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

He thought to himself: This guy's primary target isn't Aberdo, so why is he staring at me?

However, this thought hadn't lasted long when a loud bang suddenly rang out.

"Boom!"

A tremendous roar came from deep within the cave, shaking the entire cavern.

Xu Chuan's expression changed.

The next moment, countless scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness.

Hilichurls, Hilichurl thugs, Abyss mages, and even quite a few Ruin Guardians.

They surged forth from various passages deep within the cave, rushing towards them like a tidal wave.

"Damn it!" Yura cleaved a charging Hilichurl thug in two with her sword, gritting her teeth. "Is that guy trying to take us all down with him?"

Monster tide.

This is a real monster tide.

Those ice creams were just appetizers; this was the main course prepared for them.

The fake Abedo somehow attracted all the monsters in the Starry Cave, luring them all here.

No wonder the number of monsters visibly decreased a few days ago; now I understand why.

These monsters are no joke when they go berserk; they will tear apart any living thing in their path.

Including the counterfeit product itself.

"He's gone mad!" Sugar's wind elemental whipped up a group of Hilichurls, their faces pale.

Abedo didn't speak, but his sword strikes became even faster, each strike taking the life of a monster.

But his gaze remained fixed on the counterfeit item that was retreating.

The fake product is laughing.

Even with Abedo's fist piercing his chest, he was still smiling.

The smile was full of mockery, a sneer at these men who were about to perish here.

There are too many monsters. After killing one batch, another batch will surge in, as if there is no end to it.

Although the holder of the Eye of God possesses astonishing combat power.

But ultimately, we are human; we get tired, weary, and hurt.

Yura's greatsword began to slow down, and Sugar's breathing became heavier and heavier.

"Pfft!"

Aberdo finally seized the opportunity and pierced the fake man's chest with his sword.

Blood splattered.

But the fake seller's smile didn't disappear.

His body began to twist and deform, his golden hair turning into pale white petals and transforming into a frost-covered shell.

A pine tree withered and collapsed on the ground.

substitute.

From the very beginning, the one fighting them was a stand-in.

be cheated.

The same thought flashed through the minds of both Xu Chuan and Abedo.

That guy is still hiding somewhere, watching them get overwhelmed by the monster tide.

"Damn it..." Xu Chuan gritted his teeth and gripped the silver sword in his hand tightly.

After the fierce chopping, the blade had begun to break.

A knight who doesn't die can strengthen his weapon with his bare hands, but he cannot make the weapon indestructible.

Having slain so many demons, this ordinary silver sword has reached its limit.

Should we use that move?

But in the instant Xu Chuan hesitated, the monster tide suddenly became even more violent.

As if receiving some kind of command, they surged towards the four of them, forcefully breaking up their formation.

"Xu Chuan!"

Yura's exclamation faded into the distance.

Xu Chuan was squeezed into a corner of the cave by a group of Hilichurls, getting further and further away from the others.

He wanted to fight his way back, but there were too many monsters. He killed one, and two more swarmed out; he killed two, and four more swarmed out.

"boom!"

A golden light suddenly shone beneath his feet.

It's an alchemy array.

Xu Chuan looked at Abedo, and from the look in his eyes, he got a negative answer.

This alchemical array was not his work.

Xu Chuan's heart sank, and he tried to break through the encirclement to get away from this monster.

But the demon was fearless and its space for maneuver became smaller and smaller, and it was firmly suppressed within the range of the alchemy array.

A few breaths later, the alchemical array was emitting a dazzling golden light.

Xu Chuan turned his head sharply and saw the fake Abedo standing not far away, with a confident smile on his face.

When the golden light dissipated, the alchemy array was empty.

……

boom--

Xu Chuan was plunged into a feeling of weightlessness as he fell, and the surrounding space instantly lost its direction, making it impossible for him to even move.

Immediately afterwards, the icy river water swallowed him up.

The cold river water was all around, and the biting chill instantly seeped into my whole body.

Xu Chuan struggled instinctively, but the current was too strong, and he couldn't exert any strength at all.

