He changed Tiwat

However, the same words spoken by different people have different effects.

Wendy then spoke up and read the sentence aloud.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden gust of wind arose!

A blue tornado shot into the sky from the broken sundial, as if Wendy's words had unlocked some incredible hidden switch.

Then, a huge "seed of wind" appeared before everyone.

Han Fulai had seen this thing in the game before – “Core of Gale”.

Chapter 302 Nameless Island

The "Core of Gale" is also known as the "Seed of Wind." It is called the "Seed of Wind" because of both its appearance and its properties.

Judging by its appearance, it looks like a round seed wrapped in two green leaves, except that this seed does not grow in the soil, but in the air... In fact, both the "green leaves" and the "seed" are forms produced by the formation of extremely high-quality wind element nuclei.

The appearance of a "Wind Core" usually means that the elemental veins in this area are blocked. The "Wind Core" is a product formed after the wind element in the veins accumulates. The round, seed-like shape of the "Wind Core" might also be called a "tumor".

If we compare ley lines to the "blood vessels" of the Teyvat continent, then the accumulation of ley lines clearly symbolizes the illness of this world.

In the land of wind, the "core of the whirlwind" is not an uncommon phenomenon; the guerrilla knights of the Knights of Favonius, represented by Yura, have encountered it several times during their patrols.

Strictly speaking, the "Core of Gale" cannot be considered a monster, because it does not possess basic intelligence and is merely a collection of elements, a natural disaster similar to a tornado.

It will recklessly expend the power of the gale, sweeping away everything around it—and so is this "core of the gale" before us.

The blue tornado that appeared when it appeared was just a sign. Immediately afterwards, a huge wind field suddenly appeared within a radius of tens of meters around the "core of the gale".

Dust and sand flew wildly in this wind field, and even the three people standing nearby felt a pull from above. If they lost their balance even slightly, they would be swept into the sky.

This is the "Hurricane Domain" that comes with the "Core of Gale". It continuously absorbs the wind elements in the surrounding world to strengthen itself. The more concentrated the wind elements in its core, the larger the range that its hurricane can affect, and the greater its power.

Although it lacks intelligence and has no likes or dislikes, its destructive power as a "disaster" is undeniable—the so-called "hurricane" is just Mondstadt's name for "typhoon," essentially the same thing, both referring to storms from the sea.

For the people of Mondstadt, who had not experienced a truly great storm for centuries, the "Nest of Gale" was a miniature "storm disaster."

A flash of light appeared in Yura's hand, and the greatsword was already in her grasp. The method to deal with the "Wind Core" was simple: use stronger elemental power to cleave away the wind element gathered at its core.

Wind elements that gather together can form tornadoes and hurricanes, but wind elements that disperse are just breezes.

The sooner its core is destroyed, the smaller the disaster it can cause.

In remote mountain villages like Clear Spring Town, there are occasional reports of being harassed by "Wind Cores." Yura alone has dealt with at least a handful of "Wind Cores"—but every battle against a "Wind Core" is a bitter struggle.

If there were an archer like Amber who could use fire elemental power, or a lightning mage like Lisa, it would be easier to break the "Wind Core" with ranged attacks. But if there's only a melee knight like Yura present, then... well, she'll have to jump up and fight...

Just as the guerrilla knight was charging up his jumping attack, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

Han Fulai gently shook his head at Youla, indicating that she didn't need to waste her energy.

With both the Wind God and the Wind Dragon present, what threat is the mere "Core of Gale"?

Moreover, this "Core of the Gale" was clearly summoned by Wendy's earlier statement, "The wind brings the seeds of stories."

Wendy now held the seven-stringed lyre in his hand, gently stroking the strings amidst the raging wind. A string of invisible notes rose from his hand and flew towards the "Core of the Gale" in the sky.

As if it could understand music, the "Core of Gale" instantly retracted its surrounding "hurricane domain" and spun endlessly in place.

Soon, the spinning "Core of Gale" suddenly stopped, and then, as if it had recognized its location, it flew straight towards the northeast.

"What is this...?" Yura looked at Wendy in confusion.

Wendy coughed. "Well, this is a 'seed of wind' left behind by my... our great wind god Barbatos. There is an identical 'idol' on the other side of the sea, and this 'seed of wind' can find the other by following the elemental connection between the two."

