I, the leader of the esoteric sect, am doing great things in the infinite world!

Because the true meaning of that sentence is... [We humbly request the Thunder King].

203 Deer Man (Confirmed)

"We respectfully request the Thunder King's invitation."

This is the secret outline, or the most essential principle, of a secret technique called "Outer View".

It was not about borrowing the authority of the deceased Dream God, nor was it about seeking divine power from the Geo Archon, nor was it a fabricated story by the Liyue people who understood the meaning of the voice and forcibly created "using my heart to represent the heart of heaven".

Its true meaning is to pay homage to an ancient god who no longer exists in this world and has been lost.

In an era predating the birth of humankind, there were six ancient deities known as the Stone Source Gods.

Five ancient gods have now passed away, but one remains: Sichen Twin-Horned Axe, who guards all the gates. In the great war that overthrew the Stone Source God, Twin-Horned Axe made a sacrifice, which allowed Him to survive.

Li Lin has confirmed that the remnants of flint, or rather, the backup plan, are attached to him.

Oripathy is its legacy.

Terra may be a piece of history that Flint captured before his passing. He may have chosen other successors, such as Year or the Balrog Giant Surtur... but clearly these alternatives were not successful. They simply wandered around in this world and gradually declined with the times.

Now, the second ancient god, the deceased Sichen Zhuanlun, has also shown his signs.

In the esoteric world, the wheel and flint are both symbols of the earth, and they created a lineage called "Blood of the Earth," and Defort, the leader of the exiles and liquidators, is the inheritor of this celestial bloodline.

In the war that overthrew the Stone God, Wheel was skinned by Moth, who murdered it from the inside out and usurped half of its power.

His remaining power and authority were replaced by a new Scion of the Heart, named Thunderskin, who was the named Scion of the Crimson Cup. The Crimson Cup skinned and destroyed him, both to atone for the "sacrifice" of the Twin-Horned Axe and to inherit the "personhood" of the Wheel of Destiny, while also encroaching on the realm of the Heart.

The Wheel of Reincarnation was once the guardian of the world. It turned endlessly in the north of the world. Every time it turned, 1,200 years had passed in the world when it awoke.

As He rolls through the night, the waking world is like a drum being struck, with countless thunderclaps falling.

Because His honorific name is "King of Thunder," the source of all thunder gods in later generations.

The moth in the constellation stole His skin, so the newly born world guardians are named "Skin," and their hearts are also inseparable from their skin.

For all beings that have passed away, the rituals and secret teachings corresponding to them have lost their effectiveness. However, the fact that the Path of the Outer Realm still exists indicates that the Ancient God Wheel has not completely returned to the Void Realm.

"Be careful." Grandma Ping sat in front of them, her expression cautious and serious. "Everyone's path to the external world is different, because of the differences in [my heart]."

"I once fought alongside the Emperor in Liyue. Back then, the landscape of my heart was always a solemn sunset, with sharp amber pieces like spearheads scattered above the sea of ​​clouds. Until hundreds of years later, when I wore away my fierceness in the streets of Liyue, those amber pieces had also disappeared beneath the sea of ​​clouds."

"The essence of the Way of the Scenery lies in establishing your inner foundation and setting the cornerstone of your dream," Grandma Ping said. "This is a very difficult process because people's hearts are fickle and superficial."

"But there are ways to take shortcuts. Every possessor of the Eye of God has a deep-rooted desire that allows the gaze of God to fall from the heavens. This desire is the cornerstone of your construction of the world of mind."

Grandma Ping stared at the group of people in front of her, hoping they would show some signs of mastering the Way of the Outer Realm. However, Shen He, who performed the best, could only imagine a slight coolness in his palm.

Grandma Ping wasn't disappointed: "The art of outdoor filming requires daily, arduous practice..."

Li Lin, who was still talking non-stop and whose eyes were gradually turning dead, could no longer suppress his desire to court death.

The scent of hawthorn blossoms suddenly intensified in the air, and Li Lin's cuffs and collar emitted a golden-purple glow. The distant sound of logging could be faintly heard, and a pair of white jade-like antlers sprouted from the top of his head, with hawthorn blossoms blooming between the branches of the antlers, seemingly both real and ethereal.

We are all Stone Source Gods, but I am burdened with the remnants of flint, live off the power of the Twin-Horned Axe, and worship the Daytime Forge. Living in the world of the Night's Watch, you, Chakravartin, are shameless!

"We humbly request the Thunder King..."

A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the void, and the world of Ping's mind was instantly replaced by a gloomy sky, with strange ripples spreading across the heavens.

That was the ancient oracle once called "Antheus," responding to the faithful servants of this era who still believed in Him.

"It's alright, it's alright." Li Lin quickly gestured for the wheel to go back to what it was doing. After all these years, it wasn't worth the trouble of accumulating some stock. It was better not to act like a zombie.

The divine power of the wheel vanished without a trace.

Li Lin turned his head and saw the strange looks the three of them were giving him.

"What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a deer-man before?" Li Lin raised his head and puffed out his chest. The antlers on his head grew bigger and smaller, and their color changed constantly like a carousel, just like the antennae of a snail parasitized by a trematode.

"So you're a deer too... oh wait, that's not the point." Yan Fei said excitedly, "Was that an outdoor scene just now?"

“Yes,” Grandma Ping said with certainty. “That is the exterior scene. Although it has not been fully unfolded yet, it has already begun to shake the foundation of my exterior scene. I can foresee that this must be an incredibly powerful mental landscape.”

Li Lin felt that what Grandma Ping said made a lot of sense.

"At the pinnacle of immortality, I stand proudly above the world. With me, Li Lin, I rule the heavens." With his nose practically pointing to the sky, Li Lin bid farewell to Granny Ping and strode out the door with an air of utter disdain for his family.

It was nearly nighttime, and the number of pedestrians in Liyue Harbor was gradually decreasing, with vendors on both sides of the road beginning to pack up.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and the smug Li Lin couldn't help but shiver. He blew his nose involuntarily and suddenly saw several figures flashing in the darkness not far away.

Isn't this the group of fools from the Kingdom of Winter?

Li Lin was able to recognize them mainly because of the orange-haired bastard who was leading them. This guy was so flashy that he didn't even wear a night-clothes when he sneaked out at night. His light-colored clothes were incredibly conspicuous.

Looking in that direction, their destination seemed to be the Rock Tea House, located between Chihu Rock and Feiyun Slope.

Li Lin quickly cast two mysterious spells on himself, making himself appear indistinct and mysterious to others.

Then, he quietly followed behind the Fools, and when one of the debt collectors wasn't paying attention, he pulled out a crowbar and smashed him to death. He then put the body on the table, changed his clothes, and did all the same thing in one smooth motion.

The lights in the Yanshang Tea House were still on, and the two male and female guards at the door had grumpy faces, as if everyone owed them a fortune.

Their arrogant attitude deeply insulted Li Lin.

"Damn it, how can these two be so arrogant?!" Before Young Master D'Artagnan could even utter a harsh word, Li Lin said indignantly from behind, "I think these two guys deserve a beating."

204 I, Li Lin, hate making multiple-choice questions the most.

The two generals and the young master, who were standing at the entrance of the Yanshang Tea House, turned around at the same time to look at the debt collector who was even angrier than them.

We're not even angry yet, how come your anger level is already full?

D'Artagnan didn't say anything. No matter how much his subordinates violated military discipline, they were still his son's soldiers. He would deal with any punishments or reprimands after they returned to the Northern Bank.

Li Lin narrowed his dark eyes slightly and then brought out the young master: "This is our Foolish Man's Enforcer, Young Master!"

Li Lin, in a classic sycophantic tone, declared: "Young Master's achievements are unparalleled, his virtue surpasses even the Geo Archon. Not to mention you, even the Seven Stars of Liyue are nothing more than yours!"

