Xingqiu didn't seem to expect that Shenhe would take the initiative to challenge him. He smiled slightly and said, "Well then, that's fine too… Consider it a warm-up exercise."
…
Leaving Shenhe and Xingqiu's duel aside, on the other hand, Lucas was frantically searching for a restroom. After wandering around for a while, he unknowingly walked into Chihu Rock and found himself in front of Wanmin Restaurant, which had recently reopened. At the entrance, Xiangling was practicing her spear techniques, wielding a long polearm.
"Brother Lucas?" Upon seeing him, Xiangling immediately set down her weapon and approached him. "Isn't today the second round of the Tianshu election? What brings you here?"
Lucas looked a bit embarrassed and said, "I… I need to borrow the restroom."
Hearing this, Xiangling couldn't help but giggle. "You're the major shareholder of Wanmin Restaurant! Why are you even asking? Just use it whenever you want."
Lucas, feeling as though his stomach was burning up, couldn't spare any time for pleasantries. He quickly rushed inside, while Xiangling stood at the door, her cheeks slightly flushed. She muttered to herself, "Could it be… that Brother Lucas came all the way here just to see me under the excuse of borrowing the restroom?"
She quickly shook her head and lightly patted her face. "Xiangling, don't get ahead of yourself! Judging by his expression, he probably has an upset stomach. I'd better go make some porridge to help with digestion."
Inside the restroom, Lucas lifted his shirt, revealing a reddish hue across his abdomen. When he touched it, he even felt a burning sensation.
He seemed to understand something and immediately closed his eyes, entering a state of internal vision.
At a certain level of cultivation, practitioners could develop the ability to observe their internal state. Since Lucas possessed the bloodline of the Gluttony, his body contained an internal dimension known as "The Void Within", and his internal vision allowed him to perceive this unique space.
...
"What the hell is this place!?"
Within a vast void, a red-haired girl was furiously spewing flames and shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Damn you, Lucas! Let me out right now!"
That's right—it was Bi Yan.
Earlier, when Lucas had transformed into the Gluttony, he hadn't physically devoured Bi Yan's real body, but he had swallowed her spiritual essence. Now that her spirit had awakened and realized she was sealed inside his body, she naturally erupted into a fit of rage.
Since Lucas had yet to fully master his Gluttony bloodline, his Void Within was still in its early stages. That's why Bi Yan's commotion inside his stomach had made him feel unbearably hot.
"Enough noise."
Lucas's figure suddenly materialized before Bi Yan, a cold smirk on his face. "This is my territory. You can scream all you want, but no one's coming to save you."
"So it really was you!" Bi Yan roared in fury, raising her fist and throwing a punch at Lucas—only to find that her fist passed straight through his body, as if striking thin air.
"I already told you—it's pointless." Lucas shrugged. "But if you behave yourself, I might consider letting you out."
Though she hated him to the core, Bi Yan knew she was at a disadvantage. For now, she had no choice but to temporarily compromise. "Really? When will you let me go?"
"You're inside my stomach," Lucas said with a grin. "Once I can't hold it in anymore, you'll naturally exit through the back door."
"W-What!?" Bi Yan's eyes widened in horror. "You mean you're going to… p-poop me out!?"
Though she was aggressive and hot-tempered, she was still a young woman. The mere thought of leaving his body in that way made her feel utterly humiliated.
"Oh, don't say it in such a disgusting way." Lucas waved his hand dismissively. "You're just a spirit right now, not a physical body. It's not like you'd actually be excreted."
"T-Then… how exactly would I leave?" Bi Yan asked hesitantly.
"The back door," Lucas repeated with a smirk.
"You…!!" Bi Yan's face twisted in rage, and she glared at him murderously. "Fine! Since you refuse to release me, I'll just wreak havoc inside your stomach!"
With that, flames erupted from Bi Yan's body once more, as if she were about to unleash another fiery rampage within him.
Lucas instantly realized how terrible that would feel. Without thinking, he raised a hand and shouted, "Stop!"
