The Leopard Woman Isn't Dead Yet?

Zijin asked this question not only out of curiosity, but primarily for the sake of his people.

There was that pureblood predecessor before her, and now there's herself.

This indicates that it is indeed possible for the Spirit Sparrow clan to experience a tenth divine lightning strike during their tribulation.

Her predecessor was struck dead by the tenth divine lightning bolt, but for some reason, the tenth divine lightning bolt did not strike her.

If she could find out the reason, she could tell her clan members when she returned to the clan. This way, when the Spirit Sparrow Clan encounters the tenth divine lightning strike again during their tribulation, they would have a way to deal with it and wouldn't just have to wait to die.

Xiao Fan remained silent.

What should he say?

After a moment's thought, Xiao Fan told Zijin the truth.

Upon hearing this, Zijin's face was filled with disbelief, and his tone rose.

"You mean, the tenth divine lightning strike is mainly a test for those who have signed a contract with us?"

Xiao Fan nodded.

"If my guess is correct, your Spirit Sparrow clan's birds with outstanding bloodlines, if they signed Life Bond with Human Race before undergoing tribulation, will most likely experience the tenth divine lightning strike."

"If, at the last moment, Human Race did not choose to sever their Life Bond with you, the final divine lightning bolt would not have struck. Conversely, if Human Race had severed their Life Bond, then..."

Xiao Fan didn't continue, but Zijin understood.

If the Human Race breaks the contract, they will be struck dead by Lightning Tribulation, just like her ancestor.

Xiao Fan didn't know what to say.

Although he himself felt that this was very unfair.

Despite the fact that both parties signed Life Bond, the Human Race broke the contract in the end, and it was indeed the Spirit Sparrow race that was struck by lightning and killed.

However, as a beneficiary of the Human Race, Xiao Fan had no way to complain.

Only...

Xiao Fan looked at Zijin and saw that she had a serious expression on her face, and he wondered what she was thinking.

What he feared was the Zijin, or rather, that the future Spirit Sparrow Clan would harbor resentment towards humanity because of such rules.

After all, Human Race could gain many benefits from signing a contract with the Spirit Sparrow Clan, but at the crucial moment, they abandoned them, causing them to lose their lives.

If it were Xiao Fan, he would also feel resentment.

"Zijin..."

Xiao Fan opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Zijin never expected the truth to be like this.

In other words, her pure-blooded ancestor could have survived if that Human Race genius hadn't given up on him in the end.

They might have become the strongest combination on the mainland by now.

But unfortunately... he was abandoned by that Human Race genius.

He was struck dead by divine lightning, while that Human Race genius, having severed his vital essence by breaking his Life Bond, ultimately perished among all living beings.

The Life Bond, which was supposed to be the closest of relationships, ultimately resulted in both parties suffering losses because they chose to betray the contract in the face of life and death.

I feel deeply resentful.

Silence fell over the room.

A long time.

Zijin seemed to have figured something out; she turned to look at Xiao Fan, her eyes still clear.

"Jiu Chen, I think you're wrong."

"The tenth divine lightning strike does not test the bond between Human Race and their Contract Beast."

"It tests our judgment in choosing contractors."

"If we choose the right master, even if the tenth divine lightning strike appears, it will eventually dissipate, just like before."

"But if we choose the wrong people, we'll end up being wiped out."

Xiao Fan:...

Well, if Zijin thinks that way, she actually has a point. Let's go along with her.

Seeing Xiao Fan's expression of agreement, Zijin breathed a sigh of relief, walked up to Xiao Fan, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Jiu Chen, I am now formally informing you that you have gained my approval."

"Remember this: you are my Life Bond, the Zijin Gold Monarch. You possess the strongest asset in the world—me."

Zijin held his head high, looking like he was the strongest in the world.

Xiao Fan:...

I still prefer the way you looked, charred black from being struck by lightning.

Ignoring Xiao Fan's resentful gaze, Zijin once again sensed the power within her body.

"Too strong, too strong, Jiu Chen, I feel invincible now."

Although she was only level 300 during her growth period, as a member of the Spirit Sparrow clan, she possessed racial talents and bloodline power. Level 300 Magic Beast couldn't even withstand a single move from her.

Moreover, after she leveled up, her innate Lightning Element was upgraded to Heavenly Lightning, and as her Life Bond, Xiao Fan could also use Heavenly Lightning.

Not to mention, there's also the equipment upgrade for the <Armor Transformation> skill.

