Yang Lin had expected that Xiao Long would have changed somewhat after not seeing him for a few months, but he hadn't anticipated such a drastic transformation.
This was especially true when Xiao Long's face, which was now nearly the size of a washbasin, suddenly loomed close to him.
Not only had its size changed, but its form was also completely different from before.
Three months ago, Xiao Long's facial contours were largely consistent with those of a snake. However, at this moment, its facial features had become more three-dimensional, and the horns on its head had also grown considerably longer. Even if visitors were told it was a snake, they wouldn't believe it.
"Boss, you were looking for me? I was actually looking for you too. I've been so bothered lately."
Yang Lin, who was still in shock from Xiao Long's external transformation, suddenly heard these words and a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"Did you run into trouble again?"
"And why did you create so much fog here?"
"I didn't want to create so much fog, but I was afraid it would scare the visitors if I didn't."
After saying this, Xiao Long suddenly opened its mouth. Without any apparent effort, it sucked all the mist swirling in the valley into its belly.
Once the mist completely dissipated, Xiao Long's entire body, except for its head, was finally revealed.
As Xiao Long fully exposed its form to the sunlight, Yang Lin's eyes widened instantly.
"What's going on? You have two big humps on your back, and you've grown four legs."
Following his gaze, one could see two massive protrusions on Xiao Long's waist, which was as thick as a bucket.
Beneath these protrusions were two newly grown front legs.
Those front legs were acceptable, but the crucial issue was that the two protrusions were terribly unsightly.
"I don't know. After I shed my skin again last week, these two big lumps grew out."
"I feel like I'm becoming more and more like a monster."
With that, Xiao Long slumped to the ground with a dejected expression.
In response, Yang Lin propped up his chin.
"Could it be that puberty has arrived, and it's getting pimples?"
Of course, he knew this was unlikely. After all, Xiao Long was only about six months old. How could it enter puberty so soon?
"Could it be growing wings?"
"So, Xiao Long's future evolutionary path isn't a true dragon, but a feathered serpent?"
The moment this thought emerged, Yang Lin immediately shook his head.
"No, no. This is Long Country. Where would feathered serpents come from? It should be an Yinglong."
"If it's an Yinglong, that wouldn't be bad. It's much stronger than an ordinary dragon."
With this thought, Yang Lin immediately shared his speculation with Xiao Long.
Upon hearing that he would become an Yinglong in the future, a mythical creature even more formidable than a true dragon, Xiao Long's previously dejected mood instantly became excited.
"Oh, right, Boss. I made a friend here. I'll introduce it to you."
With that, Xiao Long, whose mood had returned to normal, called out to the valley behind him.
"Xiao Gui, come out quickly! Boss is here."
Yang Lin expected Xiao Long's friend to appear shortly after being called.
However, after a full minute, no figure emerged. Yang Lin looked at Xiao Long with a puzzled expression.
"My friend is a bit slow. Please wait a moment. I'll go help it."
With an embarrassed smile, Xiao Long began walking into the valley on its four legs.
When it reappeared, it was nudging and shoving a turtle the size of a foot basin out.
Looking at this enormous turtle, Yang Lin's eyes immediately showed a hint of surprise.
If he wasn't mistaken, this appeared to be a Galapagos tortoise.
As the largest land tortoise on Earth, Galapagos tortoises can reach nearly 400 catties in adulthood.
Charles Darwin, the founder of the theory of evolution, once kept a Galapagos tortoise as a pet.
The one he kept is still alive today in Australia Zoo, not as a specimen, but truly living until 2023.
Yang Lin couldn't understand why a Galapagos tortoise would appear here.
"Could it be an escaped pet from some ancestor's home? It escaped for over a hundred years and ended up here?"
Pondering this absurd possibility, Yang Lin's gaze drifted towards the depths of the valley.
This valley, located at the innermost part of Bear Ridge, was adjacent to Xihong Zoo on one side and connected to the woodlands outside Xihong Zoo on the other.
Therefore, animals from within Xihong Zoo were occasionally attracted to the superior environment and wandered in.
Xihong Zoo had always welcomed these animals that applied for positions themselves. They just didn't expect that this time, an ancestor-level creature had arrived.
As Yang Lin examined the Galapagos tortoise that had voluntarily appeared, the giant turtle in front of him was also appraising him with its time-weathered gaze.
Although it remained silent, Yang Lin could sense that its remaining time was short.
To verify his suspicion, he casually cast a Glimpse of Insight onto the Galapagos tortoise.
[Male Galapagos Tortoise (Extremely Old) 234 years old, Friendly]
Well, this was indeed an elder.
234 years ago, Emperor Qianlong was still alive, and the first president of the United States, George Washington, had just taken office.
It was possible that this elder had been presented as a tribute from foreign envoys to Long Country back then.
After traversing over two centuries, it had arrived here, and its lifespan was nearing its end.
"It seems to be fate. Heaven destined that you wouldn't leave this world just like that."
Of course, Yang Lin also had a feeling that this ancient tortoise was destined to meet him here.
However, regardless of the reason, it no longer mattered.
Their meeting was a form of fate.
The next second, Yang Lin looked at its talent panel again.
With a single glance, he locked onto two talents.
One was the Longevity talent shared by all turtles, which added a hundred years of life per point.
The other talent was something he had never seen before.
[Unlimited Growth (Gold Talent) Activating this talent requires 5 talent points]
Upon first seeing this talent, Yang Lin didn't immediately grasp its meaning. However, after careful consideration, he understood.
Most animals, including humans, have genetic limitations on their body size.
Even if you lived for ten thousand years and had sufficient food and nutrition, your size would only reach a certain limit.
However, a few types of animals were exceptions.
The most typical example was the octopus.
"Unlimited Growth" meant that as long as the creature did not die, its growth and development would not cease.
Understanding this, Yang Lin's eyes instantly brightened.