A frigid silence gripped the arena.
The moment the Blizzard Pegasus emerged behind Shang Jiao, even the rowdy audience that was passionately supporting Mei Changsu fell still. Awe and disbelief rippled through the crowd like a wave under the snow.
The elders in the pavilion exchanged glances. Expressions shifted to doubt, curiosity, and understanding.
Seated atop the highest platform, the Sect Leader stroked his long beard and smiled faintly.
"So," he murmured, almost to himself, "Xiao Jiao was the true inheritor. Not Xiao Zhen." He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening. "But how? He possessed those abilities that far surpassed even a typical bloodline of Blizzard Pegasus that one inherits through birth. Was he, perhaps, blessed directly by the Guardian Spirit?"
He chuckled softly at that thought.
