Chapter 48: The Title Ran Away

The morning sun shone into the room, awakening Xin Yu, who was sitting leaning against the bed, from his cultivation. Xin Yu slowly exhaled a cloud of dark purple smoke. The smoke didn't dissipate quickly like normal smoke; instead, it constantly rolled and twisted in the air, seeming to want to touch everything around it, to infect and erode all things. Xin Yu watched this scene with a somewhat helpless expression. After all, the mana fused from Honkai energy and Nihility power was simply too aggressive and invasive. Even the residual energy exhaled at the end of cultivation possessed offensive properties. After dissipating that cloud of energy, Xin Yu stood up from the bed and stretched. Through a full day of diligent cultivation yesterday, he had taken a firm step forward on his path. The energy within his body had become somewhat denser through absorption and compression. If he continued like this, once all the energy collapsed into a Golden Core, he would have crossed another major cultivation realm. And by then, having reached the Golden Core realm, he could try to see just what kind of power that Herrscher of Finality possessed. Although even at that realm, he might not be able to defeat the Herrscher of Finality, just taking a look from afar and ensuring his own survival should definitely not be a problem. "This world gives me a strange feeling, like something isn't quite right somewhere, but I can't sense what isn't right." Xin Yu was somewhat baffled. Where did this strange feeling come from? Why did he feel the entire world was slightly off? It couldn't be that this world was just someone's false dream, right? That would be too exaggerated. Had he stumbled into some kind of Cthulhu Mythos setting? ...Wait, what is the Cthulhu Mythos? Xin Yu shook his head, tossing aside those strange thoughts. He then left the inn, planning to go to the Good Hunter restaurant Venti had recommended earlier. Apparently, their meat dishes were particularly delicious. He hadn't taken more than a few steps out of the inn when someone called out to him. He saw Venti waving at him, accompanied by a yellow-haired young man and a floating... Emergency Food? Actually, the first phrase that popped into Xin Yu's mind wasn't that, but rather... Holy Crap! Genshin! Wait, what is Genshin? It couldn't possibly mean 'Atomic Bomb,' right? "Were you able to sleep comfortably in an unfamiliar environment? But looking at you, you seem to have slept well yesterday. After all, someone who can fall asleep out in the wild like that probably isn't picky about beds." Venti smiled, pulling the blond young man forward. "This is Aether. He's an Honorary Knight of Mondstadt, and also a visitor from beyond the stars. He's currently looking for his sister. Have you seen a girl who looks similar to him?" "No." Xin Yu answered immediately without thinking, shaking his head. After all, the first person he met in this world was Venti. The young man named Aether looked slightly disappointed but not disheartened, as if he had experienced this many times before. "If you're planning on getting breakfast, let's go together! Aether just came back from completing a mission outside and made a fortune. I'm sure he wouldn't mind treating friends like us to a meal." "Wow! You really have no shame, huh?" The little creature floating mid-air rolled her eyes and said exasperatedly. "This is Paimon, Aether's companion and guide." Xin Yu smiled and greeted the two. Aether just nodded slightly without speaking, seeming like a person of few words. Paimon, however, was a very talkative little fellow, perhaps a trait developed because her companion was unwilling to talk. "Hi there! Venti said you're also a visitor from beyond the stars. When you entered this world, did you encounter any strange fellows? Aether said that when he and his sister were crossing into this world, they met a god. That god captured Aether's sister and then sealed Aether away." "No. When I arrived in this world, I didn't meet anyone claiming to be a god or anything similar." Xin Yu suddenly felt a little nervous. Could it be that this world has some kind of god who catches illegal immigrants? In a sense, I count as an illegal immigrant too, right? If I get discovered, will I be captured as well? Although feeling apprehensive, Xin Yu maintained a natural smile on his face. The group chatted and laughed as they arrived at the restaurant and enjoyed their breakfast. He had to admit, the food at this restaurant was indeed delicious. No wonder Venti recommended it so highly. "Aether, the Rite of Descension over in Liyue is about to begin soon. At that time, you'll be able to see the god who governs Liyue, Morax. The locals of Liyue call him Rex Lapis." Venti and Aether chatted over there. Xin Yu slowly ate the food placed before him. Although he couldn't taste much, he felt empty if he didn't eat, so he still had to. Even though he could actually sustain himself now without needing to replenish energy through food. After breakfast, the group parted ways. Aether and Paimon were heading to the Adventurers' Guild to report their mission and check for new ones. Venti was going to the city plaza area to busk and earn money for tonight's wine. Only after talking with Aether and the others did Xin Yu learn that Venti was actually a huge drunkard, the type who had to hug a bottle of wine to sleep every night. As for Xin Yu himself, he left the city to find a quiet and comfortable place to cultivate. Before long, Xin Yu returned to the spot beneath the giant tree. He considered this the quietest and most comfortable environment. Cultivating here allowed many distracting thoughts to dissipate, letting him enter a relaxed state more quickly. While Xin Yu was cultivating, he suddenly sensed a strange disturbance in the surrounding space. Then he saw a furry... monster? It wore blue robes and was surrounded by a blue shield. The monster chattered some strange words, which Xin Yu didn't understand at all. Seeing that Xin Yu had no intention of responding, the monster seemed to grow anxious. It began chanting, and the staff-like object in its hand started to wave slowly. And then? Then the monster was gone. Xin Yu hadn't even made a move. He just silently exhaled the smoke formed from his internal mana. The moment the monster was touched by the mist, it let out a piercing scream. Then it died instantly on the spot, lying motionless on the ground. Xin Yu silently walked over, touched the monster's corpse with his hand, and absorbed all the energy within its body. He raised his eyebrows slightly. "...The energy originally present in its body seems like it can be devoured by my mana to accelerate my own growth." Xin Yu slowly raised his hand, sensing the portion of energy absorbed from the creature... Darkness, Corrosion, Fallen, Foulness. Xin Yu had originally thought he would spend some time living a relaxed, retirement-like life here. Unexpectedly, it seemed he had discovered something that could speed up his cultivation progress. If he just killed more of these monsters, his growth rate could increase dramatically. "...Isn't this just the 'eating people' cultivation style again?!"