"The mountain path, the mountain path."
The Fatui on Narukami Island temporarily escaped a disaster, because Ember's current priority was not to interrogate the Fatui, but to deliver the note to Grand Narukami Shrine.
As long as he delivered the note and explained the situation, he wouldn't have to deal with the "tatarigami" and "Sacred Sakura Tree's resentment" himself.
At worst, he could capture some Fatui to be coolies.
Mt. Yougou was very deceptive. Ember thought there would be a mountain path behind the dilapidated shrine, but besides a vertical cliff, he didn't even see a trace of a path.
Walking around the foot of the mountain, Ember quickly walked out of the purple area and into the green. Not only that, he also arrived at a heavily guarded place.
"So many people! What is this place for?" Peeking at the large mansion in front of him from the bushes, Ember exclaimed.
The mansion alone covered several times the area of the shrine he had just seen, not to mention the soldiers patrolling around it.
But Ember only glanced at it and didn't pay attention; getting up the mountain was the priority now.
Quietly sneaking onto the mountain path, Ember shed his disguise. Now he could finally go up the mountain with ease.
"This path is quite well-built…"
Ember looked up and saw the red torii gate ahead, praising the quality of the mountain path. This was because other paths in Teyvat did not have such decorations.
"Bullshit!"
Before he could finish his sentence, Ember retracted his words. Because the path in front of him was broken!
"Where's the path?" Ember ran to the broken cliff and said in surprise. The path, which had been smooth just now, suddenly ended here.
Stepping back a few paces and raising his head higher, Ember finally understood what was going on with the path.
It turned out that the next section of the path connected to a broken cliff.
The cliff was neither too high nor too low, but it was enough to make an ordinary person uncomfortable.
At a height of four or five meters, with a solid loess cliff face and no vegetation to grab, it was enough to trouble an ordinary person trying to ascend for a while.
"Maybe it's to test one's sincerity?" Ember scratched his head, only able to speculate this.
Surely Inazuma people weren't so unconventional as to really build the path like this, right?
With a slight exertion of force, Ember jumped up. Just as he expected, above the broken cliff, the path reappeared.
Not only that, another bright red torii gate stood on the path, seemingly praising those who had crossed the broken cliff to ascend the mountain.
"What a nuisance!" Ember kicked the torii gate. If they could only test sincerity by artificially adding unnecessary difficulties, then Ember could only say that Grand Narukami Shrine was just like that.
But soon, he realized he had thought wrong.
"This…"
Seeing the scene before him, Ember didn't know what to say. Because in front of him, there was a broken bridge, with lush green vines growing on the dangling bridge deck.
This couldn't possibly be explained by a test, could it?
"Alright, now all Inazuma people are crazy!" Ember clenched his fists and said fiercely.
Now he no longer wanted to go to Grand Narukami Shrine by the normal route. If you asked why, then ask the people who built the road!
...Grand Narukami Shrine was as peaceful as ever. Evil things like war seemed to automatically retreat upon encountering the sacred shrine.
The branches of the Sacred Sakura Tree behind the shrine extended, covering the entire shrine.
The Sacred Sakura Tree was called the Sacred Sakura Tree, naturally because it had many extraordinary characteristics.
And among these, the most noticeable feature was the Sacred Sakura Tree's continuous blooming season. It was precisely because of this that the entire Grand Narukami Shrine was perpetually enveloped in a pink shower of flowers, adding a touch of sanctity to it.
While the flower rain was beautiful, if it were allowed to accumulate indefinitely, it would eventually turn into rotting mud.
Therefore, the daily routine of the apprentice shrine maidens of Grand Narukami Shrine was to sweep the sakura petals falling from the Sky.
As for the official shrine maidens, they were the main force in handling the daily affairs of Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Reiko, why aren't you sweeping? If someone sees it, you might have to recite the prayer an extra time today."
At the entrance of Grand Narukami Shrine, two shrine maidens were carefully sweeping petals. However, one of the shrine maidens suddenly stopped, prompting a reminder from her companion.
"M-meteor!" The shrine maiden named Reiko pointed at the Sky and said in utter horror.
"A daytime meteor?" Her companion looked up. Sure enough, a fiery red light appeared in the bright Sky, extremely dazzling.
And this firelight grew brighter and larger, appearing as if it was rushing directly towards Grand Narukami Shrine.
"The meteor is falling!!!"
It wasn't just like it; the meteor was indeed heading straight for Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Who dares to be so presumptuous here!"
Just as the meteor was about to fall, a purple fox head suddenly appeared around Grand Narukami Shrine.
The fox head firmly enveloped Grand Narukami Shrine, and the rising purple completely covered the tender pink of the Sacred Sakura Tree.
For a moment, the entire summit of Mt. Yougou seemed to be swallowed by endless lightning.
"Purple again! Purple again! You want me to see purple, do you! Bear the consequences!"
From within the meteor, Ember's exasperated voice came. However, the people of Grand Narukami Shrine could not hear these sounds.
Because the friction of the air was already deafening, it passed through the lightning-forged fox head and descended upon Grand Narukami Shrine first.
The firelight grew more and more intense; the shrine maidens below, covering their ears, could even clearly feel the scorching heat emanating from above their heads.
"Bang—boom!"
The meteor collided with the purple barrier, and flames intertwined with lightning. After a dull explosion, the firelight became even more intense.
"It…it broke!!!"
A shrine maiden looked up and cried out in alarm.
The lightning barrier over Grand Narukami Shrine was torn open with a gaping hole in just a breath!
But the shrine maiden's cry was destined to go unheard. Because the meteor from the Sky, carrying the wail of the air, had already fallen into Grand Narukami Shrine.
"Rumble!"
The earth began to tremble, as if the entire Mt. Yougou was experiencing a millennium-rare great earthquake.
The sweeping air current passed through Grand Narukami Shrine, throwing the shrine maidens inside and outside the shrine into the air.
Fortunately, the tremor did not last long and eventually subsided. The shrine maidens, who had been thrown about and disoriented on the ground, finally sobered up considerably.
They helped each other up from the ground, looking inside the shrine with lingering fear.
"Hey! What was that just now? A meteor? Why did it fall inside the shrine?"
"I don't know, I've never seen it before."
"Wang Shijiaori, do you think it could be…"
...The shrine maidens chattered, discussing the scene they had just witnessed. Some even began to interpret omens on the spot.
"Don't you all think this meteor…was a bit of a damp squib?" Someone in the crowd raised this question.
Everyone suddenly realized. They turned to look at the lintel of the shrine. Although the shrine was still filled with dust, the torii gate and wind chimes at the entrance were completely intact.
Given the commotion of that meteor just now, it shouldn't have had so little power.
"It really does seem so. Is anyone hurt?"
"Do superficial wounds count?"
"Shut up!"
...After another round of chattering, everyone cautiously walked into Grand Narukami Shrine.
No matter what had fallen from the Sky, as shrine maidens of the shrine, it was their duty to ascertain the situation inside.
The smoke finally cleared a bit, no longer completely obscuring their view. The situation inside the shrine could only be described as terrible.
Stepping into Grand Narukami Shrine, one should have seen a wide open space, but now… the open space was gone, leaving only a deep pit flowing with lava, and a figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the pit.
"Finally, someone's here?" Soaking in the magma, Ember raised an eyebrow. He stood up and pointed at the approaching shrine maidens, shouting:
"Where's the person in charge? Come out here, I have something to settle with her!"
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