"Edd, Bolin!"
"At your service!"
Edd and Bolin immediately responded.
"Gather all Pegasus Knights and depart with me at once!"
The Pegasus Knights were crucial to Blackstone Territory; previous consecutive victories were achieved precisely by relying on the Pegasus Knights' mobility and aerial superiority, which allowed them to achieve great results.
"Yes, My Lord!" Edd calmly accepted the order.
Bolin, however, was overjoyed, "Excellent! My Lord, now our Pegasus Knights can grow stronger!"
The knights quickly assembled.
Lei Luo mounted the Storm Gryphon, its massive wings spread, stirring up a gale.
Edd and Bolin each led a squadron of Pegasus Knights, following closely behind, galloping towards the Mist Forest.
An hour later, as they cautiously approached the Clover Meadow, fourteen magnificent Pegasus came into view on an open grassland.
They were either grazing on tender clover or casually swishing their tails.
A glint of fervor flashed in Lei Luo's eyes.
Fourteen!
He lowered his voice and gave orders to Edd and Bolin beside him.
"According to the plan, Edd, you take half the men and outflank from the left wing. Bolin, you take the other half and outflank from the right wing."
"Understood!"
Both responded in unison, a mix of nervousness and excitement on their faces.
Lei Luo took a deep breath, gently nudged the Storm Gryphon's flank, and slowly advanced from the front.
Receiving the command, the Pegasus Knights immediately fanned out, their hooves making soft sounds on the gentle grass, forming a large semicircle, steadily encircling the herd of Pegasus.
The foraging Pegasus herd was clearly very alert; almost the moment Lei Luo and his men made a move, several Pegasus raised their heads, letting out a slightly uneasy whinny.
"Whinny!"
The leading Pegasus was particularly majestic; it was slightly larger than the other Pegasus and had a fuller mane on its neck.
It looked warily in Lei Luo's direction, snorting, then flapped its wings, preparing to take to the air.
"Move!"
Lei Luo low-growled.
The Pegasus Knights, already prepared, immediately urged their Pegasus forward, accelerating.
They held tightly to their specially made lassos; these lassos were meticulously crafted by artisans under Edd's direction, specifically for capturing Pegasus.
Previously, Edd had already led the Pegasus Knights through numerous simulated lasso training sessions, accumulating considerable experience.
Now was the time to test the results of their training.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Lassos whizzed through the air, arcing across the sky, precisely encircling the necks of the Pegasus attempting to take flight.
"Caught one!"
A knight shouted excitedly, the rope in his hand suddenly taut, and a young Pegasus let out a startled whinny, stumbling.
Other knights also succeeded one after another; for a moment, the meadow was filled with whinnies, shouts, and the sound of ropes cutting through the air.
However, Pegasus were, after all, darlings of the sky; they would not be easily captured.
The leading Pegasus was the most agile; it skillfully dodged several incoming lassos, powerfully flapped its wings, stirring up a current of air, and, taking three or four other unlassoed Pegasus with it, attempted to force a breakthrough from a gap in the encirclement.
Their speed was extremely fast; they were about to break through the knights' encirclement.
"Not a chance!"
Lei Luo snorted coldly.
The Storm Gryphon let out a clear cry, its wings suddenly spread, transforming into a streak of azure lightning, cutting in from the side at a speed even faster than the Pegasus, like an insurmountable barrier, precisely blocking the path of the few Pegasus attempting to escape.
A massive gust of wind rushed at them; the leading Pegasus was caught off guard, letting out a startled whinny, forced to abruptly change direction, halting its forward momentum, nearly colliding with the other Pegasus.
In this brief delay, Edd had already arrived with several quick-reacting Pegasus Knights.
"Spread out! Surround them!"
Edd commanded loudly.
The knights quickly fanned out, once again encircling the startled Pegasus.
More lassos flew in; this time, they had no space left to dodge.
Although the leading Pegasus still struggled fiercely, under the combined pull of several knights, it gradually ran out of strength.
Half an hour later, peace returned to the meadow.
All fourteen Pegasus, not one missing, were successfully captured.
Bolin wiped sweat from his forehead and grinned, "My Lord, all... all of them are caught! Haha, we're rich now!"
The procession returned grandly to Black Stone Keep.
For the next two days, Lei Luo managed the daily affairs of his territory while preparing for the upcoming trip to Red Maple Territory.
However, on the day before he was set to depart, an unexpected visitor disrupted his plans.
That afternoon, a sharp, prolonged cry echoed over Black Stone Keep, distinctly different from the sounds of the Storm Gryphon and Pegasus, filled with a wild, brutal aura.
The guards on the castle watchtower immediately became alert, blowing the warning horn.
A colossal reptilian creature with a wingspan exceeding thirty meters swooped down from the clouds; it had no feathers, was covered in hard, dark green scales, a ferocious head, and a mouth full of sharp teeth—it was the infamous Wyvern!
The Wyvern stirred up a gust of wind in the open space in front of the castle, landing steadily.
A middle-aged mage, dressed in a gray mage robe, with hair as messy as a bird's nest, and wearing a pair of thick alchemical spectacles, clumsily climbed down from the Wyvern's back.
He patted the Wyvern's neck, and the fierce magical beast actually rubbed against his hand docilely.
"Master Barnaby?"
Lei Luo, having received the report, quickly arrived and, seeing the visitor, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He had not expected Master Barnaby to personally visit the remote Blackstone Territory.
Master Barnaby adjusted his nearly slipping spectacles, squinted at Lei Luo, and showed a somewhat peculiar smile, as if excited yet a little embarrassed.
"Baron Leiluo, please forgive my unannounced visit."
Barnaby's voice was a bit hoarse, but his attitude was unexpectedly polite.
"Master, you overstate it. It is my honor that you grace Black Stone Keep with your presence. Please, come in quickly."
Lei Luo gestured for him to enter.
For professionals of this caliber, especially masters with extraordinary achievements in alchemy, he naturally treated them with courtesy.
Entering the castle's reception hall, after taking their seats as host and guest, a servant brought tea.
Master Barnaby did not immediately state his purpose; instead, he fumbled for a long time in his rather worn spatial magic bag, pulled out a small wooden box, and handed it to Lei Luo.
"A small gift for our first meeting, a token of my respect."
Lei Luo took the wooden box with some confusion, opened it, and saw ten crystal-clear potions neatly arranged inside, emitting faint magical fluctuations.
"This is... Knight Breakthrough Potion?"
Lei Luo recognized the potion, and surprise appeared in his eyes.
Knight Breakthrough Potion was valuable and a crucial resource for a knight's advancement.
Master Barnaby presented ten at once; this was no small gesture.
"Precisely."
Master Barnaby nodded, his eyes behind the spectacles gleaming.
"Just a small trinket; I hope it can be of some help to Baron Leiluo."
Lei Luo grew even more curious.
This alchemy master would not visit without reason, and to offer such a generous gift upon arrival, the matter he sought was likely not simple.