He changed Tiwat

But Ke Qing discovered that her movement skills were far inferior to Jiang Xue's, because when she went to stop Jiang Xue, Jiang Xue had already disappeared from her sight.

Previously, when the "Ruins Hunters" attacked, she went to pull Jiang Xue to safety only to find that Jiang Xue had already fled. However, at that time, she only felt that she was attracted by the "Ruins Hunters" and failed to notice Jiang Xue's actions.

But this time, she kept a close eye on Jiang Xue the whole time, yet Jiang Xue's movements were still faster than she could react.

...This means that if Jiang Xue said she was the one she wanted to kill, she is now dead.

As Jiang Xue passed in front of Shen He, Shen He fired three shots.

The Flowing Sky Spear Technique conforms to the number of the heavens and takes the stars as its position.

Shen He, having identified himself as Ziwei, aimed to seize the southeastern position of Tanlang with his first shot, intending to block the enemy's advance.

Jiang Xueheng stepped into Lu Cun's palace, avoiding the spear.

Shen He spun her spear, aiming for the Wenqu position. If Jiang Xue charged forward, she would run right into her spear.

Jiang Xue seemed to have anticipated this, and reached out to block it.

If his hand had deviated even slightly to the left, it would have been a bloody mess on the spearhead; if it had deviated even slightly to the right, it would have been thrown back by the spinning force on the spear shaft. But Jiang Xue's attack was perfectly timed, striking precisely at the junction of the spearhead and the shaft of the Xizai Spear, lifting the spearhead three inches off course, and in the nick of time, she slipped into the Lianzhen Star position.

Shen He twisted his waist, and with his left hand, he chopped at the tail of the Xizai Spear, changing the thrust into a sweeping motion, using the length of the Xizai Spear to sweep across the Lianzhen and Wuqu palaces. If this strike landed, Jiang Xue would probably be swept away into the Biyue River by the immense force of the spear.

But Jiang Xue's figure had already gracefully stepped into the tail of the Dipper's handle, the position of the Broken Army Star, completely dodging Shen He's third attack, leaving Shen He with only a fleeting silhouette.

Shen He's three shots, from the initial strike to the subsequent changes, all happened in the blink of an eye. However, Jiang Xue countered each move as if she had practiced with Shen He countless times, stepping on the flaws in his techniques with every move.

More importantly, it was Jiang Xue's movement technique.

Stepping on the North Star, capturing the stars – the immortal secret of the True Lord of Clouds and Wind, stepping on the stars and capturing the constellations!

Shen He's face was full of doubt. She clearly didn't know Jiang Xue, yet Jiang Xue used the secret movement technique of their Liuyun Sect. Could it be that, like Gan Yu, she had a senior brother she had never met?

Right now, Han Fulai and Jiang Xue are only an arm's length apart, and this distance is the distance that Jiang Xue left for him after being blocked by Ke Qing and Shen He.

In other words, if Ke Qing and Shen He hadn't been there, Jiang Xue would have already captured him the moment they met.

But Han Fulai no longer had time to be shocked.

As he maintained his retreating momentum, he clasped his hands together in front of his chest. Immortal power flowed within his body, and golden light flickered between his palms.

"Rocker..."

Han Fulai only had time to utter two words before Jiang Xue's palm strike was already at his chest.

But Jiang Xue's palm strike struck a stone wall—a shield made of marble.

Han Fulai used his own arm as a frame to make two arm shields.

Jiang Xue had witnessed him using his immortal power to activate the Jade Shield, so she was aware of the signs that Han Fulai was about to activate it.

But this is exactly the mindset that Han Fulai set for Jiang Xue—he could pretend to use immortal power while actually using the power of the Salt God!

Unlike the immortal power lent to him by Zhongli, the power of the demon god's remnants is now truly his own power, which he can use at any time.

Jiang Xue's astonishment lasted only a moment. He immediately adjusted his posture, quickly spun around, and came to Han Fulai's side.

Han Fulai stood still without hesitation, raising his arm to meet the attack. With this shield, he effectively blocked most of Jiang Xue's attack paths.

Jiang Xue clearly intended to stop short of causing serious injury; otherwise, he would have already used his sword energy to injure the opponent. Since the opponent only had a pair of fleshy hands, he couldn't very well fight a rock head-on... Jiang Xue was not Shen He.

Jiang Xue is indeed not Shen He... but Han Fulai is not Shen He either.

Shen He understands the art of stepping on the ground and taking pictures, but Han Fulai does not.

Jiang Xue's figure darted around Han Fulai, using her quick, shuffling steps to lure him into using his hands to defend, and then attacking him from unexpected angles, each move aimed at his vital points.

