The War Between Species

The Upper Three Sects weren't the only ones banding together. Among the Soul Beasts, the Sea Soul Beasts encountered those from the Far North first, but no fight broke out. It was as though they had settled on the same goal.

Ronava floated in the air, watching it all with boredom.

"Looks like they're planning to fight a Species War first."

She had seen this far too often in Teyvat: unite against outsiders, then decide who was strongest among themselves.

Even the pure-blooded Khaenri'ahns she had cursed into Hilichurls would instinctively choose a strong leader.

She vanished in a flash and returned to the group.

"Why did I have to go look? Venti's a Sylph. Shouldn't he be faster?"

Ronava was a little annoyed. Why did she still have to work in another world?

Su Yun had more or less figured out Ronava's nature. On the surface, she wore an icy expression and acted as though nothing concerned her, but she was the gentlest of the Four Shades.

"How could Venti possibly be faster than you?" Su Yun pretended not to understand.

Venti took out another lyre and plucked a note. "Ehe, your station is higher than mine. Of course you're faster."

Ronava didn't want to deal with Venti. She strongly suspected he was the one who had led the adorable Istaroth astray.

She pouted in displeasure, then remembered her position and put her icy expression back on.

"What are you going to do next?"

She had no interest in fighting. These people were simply too weak.

Su Yun walked at an unhurried pace, taking in the sights of the arena as he went.

This place felt more like a real world, somewhat akin to the Ruler of the Void's authority.

It was a pity the Ruler of the Void had gone with Lumine. The power to create little worlds sounded rather fun.

He casually snapped a flower from the roadside and tucked it into Columbina's hair.

"Don't they want to fight a Species War first? Let them. Once it's over, the victors can challenge us."

"Then how will they get any training?" Venti pointed at his two new disciples.

Zhu Zhuqing and Qian Renxue had both been placed under Rosaria's guidance. Zhu Zhuqing was fairly adept with her Anemo Vision, but Qian Renxue had not practiced for long and was still clumsy with hers.

Su Yun thought for a moment. Since Venti had recruited Zhu Zhuqing first, she had never gone to Shrek Academy. Sending her back there wouldn't be appropriate.

After a little more thought, he said simply:

"Zhu Zhuqing, why don't you go train at Spirit Hall with Qian Renxue?"

Zhu Zhuqing nodded without a moment's hesitation.

"I'll do as the headmaster says."

Qian Renxue had no objections either. She wanted to go back and see her grandfather.

The two of them would gain little training by staying at Teyvat Academy. After the Species War, the ones challenging them would surely be god-level experts, and all they could do was watch.

They couldn't let a free resurrection go to waste. This was the perfect chance to send them to the main battlefield for training.

A battlefield was the quickest way to test combat skills.

And training with life and death on the line was the quickest way to grow stronger.

Now they had just such an opportunity.

"Ehe~"

"I'll help too!"

Venti and the boy plucked their lyre strings at the same time.

A wind current rose beneath their feet.

Zhu Zhuqing and Qian Renxue had already received their Wind Gliders and learned how to use them.

With a leap, they caught the wind Venti had summoned and flew into the distance.

"So you knew where they were all along, yet you still sent me to look?"

Venti had barely turned around when he met Ronava's icy gaze.

She looked ready to expose him at any moment.

A chill ran down Venti's back under her stare. His fingers slipped across the strings, producing an off-key twang.

He instinctively took half a step back, though his trademark innocent, infuriating smile stayed in place. Blinking his emerald-green eyes, he said lightly:

"Ehe—Lady Ronava, you really are sharp. You even saw through that?"

He tilted his head, hugged the lyre to his chest, and countered with perfect confidence:

"But don't you think a personal look from you would have a much greater effect than one from a little Sylph like me?

You just have to float over there—and with that presence of yours, forget the Sea Soul Beasts and the Far North. I bet even the arena's floor tiles would tremble three times. How would they dare start a real fight?"

After a pause, Venti added with a hint of mischief:

"Besides... Didn't this give you the perfect excuse to openly shirk a little work and enjoy the scenery of another world? Teyvat hasn't had a Species War this lively in ages, has it?"

As he spoke, he quietly edged behind Su Yun.

Ronava had no real intention of attacking. Zhongli and Su Yun were here, after all.

She had no desire to go back to work on Teyvat.

"You silver-tongued bard. Open your wind current. We're going to the center of the arena."

Venti could only comply. A flowing gust lifted everyone into the air.

Everyone traveled differently on the wind current.

Venti, for instance, could glide on it without opening a Wind Glider.

As for Zhongli...

"Gather!"

A pillar rose from the ground, and Zhongli went straight for a "brick-powered flight."

Then he pulled Guizhong onto the pillar and flew forward with her.

Ronava merely strolled along the wind current.

Su Yun had just opened his Wind Glider to take off when Columbina caught his hand.

Columbina held Sandrone's hand with her left and Su Yun's with her right, gliding along the wind current with Kuuvahki.

She actually caught up with Zhongli and his "brick-powered flight."

The arena wasn't large, and with Venti's wind current, they reached its center in less than an hour.

"Apart from those two God Kings, who are a little faster and can arrive today, everyone else will have to wait until tomorrow."

Venti sat down on a tree branch, took out a bottle of Apple Cider, and began to drink.

To those watching from outside, the sight was rather unsettling.

Venti, the Anemo Archon, actually called Ronava "Lady."

And Zhongli acted as though there was nothing unusual about it.

Who on earth was she?

On Celestia, within a mysterious space, Istaroth watched the Sky Screen with envy.

"Must be nice not having to work."

Rhinedottir, who had been buried in research, felt as though her head was about to burst.

"My dear sister, whether we have to work isn't the issue. Ronava has vanished. Who's going to stabilize the ley lines?

She hasn't defected—she's disappeared outright. What if the Heavenly Principles wake up?"

Istaroth, who had been relaxing, fell silent at once.

Right. Ronava had run off. Who was going to do the work?

"Do you know that Traveler?"

Istaroth looked at Rhinedottir.

Rhinedottir jolted in shock. "You can't be thinking of...?"

"Don't you want to?"

Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent, everyone was holding their breath for the major factions that had entered the arena.

They had thought Venti and Zhongli were already the strongest fighters. Then a silver-haired girl had suddenly appeared.

And she seemed to outrank them both.

[Just what kind of place is this Teyvat Academy? Why have I never heard of it?]

[Ma Hongjun: Where's the Grandmaster? Grandmaster, explain this.]