Chapter 142: The Observation Hall

Liu Tao finally broke. He wanted to shout surrender. As long as he admitted defeat, the energy barrier would eject him, and Ryan would be forced to stop. Those were the rules. Western Mansion did not tolerate attacks after a duel ended.

But Ryan was faster than words.

Before Liu Tao could finish speaking, Ryan appeared right in front of him.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap.

Ten clean, brutal slaps landed in rapid succession. Liu Tao’s head snapped back, his vision exploded into white, and when Ryan stepped away, his face had swollen into the exact same pig-headed state as his companions.

Then came the final blow.

A single, precise kick.

Liu Tao’s scream was cut off halfway, his body folding as he collapsed to the ground, joining the others in silent agony.

At that moment, the indistinct figure appeared again above the challenge platform.

“The battle has concluded. Temporary numbers, including 55465, have lost combat capability. Temporary number 59416 is the victor. The match is terminated.”

A soft hum followed as light filled the energy barrier. In the blink of an eye, Ryan and the eight defeated candidates were expelled from the challenge room.

Ryan glanced back at the transparent barrier and nodded appreciatively. “This autonomous challenge platform is really convenient.”

He turned to Mu Xianling and the others with an easy smile. “Let’s go. Next, we’ll check out the Observation Hall and the Eight Palace Battle Hall.”

Not once did he spare another glance for Liu Tao and his companions, who were still sprawled on the floor, groaning like ghosts trapped in purgatory.

As they exited the passage, the elder who had stopped them earlier approached, frowning slightly. “Hm? You’re out already? The discussion finished? And… why are only a few of you here?”

“Oh, them?” Ryan replied smoothly. “They felt they needed more time to reflect on their combat skills. We had other places to visit, so we came out first.”

The elder nodded, not suspecting anything unusual. “Where do you plan to go next?”

“We’d like to see the Eight Palace Battle Hall and the Observation Hall,” Ryan answered politely.

“They’re in the second passage,” the elder said, pointing ahead. “The larger hall on the left is the Eight Palace Battle Hall. The smaller one on the right is the Observation Hall.”

“Thank you, Elder. May I know how to address you?” Ryan asked with a respectful bow.

“You can call me Elder Fang,” the old man replied, smiling faintly. “It’s our turn to oversee the entrance examination this year. Seeing so many candidates visiting makes this old place lively again. It’s been… eight years since Diyao Palace was this busy.”

Ryan nodded thoughtfully. “Elder Fang, Diyao Palace will only grow stronger. I can guarantee that.”

Elder Fang chuckled but did not respond directly. He waved his hand lightly. “We’ll talk about that after you pass the entrance exam. Go on, experience the Eight Palace Battle Hall. Once you see the strength of others, you may not feel so confident anymore.”

With that, he turned and left, while Ryan and his group headed deeper into the palace, unaware that behind them, eight candidates were still learning the true meaning of regret.

“Alright.”

Ryan did not argue. There was no need to explain himself to Elder Fang. His confidence was rooted in strength, not words. Some things only needed time. When the results were laid bare, explanations would become unnecessary.

After bidding farewell to Elder Fang, Ryan led everyone into the passageway.

Just as Elder Fang had said, following the corridor forward, the large hall on the left was the Eight Palace Battle Hall, while the smaller hall on the right was the Observation Hall. Ryan did not rush to fight again.

Instead, he guided the group toward the Observation Hall first.

Although it was called a hall, the Observation Hall was closer to a wide chamber of about a hundred meters.

Compared to ordinary buildings, its size was already impressive, yet within the vast and majestic structures of Western Mansion, it felt modest by comparison.

Upon entering, the scene matched Wang Bi’er’s earlier description perfectly. Apart from a massive light curtain mounted on the wall, the hall was completely empty, giving it the feeling of an open square rather than a room.

At this moment, dozens of people were already inside, which somewhat eased the sense of emptiness. Among them were a handful of Di Palace disciples, but the majority were candidates participating in this year’s entrance examination. This alone spoke volumes. Di Palace truly had very few disciples, so few that encountering them was a matter of chance rather than certainty.

