Would she win?
The moment the question arose in her heart, she had the answer.
She wouldn't win.
Even if she fought with all her might, she absolutely could not win.
Apep knew deeply that she was facing an impossible enemy!
The Vermilion Bird arrived amidst crimson flames, its aura carrying the pressure of a supreme bloodline.
So perfect. Could such a perfect creature truly exist in this world?
Its aura wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than hers, yet it felt so noble that she instinctively felt she couldn't win, that she shouldn't even raise a hand against it.
As if daring to strike it was an act of utter transgression!
In her daze, Apep felt a surge of terror.
She had to admit that, at this moment, the thought of extinguishing her will to fight had crossed her mind.
Since when?!
Her draconic pupils contracted slightly as she looked at the Vermilion Bird with intense gravity.
How terrifying. To silently burn away her fighting spirit like this? It could even use the opponent's own will as fuel? Just what kind of creature was this?!
Apep was certain that the Dragon King she once followed in ancient times was stronger than this being, yet even the Dragon King hadn't given her such an intense feeling of noble power!
She wasn't that much weaker, yet her subconscious screamed at her that there was no chance of victory. This sense of powerlessness deeply enveloped Apep.
Why?!
How was this possible?!
Apep roared inwardly.
To break free from this psychological fear, she opened her maw and let out a furious roar towards the distant sky.
"Take one more step, and don't blame me for being rude!" The warning, carrying a hint of bluster, echoed into the distance.
Hundreds of miles away, high in the sky.
The Vermilion Bird beat its wings. Its speed wasn't particularly fast; it seemed to elegantly slice through the sky, trailing a shower of fiery sparks like fleeting blossoms.
Hearing Apep's warning, the Vermilion Bird's gaze fixed upon her across the vast distance.
Apep was a Dendro Dragon, possessing tenacious vitality. Even being tormented by Forbidden Knowledge had only weakened her. High adaptability meant, in gaming terms, she was tankier, with a thicker health bar!
Yet, a trace of disdain flashed in the Vermilion Bird's eyes.
This was a dragon?
In the Vermilion Bird's bloodline memories, the only legless dragon was Zhu Long.
Any other legless creature, at best, was a Jiao!
Apep had no legs. She looked like a giant serpent, albeit with dragon horns on her head.
In the Vermilion Bird's eyes, Apep hardly deserved the title of 'dragon'. At most—
"A giant loach!" the Vermilion Bird scoffed softly.
Her master, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, hadn't strictly ordered her to spare Apep's life.
Could she emulate the Golden-Winged Peng, feeding on dragons?
Just like a finch pecking an earthworm, she could slurp her up in one go.
The Vermilion Bird pondered this, then shelved the idea for last.
After all, a living Apep was more valuable than a dead one.
"Though unworthy of being called a dragon, your power isn't weak. You have some merits." "I'll capture you and offer you to my master as a mount!"
The Vermilion Bird let out a cry.
With a beat of her wings, she crossed hundreds of miles in an instant. Claws shrouded in annihilating flames reached down to seize Apep's head.
"You and I have no enmity! Why humiliate me so? This is too much!"
Capture her to be a mount?
Apep had never been so despised and insulted in her entire life.
Fury erupted within her, rekindling the fighting spirit that had just been extinguished.
Enraged, Apep roared. Her massive form churned violently within the sea of sand, causing waves to form across a hundred miles of desert.
She gathered a torrent of elemental power and blasted it towards the Vermilion Bird.
The Vermilion Bird's outstretched claws seized the terrifying elemental torrent. The South Ming Li Fire, as if encountering the perfect fuel, instantly raced along the torrent towards Apep.
"What?!"
It could even use elemental power as kindling?!
Apep's heart surged with shock and awe.
In the orange-red sky high above.
The power of the constellations traversed space, refracting from outer space into the void, and then from the void into this very world.
The Vermilion Bird's aura suddenly surged explosively.
"I serve the Queen of a Thousand Trees. Submit to my master, and your life shall be spared!"
Flames seemed to ignite in the Vermilion Bird's eyes, extending from her brows like two long, fiery strands.
Boundless, awe-inspiring majesty pressed down upon Apep.
The immense force struck Apep's body as if hit by a heavy weight, causing her to sink sharply, her spine trembling.
"The Queen of a Thousand Trees..."
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!
Apep was stunned, her mind blank.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... she naturally knew of her!
Learning that the Vermilion Bird served the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata filled her with confusion. "With strength like yours," she roared, "why submit to one of The Seven?!"
"My allegiance is to my master, unrelated to her status as one of The Seven." "Enough talk."
"I give you three breaths to decide!" The Vermilion Bird's gaze intensified.
The flames blazed brighter, her divine might vast and overwhelming.
"The times change in an instant. Your life or death rests on my whim!" "My master is wise and benevolent. Serving her is not a mistaken choice." "One breath remains!"
The Vermilion Bird's voice, though youthful, was icy cold.
Hints of killing intent swelled with the passing time.
Apep now faced two choices.
First: Continue resisting, and have her skull pierced by the Vermilion Bird's beak, ending her life.
Second: Submit.
Apep admitted she was no match for the Vermilion Bird, but she would never bow her head to one of the so-called Seven.
The Seven belonged to the Celestial lineage, the very ones she despised!
How could she possibly lower her head to her enemies?!
"I would rather die!"
The Vermilion Bird's sharp claws pressed down on Apep's head. With slight pressure, Apep felt as if her skull might shatter, her bones aching intensely.
"What a pity."
The Vermilion Bird sighed softly.
Just as she was about to strike the final blow, Apep suddenly asked, "Do you know of that sacred being from that day?"
"Are these your last words?"
The Vermilion Bird glanced at her coolly.
She guessed who Apep was referring to.
Though she hadn't witnessed it personally, the Vermilion Bird had learned to use the internet last night and had seen that video—the one that evoked awe even through a screen.
"You could say that."
Apep wished to satisfy her curiosity before death.
Such majestic power was truly hard not to yearn to understand.
"He is my master's partner." The Vermilion Bird did not withhold the answer.
"What?!"
Apep was dumbfounded, unable to believe it.
You mean to say that sacred existence, powerful enough to crush Teyvat with one hand, is the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's partner?!
What qualifications does the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata have for that?!
Apep's emotions were in turmoil.
Behind the Celestial system stood such a powerful being... Did the ancient dragon race still have any hope of turning the tables?
Apep murmured in despair, "So the Celestial line... was that fortunate?"
"The Celestial?"
The Vermilion Bird glanced up towards Celestia and scoffed. "I know you have old grievances with the Celestial, but we don't stand with the Celestial!"
Apep snapped her head up.
"You don't stand with the Celestial?"
"Why would we stand with the Celestial?"
The Vermilion Bird seemed somewhat puzzled.
She said, "The gentleman's power is as boundless as the starry sky. What virtue does the so-called Celestial possess to warrant his support?"
Right!
What virtue does the Celestial possess?!
Apep was suddenly enlightened.
She couldn't help but ponder.
With the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata backed by such an existence, she had clearly severed ties with the Celestial faction.
Simply put, in this world, whoever had the bigger fists had the higher authority! Their words carried more weight!
Could the Celestial command the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata now?
No.
Probably the moment such a thought arose, they would be slapped to oblivion.
For a moment, Apep harbored a naive wish: that the Celestial would lose its sanity, offend that existence, and be destroyed.
But alas, it was just a thought.
The Vermilion Bird asked, "Do you have any other last words?"
Apep snapped back to reality.
She realized she couldn't face death with complete equanimity.
But to submit to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... she couldn't lower her head that far.
As her thoughts churned, Apep reconsidered. What if she were submitting to that great existence instead?
Suddenly feeling the world widen before her, filled with hope, Apep spoke: "I am willing to submit!"
"?"
Seeing the Vermilion Bird's confusion, Apep lowered her head. "I wish to live to see the day the Celestial is destroyed."
"The day the Celestial is destroyed?"
The Vermilion Bird thought for a moment. "I can't say for sure. But I do recall the 'Rating Tower' has the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. Perhaps you can challenge her there someday."
"What is the Rating Tower?" Apep was curious.
The Vermilion Bird gave her a brief rundown of the changes of the times.
Apep was dumbfounded.
She felt as if the entire world had ascended, leaving only her, hiding in the remote wilderness, forgotten.
How could this be?!
Card-powered powerhouses were everywhere now. Was this still the Teyvat she knew?!
Learning that the Rating Tower contained the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles and a phantom of the Celestial itself made Apep even more determined not to die.
Since there was a place to test her strength, she absolutely had to live!
If nothing else, she wanted to go to the Rating Tower right now and see what this Sustainer was all about!
"Truly submitted?"
The Vermilion Bird stared at Apep.
"Truly submitted!"
Apep nodded.
To be precise, her grudge was with Phanes and the Four Shades!
Looking at it another way:
Phanes was the ruler, the emperor, and the Four Shades were the four princes created by Him.
The Archons were the high-ranking officials governing the various regions!
Back when the ancient dragons battled Phanes, The Seven hadn't even appeared yet!
So, there was no deep-seated blood feud between Apep and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, only hostility between factions.
And now, with the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata backed by that majestic existence, her status had become transcendent, clearly operating independently.
In that case, submitting to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata wasn't the same as submitting to an enemy!
Apep was an ancient dragon, but she wasn't stupid.
A dragon must learn to adapt!
As the Liyue saying goes: A wise man knows when to yield!
The times had changed. Wouldn't she also have the chance to draw cards and become stronger?
Then wouldn't the opportunity for personal revenge against the Celestial be within reach?
Seeing Apep was truly subdued, the Vermilion Bird retracted her claws with some regret...
