The designs in the blueprints were largely technologies that did not belong to Teyvat.
As a top civil engineering student, Lin Yi could see the ingenuity behind them at a glance. Still, the fact that the device could perform land reclamation-even if it only produced fill material-was enough to prove that it defied conventional understanding.
"Don't be too surprised in a moment. While there aren't many people around, let's get this device built before it causes any more trouble."
Using the blueprint was simple. Lin Yi only needed to confirm its use through the system in his mind and prepare enough materials.
Once everything was ready, Lin Yi took a deep breath.
Warning: host's current level is too low. Creating the device carries an extremely high risk of damage. Host is advised to complete the first-stage breakthrough.
Lin Yi was a little dumbfounded.
"So there's a level requirement for using the system's infrastructure blueprints."
Lin Yi was currently stuck at the breakthrough stage, so at least he did not have to scramble to prepare materials.
But when he recalled his first prize draw, it seemed to have caused some very obvious phenomena in the outside world, creating quite a commotion.
Who knew whether the same thing would happen when he leveled up?
Still, if he could not resolve the problem tonight, even more irregularities would arise in the future.
Lin Yi gritted his teeth.
"Damn it. Better to throw one punch now than take a hundred later. If I don't show some strength now, every creep out there will think they can walk all over me!"
His own advancement was at stake, so he could not afford to be careless. To be safe, Lin Yi found an excuse to send Keqing and the others away.
He went alone to a secluded, open area and summoned the system panel.
After all, the less he revealed now, the more leverage he would have in future confrontations.
The tallest tree caught the strongest wind.
Sometimes, hiding one's abilities was the wisest course.
Lin Yi wondered just how much stronger this first-stage breakthrough would make him.
"System, prepare for breakthrough!"
Ding! Host command received. Mobilizing natural elemental power. Converting elemental power. Calculating breakthrough threshold...
In his mind, the system panel brought up one impressive-looking code-processing interface after another.
Lin Yi even began to imagine it.
In a moment, the phenomena from my breakthrough will shake heaven and earth. I wish everyone across the continent could feel the terrifying aura coming from Liyue.
At first, things went just as Lin Yi had expected.
Geo energy surged explosively. Even the tiniest specks of dust around him shook and trembled.
Huge rocks rose into the air and hovered around Lin Yi.
The Geo Ring enveloped almost his entire body, displaying the unrivaled might of divine authority.
However, he was not yet proficient at wielding this divine suppressive power. He would need some time to master it fully.
Once he did, even Vision wielders from other regions would likely be subject to Lin Yi's divine suppression. It could catch opponents off guard in battle, making it immensely useful.
To Lin Yi, the Geo Ring around his body looked like strings of normally executing code.
The grand, magnificent breakthrough spectacle he had imagined never appeared.
The ring merely performed calculations and conversions, drawing natural elemental power from the air, converting it into attribute data, and adding it to Lin Yi's panel.
It was all thunder and no rain.
About ten minutes later, the Geo Ring subsided.
Everyone else sensed that all the natural, unaligned elemental power on the Guili Plains had been drained away.
Cloud Retainer and Madame Ping, who were investigating farther away, were astonished as well. Just what kind of being could absorb and use such an immense amount of elemental power?
"If a being like that were an enemy, the consequences would be unimaginable..."
Ding! Host has completed the breakthrough. Levels 10-20 unlocked...
Lin Yi exhaled a stale breath, feeling more exhilarated than ever. Even a slight wave of his hand let him feel the tremendous power coursing through him.
Before Lin Yi could check how much his panel stats had increased,
his vastly enhanced senses suddenly detected strange movement nearby!
"What is that? It seems to be rushing straight toward me?"
Before Lin Yi could raise his head to look,
a terrifying orb of elemental energy flew past, barely grazing his hair.
It struck the mountainside behind him, blasting a deep crater into it and shaking the earth!
Sensing danger, Lin Yi drew the short dagger he carried and stared warily ahead.
Those who killed others could be killed in turn!
Attacking to kill before even showing themselves-whoever had come meant him harm!
After a brief standoff, Lin Yi spoke first.
"If you want this sovereign's life, stop hiding and come show yourselves!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard rustling from the shadows.
Lin Yi's senses flared, and the hairs on his arms stood on end.
He whirled around, a commanding light flashing in his eyes as he instinctively raised his arm.
