The next day.
Scions of the Canopy, Tribal Chief's Reception Room.
"I have already heard about your deeds. Not many can earn praise from the Pyro Archon herself through martial prowess. As the chief of the Scions of the Canopy, it is only right that I entertain you properly. It's just that I was occupied with some affairs earlier, so I hope you can forgive me."
The moment Wayna saw Mu Yang, he immediately stood up from his seat and walked over to the two of them.
His attitude was no different from Trinidad's.
However, the basis for their judgments should be different.
Wayna judged based on the Pyro Archon's appreciation for Mu Yang.
Trinidad judged based on Mu Yang's performance among the People of the Springs.
In that case, the eyes of the messengers truly are everywhere.
"Chief, you flatter me."
After the two exchanged pleasantries, Wayna went straight to the point.
"I heard from Kinich that you are not someone who beats around the bush, so I'll speak directly as well."
"Yesterday I learned the news from Trinidad, which is why I invited you here for a talk. I have no objection to having a powerhouse who fights the Abyss host the Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame…"
Mu Yang raised his eyes. "But?"
Usually, such words were followed by a turn.
Wayna took a deep breath. "I have only one request: I hope you can ensure the safety of the Mountain King."
Just as Mu Yang expected, the upper echelons of the Scions of the Canopy had already split into two factions.
One was Trinidad's faction that wanted to eliminate the Mountain King, and the other was the chief's faction that wanted to protect the Mountain King.
"The children of the Scions of the Canopy all grew up listening to heroic legends — from the fire-stealing Yupanki, to Bukina and the Mountain King who waged war against the Abyss…"
"That is our precious history that gives us pride and faith. Killing the Mountain King now would be no different from killing our own spirit. If such a thing happens, I will have no face to meet the ancestors of the Kingdom of the Night Gods."
Wayna tried to persuade Mu Yang.
He explained that Trinidad's dragon companion was injured, so they could not blame him too harshly on this matter.
But for the sake of the tribe, they absolutely could not let the Mountain King face any life-threatening danger. That was the root of the Scions of the Canopy.
Listening to this, Mu Yang thought: How did the power over the Mountain King's life and death fall into his hands?
This was a hot potato.
"Is there really no perfect solution that satisfies both sides?"
Wayna shook his head.
The conflict had accumulated over time and had always existed.
Aside from Nanna, many dragon companions had been injured before.
If this issue was not resolved, Nanna would definitely not be the last one.
They had tried many methods, but they had never been able to perfectly solve the problem.
Wayna sincerely wanted to hear Mu Yang's stance.
Because according to the results of yesterday's elders' meeting, his appointment as the Flame Bearer was already a done deal.
Although two traditional elders insisted that Kinich should bear the responsibility of returning the fire, more people expressed that "we have suffered enough from Kinich."
The minority obeys the majority. Mu Yang also had the Pyro Archon's endorsement, plus his battle record among the People of the Springs.
The position of Flame Bearer could only belong to him.
Mu Yang said he still needed to think it over. During this time, he would walk around the Scions of the Canopy and observe the internal situation of the tribe.
Seeing such a responsible and diligent Mu Yang, Wayna breathed a sigh of relief and said that if there were any problems, he could come find him anytime.
After Mu Yang walked out of the reception room, he saw Kinich leaning sideways against the doorframe.
This posture was indeed quite pretentious — Mu Yang had done it himself before.
"It really is a hot potato. No wonder you two didn't reach an agreement that morning," Mu Yang said.
"Indeed it is a hot potato. Therefore, I demand an additional price."
Mu Yang inwardly grumbled: So you want extra money, huh.
But on second thought, asking for more money meant he could actually do it.
"Do you have a good solution?"
Mu Yang asked directly. He was not short on money anyway. Spending some Mora to buy an idea was perfectly reasonable.
If this matter could be resolved well, the benefits he would gain would far exceed what this amount of Mora could measure.
Kinich unceremoniously accepted the money. This was his principle of conduct. However, he only took a small portion of it.
It seemed this method was still only at the theoretical stage and not easy to implement.
"I am a dragon hunter. Occasionally, I also hunt Abyss monsters. Once, while chasing a purple demonic hound, I accidentally entered a hidden space."
"Beast Realm Hounds?" Mu Yang guessed.
Kinich nodded. "It seems you have encountered far more than I have."
He explained that only after checking the woven scrolls of the Masters of the Night-Wind did he learn that the place was called the Beast Realm.
The Beast Realm was divided into many large and small areas — those were the dwelling places of the hounds.
If they could find a Beast Realm, eliminate the hounds inside, and then place the Mountain King there…
That way, it could stay alive while also being unable to threaten the tribe's safety.
Mu Yang's expression rarely showed some change.
This was indeed a good method. However, opening a Beast Realm passage was not so easy to accomplish.
Moreover, saying it would never threaten the Scions of the Canopy in the future was too absolute.
"What's wrong? Is there a flaw in this plan?"
Kinich also noticed Mu Yang's abnormality.
"There is indeed a small problem. The purple creature you just mentioned, called Beast Realm Hounds — their leader is called the Golden King Beast…"
This was exactly what Mu Yang was worried about.
Although the King Beast was most likely recuperating in Tsurumi Island right now, who could say for sure what was happening inside the Beast Realm?
After all, when the Beast Realm Hounds invaded Teyvat back then, it was a disaster for all seven nations.
If they rashly placed the Mountain King into the Beast Realm and its power ended up being stolen by the Golden King Beast, the consequences would not be limited to just the Scions of the Canopy suffering.
"You mean the Golden King Beast can still dissolve space and open teleportation gates for the hounds?" Kinich frowned. This was information he did not know.
Mu Yang did not seem like someone who liked to brag, so the intelligence he provided should be true.
In that case, his method would not work.
Kinich did not want to put the Mountain King in a dangerous situation.
He returned the Mora he had just received to Mu Yang.
Mu Yang waved his hand, considering it as an advance payment.
The most important thing was that he had indeed gotten a good idea from Kinich.
Mu Yang extended the thought a little further: If a native of Teyvat like Kinich could enter the Beast Realm and come out unscathed, then he himself would have even less to worry about.
If he could go to the Beast Realm, then what about the teleportation gates used by higher-level Abyss monsters?
Previously, when Jakob escaped, although it was an act, Mu Yang had truly been helpless.
The problem of the Abyss was becoming increasingly obvious.
Upon arriving in Natlan, the Abyss had already evolved into the main contradiction.
It was time to start researching leylines and Abyss teleportation gates.
For this matter, there was one guy who seemed very familiar with it —
Dainsleif.
In the past, Mu Yang was not clear about Dain's true strength and did not want to contact him rashly.
But now it no longer mattered. No matter how strong Dain was, he could not compare to Mu Yang's current self.
Mu Yang pulled his thoughts back. Kinich's method clearly carried great risks and definitely could not be used.
In the end, he still had to come up with a solution himself.
Mu Yang decided to first go see Trinidad's attitude, then take a walk around the Scions of the Canopy tribe, and finally go take a look at the Mountain King.