was inferior to a small secret realm, its ownership rights were still very valuable.
Yi Tian thought for a moment and agreed to Jiang Che's request. "All right, I'll ask Qiu Li what she thinks."
"Heh..." Jiang Che followed Yi Tian as he left, a flame of revenge seemingly burning in his eyes.
"If Qiu Li had been there yesterday, how could they have taken the secret realm?"
"The next time we run into that team leader, we'll show him our true strength!"
Jiang Che followed Yi Tian out of the cafeteria.
A moment later, he spotted someone walking along the street. His eyes immediately widened, as though he had found an enemy!
"Holy shit! That's him!"
Yi Tian looked up curiously as well and spotted a somewhat scruffy, lean figure.
Jiang Che's gaze burned. "That's right, I remember him! The team leader who stole my secret realm yesterday..."
"Ye Xiu!!!"
[Ding! An individual with 'Illusionary Radiance'-grade potential has been detected nearby!]
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