The moment he spoke, a transparent membrane suddenly materialized around Bi Yan, transforming into a spherical barrier that trapped her within.
"Damn it! Let me out!" Bi Yan's fists ignited with flames as she pounded furiously against the barrier. However, the moment her fire made contact with it, the flames were instantly extinguished.
Then, without warning, countless flesh-like tendrils extended from within the sphere, wrapping tightly around Bi Yan's body.
Bi Yan barely had time to react before one of the tendrils sealed her mouth shut, while others slithered into every possible opening, penetrating every space they could reach.
She struggled violently, but the more she fought, the more the tendrils constricted, as if they were absorbing something from her body.
Before long, Bi Yan's strength started draining away. Her wild, defiant glare softened, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. Her expression gradually shifted from rage to pleading, as if silently begging Lucas to let her go.
"What… the hell is happening?" Even Lucas was taken aback by what was unfolding before him.
[One of the functions of "The Void Within" is to absorb the power of creatures trapped inside. The Gluttony's strength comes from devouring powerful beings and making them part of itself.]
The system's voice promptly answered Lucas's confusion. He suddenly recalled that, in the simulator, as a child of the Gluttony, he indeed had the ability to absorb the power of his prey.
"So this is just an automatic ability?" Lucas mused.
Back in the simulator, he had only ever devoured living beings. This was his first time absorbing a spiritual essence.
"What happens if I absorb her completely?"
[Once the absorption is complete, the remnants of the spirit will be expelled from your body and return to its original owner. However, even if the owner survives, they will permanently lose their powers and become an ordinary person. …What's wrong? Don't tell me you're suddenly feeling merciful?]
"No, no. It's just that my body is kind of sensitive, especially my back door," Lucas chuckled. "Every time I eat something spicy, I suffer on both ends. But since the remnants that get expelled are already powerless, I don't really have to worry about anything."
The system went silent for a moment before speaking again.
[If it were the old you… would you have made the same choice?]
Lucas was briefly stunned. Then, after a moment, he let out a helpless chuckle.
"Yeah… If it were the old me, what would I have done?"
A single sentence seemed to pull Lucas back to the moment he first arrived in Teyvat and "met" the system.
Back then, upon learning that the system's purpose was to make him "play the role of a villain," Lucas had fiercely resisted. Not only that, but he had sworn to himself that he would use the power he gained from committing evil in the simulator to do good in reality.
If it were that version of himself standing here now, he might have truly hesitated and chosen to spare Bi Yan's spirit.
He had to admit, continuously playing the role of a villain in the simulator had subtly changed him. While he still couldn't be called a true villain in reality, he was gradually straying further from the ideal of "kindness" he once insisted on.
"Don't get me wrong," Lucas chuckled with a carefree air. "I'm not doing this because I've given in and become a villain."
"I just no longer want to hold on to that soft, meaningless kindness."
The kindness of the weak held no value.
That was the lesson Lucas had learned after everything he had been through.
Stepping closer to Bi Yan, he lightly patted the edge of the sphere encasing her and smiled. "Sleep well. When you wake up, it'll all be over."
"Mmm… Mmmph!"
Bi Yan continued to make futile noises of protest, but the flesh-like tendrils only grew in number, wrapping tightly around her increasingly weakened body. In her final gaze, Lucas saw nothing but absolute despair.
[Absorption successful. Acquired the talent: "Bifang Bloodline."]
[Effect: Gains the ability to control Pyro elements.]
Lucas was stunned.
That easily? He had gained control over Pyro just like that?
Even Bi Yan herself couldn't wield Pyro solely through her bloodline—she had required a Pyro Vision to do so.
Did that mean the Bifang Bloodline he obtained through this ability was purer than Bi Yan's own?
Something about this didn't seem logical. It was like extracting twice the amount of material from a single unit—it just didn't add up!
However, Lucas had no time to dwell on the matter. After all, there was still someone waiting for him to duel.
With that in mind, he quickly pushed open the door and left.
As he passed through the main hall of Wanmin Restaurant, he saw Xiangling standing there as if she had been waiting for a while. She held out a bowl and said, "Brother Lucas, here! I made some porridge for you—it's good for digestion."
Lucas immediately understood—she must have thought he had an upset stomach.
He let out a bitter laugh but still accepted the bowl, drinking it all in one go. Smiling, he said, "For something so light, this porridge is incredibly delicious. Xiangling, your cooking skills are amazing. You're definitely going to make a great wife one day."
"B-Brother Lucas, d-don't tease me like that…" Xiangling's face turned bright red as she fidgeted with her fingers. "Your cooking is way better than mine anyway…"
"Cooking skills aren't as important as heart," Lucas chuckled, ruffling her hair. "I have to head back to the tournament now, but I'll come by next time to properly taste your cooking."
"You have to come, okay?" Watching Lucas's departing figure, Xiangling's face lit up with a sweet smile. She murmured to herself, "He said… I'd make a good wife… Hehe…"
"So, Xiangling, you'd better seize your chance," said Master Mao, who had suddenly appeared beside her. He spoke with great seriousness, "Men like him—men like me—are rare treasures! Even if you're a girl, sometimes you have to take the initiative. Back in the day, your mother was the one who chased after me—ow!"
Madame Mao had grabbed his ear with a kind smile on her face. "Oh? Funny, I don't seem to remember that at all."
"Mercy, my love, mercy!"
Watching her parents' playful bickering, Xiangling couldn't help but smile.
If not for Lucas, she might never have been able to witness such a happy scene again.
…
When Lucas finally returned to the tournament grounds, Shenhe and Xingqiu were still there waiting.
Xingqiu still had his usual calm and composed smile, while Shenhe, on the other hand, wore a deeply dissatisfied expression.
"Ah, Brother Lucas, you're so slow." Xingqiu waved at him playfully. "You were gone for so long that, in the meantime, I went ahead and had a duel with Miss Shenhe. I won, though—just barely."
Lucas didn't even need to hear the result—Shenhe's face said it all.
"Damn it, fight me again!" Shenhe growled, clearly unable to accept her loss. "I only fell for your tricks last time! If we go again, you definitely won't win!"
"I wouldn't mind, but…" Xingqiu extended his palm, revealing four Mora Tokens in his hand. "You've already lost both of yours. What will you wager?"
"As I thought…" Lucas sighed, then turned to Shenhe. "You bet both of your badges?"
"I… I just wanted to teach this annoying brat a lesson…" Shenhe bit her lip, her face slightly flushed. "But who knew…"
Smack!
Lucas grabbed Shenhe's hand and slapped his two Mora Tokens into her palm.
Shenhe blinked in confusion. "This is…?"
"I told you before—if you ever lost your badges, I'd split mine with you," Lucas said with a grin. "Don't worry, I'll win them back for you."
A flicker of emotion passed across Shenhe's face. Seeming to remember something, she muttered, "Then… make sure you give him a proper beating. I… I won't let it go to waste."
"Oh?" Lucas smirked mischievously. "And how exactly will you 'repay' me?"
"N-Nothing like what you're imagining!" Shenhe blushed furiously. "Don't act dumb!"
"Hehe…" Taking advantage of Xingqiu's momentary distraction, Lucas sneaked in a quick squeeze on Shenhe's thigh. "Looks like I really can't afford to lose this match."
Seeing that Lucas was about to step up, Shenhe hurriedly said, "Wait, that guy's strategy is—"
"No need to tell me."
To her surprise, Lucas shook his head and smiled.
"If I knew in advance, wouldn't that make things too boring?"
Lucas turned to Xingqiu and asked, "How many are you willing to bet?"
"Two, of course." Xingqiu smiled faintly. "After all, you only have two left, don't you?"
The two exchanged knowing glances, then simultaneously activated their Seven Saints Discs, declaring in unison—
"Duel Start!"
Truthfully, even though Xingqiu had defeated Shenhe, Lucas didn't dislike this refined young noble. He might have a sharp tongue, but he wasn't a bad person.
"I'll take the first turn!" Xingqiu drew a card and declared, "[Hydro Clone]!"
A splash of water erupted, and before Lucas' eyes, five identical Xingqius appeared, their appearances indistinguishable from one another.
Just as I thought…
Lucas nodded slightly. In terms of raw combat ability, Xingqiu should have been no match for Shenhe. The only way he could have beaten her was through strategy.
In a real fight, Shenhe could have simply used Cryo energy to freeze these Hydro clones and eliminate the confusion. Unfortunately, in Battle Mode, players could only rely on their cards to enhance their abilities—most of their natural powers, including their Visions, were restricted.
After all, a Vision was what separated mortals from the divine. Allowing their unrestricted use would make the game unbalanced.
For someone like Shenhe, who relied on direct combat, dealing with Xingqiu's deceptive tactics would have been troublesome.
Now, the five Xingqius advanced toward Lucas at once.
[Hydro Clone]'s effect:
Creates four identical elemental duplicates of a summoned unit. These clones have 0 Attack and 0 Defense, meaning they wouldn't actually deal damage. Xingqiu was merely using them as decoys to create an opening for a real attack.
Lucas smirked and drew a card.
"[Frostpiercer Lance]!"
In an instant, a sleek, ice-blue spear materialized in his hands. True to its name, the Frostpiercer Lance imbued its attacks with Cryo damage. The moment it touched the Hydro clones, they would be frozen solid.
From a distance, Shenhe furrowed her brows. However, the duel space was isolated from the outside world—even if she wanted to warn him, Lucas wouldn't be able to hear her.
Without hesitation, Lucas swung his spear, freezing four of the clones into ice statues. The last remaining Xingqiu had to be the real one.
Xingqiu's expression momentarily flashed with surprise. He quickly tried to step back, but Lucas wasn't about to let him escape—he lunged forward, his spear piercing straight through Xingqiu's abdomen.
-1000 HP!
Lucas had already mastered [Rain of Stone Spearmanship], a high-level technique. By this point, any spear technique he used was effortless. No matter how clever Xingqiu was, his combat skills were still far below Lucas'.
Yet, just as the spear struck, a mischievous grin appeared on Xingqiu's face.
Lucas' instincts screamed—but it was too late. Xingqiu grabbed onto the shaft of the spear, and suddenly, a surge of frosty wind backfired onto Lucas, instantly freezing him into an ice sculpture.
"You and Miss Shenhe fell for the exact same trick." Xingqiu chuckled, revealing a card—"[Elemental Rebound]. When taking elemental damage, this card triggers a counter effect based on the element received."
"For Cryo damage… the effect is Freeze." Lucas sighed. "Using Hydro clones to bait out an Ice-element attack, then setting a trap to counter it… Not bad."
"You flatter me," Xingqiu smiled and drew another card. "I equip [Sacrificial Sword]."
A long sword materialized in his grip. Then, he continued—"[Guhua Sword: Raincutter]!"
Six Hydro-infused blades appeared in the air behind him.
He even got his own signature skill as a card? This guy's luck wasn't bad at all.
Effect cards varied greatly, and many were based on martial techniques from different Liyue sects.
[Guhua Sword: Raincutter] was the ultimate move of the Guhua Clan. Seeing it turned into a card wasn't surprising.
"Each Raincutter Blade deals 500 damage, and with an additional direct strike from me…" Xingqiu's confidence shone through. "This game is over."
Frozen targets couldn't move—and once struck, the frozen status would break. Xingqiu's plan was clear—the moment the freeze wore off, he would unleash a finishing combo.
As the six blades prepared to strike, however, the ice around Lucas suddenly melted away.
"What—!?" Xingqiu's eyes widened. "That shouldn't be possible! You can't take any actions while frozen!"
