Gao Wu: I became the minor villain that the protagonist was about to destroy.

After leaving the Dragon Emperor's Palace, Ye Ming did not linger in the Mountain and Sea Realm and went straight back to the Human Realm through the teleportation array.

When he stood once again at the exit of the Long family's teleportation station, it was nearing dusk. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the city skyline in a warm orange-red hue.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians hurrying along, everything seemed the same as usual—no one knew that in another world, a seal was slowly crumbling, and no one knew that this world had less than ten years left.

Ye Ming stood at the entrance of the teleportation station for a moment, took a deep breath of the human world air, then hailed a car and headed straight for the Black Dragon Company headquarters.

As Ye Ming walked through the company gate, Si Si, who was sitting at the front desk, calmly greeted him, "Brother is back."

Ye Ming nodded to Si Si and smiled, "Yes, you're back. Just to let everyone know that all core members will be in the conference room for a meeting in half an hour."

"Okay, brother."

Ye Ming didn't return to his office, but went straight to the conference room. He pushed open the conference room door, sat down at the head of the long table, placed Sui and Chi on the table, then closed his eyes and began to organize his thoughts on what he was about to say.

About twenty minutes later, the doors to the conference room were opened one after another.

Baki was the first to enter, followed by Ji Wubai and Luo Junheng. After entering, they nodded to Ye Ming and sat down next to Baki. Leng Ruoxue was the third to enter. She glanced at the small red-gold bird on Ye Ming's shoulder, a hint of curiosity flashing in her eyes, but she didn't ask any questions and quietly sat down.

Guo Haihuang walked in with steady steps, sat down next to Leng Ruoxue, and nodded slightly to Ye Ming.

Then, Yujiro, Retsu, and Hanayama entered at the same time, followed by the five members of Ma Wenhao's team.

Ma Wenhao was overjoyed when he saw the bird. "What a beautiful golden bird! Chairman, where did you buy it?"

Chi's forehead veins bulged instantly, while Sui, standing to the side, was already laughing so hard he was doubled over.

But then he added, "Huh?! This golden bird has fleas? This is the first time I've ever seen one."

(╬◣д◢) "Old Feng, get him!"

The next moment, Chi unexpectedly cooperated, and Sui jumped onto his head, spread his wings, and rushed towards Ma Wenhao with a "whoosh" of lust.

The two beasts pecked and bit him, causing him to flee in panic.

The farce finally ended when Luo Wenqing came in.

The last to enter was Ye Sisi. She carried a pot of freshly brewed tea, poured a cup for everyone, and then sat down next to Ye Ming, quietly waiting for the meeting to begin.

Ye Ming's gaze swept over the people on both sides of the long table—Baki, Ji Wubai, Luo Junheng, Leng Ruoxue, Guo Haihuang, Yujiro, Retsu, Hanayama Kaoru, Luo Wenqing, and Ye Sisi. These people were his core group, partners he could completely trust.

He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable weight: "I've called everyone here today because there's something important I need to tell you."

All eyes turned to Ye Ming.

Ye Ming didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I've found a place—the Realm of Mountains and Seas, the homeland of the Dragon and Phoenix Clan. The concentration of spiritual energy there is several times that of the human world, and it's also filled with dangers far exceeding those of the human world."

"I'm going there for a while, not for sightseeing, but to find the Phoenix Fire needed to hatch a dragon egg. But more importantly—the environment of the Mountain and Sea Realm is the most suitable place for you to improve your strength at this stage."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and his tone became more serious: "I suggest that some of the core members come with me."

There was a moment of silence in the meeting room.

Baki broke the silence first, his eyes lighting up, his voice tinged with excitement: "You mean...we can go there to train?!"

"That's right." Ye Ming nodded. "But I must make it clear beforehand—the Mountain and Sea Realm is not an amusement park. The danger there far surpasses any secret realm in the mortal world. It is the base of all races. Entering the Mountain and Sea Realm means facing a life-or-death test at any moment."

He looked at everyone, his gaze serious: "Therefore, I will not force anyone. Those who want to go, come with me; those who don't want to go, stay at the company, it's equally important. The decision is yours."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Then, Baki was the first to speak, grinning and saying without the slightest hesitation, "I'll go."

Guo Haihuang spoke slowly, his voice steady: "I have lived for so many years, but I have never been to the legendary Mountain and Sea Realm. This is a good opportunity to broaden my horizons." Apart from Ye Sisi, Luo Jun, Luo Wenqing, Ma Wenhao and others, everyone else raised their hands.

Ye Ming looked at Leng Ruoxue, Ji Wubai, and Luo Junheng, and said, "You three shouldn't get involved. That's not a place for you to meddle in."

Ji Wubai immediately felt wronged. "Hey~ how can you do this? I really want to go! This is just too unfair!"

"What are you going there for? Are you going to your death? And who knows when you'll be back? You might as well not go to school!"

Ji Wubai retorted, "But doesn't Baki-san also go to school?!"

Ye Ming leaned back in his chair. "Fine, as long as you can defeat him, I'll allow you to go."

"Me!!...Fine, I won't go...!"

Ye Ming looked at Ma Wenhao and the others, "Isn't one of your teams going?"

Ma Wenhao shook his head. "I'm not going. If you all go, how will the company operate? Entering the secret realm or Yuan Ting will also make you stronger."

"The Yuanting area has been appearing much more frequently recently than in previous years, so going there for training is the same thing."

Ye Ming nodded after hearing this, then stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, before slowly saying, "We'll depart in three days. In these three days, everyone should take care of what they're doing. The journey to the Mountain and Sea Realm may be long—and it may be very dangerous."

"But at the same time, it could also transform each of us completely."

"Meeting adjourned!!"

After Ye Ming announced the meeting was adjourned, everyone got up and left the conference room one after another.

Ye Sisi tidied up the teacups on the table, turned to look at Ye Ming, and asked softly, "Brother, is it... dangerous to go this time?"

Ye Ming was silent for a moment, then answered truthfully: "Dangerous."

Ye Sisi lowered her head, remained silent for a while, then raised her head and gave a faint smile: "Then brother must be careful."

Looking into her clear eyes, Ye Ming gently stroked her hair: "Don't worry, I'll be back."

Ye Sisi nodded, said nothing more, and walked out of the conference room with the tea tray.

Ye Ming sat alone in the conference room, remained quiet for a moment, and then slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.