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

Under the moonlight, the cherry blossom petals appeared as a pale pink, and occasionally one or two would detach from the branch, twirl in mid-air, and slowly drift down.

An indescribable scent filled the air, causing a slight tingling sensation on the skin when one got close.

Xu Chuan stood under the tree, looking up at this sacred tree that was said to be able to ward off disasters.

During the day, he secretly gave Yae no Miko a hint.

With that fox's shrewdness, it couldn't possibly not understand.

I just don't know if they'll come tonight.

After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

A slightly teasing voice drifted from not far away, stepping lightly through the dappled shadows of moonlight and cherry blossoms, and gently reached his ears:

"Why did you deliberately choose to meet me late at night? Do you have some other intentions towards me?"

Xu Chuan turned around, a calm smile on his lips: "The Divine Child is so beautiful that anyone who sees her would be captivated."

"I think you're an exception."

Yae no Miko stepped forward gracefully.

The night breeze gently lifted the hem of her sleeve.

She walked up to Xu Chuan, keeping almost no distance between them, her body pressed very close, and she slightly tiptoed, her warm breath brushing against Xu Chuan's ear.

"He said he admired her, but all I saw was a piece of wood."

After saying this, she walked past Xu Chuan and sat down on the stone steps under the cherry tree.

Those soft, alluring fox eyes stared up at Xu Chuan, reflecting the faint light of the divine cherry blossoms and the figure of the man before her.

In that instant she got close, she did indeed sense the aura of Shadow on Xu Chuan.

It's very light, but you can't go wrong with it.

That was the unique thunderous aura belonging to General Thunder, containing a trace of her will.

Yae no Miko was very puzzled.

Why would a Liyue native who has just set foot on Inazuma's land be tainted by her aura?

"Then I'll get straight to the point."

Xu Chuan turned around and stared directly at Yae no Miko sitting on the steps without any attempt to avoid his gaze.

"I want to make a deal with the Divine Child. What I want is the Heart of Thor in your possession."

The air suddenly tensed the moment the words left his mouth.

The languid look in Yae no Miko's alluring fox eyes receded like the tide, replaced by a dangerous glint.

The cherry blossom branches behind her rustled softly without any wind: "The Heart of the Thunder God is something held by a god of a nation. How could I, a mere palace attendant, possibly possess such a thing?"

Her voice remained soft, yet carried a chilling sharpness: "Asking me for something like this, I'm starting to doubt the authenticity of your identity."

Before she finished speaking, bright purple fox tails appeared behind her.

Those fox tails were not physical objects, but were formed from lightning elements, making a crackling sound in the night, with each hair flashing with electricity.

Five fox tails spread out behind her, making her look both beautiful and dangerous, like a flower carrying lightning.

Xu Chuan watched this scene without any change in his expression.

He didn't retreat, but simply waved his hand, took a puppet out of his storage space, and threw it in front of the Eightfold Divine Child.

The doll crashed onto the stone steps with a dull thud, rolled twice, and then lay face up, its delicate face clearly visible in the moonlight.

“My Lord, there’s no need for such tension between us.”

Xu Chuan's voice was unhurried, as if he were chatting with an old friend, "Why don't you see my sincerity first?"

Yae no Miko's gaze fell on the doll, and the moment her fox eyes saw the doll's face clearly, her expression became complex and solemn.

The wind blew from the mountaintop, swirling up a few cherry blossom petals that brushed past her still figure.

Yae no Miko had considered many ways to reunite, but she never imagined it would be in this form.

She was transformed into a helpless doll-like body and thrown in front of her like cargo.

The man in front of me dared to attack the executor of the Fools and even turned him into this state.

His strength should not be underestimated, and his courage should not be tested.

"how?"

Without waiting for her reply, Xu Chuan stepped forward and sat down on the stone steps next to Yae no Miko.

The two stood shoulder to shoulder, very close, just as she had been when she had approached him earlier.

This time, however, the roles have reversed.

Golden light surged from his body, lifting the puppet body of the skirmisher and suspending it in mid-air, where it slowly rotated.

The golden light shone like a small sun in the night, illuminating the surroundings.

Even the radiance of the divine cherry blossoms paled in comparison to the golden light.

"This doll, plus a promise I made."

Xu Chuan turned his head, his gaze falling on the profile of the Eightfold Divine Child so close to his own, and said with certainty, "In exchange for the Heart of God in your hand."

Yae no Miko stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

"What a domineering man."

She suddenly smiled, but there was a hint of suppressed resentment in that smile.

"If I'm unwilling to make a deal with you, are you going to turn me into someone like him?"

"How could that be?"

Xu Chuan's voice softened, as if he were coaxing a ruffled little fox.

