If Duke Ye hadn’t witnessed Ye Shaohua’s instantaneous spellcasting earlier, he might have thought she was joking too.
But he had seen it, so he didn’t react as strongly as the Grand Elder. However, the Grand Elder’s words still made him frown.
“Over a thousand years ago, the royal heir of the Canglang Empire had F-level spiritual power and still managed to become a Level 6 mage. Grand Elder, perhaps we’re wrong. F-level spiritual power might not mean much. What if Shaohua gets accepted into Lien School tomorrow?” Duke Ye was in a good mood.
After all, she was his daughter. Even though he might scold her in private, no one in the world cared for her more than he did.
Even with her F-level spiritual power, he didn’t want to hear anyone speak ill of her.
That’s why he had been furious when Lance publicly broke off their engagement. He had brought her back home and demanded an apology from the City Lord.
“Fine, fine. If you want to let her go, then do as you please. But I suggest not applying to Lien School. Isn’t there a magic school right here in Cangyun City? The tuition might be a bit expensive, but it’s much more realistic than Lien School,” the Grand Elder said, not wanting to waste any more breath.
In his mind, Ye Shaohua had been foolish in her past life, and she wouldn’t amount to much in this one either.
Since Duke Ye refused to give up, he would let him see the truth for himself.
After their conversation, the two parted ways, each with their own thoughts.
As for Lance going to Ye Shaohua to retrieve the engagement token, Duke Ye was furious. As a B-level spiritual power mage and one of the top five mages in Cangyun City, he was highly regarded by the City Lord.
After giving Lance a stern lecture in the palace, Duke Ye made sure Lance apologized to Ye Shaohua the next day at the Lien School admissions event.
However, it was just an apology. He had no intention of reinstating the engagement.
No matter how much he valued Duke Ye, he couldn’t let his son marry someone with F-level spiritual power.
“Miss Ye, I apologize,” Lance said, bowing deeply to Ye Shaohua at the entrance to the Lien School admissions.
Though his words sounded sincere, deep down, he looked down on Ye Shaohua’s behavior. He had thought her earlier words about letting go were genuine, but now it seemed she had convinced Duke Ye to intervene.
If she thought this would make him change his mind, she was sorely mistaken.
Lance’s sister, spotting Gu Hong and Ye Jin, brightened up and immediately went to link arms with Ye Jin, shooting a glare at Ye Shaohua in the process.
Ye Shaohua, meanwhile, was casually playing with a magic core in her hand, focusing her spiritual power to sense the magical elements around her.
The beast invasion was only three years away. She couldn’t afford to stay cooped up in Cangyun City, practicing in isolation. Saint-level magical beasts were no joke, and she needed to improve herself as much as possible in these three years.
The Ye family’s resources were limited, and the best place Ye Shaohua knew to learn magic was Lien School.
But she didn’t plan to stay there for ten years. She only wanted to learn various magic spells before heading to the magical beast mountains for practical experience.
Duke Ye was pleasantly surprised by his daughter’s diligence and nodded inwardly. Though he was dissatisfied with Lance’s half-hearted apology, he ultimately said nothing.
Lien School had only set up one admissions location in the Canglang Empire, and that was in Cangyun City. As a result, nobles from all over the empire had gathered here today.
The entrance was filled with countless Level 2 and Level 3 flying magical beasts, leaving the Ye family’s younger generation in awe.
“Teacher,” Gu Hong led Ye Jin and the others inside, immediately spotting the admissions teacher, who happened to be his mentor.
His greeting caught the attention of the students wearing Lien School’s magic robes.
Seeing Gu Hong, their faces lit up with respect and a hint of wariness. “Senior Gu Hong seems to be on the verge of another breakthrough. He’s truly the only one who can rival that prodigy in the fourth year.”
“He’s a student of Lien School?” The City Lord of Cangyun, overhearing the students’ conversation, looked at Gu Hong with surprise.
Lance and the other applicants gazed at him with envy.
Gu Hong clearly held a high status at Lien School. Even the usually stern admissions teacher smiled slightly upon seeing him.
Everyone around looked at him with admiration, hoping they too could one day become students of Lien School.
After all, it was a symbol of status in the magical continent!
Lien School had an unwritten rule: students couldn’t graduate unless they reached Level 5 mage status. Therefore, every graduate of Lien School was at least a Level 5 mage.
A Level 5 mage could conquer an entire city—it was everyone’s dream!
“Quiet,” the elderly man in charge of admissions glanced around the hall, his voice amplified by wind magic to reach everyone’s ears. “Now, I’ll explain the admissions rules.”
He pulled out an ancient magic scroll from his spatial ring.
Even apprentice mages could sense the immense energy contained within the scroll.
After chanting a spell, the scroll emitted a bright light, projecting a five-pointed magic circle on the ground.
“This is a magic circle inscribed by our Level 7 mages to test whether you meet the standards. All applicants need to do is stand within this circle,” the elderly man explained. “The ratings are the same as those from the crystal ball test, ranging from F-level to 3S-level spiritual power, along with your magical affinity.”
“The minimum requirement is B-level spiritual power. If you have C-level spiritual power but have reached Level 1 mage status before the age of 18, you might barely qualify. The school has already recruited three new students from the Leo Duchy, all with B-level spiritual power, and one with A-level. Over the years, Lien School has only had one prodigy with S-level talent, and she came from the Mage Guild,” the elderly man said, scanning the crowd. “Of course, I don’t expect to find S-level talent here today. But I hope to recruit one or two students with B-level spiritual power from your duchy.”