Ch. 422If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria reflected on the many ways she had quietly cared for Heulia, then reassured her that she would never abandon her. Heulia asked whether Maria liked her, and Maria answered with affectionate action.

  • Maria recalled how she had followed Heulia home, brought her gifts, eliminated threats, and investigated things Heulia wanted.
  • Heulia told Maria she needed only to stay by her side and hoped Maria would be happy.
  • Maria reassured Heulia that she would not abandon her and urged her to have confidence in herself.
  • Heulia asked whether Maria liked her cuteness, and Maria responded by caressing her.

Ch. 423If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria exchanged blood with Fushé and purified him of the corruption affecting his sanity. She offered to continue helping the Yaksha, even after her death, and the Liyue group accepted her gesture with a toast.

  • Maria asked the Yaksha about their duty to purge god remnants and offered to help them.
  • Maria cut Fushé’s wrist and exchanged blood with him in front of the gathered immortals and gods.
  • Fushé found that he had been purified, and Maria offered to exchange blood with him regularly.
  • Maria told the Yaksha they could use her body for blood exchanges if she died, so Guizhong would not grieve over her friends.
  • The Liyue group raised a toast to Maria and resolved to show their gratitude through their actions.

Ch. 424If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria continued protecting Salt City and Guili Plains as enemy attacks grew unusually frequent, suspecting that altered history was provoking a backlash. She warned Guizhong to protect herself, and the chapter ended with defenses expanding while the threat continued to escalate.

  • Heulia sensed a dangerous threat, offered Maria her blood and power, and fell asleep in Maria's embrace after Maria returned victorious.
  • Guizhong witnessed Maria defeat enemies threatening Guili Plains and remarked that attacks had become unusually frequent.
  • Maria suspected that resistance from the original course of history was driving the attacks and urged Guizhong to protect herself and trust her.
  • Guizhong invited Maria to stay with her, then expanded military mechanisms and defenses around Dihua Marsh and The Salt of the Earth as attacks kept increasing.

Ch. 425If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Guizhong fought the Sea God to keep the waves from flooding Guili Plains, but her strength was not enough to overcome it. When Maria arrived, the battle’s outcome had already been decided.

  • The Sea God sent towering waves and sea beasts toward the shore, and the defenses stopped the beasts but could not halt the waves.
  • Guizhong used her catalyst and sand and dust to block the waves before they reached Guili Plains.
  • Guizhong realized she could not win, but resolved to hold the Sea God off until reinforcements arrived.
  • Guizhong fought the Sea God in a desperate clash, but its strength overwhelmed hers.
  • Maria arrived after the outcome had already been decided.

Ch. 426If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Heulia fought a Demon God attacking Salt City and was gravely wounded, but Maria arrived and killed the enemy. Maria ordered the survivors to flee the coming flood and seek Morax’s protection, while she and Heulia remained behind.

  • Heulia left Salt City’s defenses to fight the attacking Demon God and wounded it by salting part of its body.
  • The Demon God defeated Heulia, but Maria arrived and destroyed it and the other monsters around Salt City.
  • Maria caught Heulia, who asked whether she had upheld the King’s expectations, and Maria told her she only needed Heulia.
  • Maria told Salt City’s people to migrate to the highlands near Mt. Tianheng and seek shelter in Liyue Harbor before the great tide arrived.
  • Maria urged the people to be grateful to Morax and to become his subjects, but they refused to stop calling themselves subjects of the Salt God and Salt King.

Ch. 427If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria, Guizhong, and Heulia entered Guizhong's Cave Mansion together, where Maria intended their separation to be temporary despite the others believing it was final. A hundred years later, Morax brought the Yakshas to exchange blood as the Salt King had instructed, and Anqi's experiment proved a tremendous success.

