Subordinate

He looked...

Just like a harmless youth.

But Wang Zhi knew that within this "youth" lay a power capable of destroying the heavens and extinguishing the earth.

Afterward, Wang Zhi took Ika with him toward the Spirit Transmitter Tower Headquarters outside the city.

This time, the journey was completely unobstructed.

No more members of the Shrek Inspection Team jumped out to block his path.

No one was a fool.

Squeezing a soft persimmon was fine; it wouldn't lead to any trouble.

But running into a hard nut to crack and still not knowing when to back off...

That was a guaranteed way to get crushed.

Although the people from the Shrek Inspection Team were arrogant, they weren't all idiots.

They knew the outcome of that battle just now perfectly well. Dean Cai Yuer had personally intervened and failed to keep the person there; instead, what kind of end had she met herself?

Although the news had been suppressed.

Those who needed to catch the scent had already caught it.

After arriving at the Spirit Transmitter Tower Headquarters, there was still some time before his match.

Wang Zhi did not go to the contestant lounge, but instead found a spot in the audience seats and sat down.

Ika stood by his side, his gaze calmly sweeping across the surroundings, remaining vigilant at all times.

At this moment, a figure walked over.

Zheng Yiran.

With a trace of worry on her face, she walked over to Wang Zhi and sat down. She looked him up and down, and only after confirming that he had no obvious external injuries did she heave a sigh of relief.

"I heard you were given a hard time by people from Shrek Academy?"

She asked in a low voice.

"Are you alright?"

"Do you need my help?"

"My family has a history with Shrek Academy. As long as I say the word, they won't give you any trouble."

Because Yun Ming had decisively blocked the news, the incident involving Ika and Cai Yuer had not spread.

However, the fact that the Shrek Inspection Team had been chasing Wang Zhi was seen by many.

Zheng Yiran had also just received this news and was preparing to head to Shrek City to find Wang Zhi, but seeing that Wang Zhi had already returned, she came over to ask about it.

Wang Zhi shook his head slightly and said softly.

"It's already resolved..."

"The matter with Shrek Academy has been settled as well."

"Look, didn't I come here to compete?"

The matter was, of course, resolved.

After all, even Cai Yuer had been reduced to a cripple.

However, Zheng Yiran assumed that Wang Zhi had simply explained things to the people at Shrek Academy, and she felt a sense of relief in her heart.

Immediately, as if thinking of something, her face flushed slightly, and she hurriedly explained.

"I'm not doing this because I care about you, okay?"

"After all, I've invested a large sum of money in you, and I'm just worried about the investment failing."

"So, this is just a normal inquiry, don't overthink it!"

Wang Zhi was amused and said with a smile on his face.

"Alright, alright, I know."

"It's a normal inquiry, I'm not overthinking it."

Regarding this, Wang Zhi was quite puzzled in his heart.

He didn't consider himself some kind of Long Aotian-style protagonist who could just stand there and have a bunch of beauties throw themselves at him.

But Zheng Yiran's behavior...

It really was a bit hard for him to understand.

However, Zheng Yiran's face turned even redder. Her eyes darted around, looking everywhere, and she noticed Ika standing behind Wang Zhi.

"Who is this?" she asked, puzzled.

"A subordinate," Wang Zhi explained. "My family was worried about me, so they sent Ika to stay by my side."

A flash of surprise crossed Zheng Yiran's eyes.

A subordinate?

It was strange. She had investigated Wang Zhi's background; otherwise, she wouldn't have known where his home was.

Yet, Wang Zhi's parents had no family backing whatsoever.

Where on earth did this subordinate come from?

Furthermore, he looked to be about the same age as Wang Zhi.

How exactly was he supposed to protect him?

The more Zheng Yiran thought about it, the more confused she became.

But seeing that Wang Zhi had no intention of explaining further, she didn't press the issue.

After all, everyone had their own secrets; it was perfectly normal.

"I see, that's good too."

She nodded and glanced at Ika once more.

The blue-haired youth hadn't looked at her even once from start to finish. His gaze remained fixed on Wang Zhi, as if everything else around him didn't exist.

At that moment, an announcement blared over the speakers.

"Contestant 127, Wang Zhi, please report to Competition Stage 5."

Wang Zhi stood up and nodded at Zheng Yiran.

"I'm heading out."

"Mm, good luck," Zheng Yiran waved.

On the arena, his opponent was a youth from an inland city whose Martial Soul was an Iron Back Wolf, with the cultivation of a Three Rings Soul Elder.

His strength was decent, but in front of Wang Zhi, it still wasn't enough.

Three Ghost Shadow Ninjas coordinated with two Ghost Shadow Warriors, forcing his opponent off the stage in less than a minute.

Wang Zhi won easily, advancing to the Top 32.

Cheers erupted from the audience seats.

The youth from Hailu City had fought his way through every round without a single defeat, already drawing the attention of many.

After the match ended, Wang Zhi was preparing to leave when a figure appeared before him.

Qian Gu Dongfeng.

The Spirit Transmitter Tower Master had come to the edge of the arena in person, causing a stir among those nearby.

"Classmate Wang, would you care to come upstairs for a chat?"

His tone was gentle, and he wore a smile.

Wang Zhi felt a sense of doubt, but he still nodded.

"Alright."

The elevator rose steadily.

Inside the cabin, Qian Gu Dongfeng's gaze fell upon Ika, scanning him up and down.

To him, Ika looked like a youth of similar age to Wang Zhi, his expression cold and stern. His eyes remained fixed on Wang Zhi, never once sparing a glance for the dignified Spirit Transmitter Tower Master.

It was as if he were merely an ordinary person, unworthy of even a flicker of attention.

Curiosity piqued, Qian Gu Dongfeng couldn't help but ask.

"And who is this?"

"A subordinate," Wang Zhi replied curtly.

A hint of amusement flashed in Qian Gu Dongfeng's eyes.

He had his own informants in Shrek City, so he naturally knew about the situation where the Shrek Inspection Team had tried to forcibly frame Wang Zhi and take him away.

Although he didn't know how Wang Zhi had managed to shake off those lunatics, it was an indisputable fact that the faction behind Wang Zhi had sent a subordinate to protect him.

He just couldn't understand how this blue haired youth, who looked to be only about ten years old, was supposed to protect Wang Zhi.

At that age, no matter how high one's talent was, they would be at most a Three Rings soul master, and that would require a massive amount of resources poured into them.

Thinking of this, Qian Gu Dongfeng guessed that this was perhaps someone Wang Zhi had raised himself.

Even if their strength was weak, having grown up together, the bond would be different.

With that, he withdrew his gaze.

The elevator arrived at the top floor.

Qian Gu Dongfeng pushed open the office door and said in a gentle tone.

"Sit wherever you like."

Wang Zhi stepped forward a few paces and sat down on the sofa.

Ika stood behind him, motionless.

Qian Gu Dongfeng sat down opposite him as well, looked at Wang Zhi, and spoke.

"I presume, Classmate Wang, you have witnessed Shrek's overbearing nature by now."

Wang Zhi nodded slightly.

"I have."

"With such conduct, does the Federation not intervene?"

Qian Gu Dongfeng chuckled softly.

"The Federation would like to intervene..."

"But they would need the strength to do so."

"With Yun Ming, the continent's number one person, present, no one dares to utter a single word of dissent regarding anything Shrek does."