Chapter 205: An Extremely Powerful Source Essence

Facing such a fierce offensive, however, the white-haired elder remained completely at ease.

Seeing this, Elvira showed no sign of discouragement.

With a twist of her wrist, the nature of the Aether Energy attached to her sword instantly changed.

The originally violent, swirling cyan airflow was transformed in the blink of an eye into pure, dazzling golden radiance.

Buzz...

The golden sword of light broke free from the length restrictions of the physical blade and suddenly extended forward by half a meter, stabbing straight toward the old man's chest.

The elder's foot slid slightly, narrowly avoiding the sudden thrust of the light blade by the smallest margin.

“An excellent transformation of energy properties.”

The elder nodded, offering praise without hesitation.

Hearing those words, a trace of joy inevitably surfaced in Elvira's usually serious heart.

Her teacher was a Legendary Sword Saint with extraordinarily high standards and rarely gave praise.

“However, the warm-up is over. Now it's my turn to attack.”

The elder's eyes suddenly sharpened.

The moment she heard those words, Elvira treated the situation as a major threat. She immediately focused herself and tightly gripped the sword hilt with both hands.

The elder's aura underwent a complete transformation in an instant.

He casually swung a slash.

Yet that shortsword carried a terrifying pressure as though it intended to split the entire training ground apart.

Faced with this unavoidable strike, the young woman showed no intention of retreating. She raised her sword with both hands and assumed a flawless guarding stance.

The instant before the two blades collided, a heavy semi-transparent phantom of a suit of heavy armor suddenly materialized around Elvira's body.

Combined with the guarding bonuses granted by her newly acquired class specialty, the quality of this block reached an astonishing level.

Boom!

The two swords clashed.

A violent shockwave exploded outward from the pair, while the resulting gust sent the girl's golden hair flying wildly.

A trace of surprise flashed through the elder's eyes.

He had originally assumed that, having only recently advanced, she would be unable to withstand that strike.

Unexpectedly, she stood firmly in place and successfully held back the blade.

Feeling the solid resistance transmitted through her arms, a victorious smile unconsciously appeared on the young woman's lips.

Next, it was her turn to counterattack.

The “Red Dragon Heart” hidden within Elvira's chest began roaring violently.

Her unique Source Essence was fully activated at that moment.

The effect of this Source Essence was extraordinarily domineering:

Whenever an enemy's attack was successfully blocked, the following counterattack would be guaranteed to trigger a critical strike effect.

Wind and light, two completely different forms of Aether Energy, simultaneously wrapped around the cruciform sword under extreme compression.

The fusion of the two seemed to instantly devour the physical form of the blade itself, making it impossible to discern the trajectory of the sword edge.

The young woman suddenly exerted force with both arms, forcibly knocking aside the elder's shortsword before thrusting forward with a full-powered stab like a shooting star.

This was the strongest attack she could currently unleash.

Yet when the sword tip was still half an inch away from the elder's throat, it was firmly halted by a shortsword.

Elvira did not feel disappointed.

On the contrary, her eyes shone brightly.

Because she clearly saw that the elder's training sword was now covered with a layer of his own golden Aether Energy.

Forcing a Legendary Sword Saint to use Aether Energy to protect his weapon meant she had already won.

“An extremely powerful Source Essence effect.”

The elder withdrew his shortsword and offered sincere praise.

Looking at the faint cracks that had appeared along the blade of the training weapon, he knew very well that if he had not reinforced it with Aether Energy just now, the sword would have been cut in two by her counterattack.

The student before him was undoubtedly the most terrifying genius he had ever encountered in his entire life.

The elder even compared her to himself in his heart.

Even as the royal family's guardian, when he had first ignited his Furnace and stepped into the Professional Rank, his overall combat strength had likely fallen far short of what the princess currently possessed.

The physical foundation she had built during her mortal stage was so solid that it was frightening.

Moreover, this battle had merely been a sparring match that stopped short of true combat.

The princess's truly terrifying talent ability had not even been given the chance to reveal itself because of the nature of the duel.

“That will conclude today's instruction, Your Highness.”

The elder casually spun the shortsword through a flourish.

A maid waiting at the edge of the field immediately hurried forward and respectfully presented an ornate scabbard.

After steadying her breathing, Elvira smoothly sheathed her cruciform sword.

Although the battle had seemed brief, it had consumed a considerable amount of stamina.

Her monstrous strength far exceeded that of ordinary people, and naturally her energy expenditure was correspondingly greater.

The elder looked at the upright young woman and revealed a gratified smile.

“You are the most talented student I have seen throughout all my years of teaching.”

His voice was loud and filled with anticipation.

“During the upcoming Heroic Spirit Baptism, you will undoubtedly achieve perfect resonance with that Noble Phantasm representing the ‘Red Dragon.’”

After speaking, the elder stepped back half a pace and placed his right hand over his chest, performing an impeccable knightly salute.

“Congratulations. From today onward, you are no longer a cub lion.”

Hearing that title, Elvira likewise straightened her posture and returned a flawless knightly salute.

“Cub Lion” was the elder's private nickname for her.