"Don't assume you're the only one who plays face-down cards," Lucas smirked. "At the start of the duel, I set [Status Purge], which removes all negative effects from me."
Xingqiu's surprise quickly turned into amusement. "As expected, you're a worthy opponent. But… I still have more tricks up my sleeve. [Guhua Sword: Everlasting Rain]!"
He sacrificed half his HP to enhance his Guhua techniques.
The six Raincutter Blades behind him suddenly multiplied—turning into thirty-six glowing Hydro swords.
Oh, great. King of Heroes, budget edition.
"With every sword swing I make, all thirty-six blades will strike in sync." Xingqiu slashed forward, and—sure enough—all the floating swords mimicked his movement.
It truly felt like thirty-six swordsmen attacking at once.
These two Guhua-style cards worked incredibly well together. Paired with Xingqiu's personal skill in swordplay, most opponents would be completely overwhelmed.
Unfortunately for him… Lucas wasn't just any opponent.
Staring at the storm of blades, Lucas remained unfazed.
"Only thirty-six?" He scoffed. "That's way too few."
"Excuse me?" Xingqiu finally showed a slight smirk. "Let's see if you're still talking in half a minute."
"Thirty-six swords aren't enough," Lucas grinned, drawing a card. "Let me double that for you."
"I activate[Reutilization]—copying your effect card[Guhua Sword: Everlasting Rain]."
Xingqiu was well aware of [Reutilization]'s effect, which allowed Lucas to copy an effect card that had been used once in the match.
However, why would he choose to copy [Guhua Sword: Everlasting Rain]? That card was completely useless to him!
"I know this card is useless to me," Lucas seemed to read Xingqiu's thoughts and smiled. "This card… is for you."
As soon as he spoke, the number of Raincutter Blades behind Xingqiu instantly multiplied—sixfold!
Thirty-six swords… became two hundred and sixteen!
If this were a game, Xingqiu's Raincutter Blades reaching this number would instantly make him a ten-star unit.
"You… What the hell are you thinking?!" Xingqiu exclaimed. "Who in their right mind would boost their opponent's strength?!"
"The fun… is just getting started," Lucas said as he flipped over another card. "Activating Effect Card: [Elemental Conversion]."
"That card's effect…" Xingqiu murmured. "If an opponent's summoned unit undergoes an elemental conversion, it becomes your summoned unit instead…"
"Exactly," Lucas grinned. "At the end of the day, these Raincutter Blades are nothing more than Hydro-element summons with 500 attack power each. Which means… they fall under this card's effect."
"Ridiculous!" Xingqiu sneered. With a leap, he swung his sword forward—and all two hundred and sixteen Raincutter Blades followed suit, slashing toward Lucas in a terrifying wave of destruction.
Xingqiu had absolute confidence in his swordsmanship. Even if he wasn't a top-tier fighter, with two hundred Hydro swords at his side, not even a master could easily defeat him.
Lucas, however, simply twirled his Frostpiercer Lance, his eyes flashing coldly as he murmured—
"Rain of Stone Spearmanship."
This wasn't a card effect. It was his own skill.
In the Battle Mode, while a player's physical strength and Vision abilities were restricted, their martial arts were not.
That was Xingqiu's advantage—but it was also Lucas' greatest strength.
Rain of Stone Spearmanship—a technique where the spear moves like a meteor streaking across the sky, striking with unparalleled speed and precision.
However, Lucas wasn't aiming at Xingqiu.
His target was—
The Raincutter Blades.
Each time the Frostpiercer Lance struck a Hydro sword, the water instantly froze, transforming into an cryo-element sword—one that belonged to Lucas.
One sword.
Two swords.
Ten swords.
A hundred swords…
Xingqiu's confident smirk faded into confusion.
Confusion turned into shock.
Shock turned into absolute despair.
His proud sword formation, something he had believed to be unstoppable, was being completely overtaken by Lucas' flawless technique.
