After severing the grass slime's vine whip, the grass slime attempted to flee, intending to burrow underground and ambush them later.
Ling Feng, aware of the grass slime's burrowing ability, was determined not to let it escape, remembering from his gaming experience how dangerous such ambushes could be. Without a fire-wielding character to force it out, he would have to wait for it to emerge on its own. He recalled how frustrating grass slimes were when he first started playing Genshin Impact, especially since he couldn't switch characters during combat.
"Slash!"
Having cut off the grass slime's vine, Ling Feng unhesitatingly swung the Alley Flash with all his might, bisecting it. Because grass slimes were fluid-like, significantly reducing incoming damage, Ling Feng didn't dare to hold back. If he failed to finish it in one strike, it might escape, hence the full-power attack.
The grass slime, cleaved in two, exploded into two shimmering pools of liquid – the slime condensate dropped upon defeating slimes.
"Phew."
Recalling the Alley Flash, Ling Feng let out a long breath. The Carefree Sword Control Technique consumed a considerable amount of mana; that one strike had depleted a twentieth of his true qi. Operating a sword was merely the basic application of the Carefree Sword Control Technique. Its true power lay in allowing one to fly on a sword, and not just any kind of sword flight.
The name "Carefree Sword Control Technique" highlighted the word "carefree." The sword moved according to one's will, embodying freedom and ease. At a certain level of mastery, one could control hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of swords, all guided by intention. The sole limitation was the number of physical swords one possessed, unlike techniques where swords could be conjured from spiritual energy.
The advantage of conjuring myriad swords from spiritual energy was the ability to summon as many as one's true qi allowed. However, their drawback was that they could only move in unison with a primary sword and their movements were stiff, limited to thrusting, unlike the fluid control offered by the Carefree Sword Control Technique.
Combining both techniques would allow them to complement and assist each other, maximizing their effectiveness. However, this required the true qi-infused swords to possess the same hardness as ordinary sword blades. Ling Feng recalled that when he fought the acne-ridden Daoist, his swords, though possessing some power, were extremely fragile, akin to eggs, shattering upon impact. Such swords were deemed substandard.
"Is this slime condensate?"
"It's wet and a bit sticky."
"How am I supposed to carry these two large globs? Can the system space hold them?"
Ling Feng curiously poked the two blobs of liquid on the ground with his finger, studying them closely. Ling Feng had a habit of wanting to research anything strange and unusual he encountered.
Just then, Ganyu's urgent voice rang in his ears.
"Be careful! Slimes, slimes are group monsters."
"Huh?"
Ling Feng blinked in surprise, not having time to react before numerous grass slimes began to emerge from the ground, surrounding him.
"Damn it! So many!"
"Meow! You bunch of grass slimes, you're dishonorable! Ambushing me, bullying an underage kid, fighting me with over a dozen? What kind of heroes are you! If you have guts, fight me one-on-one!"
"Get down!"
Ganyu's voice called out. Ling Feng glanced towards Ganyu and Shenhe, and his eyes widened in shock. He immediately dropped to the ground.
Ganyu held Amos's Bow, an arrow nocked on the string. The arrow glowed with a faint blue hue, emanating a chilling aura, clearly an arrow condensed from the Cryo element. But that wasn't the most important part; the most important thing was that Ganyu was the one shooting it!
Ganyu was known as a "mortarpiece" in the game!
The tip of the arrow erupted with a cerulean Cryo glow, its cold light shimmering, indicating that Ganyu had finished charging her shot. Ling Feng wasn't worried about Ganyu's archery skills, but rather about being caught in the residual shockwave.
"Whoosh!"
Ganyu released her shot. The arrow flew from the bow and exploded directly above Ling Feng, transforming into over a dozen smaller Cryo arrows that struck all the grass slimes.
Instantly, not a single one of the grass slimes remained. They all turned into puddles of liquid.
Ling Feng patted his chest, rising from the ground, still feeling a sense of lingering fear from Ganyu's shot. She truly lived up to her reputation, instantly eliminating over a dozen slimes with a single arrow. Moreover, the energy control of the arrow was incredibly precise, perfectly hitting all the grass slimes. It was far more potent than in the game. In the game, her arrow explosion yielded only six smaller arrows, but in reality, it transformed into over a dozen. The visual effects in the game were already impressive, but reality was even more astonishing. Truly, she was the "walking artillery" Adeptus.
"Ling Feng, are you alright?" Ganyu retrieved Amos's Bow and ran over, asking with concern.
"I'm fine. I just forgot that slimes live in groups?" Ling Feng said with a hint of embarrassment, feeling he must have looked foolish. He tried to lighten the mood with a jest.
"Right, how do I collect this slime condensate?" Ling Feng pointed to the puddles of slime condensate on the ground.
"Phew... It's good you're unharmed, otherwise, Cloud Retainer might scold me. These condensates aren't very useful. If you want to collect them... here, take this glass bottle."
"Slime condensate is a viscous liquid, so a glass bottle should work. Oh, and be sure not to touch the slime essence with your bare skin lightly. Slime essence is harmful to human skin," Ganyu said, handing the glass bottle to Ling Feng and continuing her warning.
"Yes, please wait for me, Sister Ganyu and Senior Sister Shenhe. I'll collect this condensate right away."
Ling Feng, holding the glass bottle, busied himself. It took him nearly a minute to collect all the slime condensate on the ground.
After Ling Feng finished collecting, it was already late. The sun was directly overhead, indicating it was around noon. It was lunchtime, so Ling Feng and the other two stopped traveling and made a fire to cook their meal.
After a satisfying meal, Ling Feng and the two others continued their journey. They were fortunate and encountered no more monsters on the way, save for another group of grass slimes. However, with the experience from the first encounter, Ling Feng didn't let his guard down this time. Clearing them was much easier, and he didn't find himself surrounded by slimes again.
As evening approached, Ling Feng and the two arrived outside a village. Upon reaching the outskirts, Shenhe's normally placid expression showed a ripple of emotion. Looking at the village, she displayed a complex mix of nostalgia and sorrow, but the restraining power of her red strings prevented her from overtly showing it, only conveying it through her eyes. This caused Ling Feng and Ganyu to miss it initially.
"We're not far from Liyue Harbor now. Let's rest here for the night and continue our journey tomorrow," Ganyu suggested.
"I have no objections," Ling Feng said, waving his hand.
"Me neither," Shenhe replied.
"Then let's find a small inn in the village."
The three walked into the village, and after some effort, found a small inn. However, there were few rooms left, only two. The final arrangement was for Ganyu to take one room and Shenhe and Ling Feng to share the other.
Initially, Ling Feng suggested Ganyu and Shenhe share a room, as they were both women and he, a grown man, didn't want to intrude. But Shenhe objected, stating that her master had instructed her to protect Ling Feng's safety when he descended the mountain, and therefore she needed to stay with him. Since Shenhe didn't seem to have any reservations or dislikes, Ling Feng was hesitant. Sharing a room with a girl made him worried he wouldn't be able to sleep. However, he ultimately conceded to Shenhe's insistence and agreed.