"Uh…"
Link felt a jolt of surprise at the old man's words. He feigned calmness on the surface, but in reality, his nerves were already tightly wound!
The old man before him was simply terrifying—an advanced cultivator, two whole ranks above him!
If he were to slip up, even with an entire realm of the undead backing him, he would likely still be no match for this old man!
On the other hand, Ron nearly wet his pants upon hearing the old man's words, trembling like a leaf, almost kneeling down to confess everything!
Seeing this, Link quickly stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Ron, fearful that he might inadvertently reveal their whereabouts.
At that moment, the old man asked again, "Have you seen any suspicious individuals around here?"
"No!" Link shook his head decisively.
"Oh!"
The old man nodded at this, not pursuing the matter further. Instead, he kindly advised, "The situation outside the capital has been quite unstable these days. I suggest you hurry into the city and avoid wandering around aimlessly!"
"Thank you for the warning," Link replied promptly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man turned to leave!
Link, seeing him turn away, instinctively let out a sigh of relief!
But suddenly, the old man turned back, looking at Link and asking, "By the way, I remember you mentioned that you came to the capital specifically to participate in the Imperial Academy of Cultivation's assessment?"
"Indeed!"
Link's previously relaxed nerves tightened once more as he asked in a low voice, "May I ask why you inquire, sir?"
"Hehe, it's nothing much!"
The old man chuckled lightly, waving his hand. "I sensed a surge of magical energy from you; you must be a cultivator, right?"
"Indeed, I am a Level 9 Junior Summoner."
Link answered instinctively. Although he was aware that his true identity was that of a "Necromancer," he had never heard of such a peculiar profession in the Roland Continent through the memories he had merged with.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Link decided to play it safe and did not reveal his true profession, instead claiming to be a Summoner.
After all, both "Summoners" and "Necromancers" summoned beings from other realms to assist in battle; the only difference was that his summoned beings were undead, and he had a significantly larger number of them…
"What? A Level 9 Junior Summoner?"
The old man's expression changed at this, and he quickly waved his hand, sending a thread of magical energy toward Link!
Link dared not resist and simply allowed the old man to perform his examination!
Before long, the old man withdrew his magical energy, nearly bursting with excitement!
"Indeed, you are a Level 9 Junior Summoner! By the light of the divine, judging by your appearance, you must be around sixteen or seventeen years old, right? To possess the strength of a peak Level 2 cultivator at such a young age—compared to the recently famous 'Three Radiant Stars,' you're probably not far behind!"
"Ah, well… you flatter me, sir. It's really nothing much… ahhahahaha!" Link intended to be modest, but with his thick skin, he couldn't help but burst into a proud laugh, leaving the old man speechless!
At that moment, the old man's gaze shifted to Ron behind Link, and he couldn't help but shudder again!
"And this gentleman is…"
"He is my servant, Ron!" Link quickly replied.
"Greetings, sir!" Ron bowed respectfully to the old man, his demeanor submissive.
"Servant… servant?"
The old man nearly fainted from shock, for he could sense the magical energy flowing within Ron, which was only slightly weaker than Link's!
This meant that Ron was also a Junior Cultivator!
"A genius, a genius indeed!"
The old man praised again, finally revealing his identity.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lasvido Augustus, the President of the 'Royal Mage Guild' and also the Dean of the 'Royal Academy of Cultivation.'"
"Royal Academy of Cultivation?"
Link furrowed his brow at this. He had heard of the "Imperial Academy of Cultivation," but this "Royal Academy of Cultivation" was a name he was hearing for the first time!
Seemingly sensing Link's confusion, Lasvido smiled and explained, "Our 'Royal Academy of Cultivation' was just established this year, so it's understandable that you haven't heard of us."
At this point, Lasvido added, "However, when it comes to faculty strength and the resources available within the academy, even the 'Imperial Academy of Cultivation' cannot compare to us. Most importantly, since our academy is newly established, we have very few students, and the competition is nowhere near as fierce as at the 'Imperial Academy of Cultivation'…"