He was enveloped in a pale golden light.

That was the residual power of the alchemical array, protecting his life from freezing or drowning, but that was all.

As for comfort? It doesn't exist.

He tumbled and sank in the turbulent underground river, completely unable to control his direction.

He gripped the silver sword tightly in his hand, not daring to let go. In this place, a weapon was life itself.

The fake Abedo was right next to him, enveloped in a dense golden light, like a moving sun.

That light was much thicker and brighter than his, clearly indicating that it had used most of its alchemical energy on itself.

Those eyes stared straight at him through the river.

That gaze sent a chill down Xu Chuan's spine.

After an unknown amount of time, the underground river finally came to an end.

"thump!"

Xu Chuan was swept out of the river and crashed heavily onto the riverbed. He lay on the ground, coughing violently and spitting out several mouthfuls of icy water.

My head was buzzing, and my vision was going black in waves.

He barely managed to lift his head and look around.

This is an unfamiliar cave, and ahead lies the exit of an underground river.

The sunlight outside the cave was reflected by the river, making the surroundings no longer pitch black.

"From now on, it's just the two of us."

The fake Abedo was not far away, soaking wet, having just climbed out of the water as well.

But he was in much better condition than Xu Chuan. The dense golden light had dissipated, and he was now slowly standing up, looking down at Xu Chuan.

The fake Abedo spoke, his voice hoarse but excited, "Give up the struggle."

In his eyes, what lay before him was not a person, but a vast alchemical treasure trove waiting to be unearthed.

He really didn't want to damage his precious material unless absolutely necessary.

Xu Chuan gripped the silver sword in his hand and struggled to his feet.

The silver sword was damaged, but it was still usable.

"It's still uncertain who will have the last laugh."

The fake Abedo slowly approached and continued to persuade him: "Your companions can't save you; they can't even save themselves."

"However, you can rest assured about one thing: I will not kill you."

Xu Chuan's mind raced as he considered countermeasures and searched for ways to increase his chances of winning.

He gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands, the power of the Eye of the Ice God flowing through his body, the knight would not die from the full force of his bare hands.

They were locked in a standoff with this fake Aberdo.

Although he didn't know why the fake wasn't in a hurry to kill him, he could take advantage of that.

"Do you think I'll believe you?" Xu Chuan held his sword in one hand, his left hand behind his back, watching his opponent warily.

The fake Abedo looked at him and suddenly laughed.

He slowly opened his arms to show that he meant no harm, while trying to break Xu Chuan's will with words.

"I was exposed so quickly because of you, but I don't resent you. On the contrary, I should thank you."

"Without you, I don't know how long I would have to wait to kill that guy."

"It doesn't matter whether it's true or false now, I am the real Aberdo."

"So, you don't actually need to draw your sword against me."

“I can totally replace them and become your new friend.”

These words were disgusting, so Xu Chuan immediately interrupted the guy.

The icy blue sword light was incredibly swift, slashing straight at the fake Abedo.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Transformation into a Demonic Dragon

Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, at the exit of an underground river.

The two figures fought fiercely.

The icy river water flowed beneath their feet, only to be frozen again and again by the elemental power emanating from the two of them, and then shattered by the new currents of water.

Ice chips and fragments floated on the water's surface, refracting the faint fluorescence within the cave, like countless cold, observing eyes.

"Clang!!"

Sparks flew.

The two swords were locked together, their blades rubbing against each other with a piercing, screeching sound, like someone scraping glass with their fingernails, making one's teeth ache.

Xu Chuan gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his arms, and pressed down hard on the sword in his hand.

The fake Abedo was right in front of him, his face, which looked exactly like Abedo's, wore a smile that seemed to hold back some energy.

“Not bad strength,” he said lightly, “but not enough.”

Xu Chuan suddenly exerted force to shake off his opponent, and then swept his longsword horizontally, forcing back the fake Abedo and using this opportunity to create distance.

The two faced off, three meters apart.

A dark, purplish-red sword, and an ordinary silver sword riddled with holes and cracks.