When Elvira had been very young, the elder had once brought back a white lion cub from a distant land as a birthday gift.

He had compared her to that lion cub, hoping that one day she would possess the majesty of a lion king.

Elvira treasured that gift dearly.

Even now, the lion—long since grown to adulthood—was personally cared for by her in the royal palace's rear garden.

Just as the teacher and student finished exchanging salutes, the maid who had delivered the scabbard clasped her hands before her and bowed her head slightly before reporting.

“Your Highness, the sparring session has concluded. It is time for you to bathe and change.”

“The royal family's Class Advancement Coronation Banquet being held for you tonight at the ‘Platinum Velvet Palace’ has little preparation time remaining.”

The moment she heard the word “banquet,” the young woman's momentum seemed to deflate slightly.

She could only bid her teacher farewell politely before following the maid toward the dressing chambers.

“Lady Eleanor specifically instructed me to remind you.”

As she led the way, the maid quietly relayed the message.

“Nearly all of the capital's influential nobles will be attending tonight.”

“Her exact words were that your attire and appearance must fully comply with royal etiquette. There must not be the slightest mistake.”

At the mention of Lady Eleanor, Elvira's footsteps paused slightly.

That woman was the lady-in-waiting and head maid responsible for managing her daily life.

She was also a Level 13 professional.

Her methods were extremely rigid and strict. If Elvira failed to perform perfectly tonight, she would undoubtedly be subjected to endless lectures over the following days.

The maid walking behind her keenly sensed the slight decline in her mistress's mood.

As someone who attended her personally, she knew her princess's true personality very well.

The princess actually hated political socializing—wearing a false smile while exchanging endless toasts with politicians and nobles at banquets.

Looking at the slightly tense line of the girl's jaw, the maid suddenly remembered something and quickly added in a brighter tone.

“Oh, right, Your Highness.”

“Lady Eleanor just finished reviewing the guest list. The Rosenthal Family of White River Province has also sent representatives to the capital today.”

“That young lady from the Rosenthal Family who is very close to you will also be attending tonight's banquet.”

The maid looked at Elvira.

“With that young lady accompanying you, perhaps tonight will be an enjoyable evening.”

The moment she heard the news, it felt as though a ray of sunlight had illuminated Elvira's previously troubled heart.

Cecilia.

The image of the somewhat soft-spoken Half-Elf girl who was extraordinarily devoted to magical research appeared in her mind.

Within the tedious social circles of the nobility, Cecilia was one of the very few true friends with whom she could lower all her defenses and speak freely.

“I understand.”

Elvira's steps immediately became lighter again, and anticipation returned to her emerald-green eyes.

For the sake of seeing her dear friend sooner, dealing with those nobles suddenly did not seem quite so unbearable.

……

At this moment, the Class Advancement Coronation Banquet was already more than halfway finished.

Inside the Platinum Velvet Palace, gentle court orchestral music echoed throughout the grand hall.

Cecilia stood alone on a secluded open-air balcony, quietly gazing up at the night sky.

The early summer breeze carried the fragrance of roses from the gardens and gently brushed against her face, making her feel relaxed.

The capital's night sky was uniquely beautiful.

Beyond the sparkling stars, an immense dark-blue spell formation was faintly visible overhead, enveloping the entire city.

The intersecting mana circuits resembled an enormous net, dividing the heavens into perfectly ordered geometric patterns.

This was the supreme masterpiece created by the capital's Alchemy Corps over several decades.

The celestial canopy was not merely a display of power.

It was also an extremely efficient method of utilizing Aether Energy.

Like a giant funnel, it could convert the violent Aether Energy drifting through the atmosphere into safe and gentle mana, directly supplying the city's various alchemical conveniences.

It even possessed the terrifying capability to regulate regional weather patterns and withstand Ninth-Ring Spells.

Such a foundation could only exist in the royal capital, where the continent's finest alchemists gathered.

Cecilia withdrew her gaze and looked down at her attire.

Tonight, she wore a handmade pale violet evening gown.

Layer upon layer of fabric formed the skirt, embroidered with the Rosenthal Family's thorn-flower crest in silver thread.

The fitted tailoring perfectly accentuated her graceful figure, which, although not yet fully matured, had already begun to blossom.

The long hair she had originally kept to conceal her Half-Elf features had been elegantly pinned up.

A pair of priceless sapphire earrings hung from her pointed ears, making her pure and delicate face appear even more captivating.

In truth, the Rosenthal Family's power base had always been deeply rooted in White River Province.

They shared little substantial interest with the old noble families at the center of power in the capital.

The only reason Cecilia had suddenly appeared at this high-profile royal banquet was because her Aunt Syl had dragged her here by force.

Ignoring all of Cecilia's objections, her aunt had hauled her to the capital, claiming that she wanted Cecilia to stay as far away from that terrifying Dragon-blooded man as possible.

As for why her aunt harbored such strong resistance toward her senior—

Cecilia still could not understand it.

Just then, the heavy dark-red velvet curtain behind the balcony was abruptly pulled aside from within.

“Who is it?”

Cecilia turned around.

“It's me.”

A voice carrying a hint of relief sounded from beyond the curtain.