By dusk, Chen Yu and Chen Xiao-Jun—grandfather and grandson—arrived at Babel City and met up with Cheng Yun and Ma Fan, who had left a mark for them.
"How's the situation?" Chen Yu asked.
"Based on the information we've gathered over the past two days," Ma Fan reported, "there's a small group of Pegasi in the northwest part of Wild Horse Plains. Their leader has over ten thousand years of cultivation, and there are a few others with over a thousand years. We haven't had time to scout them out yet."
"Mm. Tomorrow I'll personally take Xiao-Jun to see for myself."
———
The Next Morning
The Wild Horse Plains stretched 70–80 li deep into Babel Mountain. It was a vast alpine meadow with an average elevation of over 1500 meters and an area of more than 100 square kilometers.
Grandfather and grandson flew over the 2800-meter-high Babel Mountain and arrived on its southern slope. Before their eyes stretched a morning-lit grassland, a boundless emerald carpet.
Chen Xiao-Jun stepped forward onto the soft grass, bathed in the faint morning light from the east. He paid no mind to the dew soaking his shoes and pants, intoxicated by the fresh air of the prairie. The natural scent was invigorating—so much so that even the cool mountain breeze paled in comparison.
The Wild Horse Plains were home to tens of thousands of wild horses—excluding desert breeds, it had grassland, mountain, and forest types. There were over a dozen varieties of horse-type soul beasts, including Pegasus, Hornscale Horses, Sky Dragon Horses, Unicorns, Blood Flame Horses, Blazing Horses, Windrunners, Devourer Horses, and more. It was one of the largest concentrations of equine soul beasts.
Though horse-type soul beasts weren't as dominant as wolves, they were by no means weak.
As they continued flying to search for the Pegasi, the land below became a surging green sea, dotted with countless black specks sprinting and leaping—thousands of horses galloping, neighing, rearing in wild joy. They moved like tidal waves, crashing forward with unstoppable energy—majestic and exhilarating.
"Found them," Chen Yu's voice rang out over the wind.
A majestic group of shimmering white Pegasi galloped in formation, their figures powerful and free in the wind, displaying their splendor with passion and strength.
Their majestic forms, hooves pounding like drums, stirred the very air with every stride.
This was a Pegasus herd made up of a 30,000-year-old Pegasus King, a dozen thousand-year soul beasts, and dozens of hundred-year White Feather Horses. Though their numbers weren't vast, they were one of the top-tier herds in the Wild Horse Plains.
Chen Yu and Chen Xiao-Jun suddenly descended rapidly from high altitude, landing roughly 300–400 meters ahead of the herd, standing midair on their swords and blocking the Pegasi head-on with a mighty presence.
As an intelligent ten-thousand-year soul beast, the Pegasus King sensed extreme danger radiating from these malicious soul masters. Slowing down mid-charge would only bring disaster. It let out an urgent, shrill whinny: "Huawei—here!"
The entire herd unfolded their white feathered wings, generating air cyclones beneath their hooves. Soul power and wind energy swirled together to form a massive spiraling barrier—
"Divine Gale Thorn Charge!"
This was the herd's signature combined assault technique—their pride and power on the Wild Horse Plains.
The Pegasus King stomped the ground with all four limbs, flapped its massive wings, and hurled the giant cyclone barrier toward Chen Yu and Xiao-Jun like a howling tempest.
Reckless. Wild. Destructive. The grass was swept into the air.
Chen Yu's soul rings slowly emerged, revolving around him: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, black, black—nine rings—Titled Douluo!
His body exuded a natural Dao-like presence as he raised his sword fingers in a graceful motion.
"Seven Kills thunder rises, one sword pierces the sky—
Sword light, Azure Sea Celestial Sword—break!"
Yes, the poetic incantation used here was also the name of Chen Xin's eighth soul skill in future generations.
Whether that soul skill resembled the Azure Sea Celestial Sword, or Chen Xin had fused it into his technique, or maybe he just liked the verse but named his skill something else like Shift Mountains and Fill Seas (lol)—was unclear.
A massive blue sword beam, over 100 meters long, burst forth with a sky-shaking sword cry.
The Azure Sea Celestial Sword appeared before Chen Xiao-Jun for the first time—its flying blade majestic, vast, and overwhelming, its sharpness almost tangible. Its power was obvious and utterly eclipsed Ling Yunxiao's Azure Sea Fan.
As one of the "Four Simple Forms" of the Seven Kill Sword's sword light techniques, this was its pinnacle application—usually used for thrusting and piercing. It was also the technique most commonly mastered by the Chen clan.
The two opposing forces clashed with tremendous might. The resulting explosion of energy caused blasts of flame and heat, creating immense pressure.
On one side: dozens of mid to high-tier soul beasts in a united assault.
On the other: one of the most powerful beings in the human world—a Titled Douluo.
And the result?
In moments, the sword beam tore through space, releasing a peerless sharpness that shattered the cyclone barrier. One by one, Pegasi were blown away, injured to various degrees.
Chen Yu calmly flicked his robe sleeve and flew with Xiao-Jun toward the herd.
"Thirty-six peaks, long sword stands; starlit might, solemn and grand!
Sword array, sword light seals the heavens—Command!"
This was one of the Three Complex Forms of sword techniques—an array with both offense, defense, entrapment, and suppression.
Thirty-six sword lights of the Seven Kill Sword rained down from the sky, forming vertices of a rhombus pattern around the herd.
The next moment, a mighty pressure descended, the enormous sealing force calibrated precisely—paralyzing the Pegasi without harming them.
"Sixth Soul Skill – Sword Chaos Shakes the World!"
A burst of blue sword lights appeared around the Pegasi, swirling like dancing blades. The shimmering lights sparkled like stars—cold and blinding—radiating fierce sword aura, forming a sword storm that pierced the sky.
As Titled Douluo's area-control sixth soul skill, it combined stunning immobilization with the sealing power of "Sword Light Seals the Sky," enhancing both effects for even greater suppression.
"Grandfather's sixth skill is similar to Chen Xin's Ten Thousand Swords Return to One," Chen Xiao-Jun thought.
"But while Chen Xin summons tens of thousands of swords to rain down from the sky in a downpour of destruction, Grandfather's version forms around the enemy, perhaps weaker in raw power but far more versatile and unpredictable."
Although Chen Yu didn't use the second half of the technique offensively, it was enough to keep the Pegasi pinned to the ground. Even those still standing trembled and collapsed.
Their soul power and vitality were completely sealed—they couldn't even circulate their energy.
"I'll borrow one of your children for a bit," Chen Yu said.
With a wave of his hand—without any visible fluctuation of soul power—a shimmering white Pegasus rose into the air and was drawn toward him.
Bringing the beast and Xiao-Jun, he soared back into the sky.
"It's not that I couldn't find a better line of poetry…
It's just that 'Seven Kills thunder rises, one sword pierces the sky' suits Azure Sea Celestial Sword perfectly."
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