The Once-Greatest Genius on the Continent, Tang Chen

"Columbina!"

Sandrone had barely spoken when a cushion came flying at her.

It struck Columbina square on the head.

Columbina refused to take it lying down. She grabbed the cushion behind her and hurled it back.

As the cushions flew, one Venti threw struck Zhongli on the head, and the whole thing became an all-out brawl.

Zhu Zhuqing, whom Rosaria had brought to the tea party, sat in a corner, not daring to make a sound.

So this was what everyday life was like for gods?

After the horseplay, Su Yun got down to business.

"Teyvat Academy still isn't well known. If we want more companions to come here, we need to pick up the pace."

Su Yun had a feeling these revelations were connected to the system. What if it later revealed that the Heavenly Principles had dropped the Skyfrost Nail to protect humanity, and that the False Sky existed to keep the Abyss out...

Then everyone would probably start hounding him to get more pink orbs.

"Travel? I'm all for that!"

Venti picked up his lyre and played a lively tune.

"Teyvat's finest bard is off on his travels!"

Venti might have seemed unreliable, but he really had brought Teyvat Academy its only disciple so far.

"We can't stay cooped up in Teyvat Academy forever. I still think we should form teams, head out, and see what this other world has to offer."

As for safety, Su Yun had heard that Hu Tao had already expanded her business to Heaven Dou City. Zhongli claimed he was going there to spend Hu Tao's and Ningguang's money, but in truth, he was an absolute powerhouse.

Jean couldn't leave the academy for now, but with Venti around, Su Yun trusted that he could show up in time.

The only one he was a little worried about was The Marionette. He would leave her at Teyvat Academy for the time being.

And with Columbina there, he had nothing to worry about.

"Headmaster, could Rosaria take Zhu Zhuqing across the continent to gain experience?"

Jean's thinking was simple. Ningguang had already begun preparing to build a Statue of Rex Lapis.

On their side, Rosaria was the only one free to travel. Promoting a statue of Barbatos, the Anemo Archon, would have to fall to her.

Su Yun slapped a hand to his forehead. How had this turned into missionary work? Besides, given who those two onion spirits, Venti and Zhongli, really were, did they even need faith?

Rosaria, who had been sipping tea, nearly jumped out of her seat. Making her a missionary was as good as killing her!

"Acting Grand Master Jean, I still have to patrol Teyvat Academy. Why not send Noelle?"

Noelle, who was serving pastries, froze. They wanted her to be a missionary?

Before Noelle could speak, Jean shook her head.

"No! Noelle still has to train the academy's maids. Sorry to put this on you for now. You can stop once the other knights arrive."

Teyvat Academy had no shortage of powerful fighters. Its maids, though, had been bought from outside by Ningguang.

They had only been through an initial screening, and Ningguang had already marked one of them as a spy for a noble family of the Heaven Dou Empire.

Noelle still had to supervise those maids day to day.

"All... right."

Rosaria could only agree for now. Why had it landed on her? What was wrong with sleeping in the time-frozen Church of Favonius?

Rosaria rubbed her forehead, irritation rising.

"Sandrone, want to come gain some experience with us?"

At some point, Columbina had darted to Sandrone's side and poked her cheek.

Sandrone slapped Columbina's hand away.

"I'm not going with you. I haven't finished my experiments."

With that, she turned her head and gave a cold snort.

Seeing Sandrone like this, Columbina came over and tugged at Su Yun's hand.

"Su Yun, Su Yun, take Sandrone out to have some fun. She'll break down if she stays cooped up. What if her parts start rusting?"

Sandrone had been a little delighted at first. Now she flushed with anger.

"Columbina, you're so annoying!"

"Haha!"

Venti couldn't hold back his laughter.

Even the corners of Zhongli's mouth lifted.

Wasn't this the life they sought? Carefree days with a few little surprises mixed in.

What Su Yun sought was to bring more people away from Teyvat, away from that abyss.

Early the next morning, Su Yun, Sandrone, and Columbina set out from Teyvat Academy for Heaven Dou City.

Rosaria took Zhu Zhuqing toward Suotuo City.

At eight o'clock that morning, the Heavenly Rankings appeared in the sky as though clocking in for work, their words slowly coming into view.

[TOP 8: Slaughter City]

[King of Slaughter: Tang Chen (parasitized)]

[Soul Power: Level 95 (peak: Level 99)]

[Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer]

[Soul Rings: Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black.]

[Divine Artifact: Asura God Sword]

[...]

The ranking stunned every living creature. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought Slaughter City belonged to the Clear Sky Sect.

The King of Slaughter was actually from the Clear Sky Sect?

Those who knew who Tang Chen was found it unbelievable. He was still alive—and he was the King of Slaughter.

But what did "parasitized" mean?

As everyone puzzled over it, the Sky Screen began playing Tang Chen's Biography.

Just how gifted was Tang Chen? In those days, the Clear Sky Sect was not yet one of the Upper Three Sects. It was only a family.

Tang Chen had shown extraordinary talent from childhood. The family elders regarded him as a once-in-a-generation prodigy, as though the boy had been born for the Clear Sky Hammer.

From the moment Tang Chen awakened his Martial Soul, he believed each person should wield the Clear Sky Hammer differently, rather than cultivate in a prescribed way.

To him, even a heavy hammer could be nimble.

So he began finding his own path.

He gave his Clear Sky Hammer Soul Rings with all sorts of attributes, guided by two words: perfect balance.

In the past, the Clear Sky Hammer had strength and nothing else. Against an agility-type Soul Master, its wielder could only be toyed with.

Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer was powerful without sacrificing speed or precision. No matter how tricky the angle, he could move it as naturally as his own body.

Step by step, Tang Chen turned his family into a sect and named it the Clear Sky Sect.

As he traveled the continent, the Clear Sky Sect's reputation spread, gradually carrying it toward the seat of the continent's foremost sect.

His own strength reached the summit of the Soul Master World as well, making him the undisputed strongest person on the continent.

At that very time, another towering figure in the Soul Master World, Qian Daoliu, grew eager to test himself.

He sought Tang Chen out for a duel—not to the death, but simply to measure their strength.

Seeing this, then looking at the parasitized King of Slaughter, everyone felt a bad premonition.

How had Tang Chen fallen from Level 99 to Level 95?

Even Qian Daoliu felt a pang of sorrow. His relationship with Tang Chen was complicated.

They were friends and rivals, and later, they had become rivals in love.

"You went looking for the Path to Godhood, didn't you? How did you end up like this?"

As the Angel God Priest, Qian Daoliu felt an instinctive revulsion toward that foul aura.

"Ah."

On Sea God Island, Bo Saixi gazed at the man on the screen, pain in her eyes.

"Why did you have to do this? When I said I would marry whichever of you became a god first, I only meant to turn Qian Daoliu down.

"I knew that, as the Angel God Priest, he could never become a god. From beginning to end, you were my only choice."

Bo Saixi murmured to herself in anguish.