This time, as if deliberately testing Xue Mingqing, the Soul Beast hadn't even hit the ground before the ice encasing it and restricting its movements began to crack apart!
The next second...
With a neigh, an Ice Wind Horse, over three meters tall, landed heavily on the ground. Its body was ice blue, its mane a mass of green flowing wind, and five Clear Wind Whirl Rings encircled its neck!
As soon as it landed, its dark eyes swept around.
Apart from Xue Mingqing and Zhang Lexuan, the only other person in the City Lord's Hall was Xue Ningxian, who was strolling over at an unhurried pace.
It had intelligence, and it could see that.
Zhang Lexuan and Xue Ningxian didn't need its Soul Ring...
Then...
Its gaze fell on the only person in the hall who needed a Soul Ring—Xue Mingqing. Unquenchable rage surged in the Ice Wind Horse's eyes...
If this human brat wanted its Soul Ring, then it wouldn't go down without a fight!
It raised its hooves and neighed again. The Ice Wind Horse slammed its pair of icy hooves into the ground, and an aura of biting cold and fierce wind and snow burst from its entire body...
In an instant, snowflakes swept along on sharp, swirling breezes, transforming into countless Ice Wind Saw Blades that spun madly and slashed toward Xue Mingqing!
Seeing this, Xue Mingqing thought, Just as I expected.
The Ice Wind Horse was a relatively powerful Soul Beast from the Far North. It possessed both ice and wind attributes, and was naturally skilled in speed and the control of the elements.
As Xue Mingqing's Second Soul Ring, whether it granted him a boost in speed or passive control over ice and wind, either would be excellent for him!
His gaze focused and his breathing steadied. Xue Mingqing remained unruffled as the Clear Wind coiling around his sword surged once more.
Gripping his sword, he didn't retreat—instead, he charged forward. With one step, he trailed a streak of Cyan-Blue Cold Radiance as he slashed at the Ice Wind Horse!
Along the way, every Ice Wind Saw Blade spinning toward Xue Mingqing froze the moment it touched that Cyan-Blue Cold Radiance.
Only after the streak of radiance had shot away did the frozen blades belatedly explode behind him, transforming into brilliant Ice and Snow Fireworks!
Seeing this, Zhang Lexuan was secretly stunned.
As someone being trained with the full resources of Shrek Academy, Xue Mingqing had excellent talent and strength; Zhang Lexuan knew that. But—
She'd never imagined he could be this monstrous!
A five-thousand-year Ice Wind Horse was roughly equivalent to a human Soul Master at level thirty to thirty-six.
And if one considered that Soul Beasts generally had far superior physiques to humans, that estimate might well go even higher.
Yet Xue Mingqing, who was only level twenty, dared to charge straight at such a powerful opponent without the slightest fear.
From the look of things, he even seemed to have the Ice Wind Horse on the back foot.
How could she not be shocked?
A level-twenty Soul Master was trading blows with a level-thirty enemy, not only without fear but even with the upper hand. This—this couldn't be right, could it?
And what about Xue Ningxian?
She'd arrived a little late and strolled over. As she watched Xue Mingqing trade blows with the Ice Wind Horse, her emerald eyes held nothing but the calm certainty that this was exactly as it should be.
Glancing at Zhang Lexuan beside her, whose beautiful eyes had widened in shock, Xue Ningxian couldn't help smiling.
Heh... young girls really aren't as composed as I am...
She chuckled, seemingly forgetting that half a year ago, she'd been just as shocked.
At that moment, the Ice Wind Horse watched Xue Mingqing charge toward it with a sword wreathed in Hurricane, one foot already on the gas as he went to cut at its neck. Its eyes turned cold.
It whipped its head around, and its powerful control over ice and wind elements burst forth!
Gathering wind and snow before itself, it formed a rapidly growing ice wall, trying to block Xue Mingqing's advance.
After creating the ice wall, the Ice Wind Horse threw back its head. A cyan-blue point of light gathered on its forehead, drawing in the cold wind around it as it grew brighter and more solid. It was about to strike Xue Mingqing with a vicious blow while he was off guard!
But just as the Ice Wind Horse was gathering strength to attack, its ears twitched.
It seemed to have heard something...
"Hurricane Sword Art, First Form—Wild Storm Slash!"
With a low shout, the ice wall the Ice Wind Horse had created to block the attack shattered in an instant amid a flash of green light!
And amid the scattered shards that burst apart and turned into ice powder, a young man wielding a long, snow-white sword slashed fiercely toward it!
At the sight of this, the Ice Wind Horse's pupils contracted. Terror seized it, and it had no idea what was happening!
Startled, it instinctively backed away on all four hooves, while firing the Snow Wind Light it had been gathering on its forehead at Xue Mingqing!
It tore through the air with a howl, a beam of icy light shooting forth!
Xue Mingqing watched as the condensed beam, narrowed to the thickness of two fingers, shot toward his head like a death ray of ice.
He didn't panic. Maintaining his charging stance, sword raised, he tilted his head slightly.
In an instant, the icy beam skimmed past his cheek, leaving only a frozen split cut across his face...
Having dodged the Ice Wind Horse's attack with ease, Xue Mingqing's gaze turned deep.
He gripped the Snow Sword. Soul Power, physical strength, and sword intent—three forces converged and erupted as one!
Sorrowful wind howls, severing souls and ending life; the sword passes, leaving only nameless sorrow!
"Hurricane Sword Art, Third Form—Wild Wind... Break!"
"Neigh?!?"
Amid the young man's ringing Sword Chant,
and the Ice Wind Horse's terrified cry,
Xue Mingqing's sword swept through its body, trailing an unmatched brilliance of green light.
After the slash, momentum carried him on. He shot a full ten meters before landing steadily.
He let out a deep breath, then turned the Snow Sword in his hand and casually flicked its blade.
Vmm—
Amid a delicate sword chime, the Snow Sword shattered in an instant, dispersing into a rain of snowflakes.
At the same moment the Snow Sword shattered, the Ice Wind Horse, frozen in place, finally reacted—as if in sync with the sword's collapse, or as if only now realizing what had happened. Dozens of green sword slashes burst across its body.
It cried out mournfully...
Deep wounds gaped across its body, some reaching the bone. Blood poured like pillars, and it died where it stood...
A moment later, a deep purple Soul Ring with a lifespan of five thousand years slowly rose from the Ice Wind Horse's corpse.
After watching the entire battle, Zhang Lexuan turned her head in a daze and looked at Xue Ningxian beside her.
"Uh... Auntie, has little brother Mingqing... always been this monstrous?"
Xue Ningxian remained calm and unruffled. As if she'd expected this, she nodded.
"This is normal for that boy."
"Still... I didn't expect him to kill a five-thousand-year Ice Wind Horse so effortlessly."
After hearing Xue Ningxian's assessment, Zhang Lexuan turned back to look at Xue Mingqing, who was sitting cross-legged. Her expression grew complicated, and she couldn't help biting her lip.
He's already this strong at such a young age... If you're like this... how am I supposed to catch up to you and repay what I owe you?
She closed her eyes and let out a deep, fragrant sigh. For a moment, she couldn't say a word.
Xue Mingqing had no idea that his all-out burst of strength had already stirred up a tempest in the hearts of his mother and Zhang Lexuan.
In truth, killing the Ice Wind Horse hadn't been as effortless for Xue Mingqing as it had looked to the two women.
Only he knew that he'd unleashed nearly everything he had in that battle...
Before you continue