Actually, the reason Xing was able to track Collei wasn't because she could smell Collei's scent, nor was it because of the bonds she spoke of, but because of the demon god remnant on Collei.
To Xing, the scent emanating from the demon god remnant on Collei was as conspicuous as a bonfire in the darkness.
Hiding in the Sunsettia tree, Collei nervously stared at the two people below, tightly clutching a green Sunsettia in her hand. This Sunsettia still bore cute teeth marks.
"These two guys are like sticky plasters; I can't shake them off!"
Collei secretly warned herself not to be soft-hearted, not to be lenient. Even if they were innocent passersby, she couldn't let them stop her from taking revenge on the Doctor!
Having endured so much suffering, Collei thought her heart had become as cold as ice, but when it came to striking innocent passersby, she couldn't help but hesitate.
Sniff, sniff.
"Strange! The scent is clearly around here! Why can't I find her?"
Xing searched everywhere like a puppy for Collei's trace, but she couldn't find any sign of her.
Amber looked helplessly at Xing, feeling utterly exhausted.
For Amber, as an Outrider who spent her days rushing through the wilderness of Mondstadt, this amount of exercise was nothing. But unfortunately, this Xing was truly tiring to deal with.
Have you ever seen someone charge straight into a Hilichurl camp?
Have you ever seen someone open Hilichurl treasure chests nonchalantly while being watched by Hilichurls?
Amber looked helplessly at Xing, who was still searching around.
"Xing, we've been searching for so long and still haven't found her. Could it be that the child has already left here?"
"Shall we try looking somewhere else?"
Xing turned and looked up at Amber, her eyes filled with determination.
"No! She's nearby!"
Amber shook her head and looked at the Sunsettia tree ahead. "Then let's go rest under that tree for a while. Aren't you tired after running for so long?"
Xing was silent for a moment, then nodded. "That makes sense. Amber, you go first. I'll search a bit longer and then come rest."
Watching Xing burying her head trying to sniff the grass, Amber could only let her be and walked alone to the base of the Sunsettia tree.
Just as Amber pulled out her water flask from the Vision's space, wanting to take a sip to moisten her throat.
Bang!
"Ouch!"
A Sunsettia fell from the tree and hit Amber on the head.
Amber covered her head and picked up the Sunsettia. She realized the fruit was still green, and unripe fruit wouldn't fall naturally. Moreover, there were bite marks on this Sunsettia.
Amber immediately looked up at the tree.
She saw Collei standing on a branch, clad in ragged white robes, wearing a sinister smile on her face.
"I was originally planning to let you two go, but I didn't expect you to chase after me again."
"You are—courting death!!!"
Collei brandished the black flame whip in her hand and jumped down from the tree, swinging the whip fiercely towards Amber.
The agile Amber leaped up and lightly dodged Collei's attack. She quickly retreated, trying to create distance.
This area was flat terrain, with only a few trees and no other cover. If Amber could increase the distance between herself and Collei, relying on her ranged advantage as an archer, she could defeat Collei by kiting her.
However, Collei naturally wouldn't allow Amber to pull away.
Although Collei didn't know Amber's identity as an archer, in Collei's eyes, Amber's move was just an attempt to flee. Collei, who had already decided to teach these two a harsh lesson so they wouldn't dare pursue her again, certainly wouldn't grant Amber's wish.
Collei smiled, her white teeth flashing.
The whip that Amber had dodged suddenly transformed into a tentacle, flexibly writhing to grab Amber's calf.
The flames attached to the whip-tentacle scorched Amber's calf, causing her intense pain.
"This is bad!!!"
"Ah!!!"
Fortunately, at the critical moment, Xing arrived just in time. She pulled out the wooden club previously snatched from a Hilichurl from her backpack and smashed the black flame whip wrapped around Amber's calf in one blow, rescuing Amber.
"Amber, are you okay!"
Supporting Amber, Xing asked nervously and with concern.
Although the wound on her calf was painful, as a qualified Outrider, Amber was long accustomed to such minor scrapes. Moreover, even if Xing hadn't intervened, she would have found a way to cope.
"Don't worry!"
"This little injury is nothing."
Seeing the two putting on a 'Long Live Friendship' show, Collei pouted and said sarcastically, "This\u2019\u2013lit\u2019\u2013tle\u2019\u2013in\u2019\u2013ju\u2019\u2013ry\u2019\u2013is\u2019\u2013no\u2019\u2013thing\u2019\u2013."
(Please imagine 'Delicious Cat Fortress: I Just Want to Take It Home to Eat'.)
"Hey!"
"You two, hurry up and go home to play house!"
Looking at Collei, who was acting like a bratty girl, Xing became instantly angry and shouted loudly:
"Even if you are the first golden legendary I pulled from the trash can, I won't let you talk about Amber like that!"
Hearing Xing mock her, Collei also got annoyed.
"I didn't provoke either of you, and we don't have any deep hatred between us. Why are you two clinging to me?"
"Damn it!"
It seemed that upon sensing the violent fluctuations in Collei's emotions, the demon god remnant within her body also began to stir restlessly. The active demon god remnant intensified Collei's emotional extremism and negativity.
"Since you won't leave, then you shall both be buried here!"
Black flames emerged from Collei's body. Clad in white robes, Collei appeared demonic and eerie against the backdrop of the black flames.
Xing swung the hilichurl wooden club in her hand and shouted loudly:
"Do you think I, the galaxy bat hero, am afraid of you!"
Amber frowned, looking at Collei enveloped by the black flames. She could feel an ominous aura contained within these flames surrounding Collei, something that instinctively caused aversion.
But Amber's intuition told her that this child was not inherently evil.
"There's no way to persuade this child with words now. I can only find a way to calm her down first."
"Xing! Remember to hold back later!"
Xing nodded and took out the geo vision Arkz had given her from her backpack.
After ascending to godhood, the Vision was almost useless to Arkz, but for a clone like Xing, it was still somewhat useful.
"Will of Preservation!"
Xing roared, and then cast a Geo Element shield layer over herself and Amber.
Stacking, charging—Xing's fighting style was simple and unadorned, yet incredibly powerful.
"Rules are meant to be broken!"
Amber provided support with her bow from behind.
"Rain of Arrows!"
"Come out, baron bunny!"
Therefore, even though Collei powered up and the activity level of the demon god remnant inside her reached its peak, she was still defeated by the combined efforts of Xing and Amber after a few rounds.
Collei struggled, but her body weakly collapsed.
"Damn it, can't hold on anymore?"
"I haven't... gotten revenge for them... yet."
Before falling unconscious, Collei saw the concerned expressions on Amber's and Xing's faces—a concern devoid of any falsehood, the kind she had only ever seen on her mother and father's faces.
In a daze, she seemed to see the figures of her deceased parents.
"Mom, are you... here to pick me up?"
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