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

Xiao looked at the piece of almond tofu and finally picked up his chopsticks.

He ate very slowly, chewing each bite for a long time, as if he were savoring something.

There was no emotional fluctuation in those golden eyes, but Xu Chuan noticed that his chopsticks reached for the almond tofu far more often than for the other dishes.

However, Xiao is not Paimon, that little glutton.

A single meal is not enough to build a closer relationship with this taciturn demon-slaying sage.

If Wendy hadn't asked him to look after her, Xu Chuan wouldn't have seen Xiao even if he had passed by Wangshu Inn.

The two ate their meal quietly, exchanging a few words occasionally.

It was less of a chat and more of a monologue by Xu Chuan.

Xiao occasionally hums in agreement or nods.

But the atmosphere wasn't awkward; instead, there was a strange sense of comfort, like two people who didn't need to say much, quietly sharing a meal.

After a hearty meal and drinks, Xiao rarely spoke up.

"If you've come for the ritual of inviting immortals, you're likely to miss it."

His voice carried a hint of coldness, but there was a subtle concern in his tone.

Xu Chuan nodded.

If he hadn't been in a hurry, he wouldn't have asked Dvalin to bring him to Liyue.

Unfortunately, Wendy abandoned Xiao halfway through and went back to Mondstadt to drink.

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Fall of the Emperor

However, since Xiao brought this up, there must be a solution.

As expected, Xiao continued, "Tomorrow I will use my divine power to carry you on your journey, and we should be able to reach Liyue Harbor before the Summoning Ceremony begins."

After saying that, he disappeared before Xu Chuan could express his gratitude.

They really do appear and disappear without a trace.

Xu Chuan smiled at the empty rooftop.

After returning to his room, Xu Chuan did not rest immediately.

He sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and continued to meditate and practice the Golden Light Mantra.

The warm energy within my body flowed slowly, like a quiet river, washing away the lingering fatigue in my meridians.

Golden light flickered on his body, changing with the rhythm of his breathing.

Not long after, a figure appeared in the room.

It looked slightly transparent and emitted a faint blue light, like a thin layer of mist condensing into a human shape.

The guy was tilting his head and looking at Xu Chuan from a short distance away, with a mischievous smile on his face.

But the moment he got close to Xu Chuan, the owner of that figure seemed to have been stimulated by something.

She screamed and tried to run away. "Ah!"

Xu Chuan opened his eyes, and golden light shone brightly in the room.

Golden light surged from within, like countless flexible tentacles, instantly binding the transparent figure tightly.

Bound by the golden light, he was unable to move and his face showed a painful expression.

"It hurts! Xiaoming won't do it again, please let Xiaoming go!" she struggled, her voice trembling with tears.

A little girl, whose body was slightly transparent, was bound by golden light.

The other party seemed terrified of the golden light and immediately begged for mercy.

Looking at that youthful face, Xu Chuan roughly understood what was going on.

Xiao Ming, the spirit of the little girl who likes to scare people at Wangshu Inn.

He had seen her in the game; she was a pitiful child who played pranks on passersby because she was lonely.

"Little girl, don't go out like this and scare people next time."

Xu Chuan didn't release the golden light, but he eased his grip, saying, "The people you meet next time won't be as easy to talk to as I am."

"Xiao Ming meant no harm, she just wanted someone to play with her..."

Her voice grew softer and softer, like a child caught doing something wrong.

"But you can't play pranks on people like that for your own amusement." Xu Chuan's tone softened a bit.

"If you promise me you won't scare people anymore, I'll let you go."

He mimicked Xiao's mannerisms, wearing a cold expression that made him look like someone not to be trifled with.

Xiao Ming was startled by his expression and nodded repeatedly.

"Xiao Ming promises big brother that she will never scare people again!" she said dejectedly, like a flower wilted by frost.

Recalling Xiaoming's scare tactics in the game: "If you don't come play with Xiaoming, Xiaoming will come looking for you..."

Xu Chuan suddenly felt a mischievous urge and lowered his voice, saying, "You have to keep your word, or I might come back for you."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming instantly perked up and nodded frantically.

"Xiao Ming will definitely do it, she absolutely won't scare people anymore!" She was afraid that Xu Chuan would say something even more terrifying.

Xu Chuan never intended to make things difficult for the little girl's soul.

The golden light then vanished, and Xiao Ming regained his freedom.

She darted to the corner of the room and looked at him timidly.

"Go ahead," Xu Chuan waved his hand.

Xiao Ming hesitated for a moment, bowed to him, and then disappeared through the wall.

