Xiao Wenjie glanced at Ye Tian and said, "The other method is to drip your own blood onto the screen. When a certain amount of blood has been dripped, the screen will react and display your Talent Value."
"There's a method like that? Is it guaranteed to succeed?" Ye Tian asked doubtfully.
"Of course, it's absolutely possible," Xiao Wenjie said. "It's just that this method is a bit too bloody. It's only meant for those with such exceptional talent that the screen can't react immediately. If we made everyone cut their wrists and bleed during the test, it would defeat the whole purpose."
"I understand. Dean, may I borrow your sword? I'm ready to try the blood-dripping method," Ye Tian said. 'Of course he wasn't going to take out his own Black Glaze Sword. In front of these two experts, he'd expose the secret of his Storage Ring, and they might even recognize the sword itself.'
Just then, a short sword materialized in Guan Tianshui's hand. "This is a Top-Grade Profound Tier Short Sword. It's extremely sharp, so be careful."
Ye Tian immediately took the Short Sword, glanced at it, and said, "I'll be careful. Thank you, Vice-Dean!"
He quickly walked up to the screen, rolled up his sleeve, and slit his wrist with the Short Sword. Blood immediately gushed out, dripping onto the screen.
Xiao Wenjie and the Vice-Dean watched Ye Tian nervously, hoping for a miracle. After all, only one type of person required this method: a peerless genius or someone with an Ancient Bloodline, whose talent would make the screen fail to respond for a long time.
However, a strange phenomenon occurred. The wound Ye Tian had just made was deep, yet it healed in moments, quickly scabbing over. They were both stunned by his incredible Recovery Power. 'This is just plain unnatural!'
Seeing the screen was still unresponsive, Ye Tian frowned and cut his wrist again. Blood flowed out once more, but just as the wound was about to heal, the screen finally reacted.
At first, there was a slight vibration. Then, a powerful pillar of light gradually materialized before the three of them. Its color was distinct—cyan, but with a hint of purple. It was a bizarre sight.
Upon seeing this light, Xiao Wenjie and Guan Tianshui were dumbstruck. 'This must be Late Cyan Star talent, bordering on Early Purple Star! You couldn't find three people with such peerless, genius-level talent in the entire Empire.'
The light was blinding but brief. It vanished as quickly as it had come, and everything returned to normal. But now, the screen displayed Ye Tian's Talent Value: a terrifying 5,930. This was the first time in the academy's long history that such a high Talent Value had ever appeared.
The two men stared at Ye Tian in shock, as if looking at a monster. If a talent like this was properly cultivated, he could become an expert of the Seven Veins Realm, or perhaps even higher.
Ye Tian was also shocked when he saw his Talent Value. 'My War Dragon Bloodline is actually this much stronger than Ye Feifei's Divine Phoenix Bloodline! No wonder the War Dragons were the most powerful clan in the entire Dragon Race.'
'But he was puzzled. Why did the War Dragons also fall then? Was it because of that terrifying Demon Dragon? Every time he tried to ask the War Dragon Remnant Soul, he got no answer.'
"Good! Excellent!" Xiao Wenjie said with a serious expression. "Your Combat Value was astonishing, but this Talent Value is even more so. Ye Tian, you will be the first student the academy makes a priority to nurture. Are you willing to come and train directly in my personal cultivation area?"
Ye Tian was overjoyed, but he knew he couldn't agree just yet. He smiled and said, "Dean, I understand and appreciate your kind offer, but I don't wish to go for now. There are some things I need to take care of."
"Is this about Ye Feifei?" Guan Tianshui chimed in. "Ye Feifei is also an exceptionally talented student. I can have her train in my cultivation area as well. That would make it much more convenient for you two to meet."
'It was a tempting offer that anyone would find hard to refuse, but that wasn't what Ye Tian wanted. He liked learning and interacting with everyone. Training in isolation would be incredibly boring. At least, that's not what he wanted right now.'
"Deans, it's not that I'm ungrateful. Of course I'd love an amazing opportunity like this. But I still need to temper myself, and I need to learn how to interact with people. Let's talk about it again when I reach the Middle Level honors class."
"Also, I ask that you both please keep my secret. I don't want to attract too much trouble," Ye Tian added.
Xiao Wenjie and the Vice-Dean looked slightly disappointed, but they weren't willing to force Ye Tian. 'Perhaps he needs to experience some hardship to understand just how cruel this world is. Without enough strength, you can't even take a single step.'
"Rest assured, we won't reveal your secret," Xiao Wenjie said. "When you decide you want to find me, just tell Xiao Yaoyao, and she'll bring you here. For now, let the Vice-Dean take you back."
Ye Tian nodded and left with Guan Tianshui. Meanwhile, a red Jade Pendant had appeared in Xiao Wenjie's hand. He channeled a stream of Spiritual Power from his fingertip into the pendant and began to write on it rapidly. A moment later, the Jade Pendant flared with a dazzling light.
A red ray of light then shot toward the distant horizon and vanished in an instant. Watching it disappear, Xiao Wenjie murmured to himself, "With such a heaven-sent prodigy here at Linyuan Academy, there's hope for the Empire's revival. I must do everything in my power to nurture him."
Then, with a flash, he shot into the air and vanished in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Guan Tianshui led Ye Tian through a Teleportation Gate. Soon, a massive building appeared before him. The facilities were similar to his old Class Three, but the scenery was more beautiful and the grounds more expansive.
"Alright, the honors class's training area is just ahead. Go on in. I've already told Xiao Yaoyao you were coming," Guan Tianshui said.
Before the words had even faded, he vanished. His speed was phantasmal, almost terrifying.
Ye Tian walked toward the academic building ahead. It was an incredibly spacious structure, covering several thousand square meters, and its facilities were far better than those of the regular classes.
The promoted students were already seated inside. Xiao Yaoyao and another female instructor were in the middle of a lecture, but just as Ye Tian was about to reach the entrance, Xiao Yaoyao walked over to the door.
"You must be Ye Tian, right? Come on in," Xiao Yaoyao said to him with a slight smile. "Find any open seat for now. We're just introducing the cultivation requirements and tasks for the honors class."
Xiao Yaoyao's beauty was in no way inferior to Ye Feifei or Qin Xiaowan. She was just a few years older than Ye Tian, but she possessed a mature charm that made one feel an irresistible urge to get closer.
'Ye Tian's mind was a mess. He didn't understand why he was having such a reaction to this instructor, especially the strange stirring in his lower abdomen…'