Ryan had always imagined it as a rigid institution, full of rules and restrictions, similar to a school from his previous life. That was precisely why he had been reluctant. He hadn't expected it to operate in such an open manner.
Seeing Ryan's reaction, Li Gengxin continued, "There's more. Near Jiuyi City, where the Western Mansion is located, there's a place known as the Valley of Desolation. It's an extremely dangerous monster region and a true paradise for warriors seeking experience. Its scale is countless times larger than the Forest of Death, and the monsters there are far stronger and more diverse."
"It's said that deep within the Valley of Desolation, there exists an ancient monster that has lived for over a thousand years, with terrifying strength."
"Really?" Ryan's eyes lit up at once.
"There's no exaggeration," Li Gengxin said seriously. "If you want to train, the Valley of Desolation would be the best place. Of course, it's extremely dangerous, so you must be careful."
After a brief silence, Ryan finally nodded. "Alright. I agree. I'll apply to the Western Mansion."
As long as his monster-hunting efficiency wasn't affected, he had no reason to refuse. In fact, the Valley of Desolation sounded far more appealing than the Forest of Death. Stronger monsters and greater numbers meant faster growth for him.
As for entering the Western Mansion itself, he could treat it as fulfilling his duty to the family, helping fellow disciples broaden their horizons, and seeing for himself what the geniuses of the Western Region were like.
As long as it didn't interfere with his strength progression or his plans, joining the Western Mansion was not a bad choice.
"Good! Good!" Li Gengxin was delighted. With Ryan agreeing, his admission to the Western Mansion was practically guaranteed.
The elders also smiled broadly. With Ryan's help, it would be far easier for other Li Clan disciples to pass the assessment.
The requirements of the Western Mansion were simply to be under eighteen and to possess strength at the Elite realm or above. Compared to that, Ryan's strength was already far beyond what was required.
As if suddenly remembering something, Li Gengxin asked, "By the way, Wei'er, the elders and I have been curious. If you don't mind, could you tell us what level your strength has reached? Even now, I can't see through you."
Ryan smiled faintly and said, "Why don't you guess first, Father?"
Li Gengxin shook his head. "I really can't tell. If I had to guess… maybe you're stronger than me."
Then, after a moment's thought, he added with a half-smile, "Forget guessing. Let me test you myself. Then we'll see what level you've truly reached."
"Test? How do you want to test?" Ryan asked.
Li Gengxin pondered for a moment before replying, "I'll attack you and see how many moves you can take."
"Alright," Ryan agreed without hesitation.
The elders immediately perked up.
They all wanted to see how much strength Ryan truly possessed and how he would fare against Li Gengxin, a five-star Upper Elite.
Although Ryan had crushed Li Mingtian and killed the Seventh Elder with overwhelming force, most of them still believed his cultivation remained within the Upper Elite realm.
After all, Ryan was far too young. If he had already stepped into the Exalt realm, then what face would these old men still have left?
Li Gengxin stood up and reminded Ryan, "I'm coming."
"Bring it on," Ryan replied calmly, extending just one hand.
Seeing this, Li Gengxin felt a flicker of discomfort. Being underestimated, even by his own son, still stung a little. With that in mind, he did not hold back.
"Hmph!"
"Heavenly Ice Palm!"
A chill surged as Li Gengxin struck, icy energy gathering in his palm. This palm technique, inherited from the Li Clan ancestors, belonged to the same lineage as Li Mingtian's Arcane Ice Soul art.
Though Heavenly Ice Palm was only an Earth rank martial art, Li Gengxin's cultivation was far superior. In his hands, its power was anything but ordinary.
Cold and violent energy rushed toward Ryan.
Boom!
Ryan raised his palm and did not retreat an inch.
A dull impact rang out as the two palms collided, yet Li Gengxin's strike was stopped dead in its tracks, unable to advance even half a step. Ryan's hand was like an immovable mountain, blocking all force without the slightest tremor.
Li Gengxin's heart jolted.
He leapt back, widening the distance, then swept his leg forward in a powerful arc.
"Sweeping Kick!"
Boom!
Once again, Ryan caught the attack effortlessly.
This leg strike was also an Earth rank martial art, yet in front of Ryan, it was no different from a casual move.
At this point, even the dullest of the elders could see the truth. Ryan's strength was already far beyond that of Li Gengxin.
Li Gengxin felt a bitter mix of shock and resignation. Standing face to face with Ryan, he realized that he truly had no chance of winning.
"Father, forgive me," Ryan said as he withdrew his hand and clasped his fists.
Li Gengxin laughed and patted his shoulder, eyes filled with pride. "No need to apologize. You did wonderfully."
The earlier frustration vanished completely. Being surpassed by his own son was not shameful. On the contrary, it was something to celebrate.
Li Gengxin looked at Ryan intently and asked, unable to hide his anticipation, "Tell me honestly. Have you already reached the Exalt realm?"
Ryan smiled faintly. "Father has sharp eyes."
The words struck like thunder.
Li Gengxin sucked in a breath of cold air. Everything finally made sense. No wonder he felt as if he were facing an insurmountable mountain. An Exalt and an Upper Elite were separated by an unbridgeable gulf.
The elders were equally stunned, staring at Ryan with newfound reverence. In the face of absolute strength, seniority meant nothing.
Three days later, Ryan finished his preparations, replenished his supplies, and set out once more for the Forest of Death with calm determination.
This time, he planned to stay for half a month.
After half a month, he would return to Fengyue City to take part in the Western Mansion's qualification examination.
The Western Mansion's entrance process was strict. First came the city branch assessment, and only those who passed would earn a recommendation to take the main examination in Jiuyi City. From there, they would compete with geniuses from countless cities. Only the very best could enter the Western Mansion.
Such fierce selection was precisely why the Western Mansion could stand as one of the six great powers, dominating an entire region.
Yet Ryan did not worry about any of that.
For now, his only goal was to grow stronger.
This was already his third visit to the Forest of Death within a single month. This time, he intended to venture deeper, challenge stronger monsters, and refine his martial arts.
Recently, Ryan had noticed a problem. Despite his Sky-rank martial arts being powerful, there was always a faint sense of stiffness when he used them, as if something was missing, preventing him from unleashing their full potential.
After careful study and repeated checks of his status panel, he finally found the answer.
Proficiency.
Basic boxing Fist, blade techniques, sword techniques, Wind Blade, Desolate Landslide, Heavenly Star Palm, Heaven's Guidance Sword Art, Phantom Step, and even his ultimate skill—all of them had proficiency levels.
And now, Ryan knew exactly what he needed to work on next.
Ryan summoned the attribute panel and examined it carefully.
Among the three basic skills, the progress was immediately clear.
Basic Boxing showed a proficiency of 24/100.
Basic Blade Technique remained at 0/100.
Basic Swordsmanship stood at a mere 3/100.
Ryan was not surprised by the blade technique.