Yan Emperor Shennong

At first, everyone thought they could easily hold back the man dressed like a shamanic healer, but once they actually clashed, they realized that Lianshan's strength was beyond anything they could restrain.

If Chi Yuan had not stepped in to stop him, Lianshan would likely have already run out.

"Chi Yuan, move aside. I'm going to save Ji Lin!"

Bloodshot veins filled the whites of Lianshan's eyes as he glared fixedly at Chi Yuan, who stood in his way.

"You can't go in your current state. Besides, even the Honkai Beast that Xu Yanwu and Ji Lin's group failed to defeat isn't something you can handle alone."

Chi Yuan spoke gravely. Though news of Ji Lin's death filled her with sorrow as well, she was far calmer than Lianshan.

"Then I'm going anyway!"

The Shennong Ruler in Lianshan's hand erupted with a faint, miserable green glow. "Chi Yuan, if you keep stopping me... I'll..."

"And what will you do?! Did the Main Body give you the Shennong Ruler so you could use it against your companions?!"

Xu Yanwu's voice exploded through the air, stunning most of those present.

Lianshan and Chi Yuan looked up in disbelief, just in time to see Xu Yanwu descend from the sky and land between them.

"Brother Xu!" / "Xu Yanwu?!"

An almost pleading look crossed Lianshan's face as he rushed forward. "Brother Xu! Where's Ji Lin?! She's all right, isn't she?!"

Yet Lianshan's outstretched hand passed directly through Xu Yanwu's body, drawing an uproar from the crowd.

"What's going on? Lord Ying Long's body..."

"I don't know. The chief hasn't returned either."

"Brother Xu, your body..."

Lianshan moved his hand within Xu Yanwu's body, but felt not the slightest resistance, as though Xu Yanwu did not exist at all.

"...I'm sorry about Ji Lin."

Xu Yanwu turned his head away helplessly, unable to look at Lianshan.

"Ji Lin..."

Despairing, Lianshan ran out of the tribe and charged toward the sea.

Chi Yuan had originally intended to stop Lianshan, but Xu Yanwu stopped her.

"Chi Yuan, let him go... He... will be all right."

"Xu Yanwu, what happened to your body? Why is it..."

Hearing Xu Yanwu say that, Chi Yuan no longer concerned herself with Lianshan and instead asked about Xu Yanwu's condition.

"I'm not Xu Yanwu."

Helplessness showed on Xu Yanwu's face. "I'm only the heart in which Xu Yanwu sealed most of his emotions. This body is merely a phantom. The Main Body... is still fighting Chi You."

"You..."

Chi Yuan's pupils contracted.

"It's all right. The Main Body is confident he can seal Chi You beneath the sea."

"But... Chi Yuan..."

Hesitation filled Xu Yanwu's expression. "I may... no longer be able to protect the Land of Shenzhou with you."

Chi Yuan immediately grew anxious.

"Xu Yanwu! What exactly happened to you?!"

"..."

Xu Yanwu did not immediately answer Chi Yuan's question. Instead, he waved a hand, and two streams of light flew from his palm into Lianshan's house.

"Chi Yuan, remember to tell Lianshan that he must read the letter I wrote for him..."

"Xu Yanwu!"

"...I..." Xu Yanwu suddenly raised his head toward the sky, his face filled with dejection.

"The Main Body moved way too fast... I haven't even properly said goodbye yet..."

As he spoke, the phantom Xu Yanwu had formed with his heart as its core gradually began to fade.

"Chi Yuan, it seems the Main Body has already sealed Chi You... Then it's time for me to sleep too..."

"You..." Chi Yuan reached out, seemingly trying to seize Xu Yanwu's vanishing body.

"I told you... my body right now is only a phantom formed by my heart..."

The corners of Xu Yanwu's lips curled upward. "Chi Yuan,

I have one last thing to ask of you..."

"Could I ask you to safeguard this heart of mine, which contains most of my sealed emotions?"

"I..." Chi Yuan had only managed a single word when Xu Yanwu hurriedly said, "Ah... there's no time. Then I'll just leave it to you!"

Xu Yanwu's figure completely vanished, leaving behind only a blue-green Jade Ring, which dropped straight into Chi Yuan's outstretched right hand as though it feared being rejected.

"Xu Yanwu! You bastard!"

Though she said that, Chi Yuan still tightly gripped the Jade Ring, which trembled with a faint heartbeat-like pulse.

----A Letter to Lianshan----

Lianshan, it's Brother Xu. This... can count as a farewell letter I left for you.

In the blink of an eye, we'd known each other for over three years, hadn't we? I still remembered that when I first met you, you were a weakling who might not even have been able to beat an ordinary wild beast. Now... you had become a warrior capable of standing on your own.

Time truly passed quickly. Three years had flown by in the blink of an eye, and during those three years... all of you had become more vivid and real than the versions of you I had learned about from Mihoyo before. Of course, you might not know what I mean, but you, Ji Lin, Cang Xuan, Danzhu, Chi Yuan... and everyone in the tribe, being able to spend these three years with all of you was the greatest blessing I had received since coming to this world.

Uh, did that sound a little sentimental? Forget it, I'll just say it anyway...

Ji Lin... was a good girl, but she had suffered too much...

I originally wanted to change the fate of her dying, but I never expected to get myself caught up in it too... Heh...

Someone once said I was a god. If so, I was probably the biggest failure among all gods...

Lianshan, Chi You was not the only one responsible for Ji Lin's death! You must understand who our enemy truly is... or rather, the enemy of everyone in this world.

Hadn't you always wondered why Cang Xuan and the others and I called Exotic Beasts Honkai Beasts?

The dead, Honkai Beasts—they were all monsters created by a calamity called Honkai. And Chi You was one of the strongest among those monsters.

It took me three years to finally give the people of the Land of Shenzhou even a tiny bit of ability to resist Honkai energy, but it was far from enough. Before Honkai, humanity was still powerless.

Your Shennong Ruler could help you resist Honkai's corruption and aid you in battle.

The food cooked in the Shennong Cauldron could improve the constitutions of the people of the Land of Shenzhou.

And not only that... there were also the axe-shield and spear I left behind. They were weapons like your Shennong Ruler, and I left seals upon them... Uh, you might not understand that. It meant the conditions required to use them.

The axe-shield was created for the identity of Xing Tian. Whoever could unseal it had to be loyal to you.

The spear bore the Ying Long form I had when you first met me. It was also the name I had used all these years. Whoever could unseal it had to possess the determination to fight Honkai.

Lianshan, I'll leave the time ahead to you.

Consider it fulfilling one small selfish wish of mine.

Lianshan, you are the next leader of the Land of Shenzhou.

Yan Emperor, Shennong Jiang Zhu!