  • Maria told Morax to make the Yakshas exchange blood even if he had to force them, then accompanied Guizhong and Heulia into Guizhong's Cave Mansion.
  • The immortals and gods watched the cave doors close, believing they had witnessed an eternal farewell, while Maria resolved that it was only temporary.
  • A hundred years later, Morax entered the cave with the Yakshas and found the Salt King, Guizhong, and Heulia resting together amid the Salt King's preserved blood.
  • Morax explained that the Salt King had left instructions for the Yakshas to exchange blood without disturbing the protection surrounding Guizhong and Heulia.
  • The Yakshas kowtowed before exchanging blood, then established an altar and stationed at least one Yaksha outside the cave to guard it.
  • Anqi's experiment succeeded so spectacularly that its results overwhelmed those involved.

Ch. 428If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria and Zhongli tested their strength in a clash between a blood-red sword and a rock spear. They remained eager to fight as Maria named Jueyunjian and Zhongli agreed.

  • Maria said that even if she joined, she might not be Zhongli’s match.
  • Maria pointed out that her sword’s hum suggested otherwise.
  • Maria’s blood-red sword clashed with Zhongli’s rock spear, and neither weapon yielded.
  • Maria and Zhongli smiled eagerly for another fight.
  • Maria asked about Jueyunjian, and Zhongli agreed.

Ch. 429If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Maria and Zhongli returned to Lu Hua Garden, where the Yakshas and adepti toasted their fallen companions. Maria also restored some of Makosius’s origin, and the gathering welcomed her, Guizhong, and Heulia back among Liyue’s reunited old friends.

  • Zhongli thanked Maria for freeing the Yakshas from karmic debt, and Xiao, Fanan, and Yingda toasted her.
  • Fanan recounted how Minu and Fushé had died protecting others, and Maria asked whether the Yakshas had any regrets.
  • The adepti toasted Yixiao daotian and Minghai xinxia, who had died in battle without regrets.
  • Makosius toasted Maria, and Maria restored enough of his origin for him to speak again.
  • Zhongli shared Azhdaha’s story and toasted him on his behalf, while Guizhong and Heulia joined Maria in raising their cups.
  • Guizhong spent the rest of the banquet pulling guests into conversations and drinks as she caught up on the years she had missed.

Ch. 430If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Lumine, who was not fully asleep, enjoyed Anqi pressing against her back and smiled quietly. The chapter left Anqi unaware that Lumine might be enjoying the closeness as much as she was.

  • Anqi pressed against Lumine's back, bringing warmth and a sweet fragrance.
  • Lumine silently smiled while pretending to be asleep.
  • Lumine considered that she and Kiana shared traits, and that Anqi might not be the only one enjoying the situation.

Ch. 431If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Kaguya summoned Sangonomiya Kokomi to Tenshukaku and reassured her that she and Watatsumi Island would be safe as long as she served the Shogunate faithfully. Kokomi acknowledged Watatsumi Island’s own failures in the rebellion and renewed her vow of loyalty to the Shogun and Inazuma.

  • Kaguya noticed a pink mermaid watching the execution and became interested in her.
  • Sangonomiya Kokomi went to Tenshukaku and paid her respects to Kaguya and the Shogun.
  • Kaguya praised Kokomi’s service, then teased that she could have put her on the execution block.
  • Kokomi insisted that she was utterly loyal, and Kaguya promised to protect her and Watatsumi Island if she continued doing her job.
  • Kaguya asked how Kokomi felt about the executed rebels, and Kokomi said Watatsumi Island’s own problems were the primary cause of its suffering.
  • Kokomi vowed absolute loyalty to the Shogun and Inazuma, offering her head if she ever broke that oath.

Ch. 432Chapter 432 of the Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Perspective

Raiden Ei discussed Kaguya’s growing closeness with Yae Miko and Kusanaagi, while Kaguya and Raiden Makoto reflected on the past and Kaguya’s bond with Kamisato Ayaka. After Saro buried the disgraced Kujou Faction’s dead, she returned to Tenshukaku and found her quarters’ door open.

  • Raiden Ei told Yae Miko and Kusanaagi that Kaguya seemed to be getting closer to her and asked whether her sister was recovering.
  • Kaguya recalled fragments of the Kandria disaster with Raiden Makoto, who reflected on the price paid for humanity’s pursuit of forbidden power.
  • Kamisato Ayaka brought her belongings to Tenshukaku, and Kaguya promised to take her traveling once Inazuma was calm.
  • Kaguya told Raiden Makoto she would cherish Ayaka and preserve her youth, and they agreed that forming new bonds could also be a kind of eternity.
  • Saro buried the headless corpses of the disgraced Kujou Faction members and made offerings at their graves.
  • Saro returned to her quarters at Tenshukaku and found the door open.

