Chapter 292: A god-like oppressive feeling

When Luo De met Huasanli, Raiden Ei had not yet disengaged from the battle with the Raiden Shogun.

Yae Miko also didn't seem particularly worried about this matter.

"Anyway, Ying will soon be able to resolve the problem on their body."

These were her original words.

Relatively speaking.

She was still more concerned about the Great Divine Cherry Purification and Huasanli's issue.

One involved the safety of Inazuma.

The other involved her memories of the Fox Purification Palace.

"I have a way to try to preserve Huasanli's consciousness."

Luo De first brought up the topic, then gave Yae Miko a heads-up, saying: "But don't think that being able to contain it means you can truly let Huasanli's consciousness return; I currently don't have that ability."

That's the truth.

The most important ability of the World Tree's leaves is still to retain information.

And to truly let Huasanli's consciousness return, this also requires a medium that can store and nurture consciousness—for example, Apep's Life Crystal, which is the green crystal she used to nurture Fushe's remnant soul.

Luo De didn't know whether Sumeru had such a thing.

After all, Apep is the primal dragon that governs plants; in terms of elemental authority and consciousness control, it is far beyond what current gods can match.

So Luo De, unable to confirm whether Inazuma actually had such a thing, could only first dampen Yae Miko's enthusiasm.

However, Yae Miko's enthusiasm was not dampened by this uncertain factor; she still smiled and said: "It's fine; by then Ying will naturally think of a solution."

Seeing her confident appearance.

Luo De curiously asked: "When can she come out?"

"We'll see how things go."

"If short, three to five days; if long, at most ten and a half days."

Yae Miko confidently laughed and said: "That's Ying, the determined Ying; that doll wanting to defeat her is impossible. Come on, little guy, follow me—I heard you're willing to help, and she's been talking about you all day."

This second her.

That refers to Huasanli.

This was also Luo De's first time seeing this shrine maiden formed from the memories and longing of the Fox Purification Palace.

"Sure enough, it's a genuine Abyssal monster."

Earlier, when they were far apart, Luo De could only sense a faint trace of miasma.

But upon seeing Huasanli face to face.

The strong Abyssal miasma emanating from her made Luo De involuntarily frown.

It was too strong.

Luo De didn't know whether it was due to obsession or something else.

In short, the impurity on Huasanli's body, if not for Yae Miko personally crafting a seal to suppress it, would probably be no less than the impurity on the Divine Cherry Tree just by its amount.

However, compared to Luo De.

Huasanli's reaction would be much more intense.

At the moment she saw him, she immediately fled to the distance; even with a mask, it couldn't hide her fear upon seeing Luo De.

Such fear even overshadowed the joy of finally finding her destined person.

"Don't be afraid, he won't eat you."

Yae Miko's consolation was very effective.

In short, after that one sentence, Huasanli stepped back several paces, not saying a word and shaking her head repeatedly.

"Rest assured, I really won't eat you."

Luo De rubbed his nose, showing a helpless expression.

He had been greeting Abyssal-related things for a long time.

He almost forgot that he and Abyssal monsters are natural opposites.

If it were those brainless Abyssal monsters, that would be fine; they fundamentally don't know what fear is, and even if they clearly know Luo De can devour them, they wouldn't retreat a step.

But Huasanli is different.

Carrying the memories of the Fox Purification Palace, if you ignore this body, she is essentially a normal living person.

Since she is a living person.

Then she definitely has the mindset of a living person.

Therefore, when facing Luo De, who is in a predator's position, her saying she isn't afraid is just deceiving people.

Moreover, what she fears is not being eaten herself.

What she fears is failing to fulfill her own mission.

If the Great Divine Cherry Purification had already been completed.

Then Huasanli would not be afraid.

But now the Great Divine Cherry Purification hasn't even been held; if, during the Lesser Divine Cherry Purification, or if the Lesser Divine Cherry Purification hasn't been held either, Luo De couldn't help but devour himself.

Hiss—

The more Huasanli worried, the more her body began to tremble slightly.

Just like that.

Luo De, together with Yae Miko, again both persuaded and reasoned.

After much persuasion, half a day passed.

Only then did Huasanli temporarily suppress her fear, reluctantly believing in Luo De's professionalism.

Just that.

