A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 231

Tang Baijie was so angry she nearly choked on her words. The man before her was shameless beyond belief.

"Enough, Sister Bai," Mu Xianling said through clenched teeth. Her eyes hardened as she took a step forward. "I'll handle this."

She turned directly to Liu Tao. "I accept your challenge. Let's go to the Martial Arena."

Her voice was resolute, leaving no room for retreat. She knew she was no match for him, but some insults could not be swallowed. If she backed down now, they would only grow bolder.

At that moment, Wang Bi'er leaned closer to Tang Yi and whispered, "Brother Tang Yi, Sister Xianling is already challenging him. Aren't you going to do something?"

"There's no point wasting time on trash like this," Tang Yi replied calmly. "It's meaningless."

In his eyes, fighting Liu Tao brought no benefit at all. He couldn't kill him here, couldn't gain anything from it, and it would only waste time better spent elsewhere.

Still, that didn't mean he would allow Mu Xianling to step forward alone.

Tang Yi moved, stepping beside her and pulling her back with one hand.

"What—?" Mu Xianling looked at him in surprise.

"Have you forgotten your position?" Tang Yi said coolly. "Without my permission, you don't accept challenges. If you want to fight, you ask me first."

Mu Xianling froze. Feeling his unwavering gaze, she swallowed her frustration and nodded weakly. "I… understand."

Tang Yi gave a small nod, satisfied, then turned to Liu Tao. "Leave. We're not fighting you. Don't waste our time."

"Scared?" Liu Tao sneered loudly. "Hiding behind women and refusing to fight? How pathetic. I really don't know why these women would follow someone like you. If I were one of them, I'd never associate with such a coward."

That jab struck close.

Tang Yi frowned slightly. He hadn't intended to escalate things, but Liu Tao clearly had no intention of backing down.

Before Tang Yi could decide, Wang Bi'er spoke again, her voice low but firm. "Brother Tang Yi, we were planning to visit the Martial Arena anyway. You might as well teach him a lesson. I really can't stand him anymore."

"The Martial Arena?" Tang Yi raised an eyebrow. "Is there really anything worth seeing there?"

"Of course!" Wang Bi'er nodded eagerly. "Each of the Eight Outer Palaces has its own Martial Arena. They're connected by special formations, allowing disciples from different palaces to duel remotely. There's also a ranking board there. The higher your rank, the greater your status. It's a symbol of strength and honor."

Tang Yi's interest was instantly piqued. "That does sound worth a look."

After a brief pause, he lifted his head and said to Liu Tao calmly, "Fine. Since you insist on fighting, I'll indulge you."

His tone was steady, almost casual, as if agreeing to something trivial.

"Heh. Going at last?" Liu Tao laughed, delight flashing across his face.

The provocation had worked.

In his mind, the scene of crushing Tang Yi at the Martial Arena and basking in admiration was already playing out.

"Let's go," he said smugly, turning around.

Behind him, Qian Xiaoliu and the others exchanged satisfied smiles, convinced that the outcome was already decided.

Liu Tao led the way, his entourage following closely behind, while Tang Yi and his group trailed a short distance back. Together, they headed toward Yanwutai.

Within Xifu, Yanwutai was also known as the **Jidou Palace**. Contrary to what its name suggested, it was not a simple ring or open arena, but a vast and orderly hall.

The main hall was divided into three sections.

The first was the **Autonomous Challenge Platform**. This area functioned much like a private dueling ground, allowing two warriors from the same palace to spar freely. There were no restrictions on strength, no limitations on records, and no ranking consequences. It existed purely for practice and personal challenges.

The second was the **Eighth Palace Battle Hall**. Here, disciples from the eight outer palaces were matched against one another at random. Strength and combat records were taken into account, ensuring that opponents were of similar level. Victories and defeats in this hall were officially recorded and contributed to rankings.

The final section was the **Observation Hall**. It was a quiet chamber containing nothing but a massive light screen mounted on the wall. This screen displayed rankings, combat records, and performance statistics. Aside from that, the hall served no other purpose.

