Chapter 784: Chuchu (I)
Wen Yulong explained confidently to the crowd, "According to legend, the iron-eating beast once served as the mount of the Jiuli Evil God. Its ferocity shook the heavens, striking fear into both gods and devils alike. It took pleasure in slaughtering greater demons and celestial beasts, gnawing on their bones for fun.
"At the peak of its power, even vicious beasts of the same realm, such as Taotie and Hundun, dared not cross its path. Pure-blooded True Dragons and Divine Phoenixes also kept their distance.
"When the Jiuli tribes fell, buried beneath a divine mountain hurled down from the heavens, only the iron-eating beast survived through its sheer physical resilience and managed to preserve its bloodline. Now, it occasionally appears in the Southern Regions and sustains itself by devouring and digesting metal."
"Hmm..." Lin Bei voiced his skepticism. "You’re telling me that the Jiuli Evil God used to ride this thing into battle?"
At this moment, all the usual inhabitants of the Silver Sword Peak—Di Nufeng, Chu Liang, the Golden-Furred Hou, the Fierce Draconic Colt, Liu Xiaoyu, and Liu Xiaoyu'er—had gathered and formed a circle. Lin Bei, Shang Ziliang, and the others had also rushed over after hearing the news. At this moment, the place was quite lively.
Right in the middle of the circle sat a lump of what was supposedly a vicious beast.
The iron-eating beast stood no taller than half a person, and when seated, it barely reached knee height. Its body was covered in black and white fur, with two dark rings around its eyes that made its small eyes appear much larger.
With short, thick paws tucked close to its belly, it looked plump and round, like a fluffy ball. At the moment, it seemed slightly anxious, crossing its front paws over its stomach as if rubbing them together.
A small medicine basket hung on its back, but the basket was completely empty. It wasn't hard to guess why it was carrying one. Earlier, it had triggered a talismanic spell, panicked, and bolted away. The right side of its fur was still slightly singed. Yet, whether due to its thick hide or sheer resilience, the powerful spell had barely harmed it. A few patches of fur were scorched, but they would likely grow back in a day or two.
Shang Ziliang stroked his chin and deduced, "I don’t think the ancient texts are wrong. If the older generations called it a vicious beast, there must be a reason for it."
Lackey A nodded with absolute certainty. "It must be a disguise! It’s pretending to look harmless so it can catch its enemies off guard before revealing its true, vicious nature!"