Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two.

Chapter One Hundred Forty-Two.

Having made his decision, Shen Wang no longer hesitated.

He looked at Xiao Hei with a smile, but his voice and eyes were devoid of any humor: "What if I say, I want to annihilate the vampires, will you join me?"

Xiao Hei gazed back at Shen Wang, wondering if his sudden hatred for the vampires was because they stole Chinese artifacts, harmed the innocent, or because they harbored intentions towards Gu Dongting.

Xiao Hei didn't voice his thoughts, perhaps even Shen Wang himself didn't know which of these issues angered him the most.

"It's just a vampire," Xiao Hei spoke, his attitude as arrogantly confident as ever.

Shen Wang was momentarily stunned, the raging fury in his chest seemingly paused. He chuckled, "Xiao Hei, you're right, it's just a vampire."

Back in his days in the cultivation world, he even dared to challenge an entire sect alone, never knowing fear.

But since returning to the modern era, it seems he has also been influenced by the peace and tranquility of China, becoming cautious due to the trust placed in him by others.

In reality, he has always been a gambler, adept at risking little for big gains.

After the laughter, Shen Wang felt much more relaxed, as if he had shed an invisible shackle, and his state of mind elevated.

As the saying in the book goes, despise the enemy tactically, but take them seriously strategically.

Neither Shen Wang nor Xiao Hei were arrogant; the two quickly formulated an action plan and began to operate separately.

Just before departing, Xiao Hei, sitting on the window sill, turned back to ask Shen Wang, "Shen Wang, being able to accompany you in these clandestine deeds, does that make me more suitable for you than Gu Dongting?"

Shen Wang, still revising the plan in his mind, responded instinctively, "Yes..."

As soon as he spoke, he felt something was amiss.

But Xiao Hei had already left with a laugh, leaving only the open window and the tranquil night outside.

Shen Wang couldn't help scratching his head: What exactly is he comparing with Gu Dongting?

He couldn't resist pondering over Xiao Hei's words and realized he indeed felt differently about Xiao Hei and Gu Dongting.

For him, Gu Dongting was a naturally aloof leader of the righteous path, upright and faultless. However, knowing his fate in the original story, Shen Wang's admiration was tinged with a hint of pity.

He hoped Gu Dongting would always remain upright, not like in the original story, where he became a stepping stone for the protagonist, leading to his family's ruin and his own disgrace and downfall.

And as for Xiao Hei...

In the past, Shen Wang felt he and Xiao Hei were like partners in crime, fox and hound friends who respected each other despite not being in frequent contact, but shared a strong understanding.

After that night, their relationship subtly shifted, leaving even Shen Wang uncertain whether this change was for better or worse.

He was sure, however, that he could now consider his relationship with Xiao Hei from a different perspective.

Just as Xiao Hei had said, they were friends, but Shen Wang would never misunderstand his intentions like he might with Bai Fuchun or Chou Yin; if they confessed, Shen Wang would run as far as he could.

That night, neither Shen Wang nor Xiao Hei slept, utilizing the cover of darkness to find what they sought in the vampire stronghold.

The next day, the competition continued.

The Huaxia team was abuzz as soon as they woke up.

"I got a message! It's shocking!"

"I got it too, what's going on?"

"Who sent this? What's their agenda..."

Gathered around their phones, the team huddled in a circle, discussing over breakfast: "The text says the vampires are manipulating the competition behind the scenes... is it true?"

"It also says their country is plundering antiques from other nations not for museum display but to extract their spiritual energy?"

"Impossible... we've been to the museums, antiques from all countries are there..."

"The second floor is where the nobility watch the games... damn it, it's understandable for ordinary people to hide from cultivators for fear of being hurt accidentally, but vampires too, up there!"

"Right, it makes sense for ordinary people to be cautious around cultivators to avoid accidental harm, but for vampires..."

The team couldn't bring themselves to finish their breakfast.

Although everyone knew that participating in the competition meant being treated like beasts in a coliseum, performing for those 'nobles,' it also attracted wealthy individuals and dignitaries from other countries.

Seeing the powerful capabilities of the competitors, they would often offer substantial sums to hire these contestants.

In a way, this competition was also a sort of recruitment fair, albeit one where the fate of the eliminated could be quite grim.

This competition had a history of several centuries, and the cultivators had grown accustomed to it... but if the people behind the scenes were not ordinary humans, but vampires, the implications were vastly different.

"Vampires hosting this competition..." someone murmured, "What's their motive?"

It certainly couldn't be as the official statement claimed, for the sake of global exchange.

Bo Yu pressed his lips together and slowly said, "Considering the time when this competition began, it was the Age of Exploration, when all nations were just starting to reach out to the world..."

And this country wasn't considered the most powerful at that time.

The same was true for those with special abilities; each country had its own unique cultivation methods, none yielding to the other, each with its strengths, until this world competition began, drawing cultivators to come here and fight to the death.

The mortality rate of the competition remained high, and even in modern society, there was no intention from the officials to modify the rules.

After hearing this, everyone was deeply frightened and widened their eyes in horror: "Damn, a cultivator version of a human eradication plan?!"

Contestants from other countries were either evil cultivators who didn't value human life, seeking fame in the competition, or from nations where human life was not regarded highly... which is why no one with special abilities felt something was amiss.

Even in Huaxia, although the team members were advised not to risk their lives, there wasn't much concern about the rules of the competition, given the overall global context.

Lu Tingchun thought even deeper, saying, "Every time we compete, from the beginning, we've never encountered a weak opponent..."

They were either monsters from Southeast Asian chambers or decently strong opponents from the West... they never encountered any weak contestants.