She had genuinely wanted to taste what Apep was like.
A touch of South Ming Li Fire, roasted to perfection, to sample this loach... Ah, no, since they were on the same side now, she should address her with more respect.
She had really wanted to taste what dragon meat was like!
Apep, noticing the Vermilion Bird's sigh of regret: "..."
Fine, fine.
If she hadn't been sensible, this bird would have eaten her raw, wouldn't she?
Recalling the entire process, Apep still felt a lingering fear.
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata didn't even need to show herself; just her follower could pin her down!
This new era was truly unfamiliar to a dragon.
"Let's go!"
The Vermilion Bird's form visibly shrank. "We must hurry back to the rainforest to report to my master. By the way, don't even think about pretending to submit and then launching a surprise attack when you meet her!" the Vermilion Bird warned. "If you do, regardless of whether you injure my master or not, the gentleman will skin you alive and pull your tendons! He'd torture every version of you across different timelines before being satisfied!"
"?"
So terrifying?!
"Don't think of me as so despicable!" Apep never had such thoughts!
She was honest; if she yielded, she truly yielded.
"Good."
The Vermilion Bird felt relieved, then reminded her, "With a body your size, entering the rainforest... wouldn't it be a bit too obstructive?"
Apep's true form was immensely huge!
When on the ground, she could be mistaken for a mountain range!
"Don't worry."
With her hostility gone, Apep's voice sounded ethereal.
Her draconic form twisted and vanished in an instant.
Apep swiftly transformed into a humanoid figure.
She was tall and elegant, with long hair that faded from green to dark green, prominent horns on her forehead, and wore a long green dress.
The Vermilion Bird looked her up and down before finally saying, "The style of this dress is a bit outdated, huh?"
Apep: "..."
Was now the time for this?
Transformed back into a small, plump bird, the Vermilion Bird flew onto Apep's head.
Why not perch on her shoulder?
There was a reason for this.
In the Vermilion Bird's view, even if Apep submitted to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, her status would definitely be lower than her own! In terms of closeness, she undoubtedly outranked Apep, so standing on her head was perfectly justified!
Coincidentally, Apep had backward-curving horns, which from a certain angle resembled tree branches. This spot was quite comfortable to stand on.
Perched on the horn, the Vermilion Bird issued orders: "Destination: the Sanctuary of Surasthana! Move out!"
Apep: "..."
Forget it. Can't beat her. Just endure it.
The area in front of the Sanctuary of Surasthana, Lu Heng felt, was like a large open-air terrace.
Being near the treetop, it was very high up, offering a view of distant horizons.
It was morning. Lu Heng lay semi-recumbent on a chair, legs crossed, enjoying the breeze with a content expression.
Nearby, Nahida, standing on a small stool, was busy. She handed a cup of tea to Lu Heng with her small hands. "Brother, your tea."
Lu Heng took the cup, casually blew on it, and took a small sip.
Ah, comfort!
Being served by a 500-year-old loli.
Thinking about it, Lu Heng found it somewhat amusing. Nahida should have been in the Akademiya having classes at this hour.
But the commotion caused by the Vermilion Bird and Apep was quite significant, making Nahida a little scared. So she had rushed straight to the Sanctuary of Surasthana; only near Lu Heng did she feel safe.
Lu Heng had comforted her, saying it was fine, she should focus on her studies.
But Nahida seemed unable to move her legs.
Afraid that staying by Lu Heng's side would make him think she was idle, her small frame had hurried inside to搬 (bān - move) a table and started bustling about, as if to say, 'Look, I'm making tea for you, I'm busy, so you can't send me to school now.'
Could it be that the child had developed a fear of school?
Lu Heng didn't think the study schedule the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had set for her was overly burdensome.
After making tea for Lu Heng, Nahida busied herself again.
She moved a stool behind Lu Heng, stood on it, and started massaging his shoulders. In short, she kept very busy.
When the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata arrived with Furina, they saw this scene, which made the former chuckle wryly.
"Why does she look like a little maid?" the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata asked with a smile.
"Let me state clearly, this wasn't my request," Lu Heng said, eager to prove his innocence.
"This is so weird..."
Furina scratched her head.
Nahida was about the same age as her, but she didn't get the feeling of a peer at all!
Instead, it felt like Nahida was the daughter of Lu Heng and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata!
Shaking her head to dismiss the thought, Furina happily ran to Lu Heng's side, plopped directly onto his lap, and snuggled into his embrace.
Her face wore a proud, 'praise me' expression. "I cleared Floor 56 with ease! Pretty impressive, right?!"
Lu Heng acted as if hearing it for the first time, showing a shocked expression. "What?! Furina, you've gotten this strong already?!"
'You just spoil her!'
The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata shook her head with a smile and sat nearby, watching Lu Heng enter praise mode.
It didn't even take five minutes. Just a few sentences had Furina feeling somewhat dizzy from the praise.
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T/N:
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