The Four-Winged Blood Horse

The formidable Earth Bear, Xiong Zhuangzhuang’s Contracted Beast, was a beast he had conquered on his own.

He had engaged in a grueling battle with Big Bear for seven days and nights in the icy wilderness, ultimately gaining the bear’s submission through his astonishing endurance.

Thus, he regarded patience as his most commendable virtue.

However, after waiting for nearly a day and night without any sign of the demonic beasts approaching, doubts inevitably arose in his mind.

This shouldn’t be the case.

Just a few days ago, when he came to investigate, he encountered no less than five demonic beasts by the creek.

Could it be that one startled a spotted deer, causing the other beasts to stay away?

The more he pondered, the more he felt that something was amiss.

Determined, he swiftly set off towards the direction the deer had fled, eager to uncover the reason.

An hour later, as Xiong Zhuangzhuang was leaping swiftly, he suddenly came to a halt, his expression grave.

He caught a whiff of the scent of demonic blood, along with the aura of cultivators.

Having formed a contract with the Earth Bear, he had also acquired its keen sense of smell.

Immediately, he realized why no demonic beasts had approached.

Someone had intercepted the crucial passage to the water source.

Any demonic beast passing through would be struck by thunder, unable to escape, let alone reach the creek to drink water.

The opponent was formidable.

Xiong Zhuangzhuang entertained thoughts of retreat.

The most important objective of his journey was to find the Soul Revival Demon Fruit, so he should avoid conflicts with other cultivators as much as possible.

After all, anyone capable of setting up an ambush here would not be weak.

In an instant, he changed his course and swiftly fled in another direction.

Meanwhile, Lu Zaiye, who was cooperating with Xu Yi to hunt demonic beasts, glanced in the direction Xiong Zhuangzhuang had gone, immediately retracting his gaze.

Xu Yi, engrossed in her attempt to stay on the wildly thrashing Four-Winged Blood Horse, did not notice Lu Zaiye’s distraction.

She tightly clung to the horse’s neck, murmuring incantations under her breath.

“Little horse, submit to me.”

“Little horse, you are truly magnificent. Be my mount.”

“Little horse, once I leave the Ten Thousand Demons Ridge, I will set you free.”

Xu Yi’s internal organs were nearly shaken apart, yet her grip on the Four-Winged Blood Horse remained unwavering.

She cherished this horse greatly.

It was her dream horse, and the thought of having such a beautiful creature as her mount filled her with excitement.

Thus, she refused to let go of the Four-Winged Blood Horse, not allowing Lu Zaiye to assist her, resulting in a stalemate between her and the horse.

Unable to shake off Xu Yi and unable to escape, the horse eventually succumbed to exhaustion and reluctantly accepted Xu Yi as its temporary master.

Only then could Xu Yi truly appreciate her beloved horse.

The Four-Winged Blood Horse was entirely blood-red, its fur akin to the finest silk, glossy and smooth.

Most notably, it possessed wings on its sides, capable of soaring through the air.

Xu Yi held it in her arms, unable to let go.

In order to make the Four-Winged Blood Horse also fond of her, she even brought Lu Zaiye along to find the most nourishing grass for it.

Lu Zaiye: …

He looked at the Four-Winged Blood Horse, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Sensing the killing intent, the horse snorted loudly, causing Xu Yi to shower it with inquiries, fearing any discomfort it might have.

Lu Zaiye averted his gaze, unperturbed.

While the Four-Winged Blood Horse replenished its strength by feasting on tender spirit grass, Xu Yi and Lu Zaiye began discussing to change the hunting location.

They had been lying in ambush here for several days, eliminating any demonic beasts passing through.

It was unclear whether there was a special means of communication among the demonic beasts.

Today, they had waited all day, only for this Four-Winged Blood Horse to stumble upon them.

Clearly, it was no longer suitable for them to linger here.

Lu Zaiye calmly withdrew his divine sense, then pointed to the other side of the stream.

“Go there.”

The stench there was the strongest.

It meant that there were more monsters over there.

Xu Yi had no objections and nodded in agreement.

However, when it was time to set off, she encountered a dilemma.

She had tamed the Four-Winged Blood Horse and had a mount, but Lu Zaiye did not.

Should she ride the horse while Lu Zaiye ran alongside?

Xu Yi shook her head vigorously, dispelling this absurd idea.

After all, she was the master.

How could she let her disciple suffer while she enjoyed the ride?

But on the other hand, that was also not acceptable.

She furrowed her brow, conflicted for a moment, and finally made up her mind.

She leaped onto the horse’s back and patted the empty space in front of her, saying to Lu Zaiye, “Lu Zaiye, come up as well.”

Lu Zaiye: !!!

Although Lu Zaiye didn’t say anything, the shock and confusion in his eyes were evident.

Did he just hear things?

Did the ancestral master really want him to ride the same horse?

It must be a hallucination.

Definitely a hallucination.

Xu Yi noticed and spoke loudly, “You heard correctly. Come up quickly, and we shall depart together.”

Xu Yi’s raised eyebrow indicated her satisfaction with her quick thinking.

This way, she wouldn’t have to agonize over who should ride the horse.

“No, there’s no need,” Lu Zaiye replied firmly after regaining his senses.

This idea was simply preposterous.

He wanted to reprimand her, but seeing Xu Yi’s indifferent expression, the words couldn’t escape his lips.

Instead, the ancestral master’s demeanor made him feel incredibly dirty.

But this was inherently wrong.

Lu Zaiye made up his mind not to get on the horse.

However, he forgot that Xu Yi was also a stubborn person.

If Lu Zaiye didn’t get on the horse, she wouldn’t move either, and she even held onto Lu Zaiye to lecture him about respecting one’s master and following the righteous path.

Lu Zaiye felt helpless for the first time.

The two of them stood before the Four-Winged Blood Horse, talking for nearly an hour.

Finally, Xu Yi even brought out the master’s token, ordering Lu Zaiye to get on the horse.

Lu Zaiye stiffened his body and clasped his hands.

“Disciple… obeys.” Xu Yi’s lips curled up, and she happily patted the spot left for Lu Zaiye, gesturing for him to hurry up.

Lu Zaiye took a deep breath, tiptoed, and in the blink of an eye, appeared behind Xu Yi.

“Let’s go.”

The cool breeze brushed against Xu Yi’s ear, making her uncomfortably tilt her head.

Well, even though Lu Zaiye didn’t sit in the position she had envisioned, at least he got on the horse. They both compromised.

Satisfied, Xu Yi stroked the Four-Winged Blood Horse.

“Little horse, we can go now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the Four-Winged Blood Horse’s hooves moved in unison, resembling thunder.

The scene before them quickly passed by, the rushing wind slapping against their faces, disheveling Xu Yi’s dark hair.

This feeling was completely different from flying with a magical treasure.

The smile on Xu Yi’s face grew deeper and deeper.

If it weren’t for Lu Zaiye’s presence, she would have wanted to shout out loud.

Meanwhile, Lu Zaiye, sitting behind Xu Yi, remained stiff, his hands placed neatly above his thighs, unmoving despite the Four-Winged Blood Horse’s leaps and bounds.

The wind speed increased.

A strand of dark hair suddenly brushed against his chin, causing a tingling sensation.

Before he could react, another strand of hair brushed against his cheek.

In a daze, he seemed to catch a faint scent.

Thinking of the possible source of this scent, Lu Zaiye suddenly snapped back to his senses and moved his body to avoid it.

However, those strands of hair seemed to be deliberately against him, no matter how he turned, they followed and brushed against him.

In the end, he had to use his spiritual power to fix those strands of hair in the air, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.