Chapter 85: The Last Day of the Third Trial

After consuming the all-attribute pills, Li Wujie’s strength had skyrocketed. Though he hadn’t officially stepped into the Upper Elite realm, his combat power already rivaled that of one.

Among all the candidates, he firmly occupied sixth place, second only to the five exempted participants who had already reached the Upper Elite level.

At this moment, Li Wujie’s opponent was a disciple of the Fan Clan. Their cultivation level was the same—both nine-star Elite realm warriors, but the gap in actual combat strength was obvious.

After barely twenty exchanges, Li Wujie seized an opening and blasted his opponent straight off the ring with a heavy punch.

This alone was enough to show how terrifying Li Wujie’s current strength had become. The only thing holding him back now was his realm. His foundation was solid, but his grade had yet to break through.

However, once Li Wujie fully cultivated the Sky-rank technique Ryan had given him, his future cultivation speed would surge. Advancing into the Upper Elite realm would only be a matter of time.

After that match, Ryan turned his attention to Li Baijie’s and Li Shu’s rings.

Their performances were equally impressive, but Li Shu stood out the most.

Her cultivation level was clearly lower than many of her opponents, yet she repeatedly defeated enemies who surpassed her by several realms. The sight genuinely surprised Ryan.

Before, when Li Wujie mentioned that Li Shu was “different,” Ryan hadn’t taken it seriously. Only after witnessing her battles firsthand did he fully believe it.

Li Shu’s appearance was gentle and sweet, but once she stepped onto the ring, it was as if a little devil awakened inside her. Her fighting style was ruthless, relentless, and shockingly fierce.

Day after day, the competition intensified, and before anyone realized it, the third trial reached its fifth and final day.

By then, the Li Clan’s results were dazzling to the extreme.

Ryan won all forty of his matches without a single defeat. None of his opponents managed to threaten him in the slightest, and his record alone stunned the entire audience.

Li Wujie achieved thirty-eight victories, suffering only two losses—both at the hands of Mu Xianling and Fan Wei. Against those two monsters, he simply wasn’t strong enough yet, as he hadn’t stepped into the Elite realm.

Still, one result left everyone astonished.

Li Wujie defeated Su Sidao.

After losing to Ryan, Su Sidao’s mentality clearly collapsed. His condition worsened with each match, and when he finally faced Li Wujie, his performance was riddled with flaws. Li Wujie seized the opportunity and claimed victory.

Meanwhile, Li Baijie performed steadily, winning thirty matches in total.

Li Shu surpassed even her, securing thirty-four victories. Her results far exceeded Ryan’s expectations, leaving him genuinely impressed.

Across the five days of competition, the Li Clan shone brilliantly, to the point that Li Gengxin’s smile never once faded.

“Your Li Clan truly has talent this year,” a family patriarch on the high platform said with a sigh of admiration. “Not only do you have Li Wei, but also promising youngsters like Li Wujie, Li Baijie, and Li Shu. It seems your Li Clan is about to rise.”

“Too kind,” Li Gengxin replied with a modest smile and a nod.

Yet in his heart, he knew the truth.

The Li Clan’s revival was not because of how many talented juniors they had, but because of one person alone.

His son.

Today marked the fifth and final day of the third trial. Once today’s matches ended, the qualification examination would officially conclude.

For Ryan, this also meant that he would finally face the last two exempted participants—Mu Xianling and Fan Wei.

Coincidentally, he hadn’t encountered either of them in the previous days. It was clear that Western Mansion had intentionally arranged it this way, saving the most exciting clashes for the finale.

Naturally, Ryan’s upcoming matches drew unprecedented attention.

However, just as the day’s competition was about to begin, Fengyue City welcomed an unexpected group of guests.

At the front was a dignified middle-aged man, followed by nearly twenty young people. These youths were roughly the same age as the Fengyue City candidates, but each of them carried an air of arrogance. As they entered the venue, their gazes swept over the local candidates with open disdain.

“Brother Xiao, what brings you here?”

Wang Zongyao recognized the middle-aged man immediately and stepped down from the platform to greet him.

