He changed Tiwat

Staring straight at the dark clouds on the horizon, the "North Wind Knight" charged alone towards the dragon.

His roar echoed across the wilderness on the wind.

"A hero cannot desert his post!"

Back then, didn't Vereesa, who created the Knights of Favonius, also defeat the dragon Usagi?

So what if it's a dragon?

Who says humans can't slay dragons?

Upon hearing Rustan's battle cry, Han Fulai finally realized that he had miscalculated something.

Rustan lured away the dragon Durin to prevent Mondstadt from being harmed by the poisonous rain... but he didn't use himself as bait to ensure his death.

The reason is simple: Rustan had no idea when Barbatos and Tvalin would wake up, let alone that they would come to join the battle.

For Rustan, he had been holding Mondstadt for a long time while Erendel was on his expedition, and he had never counted on the ethereal wind god or the legendary guardian of the east wind.

So what if we drag the dragon Durin to Dragonspine? After it kills Rustan, it will still fly back to Mondstadt.

Rustan merely lured the dragon Dulin to a suitable battlefield; he genuinely intended to kill Dulin.

The Knights of the North Wind lured the dragon to the howling, snowy mountains for a strategic advantage. The gentle westerly winds of Mondstadt couldn't disperse the poisonous clouds in the sky, but the fierce north winds of the snowy mountains could. And speaking of which... there was even a "Frost Spike" over there.

Historically, Rustam did indeed fail.

But how do you know it will fail if you haven't tried?

At that moment, Han Fulai finally understood—he understood what the "Wind Flower" that belonged to Yura was.

There are actually quite a few similarities between "Swim Rider" Yura and "North Wind Rider" Rustan.

For example, Rustan is fighting against the "historical legacy" of Mondstadt, and so is Yura.

Their enemy is a massive system.

But they would never abandon their ideals because of their own insignificant strength.

They will neither lie down and let themselves be ridiculed, nor will they go along with the crowd; instead, they will choose to fight with all their might.

Just as the chivalrous thief Parzival said—

"Even if it's just a tiny bit, I want to use my own strength to turn this dark world around."

This might be why Wendy chose Rustan's experience as her trial.

Many people in this world feel powerless and desperate after encountering social realities... just like Han Fulai himself before he traveled through time.

Many people will succumb to this, trying to explain the world with some kind of logic, saying that what exists is reasonable, and that the world is just like this...

But some people will choose a different path.

Han Fulai recalled a sentence:

"Philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point is to change it."

Chapter 324 The Man Who Created Three Villain Bosses

"The Wind God visits the leader of the West Wind Eagles."

Unfortunately, the Lion Fang Knight did not appreciate it.

The fiery red-haired girl made a sound to scare away the squirrels.

He said he didn't have time to listen to music.

"Thanks to the wind god, I am now burdened by paperwork..."

On the nameless island, a bored bard is "playing the lute to the dragon."

Unfortunately, his only audience didn't seem to care—the azure wind dragon mimicked the sound of shooing away squirrels with its breath.

"It's time to get down to business, Barbatos."

The dragon raised a huge claw and pointed it at the sundial not far away.

Since they landed on the nameless island, it had been well past midnight, and the shadow cast by the gnomon on the sundial was gradually approaching the four o'clock position in the morning.

The azure light of the wind element had completely enveloped the dilapidated sundial.

This also means that the power belonging to "the thousand winds of time" has been fully replenished.

"No rush, there's still time."

Wendy, with a mysterious smile on her face, glanced at the two young people who were still fast asleep.

Han Fulai and Youla are still unconscious, and the trials in the dream continue.

Time flows differently in dreams than in reality; a few minutes outside may feel like days in a dream.

But even if you spend a few more days in the dream, it will all be in vain if you can't see through the essence of this trial.

Will they be able to pass the trial before 4 a.m.?

Once the time has passed, the power accumulated on the sundial will dissipate, and the trial will be declared a failure.

Wendy certainly wouldn't actually want Han Fulai and Yura's lives. This dream was originally a "memory of history," maintained by the power of time. When the power of time dissipates, the dream will naturally dissipate as well.

After 4 a.m., the two of them would naturally wake up and forget what happened in their dream.

However, the "rewards" that can only be obtained through trials should not be mentioned again.

If you want to obtain the secrets of "The White Princess and the Six Dwarfs", how can you succeed if you can't even pass this level of trial?

In the dream, the dragon Durin had already landed at Windwatch.

As the black rain fell, the green vegetation on Wangfeng Mountain instantly turned yellow and emitted a putrid odor.

