The atmospheric life slowly flew back behind him.

Zhou Yi felt a pang of pain in his heart.

Without bringing the Sea God over, after summoning the Fire Seed Life, he couldn't turn it into a shoulder mount.

He said, "How are you faring now? If the consumption is too great, go to the Outer Sea, and I will look for you later."

This was also the worst-case scenario.

The situation was urgent just now, and he couldn't care too much about that.

"The chairman, the number of Consciousness Fragments here is dozens of times more than outside. I can maintain my form here, although the energy consumption is slightly higher."

"Creatures as strong as the Golden Elephant can carry out stable actions over long periods here, proving that the Forbidden Continent can support the survival of high-strength life forms, and I am also completely without a dissipating state here."

The Ice Pot said so.

Zhou Yi was somewhat surprised: "Really? It's okay?"

"Really, it's okay."

"Then shrink down a bit, so as to avoid drawing too much attention."

"Yes. How about this?"

The Ice Pot condensed into a cloud drifting above Zhou Yi's head, where he went, the cloud followed.

"It's still a bit conspicuous."

"Then I'll change again."

It transformed into a human-shaped mist, seeming like Zhou Yi's second shadow.

The Ice Pot seemed not quite satisfied.

It significantly condensed into a thin ring of air, hanging on Zhou Yi's left wrist, becoming a neighbor to the Black Water Ghost.

"This is good."

After sorting out the Ice Pot, Zhou Yi turned his attention back to the ground.

The Golden Sunflower had not yet bloomed, quietly growing on the ground.

Hong Xing and Bai Bi had reverted to human form, both showing a sense of relief.

"Thanks to you being here."

Bai Bi, as always, spoke her mind immediately, showing a cheerful smile: "Otherwise, we would have to keep fighting it, but for sure we wouldn't win, and we might even infuriate it, destroying this very important Water Factory."

"The atmospheric creature is indeed formidable! Your judgment is also really strong!"

Zhou Yi was also infected by her smile, and his mood brightened.

Bai Bi was indeed likable.

The reticent Hong Xing also bowed slightly, her voice much softer: "Thank you very much for your help."

"It's nothing."

Zhou Yi asked, "It seems that the Golden Elephant doesn't attack this place much, right? Why is that?"

Bai Bi said, "Because of the elements of the Lord of Soldiers."

"The Iron Cage Entanglement was crafted by the Lord of Soldiers. Although we are insignificant to the Golden Elephants, the Lord of Soldiers still has a deterrent effect on them."

"They can sense the power of the Lord of Soldiers, so they avoid this area. But today, I don't know why, this Golden Elephant died crazily over here... I don't understand."

Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment but still told the truth: "My employee, the atmospheric life Ice Pot, obtained a bit of information from the other side."

"This Golden Elephant was born here at the Water Factory, and when it was dying, it wanted to return to its roots, to fall back to the place where it was born to sleep."

"I see."

Bai Bi's brows smoothed out: "No wonder you told us not to stop it, it wasn't coming to attack here, it chose this place as its grave..."

Hong Xing, however, was staring at the Golden Sunflower: "The Golden Elephant Flag is currently in its first stage, we need to find a way to collect it, otherwise it's too dangerous."

It was only then that Zhou Yi knew the true name of the Golden Sunflower.

He was somewhat curious: "Isn't this the grave of the Golden Elephant?"

"Yes. But it is both a product of a Golden Elephant's death and the shape of a Golden Elephant's rebirth."

After fighting side by side just now, Hong Xing's attitude towards Zhou Yi was noticeably more favorable: "The Golden Elephant is an extremely rare Gold organism, a form of life composed of Gold. Just like insects transform from caterpillars to butterflies, it has multiple growth stages."

"The first stage is the Golden Elephant; Golden Elephants mostly don't actively harm other life forms. As long as you avoid the mating season and Golden Elephant cubs, they just walk around here."