She still didn't quite believe Luo De's promise that he wouldn't devour her; she even bowed and performed a salute, wearing an expression of facing death as if returning home, as she said.

If you want to eat me, then...

You can wait until the Divine Sakura Grand Purification ends, and I will leave myself to your disposal.

Hearing those words,

Luo De's expression had been changing for a while.

He simply couldn't figure it out.

In his impression,

Huasanli should be a sensible person, but what's wrong with her now? I've explained it so clearly, yet she still won't believe herself.

When they were about to set out together with Huasanli to the first site sealing the Thunder Sakura tree roots, Konoda Village...

Luo De whispered to the accompanying Yae Miko: "Do I really look that much like someone who would eat people?"

His voice was quite gloomy.

No matter how you say it.

Huasanli is now in human form.

Luo De isn't one of those desert folk who, with red-eyed hunger, will eat anything; even if he were that hungry, Luo De couldn't bring himself to bite a person—such a simple truth, why can't I make it clear? "Hehe—"

Yae Miko, wearing a teasing expression, after listening to Luo De's confession, glanced at Huasanli, who occasionally stole looks at Luo De, and then spoke in a voice Huasanli couldn't hear: "What do you think your current appearance looks like to her—how human does it seem?"

Ha—?

Luo De's foot stalled, his mouth slightly opened as he said: "What do you mean by that?"

It's just the literal meaning.

Yae Miko stroked her chin, carefully examined Luo De from head to toe, then said: "Don't you know what your body has become?"

Luo De became more and more confused from what she said.

He raised his arm, examined his own body thoroughly, found nothing abnormal, and then asked doubtfully: "What's wrong with my body?"

It's not that something's wrong.

Yae Miko spread her hands: "It's just that you're becoming less and less like a person."

Speak more clearly.

Luo De, who was always being teased by Yae Miko, grew a bit impatient: "If you keep speaking in riddles, I'd rather face the penalties for breaking my promise than help you."

Tsk—

You're really an irresistible little rascal.

Yae Miko pursed her lips, then said: "I don't know what happened to you, but ever since that day when we parted at the Narukami Grand Shrine, whenever I see you again, the feeling you give me is the same as hers toward you—that is, you're clearly standing before us, yet you seem not to belong to this world; how to describe it, uh—"

After a brief pause,

Yae Miko then found an adjective: "Ethereal, yes, that's it—ethereal. Anyway, from my personal feeling, you constantly give people a vague, oppressive pressure; this feeling is unlike anyone I've ever seen, unlike Shadow, unlike Makoto, unlike the Lord of the Fox Shrine, unlike any godlike being. And for Huasanli, under this pressure, she might see you as a beast that could devour her at any moment, which is why she fears you so much and can never let down her guard."

Luo De listened to her explanation the whole time with a furrowed brow, then pondered for a while.

Only then did he ask doubtfully: "Isn't this a trait of the Descenders?"

This sense of pressure is hard to explain.

But it gives people a feeling of not belonging to this world.

Luo De thought for a long time and came up with an explanation as a Descender.

However, Yae Miko didn't think so.

No.

That Traveler has never given me this feeling.

Taking the example of Ying, Yae Miko hinted: "If Huasanli were to meet that Traveler, she would only be happy to have finally found her destined person, not be like when she sees you, always looking worried."

Like that?

Luo De also fell silent this time.

According to Yae Miko.

Before today.

The impression I gave Yae Miko used to be within the range of a normal person, but now she says I've suddenly become less like a person.

Where is the problem?

The leaves of the World Tree?

Luo De thought back and forth, and came up with this reason.

But he had previously fused with those World Tree leaves as well.

If we had to point out the sole difference,

It's probably that, under Nadixa's guidance, he delved into those leaves and became familiar with the ability to preserve information.

Is it related to that?

Thinking of this,

Luo De closed his eyes, and his consciousness sank once again into the World Tree leaves.

Nothing unusual.

Still the same as before.

However, when his consciousness returned to reality, what greeted him was Yae Miko's strange gaze and Huasanli, who resembled a startled rabbit.

What did you just do?

Yae Miko asked with an inscrutable expression.

"Didn't do anything."

Luo De is now quite certain that his abnormality is definitely due to these leaves of the World Tree; he just doesn't know what problem occurred with his operation of opening a folder on it, causing him to exhibit this inhuman performance.