It can be said that both she and Xiao Fan improved significantly after this Lightning Tribulation.

However, she is even more impressive.

Thinking of this, Zijin looked at Xiao Fan and waved her small hand with considerable confidence.

"As long as I, Zijin, am around, you can do whatever you want in this Monster Region, okay?"

Xiao Fan:...

What could he do? He could only cooperate.

There was no other way; he really needed it.

"Thank you very much, Your Majesty the Zijin Gold Sovereign."

Zijin threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"Haha, no problem, no problem."

The restorative power of the Five Elements is indeed very strong. This land, which had just been ravaged by the divine lightning of the Nine Heavens and was full of scars, is rapidly healing itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a short while, the earth that had been shattered and cracked by the Thunder gradually closed up, the scorched and cracked soil returned to its warm and thick yellow color, the broken stones returned to the depths of the earth, and the tender shoots of weeds that had been scorched by the lightning broke through the soil. The scene of the Lightning Tribulation, which was originally a mess, was almost restored to its original state.

Only a few faint, subtle dark cracks on the ground still faintly bear the marks of the Thunder strike.

Xiao Fan stood with his hands behind his back, calmly surveying the completely transformed landscape around him.

His gaze first swept over the ever-flowing five elements of spiritual energy in mid-air, then slowly lowered to the ground beneath his feet, his expression thoughtful.

He remembered Zijin saying that this unique Five Elements Land contained metal deposits deep within its strata.

Although Xiao Fan isn't actually made of any particular metal, the metals produced in the game should be useful.

"Thinking about it that way, the Five Elements Land is indeed a good place."

Xiao Fan nodded in approval.

With each version update, the cultivation level and combat power of players worldwide are increasing rapidly.

It's an inevitable trend for high-level players to flock to the extremely dangerous Monster Region; it's just a matter of time.

The Monster Region is fraught with danger; without safe havens, players simply cannot linger and explore for long.

As things unfold, many top player factions and official entities will likely build dedicated safe cities in the Monster Region, providing stable supply and rest points for players exploring and Magic Beast Monster Region.

This Five Elements Land is undoubtedly an excellent location for building a safe city.

The air is filled with vibrant spiritual energy from the five elements, and the earth is rich in rare metal resources. In addition, this land has a unique and incredible self-healing ability, so even if the city is attacked by Beast Tide or destroyed by war in the future, the earth can repair its wounds on its own.

The more Xiao Fan pondered this idea, the more he agreed with it.

The Five Elements Land is indeed suitable for building cities.

But soon, he shook his head slightly, suppressing the idea of starting construction immediately.

The time is not yet ripe.

At this stage, the vast majority of players are only just stepping onto the edge of the Monster Region to test the waters. Their overall strength is still weak, and they have no ability to penetrate deep into the heart of the land and establish themselves.

Building a city here now would not only waste a huge amount of resources, but would also prematurely attract the hostility of powerful Magic Beast in the surrounding area, making it a losing proposition.

"Let's talk about building a city here later."

As his thoughts wandered, Xiao Fan suddenly remembered something important, and his brows furrowed slightly.

This Five Elements Land doesn't seem to be unclaimed territory; there's a native Magic Beast guarding it— the Leopard Woman who previously stole the lightning she had used to avoid the lightning.

"By the way, I wonder if that Leopard Woman is dead or not."

Before the Lightning Tribulation, the Leopard Woman, out of fear of Zijin, rushed out of Zijin's range at an extremely fast speed, only to be struck by the residual force of the Lightning Tribulation as soon as she got out.

Xiao Fan only saw her fall, charred black, and he didn't know whether she was dead or not.

"Let's go check out that Leopard Woman."

"She's not dead yet," Zijin said with certainty.

After the upgrade, she gained divine sense, which allowed her to detect the situation of living beings within a certain range.

That Leopard Woman was lucky; in addition, the first divine lightning bolt was the weakest.

Although he was half-dead at this moment, he still had a breath left.

"Not dead?"

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Xiao Fan's eyes, and his previously calm expression suddenly became lively as he secretly began to make plans.

He's still missing a mount in the Monster Region.

In the past, Xiao Fan would never have dared to dream of having a level 300 Magic Beast as his mount.

But with Zijin around right now, it's not impossible for him to make this Leopard Woman his mount.

"Let's go, let's go see her."

Xiao Fan grew increasingly excited and couldn't wait to run towards the direction where the Leopard Woman had fallen.

"Holy crap, she looks even worse than you did just now."