The vast ocean is unfathomable, and thousands of years have passed. Even Barbatos, who personally threw the temple into the sea, might not remember its exact location. In such situations, a knowledgeable "old horse" is needed to guide the way.

This "Core of Gale" is the "old horse" that Barbatos prepared—Wendy originally planned to have everyone ride in this "Core of Gale" to the nameless island if Tvalin threw a tantrum and refused to be a "ride-sharing driver".

"Alright, stop standing there. Don't you want to see the Wind God? The Wind God is hiding on that nameless island in the sea."

As Wendy spoke, she took the lead and walked towards Tvalin, who was waiting not far away.

After flying northeast for nearly two hours following the "Core of Gale," the group, including the dragon, finally arrived at the nameless island in the sea at sunset.

An unnamed island is the perfect place to hide secrets that have not been recorded in history.

The island is slightly larger than Musk Reef, with an area of ​​approximately one square kilometer.

From an aerial view, it is clear that if compared with a map of the Mondstadt coastline, this unnamed island can actually be pieced together with a portion of the existing Mondstadt coastline.

It was originally part of Zhaixing Cliff, and also the most prominent corner of Zhaixing Cliff, but it was torn apart by humans and thrown into the sea.

The temple, built a thousand years ago, has been reduced to ruins by the passage of time, but its former glory can still be seen from the stone pillars and broken walls that are more than ten meters high.

In the very center of the island, there is a sundial exactly like the one they saw before, but it is in better condition than the one on the Mondstadt mainland.

The "Core of Gale," which was responsible for leading the way, hovered above the sundial and slowly disappeared, as if it had entered hibernation again after completing its mission.

Dvalin then landed on the beach at the edge of the island with the three of them. Fortunately, the island was large enough to stop the wind dragon's enormous body.

However, the island's original inhabitants, the crabs that made their homes on the beach, suffered the consequences. With Dvarin's landing, the beach was suddenly filled with sideways crustaceans, hurriedly moving their homes—after all, their new neighbor was so big!

As soon as the green bard landed, he pulled out a net and summoned a gust of wind that swept up several delicious "natives." Hmm, dinner's sorted for today.

Chapter 303 Offerings to the Wind God

Wendy even brought her own crab-catching net, clearly she came prepared.

Han Fulai was not to be outdone—while Wendy was catching crabs, he had already taken out the complete set of camping gear he used when he accompanied Keqing on her field expedition, gathered firewood, started a fire, set up a pot to boil water, and even found a place to lay out his sleeping bag...

This unnamed island is known among Genshin Impact players as "Crab Island" because its specialty is crabs.

Given Wendy's personality, how could she not have a crab feast when she comes to "Crab Island" during mealtime?

Yura, the only one oblivious to the situation, silently watched the two idiots busy themselves for five minutes before finally grabbing Han Fulai's arm and whispering, "Weren't we supposed to be meeting the Wind God? Why has it turned into a picnic?"

Han Fulai pointed to the picnic pot in front of him and explained to Yura in a serious tone, "This is an offering to the wind god. The wind god Barbatos loves fine wine and food, and only by using these two things as offerings can we attract the wind god to appear. If you want to see the wind god, you have to follow this rule."

"Huh?" Yura looked at him with a blank expression. "I am a true member of the Mondstadt royal family, a Knight of the Favonius of the New Mondstadt, and I have never heard of such a rule. Who are you trying to fool?"

Han Fulai then pointed to the bard who had finished catching crabs and was now idle with nothing to do.

"If you don't believe me, ask that 'Barbatos's retinue' over there."

Well, the deity who accepts the offerings is just waiting there, banging on the bowl and waiting to be fed.

“Barbatos’s retinue,” Wendy nodded solemnly. “It’s true. Everyone knows that Barbatos is the freest god in the world, and he rarely appears in public—but he is very willing to share joy with his free people.”

“Think about it, isn’t the ‘Badminton Festival’ also known as the ‘Food Festival’? And isn’t the ‘Returning Wind Fine Wine Festival’ also called the ‘Beer Festival’? Fine wine and delicious food are evidence of the people’s happy life, and only these can attract the wind god to appear! Therefore, the ‘crab feast’ we prepare must be so delicious that it can attract him to appear.”

As he spoke, he handed the crab net to Yura: "I've heard that you, Miss Yura, are an expert in cooking, and you're highly regarded in the Knights of Favonius, so I'm entrusting this important task to you!"

