It was almost noon, and the main road was bustling with people. Ye Tian and Ye Feifei walked slowly, noticing quite a few young men and women around their own age.
Moreover, their Power Levels were mostly between the One Vein Seventh Layer and the Eighth Layer. They were likely also heading to Linyuan Academy, probably all talented individuals from various places.
Before long, the two of them arrived at the gates of Lin Yuan City. Ye Tian took a closer look and saw the city walls were dozens of meters high, built from a type of black stone. Each block was several meters long and over two meters wide. Building such a wall must have required a tremendous amount of manpower and resources.
Everyone had to pay an entrance fee to enter the city gates, and they had to line up from a distance. Ye Tian and Ye Feifei were currently in line, with about a hundred people ahead of them waiting to pay.
Gazing at the gate of Lin Yuan City, Ye Tian noticed that the three words for "Lin Yuan City" were carved with great force. Staring at them for even a short while made his head feel dizzy, a phenomenon he found very strange.
"Feifei, what do you feel when you look at the words above the city gate?" Ye Tian whispered to Ye Feifei.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten to tell you. It's best not to look at the words on the gate of Lin Yuan City. People whose Power Realm is insufficient will experience chaotic energy and dizziness if they stare for too long. In severe cases, they might even suffer from cultivation deviation."
"Those words were carved by a supreme expert from the Royal Family long ago. It's said that they contain something unsettlingly strange that can overwhelm one's mind. Wait, did you just look at them?" Ye Feifei asked, realizing what had happened.
"Yeah, I took a look," Ye Tian said with a smile. "But I don't feel too dizzy. I think I saw a profound Martial Arts Realm hidden within those words. If I could comprehend it, it would definitely help my strength."
"Brother Tian, don't get your hopes up. The words on the gate of Lin Yuan City have been here for many years, but no one has ever said there was a Martial Arts Realm hidden within them. Be careful you don't suffer from cultivation deviation!" Ye Feifei said worriedly. 'Ye Tian's pursuit of power is really too desperate!'
Ye Tian thought Ye Feifei had a point, so he stopped looking at the words and turned his gaze to the pedestrians coming and going through the city gate.
Ten guards stood on either side of the gate. Every person entering the city had to pay one Lower Grade Spirit Stone, and it was the same for those leaving. The daily income from Spirit Stones must be terrifyingly high.
This was a Level 1 City. 'If this is the case here, I can't even imagine how many Spirit Stones the Imperial City collects,' Ye Tian thought. 'This is the real path to riches. It would be incredible to become a City Lord.'
The people in front entered the city one by one. Soon, it was Ye Tian and Ye Feifei's turn. "Where are you from? What's your business in Lin Yuan City?" the gate guard asked.
Ye Tian had already heard this question many times. Every person entering the city was questioned before they took out a Spirit Stone to enter.
"Lisha City. We've come for Linyuan Academy, hoping to enroll," Ye Tian said calmly, preparing to hand a Spirit Stone to the guard.
The guard sized up Ye Tian and Ye Feifei, then smiled. "You don't need to pay the entrance fee. We don't collect it from young people who wish to enter Linyuan Academy. But there's one rule: don't cause any trouble in the city. Otherwise, if you get thrown in jail, no one will be able to save you."
Ye Tian glanced at the man. 'This guard is at the Second Vein Fourth Layer or higher. For someone with that kind of power to be a common guard, the strength of Lin Yuan City must be formidable.'
"Thank you, Sir. We'll remember your words," Ye Tian said. He and Ye Feifei then entered the city.
The streets of Lin Yuan City were incredibly wide, several times wider than those in Lisha City. As in Lisha City, vendors lined the streets, and the air was filled with their endless shouts and calls.
Ye Tian had no desire to browse the vendors' stalls. 'It's not like I'm going to stumble upon another rare Divine Artifact like the Black Glaze Sword.' Right now, he just wanted to walk slowly along the streets with Ye Feifei and take in the sights.
There were many people on the streets, but it didn't feel crowded. From time to time, they could see people accompanied by Demon Beasts. There was a clear rule in Lin Yuan City: no flying was allowed, and those with mounts had to dismount and walk.
The buildings on both sides of the street were too numerous to count, a dazzling array of shops and restaurants.
"Brother Tian, should we get something to eat? You haven't eaten in two days!" Ye Feifei mentioned.
"I was just thinking the same thing. There are so many restaurants here, we can just pick any one of them," Ye Tian said with a smile.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps before they came across a large restaurant. The name on the sign was quite amusing: Bafang Ke! 'Looks like the owner has grand ambitions, hoping to attract customers from all eight directions.'
As they entered, a waiter hurried over to greet them. "Welcome, esteemed guests! Our restaurant is one of the best in Lin Yuan City. We have every exquisite dish imaginable. If you can think of it, we can make it."
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei were unfazed by the waiter's sales pitch. 'They have to make everything sound good, even if it isn't.'
"Just a few side dishes will be fine. But bring us a pot of wine—a good one," Ye Tian said, then found a table and sat down with Ye Feifei.
The restaurant was doing excellent business. There were at least five waiters rushing about, and the dining hall held nearly a few hundred customers. The place was exceptionally lively, filled with the buzz of conversation and laughter.
While waiting for their food and wine, Ye Feifei and Ye Tian listened to the chatter around them. The most common topic was the current student recruitment for Linyuan Academy.
Most of it wasn't worth paying attention to, however—just gossip about the disciples, young masters, and young ladies of various families. It was all rather dull.
Soon, the waiter brought their food and wine, and the two began to eat. Just then, a voice caught their attention.
The voice wasn't loud, but they heard it clearly. A middle-aged man was saying, "This year's recruitment for Linyuan Academy is especially exciting. The qualifying matches in particular have been spectacular."
"Tomorrow are the elimination rounds. Anyone who passes will become a student of Linyuan Academy. It's bound to be even more thrilling."
"Are you talking about the preliminary selection tournament held outside Linyuan Academy? I heard over a thousand people signed up this time, and the minimum Power Level required is One Vein Fifth Layer. That does sound pretty exciting."
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei exchanged a look, as if they both had the same thought. Ye Feifei said, "Qin Xiaowan? Do you think Qin Xiaowan might be here?"
"It's very possible," Ye Tian said with a smile. "Why don't we go watch tomorrow? We still have two days before we officially enter Linyuan Academy anyway. We can check out the strength of the other disciples and gain a bit of combat experience."
Just then, another voice drifted over. "And there's this one woman, with the surname Qin I think, who's absolutely incredible. Not only is she beautiful, but her strength is also formidable. She hasn't lost a single match in the past few days. She's a shoo-in for Linyuan Academy."
Ye Tian and Ye Feifei were startled. They were now even more convinced that the so-called woman with the surname Qin was none other than Qin Xiaowan…