"Before dawn arrives, someone must light up the darkness…"
A deep and steady voice resounded throughout the area.
It gave the despairing people a glimmer of hope.
Especially Elder Chrysanthemum and Ghost, who had fought alongside this person before. Upon hearing it, they trembled all over.
"Diluc, it's Lord Diluc!!"
"Thank goodness, we're saved!!"
The two titled Douluos wept with joy, truly experiencing the ups and downs of life… and finally, a glimmer of hope appears.
Diluc's strength was beyond doubt, they had witnessed it firsthand.
Although their time with Diluc was short, they knew this young man, who appeared cold, was actually a lone hero, a hero who didn't care about fame or wealth!
The wealth and promises of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect couldn't sway this hero.
This meant his purpose here could only be related to the Spirit Hall.
At the same time, Zhongli and the others also saw Diluc entering.
"Wow, it's Master Diluc. I didn't expect him to appear here after being gone for so long!"
Paimon exclaimed, looking in the direction of the voice.
This was their former "teammate," and she remembered him clearly.
"So it's Master Diluc. I really miss the days when we teamed up."
The Traveler nodded, sighing with nostalgia.
After Paimon and Zhongli disappeared, she returned to Mondstadt. While searching for Paimon and Zhongli, Master Diluc had provided a lot of help.
What puzzled the Traveler was that Diluc had indeed found Zhongli and Paimon before she did.
Unfortunately, he preferred to act alone, a "cold" lone wolf.
Thinking back on Diluc's past experiences, it makes sense that he had become this way.
Zhongli crossed his arms and changed at Diluc without looking away. He felt that this Vision bearer's time away had been filled with stories.
Diluc looked much more weathered and mature, with a firmer sense of determination and responsibility in his eyes.
"A young man with a story."
Zhongli murmured, which piqued the curiosity of the girl in the large sleeves.
"Zhongli, is this Diluc one of the young people from Teyvat?"
The girl in the large sleeves looked at Zhongli with curiosity. She was only a foot away from him, and when she turned her head, their eyes met.
Her face turned red, and she instinctively looked away, lowering her gaze to her toes.
Seeing this, Zhongli was momentarily stunned and gave Guizhong a puzzled look.
If he remembered correctly, Archons couldn't catch colds, right?
Seeing that Guizhong was just blushing, Zhongli didn't think too much about it and nodded, saying, "Yes, he's from Mondstadt, a Pyro Vision bearer."
"From Mondstadt, huh…"
Guizhong revised at Diluc and murmured, as if echoing Zhongli's words.
She tilted her head slightly to look at the "person" beside her. This guy really was like a stone!
Zhongli didn't look at Guizhong and instinctively replied, "On the continent of Teyvat, he's already an outstanding young man. His early life could be considered legendary."
As if reminding something, Zhongli continued, "But his path has been fraught with hardships. He faced many setbacks and blows. For a young man like him, the burden is too great, far too great…"
It's worth noting that Pyro Vision bearers are usually very lively and cheerful.
Diluc used to be like that too.
But after experiencing those events, the smile disappeared from his face, leaving only coldness.
The only thing that remained unchanged was his heart of protection. From light to dark, even though he was no longer the captain of the cavalry or a knight, he still protected Mondstadt in his own way.
"Morax, do you think highly of him?"
The girl in the large sleeves, holding Azhdaha in her arms, tilted her head and asked Zhongli.
"The future belongs to the young, and we will eventually step off the stage of history."
Although Zhongli didn't say it directly, everyone present understood what he meant.
It seemed that Zhongli truly thought highly of this young man named Diluc.
Some who hadn't seen Diluc before now changed their expressions. The Spirit Hall was already at a disadvantage, and now another figure whose allegiance was unclear had appeared.
A Spirit Hall disciple said with a grave expression, "Could he also be a backup plan of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
They had thought it was a sure thing, that once they dealt with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the biggest tumor among the sects, they could bring more resources to the common people.
Never did they expect that this tumor would collaborate with spirit beasts for its own selfish desires, plunging the Spirit Hall into an unprecedented crisis.
What should they do now?
Surrender?
This thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. As someone who had once been persecuted, he would rather die than surrender!
Beside him, another young man carefully examined the figure in the darkness and shook his head, saying, "No, it doesn't seem like it."
As if reminding something, he patted his companion's shoulder and continued, "Don't worry, this man is called Diluc. I've met him once before. He's the type who doesn't care about wealth or fame."
"When I saw him, he was helping a commoner woman who was being bullied by a noble. If he hadn't stepped in, that woman would have suffered."
At this point, the young man paused and laughed self-deprecatingly. "Unfortunately, I wasn't strong enough…"
His companion was puzzled and asked, "Why do you say that?"
Sighing, the young man didn't hide anything. "Because I was there first, but I didn't have the strength to stop that noble…"
"Brother, you did your best!"
Neither of them paid attention to the bloodstains on each other's clothes. The blood had already turned their white robes brown.
"Sigh, if only the nobles weren't so excessive, it would have come to this…"
Indeed, if the nobles hadn't been so excessive, would the commoners have ever thought of overthrowing them?
At these words, everyone fell into deep thought.
"Spirit beasts, you've entered human territory and slaughtered indiscriminately. What is your purpose!?"
Diluc held Wolf's Gravestone in one hand and walked firmly towards Di Tian and the others, his expression cold as he asked.
Just as Zhongli had guessed, during his time away from Zhongli's residence, he had indeed experienced many things.
Whether it was nobles oppressing commoners, spirit beasts devouring humans… or the Sacred Knights charging forward without hesitation in the face of powerful fallen spirit masters.
Diluc, who believed in the Anemo Archon and sang of freedom, was momentarily lost in confusion.
The Mondstadt of the past had also been ruled by nobles, and under their oppression, it eventually led to a backlash.
But Diluc, who was lost in confusion, met a Sacred Knight who was about to die, and the confusion in his eyes disappeared.
"Knowing you're no match, why don't you run?"
"If my sacrifice can awaken more people to cleanse the fallen, then it's worth it!"