The First Cross-World Challenge: Who Was White Da?

The Tang Sect had arrived, and both its leader and deputy leader had come. Their gazes swept over the Shrek mentors and students still alive, those who had only the Black-Level Eight Trials or even lower trials.

Then their eyes settled on the three generations of the Qian Gu Family.

Since they were already in Shrek City, Qian Gu Qingfeng, Qian Gu Dongfeng, and Qian Gu Dieting had flown straight over from the Spirit Pagoda rather than stepping out of a portal.

They would not disappear when the challenge ended.

The two Tang Sect leaders looked at the three of them, amused smiles playing on their lips.

They had arrived late. Or rather, they had deliberately waited.

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi had waited until most of Shrek's people were dead before showing themselves.

They wanted a share of the spoils too: a Divine Examination.

They could not openly propose attacking Shrek, so why not wait for someone else to kill most of its people, then challenge the killers?

Nothing wrong with that.

After all, both of them had been Shrek students and still served as elders of Shrek Academy.

By rights, they should have counted as Shrek people. Yet neither had received a Divine Examination.

They believed the Divine Examination had judged that, while they had once belonged to Shrek, their primary roles now were leader and deputy leader of the Tang Sect.

How could the leaders of a sect belong to another academy?

That was why they had received no Divine Examination.

Of course, that was only what they believed. The real reason was Lin Yuan's arrangement: he wanted to watch the Tang Sect and Shrek fight each other.

In short, they had waited for others to slaughter Shrek before swooping in to claim the prize. The mantis stalked the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi dared issue a challenge because they had absolute confidence in their strength.

They had watched Qian Gu Dongfeng and Qian Gu Dieting fight. The two were strong, certainly, but not beyond their reach.

With their ages reduced to the same range, Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi were confident they could kill Qian Gu Dongfeng and Qian Gu Dieting and seize their Divine Examinations.

They exchanged a glance and divided their targets.

Zang Xin headed for Qian Gu Dongfeng, while Cao Dezhi set his sights on Qian Gu Dieting. Both moved at once.

Seeing them come straight at the family, Qian Gu Dongfeng knitted his brows and snapped,

"Are you insane? There are so many Shrek people left to kill, and you come after us? If you need another target, challenge the Holy Spirit Cult! They just took so many slots."

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi shook their heads.

"No. We're choosing you.

"You kicked Shrek Academy while it was down. As Shrek's allies, we naturally have to avenge them."

"Hahaha! Avenge them, is it?

"Aren't you kicking them while they're down too?

"Don't tell me you're not tempted by the Divine Examinations.

"You showed up, didn't you?

"And now you're pretending you're so noble and pure?

"You've learned to put on quite a show.

"But I'm not interested in fighting you. Can you two lunatics use your heads?

"We're evenly matched. A fight would come down to luck.

"Do you really want to gamble on that?

"For all you know, we could kill you instead. There's barely any difference between us."

"Then we'll leave it to fate."

They could hardly challenge the Nether Emperor, the Ghost Emperor, or the Demon Empress, could they?

That would be suicide.

The Qian Gu Family was the easiest target.

But Qian Gu Dongfeng clearly had no desire to fight.

He had only just obtained his Red-Level Nine Trials. How could he agree to a fight to the death with someone whose strength and foundation rivaled his own?

He really could die. If he won, fine—the Red-Level Nine Trials would remain his.

But what if he lost?

What would all his earlier effort amount to?

A complete waste?

Qian Gu Qingfeng's eyes flickered as an idea came to him.

"Wait. I have a suggestion."

Zang Xin raised an eyebrow. Qian Gu Qingfeng cleared his throat and said,

"If you insist on challenging someone, why not challenge someone from another world?"

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi shook their heads at the same time.

"We don't know them. We have no way to judge how strong they are."

Qian Gu Dongfeng immediately picked up the argument.

"You don't know them, but you know our counterparts in another world, don't you?

"In that world, Cai Yue'er, Long Yeyue, Yun Ming, and Ya Li should all still be alive.

"Challenge them. Or pick any genius with Innate Full Soul Power at that world's Shrek Academy. Surely that's better than gambling your futures in a fight with us.

"You and Cai Yue'er are the same age. If you went there and killed her, wouldn't victory be guaranteed?

"Why gamble your life against me?

"If your luck is bad and I kill you, you'll have lost everything.

"Besides, it's another world. Nothing there has anything to do with this one. You don't need to worry about old ties—just go for it. Wouldn't it be nice to secure two Red-Level Nine Trials?

"And they can't challenge you in return. Outside the life-and-death elimination matches, someone with a higher-tier Divine Examination can't seize one from a lower-tier holder.

"Just challenge anyone and obtain a Divine Examination. Even Yun Ming over there won't be able to retaliate. He'll have to swallow it."

At Qian Gu Dongfeng's words, interest flashed in both Zang Xin's and Cao Dezhi's eyes.

Damn it, Qian Gu Dongfeng was a genius!

When it came to scheming against Shrek, he had thought of everything. He had genuinely won them over.

They had come for Divine Examinations, not to risk their lives.

If there was an easier, better way to obtain one reliably, why would they refuse?

Why fight Qian Gu Dongfeng to the death?

They were evenly matched. There was no telling who would survive.

Zang Xin rubbed his chin.

"You may have a point."

Cao Dezhi nodded as well.

"Indeed. Killing the Cai Yue'er of another world, along with their geniuses, is safer. We wouldn't have to worry about retaliation either.

"No matter how you look at it, that's a good deal."

Seeing their reaction, Qian Gu Dongfeng rejoiced inwardly and pressed on.

"Exactly. We're all sensible people. Cooperation benefits everyone.

"Only a fool would fight us to the death.

"Go on. Head to another world. You'll be pioneers for ours, finding out just what the people of other worlds can do."

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi exchanged a look, then nodded together.

"All right. We'll take your advice and go to another world."

At those words, a great weight lifted from Qian Gu Qingfeng's heart.

Thank goodness those two weren't stubborn fools. Otherwise, we really would have had to gamble with our lives.

With their decision made, Cao Dezhi and Zang Xin wasted no more time. They turned and headed toward the Tang Sect's Shrek Academy.

They intended to use the portal in its Baby Dragon statue to travel to another world.

Qian Gu Dongfeng watched them leave, a smug smile on his lips.

Set one tiger against another. I've mastered that trick. You're still too green to take me on.

And Cai Yue'er of the other world, sorry about this. Hope you have fun.

Meanwhile, Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi had passed through the portal in the Baby Dragon statue and reached another Legend of the Dragon King world.

But when they arrived at Shrek Academy in that world, they found someone had beaten them to it.

Before the Baby Dragon statue at the center of the academy, a lone figure stood facing everyone from Shrek.

"I, White Da, challenge Cai Yue'er of Shrek Academy."

Zang Xin and Cao Dezhi exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's surprise.

Who was White Da?

Never heard of him.

And he wanted to challenge Cai Yue'er too.

It seemed this easy target with the Red-Level Nine Trials was in high demand.

They looked toward White Da. He wore a loose black robe that concealed him from head to toe. They could not even make out his face.

Someone hiding his identity.

But what truly shocked them was that neither could sense White Da's aura.

From the Heavenly Screen, they were certain that only their world had countless Shreks. The other worlds had none.

So he had to be from their world. A challenge could only be issued through the academy.

Which raised the question: who was he?