These past few days, the MC world had been peaceful, and Liyue had also fallen into a strangely calm state.
Like the surface of a sea, eerily still before a storm stirs it into chaos.
Ryen spent time teaching Jean and the others how to make firearms.
With sufficient materials, there was no need to produce weak guns like the MP5 this time.
Instead, he focused on teaching them how to craft more lethal weapons like Barretts, light machine guns, and RPGs.
Of course, the difficulty level was quite high.
For now, only Lisa had managed to learn. Jean struggled to remember so many crafting recipes — just memorizing the material combinations gave her a headache.
Worse still, none of this could be written down. Everything had to be memorized strictly by heart.
That gave Jean a nostalgic sense of being back in school.
As for Venti…
He didn't learn anything at all.
All he cared about was switching up the dragons he rode.
He even went to the End alone, slayed a dragon, and hatched the first bone dragon among the group.
Though everyone thought a skeleton flying through the air was terrifying, Venti seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.
Naturally, he still cared for his first Ender Dragon.
He strapped machine guns to it and even begged Madame Ping to help him attach a collar to its neck.
The collar was inscribed with simple Adeptus magic.
Venti filled it with grenades.
That Ender Dragon had now become a top-tier combat aircraft.
Interestingly, while the size of the dragons usually had a cap, once brought out of Teyvat…
They seemed to absorb elemental energy, and their bodies began to grow again.
It wasn't clear how big they could eventually become — so far, they'd just gotten a little larger.
Ryen had asked Zhongli about it, and the latter gave a vague explanation involving "light domain force."
He didn't elaborate, and Ryen didn't dig further.
Instead, he asked the Qianyan Army to help build a larger courtyard. During the day, everyone's dragons stayed in the MC world, and at night, they brought them out to absorb Teyvat's energy.
Who knows — maybe someday they'd grow to the size of Dvalin.
Though the dragons hatched from eggs weren't any weaker in combat than Dvalin at his peak, they still weren't as massive.
And sometimes, size does mean power.
As for Albedo, Ryen could only say—
He truly lived up to being the alchemical master second only to the Golden Troupe.
In just two days, Albedo hadn't made any modifications to the MC world's existing potions or enchantments.
According to him, those involved laws and were already perfect creations. Even if he intervened, it would only be a minor improvement.
What did surprise Ryen was something else entirely.
Albedo used MC materials like blaze rods and nether wart to enhance Teyvat's existing alchemical potions.
To put it simply, potions like Geo Oil and Pyro Oil — which originally boosted elemental power — were now stronger and lasted longer.
At least from Xiao's testing, these potions gave him significant buffs.
In addition, he produced prototype potions that increased elemental resistance.
After Ningguang and the others saw them, they immediately increased their funding for Albedo's work.
They even invested heavily to build him a brand-new alchemy lab with top-grade equipment.
Now, Albedo's main research focus was on these potions.
He also wanted to develop slightly weaker versions for sale in Liyue Harbor.
The stronger ones, naturally, would be reserved for internal use by Liyue and Mondstadt.
Besides potions, Albedo also modified milk and bone meal.
He intended to turn milk into a potion that could act as a miracle cure for negative statuses — though he hadn't made much progress yet.
Bone meal, on the other hand, was easy. He reprocessed it into a fertilizer-like substance.
While not as effective as pure bone meal, it could accelerate plant growth within three days — and now came in potion form.
After some more testing, they could start selling it publicly.
A fertilizer that could forcefully and safely mature any crop? It was sure to cause a stir across all of Teyvat.
There'd be no shortage of buyers.
Ryen had to admit — the combination of MC's magical materials and a master alchemist produced effects far greater than just the sum of their parts.
However, today, Ryen's mind wasn't on any of that.
The Rite of Descension had begun...
And for the next half-month or so, Ryen wouldn't be stationed in the MC world like usual.
Compared to that, the fun in Liyue would be much greater — he fully intended to enjoy the dramatic spectacle of Zhongli's grand, rope-free skydive.
---
Jade Chamber Platform.
As Liyue's most important administrative hub, the real Jade Chamber was enormous — vast enough to hold tens of thousands of people at once.
After all, it was the annual venue of the Rite of Descension.
As the commercial center of Teyvat, this day of the Geo Archon's descent was a festival for merchants everywhere.
The place was indeed large, but that didn't mean it was empty.
On the contrary, the Jade Chamber was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people from all over.
About 70% were Liyue citizens, the other 30% came from the other seven nations.
And among all these people, nearly 90% were merchants.
In fact, if someone tossed a grenade in here, the damages could cost tens of billions of Mora.
Fortunately, Ryen and his group didn't need to squeeze in with the crowds below. They stood on a tower balcony of the Jade Chamber, overlooking the grand festival of Liyue.
Ganyu had already returned to Ryen's side — now that the Rite had started, she could finally rest.
At least, ideally that was the case.
Given what was about to happen at the Rite, Ganyu would probably need to go back to work soon.
She already knew about Ryen and Hu Tao. Though upset, she had accepted it.
Now she and Hu Tao were whispering quietly in the corner.
Ryen could vaguely hear them — it sounded like they were scheduling time slots?
