Sacrificing Myself: Nine Transmigrations (Genshin Impact)

Liyue, Wangshu Inn.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

Elliot Yuan said calmly, then got up and walked off.

Once again, it was just Elliot Yuan and Xiao at the inn—Zhongli hadn't joined them.

Mainly because he didn't want others to suspect his true identity. That's why Zhongli and Xiao rarely appeared together in public. Xiao also strictly followed his instructions—no matter the time or place, he only ever called him Zhongli in Liyue, never "Emperor."

They had arrived early, so there weren't many people around.

On the way to the restroom, Elliot passed the front counter, asked the clerk for a pen and a piece of paper, then entered the bathroom.

He didn't come out for quite some time. When he did, he returned the paper and pen with a polite smile.

"Thanks a lot."

"No problem," the clerk replied—though he gave Elliot a strange look as he walked away.

He couldn't help suspecting Elliot had some odd preferences. Like… maybe he didn't like using toilet paper and preferred writing paper instead?

But he quickly dismissed that ridiculous thought and unfolded the sheet of paper.

His eyes widened in surprise as he read what was written.

Looking up, he realized Elliot and Xiao were already on their feet.

"Phew, I'm stuffed," Elliot exclaimed, stretching lazily.

The two left the inn.

As they stepped out, Elliot glanced back and gave the clerk a subtle signal.

The clerk nodded slightly in return and carefully put the note away.

...

They walked toward their destination at a relaxed pace, chatting and laughing along the way. Xiao had visibly let down his guard and was enjoying himself.

By the afternoon, they finally arrived.

"The barrier really has weakened…"

Xiao immediately spotted something wrong. Cracks had formed in the structure.

Crack… crack… crackle…

Bang!

The moment he stepped closer to inspect it, the cracks rapidly expanded like a spider web—and then, a large hole burst open at the center!

Just before the breach...

A massive, semi-transparent purple dome materialized around them.

It completely sealed them in.

"This is bad—the barrier's compromised!"

Xiao's expression darkened, his eyes turning icy.

The sky above shifted in an instant, and monsters began crawling up from the ground.

They came in waves, endless and armed, charging straight toward Elliot and Xiao.

Both of them drew their spears and launched into battle, clearing the swarm around them.

But Xiao's gaze only grew colder.

He knew exactly what this purple shield was.

A barrier—specifically, a demon god's barrier.

And once you were inside, you were cut off from the outside world.

Which meant that if the demon god's original sealing barrier were to break, Zhongli would normally sense it.

But now, that sense had been completely blocked by four glowing purple pillars!

Even if the entire sealing formation failed, Zhongli wouldn't know.

Crack... crack...

The fractures kept spreading, and it looked like the whole thing could explode at any moment.

The central hole was still growing, and waves of evil energy poured out from it.

"This won't do. If the barrier collapses, the demon god might reawaken!"

Xiao's face darkened further. If that happened, the world would descend into chaos and war again.

There was no way to contact Zhongli now.

And the sheer number of monsters was suffocating.

"What now?" Elliot asked.

He had expected trouble—but not something this catastrophic.

If a demon god were to emerge now, his entire reason for being in this world would fall apart.

"There are two options. First, destroy those purple pillars and break the demon god's barrier—that way, Lord Zhongli will sense it."

"Second, protect me. I can attempt a temporary repair of the barrier, but I must not be interrupted. I'll need total focus."

Elliot glanced at the swarming horde—an endless, inky sea of monsters—and twitched.

"Second option," he said.

"If we go with the first, we won't make it through the mob before the barrier collapses."

Xiao nodded. He jumped into the air, then slammed down with incredible force.

A shockwave of energy cleared the area, buying them a moment.

He immediately pulled out his Yaksha mask, placed it over the growing breach, and sat cross-legged. Closing his eyes, his body began to emit a soft green glow.

"Burn!"

Elliot hurled a tiny black flame forward.

The instant it touched a monster, the flames exploded—consuming everything nearby and infecting the rest with black fire.

The black flames were no joke. Back when he fought the Geo Mitachurl, it had burned the brute to ashes in seconds.

These monsters stood no chance.

Anything touched by the blaze was reduced to ash in moments.

But as the black fire spread, Elliot's spiritual energy drained rapidly—like water from a cracked spring.

The black flame worked like detergent in greasy water—spreading rapidly, devouring everything in its path.

The surrounding horde vanished in a flash of smoke and ash.

But the mental toll was massive.

Elliot quickly withdrew the fire. His vision blurred. Cold sweat formed on his brow, and a ringing crept into his ears.

Then came the whispers.

"Die… Die… Stop struggling…"

"Feel death… Accept death…"

"Come… Come to us… We'll welcome you… Let us become one…"

"To live is to kill… Kill… Let it out… Show your true self…"

"Stop suppressing it… You thirst for blood… You want to kill… You'll slaughter them all… Come on… Come on…"

The whispers weren't in his ears—they were inside his head.

The pain was excruciating.

It felt like his skull was about to burst.

They had chosen the perfect time—right when he was mentally exhausted.

"Gah…"

Elliot fell to one knee, gripping his face with one hand and letting out a beast-like roar.

His eyes were bloodshot, bulging with red veins. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.

"Get… out…"

"I have to get up… I need to… protect him…"

He locked eyes on the encroaching monsters with pure killing intent and, through sheer will, forced back the karmic invasion.

Xiao could sense it clearly.

Even while meditating, he was fully aware of his surroundings.

He knew Elliot was under karmic attack, and his brows furrowed slightly in concern.

Crack... crack...

The moment his focus wavered, the cracks spread again.

The hole beneath the mask widened slightly.

Xiao's eyes snapped open in alarm as he quickly refocused his mind.

...