The towering watchtower swayed suddenly after the black dragon flew by, and then collapsed with a crash—its foundation had been riddled with holes by the humic poison within seconds, and it could no longer withstand the ravages of the storm.

It is conceivable that even the heavy plate armor of the Knights of Favonius would not be able to withstand the corrosive poison, let alone Yura, or rather Rustan, who was not protected by armor at this time.

Of course, Rustan, who possesses the Eye of God and the "Sword of Wind Slash," doesn't actually need those bulky defensive gears; his own strength is the most reliable sword and shield.

Rustan, charging towards the distant dragon, raised his longsword high, chanting the pre-battle prayer unique to the Knights of Favonius:

"The winds that favor Mondstadt, I, my friends, my kin, and my rivals, offer you the clash of swords, the blood and sweat of our souls. The winds that guide me, when I am weary, give me the strength to go on. When I am confused, give me the wisdom to distinguish good from evil."

—Long, long ago, the rituals offered to the gods were performed in three acts, each starring one of Mondstadt's three starter families: Gunnhildr, Lawrence, and Imonroca.

The gladiatorial combat now banned by the Knights of Favonius was originally a ritual performed by the Imloka family to pray to the gods through battle.

Even after the decline of the Imroca bloodline, and the warring were distorted by the Lawrence family into a noble entertainment, and eventually abolished by the Knights of Favonius, the ritual prayers remained, becoming the pre-battle prayers of the Knights of Favonius.

As he spoke, the Eye of God on his knight's epaulettes suddenly shone brightly, enveloping his figure in a blue wind shield, and even his warhorse seemed to be propelled by the wind, increasing its running speed.

Han Fulai was floating behind Rustan at this moment, like a blurry white ghost, or some kind of "back spirit".

Ever since Yura's consciousness fully took control of Rustan's body, his consciousness was kicked out by Yura—although there was no actual physical action, he did feel as if he had been kicked off the bed and suddenly jumped out of Rustan's body...

He didn't know what he was like now; if he had to describe it, it would be something like, "Have I become a stand-in?"

Even if he shouted, Rustan, or rather, Yura, couldn't hear him at all. His consciousness couldn't touch anything in the dream either.

Having lost his body and left only with his consciousness, he seemed to have become a following "camera," unable to do anything but watch.

He had already figured out what the "flower of the wind" he was looking for was.

Both Rustan and Yura are people who want to "change the world" through their own efforts.

In this dream scenario, the most effective way to change the world is to defeat the dragon Durin!

Historically, the wolf cub Rustan perished in this battle.

His death indirectly led to Erendrin's disappearance, Rosalind's self-destructive behavior, and her disciple Roland's suicide...

For ordinary Mondstadt citizens, the quiet death of this acting commander during wartime seemed almost normal. It was certainly a tragedy, but Rustan wasn't the only one embroiled in the "Dark Calamity." Warfare inevitably involves death; the annihilation of the Mondstadt Expeditionary Force wouldn't be any less tragic than Rustan's…

However, if we include the subsequent "Battle of the Two Dragons," those who know the inside story will have a different perspective.

Barbatos and Dvalin, who had been sleeping for a long time, finally joined the battle to protect Mondstadt.

However, Rustan had already sacrificed himself before they joined the battle, and he had dragged Dulin all the way from the seaside to the snow-capped mountains before he died...

Rustan was Erendel's brother who risked his life for him, Rosalind's lover, and Roland's most respected mentor. These three of Rustan's "family members" probably want to ask their Wind God, "Where were you all this time?"

If they later learned the meaning behind this "dark calamity," and the relationship between Barbatos and the witch Rhinedoth who instigated the "dark calamity"... even if they didn't say it, they would probably hold a grudge against Barbatos.

In a sense, Rustan's death may have added three very powerful "villainous bosses" to Mondstadt...

If Rustan hadn't died, and even had defeated Dullin, the history of Mondstadt for the next five hundred years could very well have been different. At the very least, Erendelyn, Rosalind, and Roland wouldn't have left Mondstadt, and Dvalin wouldn't have been corrupted, causing the "Dragon Plague" five hundred years later... Under the determined reforms of the twin stars Erendelyn and Rustan, the overall landscape of Mondstadt could very well have been completely different.

This is certainly "changing the world".

So Han Fulai now knows very well what he needs to do in this dream—help Yura defeat Dulin.

Chapter 325 Different Test Questions (Bonus Chapter 3/19)

Now, Han Fulai, who is floating behind Rustam in the form of a "stand-in," can really understand Yura's previous sense of powerlessness.

It's a terrible feeling to be able to watch things happen and do nothing about it.

