In Sumeru, pretend to be a scholar

"Meditators at this stage, because they are in communion with the World Tree but cannot control what they can see, often end up talking nonsense due to the jumbled knowledge they acquire from the World Tree. This is also known as the 'Forest Dwelling Ramblings Stage.' This was particularly noticeable a couple of years ago when the Dead Zone was still active, but it's much better now."

"The next stage after the [Forest Dwelling Period] is called the [Perfection Period], also known as the [Silent Perfection Period]."

"At this stage, the scholar's heart is complete, and he can communicate freely with the World Tree to a certain extent in order to seek answers and even use the power of the World Tree. In a sense, scholars who can reach this stage are often those who are favored by the Grass God."

"At present, only a few scholars within the Academy who are a little younger than me have been able to do this."

Wang Yan listened and smirked. A scholar who was a little younger than his mentor must be over a hundred years old.

The Order of the Fatherland still has these old relics?

Pshaw, pshaw, pshaw! We can't be disrespectful to our mentors.

Wang Yan cursed himself inwardly.

Falushan, of course, had no idea what her student was thinking, and sighed, "I've heard that above the [Perfected Stage], there is a realm called [Severing Self-Attachment]. I wonder if it's true or not."

Surprisingly, Wang Yan actually knew a little bit about it.

According to the true original scholar, the highest mountain of Teyvat scholars, the great master Renne, the ancient Liyue method of "Severing the Three Corpses", the ancient Sumeru method of "Severing Self-Attachment", and the "Self-Relinquishment" he studied are the same thing.

"Then, mentor, can I learn this meditation?" Wang Yan asked.

For some reason, Wang Yan had a premonition that this method of cultivating willpower, or mental strength, seemed to be a perfect match for his cheat system.

“Yes, but not yet,” Erosham said directly. “Even now, communicating with the World Tree is extremely dangerous. You need to obtain the official identity of [Tasata] before you can access this knowledge.”

"Hey, aren't I a full-fledged Tasata yet?"

Erosham rolled her eyes: "Although I don't know how you directly obtained the [Tasita] identity, your thesis is empty. In other words, if you want to go further, you need to submit at least two more theses on different topics."

"For this site investigation, your name will be on the paper. I'll help you with one of the papers. As for the other one, you'll have to figure it out yourself."

"Thank you, mentor!!!"

Wang Yan was moved to tears.

I have a supervisor who helped me write my thesis. Do you have one? (Hands on hips, smug)

"Alright, alright, let's continue the lesson. I'll teach you a few common trap spells found in ruins..."

"Okay, mentor!"

Chapter 75 Candice

Time slips away unnoticed while learning.

As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the surrounding light gradually dims, and the temperature, which had been making people sweat not long ago, begins to feel cool.

As night gradually descended upon the boundless sea of ​​sand, the silver moon and sparse stars cast a hazy light upon the caravan.

The sound of the pack animals' hooves was exceptionally clear in the silence, as if they too sensed the approaching home and quickened their pace.

Finally, Dixia, who was in charge, raised her right hand, signaling the team to slow down.

Ahead, a massive rock formation sculpted by wind and sand over the years came into view. The rock surfaces were covered with deep ravines, like silent giants guarding the last pass leading to their homeland.

Caravans passed through the area in single file, the shadows cast by the rocks bringing a moment of coolness, or perhaps it was the joy of returning home that made everyone feel relaxed.

As Wang Yan's beast stepped out of the shadows of the rocky passage, the view before him suddenly opened up.

The first thing that catches the eye is a large expanse of warm, flickering firelight.

It wasn't a few scattered campfires, but rather a continuous, staggered array of lights, shining through the windows of houses nestled in the mountainside and igniting from the stone lampposts in the center of the square, twinkling like stars and converging into a sea of ​​light.

The light illuminated the outline of the village built against the mountain. The houses, mostly made of stone, were nestled among the reddish-brown rocks in a staggered manner, appearing ancient and dignified.

Almost simultaneously with the firelight, the sound of flowing water reached my ears.

Although the sound was still somewhat distant, it was clear and melodious, and seemed especially precious in the dry air.

Looking in the direction of the sound, one can see a clear spring gushing out from a man-made structure resembling a ruin beside the village, flowing along a man-made ditch and into a pool below the village.

Following the water flow, the surrounding area becomes even greener.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing is not the village itself, but a statue of the Seven Gods at the entrance of the village.

At this moment, a figure stood silently beneath the statue.

Her posture was as upright as a resilient poplar in the desert, and her cool and easy-to-move outfit accentuated her agile figure.

What is most striking is her eyes. In the flickering firelight, one can clearly see that she has a unique amber left eye, its color pure and deep, like a frozen sunset or a cellar of honey.

In ancient desert legends and tribal beliefs, such pupils are seen as a symbol of the descendants of the Red King, a mark of nobility and power.

Without a doubt, this is Candice, the guardian of Aru Village.

Candice's gaze remained calm as the caravan slowly emerged from the rocky passage.

Her gaze swept quickly and carefully over every pack animal and every familiar face, weary from their journey yet unable to conceal their joy at returning home.

When it was confirmed that although everyone in the team looked exhausted from the long journey and the goods were covered in dust, there were no casualties or obvious signs of injury, and the team was still relatively well-organized,

Candice's usually calm and resolute face showed a barely perceptible slight sigh of relief.

Every time a caravan leaves Aru village laden with hope and supplies, heading to Kawan Post Station or even further into the rainforest, Candice's heart is always on edge.

In the village, she is confident in protecting the peace and tranquility of every villager.

But once the caravan embarks on the long, sandy road, facing unpredictable weather, lurking monsters, and even treacherous bandits, no matter how strong she is, she is ultimately powerless to help.

