Both Sekai and Aether went on a separate way to find the adepti as both have a sigil on their possession.
Aether and Paimon went Jueyun Karst while Sekai went to Mt. Aocang.
Arriving at Mt. Aocang, the elemental hero finds a stone tablet with food remains which is meant to be offering to the adepti.
Looking around the area he found out some recipe that need to be cooked and started to cooked the dish at nearby stove.
After finishing all required dish, he was about place some dish like Matsutake Meat Rolls, Jewelry Soup and Mora Meat on the stone table.
Until suddenly a polearm was sent flying towards to him. Alerted with his enhance sense the shining hero pushes away the incoming polearm with wind blast.
Sekai: What is it with people trying to kill me at first sight?!
Then a women emerged out from nowhere and slowly descends to ground. A relatively tall women with fair complexion.
She has long silvery-white gradient hair which then fades to black at the tips. Her hair is parted off-center with even cut lock that flow just past chin-length framing her face, one side covering her right eye. Therest styled in a low, loose, thick braid fastened at the top with a red cord tied in bow with her Cryo Vision mounted on it.
Her outfit consists of a black backless body suit that fades into turquoise at the legs. It extended to her hand, covering her middle finger with gold stud on each knuckle. At back of her body suit is an article bearing resemblance to coattails, consisting of white fabric patterned with gray. She wears a cropped white-gray sleeveless qipao on top. Her accessories consist of detailed white-black curved headpiece and red cloverleaf knot with tassel as an earring on her right ear.
The women stare at the shinning hero for a moment then she uttered a few words.
???: You…
The shinning hero seemed puzzles a little bit as why she pointed at him.
Sekai: Who the—
The women suddenly rush towards at him not before reclaiming her polearm once more. As she then dashes towards Sekai. Sekai Solar Leap away and change into his Solar form and summoned his Solar Blade. Then leap back near the polearm girl to engage in combat.
The women tried to stabbed Sekai, while he keeps on parrying the attempt until the unknown women gained an upper hand against the elemental hero and pushed him back. But she quickly chased after Sekai and used the butt of her polearm to knock back Sekai into the nearby boulder but Sekai manages to leap before impact into behind the unknown women and punch her back sending her away rolling on ground.
As the women quickly recovered from the punch but not before grunting in pain from the impact.
???: You!
Sekai readjusted himself while having a smirk on his face.
Sekai: Aright, Let's dance!
He yelled as he solar leap at her and begun to launch several counterattacks against her as she tries her best to keep up with elemental hero that leap here and there but her effort futile. Sekai began to overwhelming and overpowered her in matter of seconds.
The women tried to used her Cryo Vision to freeze the elemental hero in place as he just leaps away from her. She then tried different approach by sending different kind of attack infused with ice element towards the elemental hero. But Sekai has always counter her by sending Solar Blade Wave and sometime mini–Solar Beam Strike. Then Sekai solar leap in front her and send a decisive punch on her stomach and send her a few meters away.
Sekai: I got to admit you one though lady.
???: .....
Sekai: Look like we have another unreasonable ice queen here. What happen to my prayer then? *sigh*
He sighed at his predicament as he suddenly feels Cryo elemental start accumulate on unknown women.
???: Just die…
Sekai: Sorry beauty, no can do… how about a kiss or better yet…
Then he rise his arm and point towards her with bright ball in front his finger aimed at her.
Sekai: How about a kiss from the sun.
???: Die
As the women rushed towards him, but the elemental hero began spamming mini- Solar Beam at her. Forcing her to back away evading and blocking every shot from him.
Sekai: Well… Maybe it's time to test my new element. Sekai Quake Power!
Earth element surround Sekai and then break pushing away unknown women that tried to come near during his transformation. Sekai now adorns darker black jacket with shimmering pattern of yellow quake pattern behind jacket.
He then put both of his hand on ground.
Sekai: Quake Gauntlet!
The quake element covered his arm with dark gauntlet with tinge of golden line.
Sekai quickly dashes towards her by creating earth pillar under his feet to throw him towards unknown women.
She tried her best to fend him off but quickly get disarmed by Sekai Quake punching her weapon away from her arms. The vibration moves through the polearm distract her as Sekai see this as chance to send and uppercut but she blocked it with her arm as she gets flying spinning upwards. Feeling the vibration through her body making the unknown women cough blood.
???: Tsk, damnit! He's too strong!
She said to herself while in midair until the shining knight appeared in front of her by pushing himself upwards using earth pillar.
???: What?!
Sekai: sorry but it's over!
???: !!!!
Sekai: Quake Smash!
Sekai launches a powerful downwards punch into her abdominal that send her into ground with full force.
As he lands in opposite direction while the women were trying to get back to her feet but failed as she pukes some blood.
Sekai: Had enough?
???: *cough* S-shut up.
As she managed to gather her strength to rise up again and Sekai noticed Cryo element was beginning to spike again.
???: Cryo Incarnate!
Sekai: Sigh…
He quickly punches the ground and summoned Earth Barrier as a powerful ice blast appeared in front and hit the earth wall resulting the ice wall to form on the earth barrier.
