Larvitar let out a furious roar, carrying a hint of the majesty of a Sandstorm Sovereign.
Unlike before, it no longer needed a large charging motion. It simply swung its small claw fiercely toward the target!
Under the terrifying amplification of the dual traits Sand Power + Sandstorm Attack (Rock-type move power increased by 30%), the might of Rock Slide underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.
Compared to before, it was no longer just a few rocks or a dozen!
At the instant Larvitar swung its claw, the air nearly one hundred meters above the target boulder seemed to twist slightly.
Immediately afterward, dozens—no, hundreds, of massive rocks the size of millstones condensed out of thin air!
These rocks were not completely illusory energy constructs. Instead, they were formed by pure earth elements, instantly drawn from the environment within the sandstorm, compressed, and materialized into solid form.
Their surfaces were wrapped in a rapidly rotating cloak of sand and gravel, like a swarm of meteors carrying the fury of the desert!
The falling rocks moved as fast as lightning, tearing through the air with piercing screeches!
Their overwhelming number formed something like a rainstorm of stone, instantly drowning that enormous basalt boulder!
Boom! Boom! Boom! BOOOOM—!!!
The deafening explosive roars merged into one continuous thunder!
Dust and debris mixed with the raging sandstorm shot skyward, forming a small mushroom cloud!
When the dust finally dispersed slightly, Lin Xia's pupils shrank.
The gigantic basalt boulder, along with the ground it had been rooted in, had completely vanished!
In its place remained only a massive crater more than ten meters wide and several meters deep.
The sand and soil along the crater's edge had taken on a glassy texture, as if they had been melted by extreme heat and then rapidly cooled.
At the bottom of the crater lay countless shattered stone fragments, many of them smashed into powder, while others had partially melted into magma from the tremendous impact and the friction of the sand before cooling and solidifying again.
Just one strike.
The target had been completely erased from a physical standpoint.
The shockwave and flying debris generated by the falling rocks did not dissipate. Instead, they were instantly captured and accelerated by the surrounding sandstorm!
These fragments became shells gaining a second burst of acceleration, forming a deadly barrage within the storm that riddled the surrounding dunes with holes, leaving countless deep craters and trenches.
The lingering power of Rock Slide, under the enhancement of the sandstorm, was extended and magnified several times over.
"Fire Punch! Target: the sand dune on the left!"
Lin Xia pointed toward another relatively isolated dune with loose sand.
Larvitar turned and faced the target.
This time, both of its claws clenched into fists. The crimson-gold Phoenix divine patterns on the lava-armored fists suddenly lit up!
"Larvi—ROAR!!!"
It released a roar blending the heaviness of rock with the explosive force of fire as it stomped forward and charged!
With the sandstorm's enhancement, its speed was at least thirty percent faster than usual, like an earthen-yellow meteor skimming across the sand.
The flames on its fists were no longer merely a simple coating.
Under the amplification of Sand Power (although Fire Punch is a Fire-type move, because it was used by Larvitar it still received some enhancement, though not as exaggerated as Rock-type moves), the crimson-gold flames were no longer flickering fire.
Instead, they condensed like liquid magma.
Around the outer layer of the flames, the rapidly spinning sand grains were instantly melted by the extreme heat into glass, forming a blazing, razor-sharp shell of molten quartz!
This was no longer merely Fire Punch, but rather a strike carrying molten lava and high-temperature glass fragments.
A Molten Crystal Shattering Star Punch!
Larvitar's fists smashed fiercely into the base of the sand dune!
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
Instead, there was only a chilling sound—like a red-hot branding iron sinking into butter.
Szzzz—!
The sand grains that were struck were not blasted away.
At the instant of contact, they were directly vaporized by the terrifying heat!
A gigantic molten crater more than three meters in diameter instantly formed.
Molten sand crystals flowed and splashed outward like viscous magma. Wherever they passed, the dune's structure was completely destroyed, melted, and then re-solidified.
Even more terrifying, this force—combining physical impact, extreme heat, and molten sand, acted like a lit fuse!
Under the combined influence of gravity and the raging sandstorm, the damaged structure of the dune triggered a chain collapse!
The entire sand dune, dozens of meters high, collapsed like a sandcastle whose skeleton had been removed. With thunderous roars, it began to sink and crumble from the center!
Rolling waves of sand mixed with still-molten glass flowed toward the lower ground, forming a brief yet terrifying lava-like quicksand flow.
The high-temperature shockwave and molten substances produced by Fire Punch were once again absorbed and spread by the sandstorm.
The temperature within the storm soared instantly.
What had once been dry and oppressive now became scorching, like a searing desert wind capable of baking a person alive.
Even the sand grains themselves seemed to carry burning toxicity, their corrosive and destructive power increasing further.
The testing was not over yet.
To more clearly observe its performance in real combat, Lin Xia deliberately used his soul power to simulate a strong provoking fluctuation, spreading it toward more distant dunes.
Very quickly, two enraged local soul beasts were drawn over.
One was more than five meters long, resembling a pangolin, its back covered with thick brown crystalline armor plates, the Desert Rock Armored Beast, with roughly three thousand years of cultivation, famous for its defense and burrowing abilities.
The other had a wingspan of nearly ten meters, its feathers rough like weathered stone, with crimson eyes, the Sandstorm Vulture, also around three thousand years, skilled in aerial ambushes and wind-and-sand attacks.
"Larvitar, target the Rock Armored Beast in front and the vulture in the air! Fight freely!"
Lin Xia issued the order decisively. He wanted to see Larvitar's multi-target combat capability in a complex environment.
"Larvitar!!"
Larvitar's battle intent surged. Its small body stood within the sandstorm like a true ruler!
Facing the Rock Armored Beast charging forward like a rumbling heavy tank, Larvitar did not dodge at all.
Just as the two were about to collide, it suddenly raised a small claw and slammed it heavily onto the ground!
"Rock Slide!"
This time, it was a precise point explosion.
The target was not the Rock Armored Beast itself, but the ground directly in front of its charge path!
Rumble!
Several enormous rocks, enhanced by Sand Power and wrapped in molten sand crystals, instantly condensed within the sandstorm and smashed down, striking precisely in front of and beside the Rock Armored Beast.
The tremendous impact and explosion instantly slowed its charge. The splattering molten sand crystals clung to its proud crystalline armor plates like parasites, producing sizzling burning sounds and leaving ugly corroded pits!
The Rock Armored Beast roared in pain, its charge forcibly interrupted.
Almost at the exact moment the rocks crashed down, the Sandstorm Vulture high above seized the opportunity.
Its wings folded inward as it plunged downward like a gray meteor, tearing through the air with a shrill whistle. Its sharp claws aimed directly for Larvitar's back armor!
However, within the sandstorm domain, Larvitar did not even need to look up.
The perception of the swirling sand grains had already transmitted the vulture's trajectory with perfect clarity.
With a thought from Larvitar, the sandstorm surrounding its body instantly condensed and compressed.
A thick shield composed of countless rapidly spinning sand crystals, each with razor-sharp edges, instantly appeared above its head!
Clang! Clang! Clang—!!!
The vulture's claws struck fiercely against the sand crystal shield, erupting with harsh metallic scraping sounds and a shower of sparks!
It felt as if its claws had grabbed onto a high-speed grinding wheel. Its tough talons were actually ground down by a layer!
The enormous recoil force destabilized its body, forcibly breaking its diving posture.