The Embers of King's Teyvat Journey

"So many people! What's this place for?" Ember exclaimed as he peered into the mansion from the bushes.

This mansion alone occupies several times the area of ​​the shrine we just visited, not to mention the soldiers patrolling around it.

But Yu Jin only glanced at it and didn't care; getting up the mountain was the priority now.

Quietly slipping onto the path leading up the mountain, Yu Jin dropped his disguise. Now he could finally climb the mountain with ease.

"This road is actually quite well-maintained..."

Ember looked up and saw the red torii gate in front of him, praising how well the mountain road was constructed. Because there was no such decoration on any other road in Teyvat.

"What the hell!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yu Jin took his words back. Because his path ahead was blocked!

"Where's the road?" Yu Jin asked in surprise as he ran to the edge of the cliff. The road, which had been smooth just moments before, suddenly ended here.

Taking a few steps back and raising his head even higher, Yu Jin finally figured out how this road worked.

It turns out that the next section of this road connects to a cliff.

The cliff isn't particularly high or low, but it's high enough to make ordinary people feel disgusted.

At a height of four or five meters, with the cliff face made of compacted loess and no vegetation to grip, it would take an ordinary person climbing the mountain quite a while.

"Perhaps it's a test of sincerity?" Yu Jin scratched his head and could only speculate.

Surely it's not like the Inatsume people are just being unique and actually built the road into this terrible state, right?

With a slight effort, Ember leaped up. Just as he had expected, a path reappeared on the cliff face.

Moreover, a bright red torii gate stands on the road, seemingly praising the climbers who have crossed the cliff.

"What's wrong with you!" Yu Jin kicked the torii gate. If the only way to test sincerity is to artificially create unnecessary difficulties, then Yu Jin can only say that Narukami Taisha is just like that.

But he soon realized he was wrong.

"This……"

Seeing the scene before him, Yu Jin didn't know what to say. In front of him stood a broken bridge, with lush green vines growing on its drooping surface.

This can't be explained away as a test, can it?

"Very well, now the entire Inazuma clan is insane!" Yu Jin said viciously, clenching his fist.

He no longer wants to walk to Narukami Shrine via the normal route. If you want to know why, go ask the people who built the road!

……

Narukami Taisha remained as peaceful as ever; evils like war seemed to automatically retreat upon encountering the sacred shrine.

The branches of the sacred cherry tree behind the shrine spread out, completely obscuring the shrine.

The reason why the divine cherry tree is called the divine cherry tree is naturally because it has many extraordinary characteristics.

The most striking feature of this is the perpetual blooming of the sacred cherry tree. It is precisely because of this that the entire Narukami Shrine is perpetually enveloped in a pink shower of blossoms, adding to its sacred and holy aura.

While the rain of flowers is beautiful, if it is left to settle, it will eventually turn into rotten mud.

Therefore, the daily routine of the apprentice shrine maidens at Narukami Shrine is to clean up the cherry blossoms that fall from the sky.

As for the official shrine maidens, they are the main force in handling the daily affairs of Narukami Taisha.

“Reiko, why didn’t you sweep it? If someone sees it, they might have to recite the eulogy again today.”

At the entrance of Narukami Shrine, two shrine maidens were carefully sweeping up flower petals. However, one of the maidens suddenly stopped, prompting a reminder from her companion.

"A... a shooting star!" The shrine maiden named Reiko pointed at the sky and exclaimed in horror.

"A shooting star in broad daylight?" His companion looked up. Sure enough, a bright red light appeared in the clear sky, extremely dazzling.

Moreover, the flames grew brighter and larger, appearing as if they were rushing straight towards Narukami Shrine.

A meteor has fallen to the ground!!!

It's not just a possibility; this meteor was definitely heading towards Narukami Taisha.

"Who dares to be so insolent here!"

Just as the meteor was about to fall, a purple fox head suddenly appeared around Narukami Shrine.

The fox's head completely enveloped Narukami Shrine, and the rising purple light completely obscured the tender pink of the sacred cherry tree.

In an instant, the entire summit of Yingxiang Mountain seemed to be swallowed up by endless thunder.

"Purple again! Purple again! You want me to see purple? You'll regret it!"

From within the meteor shower came the exasperated voice of Yu Jin. However, the people of Narukami Shrine could not hear these words.

