The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

"Why are there so many...?"

In this situation, even the battle-hardened Ying couldn't help but become serious, let alone Hana Sanri, who had been coaxed and pleaded to come here to watch the battle.

She hurriedly took a step back, seemingly never expecting that the filth from the tree roots had accumulated to such a terrifying amount.

This perfectly confirms Ying's earlier guess... A fierce battle is now inevitable.

Of course, this is from her perspective.

Compared to the panicked two, Kiana's reaction was much calmer.

She simply watched the approaching warriors quietly, without showing the slightest fear or timidity.

For her and for the Herrscher, even if twenty more of these fallen warriors came, they would still be powerless to bridge the gap in strength.

You can say there's absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Ha, utterly vulnerable."

Just as Kiana was about to use a swift slash to completely purify these impurities, the system notification sounded quietly.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, you have successfully triggered the world [Teyvat] encounter quest: A few more opponents won't hurt.]

[Mission Completion Method: Annihilate all the fallen warriors emerging from the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree here.]

[Mission completion reward: 100 Herrscher Points per person.]

"This task? Heh, it's just icing on the cake."

Kiana was naturally overjoyed by this reward, which was practically given away for free.

She took a deep breath and waited for those azure eyes to open again.

The Blazing King Sword was drawn!

"Let me—!" The fallen samurai drew their katana in unison, intending to tear the people in front of them to pieces.

However, before they could finish speaking, a fierce and domineering slash came hurtling in.

"Ready, ignite!"

The Blazing King Sword drew a beautiful arc in mid-air, and the arc formed by the flames that seemed capable of burning everything lingered for a long time.

A sudden attack is hard for anyone to handle, let alone when the attacker is a Herrscher whose strength far surpasses one's own.

The fallen warriors were instantly dealt a heavy blow; two of them were directly cleaved into nothingness and vanished in the wind.

"Withered...here."

The murmurs of fallen warriors echoed through the empty ruins.

The blades clashed fiercely, and the sparks that flew out illuminated the slightly dim ruins.

The two sides had already entered a fierce stage at the very beginning of their confrontation.

Seeing Kiana surrounded by three fallen samurai, Ying immediately raised her sword in worry: "Kiana! I'm here to help you!"

However, before she could move to help, a delicate hand slowly rested on her shoulder.

"The destined one, please wait here quietly..." Hana Sanri calmly advised.

"You? Why are you stopping me?"

Ying casually flung her hand away, easily breaking free from the strange priestess, and then questioned her sharply.

The other party didn't seem to care much about her attitude, only glancing indifferently at Kiana, who was clearly in the lead.

“In her eyes, I saw what a strong person should be. There are very few people who have given me a similar feeling... or rather, gods. She and that great one are inexplicably similar. I can say with certainty that even without the help of others, she can still get rid of this filth. Please believe me.”

Believe? Actually, there's no need to believe anymore.

Even before Ying was stopped, Kiana had already wielded the Flame King Sword to kill all the Fallen Warriors formed from filth.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the mission and receiving 500 Herrscher Points!]

Once all the filth forced from the roots of the Divine Cherry Tree had dissipated, the entire ruins finally fell silent...

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ying."

Kiana sheathed the Flame King Sword and slowly turned to look at Luminous. Her azure eyes shone brightly in the dim ruins, like a guiding star illuminating the way in the dark night, or as dazzling as a sparkling gem.

It seemed that only after Hana Sanri's reminder did Ying finally glimpse the unwavering, fearless spirit in those eyes...

"It hasn't been long... Kiana, are you alright?"

"Me? Heh, very good. This level isn't even a warm-up."

"Well... that's good. Maybe I was overthinking it?" Ying forced a smile.

The battle ended, and it was a resounding victory.

While the three were talking, Paimon finally couldn't resist showing up.

As soon as the little guy appeared, he excitedly circled around Kiana, showering her with praise:

"You're really strong, Kiana! Hehe, I didn't expect so many terrifying enemies to fall to you. Now... where do we go next?"

After successfully purifying the last tree root, the entire purification ritual will enter its final stage.

According to the procedure, all you need to do is open the barrier in Hana Sanri's hands, and then go to the dangerous area at the bottom of the large pool in Kageshiro to thoroughly purify the filth.

