The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Since she had just left the island and hadn't encountered many Wild Fushi, Ying thought he was going to swing with all his might, so she hurriedly unleashed the Wind Element Burst that she had prepared beforehand.

At this moment, the power of the wind element began to gather and erupt, and with Ying Teng's sword swing, it finally transformed into a tornado that rushed straight towards the Phantom Warrior.

The appearance of turbulent winds made the already poorly visible Prayer Cave even more mysterious and enigmatic.

"The wind... is so strong."

Ying squinted and carefully observed the enemy's position, only to find that the phantom warrior had already regrouped at some point.

He was radiating a purple aura, making him look quite formidable.

Even the simple katana was imbued with the power of a divine weapon at this moment...

"Is this... entering berserk mode?"

Seeing the purple monster's form and aura change drastically, Kiana instantly realized that the upcoming battle might be dangerous.

And the battle that followed unfolded exactly as she had imagined.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

After going berserk, the Phantom Warrior immediately made a charging motion. Although Ying didn't understand these Nobushige very well, she realized that the attack was coming based on her rich combat experience.

Almost the instant the samurai charged, she chose to roll to the side and dodge the attack.

"A tough opponent, help me, Kiana!"

"I can't ask for it."

After going berserk, the Phantom Warrior became significantly stronger in both speed and power.

Moreover, each of his attacks is imbued with the power of lightning, and any contact with the Flame King Sword can trigger an overload reaction.

Of course, this is despite the increasing strength of the enemy.

However, the gap in combat power between the two sides cannot be bridged simply by strengthening them.

The katana imbued with the power of lightning clashed with the greatsword filled with the power of fire.

The burst of firelight almost illuminated the entire cave.

The light of the Blazing King Sword alone was enough to dispel the gloom of this place.

"Wow! What a formidable opponent!"

Even the phantom warriors, who exist between reality and illusion, couldn't help but complain after being severely suppressed.

He raised his knife to try to block, but he was too weak and fell to the ground.

Several times in a row, his lightning enchantment not only failed to help in the slightest, but also caused his own health to plummet.

The outcome is decided!

Kiana suddenly retreated, revealing the sharp edge of the Flame King Sword.

With that swift and clean strike, the entire cave wall was slashed with terrifying sword marks.

The flames of the Blazing King's Sword lingered on the monster's wounds and the rock scars, gradually dissipating after a long time.

Kiana sheathed her sword and smiled at Yinglu, who was patting the dust off her little bottom.

"Are you alright, Ying?"

"Ahem," Ying pouted, somewhat annoyed that her credit had been stolen once again, "It's alright."

"That's good."

Kiana nodded slowly, a warm smile on her face.

Infected by that radiant smile, Ying's resentment gradually faded away.

She stretched and smiled as well.

At this moment, Paimon also recovered from the battle and approached Ying with a look of surprise and delight:

"Ying, your skills are getting better and better!"

"Hehe, Paimon, you're really reliable."

"Huh? Why are you suddenly praising me?" Paimon scratched his head, becoming a little embarrassed and modest. "Although I've always been very reliable, you know~~~"

Seeing the two of them exchanging compliments, Kiana thoughtfully joined in.

"Yes, Paimon has always been reliable."

"Hehe, Kiana, you're so nice!" Paimon laughed, clearly pleased.

Ying glanced at Paimon, who was getting carried away after being praised a few times, and was speechless.

However, just as she was about to tease her a bit...

"That's really quite remarkable."

"Eek! How come you...when, why..." The sudden female voice startled Paimon, who turned around in surprise.

He looked at the shrine maiden who stood at the entrance to the prayer area.

Her appearance was so sudden that Ying also looked surprised.

"Alas!"

The sudden appearance of Hana-san was even surprising.

It could even be said to have reached the point where it sent chills down your spine.

After all, the battle had just ended and they were celebrating when suddenly a living person appeared out from behind them. Anyone would be surprised by such a sight.

However, for Kiana, who was familiar with the process of the Divine Cherry Blossom Great Exorcism, it was a different story.

This is nothing compared to what's to come.

She knew very well that Hana-san was not an enemy, not even someone with malicious intent, so she could confidently support Ying's shoulder.

"Don't worry, she won't mean any harm."

"Indeed, as you say." Hana Sanri remained calm, his expression hidden behind a mask.

Even just standing there blankly, Ying could feel the mysterious aura emanating from her.

The shrine maiden didn't exchange any pleasantries upon her arrival; she simply muttered to herself:

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you; you do indeed have the potential for evolution."

Upon hearing this, the duo exchanged bewildered glances.

After a long pause, Ying asked, puzzled, "Why are you here...?"

Thank you all for your support! I'll add another chapter and keep up the good work! ヾ(?°?°?)ノ?

Song of Flames and Lightning (Genshin Impact Inazuma Main Story): Chapter 8, there's something you shouldn't forget, Luminous.

In response to Ying's question, Hana Sanri calmly replied:

"I was very concerned about your actions and whether you had healed the tree roots, so I observed your behavior for a while. Please forgive me if I have been presumptuous."

The two looked at each other, and reluctantly accepted the explanation, but Paimon still had some doubts and put his hands behind his back.

"Why wasn't Kiana included? Shouldn't there be three of them?"

After saying that, she turned to look at Kiana, not quite understanding Hana Sanri's indifference.

However, the extraordinary shrine maiden did not lose her composure in the face of this; she simply explained calmly:

"This... forgive my presumption, but... this person is neither the destined one to remove the talisman nor the one I entrusted with this task. It would be somewhat presumptuous of me to observe the action so rashly."

"So we can just observe all we want now?!" Paimon's sarcastic remark always came out of nowhere.

"..."

This conversation, which deviated completely from the original plan, left Hana Sanri speechless and unsure how to respond.

She just stood there, clearly speechless at Paimon's questioning.

Seeing this, Kiana naturally couldn't remain indifferent any longer.

“Paimon, Hana Sanri is right. She entrusted it to you, not me. Keeping an eye on you is a sign of how much importance she attaches to this ceremony.”

"Huh? That's true..."

Paimon smiled at Ying, completely disregarding their previous conversation.

The atmosphere at the scene eased considerably.

Unexpectedly, Kiana, whom she had excluded, actually spoke up for her. Hanahara immediately expressed her gratitude:

"Thank you for your understanding. You are truly a person of great wisdom."

"Me? Thank you for the compliment. Hehe, I think you're the same, Hana-sanri."

"Your Excellency, could it be...?"

Hana Sanri seemed moved, or perhaps she sensed that Kiana had become aware of her past, and began to hesitate, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

For some reason, despite the dim lighting at the prayer site, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange as the conversation between the two continued...

Their conversation, full of hidden meanings, left Ying and Paimeng staring at each other for a long time, unable to figure out why they seemed to know each other beforehand.

"Have we met you two somewhere before?"

As soon as she spoke, Kiana and Hana Sanri exchanged glances in perfect unison.

"Have we met before? How could that be? Paimon, you're overthinking it."

"Although it may be offensive to say, what Lady Kiana said is indeed true. I only met her twice."

The way the two spoke in unison was truly puzzling.

Anyway, Paimon gestured and pretended to be deep in thought for a long time without nodding.

It felt like they were planning to keep asking questions.

This unwavering attitude truly left Ying, her travel companion, somewhat helpless.

She covered her forehead, her tone revealing a hint of disgust:

"Paimon, you've changed the subject again..."