Conqueror of Demons

!!!

An overwhelming sense of danger instantly engulfed Xingqiu. There was no time to think about what absurd projection this group of Treasure Hoarders had summoned.

Realizing that the two of them had been exposed, Xingqiu decisively grabbed Chongyun's hand and swiftly moved away from their hiding place.

Yet even though Chongyun and he had left their original position at top speed, the projection across from them seemed to have foreseen it.

"Whoosh."

Amid the crackling sounds of rapidly growing plants, countless emerald Vines instantly sprouted beneath the spot where Chongyun and he were about to land.

With no time to change direction again, Xingqiu fully drew upon the Vision hanging at his waist and used the miscellaneous art known as Sky-Soaring Steps, recorded in the Guahua Clan's secret manuals, to make an emergency adjustment in midair.

"Watch out! They're strong—give it everything you've got."

After landing safely, Xingqiu let go of Chongyun's hand and was just about to warn his close friend beside him.

But before he could finish, a suffocating pressure radiated from the youthful projection.

Instinctively, he tried to gather Elemental Power, only to discover that at some point, there was no element left around him except green.

Xingqiu, who had grown accustomed to using a Vision, was instantly thrown into confusion.

It can work like this? How am I supposed to fight if I can't use Elemental Power? Just who is that guy?!

The shocking reality filled Xingqiu's mind with little question marks.

With absolutely no ability to resist, Xingqiu and Chongyun were bound into two green rice dumplings by Vines winding in from all directions.

Xingqiu: "..."

Chongyun: "..."

Sorry, they dropped in seconds.

Same here.

Though the enemy was powerful enough to inspire despair, Xingqiu and Chongyun were actually less worried after being tied up.

—The gap in strength was this vast. If the other party truly wanted to deal with the two of them, they would never have had time to react in the first place. Since they were not dead now, they probably would not be killed later either.

Proof of that lay in the Treasure Hoarders on the ground. Their chests were still rising and falling; they were clearly alive.

Perhaps it was the projection of some Adepti who was friendly toward humans. Bound tightly by the Vines, Xingqiu and Chongyun were utterly speechless at the absurd luck of this group of Treasure Hoarders.

To casually summon a projection with such terrifying pressure, one that even gave Xingqiu the illusion that he was attending the Rite of Descension... it was hard to say whether these people had incredibly good luck or catastrophically bad luck.

Perhaps because neither of them harbored any hostility, Xingqiu and Chongyun had not lost consciousness like the Treasure Hoarders had.

Thus, when the two saw the Millelith arriving one after another from behind them, their scalps went numb as they anticipated what would happen next.

"Don't come over!"

"Be careful!"

—In utter despair, Xingqiu and Chongyun let out the most heartfelt shouts of their lives.

Liyue, Guili Plains

The boundless plain was overgrown with weeds, but this place, normally devoid of people, was unusually lively today.

Looking over the green rice dumplings scattered across the ground, Xingqiu really wanted to faint alongside the Treasure Hoarders. At least then, the Millelith's glorious image in his heart would not be shattered.

Just then, the youth at the center of the area took his first step. This sudden change immediately drew everyone's attention.

Yet at that moment, what the youth, who looked as mighty as a god in everyone's eyes, was thinking was:

"Huh? Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"

Lin Feng stared blankly at the green rice dumplings all over the ground around him.

The story had to start half an hour earlier.

Lin Feng's consciousness had been traveling through the Ley Lines. Just as the energy within him was about to finish accumulating, before he could even celebrate, he suddenly sensed that he seemed to have formed a faint connection with somewhere beyond Sumeru.

Because he had never had such experience before, Lin Feng had not realized that his consciousness traveling through the Ley Lines was itself information—and as long as it was information, it could potentially become a Ley Line Projection.

And then there happened to be this unlucky bunch of Treasure Hoarders, who somehow drew Lin Feng's projection—a prize comparable to the grand jackpot.

Fortunately, Lin Feng had always remained friendly toward humans, so his projection instinctively held back as well. Otherwise, the grass on these Treasure Hoarders' graves would probably already be two meters tall—literally two meters tall.

Back to the present.

After a brief moment of confusion, Lin Feng quickly figured out the situation.

Seeing that no one at the scene had been killed or injured, he relaxed slightly. It was not that he sympathized with the Treasure Hoarders; it was simply that if the Millelith had suffered casualties, it was hard to say whether the Top-Ranked Elder would drop several Skyfalls on his head when he arrived in Liyue.

With that in mind, Lin Feng decisively released every Millelith soldier from their restraints. Though he was quite interested in the two familiar faces among the crowd, this was clearly not a good time to ship such a cursed pairing.

Sensing a powerful aura nearby and vaguely guessing the newcomer's identity, Lin Feng flickered and vanished from the spot.

Guili Plains, atop a barren mountain.

Several wisps of blue-black smoke flashed into view, accompanied by a soft "xin."

A youthful Adepti appeared at Lin Feng's side.

"Thank you for showing mercy earlier, sir. On behalf of the Millelith, I offer you my thanks."

Xiao, his delicate features calm, turned toward Lin Feng and thanked him in an icy tone.

"There is no need for the Conqueror of Demons to be so polite. The Millelith's elite are renowned throughout the continent. They have always been known for their strict discipline and for caring for the people as though they were their own children. If I had truly injured them, I would have felt guilty as well."

Lin Feng had expected to be questioned, but to his surprise, Xiao, despite his cold expression, began by thanking him.

"Even as a projection, you still held back unconsciously. Your goodwill toward The World has sunk deep into your soul."

"By Rex Lapis's order, I came to make amends for the trouble Liyue's people caused you. I have no intention of making things difficult for you."

Sensing the nearly godlike power of the youth beside him, Xiao understood why Rex Lapis had specifically instructed him before his departure: "Do not make an enemy of him."

In response to Xiao's apology, Lin Feng focused on the words "Rex Lapis."

He realized that in such a short time, Zhongli had already noticed the incident here and had even found time to notify Xiao.

Lin Feng, who also possessed wide-range perception, naturally understood the cost of maintaining an investigation that covered the entire land—an immense volume of information circulating through one's mind around the clock. This was undoubtedly a blessing even more premium than 996; Lin Feng would call it 007.

—If it were me, I'd want to retire too.

Understanding exactly what Zhongli had sacrificed and feeling that he could not compare, Lin Feng said to Xiao before him:

"This incident was ultimately an accident. I will be leaving soon. I hope the Conqueror of Demons can convey my greetings to Rex Lapis."

"I suppose I count as half a Liyue native myself. I deeply admire the sacrifices Rex Lapis has made for this land."

Seeing that Lin Feng's admiration for Rex Lapis was utterly sincere and plain for all to see, Xiao's tone was no longer as cold and stiff as it had been at the beginning.

"The World has lived in Liyue for thousands of years. Most believe that Liyue is indispensable to Rex Lapis, yet only you understand that it is not Rex Lapis who needs Liyue, but Liyue that needs Rex Lapis."

"I will convey your greetings truthfully." Xiao nodded and made his promise.

Because neither Lin Feng nor Xiao was ordinary, they each had many ways to learn the full course of events. Therefore, though their meeting had been prompted by that earlier accident, neither of them mentioned that unlucky group of Treasure Hoarders again—not that they were worth knowing in the first place.

They say asking for votes early Monday morning works wonders, so I'll give it a try.

Follow-up updates are generally scheduled for 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day.

Though updates may occasionally come at rather cursed hours, such as midnight.

The editor recommends maintaining two updates a day during the new-book period, so I'm sorry that I can't mass-release chapters.