Genshin Impact: Dionysus reigns supreme, all demons retreat!

Chapter 351 The End Has Not Yet Arrived

"A filthy...evil spirit?"

Xu Ning opened his tightly clenched hand and presented it to Yan Zang Daoqi.

Amidst the flashes of lightning in the sky, the exquisite hilt of the sword in Xu Ning's palm was illuminated.

This tsuba (handguard) is different from the round or oval tsuba commonly used on many swords in Inazuma; its sharp edges are just like its owner.

Sharp and direct.

Xu Ning had only seen it on the long sword held in that red palm; it was a tsuba (handguard) unique to Mikoto Chiyo.

"You regard her as a vengeful spirit? And... you actually dared to draw your sword against Mikoto Chiyo... your mother!"

Xu Ning was furious. He had waited here for so long, only to be met with this result?

"Not a mother, but a filthy evil spirit."

Yanzang Daoqi spoke again in a low voice.

“Draw your knife,” Xu Ning roared. “I will repay her with a knife. A man like you is not worthy of being her son.”

"This celestial dog actually gave you the title 'Yin'? You dare to challenge me?"

“A person who is heartless and ruthless is not worthy of being passed down through generations. Your name, your swordsmanship, and your heritage will be cursed because of this one strike you made today, and will one day be cut off from the world and forgotten by it.”

Xu Ning touched his brow again, and the separated divine soul controlled the lightning elemental body to stand in front of him.

The lightning elemental body was still holding the long sword that Xu Ning had picked up that day, and then slowly, just like when Dao Qi had injured his mother, he assumed a stance for drawing his sword and slashing.

The instant the lightning on the lightning elemental body gradually covered the blade, a purple moonlight appeared from the edge of the blade wielded by the lightning elemental, sweeping horizontally towards Iwakura Doki.

A terrifying blow.

Iwakura Doki, of course, would not sit idly by and wait to die. He swung his sword again, colliding fiercely with the lightning elemental sword light.

Xu Ning's strike almost completely drained the energy of the lightning elemental body, transforming it into a blade of light that fiercely slashed at Yan Zang Daoqi.

When Iwazo Doki was still Yoko Doki, he and Mitsuyo were strictly ordered to hide at Senmon Kōshū's place, and he heard many stories about Xu Ning from the people they rescued more than once.

There were naturally some speculations about Xu Ning's combat strength.

However, after seeing Xu Ning easily summon two "shikigami" with completely different elemental properties but exceptionally powerful abilities, Iwakura Doki no longer dared to underestimate this Liyue native.

Therefore, when Xu Ning used his lightning elemental body to attack, Iwazo Doki was indeed giving it his all.

Even so, the long sword in Iwakura Doki's hand was still cut in two, and his clothes on his chest were cut open, leaving a shallow line of blood on his chest.

The excess blade light and power cleanly sliced ​​the secluded hut behind Iwazo Doki in two, causing the entire hut to collapse instantly.

"The Dao begins!"

Mitsuyo was also terrified by Xu Ning's "shikigami" slash and hurriedly flew down from the sky to check on Doki to see if he was seriously injured.

Xu Ning snorted coldly, reached out to recall his divine soul, and ignored the two treacherous people in front of him. He then turned and chased after them in the direction indicated by the wind elemental body.

The shadowy figure fled not outwards, but inwards.

It seems that, deep down, she still remembers where she should look for someone, to seek their help or to help them.

Xu Ning's wind elemental form saw in mid-air that the direction the black shadow was fleeing was actually the direction of the Fox Temple Shrine.

However, in the end, the shadowy figure did not dare to enter the shrine grounds, but instead ran towards a pond to the south of the shrine.

He suddenly vanished from there.

Xu Ning's wind elemental form followed closely behind and stopped at the edge of the pool.

"It's actually here!"

Go up the hillside from here, and you'll find a shrine guarded by countless celestial foxes.

The cave into which the shadowy figure disappeared was one of the five places where a great purification ritual would be performed in later generations.

If Xu Ning remembers correctly, this cave should have two entrances.

Therefore, the wind elemental did not rush in to search for the person, but stood quietly on a large blue stone not far from the cave entrance, waiting for the main body to come over.

When Xu Ning arrived, he did not go in to look for the person immediately, but first went to check the two entrances of the cave.

There is a clear keyhole in the wall at the entrance to the cave on the east side. If you look closely, you can see that there are two iron gates with spiked railings between the top rock walls, but they are currently open.

However, the entrance to the cave on the west side was sealed by a thin lightning barrier.

It's clear that some people managed to escape the Black Tide's onslaught by hiding here.

The lightning barrier was probably set up by Fox Palace himself. After being attacked and worn down by time, only a thin layer remains, and it will probably lose its effectiveness soon.

