When Zhang Xinlan saw Ye Tian approach, she imdiately said, "Your Attack Power wasn't bad. I'm guessing you used about eighty percent of your strength? Did you notice those few Divine Senses?"
"I did," Ye Tian replied, a puzzled look on his face. "They must be Five Veins experts, monitoring everyone taking the test. I just don't know why. Could they be trying to see if anyone is cheating?"
"That's one possibility. After all, many Runes have imnse Attack Power. If soone used a Rune, their test would be invalid, and they'd naturally be disqualified. Another possibility is that they're looking for exceptional students to be singled out for special training.
"I think the latter is more likely," Zhang Xinlan said. "Perhaps those four have taken notice of us. I wonder if they'll approach us with questions!"
"Let's wait until the recruitnt ends tomorrow before we worry about it," Ye Tian said. "But I'm sure this process isn't as simple as it looks. We're done with the test, so we should head out. How about we co back tomorrow afternoon to see the results?"
Zhang Xinlan nodded and left with Ye Tian. However, the fact that both of them had made numbers appear on the screen was no small feat, and it drew the attention of many onlookers. But the pair didn't seem to care.
Inns in the Imperial City were practically everywhere, and business was booming. Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan simply picked one at random and went inside. It wasn't dinnerti yet, so they planned to get a room first and chat for a while.
Just as they entered the inn, they heard soone call out Ye Tian's na. This took both him and Zhang Xinlan by surprise; it was incredible that soone in the Imperial City actually knew who he was.
Looking toward the voice, he saw Long Yaqi sitting with an unfamiliar young woman. She was waving enthusiastically at him, a thrilled expression on her face.
"Long Yaqi? You're in the Imperial City already!" Ye Tian said as he and Zhang Xinlan walked over. He deliberately didn't use her title of Commandery Princess, guessing she probably wanted to keep a low profile and avoid attracting unwanted attention.
"We arrived yesterday! I didn't expect to see you two here," Long Yaqi said, motioning for them to sit. "The Imperial City Academy is recruiting. Have you two taken the test?"
"We did. It went pretty well," Ye Tian replied, his gaze shifting to the young woman beside Long Yaqi. "What about you? I assu you don't need to."
There was sothing mysterious about the young woman; he couldn't discern her true Power Realm. 'She must be concealing her strength, too,' he thought. 'Anyone sitting with Long Yaqi must have an extraordinary relationship with her, and an equally extraordinary status.'
"Of course I don't need to test. I'm already enrolled at the Imperial City Academy! Oh, right, I forgot to introduce you! This is my dear friend, Long Ruolan! I'm sure you can guess her identity from the na. She's the current Third Princess! The Emperor's most cherished daughter!
"We actually snuck out this ti; my father is still in the Imperial Palace! I'm so happy we ran into you here!
"By the way, she enrolled in the Imperial City Academy last year and is now an expert in the top class! If anyone gives you trouble after you get in, just go to her! Though, I doubt anyone would be able to bully you two anyway!" Long Yaqi said.
Ye Tian nodded slightly. "Since you're being discreet, I won't use your formal titles. We actually know very little about the Imperial City Academy, and we're not even sure we can get in. So what you ntioned earlier, Yaqi, is still up in the air."
"I'm sure you two can do it! But it's getting late, and we have to head back! Otherwise, they'll have the whole city out looking for us! I hope to see you at the Imperial City Academy!" Long Yaqi said.
Without waiting for a response from Ye Tian or Zhang Xinlan, she grabbed Long Ruolan's hand and hurried away, leaving the pair to watch them go with bewildered expressions.
"Yaqi, who were that young man and that woman?" Long Ruolan couldn't help but ask. "You said they want to get into the Imperial City Academy? Are you sure you're not mistaken? The recruitnt is especially strict this ti! And they're only at the Three Veins Power Realm. It's impossible for them to get in."
She hadn't said a single word earlier, having been busy trying to gauge Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan's strength. She was also curious why Long Yaqi had so much confidence in them.
"Heh. Ruolan, we're best friends, so I won't hide it from you," Long Yaqi said seriously, lowering her voice. "Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan are not as simple as they seem. When it cos to pure strength, even you wouldn't be their match! They're hiding their true Power Realm!"
"They're that strong? You're not kidding, are you?" Long Ruolan said. "How is that possible? They're only at the Three Veins Power Realm, while I've already broken through to the Five Veins Realm! I wouldn't even believe you if you said they were at the Five Veins Realm!"
"Fine, don't believe then!" Long Yaqi retorted. "Not only are they incredibly strong, but their identities are also a mystery. More importantly, they've co to the Imperial City to help my Second Imperial Brother! Now that First Imperial Brother is dead, and Second Imperial Brother is so well-respected and popular, I'm sure his ascension to the throne is a foregone conclusion!"
"Keep your voice down!" Long Ruolan hissed. "How can you say sothing like that so casually? You'll just cause trouble for Second Imperial Brother! If they're really that powerful, then it would be worth befriending them. But I still suspect you've been fooled by them!"
"It's one thing for to be fooled, but my father?" Long Yaqi countered. "Even my father holds them in high regard. He even gave his Purple Dragon Jade Pendant to Ye Tian. Do you think *he* was fooled?"
Long Ruolan was speechless. The Purple Dragon Jade Pendant was incredibly valuable. In tis of crisis, it could be used to mobilize armies, making it as important as a commander's seal. Moreover, to see the pendant was to see the prince himself. It was sothing that wouldn't even be given to Long Yaqi, yet her father had given it to Ye Tian. She truly couldn't fathom what kind of background these two people possessed.
Long Yaqi and Long Ruolan continued their conversation as they headed back through the Imperial City. anwhile, Ye Tian and Zhang Xinlan ordered so food and wine at their table and began to eat. They, too, felt there was more to Long Ruolan than t the eye, even setting aside her identity as a princess.
"Xinlan, Long Yaqi confird that this recruitnt isn't as simple as it seems. Looks like we were right," Ye Tian said. "I just wonder what's waiting for us next."
"Whatever it is, getting in will be easy enough with our strength," Zhang Xinlan replied. "But you have to promise one thing: after we're in the Academy, don't reveal your true strength unless you have absolutely no other choice. We don't want to attract the wrong kind of attention. There might be disciples of our enemies inside that place."
"I understand," Ye Tian chuckled. "Now, let's eat. One is nad Xinlan, the other Ruolan... interesting, isn't it?" He then raised his cup and drained it in a single gulp.
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