Qin Ming encountered difficulties when he left, as Xiao Pang's spatial positioning became unstable.

It's intermittent, as if the signal is weak.

So Keda carried Xiaopang around looking for a signal, while Qin Ming summoned back the spirit beasts and rode on the white wolf to go together.

They were actually quite fast, but they were still stopped halfway.

A dark red figure leaped over from behind the ridge at great speed, bringing with it a blast of scorching air. Like a meteorite falling from a great height, it struck the ice surface a dozen steps in front of him with pinpoint accuracy, causing even the seemingly indestructible ice to crack and creak.

Qin Ming had no time to panic. He was inexplicably excited. The familiar figure in front of him and the vibrating scales inside the space stone gave him a guess about the identity of the newcomer.

The dark red outline contracted slightly after landing, then stretched out again, like a large cat catching its breath after a long run.

His golden pupils were fixed on Qin Ming, but he wasn't quite sure if the person in front of him was indeed a human he knew.

"Fire Kirin!?"

"Qin Ming!?"

Both of them marveled and circled around each other.

Fire Scale circled Qin Ming once, its tail hovering in mid-air without touching the ground. Its steps carried a cautious "Let me confirm if this is really true" attitude, pausing briefly in Qin Ming's blind spot with each step.

Qin Ming also turned around, his gaze sweeping from the Fire Scale's back to the tip of its tail.

Its shoulders and back were much wider, the golden flames on its spine were dazzling, and the cloud patterns on its four hooves were much more intricate, but there was still a sense of familiarity in its eyes.

We looked at each other, our gazes meeting several times in the air.

Overwhelmed by intense emotions, countless words swirled on their lips, yet they didn't know where to begin.

Qin Ming, looking at the noticeably more muscular Huo Lin, spoke first: "You successfully advanced? Congratulations!"

"You're not bad either, congratulations... how did you advance two ranks?" Huo Lin suddenly wasn't so cheerful anymore.

He left because he wanted to break through. He only had one breakthrough skill, while Qin Ming had broken through several times.

Even though it's easier for humans to level up than for spirit beasts, and Qin Ming is one of the best among them, and his breakthroughs at lower levels are different from those at higher levels, something still doesn't seem right.

Could it be that... this one in front of me is fake?

But a quick glance revealed the blessing mark on the phoenix and the increasingly intense spatial fluctuations within the fat turtle; these were undeniable facts.

Looking at the unmistakable Qin Ming, Huo Lin felt that he had missed out on too much.

"you…"

"you…"

"You go first."

Qin Ming was overjoyed. Even the reason why Huo Lin didn't go looking for him was no longer important in the face of the joy of their reunion.

Before he could even ask, Huo Lin angrily explained, "Because of my advancement, this place has gathered a sufficiently rich source of primordial fire, making further advancement possible."

"But fire energy is never truly dormant. If I don't manage to regulate it, this place will be engulfed in flames for miles around, turning into a desolate wasteland as soon as I leave!"

He slapped his tail hard on the ground. "I advanced because I comprehended the vitality within annihilation. It is neither reasonable nor emotional that I should abandon this place and let it become a dead end."

In the end, even Huo Lin himself was helpless, and his ears unconsciously pressed back.

Qin Ming was suddenly bombarded with so much information that he lost all focus and quickly began to analyze it.

This is probably the period of rest and recuperation after a major advancement. However, since divine beasts have a much longer lifespan than humans, and they also have a mission to shoulder, the time is proportionally extended.

"So how did your brother advance back then?" Qin Ming thought that at least there would be a reference point.

Huo Lin's eyes darted around, his gaze drifting into the distance before returning to his own, and he said evasively:

"The fundamental characteristics of different attributes are different. Besides, my brother's situation is quite different from mine, so it's not very relevant to my experience."

In fact, after his brother advanced, he also spent a hundred years in a period of reflection, allowing his birthplace to advance as well, and only emerged after the energy around him had completely stabilized.

Water flows freely in the universe, but fire can't just suddenly send down a meteor shower and then rage and burn all living things, can it?

In that situation, let alone whether he could live with himself, his brother would kill him first.

Thinking of this, Huo Lin deflated.

Its proud head drooped, and its tail drooped to the ground, instantly shattering its image as a supreme fire-type being.

Although it's clear that the fire scales are somewhat concealed, it's highly likely to be true since it can't be used as a reference.

As a long-time friend, Qin Ming was inevitably biased.

Seeing that this path was blocked, he considered another possibility: "If you leave it alone, what will happen to the creatures here? Will they migrate on their own?"

"It won't matter much, those who can run fast will live, and those who can't will die in droves!" Huo Lin cursed.

At this moment, Huo Lin was like a plant killer. He originally wanted to protect the creatures in this area, but ended up driving them to a dead end.

He wasn't sure whether to complain about the lack of vitality of his plants or about his own poor skills and care.

Qin Ming fell silent. The difficulty level was too high; he couldn't get involved.

He was just an ordinary human being and could not guide the course of such natural and man-made disasters.

He looked at the melting ice and sighed, "It seems we still have to proceed step by step; the task is arduous and the road ahead is long."

"Hmm." Huo Lin wasn't surprised. "But you must come visit me often!"

His gaze fell on Qin Ming, filled with undisguised anticipation.

"And I've found you a bunch of exotic flowers and rare herbs on the back mountain; they should be things you humans would like!"

At this moment, his tail, which had been sulking all day, finally curled up in a tiny, heartfelt arc.

Qin Ming: "..."

Before he could even feel happy, he had a bad feeling, but he dared not say it.

He glanced at the chubby boy, then looked at him several more times.

Little Fatty was so engrossed in the joy of their reunion that he was completely unaware of any potential problems.

As the scene before him became increasingly familiar, Qin Ming dared not hold out any hope anymore.

A fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to maintain his composure, his mind racing to figure out how to explain himself. How embarrassing…

His lips moved, but a plausible explanation was too difficult to find.

It's possible that friends have this instinct to exchange gifts or show off their gains.

Little Fatty suddenly said in a carefree tone, "You know what, this place is really rich in resources. Look what Turtle and Boss just dug up."

He took out the entire spiritual plant he had just dug up and displayed it generously.

This happened so suddenly that even Qin Ming didn't have time to stop it. His vision went black and he felt a dull pain in his chest.

Being praised for the richness of his territory, Huo Lin, as the lord of this land, couldn't help but feel proud.

His tail swung dramatically, and his neck lifted slightly.

He was about to say "That's natural" when a glance out of the corner of his eye made his smug mood stop when he saw the spiritual light flowing around the plant.

This thing looks familiar.

I feel like I've seen him somewhere before, really.

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