Chapter 392: Tatarasuna Situation

Tatarasuna had become a place no longer suitable for human habitation, to the extent that even ordinary people walking here was a luxury. 

As a monster, Li Mo didn't care much, but neither Aki nor Xavier could ignore it. Although the former had undergone shrine maiden training, the situation in Tatarasuna was beyond the scope of her knowledge. Given the current concentration of the Tatarigami's power, the problem here was even more severe than that of Yashiori Island.

Of course, that was because the issues on Yashiori Island hadn't fully erupted yet.

If the power of the Orobashi's remains were to fully erupt, Li Mo would have to consider whether his own strength could handle it. He believed it was possible, but it would undoubtedly take a long time.

The existence of "pseudo-immortality" gave him great confidence in whatever he did. Even when Olerus was chasing him, he couldn't kill him immediately, right? If even a quasi-Magic God like him couldn't do it, let alone the Archons of Teyvat.

"Aki, Xavier, come here. I'll give you some protection."

Li Mo had many ways to avoid the Tatarigami's energy. Although abilities like "Light's Execution" couldn't be used, he still had other methods, such as the Yin-Yang arts of the Kanna Clan. There were also techniques within it to defend against the erosion of the Tatarigami.

After preparing these, Li Mo asked, "Mr. Xavier, how do you think we should handle this disaster? Can we just destroy the Mikage Furnace directly?"

"What's the current state of the Mikage Furnace?"

Li Mo began to explain what he had seen and heard earlier.

An hour or two ago, he had passed through Tatarasuna and seen the dilapidated state of the Mikage Furnace.

Xavier pondered for a moment and said, "No, the current situation is that after the Mikage Furnace was damaged, the Tatarigami it contained leaked out. The original design of the Mikage Furnace was to use the power of the Tatarigami to refine materials infused with its energy, producing harmless, high-quality metal."

This explanation made Li Mo understand why Tatarasuna was in such a dire state. It was as if the Tatarigami had been directly exposed here without any containment. No wonder it had become like this.

Using the power of the Tatarigami to refine ores born from its own remains—what kind of "fighting poison with poison" scenario was this?

"Removing the Tatarigami from the Mikage Furnace should do the trick, right? That's what I thought. Mr. Xavier, come with us. I'll make sure you're protected."

Without waiting for Xavier's refusal, Li Mo used elemental energy to shield him and also gave Aki a layer of protection.

The paper-cut horses disappeared, and the path ahead was uphill. Riding on horseback wouldn't be ideal.

The Tatarigami's energy permeated the air, its concentration alarmingly high, to the point where even human eyes could see it. The surroundings were tinted with a purple filter.

Li Mo hated this kind of power.

Even though he could absorb it, it was still uncomfortable. This energy seemed to have a malicious intent toward all living beings—or rather, toward humans.

He couldn't easily summon shrine maiden familiars here, but he could use shadows. Shadowy figures resembling dragon-men emerged from Li Mo's shadow and scattered in all directions.

"Dragon's Remnant Shadows."

This ability was engraved within his body, fundamentally different from external rituals. Its mystery was innate.

In a distant world, the human who held this ability as a final trial used it as shadow blades, essentially as a ranged attack.

In the past few days, Li Mo had realized that this ability had immense potential for development. If used skillfully, it could function like a shadow army.

"Lord Li Mo, have you noticed something?"

"The atmosphere feels off… I sense movement around us. It's probably the Fatui."

The Shogunate's army hadn't deployed troops here, instead gathering at the Kujou Encampment. The resistance forces wouldn't appear here either. Both sides were still locked in a stalemate at Nazuchi Beach, so there was no way they could spare troops to be here.

Only the Fatui had the capability.

The Tenryou Commission officials were idiots.

Li Mo couldn't understand why they had invited a foreign army from Snezhnaya into the country—not as infiltrators, but with official permission! In Liyue, it made sense because they were cooperating to fight the Abyss, a mutually beneficial relationship. But what had Snezhnaya offered Inazuma? Just looser regulations? Helping with public security?

It was maddening.

Shaking off his frustration, Li Mo felt that the "Dragon's Remnant Shadows" he had sent out were engaging in combat. He could also sense elemental fluctuations.

But the opponents didn't seem too strong. His "Dragon's Remnant Shadows" could handle them.

"I never thought I'd be able to get this close," Xavier said. As an ordinary person, he couldn't move in an environment saturated with the Tatarigami's energy. If he tried to defy this, the price would likely be death.

"A small trick. The core is up there, right?"

"We need to take this path to get there."

The Tatarigami core was located on a platform in mid-air, meaning the group still had to climb up to reach it.

"I'll fly you up."

"Wait, fly?" Xavier was stunned.

Aki, however, was more composed and asked, "But Lord Li Mo, the Tatarigami's energy is everywhere. Won't the familiars be affected?"

"Then we'll just clear the Tatarigami energy around us."

Li Mo had grown stronger since the last time they met. He released his aura, turning himself into a massive vortex that began devouring the surrounding Tatarigami energy, clearing the area.

Then, using paper as a medium, he created a familiar—a large paper crane capable of carrying people. Li Mo himself soared into the air, crossing the void.

"Lord Li Mo, with this ability, you can directly clear the Tatarigami. The pollution will be resolved," Xavier said happily.

After the Mikage Furnace explosion, he had been extremely worried. As one of the engineers, he knew how difficult the current situation was to handle.

The "Mikage Furnace Emergency Handling Guide (Trial Version)" didn't have any solutions for the current scenario.

As an ordinary person, he had been taken to the Kujou Encampment after the explosion. Tatarasuna was no longer a habitable place.

"I know, Xavier. I need you to assess the situation with the Mikage Furnace before we can proceed… Also, the Fatui might show up soon. We need to be careful."

Arriving at the Mikage Furnace, the three of them landed on the ground. Li Mo quickly cast protective measures on the other two.

Xavier began his inspection, occasionally consulting his notes. After a while, he said, "The Mikage Furnace is more than halfway destroyed. The cost of repairing it would be higher than installing a new one. Aside from the damage from the bombardment, most of the components are still intact.

In fact, some of the containment mechanisms are still functioning, restraining a portion of the Tatarigami. Otherwise, the concentration of Tatarigami energy here would be even higher."

"I see. Clearing this place should solve the problem, right? Hmm?"

Li Mo was about to decisively absorb the Tatarigami energy when his intuition warned him of something amiss.

Turning his head, he saw a cannon shot coming from the distance.