Chapter Summaries

Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Keqing were swallowed by Slimes before Paimon discovered that the Sigil of Permission could control them. After everyone was freed, they learned from a note that the Slimes were harmless adeptal cleaning tools, and they set out to understand why the Sigil commanded them.

• A giant Slime swallowed Zhong Baiye after his Geo pillar collapsed, leaving Paimon as the only one still outside.
• Paimon used Zhong Baiye's dropped Sigil of Permission to command the Slimes to release Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Keqing.
• Keqing took the Sigil from Paimon, and Zhong Baiye shocked Paimon when she refused to return it.
• Paimon explained that the Slimes had worshipped the Sigil, become docile when she held it, and obeyed her simple commands.
• Keqing found a note explaining that the Slimes were adeptal cleaning tools that swallowed people harmlessly while cleaning them.

Keqing, Lumine, Zhong Baiye, and the others used Cloud Retainer’s Slimes to clean the floating islands and then divided the treasure they had found. Paimon’s attempt to claim the largest golden chest failed when it turned out to be a warning, but she still managed to wheedle a share of everyone’s rewards.

• Keqing used the Sigil of Permission to calm the Slimes after Paimon kicked the blue Slime and it chased her.
• Keqing directed the Slimes to clear the trash from every floating island, leaving the place spotless.
• Zhong Baiye laid out the treasure chests, and Paimon claimed the largest golden one while Lumine and the others split the remaining rewards.
• Zhong Baiye found that the chests held Primogems and Mora, while Paimon’s golden chest was a painted wooden warning box with no treasure inside.
• Paimon cried and pleaded with Lumine, Zhong Baiye, and Keqing until they each gave her some of their rewards, then stopped crying with a sly expression.

After the group settled for the night on the floating island, Zhong Baiye prepared for a ten-pull with an elaborate bathing ritual and prayers. He obtained a Skyward Blade, a bamboo-copter, and a Stealing skill, which he planned to test the next day.

• Keqing suggested that the group spend the night on the floating island, and everyone agreed.
• Lumine tried to stay in Zhong Baiye's room, but Keqing caught her and dragged her away.
• Zhong Baiye secretly brought a Hydro Slime to his room and used it to bathe before his ten-pull.
• Zhong Baiye topped up Primogems and performed a ten-pull, obtaining a Skyward Blade, a bamboo-copter, and a Stealing skill.
• Zhong Baiye read the descriptions of the new items and decided to test Stealing on someone the next day.

Zhong Baiye tested the Skyward Blade and struggled to activate the Pickpocket Skill he had received from the system. The next morning, his shouted attempt to use the skill left him holding something as Lumine and Keqing reacted with shock and embarrassment.

• Zhong Baiye replaced his Harbinger of Dawn with the Skyward Blade and discovered that swinging it unleashed an energy blade that split a table.
• Zhong Baiye examined the Bamboo-Copter but stored it away rather than use the single-use flying item.
• Zhong Baiye tried several ways to activate his Pickpocket Skill, failed, and went to bed regretting the loss.
• Paimon woke Zhong Baiye by punching and kicking him, and Lumine and Keqing stopped him from biting her.
• Zhong Baiye noticed that Paimon had taken his Sigil of Permission and shouted, "Pickpocket!"
• Paimon found her treasure untouched, while Lumine looked shocked and disappointed, Keqing blushed, and Zhong Baiye froze with something clutched in his hand.

Zhong Baiye accidentally used his new stealing ability on Keqing and took her panties, prompting her to chase him in fury. After he apologized and endured a shock from her Lion's Roar, he tried to explain that the ability had acted on its own, but Keqing, Lumine, and Paimon did not believe him.

• Paimon recognized the blue lace-trimmed panties Zhong Baiye held as Keqing's, while Lumine joked that she would not mind if he were a pervert.
• Zhong Baiye tossed the panties back to Keqing and fled as she shredded them and chased him with the Lion's Roar.
• Zhong Baiye stopped and prostrated himself to apologize, and Keqing shocked him before warning him not to repeat the incident.
• Zhong Baiye explained that his ability had randomly stolen an item, but Keqing, Lumine, and Paimon doubted his story.
• Zhong Baiye decided not to demonstrate the ability again after Keqing threatened him, and accepted that they would keep thinking he was a pervert.

Zhong Baiye and Paimon’s mock battle ended with Paimon exhausted, but the group soon discovered that the Domain’s exit was sealed. They found a puzzle involving five elemental objects, yet even after locating all of them, they still could not open the door.

