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

After all, Aberdo and the dragon Durin were both creations of the Golden Rhinedot, and in a way, they could be considered "brothers".

Although Aberdo himself may not agree with this statement, it would be better to inform him anyway.

Activating his senses, Xu Chuan quickly detected a life fluctuation.

That familiar life force was none other than Aberdo.

Beside the broken bridge, a small campsite stood amidst the wind and snow.

The tent canvas flapped loudly in the wind, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimney on top of the tent, only to be quickly dispersed by the wind and snow.

As soon as Xu Chuan landed, he called out to the camp, "Abedo, I've come to find you."

The tent flap was lifted, and Abedo emerged from inside, holding an open alchemy book in his hand.

"Xu Chuan, it's been a long time."

His tone carried a hint of surprise, and his green eyes swept over Xu Chuan.

In order to deal with the fake Abedo, he was at the camp around...

An alchemical array was set up around it, and it is still in operation.

The moment Xu Chuan stepped in, Abedo sensed something unusual.

That vibrant life force, that restrained yet unfathomable power.

The changes in this guy after not seeing him for a few months are astonishing.

"It has indeed been a long time."

Seeing that Xu Chuan was still wearing Liyue clothing, Abed could guess that this guy hadn't returned to Mondstadt yet.

He then smiled faintly and said, "I didn't expect that the first thing you would do after returning to Mondstadt would be to come and see me."

"I have something important to discuss with you."

Xu Chuan entered the camp and, without much small talk, went straight to the point.

He then revealed that he intended to collect the soul of the demon dragon Durin.

Then, Xu Chuan raised his hand and activated the Spirit Binding and Commanding Technique.

The souls of the rock dragons were released from their bodies, and the souls of all thirty-six rock dragons surged out from the golden light, filling the inside and outside of the camp.

They floated quietly in mid-air, some curled up, some stretched out, and some curiously looking around.

The soul's body glowed with an eerie light in the campfire.

Abedo looked around, and his expression finally turned serious.

"Manipulating souls".

He looked at the souls of those rock dragon lizards, then at Xu Chuan.

"It seems you've gained quite a bit from your trip to Liyue."

Following control and projection, this is another new ability.

When Abedo looked at Xu Chuan, he couldn't help but feel even more curious. His intuition told him that this might only be the beginning.

"As you can see, I now need the soul of a powerful monster."

"How can I help you?"

Aberdo did not refuse.

Rather, he wanted to confirm it.

Will Xu Chuan's ability to manipulate souls be effective when facing powerful souls at the level of demon gods?

After all, even the remnant soul of a demon god is far superior to the souls of these rock dragon lizards in front of them.

The difference between the two is like that between a firefly and the moon, or a stream and the ocean.

"Just keep an eye on me from the side."

Xu Chuan said, "If anything unexpected happens, we'll be counting on you."

“Okay.” Abedo nodded.

The two then immediately set off for the heart of the dragon Durin.

From the camp, jump straight off the broken bridge.

Led by Aberdo, they walked for a while.

Surrounded by the skeletons of a giant beast, a cave about two people high appeared before them.

The cave was not dark inside; a dark red light illuminated everything, and an indescribable smell filled the air.

The further you go in, the higher the temperature gets.

The ice on the cave walls began to thin and then disappeared.

Inside the dark red cave, a huge scarlet heart is embedded deep within the mountain.

It beats continuously, slowly but powerfully.

With each beat, the blood vessels on the surface of the heart would expand slightly, and a dark red light would shine through from inside the heart, illuminating the entire cave.

The overwhelming aura possessed both vibrant vitality and an unsettling, corrosive quality.

"One of the main reasons I have been stationed at Longji Snow Mountain for many years is to monitor and study this heart."

Abedo's voice echoed in the empty cave, carrying an academic calm: "Even after five hundred years, its heart is still beating."

"If you can extract its soul from it, it will be able to verify some of my research."

“It seems I’ve come back just in time.”

Abedo looked at him very seriously, a rare solemnity in his green eyes: "Yes, and as an alchemical assistant, you are very competent."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Xu Chuan's lips curled up slightly, then he turned to face the heart. "Now, I'm about to begin."

He took a step forward.

Golden light emanated from within him, its warmth and intensity like the rising sun.

Golden light instantly filled the entire cave, completely isolating the enormous heart from its surroundings.

An invisible barrier formed at the edge of the golden light, sealing the heart inside.

Abedo stepped back a few paces, crossed his arms, and observed quietly.

Xu Chuan closed his eyes and activated the Spirit Binding and Commanding Generals at full power.

An invisible wave emanated from him, spreading outwards in concentric circles like ripples on the surface of water.

