Jiang Xiaofeng waved to Lumine.
Lumine walked over, puzzled.
Jiang Xiaofeng pulled Lumine aside and whispered, "Lumine, take Venti and break through the wind barrier in the center of the ruins, then put the light-guiding mechanisms inside back in place with Jean and the others."
Jiang Xiaofeng had decided to send Lumine and the others away after all.
After all, a fight might break out here shortly, and having these people around would make it hard for him to act...
Jiang Xiaofeng explained how the light-guiding mechanisms worked to Lumine, then brought her back among the three people and one dragon.
"Ahem, all right, everyone. What you should be doing now isn't arguing here about who's right and who's wrong, but heading to the center of the ruins to undo the seal."
Jiang Xiaofeng spun them a line.
Then Jiang Xiaofeng looked at Venti.
"Venti, I'll need you to undo the seals on the three wind barriers."
"Don't think about telling Lumine to unlock those three light-guiding mechanisms. I've already destroyed them."
Jiang Xiaofeng turned sideways and gestured toward the pile of rubble.
"There. That's them."
"If you dare slack off now, I'll strip you naked and hang you at Mondstadt City's gates tomorrow."
Venti gave an awkward laugh and waved a hand to indicate that it was no problem.
Finally, Jiang Xiaofeng walked over to Dvalin and muttered a few words.
Dvalin nodded lightly as well.
"All right, you can go now."
Jiang Xiaofeng ordered the five people and one dragon to leave.
Once they had left, Jiang Xiaofeng closed his eyes and began examining the map of all of Mondstadt.
Jiang Xiaofeng located the Fatui's Goth Grand Hotel and observed their movements.
Although the Explorer's Rune's abilities seemed rather unremarkable, it was remarkably effective at tracking living creatures' movements.
Sure enough, Jiang Xiaofeng smiled as he watched creatures constantly moving out of Mondstadt City from beneath the Goth Grand Hotel's location.
"Just as I thought. Only the Fatui wouldn't mistake Venti for a Vision holder with special powers. Looks like La Signora isn't a complete fool."
Judging by the Fatui squad's speed, Jiang Xiaofeng estimated that they would take some time to reach Stormterror's Lair, so he simply cleared a patch of grass with his foot and lay down on the spot.
As he rested, Jiang Xiaofeng took out the Cursed Sword and toyed with it.
For some reason, when Jiang Xiaofeng took out the Cursed Blade, the irritation in his heart quickly vanished, as though the Abyss Mage's curse had disappeared.
Jiang Xiaofeng gazed at the Cursed Sword, thinking.
Then cold air rose from his hand.
It came from the Cryo Hypostasis he had obtained by devouring the Crystalline Bloom.
Alas, if the Traveler's arrival hadn't reset the Cryo Hypostasis's spawn chance, Jiang Xiaofeng reckoned that no Cryo Hypostasis would have been born at its birthplace for a very long time.
After all, he had spent so long killing them that, however frenzied the Ley Lines were, they ought to settle down for a while...
That was getting off track.
Jiang Xiaofeng enveloped the Cursed Sword in cold air and watched its response.
But to Jiang Xiaofeng's surprise, the Cursed Sword showed no reaction whatsoever.
He tried again with Geo, but there was still no reaction.
That surprised Jiang Xiaofeng.
He had thought the Cursed Sword absorbed everything.
Now it seemed that the Cursed Sword only absorbed things related to the Abyss.
Jiang Xiaofeng put away the Cursed Sword.
Gazing at the azure sky, he grew drowsy...
Whoosh-
Jiang Xiaofeng suddenly raised his hand and hurled a throwing knife!
The newcomer held his sword across himself and blocked it.
Jiang Xiaofeng flipped to his feet, looked at the newcomer, and said calmly, "You finally showed up..."
Aether stood before him without a word.
Jiang Xiaofeng suddenly had a good idea.
"...Hello there, brother-in-law."
Aether's eyes widened.
When?
What had this guy done while I wasn't watching?!
Aether vanished in an instant.
The next moment, Aether flashed into view in front of Jiang Xiaofeng, bringing a golden longsword down on him!
Jiang Xiaofeng was about to take out Acceptance to block, but suddenly felt another weapon calling to him.
With a thought, Jiang Xiaofeng switched straight to the Cursed Sword and held it horizontally to block!
Clang-
The exceptionally clear ring signified that neither weapon was ordinary.
The black, red-edged Cursed Sword, and the golden longsword with its white body and gold edging.
No earth-shattering event occurred when the two treasured weapons clashed.
Seeing that his strike had failed, Aether drew back and thrust his sword straight ahead!
Jiang Xiaofeng sidestepped it, then swung the Cursed Sword straight upward at Aether!
An ordinary person certainly wouldn't have responded like that, but Jiang Xiaofeng was The Beheaded! He couldn't be understood as an ordinary person!
Anyone who fought Jiang Xiaofeng as though he were an ordinary person was bound to suffer for it!
Facing Jiang Xiaofeng's strike, Aether would have a hard time escaping injury unless he defended.
But as Jiang Xiaofeng dodged his renewed thrust, Aether turned his blade sideways, twisted his entire body, and slashed at Jiang Xiaofeng!
Facing this blow, Jiang Xiaofeng bent backward sharply, his spine even making cracking sounds as he formed a bridge with his body and narrowly dodged it.
Jiang Xiaofeng straightened with the motion, raised a foot, and kicked Aether in the stomach.
Aether drew his sword back to block, but Jiang Xiaofeng's kick still sent him flying.
Jiang Xiaofeng and Aether landed on the ground and steadied themselves.
In a contest of physical combat, Aether was simply no match for Jiang Xiaofeng, who had no regard for his own body.
With that thought, Aether had already calmed down.
"Leave Lumine. It'll be better for both you and her."
Jiang Xiaofeng said with utter mockery, "You can't even beat me. What the fuck are you talking about?"
Jiang Xiaofeng utterly despised people who spoke as though their own assumptions were facts. When he encountered people like that, his usual rule was to kill them if he could, and disgust them to death if he couldn't.
For example, the international gesture of friendship...
With that thought, Jiang Xiaofeng gave Aether the international gesture of friendship.
Yes, that was very much like The Beheaded.
Aether: "..."
"Do you really think I can't beat you?"
Aether's tone turned cold.
"If I weren't worried about making Lumine sad, I'd have killed you outright long ago."
"Now it seems I was right to want to get rid of you."
Aether had also realized that Lumine had arrived in this world less than a day ago. How could she know this guy, who hadn't been in Teyvat long?
At that thought, the longsword in Aether's hand began to emit black light.
Yes, black light.
Watching Aether prepare to attack and feeling the Cursed Sword suddenly grow excited in his hand, Jiang Xiaofeng lowered his body, poised to strike.
The next moment, their attacks collided!
Everything loose around them was blown away in that instant!
Clang! Jiang Xiaofeng blocked Aether's move and retreated several steps.
He had lost this exchange.
However powerful The Beheaded was, he couldn't compare to the power of the Abyss, which could contend with this world's Heavenly Principles.
The fact that Jiang Xiaofeng had survived Aether's probing move without a scratch was already worthy of considerable praise.
In truth, he had no choice but to remain unscathed.
The Cursed Sword's passive was right there, after all.
But...
Feeling the Cursed Sword in his hand grow happier and happier, Jiang Xiaofeng looked at Aether.
The Cursed Sword could indeed devour the power of the Abyss. That was confirmed...
So... what was its limit?