After returning to the continent of Teyvat, Lu Chen used a teleport waypoint to quickly bring everyone to a wide meadow of lush green grass.
A cool breeze brushed past them, carrying with it the faint fragrance of blooming flowers.
Following a winding footpath forward, they looked up to see a towering tree whose thick branches and leaves blotted out the sun. Nestled among its boughs were exotic, ornate buildings—together forming a bustling city built atop the colossal tree.
The City of Wisdom—Sumeru City.
Venti took a deep breath, savoring the refreshing air. "No wonder a city in the rainforest feels so nice… every breath is pure bliss. Love it here~"
Zhongli gazed at the vibrant greenery ahead, a faint smile on his lips. "It has been many years since I last set foot in Sumeru, yet nothing seems to have changed. It's… nostalgic."
As the city's own Archon, Nahida was pleased to hear such praise. "Alright, enough chatting for now. We didn't eat lunch before coming, so why don't I take you to the Lambad Tavern? Venti, you've been talking about visiting it forever."
"Yes, yes!" Venti's eyes lit up at the mention of a tavern.
"Aren't we here for business? And all you can think about is eating and drinking?" Scaramouche muttered from behind.
The sulky expression on his face made it clear he still hadn't cooled off. Nahida simply laughed.
"There's no rush. You know the saying—'When guests come from afar…' Besides, you're all honored guests." She patted her chest proudly. "As Sumeru's god, I have to play the proper host."
"Very true, very true!" Venti grinned. "So let's go to the Lambad Tavern already—I can't wait!"
Lu Chen glanced at Ei, who looked curious, then at Scaramouche, whose face was unreadable.
"Let's head into the city first. Even if we're here for business, taverns are great places to gather information. And who knows—maybe we'll run into two old friends."
Lumine and Paimon should have finished their journey in Inazuma by now, and if his timing was right, they'd just have arrived in Sumeru.
Following Nahida's lead, the group set off down the main road to Sumeru City.
As they neared the ornate arched gate, Lu Chen noticed Nahida had changed her appearance—concealing her hair color and donning plain clothes.
"To avoid being recognized by the Akademiya?" Lu Chen asked.
Nahida gave a small nod. "Mm… though it's not like many would remember my face anyway…"
"That sounds way too sad," Lu Chen said with a sigh.
"Haha," Nahida chuckled. "I've rarely appeared in public, after all. Most of the time I was kept inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana."
Realizing their group's attire was a little too eye-catching, Lu Chen suggested everyone dress down.
Zhongli switched into a simple Liyue-style robe, looking much like a storyteller at a teahouse. Lu Chen and Ei also changed into the kind of plain outfits worn by random city NPCs. Their striking looks couldn't really be hidden, but it was still an improvement.
Venti, of course, kept his classic bard's attire—no one would ever guess this easygoing wanderer was Mondstadt's Anemo Archon.
Scaramouche reverted to the loose, travel-worn garb he wore while wandering abroad.
When the six of them reached the gate, a man in Akademiya robes approached with a sword-bearing guard at his side.
"Please wait a moment. Is this your first time visiting Sumeru City?"
Lu Chen and Nahida exchanged a glance, both suppressing a smile.
"Yes, it's our first time here," Nahida replied.
Lu Chen half-expected them to try to block the way, but instead, the man was warm and courteous.
"Don't worry—I'm not here to stop you. On the contrary, the Akademiya provides every guest of Sumeru City with a very useful tool."
"A tool?"
"Yes. You may have heard of the 'Akasha'—the legacy of the great Dendro Archon, Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. It is a vast repository of knowledge.
"After centuries of dedicated work, the Akademiya has developed the 'Akasha Terminal.'"
He produced a sleek, green-glowing device. "Once inside Sumeru, as long as you wear the Akasha Terminal, you can connect to the Akasha and access the knowledge you need."
"Oh?" Lu Chen took the device. He'd heard about it from Nahida before, but holding it in his hands was still remarkable.
In a land like Teyvat, with such limited technology, they'd created something akin to the internet—complete with a compact, portable device. And unlike a phone, it didn't even need charging.
Seeing their interest, the scholar nodded with satisfaction. "You're lucky. In the past, the Akasha Terminal was only given to Sumeru citizens and long-term foreign residents. It's only recently that the Akademiya decided to provide them to all travelers."
"Oh? Recently?" Lu Chen glanced at Nahida.
She gave a subtle nod—and her voice sounded in his mind.
"Yes. The Akademiya lifted the restriction in recent months, allowing foreigners to use it. They believe it will expand Sumeru's influence across the Seven Nations and help attract more talent."
"I see." Lu Chen nodded.
Once all six Akasha Terminals had been handed out, the group followed the scholar's instructions, holding the devices and silently reciting:
I wish to hear the wisdom of the gods.
With a soft beep, a cursor-like mark appeared near each person's left ear, and a faint green holographic screen lit up before their eyes.
"This is pretty neat~" Venti said, peering through the interface and spotting the names and roles of the scholar and guard.
The sight reminded everyone of the "system" Lu Chen often mentioned.
The Akasha System was a kind of system too, but Lu Chen quickly discovered that many queries returned "no access"—clearly just a limited "tourist edition."
Satisfied that they could use it, the scholar smiled.
"Welcome to Sumeru. May the wisdom of the Dendro Archon always be with you."
With that, he and the guard turned to leave.
Once they were gone, Lu Chen took off his Akasha Terminal.
"Is this thing safe?" he asked Nahida. "Wearing it all the time—won't the Akademiya sages be able to spy on me?"
"I'm not certain," Nahida said honestly, keeping hers on, "but it's very possible. Still… when everyone in the city is wearing one and you're the only one who isn't, you'll stand out even more."
"Mm… fair point." Lu Chen slipped it back on. If he was that worried, he'd just find time later to create a fake one.