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

The rising steam blurred the moonlight overhead.

"Delicious!" Hu Tao's eyes lit up after taking a bite.

This kind of monster meat containing elemental power is extremely rare.

Ordinary people cannot consume it, but those who possess the eyes of gods or have extraordinary physiques are naturally unaffected by the elemental forces within.

"Then eat more, Xu Chuan has plenty anyway."

Pai covered his cheeks, his cheeks puffed out, and spoke indistinctly.

Even if only the most delicious and succulent flesh and blood were taken from the massive body of the Ancient Rock Dragon Lizard, it would take several people a short time to finish it.

Xu Chuan held the projection knife in his hand and sliced ​​the meat into thin slices, each slice being of uniform thickness and translucent enough to show the shadows.

He even had the patience to cut various decorative patterns, the blade moving across the meat like a pen moving across paper.

Xu Chuan was busy cutting meat, so Ying picked up a slice of cooked meat, wrapped it with vegetables, and held it to his mouth.

"Come on, open your mouth."

"Yes, Ying is still the best to me."

Xu Chuan opened his mouth naturally to accept the food, but the movement of cutting meat in his hands slowed down slightly without his notice.

"What? Paimon can do that too!"

Paimon mimicked Ying's movements, flying over to feed Xu Chuan. Holding a piece of meat in its little hand, it carefully brought it to his mouth, the juicy sauce still dripping down.

"Thank you for your hard work, guest. Please try a bite of my secret dipping sauce."

Walnut also came over, picking up a slice of meat covered in dipping sauce with her chopsticks.

Xu Chuan enjoyed being fed by beautiful girls, so he came up with more and more creative ideas.

The ingredients were sliced ​​thinner and thinner, the knife skills became more and more elaborate, and the aroma of hot pot filled the entire courtyard.

"Ah~"

Unbeknownst to him, a pair of chopsticks were suspended in mid-air, waiting for his reaction.

Xu Chuan was stunned when he saw Shen He, who seemed a bit naive, make such a move.

Ying and Paimon were his closest friends, so it was normal for them to be so affectionate. He wasn't surprised by Hu Tao's quirky and mischievous nature.

To his surprise, Shen He followed suit, picking up slices of cooked meat and feeding them to him.

Fortunately, Xu Chuan has always been open to all comers.

"Thank you, it's delicious."

"Hmm," Shen He responded softly, a hint of emotion appearing on his usually aloof face.

But happiness also has its troubles; with four people feeding him, Xu Chuan could barely keep up with the demand.

Taking a bite from the left and a bite from the right, I couldn't possibly attend to both.

Ying's gentleness, Paimon's clumsiness, Hu Tao's mischievousness, and Shen He's earnestness.

The four people gave Xu Chuan different feelings, as if even the food he ate was different because of them.

When these four flavors were mixed together, filling his mouth, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, making Xu Chuan crave them.

But what made Xu Chuan somewhat unable to hold back was...

He noticed that Xiao, who was sitting across the table, was also influenced by the group's actions and was even considering joining the feeding frenzy.

Xiao's hand had already reached for the slices of meat in the pot, and he picked up a piece with his chopsticks.

His hand hovered in mid-air, hesitating whether to offer it to him.

Xu Chuan shuddered at the thought of that scene.

I don't want that kind of thing!

Fortunately, just as Xiao was about to put his plan into action, a figure appeared and saved him.

"Mr. Zhongli!"

A light shone in Xu Chuan's eyes.

"Sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone, so come and try the meat of the Ancient Rock Dragon Lizard."

"Guest, you're busy with the Lantern Festival, you probably haven't had dinner yet."

Hu Tao chewed on her chopsticks, her gaze lingering on Xiao for a moment. "Your friend came all the way to the Hall of Rebirth to see you."

Upon seeing Zhongli, Xiao immediately stood up, nearly letting slip in his haste, "Emperor... Mr. Zhongli, what Hall Master Hu said is true, why don't we sit down and have a meal together?"

"Then I shall respectfully comply."

Zhong Li sat down and accepted the bowl and chopsticks that Xu Chuan handed him.

He picked up a piece of meat, dipped it a few times in the boiling soup, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully.

"The meat is firm and the fat is evenly distributed; it comes from the area three inches below the ribs of the ancient rock dragon lizard."

"The slices were cut to the perfect thickness; the knife skills were quite good."

"The dipping sauce contains glass bag powder and refreshing dew to remove fishy smell and enhance freshness, which shows great care."

He paused, then picked up another slice. "However, the cooking time must be just right. The ancient rock dragon lizard meat should be cooked for thirty breaths; otherwise, it will become tough."

Xu Chuan nodded to himself.

This commentary is more professional than his research report.

But this wasn't Zhongli's strongest skill; his eyesight was incredibly sharp, and he instantly spotted the demonic souls on Xu Chuan's body.

"It seems you've gained quite a bit in Mondstadt."

"Nothing can be hidden from Mr. Zhongli." Xu Chuan was not surprised by this.

Zhongli turned her gaze to Xiao, her tone becoming gentler than before: "It's rare for you to come to Liyue Harbor to see me, so please stay a few more days so I can do my best to be a good host."

