Elation Blessing

Night.

Tianhun City Inn.

Quan Cangtian sat by the window.

Outside, the city lights of Tianhun City formed a sea of orange dots, near and far.

He watched those lights.

Beneath his palm, the Dark Red Crystal pulsed.

At the same frequency as the Dark Soul Cult's aura.

Once, twice, three times.

He clenched his fist.

Zixiao sat beside him. The Thunder Light Sword lay across her knees. Her eyes were closed, but she was not asleep.

Quan Cangtian felt a little tired.

Not physically tired.

It was the feeling of... his consciousness sinking.

He blinked.

When he opened his eyes again.

His vision had blurred.

Zixiao's face became a mass of purple light.

He heard Zixiao's voice, distant.

"Cangtian?"

He wanted to speak.

But he could not open his mouth.

The Dark Red Crystal beneath his palm began pulsing violently.

Then—

His vision went black.

He collapsed.

Zixiao opened her eyes.

She caught him.

"Cangtian!"

She checked his pulse.

It was still there.

But his consciousness had sunk away.

She raised her head.

And looked out the window.

At the southeastern corner, the Dark Alley District.

The aura of the Dark Soul Cult was approaching.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

He stood in a void.

Beneath his feet was black ground, like a mirror that reflected his figure.

Above him was a starry sky.

But it was no ordinary starry sky.

Every star flickered.

Red, blue, gold, purple.

Densely packed, countless beyond measure.

He recognized this place.

The Path Rift.

The small space within his body.

But he should not have been able to enter it.

His current strength was insufficient.

He tried to move.

He could move.

But he could not walk out.

There was no direction.

No boundary.

He stood where he was.

And waited.

Quan Cangtian waited for a while.

Then he saw someone.

The figure walked out of the void.

Wearing a mask.

A white mask painted with a smiling face.

Dressed in a black robe.

He walked up to Quan Cangtian.

And stopped.

Quan Cangtian looked at him.

He sensed an aura.

It felt familiar.

It was the Envoy of Elation.

The voice that occasionally spoke in his ear.

The presence he had vaguely sensed but never identified.

The Envoy of Elation spoke.

"Awake?"

His voice carried a smile.

Quan Cangtian said,

"You are..."

The Envoy of Elation said,

"Guess."

He turned around.

And looked at the surrounding stars.

"This place is nice."

"Just too empty."

Quan Cangtian said,

"How did you get in?"

The Envoy of Elation said,

"I pulled you in."

He paused.

"With your current strength, you cannot enter on your own."

The Envoy of Elation raised his head.

And looked at the stars.

"See those stars?"

Quan Cangtian nodded.

The Envoy of Elation said,

"Each one is a rift."

"A rift connected to the Honkai Star Rail Universe."

He raised a hand.

And pointed to a red star.

"That one connects to the Simulated Universe."

"Inside are Blessings, Curios, and buffs you need."

He pointed at another blue star.

"That one connects to the Divergent Universe."

"Inside are harder stages, stronger enemies, and better rewards."

He paused.

"There are others as well."

"Rifts connected to different Paths."

"Rifts connected to different Instance Dungeons."

"Rifts connected to different worlds."

Quan Cangtian said,

"Can I enter them?"

The Envoy of Elation said,

"Not yet."

"Your strength is insufficient."

"But once you are strong enough—"

He made a gesture.

As though grabbing something.

"With a thought, you can pull a star down."

"And use it as a door."

"Open it, and you can enter."

The Envoy of Elation extended his hand.

His palm faced upward.

A ball of multicolored light emerged from his palm.

The light spun and changed.

One moment red, the next blue, then gold.

The Envoy of Elation said,

"This is Elation."

He looked at the ball of light.

"Your Path Rift currently only has Destruction and Abundance."

"It is too monotonous."

He paused.

"I'll add a little something."

He pressed the multicolored light toward the ground.

The light seeped into the black surface.

The ground began to change.

Multicolored patterns appeared across the black mirror-like surface.

Like ripples, like waves.

Quan Cangtian felt the Path Rift expanding.

Changing.

Quan Cangtian said,

"What is this?"

The Envoy of Elation said,

"The power of the Path of Elation."

He paused.

"I took a portion of it and grafted it onto your Path Rift."

"As a transfer station."

Quan Cangtian said,

"A transfer station?"

The Envoy of Elation said,

"Yes."

"From now on, you can obtain Elation Blessings from here."

He extended a hand.

His finger traced through the air.

Several words appeared in the air.

Illusion.

Transformation.

Roleplay.

Chaos.

Taunt.

Probability Distortion.

Envoy of Elation.

"This is the core of Elation."

He looked at those words.

"Illusion—you can create illusions and confuse your enemies."

"Transformation—you can change your appearance and impersonate anyone."

"Roleplay—you can mimic anyone's abilities, but there is a time limit."

"Chaos—you can disrupt your enemies' minds and make them kill one another."

"Taunt—you can enrage your enemies and make them lose their reason."

"Probability Distortion—you can twist probability and make the impossible possible."

