At this moment, over at Yujing Terrace, a handsome and refined man stood quietly observing everything unfolding at the night market.
Unlike the panicked crowd, he remained calm, as if everything was within his expectations.
"Azhdaha?"
It seemed he had already guessed something.
"Perhaps I can use this opportunity to test things a little…"
However, the thought in his heart made him decide not to intervene in this incident.
—— Night Market ——
While dealing with the Geovishaps, Ganyu also noticed that another large group had burst out from the other side of the market.
"This is bad!"
Seeing the swarm rushing toward the night market, anxiety flashed across her face.
That was where Ze was!
Ganyu immediately turned and rushed toward the market, but the dragon lizards had already arrived.
Too late!
Boom!
Numerous Geovishaps rolled into the night market in spherical form.
Dust soared into the sky, stones shattered, and the earth shook.
Everyone around fell silent, staring in horror at the market shrouded in smoke and debris.
"Ze!"
Ganyu's eyes widened. She could no longer find Junze's figure.
A crushing sense of helplessness swept through her entire body.
"Yanfei!"
At the same time, Eula fought the remaining dragon lizards while calling out to her friend.
Just as everyone believed the night market had been completely destroyed, a roar suddenly erupted from within the smoke.
ROAR!
The sound shook the heavens and trembled the earth.
Compared to the earlier roars of the Geovishaps, this was like the difference between clouds and mud.
Under the intimidation of that roar, both the dragon lizards and the panicked crowd fell silent.
Thud!
With a heavy impact, the dragon lizards that had smashed into the market were sent flying like kites with snapped strings.
As the smoke gradually cleared, people began to make out a tall figure, more than eight feet in height, standing at the edge of the market.
Mysterious. Powerful.
Black mist like flowing ink coiled endlessly around his body, giving him the bearing of an immortal sage.
As though an adeptus had stepped straight out of an ink painting.
But if one stared closely at that black mist, terror would inevitably creep into the heart.
Within the darkness seemed to lurk a primordial beast, waiting patiently.
Those who gazed upon it, human or monster alike, were nothing more than prey.
Greed. Devouring. Body of Gluttony. Immortal Bearing.
Two unrankable traits, one five-star trait, one four-star trait, all revealed at once.
In this state, Junze exuded an unimaginable pressure upon both people and things alike.
Even the air itself seemed to freeze.
Eula's brows lifted slightly as she looked at the figure.
"It's him."
Yanfei stared in shock at the black silhouette standing so close to her.
But soon a more urgent fear overtook her thoughts.
"Where is little Junze?!"
On the other side, Ganyu frowned as she looked at the mysterious shadow.
For some reason, she sensed a faint trace of familiarity from him.
"Who is he?"
Why does he feel familiar? Have I met him before?
Junze's appearance did not only draw attention from the people at the night market.
On a distant rock formation, a white-haired woman who had intended to step in narrowed her eyes.
"How did he appear here?"
Shenhe had not sensed his presence at all.
"And that child… has disappeared again."
Over at Yujing Terrace, even the steady and ancient man watching from afar revealed a rare look of surprise.
"Taotie?"
Zhongli had originally intended to observe how present-day Liyue would handle the crisis.
But Junze's sudden appearance had caught even him off guard.
Not only him. The members of the Liyue Qixing had all grown wary of this unfamiliar "adeptus."
…
Junze's emergence sent ripples throughout all of Liyue.
"It's the Inkshadow Adeptus!"
Someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
The one who yelled it was a member of the Millelith squad who had once accused Junze of being a demon.
But after witnessing him with his own eyes before, he had completely convinced himself that Junze was an adeptus.
And now he shouted it aloud without hesitation.
Hidden within the black mist, Junze's expression turned strange.
"Inkshadow Adeptus? That sounds way too weird."
He had only played the role casually back then, thinking no one would take it seriously.
But now… this seemed to be getting out of hand.
"It's an adeptus! An adeptus has come to save us!"
The vendors and pedestrians clung to that cry like a lifeline.
Feeling the countless gazes upon him, Junze felt his scalp tingle.
Did I overdo it? If a real adeptus shows up, I'm going to explode on the spot.
After all, Liyue was full of hidden powerhouses.
At the very least, Rex Lapis himself had always been here.
Forget it. Deal with these guys first.
Junze turned his gaze toward the dragon lizards he had just blasted away.
Though still intimidated by the oppressive aura surrounding him, their fear was quickly replaced by ferocity.
Roar!
Unwilling to be suppressed, the dragon lizards howled again.
The crowd shrank back in terror.
"Then let's start eating."
Junze's golden pupils sharpened. Humanity faded. Beastliness thickened.
The black mist around him spread like ink dropped into water, expanding rapidly until it engulfed all the dragon lizards.
Dark and suffocating.
The moment the mist touched them, it began to erode their bodies.
Their hard outer shells slowly disintegrated.
Junze stepped forward into the blackness.
The battlefield was completely concealed within the swirling mist, impossible for outsiders to see.
Everyone could only stare in trembling curiosity.
They saw nothing.
Only fear creeping deeper into their bones.
Junze became even more mysterious in their eyes.
Such violent malice…
He could sense the emotions radiating from the dragon lizards.
"I'm hungry again."
The [Greed] attribute activated.
His craving for food surged violently. Facing the dragon lizards before him, he felt increasingly ravenous, increasingly avaricious.
That desire instantly amplified his strength through [Greed].
The black mist grew even more vicious.
Only satisfaction could calm it.
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