People in Xumi: I am really not the Dragon King

Chapter 571 General: In seclusion, do not disturb.

"."

The weapons were seized, and the scene froze for a moment.

Above the sea, lightning still lingered within the clouds, but the strike that should have cleaved the ocean became a mere snack for a certain treasure-stealing weasel.

It was clear that the opponent had not yet used any authority or elemental power, but it seemed that his attacks could not even penetrate the enemy's body.
"."

A slight silence,

Having never faced such a situation before, the general regrouped and realized that this battle might be much more difficult than he had imagined.

The situation would be similar if we borrowed the idea of ​​focusing solely on dreams; rushing in empty-handed to try and take back the weapon would only expose one's vulnerability.
After much deliberation, the general abandoned his plan to retrieve his weapon and instead regrouped, conjuring a long sword from lightning in his hand.

"."

"Should we continue fighting? With your ability to assess the situation, I think this level of fighting should be sufficient."

I didn't really want to break the shadow puppet, so I tried to make the general realize the difference in power by taking away his weapon.

The purple polearm in his hand was familiar to him.

Looking at the "Inari of Nagikusa" he had just drawn, Lin Feng felt that his own draw rate was indeed higher.

"."

"For a warrior, losing his weapon in battle is tantamount to defeat."

"Given the current outcome of our encounter, I admit that my respect for you is not without reason."

"But this body will never give up as easily as the inner self; at the very least, I hope to settle this in a 'battle.'"

She was designed without the option of "retreat." She can accept defeat, but she will not choose to run away before the outcome is decided.

Being able to recognize that the enemy in front of you is stronger than yourself

But losing the battle is one thing, but what she cannot accept is that her opponent clearly never regarded the current exchange as a real fight.

"."

"Fight. Fine, then so be it."

I'm struck by how they're practically cut from the same cloth; their stubbornness is even greater.

It's likely that when Shadow created General, he didn't consider the option of evading when the enemy was too strong to defeat, which is why General often appears so much like a machine.

Since the other party insists on witnessing the failure
Lin Feng looked at the naginata in his hand and thought that a quick victory would be best.

"Boom——!!"

With a flash of lightning, the general, having regained his composure and no longer needing to probe, was now on high alert.

Judging from the current situation, the opponent has a very high immunity to pure lightning elements, so the only chance should be a close-range attack.

Even the most heavily armored enemy will eventually have weaknesses; as long as those weaknesses can be found...
He was thinking at top speed, but the enemy in front of him remained silent, simply gripping the weapon that had been taken from him.

He vaguely sensed that the atmosphere on the field had changed after he said, "I hope we will be defeated in battle," but the general did not know where his sense of crisis came from.

"."

Cast aside distractions and choose to sprint forward at top speed.

The previous unfavorable situation doesn't mean anything; the battle has only just begun.
"."

".?"

!!!

Suddenly, he realized that he could not move at all. The world around him was like amber, which was trapping an insect and constantly suppressing him.

Every breath of air, every element, even sound and color are gradually fading away.
Previously, the lightning elemental power that he could control with ease had fallen into a stagnant state, even joining the ranks of those suppressing him.
"It's over. You can try to take this blow if you have any other means of resistance besides authority and elements."

"Don't be surprised that you have lost your power."

"After all, according to some ancient remnant, the usurping gods have no right to appear before me."

"."

Unable to move, all sounds had faded away, and the only thing that lingered in my mind were these words from the enemy.

It was as if it were in a vacuum of elements and laws, or as if it had been compressed into place by laws of unimaginable magnitude.

"."

!!!

Tension was high; given the overwhelming difference in strength, they were prepared to face defeat.
But the general suddenly discovered that the other party was gathering elemental power in a method that was extremely familiar to him!

"."

Like a silent film, the thunderclouds he had gathered all submitted to the enemy.

The thunderstorm, with an unprecedentedly submissive attitude, completely merged into that familiar naginata.

？ ！！

Utter bewilderment welled up inside me; I had never imagined I would see this scene unfold before my eyes.

