Sky Island Convenes

"Teyvat, I have returned!"

As these words addressed to the world were spoken, the entire world began to respond to Greater Lord Kusanali's return.

The first to react was the World Tree.

Within the Sanctum of Wisdom, before Nahida's bewildered eyes, the World Tree, which had maintained a faint connection with her, suddenly erupted with the fundamental power buried deep within its core.

For a time, even the power of forbidden pollution was shaken by this force and temporarily driven back.

Not to mention Nahida, the Lesser Lord Kusanali—her connection was severed in an instant.

Although Nahida was Greater Lord Kusanali's other half, her connection to the World Tree was far less intimate than Buer's.

After all, Greater Lord Kusanali and the World Tree had been born as one.

The next moment, a terrifying force, vastly greater in scale than all of Teyvat, emerged from the World Tree out of thin air.

Forbidden power?

Abyssal pollution?

Before this utterly terrifying force, they were swallowed and crushed before they could even resist, unable to stir up so much as a ripple again.

Mondstadt.

Angel's Share.

"As expected of a top-grade Dandelion Wine from the private collection—such a crisp, mellow fragrance..."

The green-clad bard sampled the rare vintage before him through drunken, hazy eyes. Faced with the puzzled red-haired man across from him, he lacked his usual flippant demeanor.

"What's wrong with Barbatos? Hasn't Dvalin's matter been resolved? Why does he seem less happy than I imagined?"

Diluc frowned, carefully considering whether there was something he had failed to notice.

Yet no matter how hard Diluc thought, he could never guess what the God of Wind was contemplating.

At times, the perspectives of humans and gods were entirely different.

In Diluc's eyes, Mondstadt had already survived the Stormterror disaster, and the matter had temporarily come to an end. There should have been nothing to worry about for now.

Yet what the God of Wind contemplated was the exact opposite.

With the Descender Lumine's arrival, Barbatos, the God of Wind, keenly sensed the surging tide of the era drawing near.

If everything went smoothly, that would naturally be for the best. But if the Heavenly Principles' plans failed...

then not only might Mondstadt cease to exist, but whether Teyvat itself could continue to exist would be another matter entirely.

As for the Empress of Snezhnaya's plan?

Barbatos and Morax, the two most ancient Demon Gods, merely watched on with indifference. Or rather, they both knew that all of this was likely already on the Heavenly Principles' chessboard.

Everything Barnabas did was likely within the Heavenly Principles' expectations as well.

Thus, when Snezhnaya sent someone to take the Gnosis, Barbatos simply went along with it and handed it over.

No one understood what kind of existence the Heavenly Principles truly was better than Barbatos and Morax, these two ancient Demon Gods.

Just as Barbatos was lost in complicated thoughts, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

His half-lidded pale green eyes abruptly flew wide open.

"This... that voice is so familiar!"

Then, under Diluc's strange gaze, the God of Wind transformed into wind and vanished, abandoning even the fine wine he had only half-finished.

"Has something happened that I don't know about?"

His brows tightly furrowed, Diluc might have been a top-tier Genshin Impact, but even he could not hear the conversation between Greater Lord Kusanali and the world.

"Greater Lord Kusanali fell hundreds of years ago. How could she suddenly return—and at a time like this?"

Not only that, but the instant Greater Lord Kusanali's voice rang out, the long-dormant Sky Island seemed to stir to life as well.

As though a Throne that had stood vacant for so long had finally welcomed back its rightful master.

And with Sky Island awakening, Teyvat's Throne directly sent out a summons to the Archons.

Had the Heavenly Principles awakened?

Or had Greater Lord Kusanali done something?

The bard Venti, who usually laughed and jested freely, vanished. Barbatos, the God of Wind, wore a calm expression, while the light of Wisdom flickered in his eyes.

"Let's go to Sky Island first. Perhaps Greater Lord Kusanali's sudden return can bring new hope?"

Though the Heavenly Principles were powerful and domineering, with more than a hint of Sole Supremacy about them.

But was Barbatos truly afraid?

Not necessarily. At worst, he would merely fall.

If not for his inability to let go of Mondstadt, Barbatos, worn away endlessly by erosion, would have long since put himself into slumber and awaited the moment of annihilation.

If he was not even afraid of falling, why would he fear the Heavenly Principles?

Liyue.

Yun-Han Opera Troupe.

"Alas—autumn's crimson blossoms fall; what was once whole can never be made into a pair again. Fools remain lost in foolish resentment, hatred, and madness."

Yun Jin, the head of the Yun-Han Opera Troupe, sang in a clear, sweet voice. Her agile and ever-changing vocals lingered in the ears, drawing listeners into the story she portrayed until they became intoxicated and unwilling to awaken.

The youth with a mountain-like, steady bearing—Zhongli—took a light sip of the fine tea in his cup, occasionally nodding and swaying his head in praise.

"Master Yun Jin's skill seems to have risen to another level..."

Just then, Zhongli froze slightly. The teacup in his hand, along with the tea inside it, was instantly petrified into amber.

Yet despite such a loss of composure, Zhongli remained unable to recover for a long while.

"Old friend, why have you suddenly returned? And why did your return stir up such shocking waves?"

Zhongli—or rather, Morax—still possessed power greater than Barbatos's.

Barbatos could only vaguely sense that Greater Lord Kusanali's return had brought subtle changes to the entire world of Teyvat.

But Morax could clearly perceive Greater Lord Kusanali's figure, more brilliant and dazzling than the sun in the sky.

Simply standing there, she seemed to be the center of the world, the source of all things!

The world was calling for the return of this incarnation of the World Tree.

The world was responding to the words of Sumeru's Lord of Primordial Wisdom.

And as Greater Lord Kusanali set foot upon Sky Island, the entire world rejoiced without end.

But...

How could this be possible?

As one of the most ancient Demon Gods, Morax understood Teyvat's current state all too well.

The war of the Second Throne had already dealt a devastating blow to the world's origin.

The Khaenri'ah catastrophe of those years had even kicked Teyvat another step down the road to destruction...

How could the world of Teyvat possibly still have the strength to respond to Greater Lord Kusanali?

In silence, Zhongli returned to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

He needed some time to settle the complicated thoughts stirred up by this sudden upheaval.

"Eh~ Consultant, why does your complexion look so strange? Don't tell me something you had your eye on was bought up in advance by Ningguang again?"

Zhongli, immersed in his thoughts, had not even noticed the master of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor already standing right before him.

"Director, I may need to leave for a while to seek out an old friend."

"Go on, go on, but remember not to send back so many bills! If there are a few more big ones, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will exceed this year's budget!"

Hearing this, Hu Tao tugged at her stiff expression and gave him a warning.

This consultant of hers was good in every way—learned and well-read, knowledgeable about both ancient and modern times, and first-rate at making money.

But the problem was that while he earned money quickly, he spent it even more extravagantly!

Having only heard Hu Tao agree, Zhongli did not listen to what she said next. His figure instantly vanished from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

"He left so quickly. It looks like it really is urgent..."

Hu Tao was not surprised by the extraordinary qualities her consultant casually revealed. She was no fool; someone who had raised her from childhood yet whose appearance had never changed could not possibly be ordinary. Barring any surprise, he had to be the sort of existence known as an Immortal.