After flying more than ten li, the two of them descended into a clearing at the edge of the mountain forest.
"Xiao'er, this Pegasus is about 1500 years old—just right for you," Chen Yu said with a faint smile, turning to Chen Xiao-Jun.
Before them stood a tall and sturdy Pegasus with a silver diamond-shaped gem on its forehead—one of the species' defining traits.
Its body was large and powerful, with strong limbs and a coat of pure white fur that shimmered like silver silk. From its hindquarters trailed a long white tail which, when flicked, flashed like a silver bolt of lightning—truly an elegant creature.
The age of a Pegasus was easy to tell: every 500 years, a golden stripe would appear, starting on its wings. This one had three golden lines, the third being quite faint—indicating it had just recently broken through, making it slightly over 1500 years old.
For ten-thousand-year Pegasi, additional stripes would appear on other parts of the body, and the forehead gem would turn golden.
Even now, though injured and suppressed, facing what should have been certain death, the Pegasus's eyes still shone with defiance. It struggled to stand each time it fell, its limbs trembling yet unyielding.
Pegasi were classified by humans as warm-blooded horses—spirited, yet gentle by nature. But right now, it exemplified what it meant to possess unyielding pride.
Chen Xiao-Jun was silent.
"Grandfather," he said, "can you release it? I want to try myself."
"Xiao'er, you're only a level-10 Soul Scholar!"
"Grandfather, doing what others cannot is the only way I can live up to your expectations. If it were uninjured, I'd have no chance. But it's already badly wounded. Of course, I won't force it."
Chen Yu looked at his grandson's determined gaze and momentarily didn't know how to respond.
"Grandfather, I haven't had a chance to challenge a thousand-year soul beast yet—not since our fight with the twin wolves. I want to give it a try." Chen Xiao-Jun insisted.
Chen Yu silently released the suppression. Streams of sword light transformed into a dome—"Sword Light Seals the Heavens"—forming a 200-meter-wide oval energy shield, enclosing Chen Xiao-Jun and the Pegasus.
The intelligent Pegasus understood. It let out a series of whinnies, "Hwei hwei... hwei hwei..." as its front hooves slightly lifted and locked eyes with the boy several dozen meters away.
Blood trickled from various wounds—clearly internal injuries from being flung about earlier, plus external lacerations from repeatedly standing under suppression.
But like always, a warhorse never backs down in battle.
Cyclones began to swirl beneath its hooves, wings spread wide—
"Wind Whirl Sky Shield"—a skill evolved from "Gale Step," unique to the White Feather Horse line. As a higher-tier beast, the Pegasus began the fight with its signature move, enveloping its body in spinning wind.
In a flash, it closed the distance—rushing headlong at Chen Xiao-Jun.
Chen Xiao-Jun opened with his triple combo:
Drawing his Wind Luan Sword, activating Sword Shadow Body, and executing Sword Step: Shaking Lotus. He rebounded backward, then shifted right and forward in a blur, his right hand executing a fluid Swallow Skimming Water slash toward the Pegasus's front leg.
Clang!
The strike bounced off—the windshield held firm. His palm went numb.
Using the recoil, he withdrew. The Pegasus's momentum halted briefly. Its wings suddenly flared—
"Winged Wind Slash"—a flurry of razor-sharp wind blades surged at him.
Basic, yes—but deadly in volume and speed.
Chen Xiao-Jun dodged using Shaking Lotus, weaving like flowing water. Then he unleashed
"Starlight Thunderstrike"—both hands gripping his sword, he swung at the creature's neck with lightning-fast precision.
The Pegasus reared and stomped downward like Mount Tai collapsing. Boom!
Chen Xiao-Jun was thrown back several meters.
Fighting a thousand-year soul beast was still too much, even when wounded. The difference in strength and physique was significant. Even his older brother Chen Jian-Jun, a level-30 soul master, had struggled against a 1500-year Electric Gale Roc.
Not letting up, the Pegasus charged again. Chen Xiao-Jun dodged at the last moment.
Its stomp landed, leaving a two-meter-wide crater. Cracks spread outward with a burst of shattered rock.
As the ground trembled beneath the Pegasus's stomp, Chen Xiao-Jun used the shockwave's force to vault behind it.
Then—
"Python's Flip Downward Cleave!"—a three-hit combo, striking with spinning force from above.
This move was one Chen Xiao-Jun had remembered from the anime Qin's Moon, used by Ge Nie. He'd been deeply impressed back then when it disarmed Wei Zhuang's Shark Tooth blade.
Now, in the soul master world, he could perform this technique himself.
Though he hadn't mastered all five strikes, the threefold slash was seamless.
Smooth like flowing water, yet fierce like a wild beast—nearly impossible to counter.
Slash one.
Slash two.
Wind Whirl Sky Shield—shattered!
Slash three—blood sprayed!
The Pegasus twisted slightly, avoiding a neck hit, but the third strike still carved a deep, bone-revealing gash along its right side.
In pain, the Pegasus spun and slashed with its left wing like a blade, aiming at Chen Xiao-Jun.
A top-tier beast indeed—its strength, reaction, and experience were outstanding.
But Chen Xiao-Jun swiftly parried, then transitioned into "Swift Crane Strikes", chaining together:
Downward cleave, sweeping dragon slash, turning lift strike, face-splitting slash, reverse upward thrust...
He relentlessly targeted the wound.
His swordplay accelerated—faster, fiercer.
He looked like a silver dragon spiraling around the Pegasus, giving it no room to breathe.
The fusion of footwork and swordsmanship was near perfect—both ferocious and elegant.
Once a large beast like the Pegasus was forced into close quarters, the tides turned fast.
Clang! Clang! Clang!—more intersecting wounds were inflicted.
Finally, with a horizontal wild slash, he sent out a crescent-shaped sword aura.
The Pegasus folded its wings around its body, enduring another heavy blow.
Dozens of spiraling wind currents formed a defensive chain, forcibly dispersing the crescent slash.
"Gale Rebound"—a passive counter skill.
It managed to push back and widen the gap.
Now over 100 meters away, its Wind Whirl Sky Shield was shattered, its body covered in blood.
It knew—this couldn't continue.
It had to finish things quickly.
No longer did it use the full-body windshield—it didn't have the soul power left.
Heavily wounded and weakened, its next move was all or nothing.
Beneath the sun, it charged at full speed, blood spraying, wounds tearing.
The diamond gem on its forehead glowed pale white, and its coat shimmered in the light.
Then—it split into two bodies!
"Shadow Split Mirage"—a unique Pegasus skill.
One surged forward with the might of a collapsing mountain and crashing sea.
All its remaining soul power concentrated in its wings—poised to cut down anything in its path.
Your recommendation votes and bookmarks mean the world to me—rubbing my hands in anticipation, hehe~
(End of Chapter)