Everyone looked at each other, and upon deeper reflection, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their spine.

"Damn, they didn't make us fight those few strongest opponents in rotation, should we say they still have some shame?"

"Damn, thankfully our country prioritizes survival, otherwise how many of us would have been able to return home..."

"It's a bit cowardly, but at least it keeps us alive."

"What's the worth of face in this situation."

The more they discussed, the larger the conspiracy seemed to unfold, and their conversations didn't cease even on the way to the competition.

Arriving at the venue, everyone was surprised to find that all participants, regardless of their country, were discussing the same issue.

The Huaxia team let out a subtle sigh of relief: thankfully, the message wasn't sent only to them.

Bai Fuchun bitterly scoffed, "Must be the vampires offending someone big time, serves them right!"

The others vigorously nodded in agreement: "Serves them right!"

Shen Wang listened quietly to their discussions throughout the journey, not speaking, but a slight smile curled at his lips upon seeing everyone so engrossed in the debate.

"What fun is there in me facing the vampires alone? It's far more interesting to have the vampires against the whole world."

At that moment, a dark-skinned Black man approached and asked directly, "Who are your opponents?"

The message revealed not just the vampires' secrets but also evidence of their manipulation of the competition, including the upcoming matchups.

Gu Dongting had just drawn their opponent and opened it to see: "It's Riben."

Other contestants listening in became visibly angry: "It's true! All today's matches line up!"

"These damn vampires, what are they really up to!"

"This crappy competition, I'm not participating anymore. I want to see how powerful these vampires are, playing us special ability users for centuries!"

The venue was filled with special ability users, many of whom were unorthodox practitioners, and they weren't about to take this manipulation lying down, readying themselves for a fierce retaliation.

The Black man even kindly asked Gu Dongting, "Are you still going to compete?"

"This broken competition, there's no need to compete anymore!"

However, the Huaxia team paused briefly: "We... still need to compete."

"If the opponent were someone else, they might also feel there's no need to compete."

"But the opponent is Riben..."

"Opportunities to legally thrash Riben are rare. Even if we're being manipulated, we still need to teach them a lesson. Can't let Riben take advantage of us!"

Shen Wang touched his nose, wholeheartedly agreeing with this sentiment.

"Separate issues should be addressed separately. They still deserve a thrashing."

Amidst the chaos, the Riben contestant arrived late. They too had received the message, their expressions extremely grim, especially the one leading them, named Abe, who looked particularly sullen.

Shen Wang chuckled, nudging Gu Dongting's shoulder: "That guy doesn't seem too happy."

Gu Dongting replied in kind: "Funny, I'm feeling quite happy."

Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, heard by everyone around, including Abe's descendant, who twitched his mouth and sneered, "Enjoy your little moment of happiness while it lasts."

The two sides exchanged glares, the air thick with tension.

Bai Fuchun raised his voice, proclaiming, "This small island country, not sure where they get their confidence, thinking they can beat their former 'father'. That confidence must be bigger than their own land area."

Abe's descendant's face contorted momentarily, retorting without showing weakness, "Perhaps it's the confidence from almost conquering your vast territory with our small land area."

"Damn!"

For a moment, the Huaxia team's members were breathing heavily, their eyes nearly sparking with fury: "Damn it, these little devils! They're going down!"

Blinded by anger, everyone unanimously chose Shen Wang to represent them in the match.

Bai Fuchun clenched his fists: "Shen bro, no one's better than you for this. Take down that little devil!"

"Damn, we've been too lenient on them!"

Fire surged in Shen Wang's heart too, and without hesitation, he stepped onto the stage.

Seeing Shen Wang approach, Abe's descendant hesitated for a few seconds before sending a disciple from behind him: "Junior brother, defeat him!"

This was the first time in the competition that the atmosphere turned so tense even before the fight began.

Other contestants who had planned to challenge the vampires paused their plans, turning their attention to the stage.

Everyone expected a fierce battle, but in just a brief encounter, one of the fighters was sent flying out of the arena, crashing into Abe's descendant.

Everyone: "???"

Who is he? What did he do? What just happened?

Abe's descendant, pinned to the ground and red-faced with anger, kicked his disciple away: "What's wrong with you? Get back up there and fight..."

Before he could finish, his companions helped the disciple up, shocked: "He's... he's dead."

As these words hung in the air, everyone fell silent, turning their heads to look at the seemingly relaxed Shen Wang.

Abe's descendant's facial muscles twitched, and he gritted his teeth: "We underestimated him."

In this match, the Riben team lost, all in just three seconds.

Moments ago, they were trading harsh words, but now, not only the Huaxia contestants but others also burst into laughter.

"So weak, and they dared to enter the competition? It's like asking for death."

"Such poor strength and still provoking the opponent, aren't you afraid of all dying here?"

"Just now I thought they were incredibly strong, but who knew... hahaha, they must have set a record for the fastest loss in the competition."

"If you ask me, you should just concede, to avoid everyone dying and falling into the vampires' trap."

Laughter echoed incessantly, and with so many mocking voices, Abe's descendant didn't know who to retort or how to do it. His face turned ashen, his hands clenched into fists, veins bulging.

The Huaxia team themselves hadn't expected Shen Wang to win so swiftly, sweeping away their previous anger, they were elated and couldn't stop laughing.

"Shen bro, you were too fast!"

"That's our Shen bro! Awesome!"

Watching their jubilant behavior, Abe's descendant's eyes almost bled with fury. He took a deep breath: "Next match, I'll take the stage myself."

Hearing this, Gu Dongting also smiled: "Your opponent will be me."