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

Xu Chuan braced himself on the ground with both hands and coughed violently.

He coughed up mouthfuls of blood that had accumulated in his chest cavity, splattering onto the cold rocks in a shocking sight.

He was breathing heavily, each breath feeling like a blade scraping his throat.

The dragon's poisonous blood corroding the Dvalin's tears was far more terrifying than he had imagined.

No, it's not just tears.

After those powers entered the body, they surprisingly resonated with the demonic dragon power overflowing from the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain.

He could feel the power belonging to Dulin that had been hidden deep within the mountain flowing towards him, as if it had found its home.

Fortunately, his last shred of sanity allowed him to use his knightly ability to survive unarmed combat to sever the connection in time.

Then, he transferred all the impure power within his body into the Corruption Sword.

Otherwise, Xu Chuan dared not imagine what he would become.

A demonic dragon?

Or something even more terrifying than a dragon?

"It was somewhat risky." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and muttered to himself, "Fortunately, it turned out well."

There was not a trace of regret in Xu Chuan's eyes.

If given the chance again, I would still make the same choice.

Given the opportunity, I would have been even more decisive and should have done so before the fake Abedo activated the alchemical array.

Supporting himself with the Corrupting Sword, Xu Chuan staggered to his feet.

No words were spoken.

There were no curses.

He went straight to the body of the fake Abedo and raised his sword.

One sword.

Two swords.

Three swords...

He only stopped after he was certain that the other person was unrecognizable and beyond dead.

The corpse was long dead, its pale face covered in frost, and its once greedy eyes were now closed forever.

But Xu Chuan still delivered seven or eight more blows, ensuring that every vital point was pierced.

We must never be soft-hearted when dealing with enemies.

Only after doing all this did Xu Chuan have the energy to look at the sword in his hand.

The Sword of Decay.

Calling it a demonic sword is no exaggeration.

The sword was surrounded by a dark purple light and trembled slightly like a living thing.

You can feel the heartbeat within it, one beat after another, as if something is sleeping inside.

The corrupting power of that filth is a deadly poison to ordinary people, which is why each swordsman gradually descends into madness.

But the knight did not die from the control of the unarmed; it was as docile as a lamb and posed no negative impact on him.

Silence fell over the cave at first, then a laugh rang out.

Xu Chuan chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Perhaps, as Abedo said, I am getting closer and closer to becoming inhuman."

He discovered that his body was recovering at an abnormally rapid pace.

Just moments ago, he was critically injured and on the verge of death, unable to even stand, but now he has begun to heal.

The wounds scabbed over at a visible speed, and the weakened body regained its strength.

It's even stronger than before.

This made him wonder if he was still a normal human being.

Xu Chuan shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about it.

He grabbed the fake Abedo's body, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and turned to head towards the Starry Cave.

Yura and the others are still in danger.

For a strengthened body, this weight is not a burden.

Besides, what kind of trouble will this guy cause if we leave him alone?

It's safer to bring it along.

……

Mondstadt, the Angel's Gift Tavern.

Ying sat in the corner seat, looking at the person in front of her with a helpless expression.

Paimon floated beside her, his little face filled with an expression that said, "We're doomed."

Wendy held her glass and took a leisurely sip, as if the search for them outside the city wasn't by the Knights of Favonius, but some insignificant trifle.

"Don't be so nervous," he said with a smile. "It's just stealing the Sky Harp, it's not a big deal."

“It’s nothing serious!” Paimon’s eyes widened. “The whole city is looking for us! Commander Jean must be furious!”

"Don't worry, don't worry," Wendy waved her hand, "I have a way."

He was about to say something more.

Suddenly, the smile on his face froze.

Those usually lazy and casual eyes suddenly became sharp.

Paimon was startled by his change: "You, you busker, what's wrong with you?"

Wendy seemed not to hear, and looked up in a certain direction.

That's the direction of Longji Snow Mountain.

What exactly is this feeling...?

Just now, a strange sense of crisis suddenly welled up in his heart.

It has no origin, and its source cannot be found. It's like something suddenly swimming across the calm surface of a lake, leaving only a fleeting ripple.

Some kind of force erupted in that direction.

No, it's not just an outbreak.

Something... that shouldn't exist briefly touched this world.

Then it disappeared again.

Wendy's expression was more serious than ever before.

"A street performer?" Paimon cautiously approached. "Are you alright? You suddenly became so serious, it's scary..."

Wendy snapped out of her daze, looked at Paimon, and then at Ying, who also looked puzzled.

Then he smiled and returned to his familiar appearance.

"It's nothing," he said, raising his glass.

"I just suddenly remembered a poem that perfectly describes our situation."

Ying and Paimon exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.

But Wendy didn't explain.

He took another sip of wine, his gaze casually sweeping across the night sky outside the window.

The moonlight was like water in the direction of Longji Snow Mountain.

I hope I'm just overthinking it.

……

Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, under the moonlight.

Xu Chuan carried the frozen corpse of the fake Abedo and trekked all the way to the entrance of the Starry Cave.

Thankfully, I have a good memory and remember most of the route I took.

He stood at the cave entrance, panting heavily, gazing into the darkness, silently praying.

"Hopefully, things haven't gotten much worse."

He has confidence in Aberdo.

That guy is a master of deception; in the original storyline, he was able to completely suppress the counterfeiters, so there's no reason for him to fail this time.

Yura is no slouch either. With the sound of pine music in hand, combined with Sugar's wind element, she should be able to survive even if surrounded by a monster horde.

He was worried about something else.

Since I got involved, the plot seems to have started to change.

What if that fake Aberdo had some backup plan?

For example, could we simply blow up the Starry Cave and bury it completely?

"boom--!"

A huge explosion came from deep within the Starry Cave, shaking the entire mountain.

Xu Chuan paused, his expression changing drastically.

Just what I feared most came to pass.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: An Unbound Fate

Boom!

A tremendous roar resounded deep within the Starry Cave, causing the entire mountain to tremble and countless cavities to begin collapsing.

Xu Chuan flung aside the fake Abedo's corpse and rushed into the cave without hesitation.

Debris fell around him, and the ground beneath his feet trembled violently, threatening to collapse completely at any moment.

He didn't care about any of that; he just ran forward as fast as he could, his heart pounding in his throat.

Please make sure nothing happens to you.

"Xu Chuan!"

A familiar voice came from ahead.

Xu Chuan saw several figures supporting each other as they walked out of a passage not far away.

It was Yura, Abedo, and Sugar.

And there was also the middle-aged man from the treasure-hunting group who led the way.

Xu Chuan felt his heart finally return to its place.

"Xu Chuan!" Yura's eyes were filled with surprise, but she calmed down the next second and said sternly, "Stop! Don't go any further!"

Xu Chuan stopped and looked at her wary eyes, then suddenly smiled.

This guy must have developed a psychological trauma from counterfeit goods.

"It really is me, Xu Chuan."

“The product is genuine. I’ve already dealt with the counterfeit one. I rushed over here and I’m so glad to see you’re all safe and sound.”

Yura remained vigilant, her gaze sweeping over him.

Xu Chuan knew what she was confirming, but he wasn't in a hurry. He just smiled and continued, "Yura, I still owe you a drink."

"You haven't forgotten this grudge, have you? If you really have, then I won't settle it."

Yura was stunned for a moment.

Then, the wariness in her eyes finally dissipated, replaced by an indescribable emotion.