Meanwhile the women are completely exhausted fighting the elemental hero after using all of her strength on that final attack.
???: *panting* did I…. *panting* get him?
Everything was silent for a moment until suddenly the ice wall began to crack and it show an earth wall behind it. The women got a feeling of dread when suddenly she heard.
Sekai: Earth Grab.
Suddenly two hand shape earth construct grab unknown women from below caught he off guard and trap her there. The women eye's widened in sheer shock as Sekai emerged from behind earth barrier and slowly walking to her.
As Sekai slowly put his finger on unknown women forehead
Sekai: Checkmate…
Suddenly a voice called out to them saying
???: ENOUGH!!!
Sekai felt alert stomp his feet on ground summoning three earth golem around him and unknown women.
Then he turned to see the source of the voice as they saw majestic crane standing there as is seemed have looked towards both Sekai and unknown women
Sekai: Another unreasonable being…
???: Master…
The crane asked to Sekai as he soon dematerialized earth grab from unknown women but still leave 3 earth golems as insurance.
Crane: Who are you?
Sekai: My name is Sekai Silver. I need to speak to adepti that dwell on this mountain.
Crane: That would be me, you can call me Cloud Retainer, Elemental Hero.
Sekai: Eh? Cloud Retainer is a bird? Or it just one of you forms?
???: Watch your mouth, human!
Retainer: Shenhe!
The unknown women now named Shenhe fell silent.
Shenhe: Forgive me, Master.
Sekai: Shenhe, huh? That your name?
He asked as Shenhe give him a glare.
Shenhe: You got problem with that?
Sekai: Nope. It's a unique name. Kinda suits you, actually.
He grinned. She scoffed and brushed past him, eyeing the Earth Golems warily—realizing just how much power he had held back.
Cloud Retainer: sighs "You've clearly not heard much about the Adepti, have you?"
Sekai dispelled his golems and returned to normal form.
Sekai: Adepti?
Cloud Retainer explained: The Adepti were a group of illuminated beasts and gods, bound by contract to protect Liyue from demons and evil gods. Their leader—the Prime of the Adepti—was Rex Lapis himself.
Sekai: "I see…"
Cloud Retainer: "Now tell me… what are you doing here?"
Sekai: "Well…"
The Shinning Hero of Mondstadt explained that Rex Lapis was assassinated, much to the adepti's rage. Knowing that him and his companions are innocent of the crime that Millelith have accused them of it.
Sekai also explains that his companions are also trying to convince the other adepti about their innocent. Cloud Retainer become enrage and vows to destroy Liyue for their crime but Sekai manages to calm her down by countering with a "contract" of sort with the food he had offered it, which she reluctantly accepts.
Then Cloud Retainer also tells Sekai to meet up with the Demon Conqueror that pick-up Sekai interest. Cloud Retainer tells him that he currently resides at Wangshu Inn and mostly restrain himself from large crowds and social interaction.
He then meets with Aether when he was on the way to Mount Aocang. Sekai informs to him about Cloud Retainer suggestion and they all move to nearest teleporter and teleport to the nearest teleporter hub to Wangshu Inn.
The "Demon Conqueror" is an old man in young man body named as Xiao. He just like them then.
Upon arriving at the place where the Adepti told them and they managed to find Xiao.
Xiao has dark medium-length hair with teal undertone, which is swept back in front of his ears. He has two longer lock that frame his face. He has pale skin and golden iriese with avian pupils and dons red eyeshadow. He also has a purple diamond marking on his forehead and green tattoo around his right arm.
He wears a white sleeveless shirt with subtle cloud pattern. It has a high black collar with golden accents, with its left extending further to cover his shoulder. Around his left arm, Xiao wears a white and gold sleeve with red lining. He notably carries an Anemo vision on his left glove and is usually seen carrying his Yaksha mask on the back of his right hip.
Xiao appears to be irritated by their presence and about to leaves.
But thanks to Aether persuasion and a bit of Sekai provocation and psychological play of word, they finally got Xiao attention with a bit of tear on his eyes.
They managed to stop him when Sekai managed to cook his favorite food while inviting envied from the current chef of Wangshu Inn. Aether then tells him about Rex Lapis' death which shock him.
At Paimon request, he explain to them that there this innocent ghost spirit who could not move on, so he asked the innkeeper and boss to take care of her for the time being.
As the trio investigate, Paimon spots the ghost and terrifying chef. With Goldet advice, the trio follow the ghost track and found that the ghost already possess a decrepit Ruin Hunter.
Sekai makes a quick work of the ruin hunter by blasting it with Solar Beam Strike making the ghost promising to stop hunting the inn. Upon telling the chef of the ghost promise, he relieved and create some Almond Tofu for them.
Now with all adepti found, the Group decided return to Childe and informs them of all that had transpired, who in turn tells them that the Liyue Qixing are refusing to let anyone see Rex Lapis's body.
Paimon accidently blurt out that they came to visit The Seven which Childe immediately take notes of it. He tells them that he can help them, but it will be some time in order to meet with his contact.
But Sekai feel something was wrong and just let it pass his ear.
As the is already late the trio decided to find Inn to get some sleep and meet Childe again tomorrow.