Ch. 433If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

After witnessing the execution of the man she revered, Saro grieved in Kaguya’s arms, and Kaguya comforted her. Ayaka joined them and said she now saw Saro as the resolute warrior friend she had always wanted.

  • Kaguya welcomed Saro and asked whether she was sad about the execution.
  • Saro explained that she had looked up to and trusted the executed man, then broke down crying in Kaguya’s lap.
  • Kaguya comforted Saro despite having caused the executions herself, and Saro eventually fell asleep.
  • Ayaka arrived and spoke with Kaguya about Saro’s grief and the friendship she hoped to build with her.

Ch. 434If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Kusanaagi accepted her identity and reunited emotionally with Yae Miko, while Raiden Ei joined them in bed. Three days later, Inazuma sent declarations of war to the six nations, and the Fatui Harbingers gathered to discuss the Electro Archon’s challenge.

  • Kusanaagi told Yae Miko that she had decided she was truly Kusanaagi and wanted to continue existing beside Makoto, Ei, and Yae Miko.
  • Kusanaagi welcomed Yae Miko home, and the two foxes embraced Raiden Ei as they went to sleep together.
  • Sangonomiya Kokomi delivered a reorganized instrument of crimes, and Yae Miko and Kusanaagi prepared arrows bearing Inazuma’s declaration of war.
  • Raiden Ei fired six arrows toward the capitals of the six nations, with the declaration challenging the Cryo Archon to fight.
  • Pantalone questioned the Doctor, Scaramouche, and other Harbingers about their experiments in Inazuma, and the gathered Fatui considered the Electro Archon’s claims credible.

Ch. 435If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Wendy worried about the Electro Archon and asked Barbatos to offer his regards when they reached Inazuma, but decided one God of Wind had to remain in Mondstadt in case the Abyss Order returned. Barbatos reflected on the old Archons and the changes brought by erosion, then played a melancholic tune as Wendy listened and Dvalin fell asleep.

  • Wendy wondered how the Electro Archon was doing and praised her service protecting Teyvat from evil god invasions.
  • Wendy asked Barbatos to visit the Electro Archon and help her, but said she had to remain in Mondstadt to guard against the Abyss Order.
  • Barbatos agreed and reflected on the first-generation Archons, the second-generation gods, and the reach of erosion.
  • Barbatos played a heartfelt tune on his lyre, Wendy smiled as she listened, and Dvalin fell asleep beside the oak tree.

Ch. 436If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Guizhong planned to build stronger defenses for Liyue, and Zhongli offered her support before warning Maria about the dangers of the Chongyan Giant Abyss. Maria remained determined to investigate, believing her command of space could help where Zhongli had failed.

  • Guizhong announced plans to build a stronger Super Guizhong Machine and fortify Liyue, and Zhongli gave her stamped papers to request resources.
  • Zhongli considered whether Maria could help him deal with Hall Master Hu, then asked why she had sent Xiao to investigate the Chongyan Giant Abyss.
  • Maria said she hoped Fushé might survive the Abyss, and Zhongli recalled how Fushé had saved his sisters and soldiers during the catastrophe five hundred years earlier.
  • Zhongli explained that the abyssal and heavenly influences had made the sealed spaces unpredictable, and that his later expeditions had found no way through.
  • Maria acknowledged the danger but believed her own ability to manipulate space might let her navigate the Abyss.

Ch. 437If You Bleed Enough, It’s Not Awkward Anymore (Continued)

Furina panicked after learning that the invitation was meant for the gods and feared the consequences of the Hydro Archon’s absence. Eris reassured her and stayed by her side as Furina struggled to remain composed.

  • Furina wondered how the volatile Electro Archon would react if she failed to attend the gathering.
  • Furina asked whether Eris could imitate a god’s power and aura, and Eris said she could.
  • Furina returned to her bedchamber, bit her thumb to steady herself, and asked Eris to leave her alone for a while.
  • Eris saw through Furina’s brave smile and told her she would always accompany her.
  • Furina embraced Eris tightly as she tried to convince herself that she was calm.

Ch. 438Bleed Enough and It Won’t Be Awkward (Continued)

Eris gave Furina Demon God power through a kiss, and Furina discovered she could unleash a tremendous torrent of water. Furina was left flustered by both the power and the loss of her first kiss.

  • Furina asked Eris to demonstrate how she could grant someone Demon God power, insisting that Furina was only pretending to be an ordinary person for the experiment.
  • Eris offered to transfer power through her blood, but Furina stopped her and asked for a less bloody method.
  • Eris kissed Furina to transfer the power, leaving Furina shocked and blushing over losing her first kiss.
  • Furina instinctively fired a massive torrent of water and realized she had gained power on the level of a Demon God.
  • Eris privately considered the Demon God power worth the kiss, while Furina tried to calm herself amid her rapid heartbeat.

Ch. 439Bleed Enough and It Won’t Be Awkward (Continued)

Furina and Eris experimented with transferring power, and Furina discovered she could retain it for about four hours if she did not use it. Despite worrying that the Six Gods might detect the borrowed power, Furina decided to travel to Inazuma with Eris and meet them.

  • Eris and Furina repeatedly experimented until Furina gained power, and they spent two days together in the hollow.
  • Eris estimated that Furina's power would last about four hours without use, though using it would consume it.
  • Eris offered to invent an excuse for Furina to miss meeting the gods, but Furina worried that drawing attention to the Giant Beast Erinys could endanger Fontaine.
  • Furina decided she would eventually have to meet the Six Gods and resolved to go to Inazuma with Eris.
  • Eris assured Furina that the Six Gods would see her only as an ordinary Melusine.

Ch. 440Bleed Enough and It Won’t Be Awkward (Continued)

Raiden Ei gathered the gods on Rishou Island and presented evidence accusing the Cryo Archon’s rule of wrongdoing, insisting that the coming conflict was a duel she had not wanted but was prepared to fight. With the Cryo Archon still absent and her fleet approaching, Nahida learned to fear the power of the oldest Archons.

  • Five elemental forces spread across Rishou Island as the gathered mortals bowed to the gods.
  • Morax asked whether the Pyro and Cryo Archons would attend; Raiden Ei said the Pyro Archon was occupied by war and she had not sensed the Cryo Archon, though a Snezhnayan fleet was approaching.
  • Raiden Ei distributed the shogunate’s bill of indictment and pointed out that its supporting evidence was available in a nearby treasury.
  • Raiden Ei declared that the Cryo Archon’s rule lacked reason and said their dispute would be settled by a duel before the throne.
  • Raiden Ei’s Electro power and killing intent frightened Nahida and Furina, while Nahida recalled Greater Lord Rukkhadevata’s warning to respect the Geo, Anemo, and Electro Archons.

Ch. 441Bleed Enough and It Won’t Be Awkward (Continued)

Kaguya rejected Arlecchino’s plea to deliver the Cryo Archon’s letter, insisting that Snezhnaya would have to face the Raiden Shogun’s blade before speaking. After Zhongli and Venti intervened, Kaguya allowed Arlecchino to approach the Shogun, leaving the exhausted Harbinger kneeling before the gathered gods.

  • Kaguya told Arlecchino that the Cryo Archon would have to choose a battlefield and face the Raiden Shogun before Snezhnaya could negotiate.
  • Arlecchino asked to deliver the Cryo Archon’s state letter to the Electro Archon, but Kaguya accused her of pressuring Inazuma and surrounded her with lightning.
  • Arlecchino pleaded for a chance to avert a divine war, and Zhongli and Venti spoke in support of letting her meet the Shogun.
  • Kaguya agreed to their request and left a lightning-filled mountain path for Arlecchino to climb.
  • Arlecchino endured the dangerous path, reached the final stair exhausted and charred, and knelt before the Raiden Shogun and the gathered gods.
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