Therefore, every time the caravan set out, it was Candice's biggest worry.

Fortunately…

Candice's gaze finally settled on the familiar figure at the very front of the caravan.

As Dixia waved to her, she loudly directed her team members to advance in an orderly manner. Her brown hair danced in the firelight, and she smiled brightly, full of energy.

Seeing her friend as reliable and energetic as ever, Candice smiled slightly and took a few steps forward: "Welcome back, everyone."

"Hahaha, Candice, you've been waiting a long time, haven't you?"

"Long time no see, Candice."

"The goods are much cheaper this year. For the same amount of money, I can bring back much more goods."

"Candice, is everything alright in the village?"

It was clear that Candice's reputation among the caravan in Aru Village was no less than that of Desia. As she approached, the caravan's members...

Even the mercenaries of the Blazing Beasts smiled.

In fact, for most desert people, as long as they have no ill will towards Aru village, Candice is a reliable friend.

Whether you encounter monsters in the wild or fall into quicksand traps, Candice will save you whenever she sees you, and she has the ability to do so.

"I only waited a short while."

"Long time no see, Thorne."

“Really? That’s fantastic! Uncle Amp is already waiting at the warehouse. He’ll be so happy to hear this news.”

"Everything is fine, as usual. Monsters still come by from time to time, but we've dealt with them all."

Candice handled it with practiced ease, then walked over to Desia and asked softly, "Was the journey alright?"

“There was a minor issue, but it's resolved. I'll tell you in a bit,” Dixia replied, then looked at the caravan leader, “Thorne, take your men to the warehouse.”

“No problem, Desia, you and Candice have a good chat.” The caravan leader Thorne responded with a smile, then waved to the pack animal team, “Brothers, come with me, let’s finish this quickly so we can go back and rest.”

"Good!" the caravan members echoed loudly.

The mercenaries of the Radiant Hunter also dispersed, appearing quite familiar with the place.

However, Dixia came to Wang Yan and Falushan's beasts and gestured to them, "You don't need to come to the warehouse."

Wang Yan and Fa Lushan dismounted from the beasts and watched the beast caravan head towards the village's warehouse from the other side of the road.

"This is Senior Erossan, a great scholar from the Academy of Teachings. This is Wang Yan, Senior Erossan's student. Candice, let me tell you, you really have to thank them."

Desia gave Candice a brief introduction.

Candice smiled and nodded to Erossen: "Senior Erossen, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Huh? You know each other?" Dixia was taken aback.

Candice nodded slightly: "Senior Valusan came to the desert for research before, and I was the one who received her."

"Oh, I see. Well, we should thank them even if they're acquaintances." Dixia didn't care about these details. She then told Wang Yan about discovering the criminal gang, informing her of the situation, and how he helped take down several thugs.

Candice's expression didn't change much after listening, but the distance between her and the two scholars lessened.

"I never expected you two to be such a big help. If the goods had been stolen, the village would have had a tough time next year."

Then, Candice looked at Erossan and said, "Senior Erossan, you've come here this time, surely for that new relic?"

The new ruins were discovered in the desert, so it was impossible for them to escape the notice of Candice, the guardian of the village of Arru.

Given that Eros had previously conducted similar investigations in the desert, Candice was naturally able to guess the purpose of their trip.

Erosan didn't hide anything and nodded: "That's right. The information said that this new site is not big, but the patterns inside seem to be different from the previous Red King sites, so I brought my students here to take a look."

“It just so happens that the people who discovered the ruins are also from Aru Village. How about... you two stay at my house for the night, and I'll arrange for someone to take you there tomorrow?” Candice said politely.

Wang Yan looked at Falushan but didn't say anything.

Children do not have the right to express their opinions.

Erosanne replied, "Okay, regarding accommodation..."

“You’ve helped us so much, so we’re friends now. We can’t charge friends for staying at our house, can we?” Candice shook her head with a smile, then pointed to Dixia next to her, “Don’t worry, we have plenty of rooms. She never pays when she comes to stay.”

Dixia immediately became somewhat dissatisfied: "Hey, with our relationship, talking about money is too formal."

Eros understood what she meant: they should just be friends from now on.

"Then we shall accept it without being impolite."

Testimonials

It will be available tomorrow, Wednesday.

It will probably be around 12:10 PM. It will take some time to adjust the VIP chapters, so you don't need to wait for the update at midnight on the 20th.

As usual, I guarantee at least ten chapters after the book goes live, and I should maintain a pace of 10,000 chapters per day until I reach one million words.

As one of the few authors still persisting in writing Genshin Impact, I must thank all travelers for their support.

To be honest, without the support of all travelers, I wouldn't have been able to write Genshin Impact.

Putting everything else aside, just wait for it to be released and I'll be updating like crazy.

I've always felt that consistently updating the book is the best way for an author to repay their readers.

……

Regarding why I'm still writing Genshin Impact.

On one hand, the previous attempt to transform into an original content failed; on the other hand, it's also because Teyvat is really good.

We have all left many footprints in this world, which have brought us many beautiful moments, many regrets, and many memories.

Perhaps you no longer reside in this world, or perhaps you have long forgotten it, but traveler, wherever you have traveled to, Teyvat welcomes you back.

Paimon, I, and many other travelers will be waiting for you here.

-----------------

Then let's address the two most hotly debated issues in the book review section.

-----------------

About the female lead.

The female protagonists in the previous three books weren't very well portrayed, so the female protagonist in this book won't just appear out of nowhere. Instead, she will gradually become familiar with and enjoy Wang Yan's company during his journey and daily life.

P.S.: I really think Ronawa is super beautiful.

-----------------

Regarding stragglers.

Long-time readers should know that I have no ill will towards the skirmisher, nor do I particularly like him; he's just a normal character, even though I got 0+1 of him.