• Zhong Baiye trapped Paimon in a Geo cage and teased her until their mock battle left her too exhausted to fly.
• Zhong Baiye discovered that the Domain’s great door was locked, and Keqing failed to break it with her swordlight.
• Zhong Baiye used Geo on a patterned round table, briefly lighting a matching mark on the door.
• Keqing and Lumine reasoned that five objects with matching elemental symbols had to be activated within a time limit.
• Zhong Baiye, Keqing, Lumine, and Paimon found objects corresponding to all five marks, but the door remained shut.

Zhong Baiye used a Bamboo-Copter to overcome the time limit on the Elemental Monuments and help Keqing and Lumine activate all five. The Domain’s gate lit up, but Paimon then remembered something that left everyone dumbfounded.

• Zhong Baiye realized the group could not reach all five Elemental Monuments before they went dark and considered using Paimon to activate one, but Keqing and Lumine stopped him.
• Zhong Baiye took out a Special Bamboo-Copter and discovered that it let him fly at tremendous speed.
• Zhong Baiye practiced with the Bamboo-Copter and learned that a Geo shield let him fly beyond the speed of sound.
• Keqing assigned herself and Lumine one monument each and Zhong Baiye the other three, and they began activating them together.
• Zhong Baiye flew between the monuments and activated the last one just as the others began to flicker, lighting the Domain’s gate.
• Paimon suddenly remembered something and said it, leaving everyone dumbfounded.

Paimon realized the Domain’s entrance needed to be pulled open, but a giant Anemo Slime blocked the exit and attacked the group. After Zhong Baiye faced it alone, the Slime inspected him and flew away, leaving everyone safe but bewildered.

• Paimon pointed out that the group had to pull the entrance door, and a hidden door appeared as the Domain stopped shaking.
• A giant Anemo Slime descended and blocked the exit, ignoring Zhong Baiye’s Sigil of Permission when he tried to command it.
• The Slime sucked Paimon into its body, then sneezed her out covered in slime before trapping the group in a powerful wind field.
• Zhong Baiye prepared to use the Sigil of Permission as he approached the Slime, but it stopped the wind and circled him instead of attacking.
• After inspecting Zhong Baiye, the Slime lifted itself away with a localized wind field and disappeared, while Zhong Baiye sweated profusely.

Lumine, Keqing, and Zhong Baiye discovered a secret room in Cloud Retainer’s abode filled with photographs and dolls bearing Zhong Baiye’s face, before Cloud Retainer hurried them away. The group headed back toward Liyue Harbor, where Keqing worried about the turmoil over Rex Lapis, while Cloud Retainer’s nervous reaction left her secret unexplained.

• Lumine and Keqing competed to dry Zhong Baiye’s hair, then both called him a scumbag after he suggested using their tools together.
• Paimon opened the hidden door, and the group found a room covered in photographs and decorations featuring Zhong Baiye.
• A whirlwind swept everyone outside the Domain before they could investigate the room further.
• Cloud Retainer admitted she had not known the room was in her abode and told them to return to Liyue Harbor because the Rex Lapis situation had caused chaos.
• Zhong Baiye and Lumine comforted Keqing, and Cloud Retainer gave Zhong Baiye one of her feathers to help them return quickly.

Zhong Baiye, Keqing, Lumine, and Paimon fought their way toward Liyue Harbor as monsters and Treasure Hoarders ran rampant after rumors that something had happened to Rex Lapis. After accepting payment to escort Yuzhong, they defeated a group of Hilichurls and Abyss Mages, but were suddenly surrounded by black-clad figures.

• Zhong Baiye and his companions rescued the merchant Yuzhong from monsters on the road to Liyue Harbor.
• Yuzhong told Keqing that rumors about Rex Lapis had spread and that he had seen no Millelith patrols along the road.
• Zhong Baiye and Lumine agreed to clear the road, and Paimon accepted Yuzhong's Primogems and brought him along under their protection.
• The group traveled through roads crawling with monsters and Treasure Hoarders, finding no other travelers or signs of fighting.
• Zhong Baiye and Keqing defeated a group of Hilichurls and Abyss Mages while Lumine protected Yuzhong.
• Black-clad figures suddenly sprang out and surrounded Zhong Baiye and Keqing.

