"He didn’t use a Martial Technique?"
Xiang Moyang looked at Chu Mingyue in shock, then immediately denied it. "Impossible. Without a Martial Technique, how could he kill a Level 4 Demon Beast with a single backhand strike? That’s a Level 4 Demon Beast! The equivalent of the Battle Spirit Level! To kill it with one bare-handed palm strike? How is that possible? Even I can’t do that!"
"Yeah, Brother Chu, are you sure you saw that right?" Le Ling added, frowning in disbelief. "Killing a Level 4 Demon Beast with a single palm strike, without any preparation or a Martial Technique, is a bit of an exaggeration. If you told me he was the second-ranked candidate on the leaderboard, I might believe you. But to say he killed a Level 4 Demon Beast with a single, bare-handed palm strike... that’s just hard for me to accept."
"Did you all notice?" Chu Mingyue explained, a look of considerable surprise on his face. "When he struck with his palm just now, there was no trajectory at all, nor was there any fluctuation of Power. It was as if he just casually threw it out. How could a strike like that possibly be a Martial Technique? Forget all of you; even I find it hard to believe. If I hadn’t thought about it carefully, I wouldn’t have noticed that detail either."
"That’s astounding. Simply astounding," Le Ling said, still reeling from the shock. "Doesn’t that mean the candidate on the Light Curtain is even stronger than you, Brother Chu? That’s almost impossible to imagine."
"We haven’t fought, so I don’t know," Chu Mingyue said, shaking his head.
"There’s no need to overthink it. The House Entrance Examination has only just begun. We’ll find out just how strong this candidate is if we keep watching."
Chu Nan brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, a captivating gesture that made all the men present pause for a moment.
Everyone present was a top expert from the Outer Mansion, but as for who was the calmest, it was undoubtedly Chu Nan. Even after hearing that the candidate on the Light Curtain had killed a Level 4 Demon Beast without using a Martial Technique, she showed little reaction. She merely turned her beautiful eyes toward it and watched for a few extra moments.
"You’re right. There’s no need to overthink it; we’ll find out if we just keep watching," Xiang Moyang said, having regained his composure. "Besides, I still don’t believe this candidate is that strong. The House Entrance Examination just started. If the very first candidate to appear is this powerful, then what about the rest? How are we veterans of the West Mansion supposed to stand out?"
"Let’s just watch for now," Chu Mingyue said noncommittally.
In truth, Chu Mingyue could also kill a Level 4 Demon Beast bare-handed. But among all the West Mansion Outer Mansion disciples present, he was the only one who could.
This meant that the candidate was, at the very least, on par with him. This realization was incredibly surprising to Chu Mingyue.
It also made Chu Mingyue wonder if this candidate was actually the one ranked second on the leaderboard.
「On the high platform.」
"Oh?" Special Envoy Gong’s eyes lit up as he stared at the image on the Light Curtain in praise. "This candidate... he’s quite good. Killed a Level 4 Demon Beast bare-handed? His Level must be above Battle Spirit, right? For a candidate to be this powerful is truly surprising."
At that moment, Elder Lu, the person in charge of the North District, took two steps forward and proactively introduced him. "Reporting to Special Envoy Gong, this candidate’s name is Tang Yi. He is a candidate from our North District."
"Oh." Upon hearing this, Special Envoy Gong nodded, but his interest immediately waned, and he felt a twinge of pity. After all, the North District’s results in the House Entrance Examination had been at the very bottom for several years now. The number of their candidates who actually managed to enter the West Mansion was pitifully small. This candidate’s strength was impressive, but it was a shame he was from the North District. Whether or not he could enter the West Mansion was still up in the air, so there was no need to pay him too much attention.
The more attention one paid, the greater the potential for disappointment. Special Envoy Gong had taken an interest in many talented young prodigies before, but far too many of them had withered away under his watch, never reaching their full potential.
Even if that candidate possessed the strength of a Battle Spirit or even higher, it was useless. After all, the House Entrance Examination was not just a one-man battle.
"I recognize that candidate as well," Murong Liu spoke up. "We saw him just a few days ago. He seems quite close with that girl from the Wang Family. I imagine young Zong Yao recognizes him, too."
"Oh?"
Special Envoy Gong let out a sound of intrigued surprise and looked toward the Chief Examiners.
By now, after leading the candidates through the Gate of Light, the Chief Examiners had also come up to the high platform to watch the House Entrance Examination with everyone else.
Among the group of Chief Examiners, Wang Zongyao heard Murong Liu’s words. Seeing the questioning gaze from Special Envoy Gong, he stepped forward voluntarily. "That is correct," he said. "I am indeed acquainted with Tang Yi. In fact, he has already forged a very deep friendship with my Wang Family."
With this sentence, Wang Zongyao was clarifying their relationship.
Wang Zongyao knew that Tang Yi was beginning to display his Divine Power and would soon shock the entire West Mansion. Therefore, rather than wait for others to try and win Tang Yi over, it was better to be the first to tie him to the Wang Family’s warship.
’If I tell everyone in advance that Tang Yi is one of the Wang Family’s people, then even if others become envious, they’ll be too embarrassed to compete for him, right?’
It had to be said, Wang Zongyao’s calculations were exceptionally shrewd.
However, the others did not know what Wang Zongyao was thinking.
The Wang Family’s Position was supreme. Hearing Wang Zongyao say that Tang Yi had a deep friendship with them, the others simply assumed the Wang Family was backing him. They thought Tang Yi had managed to latch onto the Wang Family as a powerful backer, completely unaware of his own extraordinary Talent.
A big tree offers the best shade; this has been an immutable principle since ancient times.
With the Wang Family’s support, as long as he entered the West Mansion, it would be difficult for him *not* to make a name for himself in the future.
"So that’s how it is."
After hearing that the candidate on the Light Curtain already had ties to the Wang Family, Special Envoy Gong lost all remaining interest. He nodded, then looked away from the Light Curtain for good. Turning to the crowd on the high platform, he said, "Alright, the House Entrance Examination has begun. It’s no fun just watching, is it? Shall we follow the old rules? I’ll be the bookie."
"Good."
Hearing this, the crowd burst into laughter.
Everyone knew what these "old rules" meant: it was time to bet on the various outcomes of the House Entrance Examination. They did this every year.
The various Palace Masters, Elders, regional Elders, and Chief Examiners could all participate.
"Good. Then let’s start by predicting the regions. Place your bets on whichever region you think will produce the best results. It’s a one-in-four chance."
Special Envoy Gong raised a hand, and a three-meter-long sheet of White Paper materialized in mid-air. The paper was divided into four sections, labeled in order: East, South, West, and North.
East represented the candidates from the East District, South represented the candidates from the South District, and so on. You bet on the region you believed would achieve the best results.
The judging criteria would be based on the number of candidates who successfully entered the Mansion, as well as the final ranks they achieved.

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