In winter, in the Queen's Palace.
The Doctor was having a tense meeting with Barnabas, the Ice God, the Harlequin, and the Girl.
Barnabas spoke gravely.
"Harlequin, have you contacted the captain? Tell him to cease collecting the Heart of God."
The Harlequin nodded slightly.
"I've already reached out, but that man follows his own plans."
Barnabas's brows furrowed.
"Then you must go in person. This is far too important. All Fatui operations must be halted, especially anything to do with the Heart of God."
The Harlequin inclined his head.
"Understood."
Suddenly, all four drew their weapons in unison, slashing toward the ceiling.
A crescent-shaped arc of sword energy had appeared above the palace—falling swiftly, sharply.
Their combined power shifted its trajectory, but not enough. The attack veered slightly off course, crashing through the palace roof just beside them.
The ceiling shattered, and a woman descended through the sky—Jingliu.
Barnabas's eyes narrowed. So powerful... and yet he had never heard of her.
The Epiphyllum sword in Jingliu's hand pointed coldly at the Doctor.
"This trip is for one purpose—your life."
With that, she slashed again.
The second strike was even more devastating. The Doctor didn't even have a chance to respond. He was cleaved in an instant—his body torn apart, dissolving into a mist of blood that drifted slowly to the floor.
The others barely had time to react.
Jingliu turned, her mission complete, and disappeared into the sky.
Barnabas stood frozen, thoughts racing.
"Harlequin. Girl. I'm heading to Liyue. You two will manage Zhidong in my absence."
The Harlequin and the Girl bowed in acknowledgement.
Barnabas rose into the air, flying toward Liyue Harbor. He needed answers. Asmodeus had to know something about this woman.
Meanwhile, Yuri and the others continued their journey. After an entire day of travel, they reached the border between the desert and the rainforest.
Kevin stood on a high cliff, staring out at the golden sea of sand below.
"Whoa~ Is this the desert? It looks super hot!"
Dishia nodded.
"It's scorching during the day, but freezing at night. If we descend through that canyon, we'll reach Aru Village."
Yuri grinned.
"Wanna go sandboarding? Looks like the perfect spot!"
March 7th's eyes sparkled as she took in the towering cliffs and the vast canyon beneath.
"We can actually slide all the way down?! Yuri, quick—bring out the boards!"
Yuri had come prepared. He'd bought several sandboards just for this moment. They were shaped like small boats, with raised ends for smooth gliding.
Kevin jumped on his board with excitement, feet planted, urging the others.
Yuri helped buckle up the six kids, then gave the go-ahead.
"Ready? Set... go!"
Kevin pushed off hard. His board launched into the air.
"Wuhuuuu~!"
He sped down the slope, sand trailing behind him, eyes wide with exhilaration.
Bai Lu followed closely, clutching her board.
"Me too~!"
Then came Yuri, March 7th, Nahida, and Alhaitham.
Alhaitham didn't care much for sandboarding—but it was an efficient way to travel.
The group sailed down the dunes, stirring up clouds of golden dust behind them.
Over twenty minutes later, they arrived at the canyon's base.
Kevin hopped off his board with satisfaction.
"That was awesome!"
Klee tugged at the hem of Yuri's clothes, eyes gleaming.
"Brother Yuri~ Klee wants to go again!"
Yuri chuckled, patting her head gently.
"Next time, Klee. We've still got a journey ahead."
Klee pouted, but nodded.
"Okay! Let's keep going!"
Their group continued forward until they arrived at Aru Village, where village chief Candice awaited them.
Inside Candice's home, Dishia introduced Yuri, Nahida, and the others.
Candice's gaze landed on Nahida—then widened in disbelief.
"The Little Auspicious Grass King?"
She knelt immediately.
"Candice of Aru Village greets Your Grace."
Nahida quickly helped her up.
"Please, there's no need to be so formal."
Candice straightened, trying to remain composed.
"Forgive me, my lord, but... what brings you here?"
Nahida smiled gently.
"I came to improve the lives of the desert people."
Candice was stunned.
Did she just hear right? Did the Little Auspicious Grass King really say she wanted to improve desert life?
Nahida turned to Yuri.
"Yuri, do you still have the item I asked you to hold?"
Yuri thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers.
"Ah! You mean that Tree of Life? I've got plenty. Want to buy one?"
Nahida nodded.
"I want to plant it here in Aru Village."
Yuri pulled up the item's data.
[Product: Tree of Life]
Introduction: A sacred tree from a distant fantasy plane. Where it grows, a forest blooms.
The Tree of Life enriches the soil and fosters forest growth.
Price: 180,000 Stellar Jade
Yuri's eyes widened.
So that's her plan—Nahida wanted to transform the desert into a lush forest. If she truly sat on the throne, the desert tribes would surely rally behind her.
After all, they had always dreamed of green lands. And Nahida could make that dream real.
Nahida summoned a shimmering pouch and placed it in Yuri's hands.
"There are 18,000 raw Stellar Jades in here. Please help me buy the Tree of Life."
Yuri blinked.
"Where'd you get all these jades? You've been in Liyue this whole time."
Nahida grinned.
"I gathered them using the animals and fungi connected to Sumeru."
Yuri nodded slowly.
"Makes sense."
Nahida did possess that power—able to link with living beings and control their movements across the land.
With a smile, Yuri took the pouch and completed the purchase for her.
The Tree of Life would soon take root in Aru Village.
Yuri bought the Tree of Life, which was now a young seedling.