"I've always been a chivalrous person, and the Divine Child is so beautiful, how could I bear to lay a hand on her?"

He paused, his smile deepening slightly, and said in a gentle tone, "At most, I'll lock you up until the day you change your mind."

Yae no Miko was so angry at those words that she laughed.

In all her years, this was the first time she had ever encountered someone like this.

If they resist, even the Fools' Enforcers have been defeated by this guy.

Her strength was unfathomable; she wasn't confident.

As for verbal sparring, this man had her completely under his thumb, refusing to give an inch.

That's so annoying.

"You win."

With a flick of her wrist, Yae no Miko revealed a chess piece in her palm. "I hope you can keep your word."

It was a queen's chess piece, so exquisitely designed that it could be considered a work of art.

On the chess pieces, three interconnected lightning element symbols shimmered faintly in the moonlight.

"A smart choice." Xu Chuan reached out and took Thor's Heart.

The moment the chess piece touched his hand, a surge of lightning elemental power flowed from his fingertips into his meridians.

It felt like grasping a bolt of lightning from the sky; violent energy surged and roared within the chess piece, yet it was bound by some kind of rule, unable to break free.

Xu Chuan could sense the sheer size of this power.

This is the power of a god to control thunder, and even a part of it is enough to make any holder of the Eye of God look up to it.

He flipped his hand and put away the Heart of Thor, then took out the core of the skirmisher and put it back into the puppet's body.

The moment the core returned to its original position, the patterns on the doll's surface lit up with a faint blue light.

The next moment, the stragglers suddenly opened their eyes.

He rolled over and sat up, scanning his surroundings warily.

But this time, recognizing the gap in skill, he didn't launch a hysterical attack on Xu Chuan.

The stragglers, having regained their senses, wore grim faces, their delicate, porcelain-like features etched with humiliation and wariness.

His gaze swept over Xu Chuan, and then landed on Yae no Miko, who was sitting next to Xu Chuan.

His expression suddenly froze, turning into astonishment.

What the hell does this happen?

Why is she here?

Why is she sitting with this person?

"What, you don't recognize me after such a short time?"

While the stragglers were still processing what they were seeing, Xu Chuan's voice rang out.

The voice was full of warm laughter, as if greeting an old friend who hadn't seen him in a long time.

Immediately afterward, before Yae no Miko could react...

Xu Chuan reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

Yae no Miko's entire body stiffened for a moment.

The warmth emanating from through her clothes made her want to break free, but she held back.

"If it weren't for your Aunt Shenzi pleading for you..."

Xu Chuan pulled Yae no Miko closer to him, feeling the body in his arms stiffen for a moment, and his smile became even brighter.

"I won't let you off so easily, Cannon. You'd better watch out next time, or you'll fall into my hands again."

"Otherwise, I wouldn't be so easy to talk to."

As he finished speaking, the smile on his face gradually faded, like the receding tide revealing the cold rocks beneath.

Two enormous figures slowly emerged behind him.

Those were the souls of two demon gods, one on the left and one on the right, like two insurmountable mountains.

The terrifying pressure poured out as if it were a tangible force, chilling everyone to the bone.

The Eightfold Divine Child in Xu Chuan's arms also felt that oppressive aura.

Her delicate body stiffened abruptly, and the warmth against her back made her clearly sense that the two demonic souls were released from Xu Chuan's body.

The stragglers gritted their teeth, their eyes fixed on Xu Chuan.

For the first time, a complex expression of fear and resentment appeared on that face.

Xu Chuan simply smiled, with one arm around Yae no Miko's waist.

Behind him stood the souls of two demon gods, as if weighing the entire Inazuma system beneath this sacred cherry tree.

Chapter 188 The Astonished Eightfold Divine Child

The night at Narukami Shrine is so quiet that only the rustling of cherry blossom leaves can be heard.

Andrius and Dulin, two demon god-level soul entities, stood silently behind Xu Chuan, like two silent guards.

The biting wind and snow swirled around Andrius.

Scorching black flames surged from Dulin's belly; they were the calamity fire that had been tainted by the abyss.

These two diametrically opposed forces are now maintaining an eerie harmony.

Upon closer inspection, one would discover that the two demonic souls, nourished by Xu Chuan's power, gradually underwent unexpected changes.

The frost on the white giant wolf's body had intensified considerably, and the layer of dark blue halo that appeared was a sign that its soul body was stable and even powerful.

Even Andrius himself hadn't anticipated this.

Originally, it had prepared itself to be used as a tool and eventually lose its rationality through wear and tear.

But Xu Chuan's power actually made his broken soul stronger.

That's incredible power.