If Yura hadn't kicked his consciousness out, he might have been able to communicate with her through Rustan's mouth. Unfortunately, she had already taken him as her "weak self" and then kicked him out...

In terms of pure combat power, Yura is naturally better than Rustam.

She is a Knight of Favonius, trained in the swordsmanship of Favonius, and a holder of the Eye of God. Moreover, she is truly living as Rustam. Her performance in battle as Rustam should be significantly better than Han Fulai, who spends his days sitting in an office.

However, just as Han Fulai could only unleash a portion of Rustam's strength when he played him, Yura, though as brave and fearless as Rustam, was not the real Rustam, and her strength could not compare with that of Rustam, the founding master of swordsmanship.

Since even Rustan himself couldn't defeat the dragon Durin, the chances of Rustan, played by Yura, winning are probably even slimmer.

If he could act as a "strategist" to guide Yura to seek reinforcements from the Windrise Lands, or drag the dragon to the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain to try and utilize the snow mountain environment and the "Frost Spikes," the chances of victory might be greater. However, his voice and thoughts could not reach Yura at all.

If the power of this dragon in the dream is also a complete replica of that of the historical Durin—then it would be an absolutely invincible enemy.

Since brute force is outmatched, the only option is to outsmart the enemy.

But even using "outsmarting" is difficult.

Han Fulai learned that Barbatos was sleeping in the Windrise Land, and also knew that the "Frosty Nail" had a restraining effect on Dulin, a "power from outside the world".

If he wants to perfectly fulfill the two prerequisites of "awakening Barbatos" and "luring Dulin into the snow mountain", he has to design a route that allows Dulin to pass by Fengqidi and kick Barbatos out of bed, and then fly to the snow mountain... Moreover, Dulin has to be obedient throughout the entire process.

Honestly, implementing this tactic is almost as difficult as defeating Dulin head-on; it's no exaggeration to say it's a near-death experience.

But it's better than letting Yura face Dulin head-on with a certain death, right?

Watching Yura bravely charge towards Dulin, Han Fulai could only watch helplessly.

"You mean, the trial is to defeat that Dulin?"

Dvalin snorted. Although dragons don't have facial expressions, the tone of his voice clearly indicated that he thought it was impossible.

As a participant in that "Battle of the Two Dragons," Tvalin knew better than anyone how powerful Dulin was.

Five hundred years ago, the demon god who guarded freedom fought alongside the former Lord of the Sky, riding the wind.

However, the battle was extremely arduous.

Dulin was enveloped in the stench of putrid venom, a scent even Dvalin dared not touch. And Dvalin's most prized weapon, the Gale, was utterly unable to penetrate Dulin's steel-like scales. It could only helplessly circle around Dulin.

Fortunately, Barbatos possessed two incredibly powerful artifacts—the "Sky Harp," which could summon pure winds and songs, and the "Comprehensive View of a Thousand Winds and Clouds," which contained the true names and immense power of a thousand winds and clouds.

The poet played the "Sky Harp," bestowing upon his comrade the most powerful blessing with the "Heart of God," granting it the brief protection of the "Great Power of the Ancient Dragon," and then used the power of words to bind Dulin's actions, creating a fleeting opportunity for Dvalin...

Mondstadt's bards described the "Battle of the Two Dragons" as follows:

Blessed Dvalin roared down from the heavens, his sharp winds tearing through the dark dragon's sun-obscuring poisonous wings. Gale winds from all directions converged and swept across, shattering the filthy black clouds as they followed the wind dragon's wings.

In the fierce battle that shattered the clouds, the wind dragon spread its six wings, blessed by the gods, and cleaved the sky to the left and right like a heavy sword, tearing apart Dulin's steel scales...

In the midst of a fierce and chaotic battle, the wind dragon wielded its massive claws, which were like scimitars, piercing into Dulin's body and penetrating deep into his rotting, blackened flesh...

Finally, the wind dragon's sharp teeth pierced deep into the demon dragon's throat, and its giant claws tore apart its decaying chest.

The sinner's creation, carrying a long and lingering regret, fell from the immaculate sky and landed on the snow-capped mountain.

A fierce battle raged high in the heavens, protecting the people of the Wind God from the crisis of the abyss.

...But the toxic, foul blood seeped into Dvalin's teeth and into its internal organs, causing it to suffer for five hundred years.

"Tactics that rely on clever tricks will certainly not pass this trial... unless they can grasp the true essence of 'Wind Flower'."

The green-clad bard smiled slyly.

Although Wendy wasn't so wicked as to peek into everything that happened during the Dream Trials, he still devised quite a few wicked traps—especially for those who were quick-witted and always looking for shortcuts.