While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

"After we tell the immortal what happened, we might run into him on the road."

"..."

Why aren't you saying anything?

"I'm thinking about what to have for dinner."

"Paimon, you little glutton."

"Why are you calling me that too?"

Two figures walked down the mountain path, one tall and one short, one in front and one behind.

The sunlight fell on them, as if coating them with a halo, making their every smile and frown exceptionally clear.

……

Meanwhile, Xu Chuan was not idle either.

With Xiao's help, he gained a lot.

Besides the souls of the rock dragon lizards, he also brought the guardians of the ruins under his control.

Chapter 154 An Unexpected Discovery

Deep in the mountains and forests, sunlight filters through the gaps in the tree canopy and falls on a patch of trampled grass.

The corpses of rock dragons were scattered around, their dark yellow blood seeping into the soil and emitting a pungent, fishy smell.

Xu Chuan stood in the middle of the grass, with a semi-transparent soul floating in front of him.

That was the last rock dragon lizard of the day.

It was a size larger than the previous ones, and the rock spikes on its back were as thick as arms, emitting a dark yellow light.

Xu Chuan looked at the soul and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "Including this guy, this is the thirty-sixth Rock Dragon Lizard soul."

He was very satisfied with this.

Only when one has spirits in their hands that they can control can they truly be called masters of spirits.

A moment later, the originally irritable and ferocious monster became unusually docile.

It didn't struggle, it didn't resist, it just floated there quietly.

Its soul transformed into a wisp of ghostly light, merged into Xu Chuan's body, and disappeared from his chest.

The moment the Rock Dragon Lizard's soul merged into his body, Xu Chuan sensed a faint but real change.

Xu Chuan closed his eyes, sensed for a moment, and exhaled a breath of stale air.

"Indeed, the higher the realm of life, the more souls one can nurture."

Another unexpected discovery was that the burden brought by these souls controlled by the spirits could actually accelerate his cultivation of life.

Feeling the slight improvement in his own life force, Xu Chuan revealed a thoughtful expression.

When a Rock Dragon Lizard's soul possesses another being, it can enhance its control over the Rock element, which is still within the normal range.

But I clearly didn't use the method of absorbing spirits, so why did this change occur?

The core of the art of taming spirits is to possess the power of the soul, but he did not do that.

He simply merged his soul into his body, using his own power to nurture them and keep them from dissipating.

It's not absorption, it's carrying.

After thinking for a moment, he gradually got a clue.

"The burden brought by the Rock Dragon Lizard's soul is the key, but my own extremely unique adaptability may be the reason for the change."

From the moment I crossed the Longji Snow Mountain, I have been constantly adapting to the changes imposed by the outside world.

Sub-zero temperatures, the filthy power of the abyss, the high concentration of elemental forces considered highly toxic by ordinary people, and now the burden on the soul.

Every change is a test, and every test is a tempering.

After tempering, the body will become stronger and able to withstand greater burdens.

Then the next test arrives, another trial.

It goes on and on, spiraling upwards.

His physical potential seemed limitless.

Where are my limits?

Xu Chuan muttered to himself, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the tree canopy as he looked towards the distant sky.

"Or rather, do I have limits?"

From the time he transmigrated until now, every time he was on the verge of his limit, he discovered that there were limits beyond limits.

Every time I think I've reached the end, there's always another road ahead.

After experiencing all these changes, Xu Chuan couldn't help but have this thought come to mind.

Xiao stood aside, watching all of this unfold.

From initial surprise, to later confusion, and now to numbness.

His changing expressions perfectly recorded every step of his emotional journey.

At first, Xu Chuan didn't think there was anything wrong with controlling the soul of the rock dragon lizard.

Teyvat possesses countless bizarre abilities, so it's not an exaggeration to say that Xu Chuan also employs some unusual methods.

Even when Xu Chuan controlled the rampaging ruins guards and brought them into his cave, he only glanced at them a couple of times and didn't say anything more.

But seeing this guy directly merge his soul into his body, Xiao's brows finally furrowed.

Isn't he afraid that his soul will be corrupted by demons and he will eventually degenerate into a mindless beast?

He had seen far too many people who were consumed by the backlash of power.

In particular, Xu Chuan cannot accommodate one or two souls.