Unlike the eager crowds below, straining their necks for a glimpse of the central stage…
Ryen and his group sat back comfortably in their chairs, sipping tea and enjoying the show.
"The Rite of Descension... truly a grand event that draws all of Teyvat's attention. I've been waiting a long time for this~."
Upon hearing this, Zhongli let out a soft chuckle.
"In past years, the Rite of Descension was never this extravagant, and the number of guests was far fewer."
"But this year, because of your presence, Liyue has undergone earth-shattering changes."
"Many merchants are drawn to the goods now circulating through Liyue's markets. Naturally, they've traveled far and wide hoping to gather some insider information."
"Ningguang seems intent on using the Rite of Descension—while all of Teyvat is watching—to formally announce Liyue's recent progress and petition for true human governance."
"That's why this year's Rite is especially grand."
Ryen nodded without much reaction, then after a brief silence, he suddenly asked:
"You're not going to die again this time, are you?"
Zhongli paused for a moment before replying with an air of calm confidence.
"Don't worry. After chatting with you during this time, I've come to understand what kind of consequences truly faking my death would have for Liyue."
"I've already made some changes."
Ryen pursed his lips. His gut told him that whatever Zhongli changed probably wouldn't make a difference.
Still, judging from their conversations over these past days, maybe Zhongli really would tone it down a bit during this predetermined abdication ceremony.
At the heart of the ceremony, Ningguang was doing a final check of the process.
Soon, she would officially announce to the Geo Archon, to all of Liyue, and to the whole of Teyvat, the progress Liyue had made.
Liyue was now marching boldly toward becoming a divine kingdom upon the earth. Liyue had gained the strength to stand firm against any storm.
It was time for Liyue to step into true human governance.
Thinking carefully, all these earth-shaking changes had occurred in just three magical months.
Enchantments, alchemical potions, beacons, minerals, firearms…
So many achievements—far beyond the accumulations of thousands of years of Liyue's history.
In the span of just three months, Liyue had risen to heights that made everyone look up in awe.
She truly believed Liyue was ready.
If they continued progressing like this, by the time the Lantern Rite came around this year, Liyue would have developed to a level that no one could even comprehend.
And all of this stemmed from Ryen…
Ningguang glanced sideways toward a distant pavilion.
The one she had always thought about was standing there watching her.
As if sensing her gaze, Ryen cheerfully waved at her.
Ningguang's lips curved slightly into a smile.
Once the Rite of Descension was over, she could finally relax.
Next, it was time to handle her personal matters.
So what if Hu Tao got a head start?
She was Tianquan Ningguang!
There had never been anything she wanted that she couldn't get!
With determination in her heart and fire in her spirit, Ningguang turned her head and stretched out her hand. Several dazzling gems gathered in her fair palm.
They spun around rapidly, emanating an ancient divine power.
"The auspicious hour has arrived."
Ningguang spoke softly. The entire Jade Chamber platform instantly fell silent. Everyone stared at her with fervent eyes.
Moments later, her gaze sharpened.
"Respectfully inviting the Lord of Geo to descend!"
The brilliant gems shot into the sky. Not far away, Lumine suddenly grew nervous.
She had to seize this chance to ask about her brother.
The Geo Archon must know something!
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and everyone felt as though a heavy stone suddenly pressed upon their hearts.
It was oppressive—but oddly reassuring.
A vortex was forming. Pure divine power pierced the clouds, spilling down to the earth like a sudden second sunrise.
Ryen chuckled in disbelief.
Zhongli really knew how to give himself a grand entrance.
But in the very next moment, the situation changed drastically.
Black wind, black fire, black lightning—all suddenly appeared from thin air and struck the center of the golden vortex in unison.
Black wind, black flames, black lightning…
These weren't elemental powers, nor divine force—they were more like disasters born from pure laws of nature.
The legendary Three Calamities and Heavenly Tribulations!
Everyone from Liyue, or anyone remotely familiar with its traditions, simultaneously recalled the same terrifying concept.
The Geo Archon is undergoing a heavenly tribulation?!
Before anyone could fully grasp what was happening—
Everything abruptly settled.
A divine dragon plummeted from the sky, crashing into the offering table and shattering the ground.
That was the true form of the Geo Archon!
Gone was the golden brilliance of the past—now his body was covered in marks left by the devastating calamities.
Shattered scales. Blood everywhere.
The dragon still breathed, but his eyes were shut tight. Air came out, but none went in.
He was barely alive.
The sudden turn of events left everyone frozen.
After a moment, Ningguang was the first to react. Frowning, she quickly stepped forward, assessed the situation, and raised her hand.
"The Lord is gravely injured! Clear the area immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Even the Qianyan Army were visibly shaken, but they obeyed the command without hesitation.
Soon, the bewildered and confused crowd that had gathered for the ceremony was completely cleared out.
Only Ningguang and the stationed Qianyan soldiers remained.
In the distant pavilion, Ryen's mouth twitched slightly.
"This is what you call 'making changes'?"
Zhongli gave no direct response.
He calmly sipped his tea and gave a light chuckle:
"You tell me—am I dead or not?"
~~----------------------
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