Chapter 540

Whether you bring two or a whole group, it's all the same; Anqi Faction will cover everything, so there's no difference.

Chapter 298 Will Grow Up

"Yay!" ×N

Fanan, Yingda, Guizhong, and Heulia happily clapped their hands in celebration.

Maria glanced back at them.

"Is it something to be happy about forcing me to compromise?"

"Hehe! Maria, you wouldn't understand. This is the joy of breaking through Maria's defenses. I'm a professional at this!"

The other three lowered their heads in embarrassment, while Guizhong stood proudly with his hands on his hips and chest puffed out.

Then Maria pinched her little face and pulled it away.

"It's fun, isn't it?"

"Ouch! It hurts! I'm sorry, I was wrong!"

Maria kneaded her cheeks for a while, then shook her head and sighed helplessly. Although she had a headache, they were in this kind of relationship anyway, so she could only let her be.

Maria looked at the last person in the group.

Xiao twirled the spear in his hand a few times, touching the tip as if searching for a feel for it. His unwavering gaze showed that the young man was prepared to clear obstacles for the Salt King, even at the cost of his own life.

Maria chuckled.

"Now that the team is set, let's set off. Morax, Azhdaha, see you later."

"Have a safe journey, everyone. We'll keep a close eye on Liyue, so there's no need to worry about that."

"Of course! You've been guarding this place for thousands of years without us, haven't you? There's nothing to worry about. We're leaving."

Maria went first, followed by Guizhong and Heulia, who took her hands—the dependence itself wasn't the problem; the question was, did they really understand this wasn't a picnic or adventure?

The Three Yakshas followed closely behind, and the group jumped directly into the giant cavern of the Cocoon Abyss. They quickly entered a tunnel deep within and disappeared without a trace.

Zhongli and Azhdaha watched silently.

"By the way, Morax, is the feast ready?"

"Naturally, Cloud Retainer, Ge Chen, and the others were already waiting at Lu Hua Garden."

"That's good. In any case, we should at least offer a toast to Fushé."

Yes, whether what's brought back is a living person or relics, it's a reunion of old friends. Wouldn't it be inexcusable not to share a drink together?

"Demon-Suppressing Nuo Dance!"

The Yaksha donned his mask and swept through the roaming monsters like a whirlwind. It was a chilling, deathly wind, completely different from Barbatos's.

Xiao landed amidst the horde of monster corpses, removed his mask, and looked back at his companions:

"Ahead lies the first ancient battlefield ruin. As it's the first ruin we've found, several months have passed since our last visit. It's surprising how many new monsters have appeared in such a short time. It seems the calamity of five hundred years ago hasn't completely subsided and continues to spread unnoticed. In any case, the road is clear. Please proceed."

Xiao analyzed the situation, also reminding everyone of the hidden risks of this trip.

Guizhong was the first to float over, raising his hand to stroke Xiao's head, his face full of affection as he said:

"Ah, our Xiao has grown into a mature and reliable child. I'm so proud of him, Guizhong!"

"Judging by their faces and height alone, it's hard to tell if they're the older or younger sister."

"Hmph! They'll grow bigger! Their height too, and this too..."

Guizhong slapped Maria's cheek, then bowed his head and measured the air with his hands over his chest.

"Waaah--"

A moment later, Guizhong wailed and lowered his head, his hands and his white, jade-like feet, as if he had lost all hope.

Fun fact: Demon God don't grow up.

Although Demon God are theoretically capable of taking on countless forms, transforming into a curvaceous and sexy woman would be effortless for them.

But the original, most primal form is often the one that best embodies the essence of Demon God, and is the most comfortable and suitable for it. A hasty change would not only be uncomfortable, but it would also feel like a defeat!

Just like Raiden Makoto would rather fool the Raiden Ei and have his sister constantly "enhance" her doll body than change his own size, so too does Pink Fairy Lady never admit that she's gained weight.

In short, it's about the pitiful self-esteem of a beautiful girl.

Maria looked ahead and nonchalantly walked past the road to her Guizhong place.

"Sister Guizhong?"

