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

The condition of these two weapons clearly demonstrates the relative strengths and weaknesses of the battle at this moment.

Xu Chuan's silver sword was nearing its limit.

This sword has been fighting ever since it entered the Starry Cave.

Slay the Ice Witcher, slay the Hilichurls, slay the surging tide of monsters.

It was originally an ordinary blacksmith's weapon, and even if the knight had enhanced it by hand without dying, it couldn't withstand such wear and tear.

The numerous nicks on the sword and the visible cracks on the blade all tell the same story.

It won't last much longer.

Xu Chuan recognized the sword in the fake Abedo's hand.

The sword has a purplish-red blade, strange patterns, and a dark red crystal embedded in the hilt. The whole sword exudes an ominous aura.

The Sword of Decay.

In the game's storyline, this sword is given to the traveler by Abedo for experimentation.

It is said to have been forged from the remains of the demon dragon Durin, and contains the corrupt power of the abyss.

The person who uses this sword will gradually be corrupted, but its power is undeniable.

This is a real sword.

It's not comparable to the mass-produced goods from the blacksmith's shop that he has.

How did the Sword of Corruption end up in the hands of the fake Abedo?

Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Chuan's mind, but he couldn't figure it out no matter what.

But what he didn't know was that the Corrupt Sword wasn't originally in Abedo's hands.

It was originally seized by the Knights of Favonius from the Treasure Raiders and had been locked in a warehouse.

Abedo later found it while tidying up the warehouse, and thinking it had research value, he took it out.

The group of thieves he and Joseph encountered that day were the same people who were originally supposed to be captured by the Knights in the story.

Last time, thanks to the distraction of the treasure-hunting group and the ruins guards, he and Joseph were able to escape from the fake Abedo.

Now that the treasure-hunting group has become a puppet of the fake Abedo, the Corrupt Sword has naturally fallen into their hands.

Cause and effect are intertwined and interconnected.

Unfortunately, Xu Chuan no longer had the energy to think about these intricate details.

The icy river water reached above his calves, and he felt his feet gradually go numb, the chill spreading upwards along his leg bones.

His strength was rapidly dwindling, his breathing was becoming increasingly heavy, and each swing of the sword required the utmost effort from his entire body.

The fake Abedo, however, was in no hurry to end the fight. He simply drew his sword, parried, and retreated slowly, wearing down Xu Chuan's stamina like a cat playing with a mouse.

He wanted to capture himself alive.

Those greedy eyes never concealed this intention from the very beginning.

Xu Chuan gritted his teeth.

He knew he couldn't go on like this.

Wait until you're exhausted, until the silver sword breaks, until that guy thinks the time is right.

By then, he won't even have the strength to resist.

Rather than waiting to die, it's better to fight to the death.

Xu Chuan clenched his left hand.

He held that Tvalin teardrop tightly in his hand, never letting go of it since entering the Starlight Cave.

The dark red crystals felt slightly warm in his palm, as if they were sensing something.

Dulin poison blood.

The power of shared origins.

Xu Chuan took a deep breath.

Then, he activated the knight's ability to not die unarmed.

A violent suction force suddenly erupted from his left palm, and the abyssal power contained within the teardrop surged into his body like a wild beast awakened.

At that moment, Xu Chuan trembled.

My blood was boiling.

It's not just a figure of speech, it's a genuine frenzy.

Every drop of blood churned and burned in his veins, as if it were about to gush out from under his skin. Excruciating pain surged from every part of his body at once, almost tearing him apart.

What's even more terrifying are the images in my mind.

He saw himself.

No, it wasn't me.

It is a dragon.

A colossal black dragon blotted out the sky, its wings spread wide, its scales shimmering with a dark red light.

It circled above the snow-capped mountains, emitting a deafening roar filled with anger and hatred.

Dragon Durin.

That anger, that hatred, surged into Xu Chuan's consciousness like a tsunami, trying to engulf him, trying to turn him into a second Du Lin.

"Aaaaaah—!"

Xu Chuan looked up at the sky and roared, his voice no longer sounding human.