“Brother Li, this is the Observation Hall,” Wang Bi’er said softly as she pointed toward the wall. “That light curtain records the rankings of the Eight Palaces of the Outer House.”

Ryan nodded and walked closer with the others, his gaze fixing on the glowing screen.

Thousands of lines of information flowed across the curtain.

First place, Qian Palace, Chu Mingyue. Two hundred and seventy-three victories, zero defeats. Score: 15,660.

Second place, Qian Palace, Chu Nan. Three hundred and fifty-six victories, one defeat. Score: 13,113.

Third place, Qian Palace, Le Ling. Four hundred and sixty-six victories, one defeat. Score: 13,112.

Fourth place, Li Palace, Xiang Moyang. Four hundred and four victories, one defeat. Score: 13,111.

Fifth place, Gen Palace, Mu Yuchen…

Further down the list, the numbers continued to scroll.

Three thousandth place, Dui Palace, Chu Ranli. Nine hundred and eighty-nine victories, two hundred and six defeats. Score: 10,131.

The light curtain displayed exactly three thousand names. It was clear that only the strongest three thousand disciples of the Eight Palaces were included in this ranking.

Each entry was meticulously detailed. Name, palace affiliation, victories, defeats, score, and other comprehensive data were all clearly recorded, making the ranking system appear extremely complete and transparent.

Seeing Ryan studying the screen with interest, Wang Bi’er stepped closer and explained, “The ranking is determined primarily by score. Higher score means a higher position. The score itself is calculated based on victory count, actual combat performance, and the disciple’s cultivation level, all taken together.”

She paused briefly before continuing, “Of course, the score doesn’t represent everything. Occasionally, someone with a lower score can defeat someone ranked higher. Dark horses do exist. But such cases are rare and usually happen only when someone breaks through and challenges again, or when they suddenly display extraordinary strength during a match. Western Mansion’s scoring system is very refined. Unless there’s an accident, high-ranked disciples almost always dominate.”

She pointed at the top of the list again. “Also, one thousand points is a major dividing line. Once the gap exceeds a thousand points, the difference in strength becomes overwhelming. Take the first and second places as an example. The second has 13,113 points, while the first has 15,660. That’s a gap of 2,547 points. Even if the second place performs perfectly, exhausts every method, and pushes martial arts to the extreme, winning is practically impossible. The gap is simply too large. On the other hand, the second place is under more pressure from the third and fourth, since they are only one or two points behind.”

“And if you defeat someone ranked above you,” Wang Bi’er added, “your score will directly replace theirs and even increase by several hundred points. For instance, if the second place somehow defeated the first, his score would surpass 15,660 and take the top position. The former first place would drop to second with the same score as before. But honestly, such a situation almost never happens.”

Ryan listened quietly, his eyes still fixed on the ranking. The system fascinated him. After a moment, he turned to Wang Bi’er and asked with a smile, “Bi’er, can candidates like us participate in the Eight Palace Battle Hall? And if we do, can we earn points and enter this ranking?”

“Of course,” Wang Bi’er replied without hesitation. “As long as you have a temporary quota, you can spar with the Outer House disciples in the Eight Palace Battle Hall. However, if you want your name to appear here, you need to score higher than the disciples ranked below three thousand. After all, the leaderboard only shows the top three thousand.”

Ryan’s smile deepened. “Then if I participate, where do you think I’ll end up?”

Wang Bi’er hesitated, her expression turning strange. She lowered her head, thought for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter as she looked back up at him.

“But what?” Ryan asked, puzzled. “Why are you laughing? Is there something on my face?”

Wang Bi’er laughed even harder before finally explaining, “No, no. I was just imagining something funny. Brother Li, you’re still just a candidate. You haven’t officially passed the entrance exam yet, so you don’t have a disciple identity. If you enter the Eight Palace Battle Hall and make it onto the leaderboard, what will be displayed? Your temporary number? Something like ’Temporary Quota 59416’?”

She covered her mouth, barely containing her amusement. “Can you imagine the expressions of the Outer House disciples, the palace masters, and the elders when they see that? Just thinking about it makes me laugh.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep