Chapter Thirty Three: "Starry Serenity and Unplanned Thoughts"

At this moment, Xianyu, holding the Mora card in his hand, couldn't help but wonder how Mona had ended up in such a "beggarly" situation. With her abilities, even if she wasn't adept at combat, she shouldn't struggle to outsmart flower sellers, right? If it were truly the case...

If it really was as bad as that...

Xianyu could only let out a heavy sigh. A wielder of a Vision, unable to even guarantee their basic needs, was probably not far from ending up as a corpse in the wilderness.

"Hmm, why dwell on this now? Let's focus on the task at hand."

Xianyu withdrew 20,000 Mora from the bank and prepared to leave. While the Dawn Winery held some secrets in his memory, he wasn't planning to investigate further.

For example, the Hidden Realms and the Wolf's Territory were not far from here, though their versions of these places differed from what Xianyu was familiar with. Here, the Hidden Realms were more akin to ancient ruins in fantasy novels, incredibly dangerous, rather than the domains to collect artifacts like in the game.

As for the Wolf's Territory, while many talked about it, few truly knew its actual situation. It was shrouded in mist year-round, and those who entered would often find themselves leaving without even realizing it... except for those with exceptionally bad luck.

Xianyu had grown accustomed to these unusual stories. Even the most prominent structures in Teyvat, such as the statues of the gods, he had only seen the Geo Statue of The Seven; he hadn't come across the Anemo Statue yet, and as for the one in Dragonspine, he hadn't seen it either.

If even the statues of the gods were like this, let alone the convenient teleportation waypoints for "players."

Xianyu could understand the scarcity of the statues. Hadn't he seen the inverted statue from the main quest before? If there were many statues, then the Abyss would be ripe for plundering other statues.

Pondering for a moment, he confirmed his direction and headed towards Mondstadt.

At this time, it was already getting late, but for Xianyu, who had grown accustomed to sleeping outdoors, it was no big deal.

However, for someone accustomed to sleeping outdoors, the time of day was not a concern.

Compared to the wilderness in Liyue, Mondstadt was relatively safe. But remember, this was all relative.

There were a few places that Xianyu didn't feel like going to. Firstly, there were the two small islands in the Mondstadt sea. One might be the nameless isle with possible connections to the "Time Mages," while the other could be related to the "Abyss" called Musk Reef. Regardless of which it was, Xianyu didn't want to get too close to either.

Time mages and their association with "time" were concepts he couldn't ignore after immersing himself in online novels. The phrase he had seen most often was, "Space is king; time is emperor." So, he had no intention of putting himself in danger, at least not right now.

The heart of Durin in Dragonspine, that's something you only want to experience once, any more and you're asking for trouble.

The Nameless Island is just like that, and as for Musk Reef, though I don't know the reality of it, it's probably not a walk in the park. Even if the presentation is different, the level of danger probably isn't any less than facing a "God of Time."

Apart from the two islands, there's also the Stormterror's Lair afterwards. Similarly, it's all because of that God of Time, and there's not just one!!

There's just too much involved there.

I won't even talk about whether Dvalin is still living there, we don't even know if there are any lingering grudges after the death of the Anemo Archon, and there's also the first "Agricultural Machine"...

There's just too much going on in there, and it's a bit too deep for Xianyu, who isn't exactly an Olympic swimmer. He feels like he wouldn't be able to handle it, so it's better to stay away.

Actually, when you think about it, Dragonspine is also considered a "forbidden area." It's just that he had reasons to go there, otherwise Xianyu wouldn't have ventured into it.

Looking at the things he encountered, he doubt many ordinary Vision holders could come out alive.

Just take a look at what he's faced:

The Great Snowboar King, Elemental Lords, the "Hilichurl" stronghold, the heart of Durin...

There's no need to explain how dangerous these are. Just getting involved with them would probably turn into a "struggle for survival."

Fortunately, he was tanky enough in the early stages, going through a phase as the "Sword God of Ten Li," or he might have lost his head.

Although he hasn't reached the level of being "invincible" yet, regular dangers are no longer considered "dangerous."

"So, what I'm trying to say is, even adventure requires some capital, and you still need to consider whether you can handle unexpected situations."

...

The night on the plains brings a different charm compared to the howling winds of Dragonspine. Here, it's all about a gentle breeze, carrying a hint of grassy fragrance, making one involuntarily relax.

Lying on the grass, Xianyu didn't bother to set up a tent. He just gazed at the starry sky, gradually getting lost in thought.

It's been a few years since he arrived on the continent of Teyvat. Everything here makes him feel surreal, as if it's all a dream. But the land beneath him and the power within his body tell him that everything here is real.

Memories from his past life flash before him, combined with the "pseudo-starlit sky" of this world. Before he knew it, Xianyu had fallen asleep.

Even though there were various roars and cries of beasts coming from all around, it didn't affect him in the slightest.

His breathing was steady, the starry sky was bright, and the lone youth rested on the ground, accompanied by... the fluttering wings of a butterfly.

The next day.

"Ah, it feels like it's been a long time since I've had such a comfortable sleep."

He stretched lazily, sighing in contentment.

Later on, he discovered several frozen beasts around him.

It seemed they were trying to have a piece of him, but ended up freezing to death due to the Cryo Crystal Butterfly.

Without paying much attention, he casually collected them. Xianyu then continued on his way.

These beasts were nothing more than ordinary creatures on his path. Collecting them was just a habit, like pressing the F key subconsciously in a game.

This habit still influenced him, even after all this time.

He wasn't in a rush to get on the road. If he wanted to travel quickly, he could have simply "flown" by riding the Cryo Crystal Butterfly. Even though it didn't have the Wind attribute, it was still pretty fast.

But he didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble. After all, within the Knights of Favonius, there was a "Flight Champion." Who knows if he might draw their attention?

"Hey there, young man, do you want to travel with us? I can see that you're on your own and heading towards Mondstadt, right?"

"We still have quite a way to go from here to the city, and occasionally, there are Hilichurls on the way. We have a good number of people traveling together, so it's safer if you join us."

As the main road to Mondstadt, there were definitely many caravans passing through, so Xianyu didn't find it unusual. He understood their good intentions, but he declined in the end.

He had never intended to hurry on the road or take a ride, and he didn't worry much about the dangers mentioned. As for the Hilichurls, whether they would attack him was still uncertain, and as for the Treasure Hoarders?

This parasitic entity would only bring danger to the other party once they encountered it.

"Thank you, but I have some business to take care of in Springvale, so I won't be traveling with you."

Upon hearing Xianyu's response, the person who initiated the offer didn't say anything more.

Springvale was a bit off their route.

The invitation just now was simply due to seeing the young age of the other person and the fact that they were traveling alone, out of goodwill.

Since the other person declined, he didn't press the matter further.

As for Xianyu, his words weren't really a random excuse. He did indeed have something to do in Springvale.

Well... even if it was a last-minute thought.