Lumine arrived at the location Xingqiu had mentioned.
However, all she saw was an ordinary waterfall, with no sign of any ruins.
Shenhe, wielding her talisman, dispelled the illusionary barrier around them.
The entrance to the ruins was suddenly revealed in all its glory.
The group entered the Adeptus' cavernous domain.
As the domain had been abandoned for years, it had spawned some malevolent creatures.
Moreover, the place was filled with Adeptus mechanisms, making the journey quite challenging.
Fortunately, Shenhe guided and assisted them, and they quickly unraveled the mystery of the mist.
Beneath the clouds awaited a horde of Treasure Hoarders.
Facing this army of Treasure Hoarders, Lumine was utterly fearless, channeling the power of Geo into her sword.
With her EX Curry Stick + Windwheel Slash, she obliterated the Treasure Hoarders in one fell swoop...
However, the moment the battle ended, the ground beneath them vanished, and the group plummeted into a void.
The space was too cramped to deploy the Wings of Wind.
Just as Mu Yang prepared to intervene, Lumine, quick on her feet, conjured several Geo constructs to fill the opening of the pit.
Shenhe also used a floating talisman to lessen the impact of their fall.
The group safely came to a stop above the pit's entrance.
Mu Yang retracted his hand, realizing he had underestimated them.
He had promised not to act unless absolutely necessary.
After all, this was Lumine and his own disciple—perhaps he had lost his composure a bit...
Through the gaps in the Geo constructs, they could see a large pool of water below.
Thus, Lumine withdrew her Geo energy, and the group gently descended into the water.
After navigating past several mechanisms, they finally emerged from the underground passage.
"Look over there—could that be the [Resonant Dawnstone]?" Paimon, who was flying ahead, had clearly spotted something.
Lumine and the others hurriedly followed.
"I never expected it to be this big..."
The Dawnstone was massive, possibly larger than the entire [Three Bowls Won't Cross the Harbor].
Lumine remarked, "Only something this size could possibly keep the Jade Chamber afloat."
The Jade Chamber was a palace, and its weight was no small matter.
To lift such a palace into the air, a stone of this scale was necessary.
Paimon asked in confusion, "Why isn't this Dawnstone floating?"
Shenhe examined the massive stone. "In its unactivated state, a Dawnstone doesn't float. Though its appearance differs from ordinary stones, its weight is similar."
"Only when activated does it reveal its true form, breaking free from the shackles of the mortal world and ascending into the sky."
[So, the question is, how do we bring it back?]
[Time to 'Help me, Mu Yang, the Adeptus' again?]
[Float! Activate! I'll make you fly!]
[This darn weightless feeling!]
Paimon laughed and praised, "Shenhe, you know so much!"
Shenhe replied honestly, "It's because my master loves to talk. When she's free, she drags me into conversations about all sorts of rumors."
"Many things I heard didn't interest me at the time, but I never thought they'd come in handy one day."
Lumine and Paimon simultaneously glanced at Mu Yang.
They hadn't expected Mu Yang to be like that when training his disciple.
How refreshing!
However, the truth was, of course, not quite like that.
"She's talking about Cloud Retainer."
[Fits Cloud Retainer's personality, haha!]
[Now that Shenhe's not around, isn't there no one to care for the lonely old bird?]
[I'll do it! I'll do it!]
[Getting desperate, huh?]
The two relaxed. If it was that woman, it made sense...
The idle chatter ended there, as a dilemma now faced Lumine.
If they activated the stone here, it would immediately float into the sky, carrying everyone with it, unstoppable.
But if they didn't activate it, this mountain-sized stone was clearly too heavy for Lumine to carry.
No one knew how strong Shenhe was, but even she likely couldn't handle such a colossal object.
Paimon was, of course, negligible.
Was their only option to rely on Mu Yang?
Was Shenhe's trial to end here?
Lumine looked at Mu Yang, whose expression seemed to carry a deeper meaning...
Paimon said, "This thing must weigh at least a thousand pounds, right?"
Shenhe circled the giant stone. "No need to worry. This weight is nothing to me."
Paimon: "Be careful, okay?"
Shenhe nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. I know how precious a large Dawnstone is. I'll handle it carefully to avoid any damage."
Lumine added, "Paimon was talking about you, Shenhe. You need to stay safe."
Shenhe blinked in confusion. "Me?"
"Exactly. Even someone like you could get hurt if something this heavy fell on you."
With her hands on her hips, Paimon began her little lecture.
"When handling heavy objects, you have to prioritize your own safety. That's common sense!"
"Understood." Shenhe thanked them both.
"My master's books mention this, but I judged that this stone doesn't count as a heavy object."
Now it was Lumine and Paimon's turn to be baffled.
A mountain-sized stone wasn't a heavy object?!
"Then I'll take the Dawnstone and go ahead. We'll meet up at the construction site later."
With that, Shenhe lifted the Dawnstone with one hand and left...
— — — — — —
[Iconic scene incoming!]
[How much would she earn moving bricks at a construction site with that strength?]
[With that kind of power, she's still moving bricks?]
Guinaifen chimed in, "Fam, do you remember when Shenhe first appeared?"
"Back then, when dealing with shady people, she'd just smash their heads into the ground three times..."
[Three times? One smash, and the scene wouldn't even be broadcastable!]
[So the Thousand Rock Army back then was saving Scarred Liu?]
[The girl next door grows up, with strength to move mountains and unrivaled might (doge)]
[Let me lend you a helping hand!]
[True · Helping Hand!]
— — — — — —
Lumine and Paimon stood dumbfounded in the wind.
"Mu Yang, Shenhe is just too incredible, isn't she?!"
"No wonder she's an Adeptus..."
Mu Yang didn't elaborate much and instead led the two back to the construction site near the Golden House.
Along the way, everyone they passed was talking about Shenhe's 'feat.'
"Oh my god! I can't believe my eyes!"
"To lift such a heavy stone, she must be one of the legendary Adepti, right?"
Some even began praying on the spot. "Adeptus, please bless me with a raise next year..."
[This guy's pretty practical.]
[Lol, making such a stingy wish? I'd just wish to find money on the ground!]
"Shenhe! And... Lady Ningguang's little assistant."
Ningguang's secretary, Baiwen, turned around and saw Lumine and Mu Yang.
"So it's you. No wonder you found such a rare Dawnstone."
The quality of this Dawnstone was likely unmatched in this endeavor.
If it was the work of Mu Yang, the Adeptus, it wasn't surprising.
But did Mu Yang, the Adeptus, really need to participate in this? He probably had no questions to ask.
Or perhaps, did he and Lady Ningguang share some secret?
Of course, Baiwen kept these little thoughts to herself, not daring to voice them.
She prepared to record everyone's names, but Mu Yang told her to only note the three of them.
There was no need to include his name.
Though puzzled, Baiwen obediently complied.
— — — — — —
That evening, at Liyue Harbor, on the third floor of [Three Bowls Won't Cross the Harbor].
Mu Yang brought out the final dish. "Adeptal Temptation is served. Let's eat."
At that moment, Paimon broke free from Lumine's grasp, like a wild horse let loose...
If Lumine hadn't held her back earlier, the place would've already turned into ancient battlefield ruins.
Compared to dinner, Shenhe was more concerned about something else. "Master, how was my performance today?"