Chapter 863
"Run? Run where? Even if we wanted to run, do you think Ma Long would agree? Besides, there are more than fifty of us here. If we run away without even fighting a single North District candidate, what will people say about us when we enter Western Mansion?"
"But… something is really wrong here."
"Let's see what Ma Long says first. Everyone... listen to him."
"Alright…"
"Look! Look at that!"
"What is that?!"
"No! Run! Run quickly!"
"Run? Where can we run now?! It's too late!"
Just as the spectators in the Twin Embrace Plaza heard the terrified shout of "Run!", the figure floating in the air suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Then—
Both of his hands pointed downward.
At that instant, the dozens of candidates below seemed to encounter something unimaginably terrifying. Panic spread through the group like wildfire.
"Ahhh!"
"No! Don't!!"
"Save me! I don't want to die!"
"Help!"
Desperate screams echoed continuously.
But the cries only lasted a few seconds.
When the final voice calling for help faded away…
The scene ended abruptly.
The image on the light curtain flickered and immediately switched to another location within the Holy Land.
Almost at the same time, the sky inside the sacred land became bright again. The darkness vanished, and the images displayed on the curtain returned to normal clarity.
"Damn it! What just happened?! Everything was pitch black!"
"I couldn't see anything at all!"
"Demon? Terrifying aura? A North District candidate? What on earth happened inside?"
"Ahh, this is unbearable! I'm dying of curiosity!"
"From the conversation we just heard, it sounds like the person floating in the sky was a North District candidate. And judging from what happened at the end, he probably used some terrifying martial skill against dozens of candidates from the three districts."
"Such an incredible battle and we couldn't see it because it was too dark!"
"The most annoying part is that the sky became bright again right after it ended!"
"I really want to know what happened!"
Even though the light curtain had already begun displaying other battles taking place inside the Holy Land, the scene that had just occurred had already ignited the curiosity of everyone in the plaza.
People kept discussing it excitedly.
Everyone wanted to know what had just happened.
They wanted to know who that mysterious "North District candidate" was.
They also desperately wanted to know what had happened to the dozens of candidates from the three regions.
Were they killed?
Or did they somehow survive?
The unanswered questions stirred intense curiosity among the crowd.
"Elder Lu," the Palace Master of Qian Palace suddenly asked, turning toward the elderly man responsible for the North District. "Does the North District actually have someone like that? A candidate who can float in the air and use such terrifying martial skills?"
His eyes gleamed with interest.
"It seemed like the candidates from the three districts were targeting that North District candidate. Perhaps they forced him into using some powerful technique."
"No wonder…" the Palace Master of Gen Palace said suddenly, as if something had finally clicked in his mind.
"No wonder Elder Lu was so confident when betting on the North District."
He leaned forward slightly and looked at Elder Lu.
"Tell us honestly, Elder Lu. The reason all of you placed your bets on the North District… was it because of that candidate?"
"And you North District examiners… do you already know something?"
Another palace master joined the conversation.
"I heard that on the way here, the North District encountered the Sky-Swallowing Thief. Not only were the Western Mansion escorts heavily injured, but nearly a third of the North District candidates were lost as well."
"Even under those circumstances, you still dared to bet heavily on the North District. That clearly suggests there's some secret behind it."
"Elder Lu," the Palace Master of Kan Palace added curiously, "the bets have already been placed anyway. Why not just tell us?"
"Who exactly is that candidate?"
"How strong is he?"
"And why does he give you so much confidence?"
Facing the barrage of questions, Elder Lu hurriedly waved his hands.
"Hey, hey! Don't say things like that."
"I don't know who that person is."
He cleared his throat before continuing.
"No matter what results the North District achieves, I always bet on them every year. As the person in charge of the North District, if I don't support my own candidates, wouldn't that completely discourage them?"
"Besides, this betting game is about vision and judgment. If your eyesight isn't good enough, losing cultivation resources is only natural. How can you blame others?"
He shrugged.
"Yes, we did encounter the Sky-Swallowing Thief on the way here. But even though we lost a third of our candidates, the remaining two-thirds are still excellent."
"Why shouldn't I bet on them?"
"As for that candidate you just saw…"
Elder Lu spread his hands helplessly.
"The sky was pitch black. Who could see anything clearly?"
"How can you be sure that person is even from the North District?"
Of course…
Even though Elder Lu spoke confidently on the surface, he already had a guess forming in his heart.
There was only one person who could create such an enormous commotion.
Lightning.
Thunder.
The sky turning black in an instant.
And the voices from the curtain had clearly mentioned a North District candidate.
Putting all of those clues together, the answer was obvious.
Ryan.
Besides Ryan, who else in the North District could possibly produce such a terrifying spectacle?
"Well," the Palace Master of Qian Palace said with a faint smile, "it seems Elder Lu is unwilling to reveal anything. But no matter what, that candidate has already caught my attention. From now on, I will be watching his performance very closely."
"I feel the same way," the Palace Master of Kun Palace added. "Although we couldn't see his face clearly just now, it's obvious that this North District candidate is unusual. If he continues to show himself during the exam, we will certainly recognize him sooner or later. I'm quite interested in him as well."
"Hey, hey," Lei Moze, the Palace Master of Li Palace, suddenly interrupted with dissatisfaction. "Don't start fighting over him already. I've already taken a liking to this candidate."
"You've taken a liking to him?" The Palace Master of Xun Palace snorted and glanced sideways at Lei Moze. "Old man Lei, you don't even know whether he has talent in swordsmanship. What exactly do you fancy about him? What if you recklessly recruit him and end up ruining his future?"
He waved his sleeve and continued confidently.
"A hero like that shouldn't go to Li Palace. He should come to our Xun Palace. Didn't you see how he floated in the air earlier? That kind of imposing presence fits perfectly with the assassination techniques practiced in our Xun Palace."
"Bullshit!"
Lei Moze immediately exploded with anger.
"You haven't even seen his real abilities yet. How do you know he doesn't have talent in swordsmanship?"
"And what do you mean he fits Xun Palace better? You're just making things up!"
"Haha," the Palace Master of Kan Palace chuckled lightly. "The entrance exam has only just begun, yet you're already fighting over recruits."
He stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Still, that candidate truly showed something impressive. If he can fight against dozens of candidates from the three districts and still survive the entrance exam, he will indeed be an excellent seedling."
It was clear that he too had become very interested in the mysterious North District candidate.
However, hearing the palace masters praise the North District candidate while indirectly belittling the candidates of the three districts made Yan Bohou, the person in charge of the Eastern District, extremely uncomfortable.
"Hmph," Yan Bohou snorted coldly.
"You can't judge things just by appearances."
He looked around at the others with a dissatisfied expression.
"The candidates of the three districts are not weak. How could dozens of them lose to a single North District candidate? The final result hasn't even been confirmed yet, yet you've already jumped to conclusions."
His voice carried obvious displeasure.
"And besides, what exactly did you see just now? The screen was completely dark. Maybe the candidates from the three districts encountered some special monster."
He folded his arms and continued.
"If I remember correctly, there are quite a few Rank 5 monsters inside the Holy Land."
The person in charge of the Western District nodded immediately.
"That's right. We only heard voices earlier. We didn't see any actual footage. Who knows what really happened?"
"And what kind of powerful martial skill could a candidate possibly possess? Even if such a skill exists, how could someone who hasn't even entered Western Mansion yet defeat dozens of candidates alone?"
"That's simply impossible."
The person in charge of the Southern District also spoke in agreement.
"I think everyone may have been misled by the conversation earlier. Things might not be what they seemed."
"The North District is still the same old North District."
"It can't possibly produce someone that powerful."