The Red-haired Weapon Princess explained patiently, "After it dies, it turns into a Golden Elephant Flag, which is its current appearance. But it's not the second stage yet."

"When the Golden Elephant Flag blooms, it officially enters the second stage, transforming into another form of life."

She paused, then said solemnly, "Golden Branch."

Zhou Yi asked, "Golden Branch? Does it look like a floral plant?"

"Yes."

Hong Xing nodded: "The Golden Branch will grow vigorously and ultimately become a Golden Tree."

"During this period, it will select a guardian to protect itself. This guardian will receive the power bestowed by the Golden Branch, becoming the 'King of Gold'. As long as they are active around the Golden Branch, the guardian can utilize all the power of the Golden Branch, reaching the level of a Light Core Body."

"But the guardian must be constantly vigilant, day and night, guarding the Golden Branch, preventing any life from approaching."

"Because as soon as other life forms approach and break off a piece of the Golden Tree branch, they can gain the right to challenge the guardian. The Golden Branch will divide its power equally between the guardian and the challenger, and they will fight a duel to the death. Whoever kills the other becomes the new guardian."

"The victor will continue this life of possessing great power and living in fear."

Zhou Yi pondered for a moment: "Can the fate of the King of Gold not be changed? For example, if he digs up or cuts off the Golden Branch himself?"

"Cannot."

"The King of Gold and the Golden Branch are one, he is the external will and extension of the Golden Branch. The only thing the King of Gold can do is to feed the Golden Branch with Gold tirelessly, making it bigger and bigger, eventually growing into a huge Golden Tree, then the range of the King of Gold's power also becomes increasingly broad."

Hong Xing said sternly: "To the outside world, the Golden Branch and King of Gold bring endless power struggles and slaughter. Because of this readily available Light Core power, everyone will covet it. Wherever the Golden Branch is, almost all kinds of life will be killed off."

"That's why the Lord of Soldiers always demands that the Golden Elephant Flag be collected upon discovery, to prevent it from becoming the second stage Golden Branch."

Zhou Yi mused thoughtfully: "The Golden Branch controls the guardian to kill each other through power, to filter out better slaves."

"You are right. But such an overt scheme and temptation still make the vast majority of people unable to resist."

"Why is the death of a Golden Elephant called a Golden Elephant Flag?"

"I know! Let me tell you!"

Bai Bi finally found a gap to join the discussion: "This name wasn't given by us, both Golden Elephant Flag and Golden Branch are the true names self-defined by this Gold life form."

"The Golden Elephant Flag will attract other Golden Elephants, just like a flag. The Golden Elephants will conduct a ritual for the death of their kind and share their power with this tomb, accelerating its growth and progression into the second stage."

"Anyway, we'd better put this thing away quickly."

"But we don't have the strength to pull it out, we'll have to wait for Lord of Soldiers to come... Now it's already attracting the golden elephants."

The two Weapon Princesses began to worry.

Zhou Yi had already seen the enormous Golden Pillar appearing in the high skies of the distant rainforest. Amongst the haze, rows of Golden Pillars were slowly and steadily walking this way.

The trembling of the ground was gradually intensifying.

He immediately ordered: "Ice Pot, cover the Golden Elephant Flag, and try using your 'Storage' ability."

"Yes."

The fog ring on his wrist suddenly expanded, covering the entire Golden Elephant burial ground, turning it into a solid mass of dry ice gas.

Storage could render its contained object unobservable from the outside.

Though unsure if it would work on the Light Core Body, there was no choice but to try.

But Zhou Yi saw.

The golden elephants were still stepping towards this place.

The ground's vibrations kept growing stronger.

The difference in strength was still a gap, causing various abilities to be ineffective.

Zhou Yi cursed silently in his heart.

Being able to overpower one's foe with overwhelming force was exhilarating, but facing the same situation oneself felt frustrating and helpless.

Golden elephants were emerging from all directions, closing in on this place.

Zhou Yi asked, "Can we destroy it?"