Zhong Baiye, Keqing, Lumine, and Yuzhong were surrounded by Fatui led by an invisible Pyro Debt Collector, and a fight broke out when Keqing refused to go with them. As Keqing shielded Yuzhong, Yuzhong revealed his betrayal and thrust a green-glowing Injection toward her neck; Zhong Baiye's attempt to steal it failed, leaving Keqing in immediate danger.

• Lumine and Yuzhong arrived as the Fatui surrounded Zhong Baiye and his companions, and the Pyro Debt Collector demanded that Keqing come with them.
• Keqing tried to keep the situation calm, but the Fatui threatened her companions, so Zhong Baiye, Keqing, and Lumine drew their swords.
• The invisible Pyro Debt Collector ambushed Zhong Baiye while he fought two Fatui, and Zhong Baiye narrowly dodged the attack.
• A hammer-wielding Fatui approached Yuzhong, and Keqing broke through her encirclement to protect him.
• Yuzhong concealed his fear, drew an Injection, and stabbed toward Keqing's neck as Zhong Baiye shouted "Stealing!" but failed to take it.

Keqing broke through her long-standing bottleneck during the fight with the Fatui and grasped the true essence of Starward Sword, defeating the attackers before collapsing from exhaustion. After Lumine revived her with holy water, Keqing explained what happened, and Lumine said that using an unfamiliar technique had made her expend too much power.

• Keqing broke through her bottleneck, grasped Starward Sword's true essence, and defeated the Fatui in a flash of purple light.
• Keqing collapsed from overusing the technique, and Zhong Baiye and Lumine found her unconscious after the attackers fell.
• Zhong Baiye offered to revive Keqing with holy water, but Lumine gave it to her herself by pressing her lips to Keqing's.
• Keqing woke up and remembered that she had taken down the Fatui after grasping Starward Sword's true essence.
• Lumine explained that Vision holders could lose their ability to fight after using an unfamiliar technique because they exerted too much power.

Zhong Baiye realized his Stealing skill had taken Keqing’s bottleneck and granted him knowledge of her Starward Sword. After an unknown attacker killed Yuzhong and escaped, Keqing identified the assailants as Fatui, and the group regrouped.

• Keqing, Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Paimon pieced together that Zhong Baiye’s Stealing skill had removed Keqing’s bottleneck and stored her Starward Sword knowledge in his Electro Vision.
• Zhong Baiye absorbed the knowledge and gained the ability to perform Keqing’s Starward Sword without its ultimate technique.
• Keqing ordered the group to question Yuzhong, and Paimon woke him with holy water and slapped him as she demanded answers.
• A black-clad attacker shot Yuzhong through the throat with an arrow before he could reveal anything.
• Keqing and Zhong Baiye chased the attacker but lost him, and Keqing concluded that the group had been attacked by the Fatui.
• Lumine and Paimon caught up, and Zhong Baiye teased Paimon by pretending the black-clad attacker was behind her.

After returning to Liyue Harbor, Zhong Baiye and Lumine sought Childe’s help uncovering the danger threatening the city. Childe agreed to help after Zhong Baiye traded him information about the adepti, and he told them to return the next evening to meet someone who could break the deadlock.

• Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Paimon returned to Liyue Harbor, where Keqing parted from them to handle her official duties.
• Zhong Baiye explained that he and Lumine could help Keqing without interfering with Liyue’s secrets, then decided to seek information from Childe.
• Zhong Baiye and Lumine went to the Northland Bank, where Ekaterina led them to Childe.
• Childe asked why he should help, so Zhong Baiye offered information about the adepti, mixing true details with fabricated claims.
• Childe agreed to help and told Zhong Baiye and Lumine to meet him the next evening so he could introduce them to someone who might resolve the danger.

After checking in and receiving a Pyro Vision, Zhong Baiye used its invisibility to escape Treasure Hoarders with Lumine and Paimon. The next day, they went to meet Childe at Liuli Pavilion, where his familiar voice came from the private room.

• Zhong Baiye checked in outside the Northland Bank and obtained a glowing Pyro Vision that attracted attention on the street.
• Treasure Hoarders pursued Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Paimon, but Zhong Baiye used the Vision’s invisibility to evade them.
• Zhong Baiye explained his new Vision and its limits to Lumine and Paimon, then spent the night kneeling on a washboard after Paimon caught him testing his invisibility near Lumine’s room.
• Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Paimon returned to the Northland Bank the next day, and Ekaterina led them to Liuli Pavilion to meet Childe.
• Zhong Baiye heard a familiar voice as they reached the door to the private room.