With the limited martial arts knowledge Han Fulai had gained from sparring with Shen He, he was simply unable to keep up with Jiang Xue's movements. He could only rely on his physical attributes enhanced by the power of the demon god and immortals, as well as the increased defensive range from his arm shield, to barely keep up.

In just a few seconds, Jiang Xue had completely seen through Han Fulai's true intentions. She stabbed him in the eyes with a palm strike and passed by him as he raised his arm to block.

"Returning Step Kill - Desolate".

Jiang Xue did not turn around, but his right palm, like a knife, had already slashed Han Fulai in the back of the heart.

At this moment, the back armor that Han Fulai was manipulating with the power of the Salt God was just beginning to take shape. Although he had reacted when he heard Jiang Xue's voice, Jiang Xue was clearly much faster than him.

“I killed you once, so we’re even,” Jiang Xue said in a low voice.

Jiang Xue's meaning was clear: he had won, so Han Fulai should no longer pursue his identity or disturb his life.

Moreover, due to the obstruction of her body, Shen He and Ke Qing couldn't see what Jiang Xue had just done. Jiang Xue's move even saved Han Fulai's face, not embarrassing him too much. Otherwise, if Jiang Xue wanted to, she could have used a more exaggerated method to knock Han Fulai down directly and make him look foolish in public.

The opponent was not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also very principled in martial ethics, stopping short of defeat.

Both morally and logically, Han Fulai should have stopped while he was ahead.

However, Han Fulai was not a martial artist. He did not uphold martial ethics.

So he removed his arm shield, turned around to face Jiang Xue, and cupped his hands in greeting.

Jiang Xue noticed that the young man did not show any frustration at his defeat; instead, he wore a calm and serene smile, as if Jiang Xue was the one who had lost.

Han Fulai spoke, his voice also very low, so that only the two of them could hear him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Yao Guangxing."

Jiang Xue was taken aback.

"You are Xinghan, the current successor of the Liyue Xing Clan. I happen to have some matters I would like to discuss with you."

Han Fulai did not use a question, but an affirmative sentence.

At the previous Seven Stars meeting, he had wondered why one of the Seven Stars was absent and had asked Gan Yu about it.

Gan Yu told him that the current Star of Yaoguang was named Xinghan, in his thirties, and had resigned and retired a few years ago due to some unforeseen events. He was no longer in Liyue Harbor. The other seven Stars did not accept his resignation, so the name of Yaoguang still existed.

Jiang Xue's age, the regret he expressed in his words, the desolation in his eyes, and his behavior of hiding his identity all fit Gan Yu's description.

Gan Yu also mentioned that the Star Lord of Yaoguang is in charge of military strategy and is the only one among the Seven Stars who is more like a soldier than a merchant. He was originally in charge of commanding the Thousand Rock Army. The Thousand Rock Army was originally a force spontaneously formed by the followers of the Emperor, and the Star Clan was not only the first forging family in Liyue to inherit the Emperor's forging techniques, but also the earliest Thousand Rock Army soldiers. For three thousand years, the Star Clan has used the original Thousand Rock Sword from Liyue as their family heirloom weapon.

Jiang Xue used the Unsharp Sword to conceal his martial arts skills. The Unsharp Sword is a one-handed sword, but Han Fulai clearly saw that both of Jiang Xue's hands had calluses from years of training. The Thousand Rock Ancient Sword, on the other hand, is a two-handed sword. Even if he abandoned the two-handed sword and switched to a one-handed sword, he still couldn't erase the traces left by his past life.

Ke Qing was still young and majored in civil engineering, so she naturally didn't have much interaction with the Qianyan Army. Before she took office on Yuheng Star, this Yaoguang Star had already retired, so it was normal that she didn't recognize Jiang Xue.

Shen He doesn't recognize Jiang Xue because Jiang Xue's martial arts weren't taught by immortals, but rather were her family's martial arts. Of course, her family's martial arts might very well have some influence from the Liyue Immortals.

The skills currently passed down in Liyue can mostly be traced back to the Celestials or the Celestials. In particular, Jiang Xue recited two poems from China, which further convinced Han Fulai that he was connected to the Celestials' lineage. Perhaps these poems were recorded by Jiang Xue's ancestors during their campaigns against the Geo Archon.

Furthermore, the fact that Ningguang would allow such an unidentified fisherman to stay at Wangshu Inn and eat for free also demonstrates Jiang Xue's extraordinary status.

Given Ningguang's personality, it's always better to keep Jiang Xue, this unpredictable element, under her control than to let this Yaoguang Star wander around aimlessly. Especially at this crucial moment, in the struggle for supreme power in Liyue, it's essential to have Philgodette and the others secretly monitor this Thousand Rock Army commander.