First their weapons were taken away, and then their authority was suppressed.

Unable to take any action, the general could only watch helplessly as the "thoughtless slash" flew towards him.

"."

Attack approaching,

They were doing everything in their power to at least mount a small counterattack.

But both the elements and the authority were completely silent, and his every move seemed to be at odds with the entire world.

The perceived time was stretched out infinitely, as if in a black and white world, there was only himself standing still, facing the oncoming flash of a blade.

"."

The feeling of helplessness, of being unable to do anything, was amplified infinitely, and every minute and every second became an ordeal of waiting for the inevitable ending.

Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, but my body just couldn't respond.

It was as if a string on a musical instrument was being pulled tighter and tighter, and the emotions in my heart were being compressed to the extreme.

When the attack finally flew right in front of him...

The general, whose consciousness had been clouded by the slightest touch of the edge, suddenly regained a sliver of clarity, realizing that he seemed to have done nothing in this battle, not even launching a single decent attack.
"."

"I seem to remember Shadow saying that this doll is quite troublesome to repair, so I won't break it, but this little bit of force should be enough to scratch it." I couldn't hear the details of this sentence clearly, but I vaguely realized that this seemed to be a communication with "Shadow".

"A little force," "scraped."
The blow he received was equal to the sum of all the blows that had come before.
The general, unable to understand why such an extraordinary being would rule a country alongside two other gods of grass, felt something was amiss. His thoughts faltered, and his consciousness finally fell silent.

"So that's why some people can be so stubborn."

"What are the benefits of being obsessed with skipping levels?"

On the sea that has returned to calm,

Lin Feng stood silently in place, looking helplessly at the general in front of him who had lost consciousness due to the slight mental damage from that slash.

He himself couldn't remember when the last time he made a move was.

But Appepp was right; all beings that use elements are now no different from mortals in his presence.

Lose power, detach from the elements, and then withstand the pressure that the laws bring down according to your own will.

Only individuals who still possess the ability to act under such circumstances are qualified to launch an attack, and generals are clearly not among them.

"."

"—Okay, come out now. The smell of alcohol is as strong as it can be."

"You brought the old man here probably just to join in the fun."

"But if you watch the show too much, next time I might just slash you too."

They had already spotted the two familiar figures who had been watching from afar.

Since it doesn't bother me, I haven't blocked this guy.

I am well aware of how enthusiastic a certain green-skinned wine enthusiast is about watching the spectacle.

Lin Feng looked at Wendy and the old man appearing in the distance, shook his head, picked up the puppet body that was temporarily malfunctioning beside him, and planned to leave this sea area for the time being.

"—Friend, friend, could you teach me that move I just used? Using wind elemental power should be about the same, right?"

"That strike was incredibly difficult. Even the God of Thunder practiced it for a long time. If there were a shortcut, maybe I could do it next time I borrow wine from the old man."

"—Ahem, the old man said he wanted to see your current skill level, so he asked me to bring him here."

"Friend, believe me, I didn't come here specifically to watch the show."

On the north side of Narukami Island, on a remote island, there is a square table for conversation.

The conversation had somehow veered off course and ended up in a strange direction.

Upon noticing Lin Feng's increasingly dangerous gaze, Wendy suddenly realized what was happening and began explaining why she was there.

But Lin Feng knew this guy's character inside and out, so he certainly didn't believe Wendy's claim that she was directly blaming the old man.
"—No need to hide it anymore, tell me your conclusion?"

"Although this battle doesn't prove anything, since you've come all this way, you probably don't want to follow the general and challenge me as well, do you?"

Knowing that Wendy was curious about his current strength level, Lin Feng also thought this was perfectly normal.

But it's just a battle against a general, so what's the point of coming here to see it under these circumstances?
"."

"Heh, let me explain."

“Not only my old friend, but I am also curious about your current situation, and today’s trip has indeed been fruitful.”

