The so-called command of the king is not difficult to understand.
Cats and tigers belong to the same feline family, but the tiger has the character "王" (king) on its forehead. As Garfield continues to evolve, the kingly character on his forehead becomes clearer.
When Garfield reached level 50, the Sky Cat King Garfield naturally developed the aura of a king and obtained a king's domain. This domain is relatively small, about 500 meters in radius.
Within the king's domain, Garfield has an aura suppression, meaning it can overpower others with its presence, especially when facing similar species or other felines. The suppression is even more evident.
Therefore, when Garfield moves, any monster within a 500-meter radius feels the terrifying kingly aura, and weaker monsters instinctively retreat.
As a result, King Yao can travel without being disturbed by various monsters along the way. These monsters, lacking much intelligence, usually charge at passersby, which is quite bothersome.
"As long as the monster's level and rank are below Garfield's, it won't dare to attack," King Yao had confirmed this effect of the king's domain after some trials.
Garfield, a Heavenly Grade Top-Quality Beast Master, can crush most monsters in terms of rank. Its level has also reached 50, which is relatively high among the mutated monsters of Earthstar, so King Yao's journey was uninterrupted.
"I wonder if it can suppress those insect-type creatures."
The Grinding Ridge Secret Realm is full of venomous insects and snakes, so if Garfield can suppress these creatures, it would be quite pleasant.
Suddenly, a commotion ahead caught King Yao's attention. He rushed toward the sound of battle and found a scene on a hill where a giant snake, over 20 yards long, was fighting. The snake was a Silver-Grade Mid-Class monster, but its level was still formidable at 50, qualifying it as an Emperor-class monster.
Against the snake was Ye Qiugao, whom King Yao had seen earlier.
At this moment, Ye Qiugao had an angry expression. The giant snake, which had apparently lost its patience, dared to provoke him. Caught off guard, Ye Qiugao nearly fell from the hill.
This made him furious. With a wave of his hand, he summoned his Golden-Grade Mid-Class 50-level Beast, the Mountain Crushing Giant Ape.
The Mountain Crushing Giant Ape, a type of ape monster, was different from the Mountain Moving Giant Ape in that it wasn't as strong in arm strength, but its palm strikes were incredibly powerful, capable of flattening a hill.
Once summoned, the Mountain Crushing Giant Ape, standing nearly 100 meters tall, was comparable in size to the small hill, creating immense pressure on the giant snake. The snake's eyes flashed with fear and it tried to flee.
However, the snake couldn't escape. The Mountain Crushing Giant Ape swiped with one palm, causing the ground to collapse with a thunderous sound. The snake's tail was not only snapped but was reduced to a mass of blood and flesh.
"Kill it," Ye Qiugao ordered coldly.
The Mountain Crushing Giant Ape obeyed, chasing the snake and grabbing its body, swinging it around in the air.
King Yao, watching from the rear, was momentarily stunned.
He remembered back in his previous life, as a country boy, he had caught snakes. At that time, the snakes weighed around a pound. His courage was greater, though he wasn't skilled in catching snakes, so he would just grab the snake's tail and swing it forcefully. After several spins, the snake would become dizzy, giving him a chance to grab its vital point.
Unexpectedly, King Yao witnessed this familiar scene again on Earthstar, and he couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
Each time the Mountain Crushing Giant Ape swung the snake, it slammed its head against a large rock, staining the rock with blood. The ape didn't stop; after swinging it 30 to 50 times, it threw the snake onto a small hill. Then, with one massive palm, it crushed the hill, burying the snake entirely. Yet, the snake's life force was strong, and despite this, it didn't die.
The Mountain Crushing Giant Ape then reached down and tore the snake in half with its immense strength.
This bloody scene was too gruesome for King Yao to watch, so he signaled Garfield to change course and take a different path.
Thanks to Garfield, the Sky Cat King, as the traveling companion, King Yao arrived at the cloud entrance of the Grinding Ridge Secret Realm ten minutes later.
There, a familiar figure stood under the entrance, seemingly in a daze.
King Yao recognized the person, whose face was strikingly similar to the photo of Long Buyu, and called out, "Are you Long Buyu?"
Long Buyu, an orphan, wasn't originally named this. He chose the name later, feeling like a dragon who would one day soar into the sky. However, due to his childhood experiences, he wasn't fond of crowds and preferred not to speak much, which led him to add "Buyu" (meaning silence) to his name.
Standing at 1.8 meters, Long Buyu wore a full set of S-Class battle gear, valued at millions of credit points—something King Yao couldn't afford yet. His large eyes always squinted, as though this made things clearer.
His appearance wasn't handsome but had a rugged, masculine charm, with a trace of weariness on his face, giving him an air of manliness. King Yao couldn't help but be impressed by his charisma. It was no wonder Long Buyu had so many devoted fans online.
Beside Long Buyu stood a fiery red Beast, resembling a kylin, radiating intense heat, which caused the surrounding temperature to rise.
King Yao was taken aback and couldn't resist scanning it with his system.
"Beast Name: Mutated Fire Kylin
Beast Rank: Heavenly Grade Top-Quality
Beast Level: 47
Abilities: 1. Fire Control. Naturally able to manipulate flames. 2. Divine Tread. Capable of traversing sky, land, mountains, rivers, seas, deserts, swamps, etc. 3. Transformation. Can transform into a semi-human form, with intelligence, capable of speaking and mastering human combat skills. 4. Growth. All attributes, including strength, speed, defense, agility, and endurance, are enhanced for half an hour.
Weaknesses: 1. Slow to level up. Each major rank requires consuming large amounts of fire-based food, including fire monsters, fire herbs, and pure fire energy. 2. Near invincible at the same rank, but struggles when challenging higher ranks. If its level and rank are surpassed, its attributes will be suppressed."
King Yao was impressed. He hadn't expected the Mutated Fire Kylin to have such miraculous attributes. It was incredibly comprehensive, with no obvious weaknesses. No wonder it was considered a divine beast in ancient legends.
And this was just a mutated Fire Kylin—what would a purebred Fire Kylin be like?
"Divine Rank? Or perhaps Holy Rank?"
Either way, it would be an extremely rare entity.
At this moment, Long Buyu noticed King Yao's voice and looked up from his trance. He smiled at the unfamiliar young man and said, "Indeed, if there is no other Long Buyu in Earthstar City, I must be the one you're referring to. May I ask who you are?"
King Yao shrugged and replied, "I'm Kent, a first-year student at Earthstar University, here to explore the Grinding Ridge Secret Realm."
"You..."
Long Buyu, though naturally proud, hid it well, so his arrogance didn't show outwardly like Golden Tian or Ye Qiugao. His pride was more reserved and internalized, making him approachable.
"You're a first-year student and you came to the Grinding Ridge Secret Realm alone?" Long Buyu was taken aback, clearly surprised.
Kent nodded earnestly, "Yes, please guide me."
"Not at all," Long Buyu smiled faintly, then, intrigued, asked, "Kent, since you can recognize me, you must be aware of my feats and abilities. Even I'm uncertain about whether I can safely navigate the Grinding Ridge Secret Realm. May I ask, what reliance do you have to come here alone?"
Kent furrowed his brow. He knew Long Buyu didn't quite believe him, but standing here, Long Buyu had no reason not to.
Though Kent didn't think this topic was worth discussing, Long Buyu had made a good first impression on him, and it wouldn't be bad to befriend him.
So, Kent decided to answer the question seriously.