The skies above the Magic Beast Mountain Range were vast and endless, a canvas of clouds streaked with sun and shadow. High above them, cutting through the air like a silent phantom, a pair of wings surged into view.
Wind and Thunder Wings—now empowered by the Wind Spirit Body—spread wide behind Xiao Feng's back, silver and green light trailing in their wake. His eyes scanned the land below, focused and calculating.
> "The outer zones are no longer enough."
Today, he would test the limits of his new strength. Not against beasts he could easily slay, but against something worthy—a creature that would force him to move at full speed, wield every technique, and push the Wind Spirit Body to its limit.
His target: the Inner Region.
There, powerful magic beasts dwelled, creatures of destruction ranging from Rank 4 to Rank 6, equivalent to Dou Ling to Dou Huang in power.
Even for someone at 9-Star Dou Shi, it was suicide.
Unless… they could fly like the wind itself.
---
Thirty minutes later…
Wind whispered through ancient peaks as Xiao Feng soared over a thunderous canyon. Suddenly, a piercing screech shattered the stillness.
From the clouds above, a shadow burst forth.
> Stormfeather Falcon — Rank 4 Magic Beast (Dou Ling Equivalent)
Its body glimmered with sharp gray feathers, each like forged steel. Its wings flapped with hurricane force, sending powerful wind blades slicing across the sky. It was nearly thirty meters long, its crimson eyes locked onto Xiao Feng with feral intent.
> "Perfect."
Without hesitation, Xiao Feng shot forward—his body blurring like a flash of silver.
The falcon shrieked again and dove, wind tearing through the sky as the two clashed mid-air.
---
The Battle Begins
Wind exploded.
Talons met steel as Xiao Feng unsheathed his blade, the silver sword glowing with emerald Dou Qi.
The first form of his sword art ignited—
> "Triple Gale Cut!"
Three arcs of wind burst from his blade in a fan-like formation, slicing toward the falcon. The beast dodged with incredible speed, but one slash grazed its wing, sending a burst of feathers into the wind.
The falcon countered, unleashing wind blades from its wings. Xiao Feng spun midair, narrowly avoiding them.
> "Let's see how well this works…"
His body shimmered—Wind Integration activated.
His form blurred and half-merged into the surrounding wind. The falcon's next strike passed through him like smoke through mist.
Reappearing above the beast, Xiao Feng unleashed the second form:
> "Gale Bloom!"
Twelve rapid wind slashes rained down in a storm of blades. The falcon screeched as several strikes cut into its wings and back, spiraling out of control briefly.
But the beast was tough—it righted itself with a scream and retaliated with a high-pitched sonic screech, the soundwaves cracking the air.
Xiao Feng's wings flickered. He shot upward, narrowly avoiding the blast, then looped around to dive from above.
> "Let's end this."
He gripped his blade tightly. Emerald Dou Qi coiled along the edge as the air fell unnaturally silent.
The third form—his most powerful.
> "Silent Tempest Break."
Like a falling star, he descended. A single, fluid slash cut through the sky, silent and pure. The energy behind it created a vacuum, drawing in the air around him before erupting in a blinding flash.
The falcon tried to flee—but too late.
The sword cleaved through its chest, severing muscle, bone, and the wind itself. A final screech echoed before the beast crashed into the canyon below, its wings twitching once… and then still.
---
Xiao Feng hovered above the carnage, his blade gleaming in the sun.
His breath steady. His eyes calm.
> "The Wind Spirit Body…"
"Is more than I imagined."
He sheathed his sword, wind swirling around him naturally—his ally, his shield, his path.
And somewhere deeper in the range… more beasts waited.
More challenges.
More evolution.