Something Is Coming

"This isn't a secret technique; it's my exclusive skill," Xiao Fan explained calmly, shaking his head slightly.

The Bao Bao beside him leaned closer with its fluffy head, its nose twitching slightly, its eyes filled with intense curiosity. "Skills? That sounds amazing, Master, could you teach me?"

Without a second thought, Xiao Fan uttered two words decisively. "No."

The Bao Bao's ears immediately drooped, its bushy tail hung down, and it looked completely bewildered and aggrieved as it asked, puzzled, "Why?"

Xiao Fan pondered for a moment, trying to find a simple and easy-to-understand analogy so that the naive little guy could fully comprehend it.

"This is a unique skill of mine, and you cannot learn it. Just like your skill Tornado, it's your exclusive elemental power; other Magic Beast simply cannot learn it, nor can they steal it."

Xiao Fan thought this explanation would be enough to put Bao Bao at ease, but to his surprise, Bao Bao tilted its head, blinked its clear eyes, and refuted him with a serious expression.

"Wait a minute! My Tornado... other Wind Element Magic Beast can also use it once their cultivation reaches a certain level."

Xiao Fan was speechless upon hearing this.

Looking at the Bao Bao staring at him with an innocent expression, Xiao Fan stroked his chin.

"I am human, you are Magic Beast, therefore you cannot shed blood."

This time, the Bao Bao understood, rubbed the dirt, and stopped talking.

It was late afternoon, just before dusk, and the clear sunlight gently shone down.

Xiao Fan glanced around to make sure all the preparations for the trip were complete. He then lightly leaped and landed on the Bao Bao's broad, sturdy back. His clothes fluttered in the wind, and he moved with a calm and carefree air.

"Let's head into the valley."

At Xiao Fan's command, Bao Bao instantly perked up, shook its head, and ran forward at full speed.

Located deep in the Sunset Glow Valley is surrounded by towering trees, with ancient trees and gnarled branches intertwined, their dense foliage blocking out most of the sunlight.

The forest was shrouded in mist, and a faint scent of grass and trees mingled with the damp earth wafted through the air. The deep mountain path wound its way in and out, and the deeper one went, the more tranquil and somber the atmosphere became, with a hint of unknown danger lurking in the distance.

Along the way, Xiao Fan encountered virtually no other Magic Beast.

The eerily quiet environment only intensified his wariness.

Xiao Fan looked at the map in his hand, constantly searching for the direction of the Treasure Map. His Zijin divine sense quietly spread out from his shoulder, sweeping across the dense forest within a radius of several hundred feet like a tide, meticulously exploring every corner.

The Bao Bao beneath him also suppressed its playful nature, its nose constantly sniffing the surrounding air, its limbs slightly tense, ready to deal with any sudden crisis.

"Bao Bao, stop."

When the man and the two beasts reached a narrow pass filled with jagged rocks, Xiao Fan suddenly spoke, telling the Bao Bao to stop.

He glanced at the Treasure Map in his hand, then at the pass ahead, and his tone became lighter.

"After passing this pass and traversing a dense forest, we'll reach the outskirts of the location marked on the Treasure Map."

"We're almost there."

Bao Bao was also very happy to hear this.

"However, this pass is too small, Master. I need to transform into an even smaller form."

Xiao Fan nodded, and was about to get off the Bao Bao's back when the Zijin figure on his shoulder suddenly turned serious.

"Jiu Chen, don't come down yet."

Seeing that Zijin's expression was off, Xiao Fan stopped riding the Bao Bao and turned to ask.

"Zijin, what's wrong?"

Something big is coming.

As soon as Zijin finished speaking, the earth suddenly trembled slightly.