Heulia hesitated for a moment as she passed by, but after glancing at the dark and gloomy surroundings, she couldn't help but shiver and had no choice but to chase after Maria and hug her arm for a sense of security. It seems that since being with Maria, she has become even more timid and fearful than when she was living independently.

The group skipped Guizhong and arrived at the ancient battlefield.

Scattered on the uneven ground were old metal tools and weapon fragments. Weapon scratches and signs of brute force were visible everywhere. This was undoubtedly a place where the Thousand Rock Army had fought, but after frequent earthquakes, it was impossible to tell which battlefront it originally belonged to.

Maria walked to the center, raised her hand, palm down.

A wisp of blood hung downwards, meandering and drifting in mid-air, gradually transforming into a complex and irregular tangled ball of thread.

After a while, Maria withdrew her health bar and turned back to say:

"As you can see, my blood shows no clear indication, suggesting that Fushé is not nearby. Guizhong you, Guiji?"

Beside him, Gui Zhong, who had caught up at some point, drew talismans in Guizhong- air, his eyes radiating the same white light as the talismans.

Upon hearing Maria's question, the light runes that Guizhong had inscribed vanished. She spread her hands, shook her head, and sighed.

"No. The surrounding space is indeed chaotic, but there are no signs of large-scale spatial magic remnants. In other words, this shouldn't be the place where the demon was sealed back then."

"It seems this isn't the place after all. There are still ten ancient sites left. Following the order in which the Yaksha Faction explored, let's continue to the next location."

"Yes!" ×3

The Yaksha Faction were not discouraged. Even if all eleven possible locations were wrong, let alone the fact that it had only just begun, they remained calm. They could always search a second or third time; they had waited five hundred years, so the Yaksha Faction were not worried about a little more time.

"Don't worry, I have a feeling we'll find it."

Maria smiled faintly.

Yeah, she doesn't want to come back a second time. She wants to take that big oaf back with her all at once, and then enjoy the "unpayable debt of gratitude" from the Yaksha sisters... cough cough, anyway, that's the kind of treatment she'll get.

They encountered monsters again on the way.

This time, Xiao didn't have to do anything. Maria waved her hand, unleashing countless sharp blood lines that sliced the monster into pieces, then gathered a large amount of blood and spread it at everyone's feet.

With astonishing control, he transformed blood into a mobile carpet. This made movement much faster, and the fluidity and adaptability of blood rendered terrain limitations virtually nonexistent, making it incredibly convenient and efficient.

Guizhong, unwilling to land, clung to Maria's back for a ride. Her pure white, milk-like feet kicked happily, and she belatedly realized:

"Although I'm used to it, manipulating blood and all that... Maria, your ability is really strange."

Chapter 299 Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, Activated!

Thump!

Maria walked ahead with her eyes straight ahead and her back straight.

"If you're not satisfied, get off my back."

"I was just saying, don't be so stingy!"

Guizhong rubbed his head, which had been tapped, his fair cheeks puffing out, but the hand still around Maria's neck remained clenched. At the same time, oblivious to the danger, he kicked Maria's buttocks with his foot—anyway, Maria wouldn't be angry or retaliate in public, but as for when they got home... hehe, whether it would be retaliation or a reward was still uncertain!

Although the dim environment couldn't block the vision of these non-human beings, it was still somewhat oppressive. Guizhong's liveliness dispelled the gloom, making everyone feel more relaxed.

Maria's crimson carpet, disregarding the terrain, flowed effortlessly through the undulating tunnels and caves. Any unlucky monsters that encountered it were instantly enveloped in the blood, forced to bleed even more, which then seeped into the carpet.

To be honest, just as Guizhong said, it is indeed quite eerie.

If the person wielding this power weren't Maria, someone everyone has known for three thousand years, wouldn't she have been mistaken for some great demon incarnate, causing widespread panic?

Using this method of travel, the second, third, and fourth locations were quickly inspected.

"The blood did not show any indicative effect."

"Similarly, there's no indication that any spatial magic has been used."

