Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Area Ahead…

Chapter 314: The Area Ahead…

The gentle sunlight fell upon Bai Luo, giving rise to an unmistakable sense of laziness.

There was none of Inazuma’s oppressive atmosphere here, nor Liyue’s resonant solemnity.

Walking along the roads of Mondstadt felt like strolling down a countryside path—quiet, peaceful, and serene.

The wind carried dandelion seeds, poetry, and stories to distant lands, and it also carried gentle travelers into its own nation.

Along the way, Bai Luo encountered all kinds of people, and also… those kinds of people.

All of them were very friendly. When they saw that Bai Luo was traveling without supplies, they would even take out their own food and water to give to him.

Not only ordinary civilians—even some Knights of Favonius crossed his path.

However, these patrolling knights were clearly recruits who had joined after Bai Luo left. Compared to the elite knights he had seen at Dawn Winery before… these so-called knights looked like children playing house, practically fooling around.

He seriously doubted whether these new knights could even defeat a Hilichurl.

But it wasn’t as if they had no merits. For example…

For example…

Alright, never mind.

When they saw Bai Luo—a Fatui Harbinger—they would even salute him and remind him to be careful of the Fatui ahead on the road.

Heh.

Bai Luo didn’t follow the main road toward Windrise as Draff had marked on the map.

Instead, at the crossroads in front of Mondstadt City, he chose to go straight ahead—toward Whispering Woods.

Compared to the other roads, the one leading to Whispering Woods felt noticeably desolate.

Some sections of the road were so overgrown that the path itself was barely visible. Occasionally, broken-down carts lay abandoned by the roadside, covered in filth left behind by Hilichurls.

In truth, there weren’t many monsters in Whispering Woods—one could even say it was safer than Windrise.

However, because the forest was deep and dense, aside from hunters who came to hunt boars, hardly anyone dared to enter.

After nightfall, the rustling of leaves blown by the wind sounded like whispering voices, further deepening people’s fear of the place.

That was how Whispering Woods got its name.

After entering the forest, the wide road gradually turned into a narrow path, and the grasslands on either side were slowly replaced by dense woodland.

Honestly, after having been to places like Wuwang Hill in Liyue and Chinju Forest in Inazuma, this so-called Whispering Woods felt like a vacation spot. It was impossible to feel scared here.

Yet after entering the forest, Bai Luo’s pace gradually slowed.

When he reached a clear spring, he casually picked a Calla Lily growing by the water and spoke in an offhand manner.

“You’ve followed me all this way. Isn’t it about time you showed yourself?”

Whether it was an illusion or not, the moment Bai Luo said this, the insect chirping that had filled the air fell silent without a trace.

The air itself grew scorching hot.

“As expected of a Fatui Harbinger. Impressive indeed.”

A small, fire-red figure abruptly appeared near Bai Luo. It had long ears that looked fluffy, and a fiery elemental emblem on its chest.

Abyss Mage—a member of the Abyss Order.

After coming to this world, Bai Luo had tried to interact with the Abyss before, but the Abyss always seemed to avoid him.

This time, it was the first time the Abyss Order had taken the initiative to approach him.

“Next time you tail someone, at least try to restrain your fire element a bit,” Bai Luo said with a helpless sigh. “With that level of heat, it’d be hard not to notice you.”

Just as he said, when the Abyss Mage followed him, it hadn’t concealed its aura at all. That searing Pyro element presence was something anyone even slightly sensitive to elemental energy could easily detect.

“Hmmph. Since you’ve already noticed me, then I’ll be direct—the area ahead is somewhere Their Highness does not wish for you to pass.”

The Abyss Mage took out something resembling a staff, and a Pyro shield instantly enveloped its entire body.

That Abyss Mages could manipulate elemental power was nothing unusual.

Scholars in Sumeru had once studied the source of Abyss Mage magic and discovered that they were very likely using branches of the Ley Line Trees to connect with elemental energy.

“Their Highness?”

From the Abyss Mage’s words, Bai Luo caught a very important term.

“I wonder—does your ’Highness’ happen to be a princess, or a prince?”

What sounded like casual teasing was, in truth, Bai Luo subtly probing for information.

As long as it answered “princess” or “prince,” Bai Luo would effectively gain insight into both of them.

“You glib-mouthed fool! Let’s see if you can still talk so insolently after I scorch that tongue of yours!”

Bai Luo’s flippant tone enraged the already hot-tempered Pyro Abyss Mage.

The surrounding Pyro energy grew increasingly dense, and even the grass beneath them showed signs of igniting.

Yet Bai Luo, standing there, showed not the slightest hint of panic.

“Have you ever considered something?” he asked.

His black outfit gradually shifted into a crimson robe, and a Reverse Blade Sword appeared at his waist.

“What?” the Abyss Mage snapped.

“Did it ever occur to you why your master only ordered you to secretly tail me, rather than have you step out and drive me away directly?”

Bai Luo rested one hand on the sword hilt, smiling as he spoke.

But the moment his hand closed around the hilt, the temperature—previously rising due to the Pyro energy—suddenly dropped several degrees.

“Hehehe~ You think a blade like that can hurt me?”

The sudden drop in temperature didn’t frighten the Abyss Mage in the slightest. It had absolute confidence in its shield.

Before the shield was broken, no one could harm it.

Watching the self-assured Abyss Mage, Bai Luo didn’t even bother lowering his stance. He casually gripped the hilt of the Reverse Blade Sword and walked forward step by step.

The instant the Abyss Mage entered the range of his skill, he moved.

“Kuzuryūsen (Nine-Head Dragon Flash)!”

Bai Luo transformed into a streak of crimson lightning, passing the Abyss Mage in an instant.

He flicked nonexistent blood from the blade and leisurely sheathed the Reverse Blade Sword.

“I… my shield…”

With the flash of the blade, the Abyss Mage—still wrapped in its shield—collapsed weakly to the ground.

Bai Luo’s strike had ignored its elemental barrier entirely, acting directly upon its body.

This was the first time the Abyss Mage had ever encountered such a thing.

“So… can we talk properly about your ’Highness’ now?”

Bai Luo walked up to the Abyss Mage and lightly tapped its fiery, spherical shield.

Inside the shield, the Abyss Mage no longer had the strength to float and could only let itself be kicked around like a ball.

“I… I will never betray Their Highness!”

Even after being toyed with like this, it didn’t dare to dispel the shield.

With the shield, it could at least struggle a little. Without it… the outcome was obvious.

“Oh? Then how about this?”

Bai Luo glanced toward a small pond not far away, a look of delight slowly spreading across his face.

Back when there were no Hydro characters, how did one deal with a Pyro Abyss Mage’s shield?

That’s right.

Water.

“Little thing,” Bai Luo said cheerfully, “time for a bath.”

. . . . .

If you want to see more Chapter of this story and don’t mind to pay $5 monthly to read till the latest Chapter, please go to my Patreon¹

Current Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 356: The Depressed Jianna¹

Link to the current Chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/152322852?collection=174425¹

https://www.patreon.com/collection/174425?view=condensed¹

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep