Chapter 386 - 259: Sandstorm Iron Shattering Array

"What’s wrong, Yu Bao?" Su Zhi was startled.

Yu Bao zipped into the middle of the group with a look that screamed, ’I’m about to put on a show!’

And then—

"ARWOOOOOOO..."

Yu Bao arched his body, furrowed his brow, and let out an... indescribable sound.

Shen Chuqing: "...You stink, Yu Bao."

Gou Yu: "...So what is he trying to do??"

Su Zhi: "...He must be trying to cast a Skill?"

Su Zhi recalled the first time Yu Bao had practiced Sandstorm. Back then, it was just like he was holding in a fart, and it had led to Su Zhi’s own tragic social death on a public bus.

No wonder Vice Alliance Leader Gou had made a tactical retreat—after all, Yu Bao’s back was turned to him... Oh, right, Vice Alliance Leader Gou was here too.

Although the scene was a bit indescribable, Su Zhi’s shock lasted only a moment. He quickly sat down and turned an expectant gaze on Yu Bao.

"Yu Bao seems to be in good shape and wants to break through his bottleneck. If this goes well, he might be able to cast a Pure Gold Element Skill!"

"Pure Gold Element?"

Gou Yu covered his mouth. "But Yu Bao doesn’t have the Gold Attribute right now. I know there’s some Gold Element Energy flowing in his body... but isn’t it a bit too soon for something like this?"

"No, this afternoon Yu Bao already demonstrated a Yellow Earth Wall that incorporated the Gold Attribute. Even though the Gold Attribute was minuscule, it had already undergone a qualitative change into a Dual Attribute Skill. If he gradually changes the ratio and swaps the two attributes, it’s entirely possible for it to become a purely Gold Element Skill in the end!"

Shen Chuqing stared intently at Yu Bao, her face also showing surprise. "But that usually takes years of practice to master. Yu Bao only just started this afternoon. Even with talent, it shouldn’t be like this..."

"It could also be a different Skill. The way Energy is structured is different for each Skill. Maybe Yu Bao had a breakthrough with another one!"

After Su Zhi spoke, the three of them fell silent, focusing their expectant gazes on Yu Bao.

Even his bizarre pre-cast posture took on a strange, sacred quality.

Yu Bao was actually feeling pretty good right now.

The Energy here wasn’t as dense as it was at the bottom of Fuguang Lake, but it was just right. At the bottom of the lake, Yu Bao had felt like he was about to be filled to bursting, but here in the village ruins, it was comfortable.

And to Yu Bao’s surprise, the flow of Earth and Gold Element Energy in his body felt noticeably more active and smooth, completely different from how it was at the bottom of Fuguang Lake.

That feeling at the bottom of the lake was indeed incredible, but there was always this sense that he couldn’t get enough and couldn’t stop, like... well, let’s not get into the details.

But it was completely different here in the village ruins. This land seemed tranquil and gentle, but after entering, the feeling just came naturally.

Right now, Yu Bao was as invigorated as if he’d been huffing oxygen for two days straight. His Spirit was soaring!

’Does this mean that casting Gold Element Skills here will actually be smoother than at the bottom of the lake?’

’After all, he had already reached a preliminary conclusion back at the lake: fully awakening the Gold Attribute wasn’t a matter of quantity, but of reaching a certain node of qualitative change.’

’And the environment of these ruins felt just like that node.’

This time, Yu Bao didn’t cast Yellow Earth Wall, which he had already made some progress with. Instead, he chose to cast Sandstorm.

He didn’t know why, either. He just felt guided by some kind of instinct.

’Cast Sandstorm even if there’s no reason! This is—YOUTH!!’

"WHOOSH!"

Under Yu Bao’s guidance, the earth beneath the three of them shot straight up in an instant, like a scallion plucked from dry ground, and transformed into a raging cloud of dust.

But unlike an ordinary Sandstorm, this time, a dark silver light faintly shimmered within the dust—it seemed to be metal particles that Yu Bao had infused into the Sandstorm!

Sandstorm·Ri Style·Sandstorm Iron Shattering Array!

Su Zhi reached out and grabbed a handful. After confirming that they were real metal particles, his mouth fell open in disbelief.

"BOOM—"

He had only cast this Skill as a demonstration, so after gathering the energy, Yu Bao casually flung it toward an empty patch of ground, and that was that.

Then, Yu Bao looked at Su Zhi excitedly. "Arf!"

"Yu Bao, you’re awesome!" Su Zhi, as if possessed by Lady Shi Ji, hugged Yu Bao tightly.

Compared to the Yellow Earth Wall from this afternoon, or the armor and weapons he’d made for the little figures while playing with Earth Stance, this was a fundamental change.

Those could, at best, be considered mixed entities of the Earth and Gold Elements. The two Elements were still in a highly fused state—a bona fide expression of Dual Attributes.

Although the current Sandstorm could also be considered a Dual Attribute Skill, these metal particles were particles of the Pure Gold Element!

On paper, Yu Bao hadn’t awakened the Gold Attribute, nor had he mastered any Pure Gold Element Skills, but this was something that could only be done by mastering Pure Gold Element Energy!

"Grrr!" Wu Bao poked his head out from a pile of sand and metal particles, growling curses at Yu Bao.

"Are you sick in the head?! That was a ’great’ shot!"

Yu Bao put on an innocent face. ’After all, Skills don’t have eyes. It’s perfectly normal to accidentally hit your best bro once in a while~’

But Yu Bao couldn’t be bothered with a certain loser Black Fighting Emperor right now. He was the focus of his Beast Tamer’s attention.

"Is it just Sandstorm, or can your other Skills do this too? Have you awakened the Gold Attribute?"

Su Zhi crowded around Yu Bao, asking impatiently.

Yu Bao held up a paw, signaling him not to rush, then performed Qi Sinking into the Dantian and took two steps back.

’Wise Yu is about to begin his performance!’

Yu Bao didn’t know if his other Skills could do it, but the essence of all Skills was to organize and release Energy in a specific way. Based on that principle, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to figure out a variation of the Skill on his own. That’s what he’d always done!

For any other Pet Beast, this might be absurd, but for the Great Sage Yu Bao, whose [Perception] had reached a terrifying 4.20, it was a trivial matter!!!