Chapter 440 285: Closest to the True Essence of the Gold Element (2)

Profound Yellow immediately perked up, using its superior hearing to quickly lock onto the direction of the sound.

It was Jinshi Village.

And based on the source of the sound… it was coming from inside the village!

"Hold on tight, Junior Brother!"

Without a second thought, Zi Lu beat her wings. Cyan energy enveloped her body, and she shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

Such a huge commotion could only be caused by a Pet Beast. And if such a commotion occurred inside a village, it often signaled a much more dire situation.

She didn't know if there were any casualties yet, but at least if she arrived a moment sooner, she could reduce the chance of the situation worsening… 'Huh??'

The scene that greeted her eyes made Zi Lu's mind go blank—

Shan Bao was standing on a metal base, her Qi Sinking into her Dantian, her Horse Stance steady. All around her, Sandstorms and Burning Sand Blades relentlessly slammed into her.

Giant Fire Pillars frequently engulfed Shan Bao. Compared to the immense flames, she looked exceptionally tiny. Yet every time the flames receded, Shan Bao would reappear completely unscathed, looking even brighter than before.

Wu Bao, with his gleaming horn lowered, would periodically launch a powerful charge. His Lance Charge, strong enough to pierce a Yellow Earth Wall, slammed into Shan Bao but only produced a shower of sparks, failing to even break her defense.

"Chirp!" "Chirp!" Shan Bao effortlessly dealt with her two brothers' attacks, even having the spare energy to cheer them on.

"...???"

Zi Lu, who was diving down, and Profound Yellow on her back were both dumbfounded.

'Is this some kind of large-scale domestic dispute?'

'No, wait, Shan Bao seems completely unharmed... so this can't be training, can it?'

'What's even more ridiculous is that Shan Bao actually tanked it all!?'

"Woof..."

After charging dozens of times, Wu Bao flopped down on his side and gave up.

Shan Bao's body was just too tough. Moreover, her small size made it hard for him to find a good angle to exert his strength, so his Lance Thrust couldn't break her defense.

'I'm done charging. I really can't break through...'

"Arf!"

Yu Bao was getting anxious. So far, all of his Skills had been ineffective against Shan Bao. Whether it was Sandstorm, Furious Sand Blade, or Burning Sand Blade, they all landed on Shan Bao like a light drizzle, barely making a splash.

Yu Bao had always thought Shan Bao was pretty harmless.

She was durable, sure, but she didn't have any real offensive threats. And that durability was relative; if he used a combo, he could still break her defense.

Who would have thought that with a simple stat boost, Shan Bao would quietly undergo a qualitative transformation, forcing him to use every trick in the book to no effect.

After the stat allocation, Shan Bao's Hardening and Immortal True Gold Skills both reached Quasi Tier Three Skill Level, a whole tier higher than before. Not only was she fearless against strong physical attacks, but she could also basically ignore "Magic Damage" like Flame and poison gas.

Although Shan Bao couldn't maintain this high-defense state forever, if he couldn't take her down at her strongest, where would his dignity as the big brother go?

It was time to get serious!

A serious look flashed in Yu Bao's eyes.

He activated Magma Force Field. The area around Shan Bao was instantly covered in magma branded with crimson fire patterns. Under Yu Bao's control, the magma formed a giant hand that completely enclosed Shan Bao.

Magma, activate!

The ultra-high temperature Fire Element Energy from the Magma Force Field immediately began to sear Shan Bao's body. Even Su Zhi, who was standing outside the skill's area of effect, took a few steps back.

He was afraid he would melt if he got any closer.

Despite this, Shan Bao didn't have a painful expression on her face; she just looked a little more strained than before.

'Tsk, do I have to use that move?'

'Alright, you've asked for it!'

A determined glint flashed in Yu Bao's eyes. A Golden Light flickered across his body, and two small, silver-white spheres appeared beside him.

Strong Magnetic Control, activate!

An invisible, distorted magnetic field instantly covered the entire area at the edge of the village, shifting rapidly at an extremely high frequency. Shan Bao's vision went black. She swayed for two steps as if she were drunk, then SPLAT, she fell to the ground.

The indestructible Shan Bao was officially neutralized and taken down by Yu Bao!

"Chirp..." Shan Bao's eyes spun in different directions. With the last of her consciousness, she raised her little foot and gave Yu Bao a thumbs-up.