The man was Tang Wuying, a member of the Tang Clan from Fengyu City. Like Wang Zongyao, he was a core disciple of Western Mansion’s Inner House. His strength was even slightly superior, which was why Wang Zongyao addressed him as “Brother.”

Yet Wang Zongyao was puzzled.

As far as he knew, Tang Wuying had also been dispatched to supervise examinations in another city. He shouldn’t have had the time to come here, let alone bring so many people with him.

“What, am I not allowed to come?” Tang Wuying laughed lightly. “I just wanted to visit Brother Wang. I didn’t expect Fengyue City’s exam to still be ongoing. Ours in Fengyu City already finished.”

As he spoke, his gaze casually swept over the Fengyue City candidates.

“Well, our schedule is a bit later,” Wang Zongyao replied calmly. “Today is the last day. Are these young people behind you… The candidates from Fengyu City?”

“Yes,” Tang Wuying said with a smile, pride evident in his eyes as he looked back at them. “These are the twenty candidates selected this year. Not bad, right?”

The young people straightened instantly, chests out, faces brimming with confidence.

“Excellent?” Wang Zongyao felt amused internally.

He could tell at a glance that nearly half of these candidates had already reached the Upper Elite realm. One of them was even a five-star Upper Elite—a level that would completely crush Fengyue City’s lineup if Ryan didn’t exist.

To call them excellent was no exaggeration.

But Fengyue City had Ryan.

No matter how outstanding Fengyu City’s candidates were, they still couldn’t overshadow him.

At this moment, Wang Zongyao finally understood Tang Wuying’s purpose.

This wasn’t a visit.

It was a blatant show of strength.

An old fox indeed.

But sometimes, even old foxes miscalculate.

“They are very good,” Wang Zongyao replied with a polite nod.

“And how about you?” Tang Wuying asked with a seemingly casual smile. “Do you already have your top twenty decided?”

“Our Fengyue City candidates are… acceptable,” Wang Zongyao said humbly. “Today will finalize the top twenty. I already have a list in mind.”

“Is that so?” Tang Wuying chuckled softly. “Since the results are practically settled, how about this?”

He leaned forward slightly, his smile growing warmer. “Before the entrance exam, let the candidates from both cities have a friendly comparison. Let’s see—this year, whose city produced the better talents?

“Compare with one another? Which side is stronger?” Wang Zongyao revealed a faintly strange expression.

At this moment, he finally understood why that old fox Tang Wuying had come today.

It wasn’t just to show off the strength of Fengyu City. That was only the surface. What he really wanted was to step into Fengyue City in public and prove, face to face, which city’s candidates were superior.

If there were no Ryan, then with Fengyue City’s overall strength, this comparison would be nothing short of a disaster.

They would be crushed.

Utterly and completely.

The candidates of Fengyue City would very likely be beaten until their confidence was shattered. When the time came to take the Western Mansion entrance examination, they might not even dare to step onto the stage.

If Fengyue City failed to send even a single person into Western Mansion, Wang Zongyao would become the laughingstock of the Inner House.

And now Tang Wuying had brought people right to his doorstep. There was no room to dodge.

Refuse?

Then rumors would spread that Wang Zongyao was afraid, that Fengyue City’s candidates were inferior to those of Fengyu City.

By then, not only would Fengyue City lose face, but Wang Zongyao’s reputation would be trampled into the dirt as well.

Tang Wuying’s move was vicious.

He smiled politely, spoke warmly, yet every word pushed Wang Zongyao into a corner. A knife hidden in cotton.

But sometimes, those who come to watch a joke end up becoming the joke themselves.

Tang Wuying clearly had no idea that Fengyue City had produced a monster like Ryan.

If he knew, he probably wouldn’t have dared to come here so boldly.

Wang Zongyao was secretly delighted, but on the surface, he still hesitated. After thinking for a moment, he said slowly, “We haven’t finished the qualification exam yet. Why don’t we wait until it’s over before comparing?”

“What’s there to wait for?” Tang Wuying waved his hand with a smile. “Didn’t you just say you already have a list in mind? Just send those candidates out. Or… could it be that Brother Wang lacks confidence in Fengyue City’s candidates?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep