In the ruins near the great lake, north of Tianheng Mountain.
Yun Jin curiously observed the dilapidated buildings of the ruins, touching them and finding them covered in a thick layer of dust.
Unlike underground ruins, these were exposed to the sun.
As for treasures, they had long been plundered. The fact that the buildings hadn't been dismantled and taken away was considered fortunate.
Of course, a troublesome problem remained.
Ling Feng and the other person had barely taken a few steps when a colossal figure suddenly blocked their path, launching several guided missiles without a word.
"Be careful."
The attack was sudden. Ling Feng quickly hugged Yun Jin and rolled to the side.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Artillery fire raged.
The spot where the two had just stood was blasted into a large pit by the missiles, and the ruins also suffered, becoming precarious.
Ling Feng looked at the six or seven-meter-tall machine and shook his head with a smile.
He instructed Yun Jin to hide and be cautious.
He himself then rose and strode towards the Ruin Hunter, Fensai flying out and landing in his hand.
"Old friend, I thought I wouldn't see you again, but it seems our fate is not yet over."
Ling Feng gently caressed the blade of Fensai.
Fensai seemed to sense his touch and trembled slightly in response.
Ling Feng was first startled, then smiled.
"It really is you. Compared to in SAO, you have a touch more sentience."
"But it makes sense. You're a five-star divine weapon now, so having sentience isn't strange."
"You fought alongside me for over a year in SAO. Let's continue to fight together in this new world."
"Whaaa!!!"
The blade of Fensai suddenly vibrated violently, and its sharp edge grazed Ling Feng's finger, drawing a few drops of blood that stained the blade.
In an instant, the blood merged into Fensai.
At the same time, Ling Feng felt a new connection forming with Fensai.
"A voluntary submission?"
Fensai had responded to his feelings with action.
"Good! Let's go!"
Ling Feng swung his long sword, and an invisible sword aura surged outward.
"Honestly, I've never encountered a Ruin Hunter before."
"Let me see your strength!"
"In the early stages of the game, you gave me quite a bit of trouble."
Not far in front of the Ruin Hunter, Ling Feng faced the Ruin Hunter, several times his height, with no trace of fear in his eyes.
In the early game, he had been repeatedly defeated by Ruin Hunters because he hadn't trained any ranged attacks.
Especially in the Liyue domains, he had to rely on freezing to defeat Ruin Hunters and Eye Minutemen.
Suddenly, the core of the Ruin Hunter's head flashed, and it initiated a charged dash.
Ling Feng pushed off the ground and shot into the sky, easily evading the Ruin Hunter's attack.
"You didn't expect this, did you? I can fly! Come and die!"
Gripping his long sword, he thrust it heavily down at the Ruin Hunter below.
Ssssh!
The blade of Fensai pierced directly into the Ruin Hunter's body.
Sparks crackled and popped.
Feeling the attack, the Ruin Hunter quickly spun its body, flinging Ling Feng and his sword away.
"Bang bang bang!"
The Ruin Hunter paused for about a second, then switched to its artillery bombardment mode.
Instantly, over a dozen missiles locked onto Ling Feng, streaking towards him with long tails.
Ling Feng's eyes flashed, and with a wave of his sword, a sword energy shot out, cutting a missile in half, which exploded in mid-air.
"Ching ching ching!"
Sword energies shot out one after another, colliding with the missiles.
"Boom boom boom!"
Like fireworks, explosions echoed continuously in the sky.
Yun Jin, hiding behind a rock, watched Ling Feng's battle with the Ruin Hunter, her eyes shining.
...
Half a minute later, Ling Feng gracefully sheathed Fensai and walked towards Yun Jin.
Behind him lay the Wrecked Ruin Hunter, still sparking.
Compared to the Ruin Rate, the Ruin Hunter's defense was much weaker, but its attack power was stronger.
Each had its own strengths.
The full-power bombardment of the Ruin Hunter was comparable to a fighter jet.
"Indeed, choosing you as my bodyguard was the right decision."
"Not at all. Where should we go next?"
"Let's go catch fish by the lake."
"Okay."
He was accompanying Yun Jin today anyway, so he had no strong opinions and was content to sightsee.
After catching fish in the lake, the two went to a stream and caught crabs and small shrimp.
Then, the shrimp catching session turned into a water fight, and inevitably, they both became drenched.
Despite being soaked, they had a lot of fun.
Yun Jin, in particular, played more wildly than Ling Feng, almost completely letting go.
She seemed less like a city dweller and more like a young girl from the countryside.
Later, following Ling Feng's instructions, Wei Lai took photos for mementos.
Later, Ling Feng didn't even need to remind her; Wei Lai knew when to take photos, a learning ability that pleased Ling Feng.
Time flowed slowly, and as the sun began to set, above the sea of clouds of Tianheng Mountain.
The sea of clouds was now dyed golden by the sunset's afterglow, brilliantly dazzling.
Above the sea of clouds, a long sword moved slowly forward. Ling Feng and Yun Jin stood on the sword, admiring the beautiful scenery.
"How was it, Yun Jin? Did you have fun today?"
"Of course, I had fun. I never imagined I'd have such a wonderful trip. Thank you, Ling Feng."
"We're friends, no need for thanks. If you ever want to sneak out to play again, just find me, assuming you can find me, of course.
By the way, this is the end. Do you want to experience some real excitement?"
"Real excitement?"
"It's... like this!"
Ling Feng grabbed Yun Jin's hand and suddenly leaped off Fensai. This action startled Yun Jin so much that she closed her eyes, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Don't worry, open your eyes and look."
Ling Feng said with a smile.
Yun Jin heard him and slowly opened her eyes.
She knew Ling Feng wouldn't treat lives lightly. If he did this, he must have a plan.
As soon as she opened her eyes, Yun Jin's eyes lit up.
"So... so beautiful."
Looking at the sea of clouds from this perspective was even more beautiful than from the sword.
It felt like she was about to embrace the sea of clouds.
"By the way, Ling Feng, aren't you going to look after your sword?"
Yun Jin called out.
"Don't worry about him, isn't he coming?"
The two looked up and saw Fensai chasing them as a beam of light, then circling around them.
After descending into the sea of clouds, Ling Feng beckoned, and Fensai flew over, carrying them both as a stream of light towards Liyue Harbor.
In the evening, at the entrance of Yun Jin's house, Ling Feng and Yun Jin leaped off Fensai.
Because Ling Feng had used an invisibility talisman to conceal their forms, the pedestrians around did not notice them.
"Wait, here are a few photos for you."
As Yun Jin was about to enter the house, Ling Feng quickly called out to her and handed her several photos he retrieved from his space.
Yun Jin took the photos and looked at them, exclaiming in surprise.
"When did you take these pictures?"
Ling Feng smiled mysteriously.
"It's a secret. Keep these photos as memories."
"Mmm, I was actually regretting not taking photos earlier today."
After giving her the photos, Ling Feng didn't linger. He removed the invisibility talisman and returned to the Yuehai Pavilion.
After all, he had also snuck out.
If he was slacking off during work hours, Keqing would likely be preparing a beating for him.