As Tang Yi listened to Wang Bi'er's earlier explanation, he couldn't help but feel that the system was eerily familiar. It reminded him of an online game he once played, where one mode allowed custom matches while another paired players randomly based on rank and skill.

Custom mode. Matchmaking mode. Clear, efficient, and ruthless.

As soon as they entered the Jidou Palace, an elder stepped forward and stopped them.

"Judging by your attire, you're candidates from this year," the elder said calmly. "Why are you here?"

Liu Tao immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands respectfully. "Elder Qijun, we are indeed candidates for this year's entrance exam. Since the exam is approaching, this fellow and I wish to gain some practical combat experience and spar with one another."

His tone was smooth and practiced, clearly not the first time he had given this explanation.

The elder glanced at him briefly, then pointed to a corridor on the right. "If you wish to spar, use the Autonomous Challenge Platform. First passage on the right."

With that, the elder turned away, losing all interest in them.

Following the directions, the group entered the corridor and soon arrived at the Autonomous Challenge Platform.

The platform consisted of 108 separate rooms, allowing that many duels to take place simultaneously. Tang Yi and the others found an empty room and stepped inside.

The room was simple and bare. At its center stood a transparent, flowing barrier of energy that covered roughly two-thirds of the space.

"Once you enter the energy barrier, the duel officially begins," Liu Tao explained with a familiar tone. "If someone admits defeat inside the barrier, or if the system judges them to be seriously injured, the barrier will eject them automatically. That person will be declared the loser."

Tang Yi nodded. The design was efficient and clean, preventing unnecessary casualties while still allowing full-force combat.

After understanding the rules, Tang Yi walked straight toward the energy barrier, clearly intending to step inside.

"Brother Tang Yi, wait!" Wang Bi'er called out urgently from behind him.

But it was already too late.

Tang Yi reached out and touched the flowing barrier.

Boom.

A sudden rebound force surged outward, hurling Tang Yi backward. He staggered more than ten steps before steadying himself. If not for his solid foundation, the impact might have sent him flying.

"What?" Liu Tao's eyes widened slightly. He stared at Tang Yi in surprise.

He had expected Tang Yi to be sent sprawling in an embarrassing heap. Instead, Tang Yi merely retreated a few steps, calm and composed.

"Is there something wrong?" Tang Yi asked, glancing at the barrier. "Can't I enter directly?"

"That man did it on purpose," Wang Bi'er said angrily, shooting Liu Tao a glare. "He didn't tell you that only registered Xifu disciples can directly enter the challenge barrier."

"Only disciples?" Tang Yi raised an eyebrow. "Then how are we supposed to fight?"

"Normally, only official disciples are allowed to use the Jidou Palace," Wang Bi'er explained patiently. "Candidates aren't qualified. However, Xifu provides temporary access during the entrance exam period. As long as you obtain a temporary number card, you can use all the facilities here."

She pointed to a stone platform on the right. "Place your hand in the groove there. One person can only receive a temporary number once."

Tang Yi walked over to the stone platform and followed her instructions. As soon as his hand touched the groove, a soft light enveloped him. After a moment, it faded away.

"That's it?" Tang Yi asked.

"Yes," Wang Bi'er smiled. "Look at your arm. A number will appear there. That's your temporary number. All your results in the Jidou Palace will be recorded under it."

Tang Yi rolled up his sleeve. Sure enough, a number was etched faintly on his arm.

59416.

"So that's my temporary number," Tang Yi murmured.

"Enough talk," Liu Tao sneered. He leapt into the energy barrier with ease, clearly having obtained his own temporary number long ago. Turning back, he crooked his finger at Tang Yi. "Come on. Let me see what you're really capable of."

It was obvious now. Liu Tao had deliberately withheld the information earlier, hoping to make Tang Yi embarrass himself.

Unfortunately for him, things hadn't gone as planned.

Tang Yi smiled faintly and stepped forward again. This time, the energy barrier offered no resistance, allowing him to pass through smoothly.

Once inside, Tang Yi paused, glanced at Liu Tao, then looked beyond him at his companions. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"Just you?" Tang Yi asked casually. "Call your people in as well. One-on-one feels a little unfair to you."