Bai Jinchen was fast, but the masked candidate in front of him was even faster.
So fast that Bai Jinchen’s sword could not keep up at all.
The masked figure barely moved, yet every sword strike Bai Jinchen unleashed was effortlessly neutralized. The rhythm of Bai Jinchen’s attacks was completely shattered, as if he were swinging his blade at empty air.
Too fast. Far too fast.
The masked candidate’s figure seed to split into countless afterimages.
One mont he was here, the next he was sowhere else entirely, elusive and unreal, like a wandering ghost.
No matter how sharp Bai Jinchen’s swordsmanship beca, no matter how tricky his angles were, no matter how terrifying the power of his sword arts, not a single strike ca close to touching the opponent’s clothing.
He could not even graze him.
And if he could not touch him, how could he possibly win?
"This... this is impossible!" Bai Jinchen stared wide-eyed, disbelief flooding his face. "How can soone be this strong? How can soone be this fast?"
His swordsmanship had already been pushed to its absolute limit. Everything he had learned since entering Western Mansion was poured into these strikes, yet the masked candidate treated them as nothing more than a breeze.
Bai Jinchen had fought disciples ranked within the top thousand before. Those opponents were powerful, yes, but at least there had been a chance, however slim, to struggle desperately for victory.
Against the person in front of him now, there was no such chance.
Not even a shred of hope.
This was not the pressure of facing a strong opponent.
This was the despair of facing sothing inhuman.
In the midst of countless sword shadows, the masked candidate suddenly stepped forward. Two fingers snapped out and casually clamped down on Bai Jinchen’s long sword.
In that instant, Bai Jinchen’s entire offensive collapsed like smoke in the wind, vanishing without a trace.
"Now," the masked candidate said with a faint smile, his tone brimming with confidence and arrogance, "do you still think you’re qualified to have call you senior brother?"
Bai Jinchen’s lips trembled. The overwhelming pressure made fear rise uncontrollably in his heart. His sword, caught between two fingers, felt as if it had been trapped in iron pincers. No matter how hard he struggled, he could not move it even an inch.
"Who... who exactly are you?" he asked hoarsely.
"Didn’t you already know my identity from the beginning?" the masked candidate replied lightly. "I’m just a candidate."
He chuckled softly, then continued, "Alright, that’s enough. Do you admit defeat, or do you want to act?"
"I surrender!" Bai Jinchen answered without hesitation.
There was no sha in it.
He knew very clearly that they were not on the sa level. The other party had toyed with him from start to finish.
Continuing the fight would only be aningless suffering.
At that mont, Bai Jinchen’s curiosity burned fiercely.
Who was this person really? Why wear a mask? What kind of terrifying monster had appeared among this year’s candidates?
Before he could think further, a familiar buzzing sound echoed through the ring. Light enveloped both of them, and in the next instant, they were expelled from the arena.
Bai Jinchen did not linger in the Eight Palace Battle Hall. He walked out imdiately and headed straight for the Viewing Hall.
By the ti he arrived, the place was already in an uproar.
On the light curtain, one line of information shone with blinding clarity.
Rank 1153.
Temporary Number: 59416.
Wins: 1. Losses: 0.
Score: 11680.
"What the hell is going on? Am I seeing things?"
"A candidate already entering the top 3000 is shocking enough, but now soone has rushed straight into the top 1500?"
"Rank 1153? Are you kidding ?"
"This is already the level of elite Outer House disciples from other regions. How can a newcor be this strong?"
"Is the leaderboard malfunctioning?"
"If this is real, then I’ve been cultivating in Western Mansion for nothing all these years."
"It’s not unheard of for a genius candidate to enter the top 3000, but breaking past 2500 has never happened, let alone 1500!"
"Every thousand ranks is a massive gap. From 3000 to 2000 is already heaven and earth apart. How could a candidate cross so many thresholds?"
"I don’t believe it."
"Neither do I."
"The leaderboard must be wrong."
"Should we report this to the palace lord?"
The Viewing Hall of Di Palace erupted in chaos, filled with shock, doubt, and disbelief.
A candidate, not yet formally enrolled, ranked 1153?
Who would dare believe such a thing?
"Temporary number 59416... so it was you," Bai Jinchen murmured as he looked at the ranking. He took a deep breath. If he had not personally experienced that overwhelming strength, even he would never have believed this was real.
This was not power ant for candidates.
Nor was it power ant for the Outer House.
Such a person belonged in the Inner House.
After a mont of silence, Bai Jinchen spoke clearly, "Everyone, this ranking is real. There is no error. That candidate’s strength is terrifying."
