Chapter 68: The Third Trial (Part-3)

Just like before, a figure was sent flying.

The person who was sent flying was still Wu Xiao.

This time, however, he didn’t just crash but flew out of the ring and passed out on the spot.

The referee, who had just rushed forward intending to save Ryan, froze in place again, his mind completely blank.

What… just happened?

Why did this suddenly turn into another scene of someone flying out?

More importantly, he still hadn’t seen Ryan make a move.

But unlike before, the referee didn’t hesitate any longer. He turned around, steadied himself, and announced the result decisively.

“Li Wei wins!”

He had learned his lesson. Whether the process was strange or not, the rules were clear. Falling out of the ring meant defeat. Wu Xiao had fallen out twice. Regardless of the reason, the outcome was already determined.

Thus, Ryan claimed his first victory.

Among the ten arenas, Ryan’s match was the fastest to conclude. Two slaps. That was all it took. Compared to the fierce, back-and-forth battles on the other rings, this one looked almost absurdly simple.

Because few people had been paying attention to Ryan’s ring, this bizarre ending did not immediately attract widespread notice.

Soon after, the other nine arenas also finished one after another.

Referees across the platforms began announcing results, while the record keepers hurriedly wrote them down.

“Ring One, Mu Xianling wins!”

“Ring Two, Fang Yu wins!”

“Ring Three, Su Sidao wins!”

…

“Ring Ten…” The referee hesitated for a moment, then continued, “Ring Ten, Li Wei wins!”

When he spoke Ryan’s name, his expression was awkward.

Even he, the referee himself, did not fully understand how Ryan had won. As someone standing right there, he hadn’t seen Ryan attack even once. Announcing this victory felt strangely embarrassing.

After all, Ryan had always been known as a genuine waste.

Had Ryan actually attacked?

It didn’t seem like it.

This victory felt inexplicable, almost unreal.

At first, the referee had suspected that Wu Xiao was deliberately acting, perhaps some kind of farce arranged to let Ryan advance. But when he checked on Wu Xiao afterward and found him truly unconscious, his face swollen, teeth missing, and injuries far from light, that explanation stopped making sense.

If it were an act, there would be no need to perform it so realistically, nor to injure oneself to such an extent. With injuries like this, Wu Xiao would almost certainly miss the next matches.

The situation was baffling.

Still, the referee chose not to dwell on it. The examiner was seated on the high platform, observing everything. If something truly improper had occurred, it was not his place as a low-ranking referee to interfere.

As Ryan’s victory was announced, murmurs spread through the crowd.

“What? Did I hear that right? Li Wei won?”

“Li Wei won? I didn’t even see how he won!”

“That’s impossible. Li Wei is a waste. How could he win?”

“I know Wu Xiao. He’s a nine-star Elite who has a high chance of earning a spot. How could he lose to Li Wei? Something must have happened.”

“I glanced at Li Wei’s ring at first, but Wu Xiao’s attitude was so sloppy that I lost interest. I didn’t expect Li Wei to actually win.”

“Isn’t this too obvious? Could Wu Xiao be the actor Li Wei hired?”

“Or maybe the Western Mansion has bribed Wu Xiao?”

“Just wait. Even if he won this round, waste is still waste. He’ll show his true colors sooner or later.”

“Exactly. I’ll definitely watch Li Wei’s next match. I want to see how he beats his opponent with my own eyes.”

The discussion grew louder and louder. The result was simply too unexpected.

Even the other contestants frowned and whispered among themselves.

A waste winning?

Who would believe that?

Was this some hidden rule of Western Mansion, allowing this young master of Li Clan to pass in such a strange way?

Amidst the doubt, a different set of voices rose up.

“I told you my Brother Wei isn’t a waste! You didn’t believe me!”

“It’s not strange at all that Young Master won. He’s the genius of our Li Clan!”

“What insider deal? Brother Wei deserves every victory!”

“A mere Elite. How could he be Brother Wei’s opponent? Brother Wei didn’t even need to use his hands!”

These voices came from the Li Clan.

They had all seen Ryan fight before. They knew his strength.

Even Li Mingtian, once the number one genius of the Li Clan, had been defeated by their young master. What was Wu Xiao in comparison?

Against Li Mingtian, their young master had used only two fingers. Against Wu Xiao, he probably didn’t even need one.

To them, this outcome was not surprising at all.

Li Wei was the pride of the Li Clan, their unquestioned idol.

However, the Li Clan members were only a small part of the massive crowd. Their voices were easily drowned out.

To outsiders, this fellow had been a waste for years. Suddenly being told he was a genius was something no one was willing to accept.

Thus, despite their arguments, the Li Clan’s words sounded weak and unconvincing.

Still, compared to before, this was progress.

After all, the face-slapping had already begun.

And the Li Clan couldn’t help but look forward eagerly to what would happen next.

“You actually won?” After Mu Xianling stepped off her ring, she heard the news and walked over, saying coolly, “That was unexpected.”

“If I don’t win, who will?” Ryan replied with a smile.

Mu Xianling snorted lightly. “I hope you can keep winning. And I hope you meet me soon.”

With that, she turned and left.

Ryan watched her go, feeling helpless. This woman had practically volunteered to be his servant, yet she still spoke so stubbornly. He wondered whether she would cry when reality finally slapped her in the face.

The rest of the morning passed without Ryan appearing again.

In the subsequent matches, Mu Xianling fought three times in a row and won all three, her strength undeniable.

Fan Wei also secured several victories. Yuan Qiong won two matches and lost one, the loss coming at Mu Xianling’s hands.

Su Sidao only fought once and also won.

Overall, those who had received exemption qualifications all performed well.

As for Ryan, after his first match, he did not appear again for the remainder of the morning.

Finally, when the afternoon arrived, Ryan was called once more.

His second match of the third trial had come.

Ryan’s opponent in his second match turned out to be none other than Su Jian, the very person who had already clashed with him before.

When Su Jian saw Ryan standing opposite him, a smile immediately crept onto his face. In his eyes, although he couldn’t defeat Li Wujie, a nine-star Elite, dealing with Ryan should be effortless. With an expression full of mockery, he said, “Big waste, I didn’t expect we’d meet so soon.”

Ryan looked at him calmly and replied in an equally casual tone, “I didn’t expect you’d come looking for death this fast either.”

“Hmph!” Su Jian snorted coldly, his face filled with disdain. “Your mouth is useless. Let’s see the real skill under our hands.” He didn’t believe for a second that Ryan had any real strength. No matter how strange Ryan’s first win had been, a waste was still a waste in his eyes.

Ryan didn’t argue further. He simply raised a finger and curled it lightly. “Come.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep