Hu Tao withdrew her spear.
An invisible pressure radiated from her beautiful plum-blossom eyes as she stared Chen Mo into silence.
“If you weren’t going to Guyun Stone Forest, why did you come all the way here to find this Hall Master?” The girl turned and walked away, while Chen Mo followed closely behind her.
“Xiangling isn’t in Liyue Harbor, so I came to Wuwang Hill to look for you.” “Oh?” She smiled with ill intent.
“So you’re not afraid of ghosts anymore?” “With Director Hu here, what do I have to be afraid of?” “Is that so?” Hu Tao’s reaction was flat.
She had heard this kind of unserious flattery from him so many times that she could no longer remember the count.
“Just now, I heard a ghost screaming nearby.
Did you hear it?” “D-did you…?” Chen Mo looked at the little girl in front of him, who had assumed a pose meant to scare him, and felt waves of guilt rising in his heart.
She suddenly stopped, then probed further, “Say, aren’t your arrows faster than before?” Chen Mo’s gaze darted all over the place, to the point that he nearly crashed into the small figure in front of him.
He had clearly hidden his Stand so carefully.
Every movement Star Platinum made had been almost instantaneous.
He never expected this clever, eccentric girl to still catch a trace of something abnormal.
“Did you secretly learn some adeptal art behind my back?” Hu Tao frowned and stared into Chen Mo’s eyes.
“Or did Baizhu prescribe you some kind of strength-enhancing pill?” “Doctor Bai doesn’t have that kind of ability…” Obvious displeasure appeared on Hu Tao’s face.
She knew Chen Mo was not telling the truth.
But with his shameless personality, if she had not caught him red-handed, this guy would definitely deny everything to the bitter end.
Precisely because she understood Chen Mo so well, Hu Tao simply stopped digging any further.
“You came to Wuwang Hill to find this Hall Master.
Surely you didn’t come here just to play, right?” Her little feet stepped forward again and again.
Hu Tao walked ahead as if she had given up on questioning him, allowing Chen Mo to finally let out a long breath.
“I heard you were investigating the haunting, so I figured I had nothing else to do and came to help.” In order to avoid falling into a trap she might have set, he answered carefully.
“I’ve already figured it out.
It’s the Abyss Order causing trouble.” Hu Tao’s tone became serious.
“Because of them, a very powerful evil spirit has also appeared on Wuwang Hill.
It likes shouting ‘Ora, ora’…” “Can you deal with it?” She shook her head.
“I exchanged a few blows with it.
To be honest, I’m no match…” Her tired eyes looked back at Chen Mo.
Hu Tao seemed to suddenly lose all strength.
Her legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed on the spot.
“Hu Tao!?” Unconsciously, Chen Mo summoned his Stand and activated time stop.
When he caught Hu Tao, the girl in his arms instantly became full of energy and revealed a smug, triumphant smile.
“This Hall Master caught you now, didn’t I?” Chen Mo’s cheek twitched.
He realized he had fallen for a huge trick.
“Just now, did you suddenly appear beside me?” She pointed toward the empty air beside them and asked again, “And what is that purple guy who looks like a guardian spirit?
Your new friend?” Chen Mo mechanically turned his head.
Star Platinum was floating in midair.
Its calm and unshaken face formed a stark contrast with its user’s panic.
Hu Tao could see his Stand?
While Chen Mo was flustered, Hu Tao slipped out of his arms.
The girl leaned forward, raising her head to stare into the cold, stern face above her.
“He looks so strange.
Was this guy really human when he was alive?” Her plum-blossom eyes were filled with curiosity toward the unknown spirit in front of her.
“What’s your name?” She tried to communicate with the Stand.
Although Star Platinum possessed a certain degree of self-awareness, it could not say anything other than “Ora.” “Aren’t Stands supposed to only be visible to Stand users?
Does that rule not apply in Teyvat?” Chen Mo analyzed in a low voice.
A cold wind stirred the bushes, causing faint rustling sounds.
Gradually, a chill began to spread through the air.
Hu Tao put away her playful attitude.
The dignity of the seventy-seventh Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor naturally emerged from within her.
“Looks like now isn’t the time to think about that.” The Staff of Homa carried searing Pyro energy as it drew a graceful arc in her hands.
“After we return to Liyue Harbor, you’d better explain everything honestly to this Hall Master.” Following the girl’s steps, they arrived near the domain on Wuwang Hill.
Two Cryo Abyss Mages were gathered around a campfire, with numerous Abyssal runes floating around them.
“Same as always.
You handle the finishing blow!” Hu Tao took the lead.
Her flame-wreathed spear swept toward the two Abyss Mages.
Star Platinum attached itself to Chen Mo as he fully drew his bowstring, waiting for the moment the Abyss Mages’ shields broke.
For the two of them, fighting Abyss Mages had never been especially difficult.
Now that Chen Mo was also a Stand user, it was even less of a problem.
Relying on Star Platinum’s overwhelming strength, the arrows Chen Mo fired easily finished the job.
He did not even need to use time stop before the two Abyss Mages turned into black smoke and dissipated.
“Is everything dealt with?” “Mm.
This was the last place.” Hu Tao naturally prepared to withdraw the Staff of Homa.
However, Chen Mo noticed waves of distortion appearing in the space beside the campfire, resonating with the Abyssal runes that had not yet completely vanished.
Then space shattered like glass, and azure water blades burst out from the black abyss.
Chen Mo grabbed Hu Tao’s hand and pulled her into his arms.
Star Platinum clenched both fists, assuming a posture ready for an all-out battle without holding anything back.
“The secrets of the Abyss are not yours to behold.” An Abyss Herald: Wicked Torrents?
Why would something like this appear on Wuwang Hill?
Chen Mo had considered that his transmigration might cause a butterfly effect in Teyvat’s story, but surely it should not have attracted this thing here, right?
Wasn’t it afraid that Dainsleif would come charging over and beat it down?
“Since you have chosen to obstruct us, you must bear an equivalent price.” Hu Tao’s expression turned solemn.
Since becoming Director, this was also her first time seeing such a monster.
“This is also a monster from the Abyss…?” “Yeah.” Chen Mo nodded and quietly explained to Hu Tao, “That’s an Abyss Herald, one of the Abyss Order’s harbingers.
It’s not comparable to a small fry like an Abyss Mage.” His brows were tightly furrowed, and every muscle in his body was tense.
With Star Platinum’s power, even facing the Herald would not put too much pressure on him.
However, because Hu Tao could see his Stand, Chen Mo was now uncertain whether the Herald could also perceive it.
At their current distance, that move was perfect for testing it.
“Star Finger!” “Ora!” Star Platinum’s finger suddenly extended, stabbing toward the Abyss Herald like a flash of lightning.
“Its finger actually stretched?!” Hu Tao’s eyes widened in surprise.
With such a swift attack, her senses could only capture the result.
However, the Abyss Herald was clearly not that easy to deal with.
It shifted slightly to the side, then quickly raised and twisted its arm.
The water blade on its wrist flashed with a deep blue light.
It blocked in time.
Star Platinum’s finger scraped across the elemental blade on its wrist, leaving behind an obvious crack before rapidly retracting and returning to normal.
“A peculiar man.
A peculiar power.
The Abyss is very interested in you.” The Herald retreated two or three steps.
It could see it too!
“Chen Mo, its target is you!” Hu Tao broke free from Chen Mo’s arms.
Her small body stepped in front of him.
“This Hall Master will hold it back.
You and the big guy hurry back to Liyue Harbor!” “Yare yare daze.” Chen Mo placed a hand on Hu Tao’s shoulder.
Hu Tao looked back and saw that her childhood friend seemed to have suddenly changed art styles.
His face was filled with an air of invincibility.
“Chen Mo, you…” “I originally wanted to avoid exposing my Stand as much as possible.
But since everyone can see it now, I’ll let you witness Star Platinum’s true power!”