The souls of dozens of demons, with their mixed wills and chaotic bestiality, are not easy to deal with.

These things crammed into a person's body are like a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.

At first, Xiao thought of stopping Xu Chuan, explaining the pros and cons to him, and stating bluntly that this was an evil path.

He had even already prepared his words in his mind.

Before he could even speak, he saw Xu Chuan absorb the souls of more than a dozen demons into his body.

Those mixed and chaotic rock dragon lizard souls not only failed to pollute Xu Chuan's soul aura, but their own filth was gradually purified.

Like murky water that has been filtered through layers of filters, it becomes crystal clear before flowing out.

Xiao opened its mouth, then closed it again.

Seeing that Xu Chuan had taken in a few more heads, his brows furrowed even more.

The next scene changed his expression from worry to confusion, and from confusion to numbness.

Sometimes, he couldn't help but think about it.

Is Xu Chuan even human?

Can the human soul truly contain the will of so many demons without being corrupted?

Can the human body really withstand such a burden without breaking down?

Xiao didn't know the answer.

But he knew that Xu Chuan was shattering all his understanding of the word "human".

After seeing Xu Chuan take in another rock dragon lizard, Xiao no longer had the urge to stop him.

He even felt that the remnants of the demon god might not be able to do anything to Xu Chuan.

"This is unbelievable..."

Xiao said something in a low voice, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity.

Xu Chuan turned his head, his face serious.

"Unbelievable? Actually, it's not difficult at all."

elf:"……"

"Don't look so serious." Xu Chuan looked helplessly at Xiao's expressionless face. "Look at me, I'm perfectly fine."

If possible, he would really like to see a cheerful and charismatic demon-slaying sage.

That kind of expression—the way it can laugh, get angry, and complain.

It's much better than this state of having a cold face and suppressing all my emotions.

But as things stand, achieving this is a long and arduous task.

Seeing that it was getting late, Xu Chuan invited Xiao into his cave.

He summoned two rock dragon lizard souls and commanded them to guard the spatial ring.

A semi-transparent soul quietly resided above the ring, while another vigilantly watched its surroundings.

If there is any disturbance, the soul residing there will enter the ring.

The dragon lizard spirit responsible for being vigilant would immediately grab the ring and run away.

Inside the cave, dozens of ancient relics stood in neat rows, guarding the entrance.

They stood there silently, their steel bodies gleaming with a cold, hard luster in the light from the cave.

Huge arms hung at his sides, each finger as thick as an adult's arm.

The chaotic core device in his chest flickered on and off, like a sleeping heart, like eyes waiting to awaken.

Dozens of mechanical behemoths lined up together create a visually stunning effect, resembling a sleeping army.

Chapter 155 The Fledgling Demon (Bonus Chapter 1)

Golden light spread from Xu Chuan's body, manipulating the guardians of the ruins to make way.

The massive steel bodies moved together, their thunderous footsteps causing the ground to tremble slightly.

Each step felt like a heavy hammer blow to the chest, creating a strong sense of pressure.

It seems we need to find an opportunity to destroy the Fools' ruins guard manufacturing plant.

Xu Chuan remembered that there was such a factory in Liyue.

In the original story, in order to protect his younger brother's fragile and beautiful childhood, the young master, despite his injuries, forced himself to activate the Demon King's Armor and destroyed many of the ruins' guardians.

Those things are better used for good purposes than for the fools to use for destruction.

Xu Chuan turned to Xiao and said, "After I go to Mondstadt, please pass on a message to Ningguang for me."

"Have her investigate the Fatui's hidden manufacturing plant in Liyue."

"You want the guardian of the ruins inside." Xiao realized what Xu Chuan was planning to do.

“That’s right.” Xu Chuan nodded. “Those things are better used for something worthwhile than for the Fools to use for destruction.”

Xiao nodded in agreement.

He had no liking for the Fools.

Those guys caused quite a bit of trouble in Liyue, and even released the Vortex Demon God.

He remembers this debt.

At the same time, Xu Chuan went into the wooden house and cooked a meal himself.

There is no spirit in this grotto.

This was something Xu Chuan specifically instructed Grandpa Zhongli to do.

He had thought it through clearly: this cave was only for temporary rest and as a space to store his monsters and mechanical army.

At most, we can include some landscapes featuring the characteristics of the seven countries.