Chapter 6: The Imperial Princess and a Test of Wills
The journey to the Imperial City was a stark departure from the peaceful, secluded life Ling Tian had known. They traveled not on foot, but on the back of a majestic Cloud-Winged Gryphon, a powerful spiritual beast with feathers of pure silver and a wingspan that blotted out the sun. Ling Tian and Lin Yue sat behind Princess Mei Ling, who piloted the beast with a grace that spoke of a lifetime of privilege and power.
The princess herself was a study in contradictions. On one hand, her demeanor was regal and distant, her every movement refined and deliberate. She barely spoke, her gaze fixed on the horizon, as if the very act of looking at Ling Tian and Lin Yue was beneath her. Yet, Ling Tian felt a strange, subtle tension emanating from her, an undercurrent of curiosity that she tried to suppress.
Lin Yue, ever observant, sensed it too. She held Ling Tian's hand, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on his palm, a silent comfort against the princess's cold presence.
"You speak of your fiancée with such passion," Princess Mei Ling finally said, her voice cutting through the silence like a shard of ice. Her eyes, the color of jade, finally turned to Ling Tian, a challenging glint in their depths. "Do you truly believe a mere healer with no martial talent is a fitting match for someone of your… potential?"
The question was a direct challenge to his judgment and his heart. Ling Tian's hand tightened around Lin Yue's. "Lin Yue is far more than a 'mere healer.' Her talent is unique, her heart is pure, and her spirit is stronger than any warrior I have met. Her support is my foundation. I am not ashamed to say that without her, my potential means nothing."
Princess Mei Ling's delicate lips curved into a faint, enigmatic smile. "A touching sentiment. But sentiments do not win tournaments or rule empires."
She then suddenly turned her attention to Lin Yue. "Tell me, little healer. Can you cultivate? Can you fight? Can you protect him when the time comes, or will you simply be a burden?"
Lin Yue, who rarely spoke in the presence of strangers, lifted her chin. Her voice was soft, but it carried an unshakeable resolve. "I cannot fight like a warrior, Princess. My path is one of healing. But my healing is a strength of its own. It is a shield that can mend his wounds and a source of energy that can replenish his spirit. A burden? Never. I will always be by his side, no matter the danger."
A flash of genuine surprise flickered in Princess Mei Ling's eyes. She had expected fear or a timid, submissive response. Instead, she had found a quiet strength that was, in its own way, just as formidable as Ling Tian's martial prowess.
As they flew over a desolate mountain range, a sudden, powerful roar echoed from below. A massive, three-headed Iron-Scaled Serpent—a Class-5 spiritual beast—emerged from a chasm, its scales like polished obsidian and its eyes glowing with malevolent fire. It sensed the spiritual power of the Gryphon and rose to attack, its three heads hissing and spitting venomous green mist into the air.
The Gryphon screeched, diving and twisting to avoid the attack. Princess Mei Ling immediately sprang into action. She drew a shimmering fan from her sleeve and channeled her spiritual energy, unleashing a torrent of razor-sharp wind blades. The blades tore through the air, clanging harmlessly off the serpent's iron-hard scales. The beast was too powerful, and its venomous mist was spreading rapidly, threatening to engulf the Gryphon.
"Stay back," Princess Mei Ling commanded, her face now a mask of intense focus.
But Ling Tian knew her attacks were ineffective. He felt the spiritual energy of the serpent—wild, powerful, but unrefined. It was a brute force, nothing more. He saw a weakness in its movements, a slight delay between the actions of its three heads. This was his chance.
He stood up on the Gryphon's back, a golden light already emanating from his body. "Hold steady, Princess," he said, his voice calm and authoritative.
Princess Mei Ling scoffed, "You dare tell me what to do? Get down, you fool!"
Ling Tian ignored her. He took a deep breath, channeling the spiritual energy around him with the Cosmic Origin Formation. His palm began to glow with a brilliant, blinding light, a vortex of power forming in its center. This was a refined, condensed form of the Dragon's Roar Palm, a technique that did not rely on brute force, but on the precise manipulation of spiritual energy.
He launched the attack. The golden vortex shot from his palm and struck the serpent's central head. It wasn't a powerful explosion, but a focused, piercing strike. The serpent's thick scales, which had shrugged off Princess Mei Ling's attacks, cracked and shattered. A shockwave of pure spiritual energy traveled through the beast's body, its three heads convulsing as its inner spiritual core was shattered.
With a final, pathetic hiss, the massive serpent's body went limp and plummeted to the ground below.
Ling Tian stood on the Gryphon's back, his golden glow fading, his breathing steady. The air was clear, and the threat was gone. Princess Mei Ling stared at him, her face completely devoid of expression, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and a touch of something else that Ling Tian couldn't quite decipher.
She looked at him, then at Lin Yue, who was clinging to him with a look of immense pride and relief. The princess's jade eyes finally found a glimmer of understanding. She had witnessed firsthand that Ling Tian's strength was not just his own, but was amplified by the very presence of the girl he cherished. She had underestimated them both. She had tested their loyalty and their strength, and they had passed with flying colors. A new, more complex feeling began to bloom in the heart of the proud princess—one that might, one day, rival the love Ling Tian already held for Lin Yue.