Mediating from Within

"If I'm not mistaken, the truth behind this situation is just like this," Kent thought as he pieced together most of the clues, feeling both amused and helpless.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Kent caught a fleeting figure. He immediately recognized it as Ye Yan. It seemed he had been lurking here the entire time. Was Ye Yan also tailing Long Buyu?

"Ye Yan and Huang Jintian come from prestigious families. They must have gotten wind of Long Buyu's arrival and followed him here to see what was going on."

Kent was momentarily stunned. It dawned on him that out of the four people exploring the secret realm, only he had genuinely come to explore, while the others were all plotting something behind the scenes, calculating against each other.

"Damn, I've been kept in the dark all along," Kent couldn't help but curse, then he thought about the connection between the Sheep's Horn Mountain and the Fire Kylin. The mountain's miner beast clans had discovered the red fire ore vein a long time ago. So, what was the relationship between the Fire Kylin and this ore vein?

Kent's mind wandered. He remembered a plot from a web novel where the Fire Kylin had been sleeping under the Sheep's Horn Mountain for many years, and its resting place coincidentally formed a red fire ore vein. If this was true, then the Fire Kylin was even more extraordinary than he had imagined.

At this point, Kent looked up at the Fire Kylin in the sky, activating his scanning ability. A property panel immediately appeared in his mind.

Beast Name: Heavenly Fire Kylin

Beast Rank: Saint Tier, High-Grade

Beast Level: 85

…

Abilities: The host's level is too low and too weak to read.

Weaknesses: The host's level is too low to read.

Kent went into deep thought. The gigantic fire dragon he encountered in the fire space had only been level 82 and was a mid-grade Saint Tier creature. Compared to the Fire Kylin, this one was far stronger. This suggested that the Heavenly Fire Kylin was even more powerful than the fire dragon.

However, the strange part was that while he had previously been able to scan the fire dragon's properties, he couldn't scan the Kylin now. It seemed there was some kind of permission limit, perhaps tied to Kent's own strength.

He considered the possibility that the Heavenly Fire Kylin's rank and level were so high that it exceeded his current permissions, possibly nearing the realm of divine beasts.

The Fire Kylin's voice suddenly echoed in his mind. "You foolish little thief, do you think just because you hold my offspring's life in your hands, you can avoid death?"

Kent's heart sank. He realized that the Fire Kylin was not a creature willing to negotiate, especially not with a weak human like him. It wouldn't hesitate to attack if it meant avenging its kin.

But Long Buyu wouldn't just accept death, so this situation was heading toward an inevitable confrontation.

Kent shivered. He feared that the worst-case scenario might happen: the Heavenly Fire Kylin had the power to trigger a large-scale beast wave. If such a wave attacked a star city, the results would be catastrophic—at best, massive damage, and at worst, total annihilation.

"Long Buyu is an orphan who rose through his own ability and luck. He is proud to the core, and such a person would never care about anyone else's safety," Kent mused.

As if confirming his thoughts, Long Buyu laughed coldly. "You speak of threats, but I was raised as an orphan with no family. You can't threaten me with anyone. As for the fate of humanity, that's none of my concern. They live or die—it's irrelevant to me."

The Heavenly Fire Kylin's rage boiled over. Its fiery eyes locked onto Long Buyu, and it growled, "Fine. I do not have only one offspring. It was a disgrace for my kin to be bound by a contract. Therefore, today, you shall pay the price, and you will accompany it in death."

With a step forward, the sky blazed red with fire as its immense power surged, causing the air to crackle with heat.

Seeing that the Fire Kylin was about to strike, Kent became frantic. He couldn't afford to hesitate anymore. Shouting, he called out, "Wait! I have something to say!"

Huang Jintian and Ye Yan, who had been trying to flee, both turned to look at Kent in confusion. This was the perfect time to escape—why was Kent walking straight into danger?

The Heavenly Fire Kylin, seemingly hearing Kent's shout, lowered its head slightly, as if granting him permission to speak.

Kent cleared his throat and shouted, "The situation has reached an impasse, where neither side can win. Heavenly Fire Saint, may I ask for a moment of your attention?"

The Fire Kylin, initially indifferent, was caught off guard when Kent addressed it as "Heavenly Fire Saint." The term "Saint" not only flattered it but also hinted at its own true identity, startling it for a moment.

"Who are you, kid? Why aren't you running for your life and instead walking straight to your doom?" the Fire Kylin barked.

Kent shook his head. "My name is Kent. This person, up there, is Long Buyu. I've just met him, so his life or death has nothing to do with me. But Heavenly Fire Saint, if you unleash your fury on humanity, it will be an unwarranted disaster."

The Fire Kylin sneered. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Of course, it does," Kent replied earnestly. "I know that Heavenly Fire Saint doesn't wish to waste energy in pointless slaughter. Destroying humanity will not benefit you; it will only be to vent your anger. But once the dead are gone, there's no point in continuing the conflict. Why not step back and allow me to mediate, to try and find a solution that satisfies both sides?"

Hearing this, the Fire Kylin paused, its fiery gaze flickering with thought. After a moment, it nodded slightly. "I will spare him, but it will not end here. He must either serve as my slave for life, or sever both his hands and feet. Go and tell this to the little thief."

Kent couldn't help but smile wryly. This was little better than a death sentence. He knew Long Buyu would never agree to such terms. Sure enough, when Kent glanced at Long Buyu, he saw the cold, defiant look in his eyes as he turned his head, signaling his refusal.