The beating of the enormous heart suddenly stopped.

It was as if it had been gripped by an invisible hand, abruptly stopping midway through its beating.

The blood vessels on the surface of the heart suddenly tightened, and a dark red light flashed violently.

Roar--!

The roar of a giant dragon echoed from the cave.

The voice burst forth from the depths of the soul, deep yet resonant, carrying five hundred years of anger and pain, echoing throughout the entire Sleeping Dragon Valley.

The cave walls trembled violently, rocks fell from above, and even the wind and snow outside seemed to pause, as if frightened by the roar and held their breath.

Chapter 160 Reunion in the Snow Mountain

"A meaningless struggle."

Xu Chuan's face remained completely expressionless.

He unleashed his full power to bind spirits and command generals, and the Boundless Path Silk Threads probed into the deepest part of the heart.

A semi-transparent dragon soul slowly emerged from the heart.

First the head, then the torso, then the wings and the tail.

Its appearance matched the image Xu Chuan read from the earth's veins: agile and fierce, with wings that could cover half the sky when spread.

But unlike in my memory, it has shrunk considerably, now only the size of Oz.

The dragon soul hovered in mid-air above the cave, no longer roaring or struggling, as quiet as a tamed eagle.

It flew to Xu Chuan's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek with its head, a gesture that was affectionate and tender, like a pet that had found its owner.

But when it looked at Abedo, there was a clear hint of malice in its eyes.

Abedo leaned against the cave wall, staring expressionlessly at the dragon spirit. The malice that fell upon him was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, unable to stir up even the slightest ripple.

"Even in this state, he's still acting like a child."

Xu Chuan sensed the emotions conveyed by the soul of the demonic dragon Dulin and shook his head helplessly.

Whether it's the fake Aberdo or the dragon Durin, they're all vying to see who is the most beloved child of Golden Rhinedoth.

Oh, and Bakku Nava.

But he's different; that guy bit right into the flesh of Golden Rhinedoth, and he's now much harder to kill.

On the other side, Abedo completely ignored the hostility of the dragon Dulin and began to study the heart that had lost its soul.

He reached out and pressed his hand against the surface of his heart, his brow furrowing slightly before relaxing.

"The vitality of the flesh and blood has decreased somewhat, but the power contained within is still considerable... The possibility of resurrection has been lost."

"After the soul and will are removed, this mass of flesh and blood is an excellent material for alchemy."

Xu Chuan glanced at the dragon Dulin, whose fur had stood on end on his shoulder, and sighed inwardly: "Between brothers, there really is brotherly affection and respect."

After absorbing the soul of the demon dragon Dulin into his body, the pressure from the soul level finally gave Xu Chuan a sense of his limit.

"That's exactly the feeling I wanted."

After being possessed by the dragon Durin's soul, his control over the fire element reached a whole new level.

The feeling was like the thin veil that had covered my eyes for many years being lifted.

"By the way, this piece of flesh and blood from the Star-Devouring Whale is for you."

Xu Chuan took out a piece of dark purple flesh from his spatial ring and handed it over.

"The Star-Devouring Whale?"

Aberdo took the piece of flesh and examined it carefully in his palm.

The piece of meat wasn't big, only about the size of a fist, but it felt extremely heavy, like holding a piece of lead.

Dark purple patterns flowed faintly on its surface, and like the heart of the dragon Dulin, this piece of flesh had not lost its vitality.

"Don't underestimate it; this thing contains some of the power to devour."

Xu Chuan's tone became serious, "If possible, I hope you can study this and see if you can use this Devouring Power to clear away the remnants of the demon god that have invaded the depths of your soul."

Abedo stared at the piece of flesh and remained silent for a moment.

"I have dabbled in topics related to the soul, but I cannot guarantee that there will be any results."

"Then it's up to you."

After handing over the flesh and blood of the Star-Devouring Whale to Abedo, Xu Chuan lingered in the cave for another half a day.

As requested by Abedo, he placed Dulin's soul back into his heart to test various changes.

The heart's reaction after the soul leaves the body, the speed of power recovery after the soul returns, and the strength of the connection between the soul and the heart.

Aberdo was recording data, his pen scratching on the paper, occasionally asking a question or two, and sometimes offering some advice.

Abedo became completely absorbed in his research and found it difficult to extricate himself.

His gaze was no longer on Xu Chuan, but fixed on the heart, muttering some alchemical terminology to himself.

Xu Chuan guessed that it was probably alchemy related to creation.

He didn't disturb Abedo and turned to leave the cave.

Driven by the Heart of the Wind God, the power of the wind element lifted his body and propelled him into the sky.