However, before heading there, Kiana took Luminous and Paimon on a tour of the ruins. After collecting the treasure chests and other items, she reminded Luminous to also take the stone tablets hidden in the underwater ruins.

After all that was done, it was getting quite cold.

After working for most of the night, Ying and Paimon were exhausted, but Kiana was full of energy.

As a Herrscher, she doesn't particularly need rest, and even when her body suffers severe injuries, she can still move around normally.

It was precisely because of this characteristic that she was able to prioritize the overall situation and agree to Hana Sanri's request to come above the final purification site.

Floating rocks, buildings standing atop them, stones that seem to be pulled upwards by some unknown force...

And, the pool of water filled with lightning elemental power...

All of this suggests that something is very wrong here.

Although she had seen it before, Ying still felt uneasy about being so close to it now... and even her fatigue disappeared.

Instead, there is the discomfort of being in an environment abundant with lightning...

Behind her, Kiana noticed that she wasn't quite used to being there, so she spoke slowly:

"Ying, are you alright? Don't push yourself if you're not feeling well."

"Thank you, I can do it, yes! I can do it!"

Encouraged, Ying clenched her fists and cheered herself on, prompting Paimon to join in the encouragement.

Seeing that the three seemed to be in good condition, Hana Sanri finally mustered up the courage to express her gratitude before the end of the purification ritual:

"Everyone, thank you... Without your help, I might have had to watch the Divine Cherry Blossom wither away soon. Before we begin the final purification, is there anything you'd like to ask me? I will be open and honest and tell you everything."

Bonus chapter

Song of Flames and Lightning (Genshin Impact Inazuma Main Story): Chapter Thirty-Four: I will grant you your last wish in this life.

Upon hearing this, Paimon immediately began to ask the questions that concerned him most.

"Masked Shrine Maiden, who exactly are you? You know about the Fox Palace and are so familiar with the barrier, yet you claim you're not her. So who are you?"

"I'm sorry... I may not be able to answer this question until the final purification is completed."

Hana Sanri shook her head with great regret, easily contradicting what she had just said.

This lightning-fast reversal left Ying and Paimon speechless, exchanging bewildered glances.

They promised to tell you everything, but they're hiding something on such a crucial matter...

"I'm so sorry! Sakura has been talking about her pain, and if it can't be relieved soon..."

Hana Sanri's sincere bow in apology was so perfect that it could be described as textbook-worthy.

It's hard to get angry at her with that kind of attitude, especially since Ying, Paimon, and Kiana already consider her a friend.

Of course, I wouldn't delve into such trivial matters.

Knowing her difficulties, Kiana wisely stepped in to smooth things over:

"Then let's wait until after this is over to tell us about this, Ying and Paimon, what do you say?"

"There's really no other way, I'll just listen to you, Kiana." Paimon crossed his arms, quickly sweeping away his worries.

However, compared to her carefree attitude, Ying was somewhat worried. She glanced at the purple-glowing Thunder Pool and then asked:

What will happen after the Great Purification ends?

"..." Upon hearing this, Hana Sanri slowly raised her head and affirmed in a very calm tone, "When the filth of the Divine Cherry is cleansed, everything will be alright."

"Really?... Then let's hurry."

Ying and Paimon exchanged a smile, filled with anticipation for the final purification.

They may not know that after the divine cherry blossoms are completely cleansed of their filth...

The existence of Hana-sanri will also be completely reduced to nothingness...

As someone part of the filth, she couldn't possibly be unaware of what this meant, yet she neither explained it nor even hinted at it...

Is it because she doesn't want Ying, Paimon, and herself to be saddened by her passing, and thus hesitate during the purification?

Kiana felt a pang of sadness, but she didn't want to trample on her last plea, so she could only watch her silently without saying a word.

Ying found her reaction somewhat strange.

"Kiana? Why..." Hotaru stroked her chin, lost in thought for a moment, then, as if sensing something, asked a question that Hanahara couldn't answer for a long time, "After everything is over, Hanahara... will we ever see each other again?"

Below the Narukami Shrine, above the Thunder Pond, the shrine maiden wearing a fox mask remained silent for a long time.

This desolate and dangerous sealed land will become the end of her journey.

She couldn't bear to reveal the truth, fearing that her friend would be saddened during the purification process.

"of course."

Hana Sanri told a white lie.