“There’s a high possibility!” Billy answered for Opal.
Long before, when he had first arrived at this hollow, the words ‘Ghost Soldier’ had already surfaced in his mind.
Even without their masks and distinctive uniforms, ‘Ghost Soldiers’ were different from ordinary people.
Their bodies involuntarily emitted a chilling aura, accumulated from years of unconventional training in shadowy environments.
This aura, unlike that of martial artists, could not be concealed-anyone paying a bit of attention could notice something unusual.
If Deon Richards was planning to deploy ‘Ghost Soldiers,’ he would need to secure a place for them to stay before making a move.
“Boss, should we break the array to check?” Azure Dragon spoke up, “If they really are ‘Ghost Soldiers,’ should we take them out while we’re at it?”
“Let’s not alert them prematurely!” Billy thought for a moment and then shook his head.
“Boss, it’s about an hour until noon, how should we arrange our time?” Casey looked at Billy and asked.
“Billy Boy, you take Casey and Harleen to Ice Cloud Institute!” Opal thought for a moment and then said, “Amber and I will stay here to keep watch!”
“Opal, if this place really holds thousands of Ghost Soldiers, it’s too dangerous for just the two of you to stay,” Harleen spoke up.
“Ivy and I will stay here with you; let Billy go to Ice Cloud Institute with Mr Kimmons.”
“No need!” Opal shook her head.
“If Deon Richards is going to make a move, the institute will likely be his primary target. It’s better for you all to go together and watch each other’s backs.”
“But…” Ivy started.
“Go on, don’t waste time!” Opal interrupted her.
“The Ghost Soldiers, as strong as they might be, are unlikely to be a match for me and Amber. Besides, if we truly can’t handle it, we can always retreat!”
“Alright then, Opal, you and Amber take care,” Harleen relented.
“Opal, don’t hold back if things go south!” Billy added.
“Don’t worry!” Opal nodded in response.
Then, Billy, along with Casey, Harleen, and the others, headed towards the imperial city’s sky.
Ice Cloud Institute was located in the northern district of the imperial city, not too far from the north gate. After about half an hour, Billy and his group arrived at the entrance of the institute.
Ice Cloud Institute, as a place that cultivated talent for the empire, held a high status and authority.
This was evident from the estate’s scale and grandeur.
The estate covered at least one or two million square meters, with a majestic gate, towering walls, red bricks and green tiles, all shimmering in the light.
Above the gate, the words ‘Ice Cloud Institute’ were carved in bold and powerful characters, below which stretched two broad roads, segregating pedestrians and vehicles.
Generally, except for imperial family members, other visitors to the institute needed to disembark and walk.
As for flying in the sky, that was even more unthinkable. In most city spaces within the Forbidden Ruins, flying was strictly banned, especially here in the imperial city.
As Billy and his companions arrived, the gate of the estate was bustling, especially busy today.
Today was the institute’s annual freshman selection competition, and the school had opened up free entry, allowing anyone to come and go as long as the number of people was under control.
For most martial artists, the selection competition was a visual feast they would not want to miss.
Moreover, the presence of the legendary princess from the palace heightened their enthusiasm even more.
After entering the estate, Billy and his group followed the crowd to the central grand square of the garden.
Looking out over the vast square, a temporary rectangular arena, three to four hundred meters in length and width, had been erected.
The arena was surrounded by tiered seats, which could accommodate tens of thousands of spectators.
By now, the spectator seats were already densely packed, filled to capacity.
Everyone noticed simultaneously that the seats on the north side of the arena were significantly more spacious than those in other areas. Their colors also differed, with a yellow border surrounding the outer edge and the central rows painted bright red. Clearly, this section was reserved for the imperial family members and other high-ranking VIPs.
“If only we knew there would be so many people, we should have come earlier to reserve some seats!” Black Tortoise slightly furrowed his brow and spoke. The group looked around but could see no vacant seats, but they couldn’t just stand there the whole time.
“Gentlemen and ladies, would you need front-row seats?” Just as they pondered where to find seats, a sly-looking man approached them.
“What’s the price?” asked White Tiger.
“There are seats available at different prices!” the man replied.
“It’s priced per person. One top-grade spirit stone lets you choose a seat from rows one to ten.”
“A thousand high-grade spirit stones for rows eleven to twenty, and a hundred high-grade spirit stones for rows twenty-one to thirty.”
“And so on…”
“Are you robbing us?” White Tiger couldn’t help but retort.
A seat from rows one to ten costing one top-grade spirit stone indeed seemed no different from robbery!
“You must be joking!” the man responded.
“You all don’t look like you’re short of money. Spending a little for a great experience, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to admire the princess’s unparalleled beauty, isn’t it?” As he spoke, he glanced at Harleen and Ivy, inwardly praising them. Though Ice Cloud Empire was known for its beauties, truly peerless beauties were not so easily encountered.
Both of these women, whether in terms of looks or aura, could probably rival the princess herself.
Two minutes later, after giving the man a top-grade spirit stone, the group chose several seats in row fifteen opposite the VIP area and sat down. Naturally, they didn’t choose the front rows not because they lacked spirit stones but because they didn’t want to expose their tracks too soon.
As time passed, people gradually started occupying the VIP area seats, many of whom obviously were important figures from the palace.
Close to noon, apart from the red seats, the area was fully occupied.
About ten minutes later, the audience became restless, their attention drawn to the VIP area.
Billy and his companions also looked in that direction, only to see a group of twenty to thirty people entering their field of view.
Leading them was a young woman, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in luxurious court attire.
Her stunning beauty, skin like creamy porcelain, graceful figure, and the faint smile on her face all exuded a royal aura.
This woman was clearly Princess Mya Richards of Ice Cloud Empire!