Although these deductions are lengthy, Han Fulai had already figured them out before his encounter with Jiang Xue. Jiang Xue's attitude merely provided strong evidence for Han Fulai's deductions.

However, Han Fulai would not explain these things in public; he would simply maintain a tacit understanding with Jiang Xue.

His meaning was also very clear—I know your identity, and I can reveal it at any time. If you're in a difficult position, you might as well consider cooperating with me.

After a moment, Jiang Xue sighed softly and shook her head. "I've already lost that name, so it won't be of any help to you. If you really want to spread it... I can simply go somewhere else."

After Jiang Xue finished speaking, she took off the bamboo hat that he had been carrying on his back and put it back on, covering most of his face.

Seeing that the two of them seemed to have finished talking, Shen He and Ke Qing walked over, and Jiang Xue lowered her hat and passed by the two of them.

Shen He opened her mouth, but ultimately did not stop the fisherman who seemed to be related to her sect.

"...What was the result of your battle just now?" Ke Qing asked hesitantly. In her eyes, the two exchanged blows for a while, passed each other, and then inexplicably stopped. Although she knew it was a bit inappropriate to ask such questions, she couldn't suppress her curiosity.

Han Fulai smiled and said, "Senior Jiang Xue is a cut above the rest, but I also won a round. So let's call it a draw."

Ke Qing raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any more questions.

Shen He glanced at Han Fulai's complexion and, seeing that he wasn't injured, felt relieved. However, she still had another question: "Who exactly is this person?"

Han Fulai watched Jiang Xue's retreating figure and deliberately raised his voice: "I promised Senior Jiang Xue, so I can't say."

First, keep Jiang Xue calm. After he returns to Liyue Harbor, ask Gan Yu or Uncle Tian about this Yao Guang Star. There's bound to be a way to persuade him.

Jiang Xue paused briefly before continuing to slowly walk towards his fishing boat.

Seeing Han Fulai's stance, Shen He and Ke Qing stopped pressing him about Jiang Xue's identity. Ke Qing then brought up another issue: "The group of Hilichurls that suddenly appeared, and that 'Ruin Hunter,' were definitely not accidental, and... their target seemed to be you. Do you have any leads?"

Han Fulai frowned. If we're just talking about people who want to get rid of him, whether it's the Winter Kingdom, the Rouran, or even Ningguang, they all have motives... But to command Hilichurls and Abyss Mages, or even the weapons left behind by Kanria... there are very few people who can do these things.

The prime suspect is naturally the "source of all evil," the Fatui. The monsters that appeared this time, including the "Ruins Hunter," all seem to have been teleported from somewhere. When they attacked the Jade Pavilion, the Fatui company appeared through a spatial portal, and the Winter Kingdom has definitely mastered this technology.

But given the strength of the Fools, why would they need to go through all that trouble by sending monsters to deal with him? Moreover, as a gamer, Han Fulai did have an impression of this method of controlling monsters—it was another faction called the "Abyss."

The so-called Abyss Mage is related to the "Abyss" and belongs to the grassroots of the "Abyss" forces.

However... he didn't know where he had offended the "Abyss." He hadn't heard of any activity by the "Abyss" in Liyue.

—No, there might be a place in Liyue that is related to the "Abyss"!

Han Fulai's eyes sharpened, and he asked in a deep voice, "Lord Keqing, shouldn't the Abyss of Layered Rocks still be sealed off?"

In the distance, Jiang Xue suddenly stopped.

“Of course.” Ke Qing nodded.

"...Although this is just my speculation, I suspect that today's attack may be related to the Abyss of Layered Rocks," Han Fulai said.

"Related to the Layered Rock Abyss?" Keqing was also surprised. Since the unusual phenomena appeared in the Layered Rock Abyss and the Seven Star Government sealed it off, there had been no news about it for a long time. Why would these monsters be related to the Layered Rock Abyss?

"Lady Keqing, as I mentioned before, I need to travel to the Layered Rock Abyss for our plan. It seems I need to speed things up." Han Fulai frowned.

Before this, he had only intended to investigate the mineral resources in the Layered Rock Abyss to prepare for the mass production of fertilizer. But now it seemed that the Layered Rock Abyss might be hiding some important secret. He also remembered something else—when he asked Yan Fei to investigate Ye Lan, Yan Fei told him that Ye Lan had inquired about the Layered Rock Abyss at the General Affairs Department.

In other words, Ningguang might also be involved in this matter. Since he and Ningguang are now competitors, it's only right that he investigates their movements.

Just then, Jiang Xue's voice suddenly came from afar: "Brother Fulai, you just said you had something to talk to me about?"

