Dream Realm.
Xia Zhi arrived in front of an exceptionally large, brilliantly colorful dream bubble.
This was Azhdaha's dream.
Xia Zhi waited quietly for a moment.
Soon, Xia Ci and Xia Zhen approached him. "Cousin! Let's go!"
"Mm."
The three of them entered the dream bubble together.
The scenery inside was bizarre—different areas showcased different seasonal weather, clearly a chaotic scene pieced together from various memories.
Azhdaha was standing atop a mountain.
They met up, and the Dragon King asked for advice.
"What should I do?"
"First, you'll have to properly sort out these messy memories and find the ones that truly belong to you."
"And then?"
"Then let me teach you how to create a Meditation Space. You can make one yourself and place your true memories inside. This was an idea we came up with a few days ago. That way, even if you're awake during the day, your dream realm can still remain intact."
"So outside are memories of the land, and inside are my own memories?"
"Exactly. It sounds simple enough, but it's actually quite troublesome. But don't worry, Cousin and I will use our authority over dreams to help you."
Azhdaha paused, surprised. "Mr. Xia also has authority over dreams?"
Xia Zhi nodded calmly. "A little bit."
Azhdaha looked at him silently for a moment. "…Then, I'll have to trouble the three of you."
---
With three gods working together, the results were naturally impressive.
Of course, it also helped greatly that Azhdaha had recently consumed a large quantity of [Silver Dew].
"Dragon King, remember to meditate frequently in your daily life to keep your Meditation Space stable."
"Got it."
"The outer dream realm has been stabilized for you. Until the Aranara move in, remember to sleep properly at night."
"Understood."
Xia Ci and Xia Zhen continued to list a few more precautions.
Azhdaha nodded repeatedly.
Xia Ci waved her hand casually. "Alright, that's pretty much it. If anything comes up, just come and find us."
Azhdaha nodded sheepishly. "Yes, thank you."
Xia Ci stretched leisurely. "We still have some time left—let's go play some games."
Xia Zhen immediately agreed. "Great!"
Xia Zhi smiled. "Let's go. Dragon King, wanna come along?"
Azhdaha was curious. "What kind of game?"
Xia Ci grinned mysteriously. "Something you've never played before."
Xia Zhen nodded seriously. "It's really fun."
"Then let's try it!"
With Azhdaha joining this time, their usual gaming room felt a bit cramped.
So Xia Zhi envisioned an internet café inside his Meditation Space and called back Shenhe and Ganyu, who had been outside gathering materials.
There were now six people in total—one too many for a standard five-player team.
Shenhe said she wouldn't play; instead, she sat quietly beside Xia Zhi to watch.
Azhdaha stared at the unfamiliar keyboard and mouse, unsure how to begin.
Ganyu, sitting next to him, patiently leaned over to teach him.
The others watched this scene unfold, inexplicably reminded of a granddaughter teaching her grandfather how to surf the internet.
"Do you understand now?"
"I've got it! It's simple! But I still don't understand what these letters and symbols mean."
"You don't need to understand that. Just remember where Q, W, E, R, and A are."
"Got it, got it!"
They started with an easy beginner AI match to warm up.
When picking heroes, Azhdaha browsed the screen curiously until his eyes settled on a peculiar little creature.
"What's this?"
"Rammus, the Armordillo."
"I choose this one!"
"This champion isn't very cool-looking, though."
"How is it not cool-looking? I think it looks great!"
"Alright, alright, pick it then. Start by playing support."
"Huh? Support? Isn't that little Ganyu's role?"
Ganyu was speechless.
Hey, this is a game, not the Archon War. And what's wrong with playing support? I'm actually really good at it!
Xia Zhi laughed gently. "Try out the hero's skills first. Next round you can play top lane, and I'll support."
Naturally, beginner bots were a total stomp—even the Dragon King, playing support with barely any resources, managed to snag a few kills.
Azhdaha was brimming with confidence. "This game is easy! Next round, let me play top lane—I'll destroy them!"
Nightmare bots activated.
Two minutes later, tragic news came from top lane—First Blood.
Everyone turned to look at Azhdaha. "Huh? Destroy them?"
Azhdaha flushed red. "He doesn't fight fairly! His attacks have too much range—I can't hit him, but he can hit me!"
"Then just stay under your turret."
"I can't endure this humiliation."
"You should probably just stick to support."
"No, no, no! I'm definitely playing top!"
They proceeded to lose three matches straight.
"Dragon King, maybe switch champions? Yours isn't very strong."
"No problem! I'm sticking with this one!"
Xia Ci and Xia Zhen exchanged a glance, silently agreeing that the Dragon King was the textbook definition of "no skill but extremely stubborn."
Ganyu didn't mind, though—she was happily paired with Xia Zhi in bot lane, sweetly enjoying their time together regardless of winning or losing.
Shenhe sat quietly beside them, calmly watching her senior and boss play games, a faint smile warming her eyes.
---
Early the next morning.
A sharp sound echoed through the skies above Nantianmen.
Moments later, two figures landed beneath the Dragon-Queller tree.
They were Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver, who had traveled overnight from Wangshu Inn.
They began carefully inspecting the scene.
Many scattered stones littered the ground, likely dislodged from the cliffs during the recent earthquake.
There were no suspicious footprints or traces.
Mountain Shaper stepped forward to examine the seal left by Rex Lapis.
Moon Carver took a rest, then asked, "How is it?"
Mountain Shaper raised his head, wearing a strange expression. "Not only is the seal intact, it's actually stronger than the last time I inspected it."
"Huh? Did someone reinforce the seal?"
"Seems that way. But during this time, the Lord of Geo has remained in Liyue Harbor and hasn't left once."
"Then that leaves only…"
The two adepti exchanged knowing glances.
"Mr. Xia and his group?"
"Must be."
"What about the Dragon King's condition?"
"I'm not sure. The Geo Lord sealed this place completely long ago."
"If the seal is fine, the Dragon King should be alright as well."
"What should we do now?"
"Since we've already come this far, let's go visit Cloud Retainer at Mt. Aocang while we're at it. She got beaten back to her original form—quite pitiful, really."
"Mm, old friends should indeed visit each other more often."
"Agreed!"
----
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