Today, the people of Liyue were gripped by the peak of fear and anxiety.
The Geo Archon had collapsed during the Rite of Descension and remained unconscious—this was the most terrifying development imaginable for the people of Liyue.
They didn't know what to do without their Archon.
Only the presence of the Qianyan Army stationed outside gave them any sense of security.
Every household stayed shut inside. Merchants, workers—all of them prayed that the Geo Archon would be safe.
Ningguang and the others knew that Zhongli was fine and that this was just part of a larger test.
But they couldn't speak for all of Liyue—Zhongli's trial was meant for all of Liyue Harbor's people.
Meanwhile, Zhongli had caught up to Lumine, who had been wandering aimlessly around Liyue Harbor, and asked her to assist with organizing the Rite.
Being so blatant made Lumine start suspecting Zhongli's true identity.
On the way, she kept glancing at him strangely—as if he had some sort of mental illness.
---
At the small courtyard at the foot of Mt. Tianheng—
Xiao and Cloud Retainer had not gone to the Minecraft world.
Because of the Rite, all Qianyan troops and workers from that world had been temporarily transferred back.
Xiao and the others, already aware of Zhongli's plan, stayed behind to guard Liyue just in case.
Suddenly, three powerful auras of adeptal energy descended.
Xiao and Cloud Retainer exchanged glances and left the living room.
Outside, Moon Carver and Madame Ping were leisurely enjoying the sights of the magical courtyard, occasionally letting out murmurs of awe.
"Has the Archon's plan begun?" Cloud Retainer asked casually.
Mountain Shaper nodded slightly.
"Yes. During the Rite of Parting, the Archon's physical form collapsed in front of all, and he has now been taken to the Golden House."
Xiao looked slightly curious and said softly:
"It looked like quite a commotion over there…"
At that, the three adepti exchanged awkward glances, their voices weakening slightly.
"The excuse the Archon gave… was that he was struck by a triple calamity tribulation and fell into a coma…"
"Triple calamity tribulation?" Cloud Retainer's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Isn't that just a dramatized embellishment from the tale in 'Chapter 153'? Do the people of Liyue actually believe that?"
"The people know little of the adepti's true nature… and that was a public spectacle. If we didn't know the truth ourselves, we'd be panicking too."
Madame Ping smiled as she sat down, admiring the flourishing Glaze Lilies growing on the soil.
"The Archon truly is…"
Cloud Retainer cleared her throat and slowly said:
"...shrewd and far-sighted."
"But this immortal still doesn't understand why the Archon is so determined to abdicate…"
Mountain Shaper sighed.
"This immortal doesn't believe pure human governance will necessarily lead Liyue on a better path."
Madame Ping chuckled gently and said:
"The Archon has lived for over six thousand years, ruling Liyue for 3,700 of them. Even he gets tired. The other adepti have already stepped back to rest and live in peace."
"How can we expect the Archon to continue such labor, day after day, for millennia?"
"You've all seen how happy he's been since letting go of Liyue's daily affairs. Liyue continues to thrive under the guidance of the young ones."
Her words reminded the adepti of Liyue's changes in recent times.
To be honest, "changing by the day" wouldn't even begin to describe it.
It was truly possible that even without the aid of the adepti, Liyue could stand strong on its own.
Naturally, they felt proud—this was, after all, the legacy they had built alongside Zhongli.
But that pride was accompanied by a kind of hollowness—the feeling that the children had grown up and no longer needed their guardians.
Cloud Retainer huffed.
"If you ask me, it all stems from Ryen's world. Without that world, things might never have turned out like this."
Madame Ping didn't take offense.
Unlike her, who had long lived in Liyue Harbor and experienced the hustle and bustle of humanity, the other adepti mostly stayed secluded in the mountains.
Cloud Retainer had only been out for about two months—barely enough to understand Liyue Harbor.
"You can't say it like that," Madame Ping smiled.
"Ryen's arrival was destined. But if Liyue's young ones hadn't proven themselves, how would they have gained his recognition?"
"If they hadn't worked hard, how could they have developed Liyue to this point? Besides, we're all family now—no need for division."
"Ganyu and little Hu Tao are both Ryen's girlfriends. That makes us one family, no?"
"If you ask me, you should all make time to visit Liyue Harbor more often. The young ones there will surprise you."
"From now on, we old-timers just need to lend a hand at key moments. Leave the rest to them. I trust them—and so does the Archon."
"Human rule, divine guidance… At the end of the day, we adepti are part of Liyue too. Even we immortals have a human side."
"A Liyue governed by humans is still our Liyue. That's what the Archon truly wants to see."
"Humans and immortals standing side by side, working together for a better Liyue. Future adepti mustn't stand aloof from the world."
"Our children have grown—they should walk beside us. That's a good thing."
Madame Ping had a way with words. By the end of her speech, the sorrow and unease in the adepti's hearts had lessened.
After a long silence, Mountain Shaper sighed softly:
"If this is the Archon's will, then we shall follow. Let us see how far Liyue can truly go."
"That's the spirit," Madame Ping beamed.
"The Archon told me that once this event is over, he'll fully step back—and spend his days relaxing in Ryen's world."
"You can all come too, just like in the old days. Old friends gathering in Jueyun Karst for idle chats—it would be lovely."
"Surely, the Conqueror of Demons knows best. He's the Archon's neighbor now, and he's often invited over as a guest."
Being suddenly mentioned, Xiao looked slightly uncomfortable—but there was a hint of joy in his eyes.
Moon Carver glanced at Xiao and said with some envy:
"It really does sound nice. Once this whole ordeal is over, we should visit that world too."
"By the way, after your karmic affliction was removed, has it shown any signs of returning?"
The adepti looked at Xiao with concern. He shook his head.
"When I go out at night to purge lingering demonic remnants, I still accumulate a bit of karma. But that's inevitable."
"The next day, I just drink a bucket of milk and eat a golden apple. It's fine."
Mountain Shaper nodded.
"That's good to hear. I saw the Archon yesterday—he seemed much better. That world truly is a wonder."
"Not only that…" Madame Ping said with a smile and a bit of longing in her voice.
"The Archon once told me that Ryen spoke of a method in that world, among its countless strange mods, that allows for resurrection."
"Maybe one day, even long-lost old friends could be reunited."
The adepti were overjoyed at that.
"Is that really true?"
Madame Ping nodded.
"Since this came from the Archon and Ryen, naturally there should be no mistake. So far, hasn't everything Ryen said come true?"
"But this matter may still take a long time. It's not something that can be realized right away, so don't celebrate too early," said Madame Ping with a shake of her head.
Mountain Shaper, however, didn't seem concerned:
"We've waited over a thousand years already—what's a little longer? Ryen's only been here for three months, and Liyue has already undergone earth-shaking changes."
"If you ask me, the matter of resurrection won't take too long either. Don't all of you already carry those undying totems that Ryen gave us?"
"Those are truly shocking treasures to the world."
Now that the matter had been confirmed, the adepti were all smiling brightly, visibly in high spirits.
"Once this whole retirement affair of the Archon is dealt with, I don't think we'll need to stay here guarding Mt. Tianheng anymore. We can leave that to other adepti."
"When the time comes, let's all go see that world together."
Moon Carver agreed with a smile. Looking up at the sky, he said softly:
"It's probably about time—should we head to Liyue Harbor?"
Cloud Retainer took a sip of tea and sighed as soon as she heard that.
"You mean… go act according to the Archon's plan? This immortal is really not good at such things…"
"Just follow the script. With the Archon severely injured, it would be unreasonable for us immortals not to show up. We should make an appearance," said Mountain Shaper firmly as she flapped her wings and stood up.
"I'll go first. Don't dawdle too long—the more we delay, the harder this act will be to pull off."
The other adepti exchanged helpless looks, then rose with wry smiles and transformed into streaks of light, flying toward the Jade Chamber.
Fighting and killing was nothing to them—but acting?
In thousands of years, this would be their very first time. They had no experience at all!
They also didn't know that Zhongli's identity had already been exposed by Ningguang.
The original script had already been upgraded to Version 2.0.
So now, these adepti were marching in with the first draft… and were doomed to make a spectacle of themselves.
---
At the Jade Chamber—
Ryen was casually chatting with Klee and Nahida.
Jean, Lisa, and the others had already entered the Minecraft world. Now that they knew it was all just an act, they figured they might as well take the time to repair the base.
Ganyu and Hu Tao had been sent off by Ningguang as well.
By all logic, now was Ningguang's prime opportunity to strike—seize the moment and win Ryen's heart in one swift move.
That was the ideal plan.
Unfortunately, Klee and Nahida were stuck to Ryen like glue, giving Ningguang no chance to act.
All she could do was focus on handling Liyue's affairs first.
Because she had no idea which direction the enemy might come from, Ningguang had ordered all Qianyan troops to spread out, leaving only the most mobile heavy cavalry under her direct command, ready to respond to her orders at any moment.
The Tianyan System was operating at full capacity, with many administrative personnel monitoring the situation and reporting any developments immediately.
It wasn't until dusk that Ningguang finally had a moment to breathe.
Now, she could finally start thinking about her own matters.
Klee and Nahida, after all, were still children. By 8 or 9 PM, they would finish dinner and head to bed.
But she, Ningguang, was a full-grown woman…
With today's disturbance at the Rite of Parting, and after a day of hard work and mental stress, surely she deserved someone to lean on?
What a perfect excuse!
After a moment's thought, Ningguang summoned Baiwen and instructed her to fetch a particularly alluring outfit from Ying'er's shop, and to arrange for the Moonchase Pavilion to deliver some food and wine.
Tonight, she was going to act decisively and make her move.
As she imagined how the night would unfold, suddenly—multiple waves of immense adeptal power descended, shaking the Jade Chamber slightly.
"Adepti?"
Ningguang was momentarily stunned, her brow furrowed in confusion.
By now, most of the adepti should've known about Zhongli's retirement plan and Ryen's world. He spent time with Xiao and the others daily.
Why would the adepti still be causing a scene?
Unless…
They're here to act, too?
Tidying her appearance quickly, Ningguang stepped outside. Ryen was already there, holding Klee and Nahida in his arms.
Outside the Jade Chamber, Cloud Retainer, Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver, and Xiao stood imposingly in the sky.
Their expressions were stern and cold.
As soon as Ningguang stepped out, Cloud Retainer immediately shouted:
"Tianquan Star! It's been an entire day since the Archon was injured—why hasn't anyone informed us?!"
"Where have you hidden the Archon?!"
Her tone was pained and accusatory, her expression full of righteous fury.
Truly, Cloud Retainer had poured her entire life's acting skill into this performance.
But…
Ningguang looked suspiciously at Ryen and asked in a puzzled tone:
"Is this also part of the Archon's retirement play?"
"…"
Her words reached everyone's ears.
All the adepti…
Froze in absolute embarrassment.
~~----------------------
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