'As expected of Big Brother Yu Bao, he can even take me down by controlling a magnetic field. Looks like I still have to work harder.'

In truth, Yu Bao was also exhausted to the point of collapse. The Energy required to create such a strong magnetic field was no joke... but to maintain his cool image, he forced himself to act casual and gave a slight wave of his paw.

Su Zhi walked over and gave Yu Bao a light kick on the butt.

"Damn, my brain is still numb... You had fun showing off, but you almost took me out too!"

"Woof..."

Yu Bao scratched his head sheepishly, indicating that he didn't expect Su Zhi to be so weak.

"So now you're blaming me? You little... " Before Su Zhi could finish, he suddenly perked up his ears.

"What's that sound? Sounds like something's falling."

"Woof?"

So, Su Zhi and Yu Bao looked up together and saw Zi Lu and Profound Yellow, who had lost their balance and were falling rapidly...

"BONG—"

"Su Zhi, thank you!"

After waking up, Zi Lu nodded slightly, expressing her gratitude to Su Zhi and Yu Bao.

"It's rather embarrassing. I was patrolling the area when I saw you all training. I grew curious and wanted a closer look, but then my vision suddenly went black. The next thing I knew, I had already crashed. I am terribly sorry."

"..."

"It's alright, it's alright. You're too kind, sister..."

Yu Bao stood with his paws together, not saying a word. Su Zhi also sat obediently, cowering like crazy.

'If that idiot Yu Bao hadn't blindly fired off his skill, how could they have just fallen out of the sky?'

To be honest, Su Zhi was quite surprised. Zi Lu's Energy Value was Three-star, yet she was still affected by Yu Bao's magnetic field. It seemed this move had potential for fighting opponents of a higher level.

'Besides, Zi Lu's Telepathy is quite pleasant to listen to. It's a mature, womanly voice... ahem.'

"This little sister here has quite a unique build. She's clearly a Flash Gold Sparrow, yet she has the heroic presence of one who could uproot mountains."

Zi Lu cupped her chin, muttering thoughtfully as she sized up Shan Bao.

Shan Bao tucked in her little wings, mimicking Su Zhi's obedient posture.

"However, it's not entirely without precedent. When I was young, my mother used to tell me about the Flash Gold Sparrow Race."

Zi Lu seemed to recall something. "I remember my mother telling me that Flash Gold Sparrows excel at traversing Space, but they also have numerous variants. Among them is a type known for its incredible physical toughness, one that is closest to the true essence of the Gold Element Rules."

Su Zhi's eyes lit up. "Really? Sister, could you please elaborate?"

He had originally just gone along with Shan Bao's wishes, dumping all her points into Constitution because she was too afraid of pain. He hadn't expected this round of stat allocation to be so significant.

Yu Bao had deviated from the traditional Yu Dian Dog path toward Energy Perception, unexpectedly revealing other Evolutionary Types of the Yu Dian Dog that had been lost to history.

Did Shan Bao's choice to make Constitution her King stat also signify that her future evolutionary path would now be different?

"That, I do not know. My mother's words were mostly from folktales, many of which contained content that was hard to verify. In fact, I have never seen or even heard of a Flash Gold Sparrow like that in my entire life, until I saw your Shan Bao today who fits the description."

Zi Lu shook her head.

Perhaps because Su Zhi's use of "sister" had pleased her, Zi Lu thought for a moment before adding:

"However, my mother did say that the orthodox descendants of the Flash Gold Sparrow clan are in the Talal Desert area, a place untouched by the footsteps of humans and ordinary Pet Beasts. According to historical records, an ancient settlement in the Great Desert once worshipped the Flash Gold Sparrow as a Divine Bird and built a grand Tomb for it. If you have the chance to visit the Great Desert, little friend Su Zhi, you might discover something."

"Is that so..." The light in Su Zhi's eyes faded again.

The Talal Desert was far away in the Northwest Yu Dian Region, located in the very center of the continent.

Even with today's highly advanced productivity, no one would be idle enough to wander into the heart of the Great Desert.

He had never even heard of the Tomb Zi Lu mentioned. It had probably vanished long ago in the river of time, to say nothing of any pure-bred Flash Gold Sparrows.

'Oh well, Shan Bao can still evolve step-by-step anyway...'

Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly.

Su Zhi and all the Pet Beasts present froze, their bodies tensing abruptly as they cast their gazes north of Jinshi Village.