Xu Ning could easily imagine people holding keys, hiding inside until the dark tide outside receded, and only then would those who were safe dare to open the iron gate and come out.

Xu Ning summoned the lightning elemental body again and carefully poured the lightning element within it into the lightning barrier, watching it gradually regain its deep purple color.

"This is just a precaution, in case she suddenly goes crazy and escapes from this location. You stay here, I'll go over there and see if she's someone we know."

Xu Ning walked in from the side with the iron gate. The space inside the cave was not large, about the same depth as the cave where Xu Ning had last met Hiiragi Hiroshi.

Upon entering, the first thing Xu Ning heard was a mournful wail.

Inside was a pitch-black ghost.

One of the demon horns on his left forehead was cut off diagonally, along with a clump of his beautiful hair. His once snow-white skin on his face and neck had turned pitch black, and his eyes looked as if they had been dyed with ink.

The only thing that seemed to prove her identity, the twelve-layered tunic, was already filthy and tattered, barely enough to cover her body.

"Lady Chiyo, do you still remember Xu Ning? Liyue, Xu Ning!"

Xu Ning walked closer and respectfully tested it on the dark figure.

What he got in return was a sharp roar and a pair of sharp fingers that almost went into Xu Kong's eye sockets.

Fortunately, Xu Ning had anticipated this situation. As he crouched and dodged to the side, a stream of fragrant wine was poured onto the head of the dark figure.

With a hissing sound.

The liquid poured onto the skin produced a sound similar to a branding iron being pressed onto ice.

The dark figure let out a scream, as if it were terrified of the wine Xu Ning had poured out, and hurriedly dodged away, even considering fleeing out of the cave.

How could Xu Ning let her escape?

No matter how the shadowy figure shifted and moved, Xu Ning always blocked its path, never giving it any chance.

The liquor was poured onto the dark figure as if it were free.

In just a short while, the black aura that had initially spread across the shadowy figure was completely dissolved by Xu Ning's wine, and the shadowy figure's original form slowly became apparent.

It was none other than Mikoto Chiyo, whom Xu Ning had been searching for since his return.

Although the black mist on the surface appears to have disappeared, it is clear from Chiyo Mikoto's eyes that she has been deeply corrupted, and it will likely take a long time to remove the influence of this black mist.

As the poured wine dissolved the black aura emanating from Mikoto Chiyo, it seemed that her ferocity was gradually disappearing as well.

I gradually calmed down.

However, Yu Yuchiyo still seemed to instinctively resist Xu Ning's sake.

Knowing she couldn't escape from the person holding the gourd of sake, Mikoto Chiyo hid deep inside the cave, in a torii gate surrounded by the roots of the sacred cherry tree, only showing half her face as she warily stared at Xu Ning.

Xu Ning sighed inwardly, leaving the Wind and Thunder elemental bodies at the cave entrance to guard them, while he returned to Kanta Village.

"Are you a merchant who has come from afar? Welcome to our Konta Village."

The hospitable tradition of Konta Village seems to have been like this for hundreds of years. When Xu Ning arrived near the village chief's house, an old man who claimed to be the village chief of Konta Village warmly greeted him.

“Old village chief, I am not a passing merchant. I have come to retrieve the key that Lord Kitsui-no-miya left for you to keep, as instructed by Narukami Taisha.”

The old village chief was startled and looked Xu Ning up and down a few times, somewhat incredulously.

In his mind, the people who would come to retrieve the key to this place one day should be the shrine maidens of Narukami Shrine, not this strangely dressed young man from Liyue.

However, the fact that this young man could pinpoint the existence of the strange key left behind by Lord Kitsai-no-miya suggests that he must indeed have some connection with Narukami Taisha.

"Wait here for a moment, I'll go get it for you."

The old village chief went inside to search for things, while Xu Ning stood by the roadside, staring blankly at the stove in the village chief's neighbor's yard.

When the village chief came out with the keys in his hand, Xu Ning was already simmering a small hen by the stove with his own wine.

After all, he was penniless the whole time. The chicken was bought by Xu Ning in exchange for wine, and the neighbor kindly gave him a jar as a bonus.

As Xu Ning walked out of Konta Village carrying the jar and the key, Mitsuyo, standing beside the overturned house on the hillside, cautiously asked Iwakura Michiki, "Do you... want to follow them and take a look?"

Iwakura Doki silently stared at his hut, now cut in two, before shaking his head after a long while.

Mitsuyo didn't ask any more questions.

When Xu Ning slashed at Dao Qi, both Dao Qi and Xu Ning thought Dao Qi was doomed.

However, in the end, Dao Qi suffered minor injuries, while the hut over there suffered almost all the damage and was broken in two.

