Chapter 299: Chapter 41: Blessed Chalice (Part 2)

Mivana patted her shoulders and continued forward. Although this was her first time undertaking the Holy Grail Trial, she was no stranger to it. Everything she had learned from her teachers and books had made it clear what difficulties she would face on the ascent to the Holy Grail.

First came "Ten Thousand Blades on Body," which inflicted endless phantom pain. Then "Illusion Entanglement," which blocked the path. And finally, "Cold Wind Erosion," which slowed the body. Only those who passed this series of tests and trials to reach the summit would earn the qualification to drink from the Holy Grail and ascend.

No wonder the Yonglan People were so fond of narratives about suffering. After all, the process of receiving the Divine Ancestor’s blessing was filled with all kinds of hardships and tortures; it was hard not to get the wrong idea.

One could only say the Divine Ancestor had done the same. The mortals of the Realm of Order were merely acting according to the will of the Celestial God. The Divine Ancestor’s own preferences were enough to shape the spirit of an entire nation.

In the past, Mivana might have questioned this. But after Westheid’s guidance, she understood with perfect clarity that the core of the Path of the Knight was to fight, fight, and fight again.

If you aren’t satisfied, then you must seize a position of power through your own strength and enact change from there.

This was why the Yonglan Riding God approved of the Knight King system.

HUFF—

Exhaling the cold wind that had forced its way into her mouth, Mivana headed resolutely toward the heart of the mountain range where the storm converged.

There were no shortcuts on this climb, only the struggle to press upward through the shrieking, cold wind. This was, of course, a test of power; a Knight who had not reached the Great Perfection of the Heroic Tier had no chance of making it to the end.

On the other hand, it was an even greater test of will. During the Holy Grail Trial, one’s physical abilities and attributes were severely suppressed; a High-tier Transcendent would perform little better than an ordinary person.

With every step forward, the raging blizzard grew more intense. Mivana saw other fallen Trial Takers along the way. For those who weren’t quite dead, she pushed them off the cliff—this wasn’t murder, but an act of salvation.

The suppression effect would only disappear once they were outside the bounds of the Holy Grail Trial; otherwise, the Trial Taker would surely die. As for falling from a thousand-meter height?

Even without any sort of protection, it would at most result in a minor fracture. All Yonglan Knights are tough as athletes; they’d be fine after resting for a few days.

What surprised Mivana, however, was that she faced no hindrance from other Trial Takers. Then again, those who bore her ill will had already gathered outside to ambush her.

In reality, not many people were pursuing the Holy Grail this time. A grand Trial ceremony was supposed to be held every time the Holy Grail formed, but the Knightly Path Expedition and the Royal Pilgrimage had disrupted all arrangements, leaving only a few of the originally planned Trial Takers.

On such a vast mountain range, it would be difficult to run into anyone unless they were specifically waiting for you.

Mivana used her Silver Sword as a cane, struggling forward through the deep snow.

Even though every step was agonizing and the cold was bone-chilling, Mivana still felt a sense of exhilaration and satisfaction.

This wasn’t because she enjoyed the pain, but because she knew that a little wind and frost like this could not defeat her.

She began to chant the "Song of Yonglan" aloud, her prayerful voice trembling in the blizzard before scattering into fragments.

"Great is the Riding God, my God and my Ancestor."

"In the long night’s frost, past demons and monsters."

"All your foes, by you are vanquished."

"In the Land of Yonglan, we brave the thorns and snow."

"Protect our peaceful land, grant us courage in blood."

"Great is..."

She lost all track of time. The climb seemed endless, and Mivana’s vision blurred again and again.

In a Trial set by a Celestial God, this was no longer something one could overcome with sheer stats. The Wolf-eared Maiden suspected that every Trial Taker had to endure this bone-deep agony.

But the path of the Trial did have an end. At a certain moment, the blizzard gradually subsided. All her pain and burdens receded like the tide, replaced by a gentle warmth that washed over her from ahead.

As the storm dissipated, a lush, harmonious forest came into view. At the end of a small path paved with flagstones lay the goal of her journey: the Pool of the Holy Grail.

Hot steam rose from the pool, which was built from white cobblestones and filled with clear water.

"Looks like I’m the first one here."