"I will follow Mr. Zhongli's orders." Xiao nodded slightly.

Hu Tao, resting her chin on her hand, noticed the strange interaction between the two and said, "You two don't look like friends, more like superiors and subordinates."

Xiao swallowed hard, almost dropping the slice of meat he was holding onto the pot, afraid that he would affect the Emperor's purpose of hiding his identity.

"Master is joking." Zhongli said without changing his expression. "I know Xiao's elders, so it's inevitable that I have some of the airs of an elder."

“Master,” Xu Chuan interjected at the opportune moment, “I would like to try your secret dipping sauce again.”

"Oh? Okay!"

Hu Tao's attention was diverted, and she got up to prepare the dipping sauce. She was also a master at playing dumb, and seeing that her two guests were unwilling to say more, she did not press the matter further.

Everyone has their own secrets, and she understands that.

Deep within the Hall of Rebirth, in a quiet courtyard.

Three figures sat around a stone table drinking tea; they were Xu Chuan, Zhong Li, and Xiao.

The moonlight streamed down from above, making the courtyard even more secluded and quiet.

Xiao looked remorseful for what he had done. "Your Majesty, just now I..."

"It's nothing, don't worry about it."

Xu Chuan patted him on the shoulder from the side.

Anyway, Hu Tao had long suspected that Zhong Li was some kind of immortal living in seclusion. As long as the identity of the Rock King Emperor was not exposed, nothing would change much.

"For so many years, you have been trapped by karmic obstacles and lived in seclusion. Now that your karmic obstacles have been removed, you no longer need to hide from the world."

"Xiao understands." Xiao was very obedient to Zhongli's words.

Upon seeing this, Zhongli shook his head.

But he knew this couldn't be changed overnight.

Some things are etched into the bones and need time to slowly melt away.

Xu Chuan took a sip of hot tea and asked Zhong Li about the three great immortal techniques.

“The True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng once told me that the immortal formations originated from two great immortal techniques: talismans and external landscapes.”

"Now I have a direction to study talismans, but I have no idea about the methods of external vision."

Zhongli didn't keep anything to himself and explained the method of external vision to Xu Chuan.

Then, he stretched out his hand and lightly touched the air with his fingertips.

The air above the stone table distorted slightly, like ripples spreading outwards from a stone thrown into water.

At the center of the ripples, a miniature landscape emerges, lifelike and expansive.

Xu Chuan opened his eyes wide, staring at this mysterious and illusory space.

Xu Chuan couldn't help but reach out and touch it, trying to prevent the knight from dying unarmed.

But before it even touched anything, the ripples completely disappeared.

“If the scenery is not solidified, it is just an illusion and cannot be touched by others.”

"I see..." Xu Chuan withdrew his hand and continued studying.

……

Finally, Zhongli also advised Xu Chuan to proceed step by step, otherwise he would inevitably end up in a situation where he couldn't handle too much at once.

"With the alchemical cauldron as the foundation and talismans as the means, the external landscape can be formed."

"The three have a specific order and cannot be reversed."

Xu Chuan nodded.

He knew he shouldn't aim too high, but he still couldn't resist his curiosity about the methods of creating outdoor scenes.

You should know that this involves space.

The immortal technique that allows one to independently create a blessed land might be related to the power of the Void, one of the four great orders of life, death, time, and space.

However, even with Zhongli, the ancestor of all immortals, personally teaching him, Xu Chuan still couldn't grasp the intricacies of the Outer Realm in a short time.

That feeling was so mysterious, like looking at a flower through a veil—you could see it, but you couldn't touch it.

After his attempts failed, he had no choice but to shift his focus back to alchemy.

At least he already has a foundation in this immortal technique, can see the progress, and can grasp the basics.

Time always flies when you're learning.

The tea on the stone table was refilled again and again, the moon moved from east to west, and the bamboo shadows in the courtyard moved from one end to the other.

Zhongli patiently explained everything, from the alchemy techniques to the rune structure of talismans, from the layout principles of immortal formations to the spatial laws of external landscape methods.

Xu Chuan listened intently, taking notes page after page.

Those originally scattered pieces of knowledge, like scattered beads, were strung together by a thread.

In the blink of an eye, it was the next morning.

The morning light spilled in from the east, bathing the entire courtyard in a warm orange-yellow hue.

The tea on the stone table had gone cold, and the fire in the stove had been extinguished.

Only Xu Chuan and Zhong Li remained energetic and showed no signs of fatigue.

For the two of them, sleep was no longer a necessity.

On the other side, Xiao had fallen asleep leaning against a pillar at some point.

His cold, stern face softened considerably, and as his brows relaxed, it was as if he had returned to the past.

It was a relaxation he hadn't experienced in years.

As Xu Chuan was still savoring the knowledge he had gained last night, a series of hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

Hu Tao jogged into the yard, carrying a stack of receipts. Her hair was still a little messy, and her hat was askew on her head, clearly indicating that she had just gotten up.

"Xu Chuan!" she gasped, "Come on, we have a client."

Xu Chuan put down his teacup and stood up.

"Mr. Zhongli, I shall take my leave now."