Chapter 118: On the Warship (Part-17)

If Elder Lu died, then even with twenty or thirty Upper Exalt examiners remaining, it would be meaningless. None of them could stand against a Lord rank expert. One strike would be enough to wipe them all out.

This was the worst possible outcome. Not the death of candidates, not the loss of examiners, but the fall of Elder Lu himself.

“It’s over… Elder Lu is like this, he probably won’t last long.”

“I already sent a distress signal, but reinforcements will take at least an hour to arrive. There’s no way we can hold on that long.”

“Sigh… what cruel luck. To encounter a Sky-Devouring Thief of this level here… I still had so many ambitions left unfulfilled.”

“Who wants to die? If only our luck had been better.”

Despair crept into every voice. The Western Mansion examiners’ faces were heavy, filled with bitterness and helplessness.

On the Void Warship, countless candidates witnessed Elder Lu’s defeat from afar. They all understood that their fate had already been sealed. Once the golden-masked Lord rank expert descended, no one would survive.

“Elder Lu lost!”

“I don’t want to die!”

“I haven’t even entered Western Mansion yet… I haven’t done anything with my life!”

“If only I had been born ten years earlier, maybe I could’ve become strong enough to change this.”

“So this is the end?”

Crying, shouting, laughter, madness. Every kind of despair surfaced at once. The entire Void Warship fell into chaos, fear spreading unchecked.

Some people thought about escaping, but reason quickly crushed that illusion. They were three thousand meters in the air. Only Upper Exalts could fly. Ordinary candidates and Exalts had nowhere to go. Even if they could flee, how could they outrun a Skeleton Warship?

There was no escape.

In the sky, Wang Zongyao also arrived beside Ryan. When he saw Elder Lu’s condition, his heart sank. He felt the same despair as everyone else, yet when his gaze fell on Ryan, he hesitated for a moment. Even knowing that miracles were unlikely, he still asked, almost unconsciously, “Li Wei… do you have any way?”

He asked without hope, as if grasping at a straw in the dark.

Ryan frowned deeply and remained silent for a long moment. Then, to Wang Zongyao’s astonishment, he nodded slowly and said in a low voice, “There is… but I haven’t tried it before.”

“Li Wei, what did you just say?” Wang Zongyao stared at him in disbelief, his voice rising despite himself. “You said you have a way? Really have a way? Do you… do you mean you can deal with that Lord rank expert?”

He had asked earlier, almost on impulse, grasping at the last thread of hope in a hopeless situation. Yet Ryan’s answer had been neither denial nor evasion, but a calm admission that there was a way. That alone was enough to shake Wang Zongyao to the core.

Still, Ryan’s words were vague, and Wang Zongyao could not help but feel confused. What kind of “way” was this? Was Ryan claiming he could fight the Lord rank expert head-on, or was it something else entirely?

Despite witnessing Ryan perform miracle after miracle, Wang Zongyao found it difficult to believe that Ryan could truly contend with a Lord rank expert.

The gap between an Upper Exalt and a Lord rank expert was not a simple difference in numbers; it was a qualitative leap.

Ryan was far too young.

Reaching the level of an Upper Exalt at this age was already heaven-defying. If he could also defeat a Lord rank expert, then what room would there be left for the rest of the world to breathe?

Such talent would be terrifying beyond reason.

The other Western Mansion examiners had also heard Ryan’s words. Their gazes converged on him at once, filled with mixed emotions of hope, doubt, and ridicule.

“Little brother, don’t keep us in suspense. Tell us, what’s this solution?” one examiner urged impatiently.

Another scoffed openly. “I admit you’re strong, incredibly strong even. Honestly, I might not be your match. But that’s as far as it goes. Even Elder Lu couldn’t defeat that Lord rank expert. How could you possibly do better?”

“As long as it keeps me alive today, I’ll listen to anything,” yet another examiner said bitterly. “Even if you want me to be a bull or a horse later, I’ll accept it.”

“Enough,” Tang Wuying finally spoke, stepping forward. His voice carried weight among the examiners. “Let Li Wei finish first.”

The surrounding noise gradually died down.

Ryan took a slow breath and spoke calmly, “The method I mentioned isn’t about whether I can defeat that Lord rank expert. What I meant is that I can treat Elder Lu’s injuries instantly, or at least partially. I’ve never tried it before, so I can’t guarantee success.”

His words were measured, but they still sent ripples through the crowd.

What Ryan did not say was that he truly had no certainty of defeating a Lord rank expert. He still had many trump cards he had never revealed, including a Heaven-grade martial art whose power he had yet to test. The name alone carried an overwhelming weight, and Ryan was confident that its might would be terrifying beyond imagination.

Even so, confidence did not equal certainty. In terms of raw cultivation, the gap between him and a Lord rank expert was still enormous. If he were honest with himself, he had perhaps three chances out of ten to win.

Three chances.

For an Upper Exalt, even daring to claim a one-in-ten chance against a Lord rank expert would already be considered insane. A nine-star Upper Exalt would not dare speak such words lightly, let alone Ryan, who was only a three-star Upper Exalt.

That was why he chose not to say it.

Yet even the alternative he presented was shocking enough.

“What did you say? You can heal Elder Lu instantly?”

“Are you serious? Elder Lu is already like this…”

“This kind of injury can still be treated?”

“Even if you could save him, what’s the point? The Lord rank expert will kill us all right after!”

“Kid, I appreciate your intentions, but this isn’t the time to joke.”

Disbelief spread rapidly. The initial flicker of hope in the examiners’ eyes dimmed once more, replaced by resignation and bitterness. Elder Lu’s injuries were clearly catastrophic. His internal organs were shattered, his meridians in chaos. Even the most renowned healers would be powerless in such a situation, let alone a young candidate.

None of them believed Ryan.

None, except Wang Zongyao.

“Li Wei,” Wang Zongyao said urgently, ignoring the others, “if you really can heal Elder Lu, even partially, then do it! Hurry!”

Though he, too, found it hard to believe, Wang Zongyao trusted Ryan more than anyone present. After all, Ryan had already defied logic countless times. Compared to believing Ryan could defeat a Lord rank expert, believing that he could heal Elder Lu felt… more reasonable.

Seeing Wang Zongyao’s trust, Ryan nodded slightly. At least he hadn’t misjudged this man.

Facing Wang Zongyao alone, Ryan explained, “I can’t fully heal Elder Lu. At most, I can heal about one-third of his injuries. As for how much combat strength he can recover after that, it depends on Elder Lu himself.”

“One-third?” Wang Zongyao was momentarily stunned, disappointment flashing across his face, but he still asked, “Then how long will it take?”

“Very quickly,” Ryan replied. “Just a moment.”

“A moment?”

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