The room fell silent again, save for the sound of the wind outside the window and the creaking of the waterwheel in the distance.

Xu Chuan looked in the direction where Xiao Ming had disappeared.

If she had committed evil deeds at Wangshu Inn, Xiao would not have kept her alive until now.

In the end, this little guy is just a pitiful person.

He manipulated the golden light, watching it flow between his fingertips, lost in thought.

This product, originating from one's own life, seems to have a remarkable ability to restrain the soul.

Once the golden light shone upon him, Xiao Ming couldn't even run away.

Xu Chuan couldn't help but think that once the golden light was refined to a certain level, he might be able to take a trip to the Layered Rock Abyss.

There are many secrets hidden there; perhaps he can find something there.

The night passed in the blink of an eye.

The next morning, Xiao arrived as promised.

He didn't knock; he appeared directly on the windowsill, like a bird perched there.

“Let’s go,” he said.

Xu Chuan packed his luggage, took the cannon, and followed Xiao away from Wangshu Inn.

Xiao unleashed his divine power, and the three of them traversed the mountains and rivers at an astonishing speed.

The wind whistled past my ears, and the landscape of Liyue rushed past me.

Verdant mountains, winding rivers, golden rice paddies, and villages and towns scattered among the mountains.

This was the first time Xu Chuan had seen the land of Liyue at such a speed, and he felt an indescribable sense of awe.

I finally arrived at Liyue Harbor just as the Summoning Ceremony was about to begin.

The ceremony for inviting the immortals was held at the Jade Capital Terrace, where incense smoke swirled on the enormous altar.

Ningguang, one of the seven stars of Liyue, presided over the ceremony, and tens of thousands of people gathered in the square, looking up and waiting for the arrival of the god.

Xu Chuan stood in the crowd, with Da Pao following behind him.

Unfortunately, there were too many people, and he couldn't find where Ying and Paimon were.

Xiao did not enter the venue; he stood on a distant rooftop, his golden eyes gazing at the sky.

As Ningguang cast her spell, the ritual to summon the immortals officially began.

Under the clear sky, the sky seemed to have cracked open.

As always, golden light poured down from the clouds, and a huge dragon-shaped figure descended from the sky.

The divine body of the Rock King Emperor is about to appear before everyone's eyes.

But the next moment, something unexpected happened. The dragon-shaped figure seemed to have suffered a major blow and became out of control.

That wasn't an arrival, that was a fall.

The enormous body tumbled in the air, its scales shimmering with dazzling golden light in the sunlight.

Then, it crashed onto the altar.

Boom—!

Smoke and dust rose, and gravel flew everywhere.

The crowd screamed and retreated. Seeing this, everyone turned pale and instantly fell into chaos.

Xu Chuan stood there, looking at the dragon's body lying in the ruins, and a thought involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

If I were to refine this Immortal Ancestor's physical body into a puppet the size of a cannon, it would be an extremely powerful and rare creation.

No, how could I think like that?

Xu Chuan banished these thoughts from his mind and turned his gaze to Xiao, whose expression at that moment was extremely interesting.

The emperor's demise was a tremendous blow to these immortals.

Although Xu Chuan knew it was a staged performance, he was still so shocked that he couldn't speak when he saw it with his own eyes.

The Rock King Emperor was assassinated.

From that day forward, the skies over Liyue Harbor were no longer watched over by any deity.

Xiao stood on the roof, his golden eyes fixed on the dragon's body, motionless.

The good news is that Xu Chuan made it in time.

The bad news is that Xiao witnessed the dragon fall from a great height.

The Emperor suddenly died.

That morning, the sky over Liyue Harbor was cloudless.

But for the people of Liyue, it was as if dark clouds had gathered and the sky had truly collapsed.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Emperor's Profound Meaning

Liyue Harbor, atop Jade Peak.

The venue for the ritual of inviting the immortals was still filled with the lingering scent of incense. Golden curtains fluttered in the wind, and the incense burner on the altar was overturned, with ashes scattered all over the ground.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the golden dragon fell from the clouds.

The altar was smashed, and so was the image of the god in the hearts of the people of Liyue.

The Rock King Emperor thus perished, dying swiftly and decisively, without even leaving a last word.

Ningguang stepped out from among the Seven Star Officials, her long white hair fluttering in the wind, her eyes calm and sharp.

She walked up to the ancestral body of the immortal and bent down to examine it.

Then he turned to face the panicked crowd, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"The Emperor has been murdered; the entire area is now sealed off."

These words completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.