Chapter Forty-Four: Winterwrath Archfiend

"Who are you? Why are you here!?"

After the counterattack from the three individuals, Xian Yu noticed that the unsettling sensation was fading, and the people tied to the wooden stakes were no longer unconscious.

The discomfort he felt earlier was like an impending disaster, prompting him to intervene.

"Who am I? You captured my people, and now you're asking who I am?"

Upon hearing Xian Yu's words, the three individuals exchanged glances, choosing not to respond but launching simultaneous attacks instead.

Their actions were not meant to be seen by outsiders. Anyone who witnessed it had to die!

The earlier inquiry was merely out of curiosity. Learning that the intruders were searching for someone could not be reconciled, and they had no intention of reconciling. Thus, they attacked directly.

"This level of attack is not even comparable to an Elemental lord. I thought you guys were much stronger. Is this all you've got?"

Casually dispelling the incoming elemental attacks, Xian Yu commented.

Indeed, the attacks from the three individuals seemed weak in Xian Yu's eyes. He initially thought they had created an impressive setup, only to discover their true strength was lacking.

Having said that, he continued, "Frost Descent."

With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a frosty spell.

This move, led by Xian Yu and enhanced by the power of the Cryo Crystal Butterfly, strengthened his freezing abilities, aiming to trap the three individuals.

The technique wasn't overly powerful, but the three opponents were equally weak. Faced with this targeted area attack, they could only defend for a moment before being frozen in place.

Planning to inquire about the unusual sensation he felt earlier, Xian Yu had questions to ask.

Looking at the three heads poking out of the frost, Xian Yu first released the people tied to the wooden stakes.

After freeing Zhang Feng and Zhang Yujiao, they seemed eager to speak, but Xian Yu stopped them.

"Little Raspberry is over there. Take her and the others out first. I'll handle things here and take you back afterward."

As the others were being released, they continued expressing their gratitude, but Xian Yu waved them off, signaling them to leave first.

Once everyone had left, he turned his attention to the frozen individuals.

In the open space with only the four of them, Xian Yu approached and pinched the throat of one of them.

The person began coughing incessantly.

"Cough, cough, cough."

"All right, no need to pretend. These minor injuries won't harm you much, and I haven't used my full strength."

"Now, I'll ask questions, and you'll answer. As long as you provide the answers, I might consider letting you off the hook."

"Of course, don't think about lying. If your information is incorrect, you'll face consequences when I question the other two separately. Misleading me equals death."

After delivering his ultimatum, Xian Yu didn't wait for the captive's agreement; he directly bombarded them with questions.

"Firstly, why are you kidnapping ordinary people?"

"Secondly, what was that ritual you just performed?"

But instead of answering, the person's eyes turned red, a crazed glint appeared, and his lips curled into a sinister smile.

"Hehehe, hahaha..."

"You're done for! You'll definitely regret this! The mighty Winterwrath Archfiend God will bring divine punishment. Your soul will be forever frozen, enduring eternal torment!"

Hearing this, Xian Yu furrowed his brows. Had this guy gone mad? He seemed utterly unconcerned about his own life.

And what in the world was this Winterwrath Archfiend God he was babbling about? Xian Yu hadn't heard of such a character, neither in reality nor in the game.

"Is it some hidden demon god?"

Whether hidden or not, Xian Yu had no idea. But one thing he did know – he seemed to have, once again, stirred up trouble.

Just back from Mondstadt, and now he was dealing with this headache-inducing situation.

Looking at the twisted face of the captive, still grinning maniacally, Xian Yu decided to turn him into a complete ice sculpture.

The laughter abruptly ceased, and using the same method to interrogate the other two yielded similar results. Unable to extract any sensible information, Xian Yu had no choice but to bid them farewell.

"Such a hassle! Haven't resolved the issues with the Fatui, and now an unknown God shows up. What a predicament!"

Given the situation, Xian Yu roughly understood why the captives were taken. Considering the unknown language, the ritual, and the sacrificial nature, it was likely associated with summoning the so-called Winterwrath Archfiend God.

"In the jurisdiction of the Geo Archon in Liyue, having such a cult of evil gods is truly beyond imagination."

If this was happening while Morax was still in power, one could only wonder how much more rampant such organizations would become after his disappearance.

"Unfortunately, these guys fear nothing. Each one of them seems brainwashed, and it's impossible to extract any useful information."

As for the threat of freezing his soul that the guy mentioned, Xian Yu didn't take it seriously. If the demon god dared to descend, Morax would surely notice. A sacrificial cult god like this would undoubtedly draw Morax's intervention.

"These fools. If I run into a real evil god in the future, I'm as good as dead."

However, Xian Yu thought again. Since the guy called it the Winterwrath Archfiend God, did it imply that its attribute was also Cryo?

If that were the case, his Cryo Crystal Butterfly might need the flesh and blood of the demon god to evolve into a similar existence. Previously, he planned to wait until Osial was suppressed to try absorbing the remains. Although the attributes differed, Cryo and Hydro still shared some commonalities.

Now, with the emergence of this Winterwrath Archfiend God, his thoughts began to churn. Ideas surged uncontrollably in his mind. However, Xian Yu was aware that his current strength wasn't enough to contend with such a powerful entity.

"Phew! Forget it, dealing with this kind of danger can wait. It's better to focus on staying safe and doing my own thing."

Provoking the attention of a demon god was undoubtedly a crazy endeavor. Xian Yu thought it wise to shelve such dangerous ideas for the future. His thoughts returned to the incident involving Osial; he dared to contemplate it only because he knew the outcome. Confronting an unknown demon god now would be akin to seeking death.

With a deep breath, Xian Yu shook off his wild ideas. "Let's focus on staying low-key for now."

Unbeknownst to him, as he pondered, Xian Yu had already walked out of the "domain." Of course, he had collected the bodies inside. He believed in cleanliness in every action, and even the corpses had to be disposed of properly. After leaving the domain, he planned to find an isolated spot to discard them.

Seeing Xian Yu emerge, the people outside stared at him. However, none of them dared to approach, likely still shaken by what had transpired inside.

"Young Master, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Uncle Zhang. Don't worry. Everything inside has been taken care of. Let's go."

Xian Yu hesitated for a moment when he glanced back at the "domain," but ultimately, he refrained from destroying it. The primary concern was avoiding unnecessary trouble. If he acted against it alone, the "domain" would probably become a ruin.

The journey back was straightforward with Xian Yu's assistance. After escorting the unfamiliar people out of Nantianmen, he left them to their own devices. Fortunately, none of them had suffered injuries, marking them relatively lucky. Had the cult performed a deadly ritual, Xian Yu would've ended up collecting their corpses.

When everyone else had left, the area was left with only Xian Yu and the three captives.

Looking at the frail elderly man and the two dirty little girls, Xian Yu sighed, "Let's go. We're heading to Liyue Harbor."

Xian Yu didn't question why Zhang Feng and the others hadn't gone to Mondstadt but chose Liyue instead. He neither asked nor cared. Everyone has their reasons, and he certainly wasn't a god with the power to control others' choices.