In just a single minute, all two hundred and sixteen Raincutter Blades had been converted into Icicle Swords, hovering behind Lucas like an army of frozen death.
Even in the simulated duel space, Xingqiu could feel the chilling aura emanating from them.
"This… This level of mastery…" Xingqiu's eyes shone—not just with fear, but with genuine admiration.
"Sword, release."
At Lucas' command, two hundred and sixteen Icicle Swords rained down on Xingqiu.
Closing his eyes, Xingqiu let out a breath.
Truthfully, he still had more tricks he could use. But facing such an overwhelmingly superior opponent, he simply… lost the will to fight.
Xingqiu's HP: 3000 - (216 x 500) = -107,500
Duel Over.
Winner: Lucas.
"A truly exhilarating match." Despite his loss, Xingqiu showed no hint of disappointment. Instead, his eyes gleamed with excitement. "Brother Lucas, you truly are incredible."
"Let's skip the formalities," Lucas grinned. "Besides the two Mora Tokens, please return the card you took from Shenhe as well."
"Well… actually, I didn't take any of Miss Shenhe's cards," Xingqiu admitted sheepishly. "Her entire deck is just a collection of reckless brute-force cards. They don't fit my strategy at all, so even if I took them, they'd be useless."
"Who… Who are you calling useless?!" Shenhe immediately rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to throw hands. "If we fought again, you wouldn't stand a chance!"
She wasn't entirely wrong.
Xingqiu's deck was based on traps and counterplays, making it highly effective on a first encounter. But now that they had fought once, its effectiveness would be drastically reduced.
"Well then, please accept these instead." Xingqiu handed over two cards—[Guhua Sword: Raincutter] and [Guhua Sword: Everlasting Rain]—to Lucas. "I believe they'll be far more useful in your hands."
"Aren't these your trump cards?" Lucas asked in surprise. "If you give them to me, what will you do for your next duel?"
"Ah, well, a cunning rabbit always has more than one burrow," Xingqiu said with a chuckle. "These aren't my only trump cards. Besides, great swords belong in the hands of great warriors. Since I don't have a sword to gift you, I'll settle for giving you these 'treasure cards' instead. Let's call it a token of friendship."
Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly.
Xingqiu might seem like a cheerful, carefree scholar, but he had a deep understanding of strategy. This was his way of establishing a connection—he had likely realized that winning over Lucas was more valuable than any card.
Still, Lucas didn't mind. He smirked and said, "Fine, I'll accept this 'friendship' of yours."
"Wait, you're seriously making friends with this guy?!" Shenhe frowned. "I have a bad feeling about him… He doesn't seem like a good person."
Even in the original Genius Invokation TCG, Shenhe seemed to have an inexplicable dislike for Xingqiu. It was amusing that the same dynamic existed in reality.
"Relax, Miss Shenhe," Xingqiu turned and waved nonchalantly. "I'm a man of culture and virtue. I'd never lead Brother Lucas astray. Anyway, I'll leave you lovebirds to your bonding time. I wouldn't want to be a third wheel—farewell!"
With a hearty laugh, he strolled away.
"W-Wait a second!" Shenhe's face flushed red, and she stammered, "W-Who are you calling lovebirds?!"
"Well, technically not yet…" Lucas suddenly wrapped his arms around Shenhe's waist from behind, his tone teasing. "But I really wouldn't mind if he stopped interrupting our 'intimate time.'"
"You… What are you doing?" Shenhe felt her body go weak as she whispered, "Are you insane?! W-We're in public… Wait until we get back, then I'll—"
"Oh? Now that's a tempting offer." Lucas grinned and pulled out his Seven Saints Disc glove. "No worries. As long as I use this, it doesn't matter where we are."
Shenhe's face turned bright red as she stared at him, suddenly realizing—
"Wait… Don't tell me you're planning to—?!"
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Author's Note: Happy Weekend to you all! Also please check out my new book:Multiverse: Plundering Traits, Starting with Master-Servant Contract
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