The seedling was wrapped in bubbles, and Yuri gently handed it to Nahida.
Nahida accepted it with care and looked at it for a moment, then turned to Candice beside her.
"Candice, take me to the square."
Without hesitation, Candice nodded and led Nahida and the others to the village square.
Along the way, many villagers of Aru Village noticed the group. Curious eyes followed their steps.
Some people recognized Dehya and came forward.
"Dehya, who are these people? What's happening?"
Dehya pointed solemnly at Nahida.
"That is the Little Auspicious Grass Queen. She has come to bring us desert people what we've always dreamed of. Come and see for yourself.
A miracle has finally come to the desert."
The villagers gasped. That... That was the Lord God!
Although many desert dwellers held resentment toward the Dendro Archon, they also respected her—because she was still a god.
Word spread fast. Villagers and even resting mercenaries gathered in the square.
Nahida stood at the center, the Tree of Life seedling glowing faintly in her hands. She looked up at the sky, bathed in golden sunlight.
She popped the protective bubble and knelt down, digging into the hard earth with her bare hands. She placed the seedling carefully into the pit.
As she covered it with soil, she softly spoke:
"Trees are the bridge between earth and sky. They are witnesses and guardians of life.
They are born of life, and gifted by nature.
They offer soil for shelter, shade for comfort, and fruit for nourishment.
We all grew up on this land—desert or rainforest—and we should all share the gifts of life."
Her voice carried through the crowd like a sacred wind. She stretched out her hand toward the seedling.
"The rainforest people have known this blessing. The desert people should too.
Today, I plant this Tree of Life, so that from now on, there will be only one people—Sumeru's people."
Divine power flowed from her small form, streaming into the seedling.
The sapling shimmered green and began to grow—rapidly, astonishingly.
In barely ten minutes, what was once a fragile sprout had transformed into a towering tree, sixty or seventy meters tall.
Kevin's jaw dropped.
"Oh my god! This really is a miracle! Holy Stellar Jade, this is insane!"
Now he understood why people in less advanced civilizations worshipped gods—because witnessing this, who wouldn't?
Villagers, mercenaries, Dehya, Alhaitham—everyone was awestruck.
Nahida floated into the air and gently sat on the tree's strongest trunk, brushing her hand against the bark.
A soft breeze stirred the leaves, and then—
The Tree of Life burst into radiant light, blinding in its brilliance.
Everyone shielded their eyes.
When the light dimmed, they looked around in utter disbelief.
The rocky soil beneath the tree had transformed into lush green grass. It spread outwards, covering the entire village and racing toward the mountains.
It stopped where the four mountains encircled the village.
Then came the flowers—colorful, vibrant—sprouting from the new grass. Trees rose tall and proud, and a spring bubbled forth at the tree's base. It flowed down into a magnificent waterfall between the gorge linking Aru Village and the Statue of The Seven.
A desert mercenary crouched down and touched the grass, shaking.
"This is real... This is real grass!"
His words snapped everyone out of their daze.
"Water! We have water! We don't have to live in thirst anymore!"
"Mom, these flowers are so pretty! Can I pick some?"
"No, dear. These flowers need this soil to live. Let's let them bloom here. You can visit them every day, alright?"
"Little Auspicious Grass Queen! Thank you for your gift!"
Cheers of gratitude erupted.
But Nahida, drained from using too much divine power, had fallen into a deep sleep on the trunk.
Seeing this, Aether stepped forward, raising his voice.
"Everyone! Please quiet down! The Little Auspicious Grass Queen is resting. Let's not disturb her."
The crowd hushed immediately, careful not to wake their benefactor.
An elder spoke up, tears in his eyes.
"Why... Why didn't she come sooner? So many of our companions were taken by the sands and hunger... They didn't have to die."
Aether stepped forward and shared the truth. Nahida had been imprisoned by the Grand Sage. Her return was a fight to reclaim her rightful place as a god.
The mercenaries gritted their teeth.
"So it was the sages! Bastards! They locked up such a kind god?!"
Seeing the fire in their eyes, Aether continued.
"Then I ask you—will you help the Little Auspicious Grass Queen ascend the throne of God once more?"
He raised his fist.
The crowd roared in response.
Especially the mercenaries:
"Hell yeah! I'll go rally my brothers! She gave us life! We owe her everything!"
"Right! We desert folk always repay our debts. Let's move!"
And so, in groups of two and three, the mercenaries departed to gather reinforcements.
Yuri, witnessing this, couldn't help but laugh.
"Incredible... Aether really is the Abyss Order's top student. With just a few words, he's got them all ready to fight for him. What a shame he's not running a sales empire."
The next morning—
Nahida slowly stirred from sleep, lying still upon the sturdy tree trunk.
Nearby, six little Klees were playing around.
Kevin, March 7th, and Liuying were snapping pictures with their cameras.
Dehya approached, smiling warmly.
"You're awake, Little Auspicious Grass Queen."
Nahida rubbed her eyes and looked around.
Aru Village, once quiet and desolate, now brimmed with life and mercenaries. Aether was deep in planning with several mercenary leaders.
He had already contacted the little Aranaras. All seventy-six of them.
In just one day, he had completed the entire "Forest Book" and returned.
After all, he wasn't like Lumine in the original tale. He'd known those little ones for a long time.
Meanwhile, the commotion had already reached Kawanyi. The Thirty were moving.
Azar had been alerted and swiftly mobilized the bulk of the Thirty's forces, marching toward Kawanyi.
They were coming.
To crush Aru Village.
To capture Nahida.