At this point, Junze's two unrankable core attributes were fully revealed.
[Attribute · Devouring]
This was the physical aspect.
It allowed Junze to release black mist capable of devouring all tangible matter, satisfying his hunger and strengthening himself.
At its peak, Taotie could even use that black mist to swallow the heavens and the earth.
[Attribute · Greed]
This was the spiritual aspect.
It had two effects.
First, by satisfying his own greed, or by consuming the greed of others, Junze could permanently increase his strength.
This had already been demonstrated before.
Even when he had been extremely hungry, once his desire to stay by Ganyu's side was fulfilled, he gained the faint ability to speak.
The second effect was what he was displaying now.
Based on his currently unfulfilled hunger, or rather greed, he could temporarily increase his strength.
The stronger the greed, the greater the boost.
These two attributes were the true core of Taotie's power.
He only needed to keep eating, to keep satisfying desire and craving, and he could grow endlessly stronger.
Utterly broken.
"Roar!"
Facing the ominous black mist, the dragon lizards let out frightened cries.
But those cries sounded pitiful and weak.
The suppression a demon god held over such creatures was absolute.
"Better to just slaughter you directly."
Junze felt that letting the black mist slowly devour them was too slow.
His hunger would not tolerate that pace.
So he moved.
Ice lotuses bloomed within the black mist. Even in fear, the dragon lizards were drawn toward them.
Within the swirling darkness, Junze activated Trail of the Qilin.
His figure became ghostlike and elusive.
Ethereal steps. Lotuses blooming beneath each stride.
That was the essence of Trail of the Qilin.
In mere seconds, the entire mist-filled battlefield was covered in ice lotuses.
Empowered as he was, the ice lotuses he created were even more alluring, even more lethal.
Junze landed lightly, turning his back to the dragon lizards.
He raised his hand.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
All the ice lotuses detonated at once, and the black mist surged forward.
The dragon lizards submerged within it released their final mournful cries.
Junze's hunger was being satisfied.
This was his domain.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the battlefield, thanks to Ganyu, Eula, and the Millelith, the remaining dragon lizards had already been suppressed.
The fate of those who recklessly charged into Liyue Harbor had only one outcome.
Death.
The only difference lay in how much Liyue would lose in the process.
If Junze had not appeared, the incident would still have been resolved.
But the night market would have been destroyed, and many lives would have been lost.
The people at the market stared intently at the ink-like black mist.
Though they were now safe, their hearts were fixed on the mysterious "adeptus" who had appeared to save them.
Within the crowd, Yanfei was anxiously searching for Junze.
Meanwhile, Ganyu still did not know that her precious disciple was missing.
She and Eula stood at the far end, staring at the black mist.
Through its immortal-like appearance, they sensed something deeper.
"Does Miss Ganyu recognize that adeptus?" Eula asked. "Yanfei and I encountered him once outside Liyue before. His methods are unfathomable."
Ganyu shook her head.
"I'm not sure."
The faint sense of familiarity she felt from the black-cloaked figure left her confused.
She did not remember any adeptus wreathed in black mist, yet the familiarity persisted.
Had she met him long ago, perhaps in childhood?
Eula sighed lightly. "Even you don't know?"
Ganyu shook her head again.
Eula looked toward the mist. "Should we go in?"
"Not yet," Ganyu replied. "Let's first determine whether he is friend or foe."
Though the shadow had clearly aided them, and though the people were cheering him as an adeptus, Ganyu maintained caution.
During the Archon War thousands of years ago, there had been cruel demon gods who disguised themselves as benevolent immortals to infiltrate Liyue.
She would not lower her guard so easily.
And that black mist…
It did not feel entirely righteous.
After a while, the mist gradually dispersed.
On the once-crowded battlefield filled with dragon lizards, only the lone black-cloaked figure remained.
"Where are the dragon lizards?!" Ganyu stared in shock at the empty ground.
Even if they had been burned to ash, there should have been remnants.
But now, not a corpse remained. Not even a trace.
Eula narrowed her eyes.
"It seems they were devoured by that black mist."
"Devoured…"
Ganyu frowned.
At that moment, the crowd erupted into cheers.
The people of Liyue had always held deep reverence and admiration for the adepti.
Especially after being saved like this.
Junze stood alone in the open field.
He glanced at the cheering crowd, then at Ganyu and Eula watching from above.
This is bad.
Master finished clearing her side way too fast.
As expected, Master was still Master.
Now he had a problem.
If he returned and Ganyu discovered he had been missing, that would not end well.
Without hesitation, he chose a direction with fewer people and swiftly fled.
In the eyes of the crowd, however, his abrupt departure only made him seem more mysterious.
Ganyu and Eula attempted to pursue him.
But Junze, using every ounce of strength to escape, was far too fast.
Already separated by distance, they could not catch up.
Moreover, they were unsure whether any dragon lizards remained.
Ganyu did not dare recklessly chase an unknown adeptus.
And she still had a disciple to look after.
"I wonder if Junze was frightened…"
She turned her gaze toward the night market in concern.
Then she saw Yanfei moving frantically through the crowd alone.
Ganyu's expression froze.
Standing beside her, Eula suddenly felt a chilling aura spread through the air.
What just happened?
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