The hall fell quiet for a brief instant before several disciples turned to look at him in confusion.
"Who are you?" soone questioned. "How can you be so sure? If the ranking is correct, then explain this. How can a temporary-number candidate rank 1153? Isn’t that ridiculous?"
"Yes," another chid in. "Tell us. Why does he deserve that rank?"
Bai Jinchen paused, then answered solemnly, "Because he has the strength."
"With strength? I think you’ve lost your mind. Who are you supposed to be?" a Di Palace disciple sneered.
"Probably shut himself in cultivation for too long. His brain’s gone rusty," another laughed.
Just then, a sharp-eyed disciple frowned and studied Bai Jinchen more carefully before asking hesitantly, "You... you wouldn’t happen to be Senior Brother Bai Jinchen, would you?"
"It is ," Bai Jinchen replied calmly, giving a slight nod. Though he had been defeated monts ago, his identity and ranking still carried weight.
"Ah! It really is Senior Brother Bai!" the disciple exclaid in shock. "But weren’t you in seclusion? Why are you here?"
"I made a small breakthrough today," Bai Jinchen said evenly. "So I ca to the Eight Palace Battle Hall to test my skills and see if I could climb a few ranks."
"So that’s how it is," the disciple nodded in realization.
At once, many people turned their eyes toward Bai Jinchen with puzzled expressions. He rarely showed himself, so not everyone recognized him.
Seeing the confusion, the disciple who had identified him pointed at the ranking on the light curtain and explained, "This is Senior Brother Bai Jinchen. Look closely. He was ranked 1154 just now, with a score of 11,636. He’s one of the strongest contenders from our Li Palace to break into the top thousand."
"So it’s Senior Brother Bai!"
"How disrespectful of us earlier!"
Several disciples hurriedly stepped forward to greet him, apologizing as if the mocking words spoken monts ago had never existed.
As for the disciple who had joked about Bai Jinchen’s brain being rusty, he quietly slipped away while no one was paying attention. After all, insulting soone ranked 1154 and staying behind to face the consequences was not bravery, it was stupidity.
Still, not everyone was impressed.
"Hmph. Just 1154, and everyone’s acting like he’s so kind of legend," a sharp-chinned disciple with snake-like eyes scoffed.
Bai Jinchen frowned slightly. "You again?"
"I am Lu Xingzheng, ranked 995," the man said proudly.
"It’s Senior Brother Lu!"
"Disrespectful, disrespectful!"
The surrounding disciples hurried to greet him again, their attitudes instantly shifting.
Even Bai Jinchen inclined his head slightly in acknowledgnt.
Anyone ranked within the top thousand was a genuine genius, soone with a strong chance of entering the Inner House in the future. Such people were not to be offended lightly.
Lu Xingzheng waved his hand impatiently. "Enough of this pointless courtesy. Bai Jinchen, answer . Why did you say earlier that there’s nothing wrong with the ranking? Why do you insist that this candidate with temporary number 59416 truly has that level of strength?"
Bai Jinchen hesitated briefly, then spoke with a serious expression. "I won’t hide it from Brother Lu. The person who just fought that candidate was . I had no power to resist at all. No matter what thods I used, I couldn’t threaten him in the slightest. He defeated with ease. In my judgnt, his strength isn’t just enough for rank 1153. Breaking into the top thousand would not be a problem."
"What?"
"You’re saying even Senior Brother Bai couldn’t fight back?"
"That was just a candidate!"
"If this is true, then this year’s entrance exam really produced a monster!"
The surrounding disciples exploded into an uproar. Doubt still lingered in their hearts, but these words ca from Bai Jinchen himself. With his rank and reputation, there was little reason for him to lie.
Moreover, the ranking spoke for itself. Bai Jinchen had been 1154. Temporary number 59416 was now 1153. One battle, one result. The logic was undeniable.
"Is this really true?" Lu Xingzheng asked, eyes wide in disbelief.
"It is," Bai Jinchen said firmly. "His speed was terrifying. With a slight movent, all my sword techniques beca useless. I couldn’t even touch a single strand of his hair. He caught my sword with two fingers. Two fingers. His strength is several levels above mine."
"How is that possible..." Lu Xingzheng murmured.
Catching a sword bare-handed, and with such ease? Even Lu Xingzheng knew he couldn’t accomplish that against Bai Jinchen.
Who exactly was this person?
After a brief silence, Lu Xingzheng suddenly turned and strode out of the Viewing Hall, leaving behind a crowd of disciples still buzzing with discussion.
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