Xiao Fan stared at the animal-shaped charcoal on the ground, hardly believing his eyes.

He only saw a dark figure fall down; he couldn't make out the details.

Upon closer inspection, the Leopard Woman looked like she was almost charred.

Are you sure she's still alive?

Xiao Fan asked Zijin, who was standing next to him.

"I'm not so sure now."

Zijin's expression was serious.

Xiao Fan:...

Honestly, there isn't a single reliable one.

Xiao Fan slowly stepped forward, squatted down, and carefully checked the Leopard Woman's vital signs.

His fingertips gently brushed against her charred and cracked fur, and a faint breath slowly emanated from her broken body, stirring a slight feeling in his heart.

"This Leopard Woman is still alive, she's not dead?"

Xiao Fan was shocked.

The Leopard Woman looked utterly wretched; she was practically a lump of charcoal.

Looking at the gruesome scene before him, Xiao Fan couldn't help but shake his head slightly, his eyes filled with sighs and amazement. "They've been hacked to pieces like this, yet they've managed to survive. I must say, the physical strength that high-level Magic Beast are born with is truly formidable."

If this were a normal human player, they would probably have been completely annihilated, leaving no chance of survival whatsoever.

Looking at the Leopard Woman, who was barely alive and unable to move, Xiao Fan frowned slightly, a hint of hesitation rising in his heart. He murmured to himself, "I just wonder if players' healing skills will have any effect on the bodies of Magic Beast?"

However, he had no other choice at the moment. Now, he could only use any rare and precious materials he had to heal and save his life by casting healing spells on the Leopard Woman on the ground.

A faint, healing light slowly enveloped the Leopard Woman's charred body, but its effect was still limited.

Seeing this, Xiao Fan knew that healing skills had limited effect on high-level Magic Beast.

But all he can do now is this. Whether the Leopard Woman will eventually come back to life depends on her own fate and destiny.

Just then, Zijin, who had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, calmly offered a prudent suggestion.

"If you ask me, there's no need for you to waste your time. You should just move her to the Five Elements Land and let her rely on the pure and abundant power of the Five Elements to nourish her body and naturally heal. That would be far more effective than your meager healing skills."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fan's eyes twitched slightly. He helplessly pointed to his slender figure, then turned to look at the enormous Leopard Woman beside him and retorted irritably.

"You make it sound so easy. Take a good look at the huge size difference between her and me."

Magic Beast are born with enormous and powerful bodies. Even though the Leopard Woman in front of us is curled up on the ground, her body is still incredibly burly. It is no exaggeration to say that her size is more than ten times that of Xiao Fan, and she stands like a mountain on the ground.

Xiao Fan shrugged, looking utterly helpless. "With her enormous body, let alone moving her to the Five Elements Land, I couldn't even budge her an inch. I simply couldn't lift her."

Although Xiao Fan's strength attribute points were not low, he felt helpless when facing the mountain-like Leopard Woman.

Zijin tilted his head, his clear eyes casually sweeping over the helpless Xiao Fan. A crisp, slightly nonchalant laugh rang out from the side, "Oh, oh, oh, I almost forgot, you're just a mortal human being."

She spoke words of apology, but her expression showed no remorse whatsoever; her eyes were languid, and her tone was utterly perfunctory.

Before Xiao Fan could respond, Zijin slightly raised his eyelids and interrupted him calmly, "Alright, just stand aside and watch. Leave the rest to me."

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl, who looked no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with a slender and graceful figure that seemed as if a gust of wind could blow her away, walked slowly and calmly toward the Leopard Woman, and reached out her small hand to take the Leopard Woman's paw.

The next second, Zijin flicked his wrist and casually swung his arm upwards. There was no earth-shattering phenomenon, no surging energy fluctuations, just a simple brute force throw.

Boom--!

The Leopard Woman, weighing tens of thousands of kilograms and towering like a small mountain, was instantly lifted into the air, drawing a clumsy and exaggerated arc in the air before being violently flung hundreds of meters away and crashing heavily into the vast Five Elements Land behind her. The ground instantly cracked open with dense spiderweb-like ravines, and dust and gravel flew everywhere.

Xiao Fan stood rooted to the spot, his pupils suddenly contracting, his entire body frozen in place, his mind going completely blank.

He stared blankly at the huge crater in the distance, billowing with smoke and dust, his heart filled with utter shock.

Who could have imagined this absurd scene?

More importantly, the Leopard Woman is almost dead; if she's thrown out like that, won't she die?

Xiao Fan had some doubts.