The two of them agreed to the plan, with Kent waiting for Qian Zhenqian to return to Earthstar City and contact Kent to handle the matter.
About twenty minutes later, the two arrived at the towering mountain peak. Due to the eruption of the active volcano, the surface of the mountain was covered in dark volcanic rocks.
However, the massive fire dragon, over a hundred feet long, had vanished.
"Kent, this fire dragon resides in the crater, deep within the mountain. I'll draw it out, and you can sneak in and grab anything valuable once it's distracted," said Qian Zhenqian.
Kent, still a bit puzzled, looked at him.
Qian Zhenqian gave a dry laugh, "Actually, I'm not entirely sure I can defeat it. Let's just give it a try."
"I see."
Kent nodded and watched him fly up to the mountain. Soon, Qian Zhenqian reached a smoke-filled valley, and with a gust of wind, he hurled a massive volcanic rock into the crater.
Boom!
From afar, Kent could even hear the rumbling as the magma inside the mountain was struck. Then, a furious roar echoed through the sky as the gigantic fire dragon emerged. It was a majestic creature, its scales as large as doors, glowing red-hot with flames. Its eyes blazed with fiery energy, and two tongues of fire shot out of its mouth, swirling and ready to strike.
The fire dragon was over 430 feet long, and as it soared into the air, it cast a massive shadow. Kent was momentarily stunned by the sheer size and overwhelming presence of the dragon. The terrifying aura it radiated was unmistakable—this was a true dragon's power.
"You humans... are you seeking death?" To Kent's surprise, the dragon spoke in fluent human language, its voice booming with anger.
It was said that intelligent native beasts could learn human language and civilization, and some powerful sacred beasts and divine beasts could even transform into humans, causing fear among humans. However, so far, no native beast had infiltrated the human world in human form, which would have catastrophic consequences.
Qian Zhenqian, a seasoned four-star inspector, had seen his fair share of native beasts over the years. He was unfazed by the fire dragon speaking in human language.
"I mean no offense, Your Excellency. I only wish to borrow something from you. Once I've obtained it, I will leave immediately," Qian Zhenqian said, slightly bowing with a solemn expression.
The fire dragon laughed uproariously, "Ha ha! Such boldness! I haven't sought trouble with your kind, yet you humans repeatedly invade our fire world and the fire dragon clan. How dare you! You pretend to seek something, but your real goal is to kill me, isn't it?"
Qian Zhenqian's intentions had been exposed, but his expression remained unchanged. "Since you've seen through my purpose, there's nothing more to say. Are you willing to fight?"
"Hmph, why waste time talking? Take this!" The dragon opened its mouth and spewed a massive fireball that transformed into a fiery lance. It was fifty meters long, as thick as a bathtub, and radiated an incredible heat. As it pierced through the air, it caused the space around it to crackle and sizzle with the intensity of its power.
Qian Zhenqian quickly formed several hand seals, and the air around him began to churn, forming a vortex of violent winds. The powerful wind swallowed the fiery lance, gradually tearing it apart. Sparks flew, creating a rain of fire that fell to the ground.
"Impressive, but do you think this is enough to defeat me?" The dragon roared, and its massive body rolled in the air, transforming into a hundred-meter-long form. Two fiery red horns appeared on its head, and its four claws radiated an intimidating aura. It then darted towards Qian Zhenqian for close combat.
Kent watched in awe as the battle unfolded above. He understood that the fire dragon could use its fire domain to cover a vast area in flames, but using this move would drain its vital energy. It seemed that the dragon had judged that it didn't need such a powerful ability for Qian Zhenqian, and thus, it opted for close combat instead.
Close combat was where dragons excelled. Their bodies were tough, their scales nearly impervious, and their claws razor-sharp—making them formidable in hand-to-hand combat.
Seeing this, Qian Zhenqian's face changed. Suddenly, three pairs of wind wings appeared behind him, and with a flap, he shot off into the distance, pulling away from the dragon.
The Storm Fighting Technique was Qian Zhenqian's signature skill, which excelled in group and long-range attacks. His ability in close combat was rather average, but fortunately, this was a reliable escape technique.
The dragon hesitated for a moment. It didn't want to leave its lair, and for a while, it didn't pursue Qian Zhenqian.
In the dragon's eyes, its majesty was not to be questioned, but it was also intelligent. When faced with a strong opponent, it thought twice. Dragons were often proud, greedy, and lascivious, but they were also cunning.
Qian Zhenqian showed no surprise at the hesitation. He remained in mid-air and summoned his beasts—a silver moon wolf, a celestial-level mid-tier 75-level beast, and a gigantic golden insect, a native beast from the renowned insect world.
Kent couldn't help but look at the golden insect. Despite being an insect, it stood eight meters tall and twenty meters long, with thirty-six powerful, barbed legs. Its back was covered in a tough red exoskeleton.
"Beast name: Ripper King
Beast tier: Celestial-level upper tier
Beast level: 81 (Saint-level)
Abilities: 1. Ripping. Can slice through any material, no matter how tough. The strength of its ripping ability increases with its level. 2. Devour. 3. Blood Armor..."
"This insect is incredible. If it evolves into a Saint-tier beast, the thought of it is terrifying," Kent thought, alarmed. He could no longer look down on the forces from the star system.
Earlier, Kent had felt somewhat superior because of his Divine Beast Evolution System, but now, his arrogance had been somewhat shaken. He wasn't necessarily more powerful than others, just luckier. In the future, his true achievements would depend on his own efforts.
After summoning his two beasts, Qian Zhenqian positioned them to guard him on either side. He then activated his Storm Fighting Technique.
As he continued to form mysterious hand signs, the air within a radius of several dozen miles began to stir. Numerous small tornadoes began to converge toward him, forming a massive storm at his center.
The sky darkened, and a thick smoke rolled in. Kent's expression shifted. He realized that Qian Zhenqian was preparing to unleash a full-scale storm to battle the fire dragon.