Xu Ning undoubtedly showed mercy at the time, and the reason why is self-evident.

But what about next time? Will Xu Ning stop then?

Seeing Daoqi shake his head, Guangdai felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart.

After all, she didn't know how to face the real demon in Dao Qi's heart, so she could only try to make him forget it.

Now I just hope that Xu Ning will never come back.

Xu Ning returned to the cave where Miyuki Chiyo was, and tossed a wing from the fragrant little hen he had made to Miyuki Chiyo.

Watching her tear the food apart, almost skin and bone, Xu Ning smiled with relief.

Xu Ning put the chicken with the missing wing into the jar, filled the jar completely with a wine gourd, and placed it on the ground.

"If you get thirsty or hungry, eat the food in this jar. Sleep close to the roots of the sacred cherry tree; it will help clear away the miasma. Even if I'm gone, someone will still take care of you..."

Xu Ning suddenly felt dizzy and, not daring to linger, turned and left the cave.

Turning the key in the lock, two rows of iron bars rumbled down, locking Mikoto Chiyo inside.

Despite his discomfort, Xu Ning, propelled by his wind elemental body, rushed to the teleportation point at the Guardian Forest and was directly teleported to Narukami Shrine.

Stumbling into the house in Yae, she said, "Here's the key... to the pond below the Kitsuri-gyu Shrine... Chiyo... take good care of her..."

Before losing consciousness, Xu Ning looked at the monk Ji who had run to his side and chuckled, "Next time for sure..."

Xu Ning stopped mid-sentence.

Even after he woke up in Shen He's arms, he was still thinking about the half-finished sentence he had just said.

His original intention was "I will definitely take you to find Wu Baizang next time," after all, it seems that Master Ji has not yet received any information that Wu Baizang is still alive.

However, if he led Master Ji to find Wu Baizang, then Wu Baizang would definitely know about the Fox Palace, and Xu Ning dared not say what would happen next.

However, there is no way he can escape the location where Goyakuzō is located.

I have already exorcised three of the five locations for the Great Exorcism of the Divine Cherry Blossom. The remaining two locations are the cave where I imprisoned Mikoto Chiyo and the hiding place of the tanuki, Ichizo.

Suddenly remembering the legend of Mikoto Chiyo, Xu Ning leaped to his feet.

I wonder what happened to her afterward, whether she's still living in that cave.

I wonder if Yae the little fox has found someone to take care of her?

"Shen He, let's go find a senior, that's also the location for our next exorcism."

Shen He glanced at Xu Ning and asked, "Do you want to rest for the night? You're working day and night like this, it's too tiring."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "It's nothing. To be honest, I had nothing to do in my dream and rested all day and night. I've had plenty of sleep."

"But you, every time I faint, you almost never sleep a wink all night. Why don't you go into the cave and rest for a while?"

Shen He shook his head slightly, "I'm not tired yet, it's just a bit stuffy here, let's go out."

Xu Ning nodded and led Shen He toward the well. As they passed the room at the corner, Xu Ning saw a stone slab with a peculiar pattern and picked it up and put it into the cave.

When the two came out of the well, the village chief heard the noise and rushed over.

Upon seeing Xu Ning emerge from the well with a stunningly beautiful woman, he stared wide-eyed, looking utterly bewildered.

"My matter is settled. You can handle the rest yourself, Village Chief!"

As Xu Ning bid farewell to the old village chief of Konta and walked towards the teleportation anchor point with Shen He in hand, he saw Shibamoto Katsumi standing with his hands behind his back at the notice board at the village entrance, looking blankly at the empty fields.

The two appeared at the teleportation anchor point in the Guardian Forest. Just as they stood still, a flash of light appeared beside them, and Master Ji appeared next to them.

“I want to go back and see the five hundred treasures,” said Master Ji.

Xu Ning ruffled its hair and said, "Of course, how could I pass by my own home without going in? Did you bring all the photos I took of you? Let everyone see them."

Master Ji chuckled sheepishly and patted the small bag hanging around his neck. "I have them all with me."

Master Ji walked up the stone steps, while Xu Ning and Shen He walked down to the pool below.

Xu Ning was worried about Mikoto Chiyo's current situation and didn't think about going to Narukami Taisha to inquire about the iron gate key. Instead, he went directly to another entrance to the cave.

Using the Dust Concealment Gourd and drawing upon the Thunder God's Heart within, Xu Ning absorbed all the lightning elemental power from the barrier and then entered the cave.

Shen He then entered and looked around.

This place is not much different from the previous purification sites; the thick roots of the sacred cherry tree are wrapped around the torii gate.

The only difference is that here, on the roots of the sacred cherry tree, a girl with long hair is lying on a flat root, fast asleep.

"Is this the senior you were talking about?"