Chapter Thirty-Four: Slumber

Setting aside the matter of Nahida for the moment, Lin Feng could finally set about executing his plan.

Back in Avidya Forest, having absorbed a massive amount of elemental energy, Lin Feng had felt no hunger for many days. This led him to realize that his existence was less like that of an ordinary human and more akin to an elemental lifeform that feeds on energy.

As a unique characteristic of Teyvat, the higher the elemental lifeform, the more inclined it is to manifest in a physical form—a fact that coincided perfectly with his own situation.

It was precisely for this reason, combined with the extraordinary ability to command elements he had previously displayed, that Lin Feng decided, after careful consideration, to use the Statues of The Seven—which are inextricably linked to the ley lines—to reach deep underground and attempt to draw elemental energy from a much wider region.

After all, one cannot simply shear the same sheep until it is bald. Given his immense energy requirements, drawing power evenly from various locations would have a far smaller impact on the ecosystem than extracting it directly from his immediate surroundings.

Beyond ecological considerations, drawing elements from across all of Sumeru was clearly more efficient. Utilizing his ability to compress and store elemental energy, Lin Feng would refine this influx of energy into divine power, temporarily activating his own authority over Dendro.

To crush the Withering Avatar head-on while in his full Archon form—this was the backup plan for his backup plan.

After instructing Xiao Bai not to wander too far, to take shelter when it rained, and to eat the elemental crystals in his pouch if hungry, Lin Feng connected his consciousness to the nearby Statue of The Seven.

Closing his eyes and shedding the interference of physical sight, Lin Feng’s focus intensified, and his perception of free-roaming elements entered a state of crystalline clarity.

Just as before, he attempted to resonate with the statue. The familiar wide-area perspective appeared once more, but unlike the previous bird's-eye view, Lin Feng used his willpower to guide this heightened perception deep underground.

Because he felt no concern that such activity here would draw the displeasure of the gods, his use of the statue was far more unrestrained than before.

Consequently, with the aid of his Dendro authority and the statue, Lin Feng quickly detected the intricate, overlapping elemental veins beneath the earth.

Countless elemental conduits, both thick and thin, spread throughout the world like the roots of a tree. The complexity and density of these pipes reminded him of a ball of yarn he had tangled up as a child.

Feeling the countless forces and memories contained within the ley lines, Lin Feng was astonished to discover that the elemental energy surging above the surface of Teyvat was not even a drop in the ocean compared to what was stored within the ley lines.

With such an astronomical disparity in energy, these ley lines, hidden deep within the bedrock and unnoticed by most, were perhaps the true core of the Teyvat continent.

Awestruck by this rushing river of energy, Lin Feng used his authority to shield his consciousness from being scattered by the torrential stream of information, and attempted to draw a wisp of energy from the ley lines.

As expected, it was unusable.

Untreated and unconverted ley line energy is extremely volatile; its manifestation still differs significantly from raw elements. Furthermore, the memories contained within it further prevented this power from being directly absorbed and transformed by living beings.

Regretfully abandoning the fantasy of ascending to godhood in a single step, Lin Feng dutifully merged his willpower into the ley lines. Under the scouring of countless memories, his Dendro authority, fully activated by his contact with the statue, proved remarkably reliable.

Somewhat relieved, Lin Feng began playing a game of "gold miner" within the ley lines—grabbing portions of Dendro energy from various elemental enrichment points across Sumeru and funneling them into his body via the ley lines.

Feeling the vast landmass of Sumeru in reality, Lin Feng sighed at the long road ahead and immersed himself in the work.

...

Gandharva Ville, five days after Lin Feng fell into his slumber.

"Thump, thump, thump."

A young man with a pair of green fox ears swung his arm back and forth, driving wooden fence posts into the ground.

"Bang!"

As the last fence post was set up around the statue, Tighnari let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and hung a "Danger Ahead" warning sign on the enclosure.

"Phew, finally done. My ears are going to fall off from exhaustion. Lin Feng, you really know how to make work for me." A visible sense of regret hung on Tighnari’s face.

Recalling that Lin Feng had caused such a massive disturbance just by touching the statue last time, Tighnari had decided—even though this current effect seemed positive—to temporarily prevent nearby travelers and Forest Rangers from entering the area where Lin Feng was sleeping.

Although the location was already quite remote, Tighnari was shocked by the sheer vitality overflowing from the statue, a testament to Lin Feng's ability to stir up trouble.

Suppressing his own body's instinct to linger in that revitalizing aura, Tighnari set off on the path back.

Following the narrow trails through the rainforest, Tighnari moved with practiced ease, his agile posture reminiscent of a cunning forest fox.

Unlike in the past, when he had to be constantly vigilant against hidden threats along the way, Tighnari felt remarkably relaxed.

Ever since Lin Feng had come to him, stating he needed to dig a hole beneath the Statue of The Seven and sleep for a while, the rainforest in the Gandharva Ville area had become unprecedentedly safe.

All monsters and fierce beasts had vanished without a trace. The rainforest was as peaceful as a private garden. People who occasionally fell ill from food poisoning in the woods would wake up mysteriously recovered, not only free of side effects but seemingly in better health than before.

The anomalies in the rainforest didn't stop there. Through the work logs of other Forest Rangers, Tighnari had compiled several other changes:

First, many high-quality plants had recently sprouted in the rainforest, including giant, sweet Zaytun Peaches, red Harra Fruit that emitted an incredibly rich aroma, and various rare, enormous, and delicious mushrooms.

Second, travelers who lost their way in the rainforest would often find themselves appearing automatically near settlements. When asked about the specific process of how they walked out, they were usually unable to explain, appearing as if they had simply stumbled out in a daze.

Finally, and most surprisingly to Tighnari, were the changes among the scholars practicing in the rainforest.

Recently, these scholars who were in the "Forest Dwelling" phase of trying to perceive the consciousness of the gods all reported making progress. Haypasia, in particular, claimed she was only a hair's breadth away from connecting with the divine will.

Thinking that all these abnormalities had occurred since Lin Feng's arrival, Tighnari grew increasingly curious about his identity.

No matter how he imagined it, such large-scale effects, which could be called miracles, were absolutely not within the reach of a mortal.

"Perhaps Lin Feng really is a descendant of the adepti from Liyue who has been drifting outside," Tighnari thought.

Suppressing an overly absurd conjecture, Tighnari overestimated Lin Feng's background to the greatest possible degree.

"Sigh—"

Tighnari heaved a long sigh. Although his recent patrol work had been simplified to an absurd degree due to someone’s arrival—so easy that he had given most of the Forest Rangers a long vacation—the other side effects Lin Feng brought left the overwhelmed Tighnari unable to muster any gratitude at all.