Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 1229: Defeating Vale’s Disciple!

With the competition drawing nearer, an increasing number of students learned about the selected participants...

Within those picked for the Combat Arts Path, three individuals particularly caught attention.

Rice, whose ties to Vale had already become common knowledge, Tracy, a ferocious combatant boasting unparalleled swiftness, and Sora, the reserved yet resolute youth secretly accepted by Chad, the Dragon Immortal and a close ally of Vale.

Sora wasn't the noisiest, nor the one receiving the most acclaim.

Unlike Rice, he lacked the whispers of being Vale's disciple, and he didn't possess Tracy's fame for nimbleness and shrewdness. Yet, he bore something different, something infinitely more precious. He held the favor of Chad, who started as a mere mortal before rising via dragon essence and determination.

Each week, Sora encountered Chad in the isolated practice area outside the academy's boundaries. This spot remained concealed, a valley equipped with a Formation Array infused with draconic power.

The mere sight of Chad wasn't as intimidating as many pictured... That said, during sessions, he consistently bombarded Sora with his Draconic Aura to build his tolerance.

"Your frame remains frail," Chad instructed him in their initial month. "Aura originates from the spirit, yet the spirit can't radiate if its container is brittle. Fortify your build. Toughen your skeleton. Tighten your sinews. Just then can the dragon's essence establish itself."

Thus, Sora pushed through grueling workouts without pause. His days started prior to sunrise, dashing through the academy's paved plazas...

He hoisted masses crafted from mystical metal, clashed with practice figures shielded by magical barriers, and drank elixirs Chad concocted. These were harsh mixtures that scorched his gullet yet surged his bloodstream with vigor.

At the close of that first month, Chad presented him with one droplet of dragon essence. It wasn't Chad's own but Orden's.

The liquid shimmered softly inside a container, red laced with golden threads.

"Take it slow," Chad cautioned. "You'll integrate this gradually..."

Sora required two full months to assimilate that lone droplet completely. His evenings brimmed with delirium, his form quivered while reptilian plates danced over his flesh then vanished.

His slumber tormented him with bellows and flapping appendages, along with sights of flames and heavens.

Nevertheless, all of it proved essential... Fortunately, he persevered through it!

He persisted, and by the conclusion of the third month, his height increased a bit, while his Combat Aura emerged!

Without a doubt! Chad's regimen triumphed! Sora had acquired his personal Combat Aura, known as the Draconic Aura.

In contrast to other Paths, Combat Arts avoided dependence on Arcane Energy. Such energy arose internally, coursing akin to a stream via vessels and meridians.

Aura stood apart. It stemmed from the spirit. This force represented the pure expression of resolve, honed via rigor, tempered through conflict.

"I actually achieved it, master!" Sora exclaimed in joy he couldn't contain.

His routine, naturally, turned even more exhausting...

Mornings involved the academy's Combat Arts lessons, during which teachers hammered in skills for handling arms, movement techniques, and strategic setups.

Rice overpowered all practice bouts in those periods... His aura had been polished via Vale's hidden drills.

Tracy moved swift as a bolt, her aura staying keen too.

Sora, on the other hand, concealed his prowess. He battled with control, avoiding any display of his Draconic Aura's complete fury.

As a result, nobody anticipated his ability to contend in the forthcoming Competition!

Afternoons saw him participating in the Combat Arts Club, where pupils honed clashes and challenged their stamina.

He practiced in silence, frequently teaming up with less skilled peers, which refined his posture and technique all while masking his advancement. He aimed to keep Rice and Tracy from guessing his power's true extent for the time being...

Evenings, though, were reserved for Chad, or his assigned drills should Chad be absent.

Still, the Dragon Immortal intensified his demands with every weekly session...

They engaged in combat for a minimum of two to three hours each evening!

Moreover, Chad's Draconic Aura ramped up its force as Sora adapted to it.

"You're progressing nicely, but don't dread me," Chad advised...

"Fear signifies frailty. Dragons never yield. They soar! Adopt that mindset starting now."

Sora offered a bitter grin and inclined his head.

Through his guidance, however, he mastered directing his aura toward attacks...

He discovered how to toughen his hide, with aura crafting plates that repelled impacts. He figured out how to bellow, his tone charged with spiritual might, rattling the earth, and against inferior foes, he realized he could daze them.

Every session etched him further along the Combat Arts route.

Another pair of months elapsed, boosting Sora's assurance.

He recognized Rice's might, possibly exceeding all predictions, yet he also realized Rice had yet to confront a genuine Draconic Aura.

Tracy's velocity posed a threat, but mere quickness wouldn't suffice versus an dominating force.

Sora intended to astonish them equally as the competition kicked off. He'd restrain himself until the perfect instant, then release his aura's total inferno, unveiling the beast inside.

He envisioned the coliseum, Rice's stunned face as assaults bounced off, Tracy's gaze expanding when her velocity crumbled before his cry.

He envisioned triumph, demonstrating Chad's lessons hadn't gone to waste.

Yet, it appeared the moment arrived imminently, outside the Academy Competition!

Three weeks prior to the event, Chad called him to the valley.

"You've advanced," Chad noted. "Your Draconic Aura has reached a decent level..."

Sora lowered his gaze. "I'll keep training."

Chad grinned. "Not immediately. Prior to the competition's start, you need to battle Rice."

Sora stiffened. "Rice?"

"Indeed," Chad replied. "Vale's disciple, or perhaps just a prospect. The distinction is minor. He's powerful, surpassing Tracy. You must confront him... and emerge victorious."

Sora's pulse raced.

"Victory is essential," Chad stressed, underscoring the need to prevail.

"View this not as mere practice. See it as a fight for life. With Dragon Blood coursing in your veins, defeat isn't an option... Triumphing will affirm your value, not only to me, but to Vale and the whole academy."