Chapter 1190 Protection and Bond

On the third day after escaping the Western Desert, Shangguan Mo and his Sand Crystal Beast hid in an abandoned village on the border. Most of the adobe houses were half-collapsed, their broken walls still bearing the scars of past battles. Only the old poplar tree at the village entrance still barely stood, its withered leaves rustling in the wind. The Sand Crystal Beast huddled in the shadow of the shattered house, its sandy body gradually blending with the surrounding yellow sand, leaving only the curved corner of its head, studded with crystal clusters, like a strange ore half-buried in the sand.

Shangguan Mo was polishing the research notes he'd brought back from Sand Village when his fingertips suddenly paused. A faint scent of blood wafted through the air, mingled with the ripples of Earth Release chakra. He was about to rise when the Sand Crystal Beast suddenly pricked up its ears, its crystal cluster humming rapidly as it growled towards the east of the village.

"What's wrong?" Shangguan Mo followed the footsteps of the Sand Crystal Beast and walked around a few dilapidated houses. The scene in front of him made his pupils shrink: five bandits in night clothes were surrounding a village mother and son. The burly man in the lead was holding a bloody dagger in his hand, and the earth escape chakra was condensing in his palm, and he was about to launch an attack.

"Hand over the money, or don't blame us for being rude!" The strong man's roar echoed in the empty village. The woman huddled in the corner holding her child, trembling all over.

Shangguan Mo was about to form a seal when the Sand Crystal Beast charged forward. Its sandy body tensed suddenly, and diamond-shaped crystal clusters instantly rose up like a row of sharp blades. The bandit in front swung his sword, and the blade struck the Sand Crystal Beast's body, but the chakra reflected by the crystals deflected it, causing his palm to numb.

"Where did this monster come from!" the burly man roared, unleashing his Earth Escape technique. A wall of earth suddenly appeared before the Sand Crystal Beast. But before the wall could stabilize, the Sand Crystal Beast suddenly raised its forelimbs, and golden-red chakra flowed down its sandy body to the ground, instantly condensing into dozens of crystal spikes. These spikes burst from the base of the wall, piercing it with holes.

Shangguan Mo seized the opportunity to form hand seals: "Wind Style? Vacuum Wave!" Air currents transformed into sharp blades, severing the bandits' retreat. The Sand Crystal Beast seized the opportunity to charge forward, its sandy body suddenly dispersing before quickly condensing into a cage-like shape. Crystal clusters intertwined into a web, firmly trapping the three bandits. This was a newly developed move by Shangguan Mo, combining the sand prison of Ichibi with the crystal properties of the ore, and named it "Crystal Sand Prison."

The remaining two bandits tried to flee, but the Sand Crystal Beast unleashed a crystal cannon from its mouth. The golden-red beam grazed their feet, blasting a crater in the ground. Terrified, the two men collapsed to their knees.

The woman came over holding the child and bowed repeatedly to Shangguan Mo: "Thank you, Master Ninja, for saving my life!" The child timidly stretched out his hand, wanting to touch the crystal cluster on the sand crystal beast's head. The sand crystal beast actually lowered its head meekly, allowing the child's fingertips to gently touch the cold crystals, and the crystal cluster also emitted a soft light.

Shangguan Mo's heart suddenly warmed as he watched this scene. He had previously studied the fusion of tailed beasts and minerals simply to prove his ability, but now, watching the Sand Crystal Beast protecting the villagers, he truly understood - power was never meant for fighting, but for protection.

As the sun set, the woman prepared hot soup for them. The Sand Crystal Beast lay at the doorway, gazing at the distant desert, its crystal clusters flickering gently with its breath. Shangguan Mo patted its head and whispered, "Let's use this power to protect more people in the future."