Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [532]

Slash!

Gu Sanqiu seized the moment when there were no strange elemental disruptions around his opponent and hurled his longsword forward. The blade pierced straight through Karalnikov’s abdomen!

The young man from Snezhnaya’s expression changed drastically. He instinctively gripped the sword’s hilt, dropping to one knee, hesitating whether to pull it out.

But his training reminded him—if he forcibly removed it, he’d bleed out instantly. He wouldn’t stand a chance.

But he didn’t want to lose!

Even Gu Sanqiu could sense Karalnikov’s unyielding determination. Despite such a severe injury, the protective flames that typically enveloped defeated fighters in the arena hadn’t appeared. That alone spoke volumes about the strength of his will.

"For Her Majesty!"

Karalnikov forced the words out, though he couldn’t shout them—Geo energy had already infiltrated his body, sealing his movement and preventing him from exerting himself.

"I admire your resolve, but if your strength doesn’t match your ambition, you’ll only die chasing something beyond your reach."

Gu Sanqiu walked up to him, his right hand wreathed in Delusion-fueled flames, and gave him a gentle push.

"Surrendering at times like this takes even greater courage."

The flames of defeat finally ignited, though not because Karalnikov had been swayed by Gu Sanqiu’s words—his life force was already being drained by the Delusion’s fire. If he didn’t fall now, he’d be burned dry.

To onlookers, it might have seemed like a seasoned fighter giving a junior a dignified loss. But only the two of them truly understood what had happened.

"You claimed to be the Doctor’s father earlier—I’m starting to believe it."

Karalnikov sat on the ground, gasping for breath. "But you don’t seem to know anything about me, which means you must be that Liyuean the Doctor calls a friend."

"Oh? Didn’t realize I was that famous."

"The Exalted Eye is issued under strict regulations, yet the Doctor defied opposition and granted one to you—a mere Liyuean who secured it through a single letter. And it was even expedited to Liyue through Lord Pantalone’s secret channels. Of course, people know who you are."

"Fair enough. But I don’t care about your status in Snezhnaya—I care about the elemental energy you just used. It had a programmed flow, which means it didn’t originate from you. Where did it come from?"

Karalnikov hesitated. "You mean to say… you entered the arena without even checking the basic mechanics? That was an enhancement program you can purchase with Old God Coins—it allows weaker fighters to challenge stronger opponents."

He sighed. "The ones I bought were [Rock’s Aegis], [Thunderclap’s Roar], and [Warding Gale]. Three at once… cost me a fortune."

…?

Gu Sanqiu pointed at himself. "Then why don’t I have any?"

Karalnikov gave a helpless smile. "Of course you don’t. How could a fifty-win champion receive buffs? That would just make things harder for the challengers."

Son of a—so that’s why it all felt familiar!

It turned out the arena was stacking buffs on his challengers! No wonder everything felt off. The system was fine-tuned to distribute and recycle Old God Coins efficiently.

But if he was the one being played… well, that was frustrating.

"I assume there’s some kind of post-battle full recovery, right?"

Karalnikov hesitated before nodding. "There is. But it’s expensive."

Gu Sanqiu pulled out his earnings. "Buy one for me."

"Uh… it doesn’t work that way. The effect applies only to the buyer—it directly restores their body. You wouldn’t be able to use it."

"...I see."

Gu Sanqiu was disappointed. He’d been hoping for some kind of glowing green energy rain—something he could forcibly snatch mid-air. Even if the protective flames were active, brute force could sometimes work miracles.

Guess the arena wouldn’t allow such exploits.

Waving Karalnikov off, Gu Sanqiu braced himself. From now on, every opponent past his fiftieth win would come with strange, unpredictable enhancements.

The difficulty had gone up a notch. In high-level battles, any advantage—no matter how minor—could turn the tide.

And if he were in his opponents' shoes, facing someone on a massive win streak… he, too, would stack as many buffs as possible before stepping into the fight.

That’s just smart play. (crossed out)

...

The win streak continued.

By the time he reached seventy victories, even Gu Sanqiu was breathing heavier.

Just as he had predicted, every challenger was brimming with elemental energy, constantly testing the limits of his endurance.

Fights were growing harder—not only did he have to guard against their standard attacks, but he also had to be wary of sudden, unpredictable elemental strikes. And worst of all… that damn [Warding Gale].

It knocked him away every time.

If he hadn’t found a counter-strategy, that single rebound would have left him vulnerable to an "infinite aerial combo" setup.

"Alright then—let’s see what changes after seventy matches."

At this point, every opponent had enhancements. That meant the arena likely wasn’t finding naturally skilled fighters strong enough to face him.

The battles ahead would be grueling, but victory was within reach.

The portal opened—and someone Gu Sanqiu never expected to see stepped into the arena.

"It took quite some effort to track you down. If I hadn’t also climbed the win streak ladder, I doubt I would’ve found you so soon."

Dainsleif stood across from him, arms crossed. "It’s been a while, hasn’t it? No resolution from your little ideological duel, so you decided to fight in the arena instead? Your gods are certainly harsh with you."

Gu Sanqiu smirked. "That last part? A million likes from me. But since we know each other, how about doing me a favor? Let’s chat after you hand me a free win."

"No."

Dainsleif’s hand hovered over his sword hilt. "I’m surprised you’re still alive. Your fate was already teetering on the edge. Even with help from the Abyss, you shouldn’t have survived."

Gu Sanqiu raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you were really hoping I’d drop dead."

Dainsleif shook his head. "No, I don’t wish for your death. But I will remind you—do you really believe the Abyss helped you out of kindness?"

"...What’s that supposed to mean?"

Gu Sanqiu narrowed his eyes. "You’re being cryptic again. Care to speak plainly for once?"

"You’ve had multiple interactions with them. Based on my assessment, your misfortune wasn’t the result of a disruption in fate’s weave—it was the path you chose for yourself."

Dainsleif continued, "Your actions and choices are beyond interference. But if the Abyss sought you out, or if some greater will had an agenda… you wouldn’t be able to resist."

"Are you saying that disaster I faced was orchestrated by the Abyss?"

Gu Sanqiu’s heart sank. He had never considered that possibility.

He had assumed the Heavenly Principles were merely trying to restore fate’s "correct trajectory," maintaining cosmic order.

But if Dainsleif was right, then all those encounters with the Abyss weren’t coincidences. They had been deliberately accumulating his "sins" in the eyes of Celestia—paving the way for his downfall?

The Guizhong Automaton blueprints.

A cold realization gripped Gu Sanqiu.

At the same time, he made another decision—

That blonde bastard is never getting a discount again.

Your sister has ulterior motives toward me!

---

T/N: and not the good kind :(

This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!