"Ahem." D'Artagnan coughed lightly. Although this undisciplined debt collector would have to be locked up for a few days afterward, such flattery really hit D'Artagnan's sweet spot.

Few people know that when the Prince left his hometown of Winterfell, he promised the Ice Goddess, one of the Seven Rulers of the Mortal Realm, also known as the Ice Queen of Winterfell, that he would retrieve the Heart of God from the Geo Archon of Liyue and present it to him. In a letter to his family, he jokingly said that he would pluck a few stars from Liyue and bring them to his younger brother.

When the high and mighty Celestial Mesa Condensation becomes a lowly servant, the contrast might make one tremble with excitement.

The young master smiled and patted Li Lin on the shoulder, gesturing for him to step back.

"You owe a debt."

The young master lowered his eyes, concealing the surging darkness beneath his eyelids. "There's a saying in Liyue: 'Debts must be repaid, it's only right and proper.'"

"Hmph, I've never heard of the Iwagami Tea House owing any debts." The guard, watching the surging crowd in the darkness, remained defiant, but inwardly a thought of retreat arose. "No, but I can ask the master..."

"No need."

The young master reached out, grasped their heads, and with a gentle force, crushed the previously arrogant guards to death as if he were squeezing two watermelons.

D'Artagnan said softly, "It's the same if I go to him myself."

"Pack up, oh, by the way, you're coming in with me."

The young master wiped his hands, and before pushing the door open, he seemed to remember something and pointed at Li Lin.

The other members of the Fools looked at Li Lin with envy, jealousy and hatred. Although Li Lin was bound to be locked up for a few days for violating military discipline at first, he caught the young master's eye, which was quite worthwhile.

"You did well today. A bit reckless, but you didn't disgrace the Kingdom of Zhidong." Walking through the narrow, dark corridor, the young master chuckled. "What's your name?"

"Replying to your question, my name is Koschche." Li Lin, without batting an eye, dragged out the already thoroughly dead old black snake again and whipped its corpse.

Anyway, with my face covered, wearing a hood and a mask, if you can tell I'm a father, then I'll just become your father!

“Kosich, Kosich... Heh, interesting.” The young master nodded and pushed open the door in front of him, which was dimly lit. “You can wait outside.”

Although D'Artagnan made Li Lin stay outside, he didn't close the door, so Master Li could openly watch the young master unleash his full power.

The owner of the Iwasaka Tea House was initially tough, then tried to be gentle, but unfortunately, Prince D'Artagnan was unmoved by either. Naturally, he had the Iwasaka Tea House's henchmen and the owner meticulously prepared as toppings with a water jet, leaving only a trembling waitress to serve as a facade.

The Eye of God lit up slightly, and clear water appeared out of thin air. The young master put his hands in and washed them, then opened the exquisitely decorated antique box on the table.

Li Lin stood on tiptoe and craned his neck, watching as the young master took out a talisman that shimmered with a faint light, a talisman free of all taboos.

"That's it?"

Twisting the yellow paper between his fingers, the young master chuckled twice: "Of course it is... This is a talisman that has been passed down from the era of the Demon God War, a talisman that has no taboos."

The young master placed the Unfettered Talisman into his breast pocket: "Even if we have nothing else, just this one immortal talisman is enough to repay all the debts they've incurred—"

"As for their lives, consider them as interest on the nine out and thirteen back."

The young master stood up, pinched his eye sockets, and stopped as he walked out the door. He turned slightly to look at Li Lin: "Sigh, look at you. Now that you've asked this question, it's not just the two of us who have heard it."

"You made this mess, so deal with it yourself. Do it cleanly." The young master leaned against the doorframe, nodding with a half-smile.

He showed no intention of leaving.

Li Lin turned to look at the waitress lying on the ground, noticing her deathly pale face and the pool of blood on the floor.

"Ajax..."

The young master, who was leaning against the door, suddenly changed his expression. This name was buried under "D'Artagnan" and hidden under "young master". It was a name that only his father would call out.

"Guess who I am?"