Han Fulai was taken aback. Jiang Xue had just rejected him, even suggesting she would rather live in seclusion elsewhere. Now, she was suddenly trying to establish a relationship with him and calling him "brother," which was completely unexpected. Moreover, judging from Jiang Xue's tone, it seemed that the matter was being discussed.

As the saying goes, "Those who offer unsolicited kindness are either up to no good or are thieves," Jiang Xue's sudden change in attitude makes it hard to say what her intentions are.

However, he currently desperately needs the help of this former commander of the Thousand Rock Army. His hope of controlling Liyue's military largely rests on this man from the Star of Luminosity. Since the other party has taken the initiative to extend an olive branch to him, it is naturally the best thing to do.

Han Fulai quickly replied, "Senior Jiang Xue, I do have something important to discuss with you. Why don't we return to Wangshu Inn now and talk?"

Jiang Xue shook her head and said, "Not now."

"What does Senior mean?" Han Fulai looked at Jiang Xue with a puzzled expression.

"Come here," Jiang Xue beckoned to him.

Han Fulai hurriedly ran to Jiang Xue.

"Three days from now," Jiang Xue whispered, as if she didn't want Ke Qing and the others to hear, "We'll meet at noon three days from now at the entrance to the Layered Rock Abyss. I... don't want to reveal my identity, so you need to remember to get me a pass."

"Eh? You mean..."

“I’ll go with you to the Abyss of Layered Rocks. Your martial arts are too poor, I think you really need a bodyguard named Jiang Xue. Remember, just the two of us.” Jiang Xue patted Han Fulai on the shoulder, as if to say, “You have to have him whether you want him or not.”

“…Okay.” Han Fulai knew that these were the terms of cooperation Jiang Xue had set. Since they were both going to the Layered Rock Abyss, he had no reason to refuse.

Jiang Xue said no more, stepped onto his small boat, and picked up the fishing rod. The river at Dihua Isle was shallow, and Jiang Xue used the fishing rod as a pole. Without any apparent effort, the small boat sailed far away.

Watching Jiang Xue's departing figure, Han Fulai suddenly remembered the first two lines of the poem about "Jiang Xue".

"Birds have vanished from a thousand mountains, and human tracks have disappeared from ten thousand paths."

Amidst these verdant mountains and clear waters, Jiang Xue's silhouette appeared so lonely.

Chapter 121 Establishing the Liyue Chemical System

In the three days since returning to Liyue Harbor, Han Fulai has done many things.

First, as planned, he wrote down some fertilizer ingredients from his memory and handed them to Shen He.

Because there is no periodic table on the continent of Teyvat, Han Fulai awakened his dead memories and recited a periodic table from memory, even thoughtfully adding a mnemonic rhyme: "Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon, Sodium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Silicon, Phosphorus, Sulfur, Chlorine, Argon, Potassium, Calcium..."

Anyway, the fact that he was a visitor from another world wasn't a secret to the immortals, and he was happy to use the knowledge he gained from his transmigration to torment the "academicians" in the "Liyue Immortal Arts Academy".

Of course, simply writing out a table is useless, since even the immortals don't know what those elements he wrote down are.

Therefore, Han Fulai also listed the correspondences between the relevant elements he discovered and the substances in Teyvat, based on his experiments with the Salt God's powers. For example, he listed the chemical representations of the fertilizers commonly used by Gan Yu, the agricultural master of Liyue, and their functions.

He also wrote about some simple element preparation experiments, such as electrolyzing water in a sealed container with lightning, which produced two gases, hydrogen and oxygen, and noted the properties of hydrogen and oxygen. He also described electrolyzing seawater with lightning to produce hydrogen and chlorine, and so on.

In addition, he also proposed a method for preparing "three acids and two bases" using the existing conditions in Liyue.

Sulfuric acid preparation method: "The essence of Cuihan rock is 'ferrous sulfate heptahydrate'. When it is placed in a furnace and calcined at high temperature, it will release a gas. When the gas cools down, it will condense into an oily liquid with strong corrosiveness, namely sulfuric acid."

Hydrochloric acid preparation method: "When sulfuric acid and salt are mixed and heated together, a white powder and an irritating gas are produced, namely sodium bisulfate and hydrochloric acid gas. This white powder can be used to make preservatives, and the hydrochloric acid gas can be mixed with water after cooling to produce hydrochloric acid."

Nitric acid preparation method: "When sulfuric acid is mixed with saltpeter (the stone powder used in fireworks and gunpowder) and heated, sodium bisulfate and nitric acid gas are produced. After the nitric acid gas is cooled, it is mixed with water to produce nitric acid."