Because the sound of friction in the air was already deafening, it passed through the fox's head forged by lightning and landed in Narukami Taisha first.

The flames grew brighter and brighter, and the priestess below, who was covering her ears, could clearly feel the intense heat coming from above.

"Boom - boom!"

The meteor collided with the purple barrier, flames and lightning intertwined. After a muffled explosion, the fire blazed even brighter.

"It's...it's broken!!!"

A priestess looked up and exclaimed in surprise.

In the blink of an eye, the lightning barrier on Narukami Shrine was torn open with a hideous hole!

But the shrine maiden's cries were destined to go unheard. For the shooting star in the sky, carrying a mournful cry through the air, had already fallen into Narukami Shrine.

"Boom!"

The earth began to tremble, as if a once-in-a-millennium earthquake had struck the entire Yingxiang Mountain.

A blast of air swept through Narukami Shrine, throwing the shrine maidens inside and outside the shrine into the air.

Fortunately, the tremors stopped after a short while. The shrine maidens, who had been thrown around and were completely disoriented, finally regained their senses.

They helped each other to their feet, looking at the shrine with lingering fear.

"Hey! What was that just now? A shooting star? Why did it fall inside the shrine?"

"I don't know, this is the first time I've ever seen it."

"If you were to cross the sun without a proper arrow, do you think it would be..."

……

The witches chattered excitedly about what they had just witnessed, and some even started interpreting fortune slips on the spot.

"Don't you guys think this meteor... was all bark and no bite?" someone in the crowd asked.

The group suddenly realized what was happening and turned to look at the shrine's gate. Although the shrine was still filled with dust, the torii gate and wind chimes at the entrance were intact.

Based on the commotion that meteor just made, it's impossible that it only had that little power.

"It seems so. Has anyone on our team been injured?"

Does a superficial injury count?

"Shut up!"

……

After another round of chatter, the group slowly made their way into Narukami Taisha Shrine.

Regardless of what falls from the sky, it is their duty as shrine maidens to find out the situation of the shrine.

The smoke had finally thinned out a bit, so things weren't completely obscured. The situation inside the shrine could only be described as terrible.

Upon entering Narukami Taisha Shrine, one should have seen a wide open space, but now...

The open space was gone, leaving only a deep pit filled with flowing lava and a figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the pit.

"Finally, someone's here?" Still submerged in the lava, Ember raised an eyebrow, stood up, and pointed at the approaching priestess, shouting:

"Where's the person in charge? Come out here, we need to have a word with her about this!"

Chapter 456 The Negligent Shrine

2024-01-31

"Everyone be careful! This is a meteorite monster!"

"What the hell? Your meteorite can turn into a monster?"

Upon hearing the witch's warning to her companions above, Ember, enraged, leaped out of the lava pool.

Meteorite monster? How could such a thing possibly exist?

Wait, it seems there is!

Ember paused, thinking of the Dark Abandoned Child, which resembled the "meteor monster" the witch had mentioned earlier.

The Dark Outcasts are meteors in the universe, but on Earth they become star worms with an insatiable thirst for destruction.

How strong is this thing's destructive desire? To give a concrete example, the Supreme Will loves to use it to smash people.

This shows just how destructive the Dark Elite can be.

As Ember drifted off into his own world, the priestesses in front of him retreated as if fleeing. Seeing this, he couldn't help but mutter:

"Hey! Why are you running? Do I look like a difficult person to talk to?"

"You guys didn't even count the number of people. With such a huge commotion, not a single person is missing. Who do you think you relied on?"

"Hehe, that's exactly why my Narukami Shrine didn't sound the alarm."

As Yu Jin spoke, a soft chuckle came from all around. Then, a pink-haired woman dressed in a red and white shrine maiden's outfit appeared before him.

The appearance of a shrine maiden in the shrine was nothing special. What truly caught Yu Jin's attention was her extended bangs and sideburns.

Where has it expanded to? If you didn't know better, you'd think it had two ears growing on its head!

Upon closer inspection, Yu Jin realized it was indeed an ear, so everything was alright.

Turning his gaze away, Yu Jin asked the priestess who was also scrutinizing him, "You must be the priestess here, right?"

"Yes, Yae Shenzi."

"And what about you?" Yae no Miko nodded, then paced back and forth, speaking to herself: