Chapter 3: Welcome to Aru Village

Set off again.

Perhaps it was because the Blaze Light Hunting Beast's fame had spread far and wide, or perhaps Dixiya's personal prestige shook the desert; in any case, the subsequent journey encountered no ripples at all—there were no encounters with clueless treasure‑raiding bands, nor did we run into gilded travel groups trying to plunder.

During this peaceful period, Luo De did not idle; instead, he painstakingly began to study the Vision.

As Dixiya put it, his current application of the Vision is still crude, limited merely to the simplest condensation of elemental energy.

She also said.

Luo De could kill that band of bandits not solely because the bandits were weak in strength.

Another important reason is that the tribespeople cherish their lives extremely, and they are not only reluctant to die but also unwilling to suffer injury for no reason.

This is related to the desert's harsh survival environment.

In such a world where the weak are prey to the strong,

Death is frightening, but suffering a serious injury or becoming crippled is even more so; those tribespeople, even when facing comrades from the same tribe who fought side by side, will have you tossed into the desert to feed the beasts without hesitation if you lose your combat ability and thus no longer have any use to the tribe.

The incapable do not deserve to enjoy food.

This is the desert's rule.

Thus, when faced with Luo De's sudden burst of power that reversed the situation, those Tanit tribe bandits decisively chose to flee; nobody wanted to risk confronting such a madman.

"I have seen some experts skilled in wielding ice elemental power; in their view, the essence of the ice‑element Vision lies in creating absolute cold that obeys you completely, rather than merely manipulating a bunch of ice to stab people as you do."

Luo De played with the Vision in one hand while stroking his chin, recalling Dixiya's words to him.

His current use of the ice element is limited to producing simple attack forms such as ice cones, ice spikes, and ice thorns—oh, and he can also create an ice shield to protect himself.

With his present reserve of elemental energy, he can at most control one ice shield and five ice cones simultaneously.

When he previously turned the tables on the Tanit tribe warriors, he relied on this very move.

But against the mighty Dixiya, such means only let him last less than a breath before he was beaten down.

"Elemental energy is not limited to such a simple application."

"You are skilled with ice, so make use of ice's properties."

"What is ice?"

"Is it merely that fragile ice cone in your hand?"

As she spoke those words, Dixiya looked at Luo De's face, gave it a casual pinch, and crushed that ice cone—which could easily pierce a human body—into powder.

"What you are using now is merely one manifestation of ice."

"What you ought to learn to use is the essence of ice, not these superficial, unskillful crude applications."

Dixiya is the wielder of the Fire Element Vision.

Although the usage methods of fire elemental energy and ice elemental energy differ, in principle they still share some common ground.

For example, Dixiya likes to concentrate fire elemental energy on her fists, creating a pair of high‑temperature gauntlets forged from blazing flames; even without considering what a punch from those fists could do, the flame gauntlets alone are enough to scorch enemies until their skin splits and flesh rends.

Besides that, Dixiya has a habit in battle: wherever she goes, a blazing ring of fire forever burns beneath her feet, making it hard for foes to approach, forcing them to keep their distance from her, after which she chases and strikes them.

Luo De studied with her for a few days.

Even now he can barely condense a cold domain beneath his feet using ice elemental energy.

However, compared to Dixiya, this veteran Vision user, the cold domain he produces is much smaller in range and its temperature does not drop to an unbearable level—let alone Dixiya, even the mercenaries of the Blaze Light Hunting Beast who lack a Vision can easily touch this cold domain, and some even voluntarily step into this ice ring to cool off.

Luo De felt a little disappointed.

Dixiya, however, holds a different view on this.

"Do you know how long it took me to become proficient in using the Molten Body Purgatory?"

"The Molten Iron Purgatory is that fire ring Dixiya uses in battle."

Luo De still remembers Dixiya's expression when she told him this.

It was a look of surprise, puzzlement, and a faint hint of jealousy.

"Two and a half years, exactly two and a half years!"

"Even a domain similar to your present unstable one took me a full year to barely condense into a prototype."

"You've only had this for how many days?"

"Three days? Or two days?"

The more Dixiya spoke, the more jealous she became, and by the end she kept sighing that she had picked up an extraordinary genius.

"Could it be that I am truly a genius?"

Upon thinking this, Luo De's right hand twitched; ice elemental energy surged out from his body through the Vision in an instant, and following his will, that mass of ice elemental energy, after a twist, transformed into a crimson thought flower commonly seen in the desert.

"It's still a bit brittle."

Looking at this ice‑sculpture flower that is not stable and keeps shedding shards, Luo De carefully considered its flaws, continually reinforced the deficient spots with ice elemental energy, then corrected and reshaped the details.

This is the training method Dixiya taught him.

Careful carving and polishing help improve one's control over elemental energy.

In her leisure time, Dixiya also trains in this way.

"First try to successfully carve a delicate ice sculpture, then attempt to lower its temperature, perfect its details, and do so to the best of your ability."

"I think that when you can at any time freely create an ice sculpture at an ideal temperature and ideal form, your command of elemental energy will have practically reached the level of doing as you please."

"By then, even if you possess no martial arts whatsoever, relying solely on the power of the Vision, you will be qualified to join the ranks of the desert's strong."

Luo De felt very grateful.

Grateful to have encountered Dixiya, such a kind person who loves to teach.

Without her, merely learning how to manipulate elemental energy would have forced me to take many detours.

The time of cultivation always passes quickly.

When fleeing for his life, Luo De felt each day to be extraordinarily long.

And now.

Before they knew it, seven days had passed.

When the faint outline of A Ru Cun appeared on the horizon, Luo De could already skillfully condense a solid scarlet thought flower, though the condensation speed was very slow, still far from the 'as one wishes' that Dixiya had mentioned.

This kind of ice sculpture that can stay unmelted for a long time is also very popular with the Blaze Light Hunting Beast; as soon as it appeared, even Dixiya couldn't help but request two, enjoying the cool aura brought by this ice-element creation.

Soon.

The Blaze Light Hunting Beast then entered the gate of A Ru Cun.

"Is this A Ru Cun?"

Looking at the bustling village before him, Luo De silently murmured.

"Mm, this is A Ru Cun."

Dixiya looked at Luo De somewhat strangely.

Originally, judging from Luo De's skin tone, she had thought he should be a rainforest person.

But looking now, it seems not to be the case.

Since to go from the rainforest region to the desert region one must pass through A Ru Cun, Luo De ought not to be unfamiliar with this place.

But his expression didn't look feigned; it seemed he really had never been to A Ru Cun.

Then where did he come from?

Could it be Fontaine? Surely not Liyue?

Carrying such doubts, after entering the village, Dixiya brought Luo De to find a blue-haired woman with heterochromatic eyes.

"Kantisi, this is a poor wretch I picked up in the desert, named Luo De."

"Mm, his family were all given by the bandits"

Saying this, Dixiya secretly glanced at Luo De; seeing his expression unchanged, she continued: "He has nowhere else to go, so he came to A Ru Cun to settle."

Kantisi listened seriously to her finish, then gave Luo De a scrutinizing look.

Aside from a slight pause at the Vision on Luo De's waist, she showed nothing unusual, then smiled and said: "Since you, Dixiya, recommended him, then Mr. Luo De, welcome to A Ru Cun."

(End of chapter)