Genshin Impact, starting from becoming the God of the Ocean

"Actually, this is a good thing."

Su Zhe was eating fried tofu with his head down when he casually said something.

"Good thing?"

"Yes, the fact that the rebels would risk coming to Inazuma Castle to buy food proves that they have reached a point of desperation. After all, feeding an army that can rival the shogunate's forces is no easy task."

"Also, it's impossible for the resistance army to transport so much grain out of Inazuma City so smoothly. You can follow this line and investigate carefully. Maybe you can find one or two traitors."

Kujo Sara nodded thoughtfully.

She had already thought about this on her way here. The rebels had certainly achieved their goal of diverting attention, but with Inazuma Castle guarding the forest, if they wanted to transport that amount of grain out undetected, someone would definitely have to help them.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

Kujo Sara asked instinctively.

"Don't rush, let me finish this bowl of fried tofu first."

"..."

Looking at the several empty bowls in front of Su Zhe, Kujo Sara's lips twitched slightly.

Have you not eaten for days? How come you have such a big appetite?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. A person who is far from home...sigh~ probably can't even get a hot meal on a regular basis.

How pitiful.

With that in mind, Kujo Sara decided to wait patiently.

As the saying goes, the way to keep someone is through their stomach. Well, that's what Yaedo said in one of his books.

Once Su Zhe fully appreciates the beauty of Inazuma, why would he be afraid of not staying?

Just then, two samurai rushed over from the street.

"Lord Kujo Sara, the general wants you to go to the castle tower immediately!"

"General?" Kujo Sara was slightly taken aback. "Did you say something?"

"It seems someone has proposed a duel before the emperor!"

Whoosh!

Kujo Sara immediately stood up.

"Su Zhe, I have to leave for a bit, I'll contact you later!"

After saying that, Kujo Sara led the samurai toward the castle tower.

"A duel before the emperor?"

Su Zhe put down his chopsticks, looking bewildered.

...

Ding ding ding ding!!

Inazuma Castle suddenly became lively!

"Have you heard? Someone has challenged the General to a duel before the Emperor!"

"Hiss! Who on earth dares to do such a thing?"

"I don't know, but it seems to be the owner of the Eye of God."

"No wonder, with the Eye Hunting Order in effect for so long, those who possess the Eye of God must be driven to desperation. Unless they join the resistance, but that would be treason."

"But if you lose a duel before the emperor, you'll be executed, right?"

"What do you know! Even in death, one should die with dignity. Those who possess the Eye of God, aren't they all eccentric? Look at Lord Kujo Sara..."

"Bang bang bang! Open the door! Heavenly Orders bring warmth!"

A duel before the emperor.

This is an ancient ritual passed down in Inazuma, solemn yet cruel.

Victory could turn the tide in a desperate situation.

If they fail, they will face divine punishment, having to confront the might of thunder with their mortal bodies.

Even though the "Unthinking Slash" unleashed by divine punishment was not a strike with all the power of the Thunder General, it was still an attack that no mortal could withstand in the eyes of all the Inari people.

In other words, if one loses a duel before the emperor, the inevitable outcome is death!

"What the hell? Who's so bold?"

Following the crowd toward the Sky Guardian Pavilion, Su Zhe carefully concealed his presence, thinking to himself.

As they approached, the crowd was stopped by the guards, the Tenryo magistrates.

"The castle tower ahead is a restricted area; approaching is prohibited!"

The crowd erupted in a clamor.

Not long after, two figures appeared on the high platform of the Heavenly Guardian Pavilion.

That place was specially used to showcase martial arts when the castle tower was being renovated.

At this moment.

Standing on the high platform were two figures, one on the left and one on the right. Kujo Sara was prominently featured among them, while the other was a young man dressed in samurai attire.

"It's him!"

It seemed that someone recognized the young man.

"There was even a battle when the Heavenly Territory Enforcers arrested him before."

"Why come here when you've already evaded capture?"

"Perhaps, it's to give voice to 'their' inner thoughts."

"To defy the will of the gods?"

In the crowd, Su Zhe looked up and watched with great interest.

Since the Eye Hunt Order was implemented, the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed God statue has been inlaid with one 'wish' after another. Initially, they simply remained silent in the face of the gods' decisions.

But nowadays, they occasionally let out a cry, using the desires of mortals to oppose the ideas of the gods.

Undoubtedly, the final result was tragic, but who can say that it was all a futile struggle?

The outcome itself is not important; what matters is that they want to convey their innermost thoughts to that revered deity.

This kind of 'sorrow' so characteristic of Inatsume was something Su Zhe felt very strongly at this moment.

The duel has begun.

On the high platform, Kujo Sara held a longbow and fired a series of lightning element arrows.

The duel before the emperor was sacred and solemn, witnessed by General Thunder himself, so she went all out from the start.

But the opponent is clearly not weak either.

As the katana was swung, a swordsmanship style honed through countless trials was unleashed, and in the direction the blade struck, violent lightning elements also converged.

Boom!

A head-on collision of lightning leaves no room for chance; it's a pure contest of strength!

Amidst the deafening explosion, lightning element spread through the air, transforming into visible silver snakes.

Beneath the lightning, Kujo Sara's expression was grim as she waved her hand and unleashed a spell.

"Thunder Summoning Spell!"

The power of lightning coalesced and slammed down towards the youth.

He looked up and murmured, "Not enough."

Swish!

The katana pierced through the lightning and approached Kujo Sara.

The latter's eyes sharpened, and he quickly flashed backward a distance before drawing his bow, gathering an arrow, and firing it.

Hey~

The elemental arrows were cut down by the swift blade.

The two figures moved swiftly on the high platform, and purple lightning gradually covered the entire space as the elemental power spread.

"He's so amazing."

One of the samurai exclaimed in amazement.

Everyone knows that Kujou Sara, the adopted daughter of the Kujou family, is exceptionally skilled in martial arts and enjoys the deep trust of the shogun.

The fact that this young man could fight her to this extent shows that he also possesses considerable strength.

Why would someone like that initiate a life-or-death duel before the emperor?

When everyone's gaze fell upon the thousand-armed, hundred-eyed statue below, they seemed to understand something in the depths of their being.

The heavens are the realm of the gods.

When faced with situations beyond their control, people often lament their own powerlessness.

But at the steepest turning point in life, if a mortal's 'desire' reaches its peak, the gaze of the gods will fall upon them.

When mortals' wishes cannot be conveyed to the gods, there will always be someone willing to step forward, carrying the expectations of those whose 'wishes' have been taken away, and using this method to convey their thoughts to the gods.

Unfortunately, even with this awareness, not everyone can become the one destined to break free from their predicament.

"Not enough."

Amidst the lightning, the young man spoke as before.

Kujo Sara frowned, a murderous aura appearing in her eyes. As violent lightning elements condensed, black raven feathers unfurled behind her.

Splash!

The raven feathers unleashed a massive amount of elemental power, which exploded under Kujo Sara's control!

At this moment, even the surrounding space was covered in purple!