Chapter 14: The Challenge of Mount Ascension
The duel was set, a challenge delivered with a precision and reverence that spoke volumes of Zhao Wei's transformation. He was no longer a youth driven by blind arrogance but a cultivator who understood the weight of honor and the profound nature of a rivalry. The news of the impending duel between Ling Tian, the Imperial Champion, and Zhao Wei, a prodigal son of a great clan, sent a ripple of excitement and speculation through the Eastern Realm. Everyone knew this was not a mere match but a clash between two rising stars, each forged on a different path.
For the next month, the atmosphere in Ling Tian's palace was one of focused determination. Ling Tian devoted himself to honing his skills, but his training was not a furious push for power. It was a journey inward, a deeper exploration of the Heavenly Dao Scroll. He spent his days in meditation, not absorbing external spiritual energy, but delving into the intricate knowledge stored within his mind. He began to comprehend the subtle manipulation of elemental forces—how to turn the air into a blade, the stone into a shield, and the wind into a cloak of invisibility.
Lin Yue was his constant companion, her presence a calming anchor. She had blossomed under the Imperial family's vast resources, her healing powers growing from a gentle touch to a profound, life-giving force. Her knowledge of medicinal cultivation had grown to the point where she could concoct elixirs that not only healed but also purified spiritual meridians, a skill that was invaluable to Ling Tian's training. She would brew him teas infused with rare spiritual herbs, each sip revitalizing his body and clearing his mind.
Princess Mei Ling, ever the shrewd strategist, spent her days studying ancient texts on martial arts and battlefield tactics. She meticulously analyzed the styles of the Zhao Clan, deciphering their strengths and weaknesses. She brought Ling Tian intricate diagrams and detailed analyses of spiritual energy flow, offering a tactical perspective that he had never considered. She saw the duel not just as a fight but as a chess game, and she was determined to see him win. Her admiration for him had deepened, transforming into a complex mixture of respect, loyalty, and a blossoming affection that she no longer bothered to hide.
The day of the duel arrived, and the journey to Mount Ascension was a pilgrimage of power. The mountain was a place of legend, its summit shrouded in a perpetual storm of spiritual energy, a natural barrier that only the most powerful cultivators could breach. As they ascended on their Cloud-Winged Gryphon, Ling Tian, Lin Yue, and Princess Mei Ling could feel the pressure of the mountain's spiritual aura, a force so immense it threatened to crush them.
The summit was a surreal landscape of jagged peaks and swirling mists. There, in the center of a naturally formed arena of white stone, stood Zhao Wei. He was no longer the peacock of his clan, but a man of serene strength. His robes, though simple, were immaculately clean, and his eyes, once filled with arrogance, now held a deep, quiet intensity. He was not alone. Behind him stood a single, beautiful woman with a face of striking features and a fierce, loyal gaze—his own companion and ally.
The duel was not a public spectacle but an intimate confrontation between two rivals, witnessed only by their closest companions. Ling Tian stepped into the arena, a calm smile on his face. He felt the immense power of Zhao Wei, the refined energy of a cultivator who had surpassed his own limits.
"Ling Tian," Zhao Wei said, his voice a low, steady rumble. "I have not come for revenge. I have come to thank you. Your defeat was the fire that forged me anew. I have spent the last three years in the desolate lands, honing my power, and I believe I have reached a level where I can stand as your equal."
"Your journey has made you a master, Zhao Wei," Ling Tian replied, a flicker of genuine respect in his eyes. "I can feel the depth of your power. It is an honor to face you again."
The two men did not draw weapons. They simply stood, their spiritual energies rising, forming two distinct auras that pressed against each other like two opposing storm fronts. Zhao Wei's aura was a refined, crimson torrent, a manifestation of the Celestial Fire he had mastered. Ling Tian's aura was a soft, golden light, a manifestation of the harmonious and profound Cosmic Origin Formation.
The duel began. There was no fierce, wild charge. It was a dance of power, a ballet of spiritual energy. Zhao Wei was a master of ranged attacks, his hands weaving complex seals that launched volleys of razor-sharp fire blades. Ling Tian, however, was a master of defense and counterattack. He did not block the fire blades but manipulated the very space around them, causing them to dissipate into nothingness.
Zhao Wei, impressed, intensified his attacks. He unleashed the Nine-Phoenix Ignition, a powerful technique that created nine fiery birds that swooped and dove at Ling Tian with immense speed. Ling Tian, using the Celestial Serpent Step, became a blur of motion, a golden phantom that the birds could not touch. He moved with a rhythm that was so precise it was as if he were dancing through the very fabric of reality itself.
"Incredible," Zhao Wei's companion whispered, her eyes wide with shock. "His movements... he isn't just fast. He's manipulating the flow of the world."
The battle reached its climax. Zhao Wei, knowing he could not win with ranged attacks, charged forward, his body wreathed in a blazing inferno. He launched his most powerful strike, a concentrated fist of fire that could shatter a mountain. "Take this, Ling Tian!" he roared.
Ling Tian, his eyes closed in concentration, finally released his own ultimate technique. He did not move. He simply stood, a golden light surrounding him. He gathered the spiritual energy from the entire mountain, from the earth, the sky, and the very air. He absorbed it, refined it, and released it in a single, focused blast of energy from his open palm. This was the ultimate expression of the Cosmic Origin Formation, a strike that was not of this world.
The golden blast met the fiery fist. There was no explosion. Instead, the two forces collided and then seemed to fold into themselves. Zhao Wei's fire was not defeated but simply assimilated into Ling Tian's power. Zhao Wei was thrown backward, not by a physical force, but by the sheer, unbridled power of a technique that was on a completely different level than his own.
He landed softly, his body uninjured, but his spiritual energy was in complete disarray. He looked at Ling Tian, a look of profound defeat on his face, but it was not a defeat born of bitterness. It was a defeat of acceptance. He had given everything, and he had been shown a power that was simply beyond his own.
"I see," he said, a faint smile on his lips. "You have surpassed me again, Ling Tian. You are not a genius; you are a force of nature. I am humbled."
Ling Tian walked to him and extended a hand. "You fought with honor, Zhao Wei. You have proven yourself a true master. You are no longer my rival, but my friend."
Zhao Wei took his hand and rose to his feet. He had lost the duel, but he had gained something more valuable: a profound understanding of his own limitations and a friend who had shown him the way to true power. The duel was over, but their story was just beginning. Ling Tian had not only defeated a powerful rival but had also gained a valuable companion who would, one day, stand beside him on the path to the very pinnacle of the Eastern Realm.