"Kang Jie," Tang Wang said after giving it some thought, deciding to try after all, "so you were the source of those weapons."
"Oh?" The figure in the sky immediately realized something. "May I ask, Mr. Tang Wang, why have you been trying to find the source of these weapons all this time?"
"Because those abilities originally belonged to me. It's that simple." As he spoke, the space within the Shadow Domain appeared in his hand. "Now that I look at it, the Shadow Domain within me probably exists to hold weapons created using Epitome Invocation."
"I see." Kang Jie nodded slightly. "Then, once all of this is over, I will return what belongs to you."
"What do you mean, once all of this is over?" Eula was the first to regain her composure. "What else are you planning to do?"
"Kang Jie! If you stop now, you'll be a hero to all of Mondstadt!" Meanwhile, Acting Grand Master Jean began trying to persuade him as well. "By making it this far and dealing with all the monsters in Mondstadt, you've already thwarted a threat that could have destroyed it!"
"But that doesn't matter." Kang Jie shook his head. "You don't know what darkness truly is."
"If it were merely hatred that had not been chosen, it would not make swallowing the world its sole purpose."
"And the light that stands against it is not enough to envelop every living being... This is an impossible deadlock."
"What are you talking about?" Eula demanded loudly, baffled. "Why are you saying these incomprehensible things?"
"It doesn't matter. You'll understand soon enough." He raised his arm high and began to act once more. "If time were eternally fixed within certain limits, even the all-pervasive Void Realm Power would be unable to invade it."
"And all I need to accomplish this is... one little wish."
As the final word fell, the sky over all of Mondstadt suddenly changed.
Amid the howling wind, an endless curtain of snow began to fall. Within moments, the extreme cold had frozen all of Mondstadt over once more.
Whether in the countryside or the city, the bone-chilling cold wrung the deepest fear and despair from countless residents.
"According to the Abyss Order's research, Human Realm Power comes from human will."
As he spoke, primordial light began to radiate from his palm. Within the light, the Lost Prayer to the Sacred Winds reverted to a "Primogem."
"Driven by Human Realm Power," Kang Jie said, his palm continuing to shine, "this light known as Epitome Invocation will create anything."
"Even the most abstract of existences."
As he spoke, the sound of the blizzard howling in the wind grew louder still. From high in the sky, all of Mondstadt had become a vast expanse of white.
Thus, the pain and despair gathered together further hastened the formation of the object in Kang Jie's hand.
"What are you doing? Are you going to destroy Mondstadt?!" Eula could finally no longer suppress the fury in her heart, but shouting now could no longer change anything.
The instant the last ray of light fell, all of Mondstadt returned completely to the frozen plains of thousands of years ago.
But all life had vanished. For outside of time, Kang Jie had successfully created a special snow globe using Epitome Invocation.
"What happened?" Acting Grand Master Jean looked around, somewhat bewildered. "When did we get back to Mondstadt City?"
"Is this really Mondstadt City?" Albedo casually tapped a brick by the roadside.
"We should have already left Teyvat," Columbina, who had been teleported over, concluded with complete certainty.
"What a strange smell..." The wings atop Linaya's head twitched uneasily. "There don't seem to be any plants here, yet there's air for living things to breathe."
"This feels familiar." Ronava, however, turned around on the spot, looking somewhat at ease. "This should be a space separate from Teyvat."
"Everyone," Tang Wang, who had actually seen the story, ventured a guess of his own, "I have an idea."
"Have you ever heard of the adeptal art known as the Serenitea Pot?"
"I've heard a little about it." Kaeya, who had appeared from who knew where, wore his usual smile. "They say it's a profound method of creating a secluded realm and recreating the world."
"Could it be that you've studied it too, Mr. Tang Wang, and can help us escape?"
"No, I can't." Tang Wang shook his head. "Because the world inside a Serenitea Pot really is completely cut off from Teyvat. I could even read Before Sun and Moon aloud in there-"
"You're still thinking about that book?" Ronava sounded somewhat shocked.
"But that book is very useful right now." He looked up at the boundless white sky. "Without it, how am I supposed to determine the nature of this space?"
"If this really is a space like the Serenitea Pot, I think Old Zhong will come fish us out once we've been missing for a certain amount of time."
"Indeed." Albedo agreed. "If we can determine the nature of this space, I might also be able to think of other countermeasures."
"It feels so warm..." Just then, a faint smile appeared on Columbina's face. "Tang Wang, you know what? I feel so at ease right now."
"It's as if the warmth from your body is reaching me from every corner of the world."
"...Really?" Before anyone else could express their shock at her words, Tang Wang condensed a small patch of Shadow Domain in his palm. "Yaya, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"I'm sure." She shook her head slightly. "That warmth is very special. It's like gentle moonlight falling on me."
"Then I understand." He nodded. "It seems that part of Epitome Invocation's power really did remain with me. And the space he created probably also used the power of Epitome Invocation."
"But even so..." His expression grew serious. "We still have to determine the nature of this space."
With that, he suddenly stepped back.
"Wait, what are you going to do now?" Eula, somewhat startled by the movement, instinctively raised the greatsword in her hand.
"Find out whether this really is an independent space." He glanced up again. "If it is, then everything will be easy to deal with."
"If it isn't..." he said gravely, "please stay away from me."
"Otherwise, blood might splatter on you in a moment."
"You're really going to read Before Sun and Moon aloud?!" Before anyone else could react, Ronava had already thrown herself at him. "No, I won't allow you to do that!"
"...You're going to read aloud the Heavenly Principles' taboo?" Albedo immediately caught on. "In that case, Miss Ronava is right-this is too risky."
As he spoke, he casually picked up a stone brick from the ground nearby. With the flicker of an array, a special device appeared in his hand.
"Now, give it the medium containing your information about the Heavenly Principles." From its appearance, it looked like a recording device. "Then let it do the work."
"You always have a solution..." Tang Wang, whose arms were pinned by Ronava, smiled and nodded.
Meanwhile, Acting Grand Master Jean had also sent people out to investigate the changes in Mondstadt City.