Mivana scanned her surroundings. There were no other paths on the summit, so she slowly walked forward. ’The Holy Grail Trial is just the final test of qualification,’ she mused. ’Most people with firm conviction can make it to the end. The only difference is how long it takes them.’

The Wolf-eared Maiden knelt by the pool, set her Silver Sword aside, and dipped a finger into the water, only to find it was just ordinary warm water.

Just as Mivana was feeling puzzled, the space above the pool rippled, and a cyan Holy Grail materialized out of thin air.

Mivana reached out with both hands and gently received the Holy Grail.

Blood-red words appeared upon the cyan Holy Grail:

"O Warrior who has faced the eternal storm, you have shown valor and determination. Drink my blood; this is your deserved reward."

"One who cannot be felled by the storm gains the power to master their own fate and the fates of others."

"May your blade be ever victorious, may you never lose your way, and may your will be as strong as iron and steel."

Mivana gently took the Holy Grail. Inside the cup lay a single golden Tear Jade.

She understood at once. She tilted the Holy Grail and scooped water from the pool into it. The Tear Jade dissolved instantly, and in the blink of an eye, the Holy Grail was filled with the pale golden Blood of the Riding God. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Lifting the Holy Grail, a resolute light glimmered in Mivana’s golden eyes.

"Divine Ancestor, I will carry out your will and uphold the true Knightly Path in the kingdom of Yonglan."

"With this sincere vow, I pray to receive the blessing of the Holy Grail!"

Even though she knew this was just a pre-programmed mechanism of the Pool of the Holy Grail and that the Yonglan Riding God could not possibly hear her, Mivana believed she had now fully grasped the Divine Ancestor’s intentions.

Draining the Holy Grail’s water, mixed with Divine Blood, in a single gulp, Mivana’s aura instantly swelled! It surged! It erupted!

Above the Pool of the Holy Grail, the storm covering the entire mountain range instantly imploded, its energies sweeping in to swirl around Mivana.

.........

Aboard the Floating Battleship parked on the outskirts of the Pool of the Holy Grail, Westheid opened his eyes, ending the state of stasis he had maintained for several days and nights.

His gaze was somewhat dazed and held a hint of killing intent. He had been fighting in Wan Qi’s Imaginary Space for far, far too long. He had likely experienced several years of subjective time, and Westheid could barely distinguish reality from the dream.

But this confusion was only temporary. Westheid quickly shook his head to reorient himself, stood up, clenched his fists, and sighed with emotion.

"I’ve gotten stronger again. I’m just so diligent."

By exploiting a bug to hone his techniques and tactics, Westheid estimated that a few more sessions would be enough to learn the Soul Burning Technique for the most part. It might not have an official rating, but if Westheid had to rank it, it was definitely on par with a T0 technique.

After all, this was the Combat Technique Wan Qi had used for her Ascension to godhood—a primordial technique capable of forging a new path all on its own. Its value was self-evident. The only thing Westheid found regrettable was how demanding it was in terms of proficiency and resources.

But no matter. As long as it was for the sake of getting stronger, this stat-checking monster was willing to commit heresy and become a high-mechanics player.

"Your Majesty..."

Seeing Westheid awaken, the Qinghui Guard standing watch immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"What about Mivana and Reiya? Have they started the Holy Grail Trial yet?"

"Yes, both of their Highnesses have set out. Her Highness Reiya is currently fighting the opposition, while Her Highness Mivana has already entered the perimeter of the Pool of the Holy Grail."

And don’t ask why even Mivana was called "Highness." In the eyes of the Qinghui Guard, anyone the Duke Qinghui regarded as his lover was naturally of the highest nobility. Even Reiya was addressed as "Highness" for this reason; otherwise, it was debatable whether they would even acknowledge her status as an Imperial Princess.

"Good. With Mivana’s strength, she should be able to complete the Trial in less than a day."

Westheid nodded. As he approached the command room’s floor-to-ceiling window, he caught sight of the phenomenon above the Pool of the Holy Grail.

A raging torrent of wind shot straight up into the heavens, pulling all the surrounding clouds into its vortex.

"Hm?"

Gazing at the distant scene, Westheid couldn’t help but smile.

"That’s Mivana, all right. She’s making quite a scene receiving the Blessed Chalice. A phenomenon like this... It seems she’s gone a step further and grasped the Soul of Steel Will, hasn’t she?"