Putting aside her minor obsession with the [Cleanse Spell], Lin Qingyue fully immersed herself in the changes happening within her.
She casually twirled her Pink Staff in a spear flourish. The movement was still fluid and swift, yet something felt different.
It wasn't that her strength had increased or her speed had quickened.
It was a more subtle, more fundamental transformation.
She could clearly sense that with each swing of the staff, the surrounding airflow was no longer a source of resistance. Instead, it was drawn in and commanded by a unique rhythm.
Every path her power flowed through her body, every instant the momentum gathered at the staff's tip—it all became as clear as day.
The staff sliced through the air.
The sound was no longer crisp but had deepened into a heavy thud, like the cracking of mountain rock.
Unbidden, the mortifying scene from yesterday surged back into her mind.
That imposing Black Archon Robe.
That vast, unyielding aura, as immense as earth and as immovable as a mountain.
And that... that phrase... even now, the memory made her toes curl in embarrassment inside her shoes, almost digging out a new Liyue Harbor.
"Gather!"
An absurd theory took shape in her mind.
"Could it be... that Zhongli's identity as the 'War God'—even from just a single transformation—has somehow given me a bonus to my spear intent?"
This theory left her feeling incredibly conflicted.
On one hand, the price of that social suicide had actually transformed into real, tangible benefits!
But on the other hand...
The source of these benefits was just too mortifying!
Grasping spear intent by transforming into a female version of Rex Lapis?
If she ever told anyone, they'd either think she was insane or a terminal case of chuunibyou! She'd end up sitting at the same table as Fischl during meals.
If she wanted to get stronger in the future, would she have to tour anime conventions and cosplay to unlock new skills?
[Ding! Detected that the Host has successfully grasped "Geo Spear Intent (Prototype)"! It seems social suicide is not only a source of joy but also a catalyst for power. ╮( ̄▽ ̄)╭]
Lin Qingyue: "..."
Shut up! Can I refuse this catalyst?!
She forcibly suppressed the urge to snark at the System, centering her thoughts and trying to integrate this mysterious and profound "Intent" into the most basic Millelith Spear Techniques.
A seemingly ordinary straight thrust.
Power concentrated intensely at the staff's tip, and the sound of it cutting through the air grew slightly muffled.
Wherever the tip passed, the air seemed to be crushed until it became viscous, carrying the weight of a thousand mountains!
A simple horizontal sweep.
The trajectory remained sharp, yet it now possessed the unyielding spirit of a磐石—a bedrock that stands firm against any storm.
"Sis, your spear techniques... they seem even stronger now?"
Lin Xiyue's voice came from the side. She had precisely sensed the change in her sister's aura.
Even though her sister was still holding that ridiculously girly pink staff...
...her stance exuded the imposing and weighty presence of "one man holding the pass against ten thousand," so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
"Yeah, I had a new insight," Lin Qingyue replied casually.
She couldn't very well admit she'd traded her dignity for it.
Just then, a violent rustling erupted from the bushes along the riverbank ahead.
Several Swamp Crocolisks (Lv. 19) crawled out, dragging their heavy, mud-caked bodies. Their crimson vertical pupils instantly locked onto the delectable pair of prey.
"Perfect timing!"
Lin Xiyue's eyes lit up with battle fervor as she immediately entered a combat stance.
"Time to test the quality of my new shield!"
Without even activating any Skills, she calmly planted the Immovable Mountain shield before her. As a Crocolisk lunged forward, she met it head-on. At the exact moment of impact, she subtly dipped her wrist, precisely adjusting the shield's angle.
Thud! Thud!
Dull impacts echoed one after another as two Crocolisks slammed into what felt like a mountain wall.
Lin Xiyue used the momentum to take half a step back, her body as steady as bedrock, having perfectly deflected the force of the charge.
In contrast, the two Crocolisks, having crashed headfirst into a cliff, were sent reeling back, dazed and whimpering from the terrifying rebound force.
"Force deflection is excellent! Impact absorption is perfect!" she excitedly reported the combat data, swinging Dawn's Light in a smooth follow-up.
A flash of milky-white light tore effortlessly through the relatively weak scales on one Crocolisk's neck.
Lin Qingyue wasn't idle either. She decided to use these mindless beasts to test the true power of her "legacy of social death."
She raised her Pink Staff high and brought it down in a sharp chop.
The motion seemed slow, yet it carried an eerie penetrating force, striking the other Crocolisk precisely on the crown of its head.
Splat!
A soft sound, like a ripe watermelon bursting.
The Crocolisk's head was slammed into the ground as if crushed by an invisible mountain, sending a spray of muddy water into the air.
It twitched twice before falling completely still.
The corpse appeared unharmed on the outside, but its cranial tissues had been pulverized by the intensely focused force. Its brain was likely pureed.
"Huh?"
Lin Xiyue, while effortlessly blocking another Crocolisk's bite, turned her head in astonishment.
"Sis, that attack... felt so strange."
"It looked so light, but how was it that devastating? And why didn't it even draw blood?"
Lin Qingyue gazed at the "clean" Crocolisk corpse, a satisfied smile uncontrollably gracing her lips.
She had deliberately controlled her strength, channeling the dense, solid power of her Geo Spear Intent entirely into the target's body, utterly destroying it from within.
This method not only ensured kill efficiency but also spared her the annoyance of being splattered with blood and gore after a fight.
"Hmm, I've had a new insight," she said, her tone growing lighter. "This is much cleaner, isn't it?"
After all, what beauty-conscious girl would enjoy being covered in blood and reeking of gore after a battle?
Fighting cleanly was, in itself, the ultimate form of elegance.
This Geo Spear Intent isn't just incredibly powerful; it even comes with a hidden 'Stay Clean' attribute. What a heavenly gift, Lin Qingyue thought cheerfully.
I guess... this is one of the perks of social death?
She silently added, feeling that the lingering shame was no longer so hard to bear.
After easily dispatching the appetizers, the sisters continued their journey along the river.
Along the way, Lin Xiyue had practically become a professional equipment reviewer, meticulously testing every aspect of her new shield's performance.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingyue reveled in the process, constantly familiarizing herself with her nascent Geo Spear Intent. She experimented with merging the Intent's steady, heavy power with the light, swift agility of her Wind's Blessing.
Her combat style began to evolve, becoming increasingly unpredictable and versatile.
She grew to appreciate this elegant method of fighting—"slaying enemies without a trace, leaving not a single leaf disturbed."