The pain was excruciating, yet Mira pushed through. Gritting her teeth, not from pain but frustration, she channeled all her Qi throughout her body, trying to resist and heal the crushing force exerted by the Basilisk just enough so she could speak.𝗈𝔳𝑙xt.𝓬𝐎𝕞

Her eyes locked onto the monster, and before he could kill them, she shouted, “Wait! I have no intention of stealing it from you! What I want is a trade!”

“Not interested,” The Basilisk replied and continued crushing her with its might, which surprised Mira a bit. Clearly, it was more important to him than she thought.

However, this was good.

‘I can use this!’ Her eyes gleamed a calculating light as she thought of the right words to say.

“Kugh!” She coughed up a mouthful of blood before speaking, “Given that this place is so old, I’m assuming there’s a very limited quantity of Celestial Nectar, given that you’re still here! I can speed up the production of it by severalfold if you allow me to see it!”

Now THAT caught the Basilisk’s attention.

“Explain.” The Basilisk demanded, receding some of his aura, but still kept enough of it locked on Mira and her companions so they couldn’t pull any tricks under its watch.

Not only was this his domain, but his prized treasure lay within. If, for some reason, it was stolen right under his nose, just because he got a little cocky…

He might truly die from anger.

“I have a treasure that can speed up the maturity and production of plants by many times. We should be able to see results in just a few days should I plant it there. All I ask for, in return, is a small amount of it to save my disciple from a deadly poison.” Mira answered as truthfully as she could while also not giving everything away.

“Then, why don’t I just kill you now and take this treasure away from you?” The Basilisk asked as he increased the pressure on Mira’s body.

However, she stood there, tall and confident, and stared straight into the beast’s eyes.

“You’re welcome to try.”

The meaning behind those four words was clear. He could kill her, but he wouldn’t get what he wanted. To use Mira’s treasure, she needed to be alive, which meant it was either hidden or connected to her in some way.

However, as a long-lived Mythical beast, his experience told him it was the latter. He didn’t believe Mira would even suggest such a proposal if she didn’t have the treasure already on her.

The Basilisk hesitated for a moment, its eyes scrutinizing Mira as it considered her proposal. It could see that she would likely do almost anything to save her disciple, but there was something in her confidence that made it pause.

‘Her eyes.’ The Basilisk thought as he stared into Mira’s cold but determined eyes. ‘She’s not afraid of death.’

He honestly wasn’t sure what to think of that, as very few beings alive did not fear death to some degree. In fact, aside from power, longevity is one of the primary reasons people cultivate.

There’s so much to do and see in this wide world; only those with a long lifespan could possibly explore the vastness of Heaven and Earth.

So far, everything Mira has said has been genuine.

If she truly had a treasure that could speed up the production of Celestial Nectar, then it would also be a boon for the beast.

Finally, after moments of contemplation, it relented, the pressure on Mira and her companions lessening once more.

“Very well, I will give you a chance to prove your words. Show me this treasure and the results it can bring. I will allow you to assist me if you can fulfill your promise. But remember, any deceit will result in your death and the deaths of those around you.” The Basilisk stated, his words less of a threat and more of a promise.

Mira nodded, relieved that the beast was willing to consider her proposal. However, before she could get too relieved, there was a slight problem.

‘I can’t take out the Firmament!’

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but that she didn’t have the ability to.

‘Oi! So-called “Guardian”! Can you isolate and take out the Infinity Garden so I can show this guy?’ Mira asked her supposed protector.

“Hey! I’m an actual Guardian, y’know!”

Mira mentally rolled her eyes, ‘Sure~ Sure~ And I’m Jesus. Now, can you quit yapping and take out the Infinity Garden? This guy might actually kill me if I take too long.’

Mira could feel the Basilisk’s impatience growing with every second as it stared intently at her.

“Fine,” The Guardian grumbled as he looked at the Basilisk hatefully through his screen, “But only because it’d be annoying to deal with that guy.”

The Guardian waved his hand and isolated the Infinity Garden in a small box. Then, he temporarily disconnected it from the Firmament and plopped it in Mira’s hands.

“There, that should be all the proof that guy needs. However, try not to keep it like that too long, as I don’t want to waste my precious energy keeping it out of the Firmament.”

Mira scoffed at his words but said nothing to refute them. For all she knew, it was costing him precious energy that he couldn’t easily replenish. She knew nothing about gods or those with similar power to them, after all.

She held out the Infinity Garden, which fit in her palm, and extended her arm to show the Basilisk.

“If you look inside here, you’ll be able to see numerous plants growing and reproducing at a speed perceivable to the naked eye. I’m sure you understand what that means, right?” Mira said.

The Basilisk brought its massive head, which was taller than Mira, and inspected the tiny box in her hand. He could tell just from the aura that the treasure was insanely ancient and powerful, probably more powerful than him.

That was enough to prove to him that Mira had indeed brought out the real thing.

Inspecting further, he inserted his Divine Sense into the Infinity Garden and looked around. There, he saw all kinds of plants, herbs, trees, seeds, etc., growing. And true to her word, all of it happened at a speed the naked eye could perceive.

Maybe if these were mortal plants, it wouldn’t be as big of a deal, but he noticed Mystical and Divine-ranked materials in there! If that wasn’t proof that she wasn’t lying, then he didn’t know what was!

The thought sent a shudder of excitement through the Basilisk’s colossal body, causing the ground and nearby trees to quiver momentarily.

‘Huhuhu~ It seems the Heavens have finally rewarded me for my patience!’ The Basilisk’s eyes gleamed as it gazed upward as if offering gratitude to the Heavens above.

“Very well. You may accompany me to my lair, Young Fox. However, your friends must remain here. I do not trust them,”  it remarked while lifting the paralysis from Mira’s companions.

Mira didn’t have a problem with that and immediately agreed, but she had a condition.

“That’s fine, but can you allow them to move their bodies? We’re not exactly on the best of terms with the Sect nearby, and I’d hate for them to get captured without being able to fight back.”

The Basilisk pondered for a moment, then, with a subtle hiss and a nod, it consented to Mira’s proposal.

“Humans and their petty wars… I wish not to get involved in their squabble.” It said while dispelling the trance it had put them in.

“Huh?”

“Did I pass out standing up?”

“What happened?”

“…Uhhh.. There was a giant tree, then a serpent, and then…”

“…A Basilisk…”

The girls’ eyes suddenly widened, and they jumped back upon remembering the face of the giant beast that had almost killed them with a single look.

“A Basilisk!!”

That’s when they noticed the massive head right in front of them!

“Fuck! It’s right there!”

As they instinctively drew their weapons and braced themselves for a fight, Mira’s voice echoed in their ears, halting their actions before they could do anything stupid.

“I’m going to follow this creature to its lair, where we will continue our negotiations. You girls stay here and try not to get caught by the Toxic Blade Sect. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but hopefully, I’ll be able to bring back some Celestial Nectar to give to Dominique.”

“See you later.”

With those final words, Mira ventured deeper into the heart of the forest, the trees closing in behind her and forming a protective barrier around the area.

Left behind, Nova and the others stood in a state of bewilderment, unsure of how to process the turn of events.

“Wh-What the hell just happened?” Nova muttered in disbelief, with the others as equally confused as her.

“I-I… I think Mira just said she was negotiating with a mythical beast…?”