He paused.

"But you can't use any of these yet."

The Envoy of Elation looked at Quan Cangtian.

"There is one more thing."

"Different Paths can produce Combined Blessings."

He extended his hand.

Three clusters of light appeared.

Red, gold, and multicolored.

Destruction, Abundance, and Elation.

He pressed the three clusters of light together.

The light began to merge.

It became a new color.

The Envoy of Elation.

"When you possess the power of multiple Paths at once—"

"You can produce Combined Blessings."

"For example—"

"Destruction + Elation = Destruction and Elation: Flame of Laughter."

"Abundance + Elation = Abundance and Elation: Smile of Healing."

"Destruction + Abundance + Elation = Triple Path: Echo of End."

He paused.

"But you can't use those yet either."

"When you are strong enough, interesting enough—"

"Aha will give you more."

Quan Cangtian.

"Aha?"

The Envoy of Elation.

"The Star God of Elation."

"He randomly bestows power."

"But the prerequisite is—you have to be interesting."

Quan Cangtian.

"Interesting?"

The Envoy of Elation.

"Yes."

"You have to make Aha think you're interesting."

"Only then will he give you power."

The Envoy of Elation looked at Quan Cangtian.

"There is one more thing."

His voice changed.

It no longer carried a smile.

"The Dark Soul Cult is looking for you."

Quan Cangtian.

"I know."

The Envoy of Elation.

"They aren't looking for you."

"They're looking for what's inside you."

Quan Cangtian.

"The gene?"

The Envoy of Elation nodded.

"That thing is mine."

Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.

The Envoy of Elation.

"I gave it to you."

"But the Pontifex of the Dark Soul Cult wants it too."

He paused.

"The gene in your body is responding to the Dark Soul Cult's aura."

"Because it is my power."

"And the Pontifex of the Dark Soul Cult is also a fragment of me."

Quan Cangtian.

"You mean..."

The Envoy of Elation.

"I am the Envoy of Elation."

"The Pontifex of the Dark Soul Cult is also a fragment of me."

"We are the same person."

He paused.

"But there are differences even between fragments."

"I gave you the gene so you could grow stronger."

"The Pontifex wants the gene so he can control you."

He looked at Quan Cangtian.

"You have to choose."

"Will you become my pawn, or the Pontifex's pawn?"

Or—

"Become yourself."

The Envoy of Elation disappeared.

The Path Rift began to collapse.

Quan Cangtian felt his consciousness floating upward.

Then—

He opened his eyes.

He was lying on a bed in an inn.

Zixiao sat beside him.

The Thunder Light Sword lay across her knees.

When she saw that he was awake.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

Zixiao.

"You're awake."

Quan Cangtian.

"I..."

He sat up.

His head felt a little dizzy.

"How long was I unconscious?"

Zixiao.

"One day."

Quan Cangtian.

"One day?"

Zixiao nodded.

"People from the Dark Soul Cult came by."

"But they didn't make a move."

"They only took one look, then left."

Quan Cangtian froze for a moment.

He looked out the window.

It was daylight.

He raised his right hand.

The Dark Red Crystal beneath his palm was still there.

But its pulse had slowed.

It was no longer in sync with the aura of the Dark Soul Cult.

Quan Cangtian sat on the bed.

The Envoy of Elation's words still echoed in his mind.

He was the Envoy of Elation.

The Pontifex of the Dark Soul Cult was also his fragment.

They were the same person.

But they had differences.

The Envoy of Elation had given him the gene so he could grow stronger.

The Pontifex wanted the gene so he could control him.

He had to choose.

Whose pawn to become.

Or become himself.

He looked out the window.

Morning in Tianhun City, sunlight streamed in.

Zixiao sat beside him.

The Thunder Light Sword lay across her knees.

She said nothing.

But Quan Cangtian knew she had guarded him for an entire day.

He raised his right hand.

The Dark Red Crystal beneath his palm was still there.

But its pulse had slowed.

It was no longer in sync with the aura of the Dark Soul Cult.

The power of the Path of Elation was taking effect.

He clenched his fist.

There were countless stars within the Path Rift.

Every one of them was a rift connected to the Honkai Star Rail Universe.

Once he was strong enough, he could pull down the stars and open them as doors.

He could enter Instance Dungeons such as the Simulated Universe and Divergent Universe.

And obtain buffs, blessings, materials, and equipment.

He had received the blessing of the Path of Elation.

But he could not use it yet.

Illusion, Transformation, Roleplay, Chaos, Taunt, Probability Distortion.

Six core abilities.

He could use them only after he became "interesting."

Different Paths could produce Combined Blessings.

Destruction plus Elation, Abundance plus Elation, or a combination of all three Paths.

He could use them only after he became strong enough.

People from the Dark Soul Cult had come.

But they had not made a move.

What were they waiting for?

He did not know.

But he knew one thing.

The Envoy of Elation and the Pontifex were both fragments.

They had their differences.

He needed to choose.

Whose pawn he would become.

Or become himself.