Although Dai Chengfeng looked down on Yan's sycophantic demeanor, he had to admit…
Yan was indeed a rare genius.
Though not as dazzling as Oscar, he was far stronger than most of the members of the Shrek Seven Devils before they consumed the Immortal Herbs.
And now that Dai Chengfeng had temporarily joined the Spirit Hall and planned to give his dearest teacher Bibi Dong… his all!
If everything went according to plan—once Bibi Dong died and Qian Renxue was thoroughly subdued by Dai Chengfeng in every sense—
then Yan would become one of his subordinates.
Moreover, Dai Chengfeng believed he would spend a long time in the Spirit Hall. With Bibi Dong still alive, he couldn't simply eliminate Yan.
Therefore, Dai Chengfeng decided to take this opportunity to completely crush both Yan and Xie Yue.
"Perfect. Now that Uncle isn't around, I need someone to run errands for me so I don't have to do everything myself…"
Meanwhile, across from him,
looking at Dai Chengfeng confidently proposing the bet, Xie Yue instinctively felt a hint of concern.
Could he have some hidden trump card?
But soon, Xie Yue shook his head. I must be scaring myself.
After all, he's just a Soul Elder, while the three of us are Soul Ancestors. Moreover, we've all been to Death Canyon before. How could we possibly lose?
With this thought, Xie Yue ultimately nodded and accepted the wager.
As for Yan, compared to Xie Yue's carefulness, he didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed, even feeling somewhat relieved.
"Boy, this is your idea. Don't regret it when you lose!"
Yan's eyes were filled with disdain. He completely doubted Dai Chengfeng's strength. Moreover, his dual-attribute Fire and Earth spirit of Flame Lord held an inherent advantage in Death Canyon, where most soul beasts had Dark or Water attributes.
He was utterly confident he could win this competition.
For a moment, Yan's eyes brimmed with provocation as he glared at Dai Chengfeng. "I'll show you the power of our Golden Generation!"
As he spoke, he made a gesture of slitting his throat.
At this moment, a cold and proud female voice suddenly rang out.
"I wonder if you all can include me in your competition?"
In the distance, a golden-haired girl in a golden battle skirt slowly approached Dai Chengfeng and the others.
Seeing Qian Renxue, Dai Chengfeng was slightly surprised, wondering why she had come.
Logically speaking, Qian Renxue didn't need to undergo training in Death Canyon.
Her current priority was disguising herself as the Crown Prince of the Tian Dou Empire, Xue Qinghe.
After all, to overthrow the Tian Dou Empire, Qian Renxue had even sacrificed her cultivation speed.
Otherwise, with her unparalleled talent of starting with level 20 soul power, there was no reason she should only have reached Soul Sage at the age of 29.
It should be noted that she ascended to godhood at the age of 34. The hardest stretch from level 75 to 100 took her only five years, but during her undercover mission in Tian Dou...
Five years? That was barely enough to raise her soul power by a dozen levels.
Even so…
Qian Renxue's current soul power far surpassed Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan.
Dai Chengfeng estimated that even with the delays caused by her undercover mission, given Qian Renxue's innate talent and foundation, her current soul power level was at least above 55. Add to that her Angel God Armor…
Even Dai Chengfeng, if they were to face off directly, wouldn't be confident in defeating her.
Unless she became arrogant enough to be drawn into a life-or-death arena, then he might stand a chance.
While Dai Chengfeng was lost in thought, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan were also baffled by Qian Renxue's sudden appearance.
However, despite their confusion, none of them dared to show any disrespect. They bowed respectfully and said, "Princess Qian Renxue, if you wish to join this competition, we naturally won't refuse."
Qian Renxue gave a slight nod, her cool gaze sweeping over the three without lingering.
Instead, she fixed her eyes on Dai Chengfeng—the only one who hadn't verbally agreed—and asked again, "Can you add me?"
"If Xiao Xue has such an interest, adding you is no problem."
"Xiao… Xiao Xue?"
Upon hearing Dai Chengfeng's casual way of addressing her, Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue instantly widened their eyes in disbelief.
In their understanding, Qian Renxue's status was incredibly noble—she was the beloved granddaughter of Grand Worship Qian Daoliu of the Douluo Hall, standing high above everyone else.
Even though they were disciples of Pope Bibi Dong of the Spirit Hall, they still had to tread carefully in front of Qian Renxue...
After all, disciples were merely disciples, not biological children.
But, Dai Chengfeng!
This newcomer to the Spirit Hall dared to address Princess Qian Renxue so intimately—it was like digging his own grave!
The three exchanged a knowing glance: Dai Chengfeng, you're in big trouble now…
However, what followed left them utterly stunned.
Qian Renxue furrowed her brows slightly and glared at Dai Chengfeng as if both annoyed and amused. "Dai Chengfeng, don't push your luck!"
Though her tone carried dissatisfaction, there was no real anger behind it.
Dai Chengfeng, however, seemed oblivious to her "threat" and continued to smile. "Yes, yes, yes… Little Xue!"
"You!"
Qian Renxue stared at Dai Chengfeng, who had agreed but clearly wasn't going to stop. In the end, she could only roll her eyes at him and stopped trying to correct him.
Calm down, calm down…
For now, I still need Dai Chengfeng to gather intelligence on Bibi Dong. I'll endure this for now.
Qian Renxue silently consoled herself.
When this scene fell upon Hu Liena, Yan, and Xie Yue, they exchanged another glance. This time, their expressions were vastly different from their earlier smirks—they all wore looks of astonishment.
This… master, who just arrived at the Spirit Hall, dares to flirt with Great Elder Qian Daoliu's granddaughter and somehow gets away with it without being punished?
Suddenly feeling impressed, Yan wondered: Why do I want to become his disciple?
Yan thought about it and unconsciously glanced at Hu Liena, who showed him absolutely no interest.
If I had Dai Chengfeng's skills…
So envious!
Just as Qian Renxue was about to say something more, Bibi Dong had already finished instructing the guards and was walking back gracefully.
Tap, tap, tap—
The sound of high heels echoed as her purple gown fluttered lightly in the wind, exuding an aura of overwhelming power.
She swept her sharp gaze over everyone, her icy tone cutting like a blade. "Next is a month-long special training in Death Canyon. During this period, no one will protect you!"
"If you die, you die. So stay alert at all times!"
Her words were cold, announcing the brutal survival rules of Death Canyon.
"Yes!"
Everyone tensed up and quickly nodded respectfully in unison.
Dai Chengfeng also nodded along, but he was fully aware:
Though Bibi Dong said this, she certainly wouldn't act on it.
After all, among those present, aside from Dai Chengfeng, who wasn't a crucial talent of the Spirit Hall? How could Bibi Dong allow them to meet with accidents easily?
Most likely, each person would have at least one Soul Ancestor or Title Douluo guarding them.
They simply wouldn't intervene unless it was a life-or-death situation.
However, having protection didn't guarantee absolute safety. After all, humans make mistakes, especially in a complex environment like Death Canyon.
Thus, Dai Chengfeng didn't dare let his guard down.
Soon, Bibi Dong waved her hand. "Go ahead. I hope you gain something valuable from Death Canyon!"
Boom—
At this moment, the massive black gates of the canyon entrance opened fully. Dai Chengfeng and the others slowly stepped through the gates.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)