Maria and Guizhong exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

"That Fushé guy, he's been causing us trouble for so many years, hahaha!"

Guizhong returned with a carefree, heartless laugh.

But in fact, everyone had already prepared for the worst before setting off.

At most, it's death. The Liyue have experienced this many times before, and Guizhong, who came to the modern era from the era of the Archon War, is no exception; they can all accept this outcome.

What's frightening is this uncertain situation. What if he's still alive, but no one comes to his rescue? That's what's truly troubling the Yaksha Faction.

Therefore, as long as they could confirm whether Fushé was alive or dead, even if the outcome was beyond saving, bringing his belongings back for burial would be considered a success. This was the thought of the Yaksha Faction, and it was the thought shared by everyone.

"Be patient. Considering how many times you've toyed with Fushé."

"What do you mean by 'playing with someone'? Am I the kind of bad woman who plays pranks on a big, clumsy guy just because his loud laughter is too noisy?"

I have no opinion.

"Hello!"

Guizhong charged forward, fists clenched.

Maria, with her tall stature and long arms, simply raised her hand and placed it on her head, turning her already harmless, wild punch into a purely cute, fiery wheel. Then Maria glanced at a rock in the distance, just big enough to hide a person.

"You've followed for quite some distance, isn't that enough? Mora... The Vago Rock King has decreed that the Chongyan Giant Abyss will be completely sealed off for the next few days, and all personnel inside must evacuate as soon as possible."

"..."

"Now that we're deep in here, I doubt you'll receive any outside instructions. If you don't believe me, take a look at this notice from the General Affairs Department. In short, leave as soon as possible and stop following us. The road ahead is not a place for humans to tread."

Maria tossed out a notice, which floated lightly onto the stone.

The blood-red carpet then moved again, quickly transporting the group to the next location.

But it wasn't until at least several quarters of an hour after Maria and the others had left that the alluring follower emerged from the shadows further away.

"After being seen through, you subconsciously shifted your focus, which only made the flaw more obvious, right? You need to be more careful next time... Hmm, it really is a notice from the General Affairs Department, and it even has the Seven Stars seal?"

Ye Lan held the notice, gently stroking her smooth, delicate chin.

"The unfamiliar guests at the Wang Sheng Funeral Parlor Marlenia, Helia, Achen, are likely immortals descended to earth, based on analysis. The two unfamiliar girls are completely unknown to me. And that young man—is he the Great Sage Subduing Demons atop the Wangshu Inn? So this whole group is immortals? The Emperor has sealed off the Chongyan Giant Abyss and dispatched immortals deep within; could something major be about to happen here?"

Having deduced this, Yelan hesitated, glancing back at the way she had come, then looking in the direction Maria and her group had gone.

"Should we follow them? Or should we go out and discuss it with Ningguang first?"

After a moment's thought, Ye Lan transformed into a shadow and headed in the direction away from the Chongyan Giant Abyss.

The mere presence of the Demon-Slaying Great Sage proves that this team represents the will of the Vago Rock King. In Liyue, few would disobey the Archon; at least Yelan hasn't rebelled to that extent.

So let's leave it at that.

Moreover, they've already been discovered. Continuing the pursuit would be disrespectful to the immortal master at best, and at worst—if the other party harbors ill intentions—their fate could be uncertain. Ye Lan isn't afraid of death, but there's no reason for her to be stubborn in front of a group of immortals, right?

Guizhong clinging to Maria's back, glanced back and said:

Who is that?

"I don't know, probably someone from Liyue."

"Oh, then I hope she listens to advice. And I also hope there will be a clue at the next location."

Guizhong smiled, but sighed inwardly. Fushé, where did you go? Are you still alive?

Fifth, sixth, seventh... until the tenth ancient battlefield ruins, Guizhong finally detected traces of residual magic.

"The traces of the spell are very faint. It's more like it was affected by the ripples rather than being the primary area of impact."

Guizhong's eyes lit up. But she wasn't sure what use these marks would be, so she looked at Maria with hopeful eyes.

Maria knelt down, placing her palms on the ground.

"Leave the rest to me."