Cloud Retainer chattered incessantly.
From Azhdaha, she spoke of Marchosius, the God of the Stove…
From the Archon War, she drifted into tales of the Chasm...
From Azhdaha's terrifying might in single-handedly battling gods, she even recounted Ganyu's past feat of slaying one alone...
After hearing Cloud Retainer's account, everyone was left in shock. They hadn't expected that colossal "Geo Bangboo" to be so powerful.
Zhu Yuan murmured to herself,
"So... that means Azhdaha is the second strongest being in all of Liyue, right after the Geo Archon?"
In theory, yes.
However.
Moon Carver, who bowed to no one but the Archon himself, spoke solemnly,
"In terms of sheer combat power, should this Adeptus manifest in full form, I would certainly be no weaker than Azhdaha."
Yet clearly, Cloud Retainer wasn't buying it.
"You didn't speak so boldly in front of Azhdaha back then..." she said coolly.
Cloud Retainer's memory was sharp. She still recalled how, before Azhdaha went mad and was sealed by the Archon, Moon Carver had sparred with him several times—losing every single one.
Hearing this, Moon Carver's face betrayed rare embarrassment. He quickly changed the subject.
"Ah, how I miss the days of fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Azhdaha. With his help, suppressing Hollow Zero would be child's play—"
Mountain Shaper let out a sigh.
"Alas, the Azhdaha of today is no longer the Azhdaha of old..."
But Sam Li spoke with calm certainty.
"By universal rationality, Azhdaha should have already regained his former memories."
Moon Carver froze.
"What? He's regained consciousness?"
Sam Li answered slowly.
"More or less. The last time I saw him, he had already recovered a small portion of his memories."
At this news, Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer, Xiao—all of them were both astonished and overjoyed.
They had believed the Azhdaha they once knew was gone forever. Yet now, it seemed he could return.
Moon Carver drew a deep breath.
"By my count, it has been over a thousand years since I last had a proper talk with him."
Mountain Shaper sighed again.
"I wonder if he is still the same as before..."
Cloud Retainer was more decisive.
"In that case, let us go see him."
If Azhdaha truly had regained his past memories, Liyue would gain a powerful ally—one that could tilt the balance in their favor against Hollow Zero.
...
Hearing that the Adepti planned to visit Azhdaha in Bangboo Village, Zhu Yuan's eyes lit up. She quickly added,
"Honorable Adepti, please also bring back the Golden Bangboo and Platinum Bangboo from the village. Those two are extremely important to New Eridu..."
She then laid out everything she knew.
The Golden Bangboo and Platinum Bangboo had once belonged to the first-generation Void Hunter, Professor Arche. They had followed him into the Ether Mist, venturing deep into Hollow Zero...
Professor Arche never returned. But the Golden Bangboo and Platinum Bangboo did.
New Eridu's high command believed Professor Arche must have uncovered Hollow Zero's ultimate secret—and that this secret now lay hidden within those two Bangboo.
That was why New Eridu had repeatedly tried to capture them. But the Golden and Platinum Bangboo were cunning, far faster than ordinary Bangboo, resistant to Ether corruption. Every attempt to seize them had failed.
Nicole crossed her arms thoughtfully.
"So... if we bring those two back, we might uncover Hollow Zero's secrets?"
Zhu Yuan drew a deep breath.
"It's only speculation. I can't be certain. Perhaps we'll find nothing."
Even so, New Eridu's leaders placed great faith in Professor Arche, convinced he must have left something behind through those two Bangboo.
Zhu Yuan then turned back to the Adepti.
"I ask for your aid..."
Mountain Shaper agreed immediately.
"Uncovering Hollow Zero's truth and ending its crisis is already this Immortal' duty. Rest assured, I shall return with the two Bangboo."
For the Adepti, this task posed little difficulty.
And of course—it wasn't only the Golden and Platinum Bangboo they intended to bring back. They would also seek out the Azhdaha.
The Adepti quickly settled it: at dawn tomorrow, they would depart for the Outer Ring, to Bangboo Village, and meet Azhdaha—restored to his memories.
...
While the Adepti and Zhu Yuan discussed the Golden and Platinum Bangboo, elsewhere, in a hidden underground lab on the other side of New Eridu...
Miss Sarah sat in a chair, eyes fixed on the computer screen, her expression filled with interest.
Displayed on the monitor was none other than the shrunken form of Azhdaha.
The Exaltist Order had long been keeping watch over both Azhdaha and Bangboo Village.
A month earlier, Miss Sarah had dispatched dozens of disguised "Wandering Bangboo" to infiltrate the town. The images and data now before her were all gathered by those undercover Bangboo.
"What an amusing little creature. So small, yet its energy response is off the charts..."
Judging from the readings, this rock-like being resembling a Bangboo possessed an energy signature that far exceeded even Hoshimi Miyabi's demon blade, rivaling the great beasts lurking in the depths of the Hollow. The discovery left Sarah and the Order's researchers astonished.
If this little one could be corrupted into an Ethereal, it would create a monster unlike any New Eridu had ever seen—the most powerful Ethereal ever observed within a symbiotic void.
At the thought, Sarah laughed aloud.
"To think they want to suppress Hollow Zero... Such foolish delusion, hahaha..."
Just then, her phone rang.
The moment she answered, a subordinate's voice came through.
"Miss Sarah, everything is ready. We can trigger the symbiotic Hollow at any time."
Sarah replied slowly, savoring her words.
"No rush. That little one is formidable. Prepare more thoroughly. Let the Hollow's surge be even fiercer... I can't wait to see what it looks like as an Ethereal..."
"Yes, Miss Sarah. We'll begin preparations at once."
Satisfied, Sarah hung up.
She switched on the television, where reports of "Bringer's illegal crimes" flashed across the screen. A faint smile curled her lips.
Rising from her seat, she moved to leave.
It was time to head to the Outer Ring.
Time to make preparations for tomorrow's plan.