Seeing he wouldn't tell the truth, Yae Miko didn't press further, just muttering: "Just a moment ago, your aura surged instantly; even I felt I could barely breathe."

"Indeed."

Luo De silently muttered to himself.

The source of the problem has been found.

It was precisely when he first began truly manipulating the World Tree's leaves that he began to exhibit the ethereal and oppressive feeling Yae Miko had spoken of.

"The ethereal feeling stems from the Descendant's nature."

"And the oppressive feeling?"

Luo De didn't think too much and came up with a possibility.

World Tree! It can only be this reason.

This giant tree bearing all of Teyvat's information, in terms of stature, indeed possesses an aura that surpasses ordinary beings of Teyvat.

Although what I obtained is merely a leaf.

But it ultimately comes from the World Tree, a leaf plucked from the World Tree.

In other words.

If Luo De's judgment is correct, then this time he activated the World Tree leaf's information-preserving ability; it is not merely activating that ability, but also granting him the World Tree's acknowledgment.

Or rather.

The authorization to manipulate the World Tree?

Luo De pondered as he walked.

Looking at it this way.

Yae Miko's mentioned oppressive feeling can now be explained.

Having figured out the source of these abnormalities, Luo De gave it some thought and began to compress his spiritual power, trying to prevent the World Tree leaf stored in his consciousness from affecting the surroundings.

This operation immediately took effect.

Walking ahead, Flower Scatter Village, wishing to be eight hundred li away from Luo De, turned back doubtfully and glanced at him; his eyes no longer held the previous fear, but more scrutiny and doubt.

Yae Miko also showed a look of interest.

Their reactions.

They also directly confirmed that the source of the oppressive feeling previously mentioned was indeed as Luo De had guessed.

"Oh dear."

"I really didn't misjudge you."

"You little brat really are the smartest of the lot."

Yae Miko, whose oppressive feeling had instantly vanished, did not stint on her praise.

It's precisely this kind of praise of hers.

To Luo De's ears, however, it felt as if she were mocking him.

Although he knew she didn't mean it that way.

But who made her habitually speak in such a teasing tone.

After exerting himself to compress his spiritual power around him so it could no longer affect the surroundings, Luo De visibly wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked again at Flower Scatter Village.

This time.

Flower Scatter Village finally had the courage to meet his gaze, and also tilted her head, staring intently at Luo De, as if trying to discern something different from his face.

"How is it?"

"This time you won't eat me, right?"

Luo De asked with a smile.

Flower Scatter Village's gaze flickered, then she nodded: "Hmm."

After a simple reply, she continued leading the way up front and soon brought Luo De and Yae Miko to the first Electro Sakura tree root seal.

"The Electro Archon's seal?"

"Or the Grand Narukami Shrine's seal?"

Perhaps even the villagers of Indigo Field Village themselves never imagined that such a massive seal lay buried beneath their village.

Luo De reached out and touched the lightning on this seal, then instantly jerked his hand back.

It has been several hundred years.

The seal's residual power remains this strong; not to mention the abyssal monsters that would come to destroy a few of its roots, even someone like Luo De, whose normal state is nearly Archon-level, would have his hand painfully shocked by the lightning if he rashly approached this seal.

"The seal placed by the Shadow Weaver and the one set up by the Grand Narukami Shrine chief are hardly different."

Yae Miko, busy opening the seal beside them, said with a smile.

This seal possesses extremely strong specialized attack power against abyssal monsters; Flower Scatter Village dare not get too close, relying only on Luo De and Yae Miko to undo it.

Although the seal's power is strong, dismantling it is actually quite simple.

One only needs to return the suppressing object to its place, add the specific incantation and release sequence, and the pervasive thunderous light here can be dispelled.

And as the seal is broken.

The abyssal filth that had been compressed here for several hundred years suddenly surged forth.

Even Yae Miko, such a top-tier Archon's attendant.

When facing these abyssal pollutants, she also had to gather elemental energy to form a protective shield for herself.

In contrast, Luo De.

He not only could stand swaggeringly amidst the filthy waves of the abyss, but even appeared to be quite enjoying it.

「If only it weren't so smelly. 」

Under the gaze of Yae Miko and Huasanli, the refreshed Luo De thought thus.

(End of chapter)