He shook his head with a hint of emotion.
Faced with the overwhelmingly one-sided situation, Zhongli was still somewhat unsatisfied with what he had just witnessed:
"—Without a doubt, your power is vastly different from everything else in the world, and this is not merely a difference in strength."

"The puppet before us is by no means weak, even in power. In terms of pure strength, the amount you just used should not have produced such a strong suppressive effect."

“In the past, my old friend and I focused more on the power itself, after all, the speed at which you have become stronger is beyond imagination.”

"But given the current situation, what you possess that transcends mere power is far more valuable than pure strength."

Even if it was expected, it was still impossible to remain unmoved after witnessing such a battle outcome firsthand.

His words unconsciously carried a hint of emotion, and Zhong Li clearly didn't mean to beat around the bush.

"."

"Oh? Something beyond power? Please tell me, sir."

Surprisingly, they were actually able to see something, and Lin Feng was also very curious about what special qualities he possessed that they didn't know about.

"Ha, in the end they are just some experiences, probably not of much value."

"However, if my deduction is correct, young friend, have you always believed that power is power, and more authority equates to greater strength?"
Even before the battle begins, the relative strengths of the two sides are often not in doubt.

"Hmm? This is not something to be taken for granted."

I have some doubts about what the old man said.

Based on his own experience, Lin Feng did not find anything wrong with the view that "the number of powers equals the strength of power".

"...That's the problem."

Zhongli shook his head:

"In reality, for the vast majority of living beings, the final outcome is determined by far more than just power. Such an outcome generally only occurs in ideal situations, and the actual outcome is often vastly different."

"If we were to explain it in the most extreme and easily understood way, have you ever heard of 'prophecy'?"

"The strong will eventually die at the hands of the weak, the destined enemy will appear when you are at your weakest, and those who are blessed by power will eventually be cursed by it."

"I have seen far too many things like this throughout thousands of years of history."
And according to many extraterrestrial visitors who stumbled into Teyvat, such a "destiny" still exists even beyond this world.

"."

Suddenly I understood what the old man was trying to say.
Recalling the enemies that Little Yellow Hair had defeated along the original route, Lin Feng seemed to be deep in thought.

"Ah, since you wield the power over Sumeru, young friend, you may have heard of the saying, 'Destiny is the ultimate knowledge.'"

"In reality, no matter how powerful an existence may be, the vast majority will only find themselves trapped in a greater destiny. Even if they ultimately manage to break free from fate, everything in the 'prophecy' will more or less affect them."

"Therefore, even if you leave Teyvat one day, you may still witness many miracles of the weak defeating the strong, and of the almost impossible, unfolding and ending in the sea of ​​stars."

After a slight pause, as if he had seen something unbelievable, Zhongli spoke with some emotion:
"—But there are always exceptions. According to my old friend, there seems to be no external influence on you, young friend. Fate flows past you without leaving even the slightest scratch. This level of immunity cannot be explained simply by the term 'descendant.'"

“Young friend, your power has always possessed an absolute quality. Just as your authority does not originate from Teyvat, even the abyssal power you have devoured seems to belong, in a sense, absolutely to ‘yourself.’”

“Power is power. The strong are those who can defeat the weak. No matter how high one’s rank or how grand one’s destiny, it all seems to vanish the moment it flows past you, my friend. Even the ‘Descendant’ on the island today doesn’t possess such absolute power.”

It's as if there's no interaction with the outside world, no interference from the outside world, and all means of non-direct confrontation don't exist.
No matter how much fortune favors him, or what rank he holds, if his strength is insufficient, he is simply not strong enough. He cannot even withstand a single move from his young friend.

Far superior immunity attributes compared to ordinary invaders, flawless elemental and physical resistances, plus an almost unlimited increase in authority and means.
If other strong individuals might leave behind some fatal weaknesses, they might be unexpectedly devoured by the sharp teeth of "fate" one day.

Having witnessed this characteristic, Zhongli, at least for now, has absolutely no idea what his young friend might be able to "overcome the strong with the weak" as he continues to grow.
(End of this chapter)