On the beach, Tvalin glanced sideways at the wind god who was coaxing a little girl into cooking for him, and gave a soft snort.

Although no "expression" could be seen on the dragon's face, the snort clearly conveyed contempt.

Wendy mouthed a few words to Dvalin behind Yura's back, meaning "You'll get a share later."

Tvalin remained silent.

Since this dinner was a "sacrifice" offered to the wind god, Han Fulai certainly couldn't just stand by and watch.

Encouraged by Wendy, he also confidently declared that he would show off his culinary skills to the wind goddess and compete with Yura—well, although it was indeed Wendy who encouraged him, he did indeed have a bit of a desire to compete for no reason...

Han Fulai had been making pastries with his family since childhood, and had also learned a few tricks from Xiangling. He was also the exclusive personal secretary and canteen chef of the Liuyun Sect, so his culinary skills were actually quite remarkable. At the very least, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call himself "the number one chef at Yuehai Pavilion."

Although he had previously tasted the delicious desserts and "Havoc Pie" made by Yura herself, those ultimately fell under the category of "baking," requiring professional molds and ovens. How much of Yura's culinary skills would remain outside of such a well-equipped kitchen?

The greatest challenge of a picnic is making delicious food with simple conditions. Xiangling, who often goes out into the wild to find innovative ingredients, is the expert in this regard. Han Fulai, who has been taught by Xiangling and has also learned from Yingmei's traveler picnic skills, also has quite a bit of experience in this area.

Crabs are a famous delicacy in Liyue, known as "Moonlight Cuisine." Liyue's world-renowned "Immortal Jumps Over the Wall" and "Golden Crab" are made primarily with crabs. Old-fashioned Liyue people consider eating crabs an elegant affair, and they are so particular about using the "Eight Crab Tools," namely, a hammer, tongs, shovel, spoon, fork, scraper, and needle. They can savor a single crab for two hours, and after finishing, they can even piece the crab shell back together.

On this nameless island, he can't make fancy dishes like "Fairy Jumps Over the Wall" or "Golden Crab," and he lacks some important ingredients for more common dishes like "Butter Crab" or "Crab Roe and Ham Baked Vegetables." But making a simple "Crab Roe Shell Stew" is no problem at all.

This dish is one of Traveler Ying's specialties.

Before meeting Paimon, Ying spent a considerable amount of time living a "single life" near Eagle Beach in Mondstadt because she didn't know the way. During that time, she ate mostly crabs picked up on the beach for her three meals a day. She would clean the crabs, hollow out the shells, mix the crab meat and crab roe evenly, spread the mixture all over the shells, add some succulent crab leg meat, and then grill them over a high flame on a wire mesh.

The entire dish only requires crab as the main ingredient; the process is simple, but the result is quite remarkable.

Just one bite is enough to appreciate how much wisdom from travel is embodied in this simple "Crab Roe Shell Stew": without any special seasonings or ingredients, simply choosing the right cooking method and heat to bring out the natural freshness of the ingredients is sufficient.

The crab leg meat has a beautiful vermilion hue, and its texture is delicate and juicy; the crab roe has a salty and savory aroma, and its flavor is rich and mellow. The blissful feeling that fills your mouth when you eat it even makes you curious about the taste of the crab shell.

Han Fulai also recited a poem, "Ode to the Crab," on the spot, which was quite fitting for the occasion:

"Even in death, the ironclad warriors and long spears remain unforgettable; the lavishly piled-up plates of food bring joy and the first taste."

The claws are full of tender jade, and the shells bulge with fragrant red fat.

Wendy was full of praise for the "Crab Roe Shell Stew," and even Dvalin expressed his appreciation with a dragon's roar.

The pressure then shifted to Yura.

For Yura, the culinary training she received in the Lawrence family from a young age was merely an "obligation of the noble." She herself was not obsessed with cooking skills, nor did she care about others' opinions of her cooking. But there was one rule—if she cooked, she would always strive for perfection and do her best.

Under such rudimentary conditions, it was indeed difficult for Yura to put her culinary skills to use, but that did not mean she was helpless.

Just recently, Yura asked Wendy for a bottle of dandelion wine to use in cooking.

—Of course, what Yura didn't know was that the bottle she was using was a 500-year-old vintage treasured by Barbatos.

With wine and crab, what Yura made was naturally "drunken crab".