Childe gathered Zhong Baiye, Lumine, Paimon, and Zhongli to discuss the monsters threatening Liyue Harbor and the need to find Rex Lapis's remains. He explained that the Liyue Qixing opposed relying on the adepti, while Zhongli's connection to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor could help arrange a Rite of Parting.

• Paimon reached for the food at Childe's gathering, but Zhong Baiye glared at her until she apologized and put it back.
• Childe introduced Zhongli as a Wangsheng Funeral Parlor consultant who could help solve their problem, and Zhong Baiye revealed that he already knew Zhongli.
• Zhongli and Childe explained that Rex Lapis was central to the crisis and that his remains needed to be found because he might have left a contingency behind.
• Childe said the Liyue Qixing opposed relying on adepti power, so they would not use Rex Lapis's contingency themselves.
• Childe explained that the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor handled the dead and that Liyue should hold a Rite of Parting for Rex Lapis.

Zhongli, Tartaglia, Zhong Baiye, and Lumine agreed to arrange a rite of parting that would help Liyue accept an age without the adepti and give them a reason to approach Rex Lapis's remains. Tartaglia provided the funding and left, while Zhongli passed the Mora to Zhong Baiye and the group prepared to carry out the rite.

• Zhongli explained that Liyue's people remained closely connected to the adepti, and Tartaglia said a rite of parting on the scale of the rite of descension could help them accept the adepti's departure.
• Tartaglia clarified that the Liyue Qixing wanted the rite held and that he would only introduce Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Zhongli because his Fatui status would prevent Ningguang from approving it.
• Tartaglia offered to fund the rite with Mora from the Northland Bank and handed a heavy bag of coins to Zhongli.
• Tartaglia left after paying for the meal, and Zhongli passed the Mora to Zhong Baiye, prompting Paimon to lunge for it and get shocked by Zhong Baiye.
• Zhongli told Lumine that they had to organize the rite properly now that they had agreed to hold it, and Zhong Baiye, Lumine, and Paimon ate while Zhongli drank tea.

Zhong Baiye and the others visited Jade Mystery to find noctilucous jade for the Rite of Parting, but Paimon persuaded them to try buying uncut stones. Zhongli put the cost on Childe, while the group began choosing stones, leaving Childe unaware that his Mora was about to be spent.

• Zhong Baiye and Lumine found Jade Mystery after asking for directions, and Paimon pushed Zhong Baiye to buy uncut stones.
• Zhongli praised the stones and offered to pay for them through Childe, who had promised to cover the Rite of Parting's expenses.
• Paimon and Zhong Baiye convinced themselves that spending Childe's Mora was necessary, while Lumine reluctantly agreed to choose a stone.
• Zhong Baiye and Paimon picked stones by their appearance and price, Zhongli examined them by touch, and Lumine chose one worth one thousand Mora.

At a Liyue stone-cutting shop, Zhongli’s rough stone revealed a strange blue gem that he crushed, while Zhong Baiye sensed it held a dangerous secret. The chapter ended as Lumine insisted on opening a cheap stone that felt familiar to her.

• Paimon opened several rough stones, finding a few decent ores among mostly worthless rocks, and Lumine stopped her from buying more.
• Zhongli’s rough stone produced a powerful sensation of water when Shitou began cutting it by hand.
• Shitou uncovered a glowing blue gem, which Zhongli picked up, lamented, and crushed; Zhong Baiye sensed a deadly threat from it.
• Shitou offered to cut Lumine’s stones, but warned her that the cheap stone she chose looked poor, and Lumine insisted on opening it after Zhongli nodded.

Lumine’s Uncut Stone yielded nothing until a glowing Runestone appeared amid a strange darkness and meteor-like streak of light. When Paimon touched it, a Stick Figure struck her through the ceiling, leaving Zhong Baiye and Lumine searching for her.

• Shitou cut Lumine’s Uncut Stone down to powder while Zhong Baiye held Lumine’s hand, and the onlookers assumed it was worthless.
• Shitou’s hand trembled as he stared at the stone dust, then the sky went dark and a streak of light flashed across it.
• A glowing Runestone appeared on the tabletop, and Paimon rushed over and touched it.
• The Runestone’s light formed a Stick Figure, which touched Paimon’s finger and vanished with her in a burst of smoke.
• Zhong Baiye and Lumine found a Paimon-shaped hole in the ceiling and realized the Stick Figure had knocked her through it.