"It can't be destroyed."

With a sigh, Red-haired Weapon Princess said, "If the Golden Elephant Flag is forcibly destroyed, it will trigger a massive explosion, resulting in the nearby area being transformed into gold by the radiation... The destructive power is equivalent to that of a Light Core weapon."

"If it is to be forcefully extracted, only a Light Core could do it."

Zhou Yi ultimately said calmly, "Retreat. Let's leave first."

"People are most important, we should avoid dangerous areas first."

"I can't go, my mission is to guard the Water Factory..." Red-haired Weapon Princess insisted.

Mic Master instantly pulled her into the BGM realm, causing the Weapon Princess to have a blank gaze and rigid body.

"Yuan Xiao, take her and go. Bai Bi, follow. Retreat."

"Oh, okay!"

Zhou Yi decisively led Yuan Xiao and Bai Bi to retreat.

They only slowed their pace slightly after being about a kilometer away from the Water Factory area.

The golden elephants had arrived at the burial site, where they no longer exhibited their previous agitation and unease, becoming quiet and solemn.

A strange sound echoed in the air, like some indistinct murmurs or a chant, and upon close listening, it was a series of sounds produced by the metal friction.

At this moment, Zhou Yi suddenly felt.

It seemed rather unreasonable to obstruct when they were mourning their deceased kind.

He remembered reading in a book that funerary rituals were the starting point of human civilization.

This showed that golden elephants weren't merely savage creatures; they too had their group norms and cultural customs.

It was just that this group had an excessively high strength, and Zhou Yi did not dare to approach too closely.

The golden elephants each lit up with golden light on their legs, illuminating the Water Factory area with a bright and piercing white glare.

From their bodies, many small golden pearls flew out, converging into the Golden Elephant Flag on the ground.

The ritual was brief.

A few minutes later, the golden elephants scattered in all directions, some even lifting off the ground with all four legs, disappearing into the sky.

Confirming safety.

Only then did Zhou Yi lead Yuan Xiao and Bai Bi back to the Water Factory area.

There wasn't any damage here.

But now the Golden Elephant Flag had become even thicker and taller, wrapped in a halo of light, looking full of energy.

Zhou Yi asked Bai Bi, "Why can we only see the four legs of the golden elephants? Are their bodies unobservable?"

"Yes."

The bunny-eared girl nodded, "We can only see their four legs here. The bodies of the golden elephants exist in another world, only their legs step in our world."

Zhou Yi was astonished, "Body separated from the head? Can it really be like that?"

"Lord of Soldiers said so."

Bai Bi recalled, "It seems that there's a lack of gold in this world, so most of their bodies dwell in another world filled with gold, where they can obtain gold. Otherwise, they find it difficult to grow."

So that was it.

Zhou Yi couldn't help but think of how the golden elephants, upon death, always left only their four legs behind.

"So death is also a separation of body and head?"

"Yes. When they die, part of them is in another world, with only their feet left on our side."

Bai Bi gestured with her hands, "However, newly hatched golden elephants are complete. You would know if you saw one. They're truly like elephants, made entirely of gold, with teeth, with long noses! But soon their bodies will enter the other side... Lord of Soldiers has captured a young elephant; I've seen it with my own eyes!"

Seeing only the legs and not the body made Zhou Yi curious about the full appearance of the golden elephants.

Just then.

The voice of the atmosphere creature suddenly came into his mind.

"Chairman, it's not like that."

"I have obtained the Consciousness Fragments from a deceased golden elephant."

"It did not die naturally. Its body was cut off and taken, leaving only its four legs behind."

Zhou Yi was taken aback, "What do you mean?"

"All golden elephants are like this. Once they reach a certain age, their bodies are cut away, leaving behind their useless four legs. They are lifeforms raised in captivity."

Light Core bodies' golden elephants... are livestock?

A chill ran through Zhou Yi's heart, realizing that this matter was far from simple.

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