Clang!
Metal rang against metal, throwing off fierce sparks!
Another arrow had shot out from hiding.
Lin Yi flew into a rage!
"Damn it! If this sovereign doesn't show you some real power, you'll actually treat me like a monster you can farm!"
"Geo Motion!"
Lin Yi stretched out his hand. The ring's light instantly gathered, forming a Geo Array before him.
His keen senses locked onto one of the many presences hidden in the darkness.
Golden light flashed in his eyes. An aura of sacred, sovereign majesty spread out, enveloping the entire area.
With a thought,
the array formed an earth-shaking boulder. After predicting his target's position, he sent it hurtling out.
Nothing survived in its path!
Even century-old Pear Blossom Iron Trees were blasted into a sky full of splinters by the boulder he had casually created!
The target did not even have time to dodge. The boulder crushed it completely, leaving no trace of its remains!
With the boulder's destructive path opening up his view, Lin Yi swept his Geo-infused gaze ahead.
The attackers who had dared ambush him were a squad of monstrous Abyss Order mages!
Strangely, however, all dozen or so mages had blood-red eyes. Their limbs were somewhat stiff and mechanical when they moved, and most had blood on their bodies.
"Something's wrong. Abyss Order monsters act under the control of their superiors, but there's no higher-ranking monster or Order leader nearby powerful enough to command these mages."
Lin Yi suspected the more likely explanation was that someone was using them to kill him!
"At present, Teyvat as a whole is in a state of shifting peace. Even the slightest provocation could spark a new war."
The Abyss Order would not be foolish enough to attack him openly!
"This feels like an overt scheme. But why would the enemy behind it choose me?"
Seeing that things had gone wrong, the manipulated-or perhaps already dead-Abyss Mages muttered among themselves.
"Lin Yi seems to be stronger than they imagined!"
The first fireball ambush had been aimed squarely at Lin Yi's head. It should have been almost impossible to dodge, yet Lin Yi had done just that!
For these creatures who carried out filthy assassinations,
Rex Lapis, Lin Yi, was not someone they could handle!
Their best option now was to flee!
But before they could take a step,
Geo Motion roared!
An awe-inspiring elemental prison appeared, sealing off the space.
They felt a god's suppressive power descend, and a shadow blotted out the light.
The terrified mages looked up.
Lin Yi stood with his arms folded, regarding them with lofty disdain. His blazing golden gaze seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"Trying to run?"
Lin Yi wasted no words. He brought his hands together, and two stone walls within the prison closed in, crushing several enemies into pulp before they could even scream.
"What is going on? According to our intelligence, you're just a worthless level-ten weakling. Why...?"
Before the mage could finish, Lin Yi thrust his Geo Spear forward, taking another monster's life.
Lin Yi could not be bothered to waste words on such contemptible scum.
"Mortal trash dares defy the Heavenly Principles and challenge divine authority? Whoever is hiding in the shadows controlling these puppet mages, I'll make you pay dearly!"
Calm words often carried a terrifying power to intimidate.
After the Geo Prison dissolved, not a speck of dust stained Lin Yi's clothes, but the ground at his feet was covered in the puppet monsters' blood and remains.
With a light snap of his fingers, the corpses turned to drifting ash, leaving nothing behind.
"Do you think Liyue has no one to defend it, or that I, the Geo Archon, am weak?"
Lin Yi sneered. Trouble was brewing, and this incident was certainly not as simple as it seemed.
Meanwhile, in the Dark Sea...
This region was extraordinarily dangerous. Demon gods lurked all around, and tsunamis and storms raged almost every day.
Inside a structure hidden beneath the savage depths,
a girl in white stood amid a gathering of masked Abyss monsters, facing a stone taller than a person.
The transparent crystal stone was displaying the scenes of Lin Yi's breakthrough and battle.
As the girl watched Lin Yi, her brows furrowed. Her left hand unconsciously reached for the pure white Inteyvat in her hair as she sank into thought.
"Brother?"
"No, he's not my brother!"
"Then why does he also have an aura that doesn't belong to this world?"
"Whoever he is, we can't let him take the Guili Plains. Otherwise, what's underneath..."
As though something had occurred to her, the girl waved her hand and put away the stone before her. Then she turned to the Abyss monsters around her. "Go. All of you, go to the Guili Plains! We can't let the people of Liyue occupy it!"
Before you continue