Tang Yi was overjoyed to receive another quest!
Just as Tang Yi was agreeing to Elder Lu’s request, he had been silently wishing for this. He couldn’t believe he’d actually received a quest!
However, when he saw the quest’s requirements, he was momentarily stunned.
’Thirty people? That’s quite a lot.’
Tang Yi frowned and muttered to himself.
"What thirty people?" Elder Lu asked.
"Oh, it’s nothing. I was just saying that I’ll work hard to help the candidates from the Thirty-six Cities of the North District get into the West Mansion," Tang Yi said, waving his hand dismissively with a smile.
Elder Lu didn’t press the matter. The two spoke for a little while longer before a Chief Examiner approached and whispered a few words in the elder’s ear. Elder Lu then led Tang Yi to the bow of the ship and leaped onto the dragon head statue.
By now, all the candidates and West Mansion powerhouses, led by the Chief Examiners, had already cleaned the Void Warship, clearing away the bodies and bloodstains. They stood in neat formations inside the ship, grouped by their home cities, awaiting Elder Lu’s address.
Tang Yi followed Elder Lu, also taking his place on the dragon head statue, looking down upon everyone on the deck.
In the past, no one on the ship would have been happy about this. The Chief Examiners certainly would never have allowed a mere candidate to stand above them, looking down on them.
But now, who would dare to object?
Tang Yi was the one who had killed a Battle Emperor Powerhouse. If someone with that kind of strength wasn’t qualified, then who was?
Therefore, no one had any objections. In fact, their gazes toward Tang Yi were filled with reverence. Some candidates even looked at him with fear. They were terrified of him, thinking him a Demon.
A Demon who could kill at a moment’s notice.
Of course, Tang Yi couldn’t give a damn what they thought.
"Chief Examiner, report the casualties."
Standing on the dragon head statue, Elder Lu called out in a deep voice. His expression was exceptionally solemn, a stark contrast to the kind demeanor he had shown while speaking with Tang Yi.
Hearing this, Xiao Bai, as the representative for the Chief Examiners, stepped forward. His expression was also grave as he announced in a clear voice, "Reporting to Elder Lu, of the thirty-six Chief Examiners from the Thirty-six Cities of the North District, thirteen are dead and seven have suffered Severe Injury. Of the one hundred sixty-six West Mansion Disciples, eighty-nine are dead and thirty have suffered Severe Injury, with the rest all having minor injuries. Of the seven hundred and twenty candidates from the Thirty-Six Cities, two hundred and thirty-six are dead, fifty-seven have suffered Severe Injury, and three hundred and twenty-two have sustained minor injuries of varying degrees. That is the summary of this battle."
As this long string of numbers came from Xiao Bai’s mouth, the mood of everyone listening grew heavy.
In this one battle, over three hundred people had died!
And nearly a hundred more were severely injured!
The losses were truly devastating!
This was especially true for the candidates of the Thirty-Six Cities. Seven hundred and twenty of them had set out, full of ambition, to take the West Mansion’s entrance exam. They never expected that over two hundred of them would be buried here before even reaching their destination.
However, having survived this battle, the candidates had all undergone a baptism of life and death. The aura each of them exuded seemed... different.
They stood straighter, and their eyes held a new, firmer resolve. It was as if the battle had forged some astonishing transformation within them.
"Did you all hear that? Did you hear those numbers? Over three hundred dead! More than three hundred of West Mansion’s talents, and future talents, are buried here! Why did they die? Because we lacked the strength to protect them! Because we lacked the strength to resist our enemies! It all comes down to a lack of strength!"
"Tell me, do you ever want to go through something like this again?"
Elder Lu boomed.
His words were powerful, each one striking a chord deep in the hearts of the crowd.
"No!"
From the deck below, everyone—be they Chief Examiners, West Mansion Disciples, or candidates from the Thirty-Six Cities—looked up at Elder Lu and roared their reply in unison.
Their eyes held sorrow, resentment, and above all, fury!
Fury at their enemies, and fury at their own weakness!
’If only we were stronger, would so many have died?’
’If only we were stronger, would we have been threatened by those thieves?’
’It was all because we lacked strength!’
"Then tell me this: do you want to lack strength and allow your families, your friends, to be threatened by your enemies ever again?" Elder Lu demanded.
"No!"
The crowd roared back in unison, their voices even louder than before.
"Good! Since none of you want that, then promise me this: you will strive to become stronger! You will dedicate yourselves to improving your strength! Whether or not you enter the West Mansion, you must work hard! Only then can you ensure your families and friends will never be threatened by your enemies! Only then can you protect them! Only then will you never have to experience a tragedy like today’s again! Do you understand?" Elder Lu declared.
"Understood!"
The crowd roared in response.
A look of firm resolve blazed in everyone’s eyes.
In that moment, having endured this trial of life and death, it was certain that every candidate would train with even greater diligence from now on.
For these candidates, perhaps this was not a disaster, but a turning point—one that would change the course of their lives.
Many years later, when the candidates from this Warship had become peerless powerhouses, they would recall this day and sigh with emotion. If not for this incident, if not for the attack by the Heaven-Devouring Thief, they would never have achieved such heights and would have lived out their lives in mediocrity.
Of course, that was all a matter for the distant future...
With everyone’s morale boosted, Elder Lu felt the time was right and spoke again. "Additionally, there is one more thing I must ask of you all."
Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Elder Lu, eager to hear what he had to say.
At that moment, Elder Lu pointed to Tang Yi at his side and asked, "Do you all know who this is?"
"We do! His name is Tang Yi!"
"He’s the one who saved our lives!"
"He’s the pride of our generation! He’s our idol!"
"If I ever forgot the name of our savior, Tang Yi, I’d be lower than a dog!"
"I’ll never forget this day, and I’ll never forget Tang Yi! He’s the one who gave me a new lease on life!"
The crowd called out their answers to Elder Lu’s question.
Just a short while ago, most of them hadn’t known who Tang Yi was or what his name was. But through the few who did know him, word had gradually spread.
First place in the Fengyue City qualification exam, the number one genius of the Tang Family, the son of the Tang Family Patriarch—these titles were now widely known.
Tang Yi’s name had spread throughout the entire Void Warship.
Now, was there anyone who didn’t know of Tang Yi, the impossibly young candidate who stood before them with such a calm and unconcerned expression?

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