The smile on the fake Aberdo's face froze.

He saw Xu Chuan's eyes turn scarlet, and he saw the violent power of the abyss swirling around him. Even the power of the demonic dragons that had been scattered across the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain was converging on him at this moment.

Deep within the snow-capped mountains, the dragon's heart visibly began to stir.

The fake Abedo muttered to himself, then his expression changed drastically. "Stop! Stop right now!"

Xu Chuan's blood possesses unparalleled potential; it is the perfect material for alchemy, and he will not allow it to be destroyed like this.

He pounced on him.

But it was too late.

Xu Chuan swung his sword backhand, directly knocking away his Corruption Sword.

The force was so great that it made the fake Abedo's hands go numb, and he almost lost his grip on the sword.

“You’re insane!” the fake Abedo roared. “You’ll be completely devoured!”

Xu Chuan did not answer; in his eyes, which were filled with madness and savagery, a sliver of reason still struggled.

Deep within his consciousness, the black dragon was still roaring, trying to take over the body. Xu Chuan desperately guarded his last shred of clarity, refusing to let it succeed.

But the power is real; its terrifying regenerative ability and incomparably violent strength are enough to suppress everything.

The fake Abedo found himself starting to lose ground.

No matter how he attacked, Xu Chuan's wounds healed at a visible speed, and no matter what alchemical methods he used, they would be violently dispersed by that raging power.

This is no longer a battle.

This is a wild beast tearing apart its prey.

"Impossible... This is impossible!" The fake Abedo frantically swung his sword, but was repeatedly forced back.

Xu Chuan stared at him with bloodshot eyes, offering no response.

Only pure, beastly killing intent.

For the first time, the fake Abedo felt fear.

He discovered that his proud power was being suppressed, completely overwhelmed by this beast-like monster, and if this continued, he would truly die.

He doesn't want to die.

He finally managed to eliminate the real Abedo.

I was just a little short of having this perfect alchemical material as my own.

There are still so many mysteries of alchemy to explore, and so much more to go on.

He can't die here!

"Go to hell!"

The fake Abedo no longer held back, no longer intending to capture him alive. He channeled all his power into the Corruption Sword and thrust it towards Xu Chuan's heart.

"Pfft-"

The sword pierced through his chest.

Blood splattered.

Before the fake Aberdo could even feel happy, he sensed something was wrong.

The Corrupting Sword... has gone out of control.

The power he poured in, the power of Dulin's poisonous blood, was being frantically drained away.

The alchemy attached to it was brutally erased, and the connection between the sword and him was completely severed.

A knight does not die unarmed.

Seize the opponent's weapon and gain complete dominance.

Xu Chuan looked down at the sword tip protruding from his chest, his scarlet eyes showing no emotion.

He reached out, grasped the sword, and slowly drew it out.

Blood dripped down the sword's edge, but the wound was healing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The rotten sword trembled slightly in his hand, like a submissive beast.

The fake Abedo took a step back, then another.

He looked at Xu Chuan, at those scarlet eyes, and at the weapon that belonged to him being held in the other's hand.

Even the alchemy that had been attached to it was instantly erased.

Xu Chuan raised his sword.

A dark red light flowed across the sword, reflecting off his scarlet eyes.

The sword fell.

Everything fell silent.

The icy river continued to flow, washing away the bloodstains on the banks.

All the resentment, the scheming, and the obsessive madness were carried away by the river and disappeared into the depths of the dark cave.

Xu Chuan stood on the shore, maintaining his sword-wielding posture.

a long time.

The crimson in his eyes gradually faded, his body swayed, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The Corrupted Sword landed beside him with a crisp sound.

Inside the cave, only the sound of flowing water remained.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Arriving Too Late

As consciousness gradually returned, Xu Chuan's first sensation was pain.

My whole body aches, as if I've been cut into a thousand pieces and then boiled in boiling water.

Even clearer than the pain was the receding tide of power, the violent force that had just raged within his body.

At this moment, it dissipated like quicksand, leaving only endless weakness.

"Cough...cough...cough..."