Reaching Liyue's Highest Point—Yujing Terrace! So Beautiful, Everyone

Mu Yang rubbed his eyes.

He sat up in bed.

He had expected to feel sore all over or weak.

But he didn't.

"System, how much time has passed?"

System: "One minute."

What a surprise. Although he had progressed through the simulation based on key points, hundreds of years had passed within it.

Yet, only one minute had gone by outside.

No wonder his body felt fine.

What could possibly go wrong after just lying down for a minute?

This simulation hadn't even reached the Archon.

It only covered Fujin and the other two.

In the game, there was almost no record of this Archon.

So Mu Yang wasn't sure what was happening right now.

He had thought he'd get to see her in the simulation.

But he hadn't even met her before it ended.

It seemed he needed more Popularity Points.

Because his current state was too strange.

Besides the new memories from the simulation, Mu Yang was very fuzzy about what happened afterward.

Except for the Medicine Master being struck down, and him drawing his sword to charge at the Archon.

The memories after that were almost entirely blank.

"What exactly happened afterward?"

Generally speaking, memories in Teyvat were linked to power.

Could it be that his strength had been depleted too much?

Mu Yang pushed these thoughts aside.

He'd wait until he had enough Popularity Points for a second simulation to find out.

Now, it was time to prepare for the Liyue main quest.

Mu Yang ordered a large table full of dishes.

After thoroughly enjoying the delicious food at Wangshu Inn, he set off for Liyue Harbor.

Meanwhile, Lumine had spent several days working odd jobs.

She had finally saved up enough expenses for the journey.

Mainly Paimon's food money.

During that time, she had also experienced many stories with characters from Mondstadt.

Finally, she arrived at Liyue Harbor.

Lumine gazed at the vast Liyue Harbor, lost in thought.

People came and went here.

The patrolling Millelith.

The vendors' calls and cries.

The voices of shop owners haggling with customers.

All intermingled.

Guinaifen's livestream.

After several days of leveling up and doing daily quests, she had reached the level required to continue the main story.

She looked at the familiar streets.

Familiar buildings.

"This flavor is so right, fam."

[The streamer is too diligent, even calculating treasure chest EXP, I'm crying]

[Little Guizi is really going all out to play the main story]

[Wow, is this Liyue?]

[I'm a hardcore Liyue person, this flavor is too strong]

[This background music, it's got that vibe]

If you want to talk about meme culture, it's the comments section.

Guinaifen couldn't hold back her laughter.

"Damn, what the heck is 'that vibe,' hahaha."

Paimon was also watching, a little lost in thought.

She then remembered her role as a guide.

"Ahem, this is Liyue!"

"If you want to find the Geo Archon, there's only this one chance a year."

Ying put her hands on her hips and looked at Paimon.

"If Venti hadn't reminded us, we would have missed the 'Rite of Ascension'!"

Paimon looked a little embarrassed.

"Hehe, guides sometimes forget things..."

Ying asked her, "Do you know the specific time and place?"

Paimon spread her hands.

"Since Venti reminded us about the time, of course I... don't know."

"Since we're in Liyue, we should ask the locals."

[Is this a guide?]

[More like a hindrance]

[You're truly unbelievable]

[Humans shouldn't, at least not like this]

[Useless Paimon]

[Is she really just good for being 'Emergency Food'?]

With such an unreliable guide, Ying had to rely on herself.

She walked towards the city.

Preparing to find some friendly faces to ask.

'Liyue, I wonder if I'll run into Mu Yang?'

'He's from Liyue, right?'

'But, it seems to be called the Chasm, I don't know where that is...'

Paimon interrupted Ying's thoughts.

Perhaps wanting to show she still had some use.

"Oh, right, about the Geo Archon, 'Morax'..."

"Did you know? The 'Mora' we use is named after this deity."

"But if we foreigners call the Geo Archon that way in Liyue,"

"we'll be demoted to 'rude foreigners'."

Ying had never heard this before.

After all, in Mondstadt, they directly called the Anemo God or Barbatos by name.

She asked Paimon, "Then what should we call him?"

Paimon: "It's better to call him 'Rex Lapis,' just like the people of Liyue do."

Guinaifen took a sip of her milk tea.

"'Rex Lapis'? Sounds really powerful, doesn't it?"

"Definitely sounds better than the Geo Archon."

"Making Mora? Isn't that a walking money printer?"

"What kind of rich guy is this?! We gotta get in good with him!"

"But he's gonna die soon."

"Damn, I just remembered. Did Mu Yang actually do this?"

"I'll pull for the villain too, guys."

Lumine found Paimon to be somewhat useful.

She noted down the title "Rex Lapis."

Then, she found two people who seemed approachable.

She asked them about the "Rite of Ascension."

A woman dressed as a merchant told her.

Every year on this day.

Rex Lapis would bestow a divine oracle.

Guiding Liyue's direction for the year.

Last year, the one who respectfully received the oracle was the "Hengxing" of the "Liyue Qixing."

"The Hengxing of the Liyue Qixing?"

That was a term Lumine hadn't heard before.

Paimon put her hands on her hips.

Looking quite proud.

"Hmph, I know this one."

"Just like Mondstadt is the city-state of 'Freedom.'"

"Liyue is the nation of 'Contracts,' valuing commerce and trade."

"The seven great merchants representing seven commercial powers."

"The 'Liyue Qixing' are the ones who actually control this country."

"Just like the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt."

"It feels like where there's a god, the actual controller is still the Archon."

"True, he only appears once a year, yet he guides Liyue for the entire year."

"Whoa, I have a bad feeling. What if the Liyue Qixing are trying to seize power?"

"Hiss—, don't say it, but you're totally right."

"The Qixing are the masterminds???"

The merchant reminded Paimon.

That explanation was what foreigners said.

The true controller of Liyue.

Would always be Rex Lapis.

"The Qixing are mortals, the Archon is a god."

"The God of Freedom isn't in Mondstadt, but our God is eternal."

"This girl, talk about eating your words quickly!"

"Are you the one tempting fate?"

"Rex Lapis: Why is my back suddenly feeling cold?"

After that, Lumine asked a few more people along the way.

Before finally learning the location of the Rite of Ascension—Yujing Terrace.

Which was the highest point of this port.

She just needed to keep heading upwards.

Lumine followed the crowd, walking towards the higher ground.

Finally arriving at Yujing Terrace.

She saw people lighting incense.

Paimon told her.

This was a ritual.

Making wishes during the annual Rite of Ascension was very effective.

Lumine approached an incense burner in a less crowded area.

A young woman had just finished making her wish.

Seeing Lumine's foreign attire, she couldn't help but smile.

"Are you also here to soak up some immortal energy?"

"Haha, you understand well, young lady!"

"If you make a wish on this day, the Geo Archon and the Immortals will protect you."

Upon hearing this, Lumine, mimicking the woman's earlier actions, lit three sticks of incense.

Then she made her wish.

"I hope to find my brother soon..."

"I hope to get a clue from the Geo Archon..."

After she finished wishing, the surrounding crowd grew much quieter.

The Rite of Ascension seemed about to begin.