This "drunken crab" dish was one of the family banquet dishes that the Lawrence family developed after moving to the North. In winter, there were no ice-free ports, and seafood was not as readily available as in Mondstadt. The Lawrence family, now in decline, could no longer afford to be as extravagant as before. So they invented a method to extend the shelf life of crabs.

Sea crabs are marinated in strong liquor and then placed in sealed jars in a natural, icy environment. After being refrigerated for a week to two weeks, the crabs will have fully absorbed the marinade. Eating "drunken crab" at this time not only allows you to enjoy the freshness of the crab meat itself, but also feels like drinking fine wine, making you feel intoxicated and carefree.

Fine food and wine, combined into one, are the most suitable "offerings" to be offered to Barbatos.

Of course, it would be impossible to marinate the crabs for ten days or half a month using traditional methods, so Yura made good use of her advantage as the holder of the Ice-type Divine Eye—while Han Fulai was making a fire to roast the crabs, she was using ice elements to freeze the crabs.

This freezing process demands a high level of skill in controlling the elements: the ingredients must be allowed to absorb the flavors quickly without overfreezing and causing the crabs to die. It requires precise timing and control.

But for Yura, who can break down the power of the "Ice Seal" into particles and give them to Joel to make a snowman, such delicate operation is just a basic skill.

Before long, Yura's "drunken crab" was also finished.

The crabs, freshly thawed, still retain the same shape they were in when they were frozen, their eight legs curled up, seemingly lost in a blissful state; their shells are still green, and the aroma of wine is irresistible.

No seasoning is needed; this "drunken crab" is the best dish to enjoy with wine.

Han Fulai also composed a poem for Yura's "Drunken Crab":

"The gluttonous prince should have wine, but the arrogant young master has no guts."

"A cold chill accumulates in the navel, causing one to forget all taboos; fingers stained with fishy smells still retain their fragrance after washing."

As for its taste, Dwarin exclaimed after tasting it, "Give me another one!"

Mmm, it's so delicious that even the dragon could speak human language.

Chapter 304 Lullaby of a Thousand Winds of Time

As night deepened, the three people and one dragon, having enjoyed a delicious crab feast, sat around the campfire.

Although Wendy, "the servant of Barbatos," claimed that the fine wine and food would surely attract the wind god, unfortunately, the wind god he spoke of didn't seem to be very cooperative, and in the end, all the food and wine ended up in the stomach of this "servant."

Han Fulai naturally had no objections, but Yura was actually a little resentful in her heart—she had figured out that this crab feast was just Wendy using the name of the Wind God to freeload a meal.

Furthermore… she noticed that neither Han Fulai nor Wendy seemed to take the audience with a deity very seriously. She was the only one who was genuinely nervous about it.

The discovery that those two were definitely hiding something from her made her even more upset.

As if sensing Yura's thoughts, the green-clad bard pointed to the sundial not far away.

“There’s an old saying in Mondstadt: ‘Haste makes waste.’ Barbatos has already received our invitation, but it’s just not time for him to show up yet… If you don’t believe me, use your Elemental Sight to look over there.”

Yura looked in the direction he was pointing and saw that a faint green fluorescence was emanating from the tip of the sundial, which was the arrow-shaped stone carving.

That was the light that belonged to the element of wind.

However, the wind element is still very weak, and it is easy to ignore even when using elemental vision.

"The wind god Barbatos has actually been sleeping in that 'statue,' but our fine wine and food have awakened him. That wind element is the evidence of Barbatos' awakening. In a while, when the light of the wind element covers the entire 'statue,' he will awaken."

Although Wendy's explanation sounded plausible, Yura still had doubts: "A while... how long is that?"

The gods' concept of time is completely different from that of humans. Legend has it that hundreds of years would pass when Barbatos took a nap, and it is not impossible that it would take him ten or twenty years to get up.

Wendy smiled mysteriously: "'The Thousand Winds of Time' will naturally awaken at the crossroads of time. Hmm, if I calculate it, it should be around four o'clock tomorrow morning, right? Look, the light of the wind element has increased a bit."

Indeed, the green light on the stone arrowhead shone even brighter.

Han Fulai, who lacked elemental vision, didn't bother to look at the sundial; he knew that the real wind god Barbatos was right in front of him, trying to fool people.

But the timing of Wendy's so-called "awakening of the wind god" seems to have a deeper meaning.