CHAPTER 16 — "THE PRINCESS'S TRUE GRACE"
The road to Azure Dragon Academy stretched far beyond the quiet ruins they had left behind. Hills rolled like ancient waves, forests whispered with distant howls, and the sky grew deeper and wider with every step.
Long Hao walked calmly, hands tucked casually into his pockets. But every few minutes, his gaze drifted sideways — toward the girl walking beside him.
Ouyang Xue'er.
The princess of the most feared royal clan.The holder of a divine-ranked sigil.And the girl whose very presence made the world feel… different.
She walked lightly, almost floating, her silver-black hair shimmering like starlit silk. Her violet-gold eyes sparkled every time sunlight touched them, glowing with a warmth she seemed to show only to him.
And the more he saw, the more he understood:
She was beautiful earlier.
But now?
She was breathtaking.
As they crossed a narrow valley, the grass suddenly rustled. A pack of Steelclaw Apes leapt out — massive, muscular monsters with iron-coated claws and thick stone-like skin.
Six of them.Easily enough to massacre a group of ordinary travelers.
Xue'er blinked."Oh… them again."
Long Hao raised an eyebrow. "Again?"
"They chased me earlier when I was fighting the wolves."She puffed her cheeks adorably."I slipped near the well while escaping."
Long Hao smirked. "Of course you did."
She glared in embarrassment."Stop teasing me!"
The apes roared and charged.
Long Hao stepped forward to handle it — but Xue'er lifted a hand.
"Let me."
Her voice turned elegant.Calm.Royal.
The air temperature dropped instantly.
Her eyes shifted — the violet-gold deepened into a brilliant frost-glow.
A translucent halo of ice-blue light appeared behind her, shaped like a blooming snow lotus of pure divine energy.
Long Hao stopped walking.
And watched.
Xue'er extended two fingers.
"Celestial Frostheart — Petal Burst."
A soft breeze passed.Then—
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—CRACK
Every ape froze mid-attack.Instantly.Completely.Perfectly.
Frozen statues.
Their last expressions — fear and rage — crystallized in stunning detail. For a second, they looked like ice sculptures placed carefully in a glass garden.
Then—
SHHHHHATTER!
All six shattered simultaneously into sparkling particles that drifted upward like snow.
Long Hao stared.
Not at the monsters.
But at her.
The delicate glow fading from her fingertips.The way she brushed her hair aside, unfazed.The soft smile she gave him afterward.
"Messy work," she said with a playful sigh. "But tolerable."
Long Hao's heart actually skipped.
Not in love.In awe.
In his previous life, he had seen strength.Cold, brutal, lethal strength.
But never strength wrapped in elegance.Never a divine frost melting into gentle warmth whenever her eyes turned to him.
Ouyang Xue'er… was truly on another level.
The system hummed.
[Observation: Ouyang Xue'er Combat Ability = Extraordinary][Host Mesmerization Level: Slight Increase][Fate Thread Strengthening...]
Long Hao ignored the system.
But he couldn't hide the faint curve tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Not bad," he said.
Xue'er's cheeks turned pink."Y-You could at least pretend to be impressed!"
"I am."
"No, you're not! You're too calm!"
"Being calm is impressive," he replied.
She punched his arm lightly."You're infuriating."
He chuckled.
She blushed harder.
They continued walking, now side by side with a comfortable closeness neither commented on.
But Xue'er was more talkative now. More lively. More herself.
She pointed at passing mountains, telling him stories of ancient wars.
She pointed at old shrines, explaining legends from the Ouyang royal archives.
She asked him constant questions:
"Where did you learn to fight like that?""Why are you so calm around dangers?""Why don't you look surprised by anything?"
Long Hao answered vaguely as always:
"Experience.""Instinct.""I've lived enough to know the world."
She found him mysterious… and fascinating.
The more she talked, the more Long Hao realized how much wisdom and grace she held underneath that icy royal exterior.
And the more she warmed up to him, the more radiant she became.
By the time the sun dipped behind distant peaks, they had reached a large stone bridge arching over a river of bright turquoise water.
Beyond the bridge… lay Azure Dragon City.
A sprawling metropolis built around the world-famous academy.
Massive banners fluttered along the streets.Merchant stalls swarmed with people.Guild representatives shouted out recruitment offers.Beast tamers paraded their spirit animals.Awakened elites displayed their power in dazzling ways.
But nothing compared to the structure rising in the distance—
Azure Dragon Academy.
An enormous fortress-like palace carved from white stone, reinforced with ancient dragon bone ridges. Gigantic dragon statues wrapped around its towers, spiraling into the clouds.
Even Long Hao paused.
Not because of the academy.
But because of the unbelievable crowd.
Tens of thousands.Hundreds of thousands.People from all kingdoms.Awakeners from every background.
The entire city was packed — streets overflowing, rooftops filled, platforms hovering in the air.
Every eye burned with ambition.
Every heartbeat pulsed with desire.
To enter that academy… was to touch glory itself.
Xue'er inhaled sharply beside him.
"It's magnificent, isn't it?"
Long Hao nodded.
She smiled proudly. "Azure Dragon Academy does not accept the weak. Every person here is a genius in their own right."
Long Hao watched the crowd calmly."Hundreds of thousands… trying to squeeze through one gate."
Xue'er nodded."Only a fraction will pass."
Her eyes sparkled.
"And we'll be there together."
Long Hao turned to her.
She turned to him.
Their eyes met — violet-gold with crimson-black — and for a moment, the world felt strangely quiet.
Xue'er smiled.
A pure, genuine smile meant only for him.
"This will be fun."
Long Hao smirked.
"Let's see."
The wind shifted.
Drums echoed.Trumpets blared.Lights shot into the sky as the Azure Dragon Academy Entrance Exam officially began.
Long Hao and Ouyang Xue'er took their first step forward.
Side by side.
Toward the battlefield that would change their destinies.
[CHAPTER ENDS]