Of course, Su Han couldn't let Ruo-Ruo eat it. This was the treasure he had prepared specifically for Raiden Makoto. It was designed to maximize her soul power and drastically shorten the time needed for her awakening.
"You can't have this..."
Raiden Ei pinned Ruo-Ruo down with one hand, preventing her from moving an inch. She had reacted so quickly because Su Han had sent an urgent mental pulse to her, warning her to stop the gluttonous Dragon King. If Ruo-Ruo had swallowed it, Su Han would have had to pluck another precious leaf from the Biluo Azure Lotus to start over.
As the pill solidified, its intoxicating fragrance flooded the entire Secret Realm. But this was only the beginning. Before Ruo-Ruo could break free, the Azure Fallen Immortal Pill shot into the sky. Dark, heavy thunderclouds instantly coalesced above the Fountainhead Palace.
Whenever an Immortal-grade object is born, it must endure the pressure of the world. Only through the baptism of lightning could the treasure truly take form.
Boom! Rumble!
Raiden Ei watched the crackling sky, shielding the struggling Ruo-Ruo. "This isn't ordinary lightning. It carries a strange, ancient law..."
"Before an Immortal Pill is complete, it must survive the Tribulation," Su Han explained. "Only then will its energy be fully refined."
The pill weathered nine successive strikes of heavenly lightning. When the clouds finally dispersed, the pill no longer emitted that overwhelming fragrance. It had undergone a process of "returning to simplicity," becoming a smooth, jade-like bead that hovered quietly in the air.
Seeing that the "tasty" smell was gone, Ruo-Ruo lost interest and stopped struggling. The pill flew back into Su Han's palm.
Bosacius inspected it from a distance. "The power within that pill is immense. I suspect even someone with only a fragment of a soul left would be granted a complete rebirth."
"It is indeed a masterpiece," Su Han agreed. He turned to Ei. "Ei... come with me. Remember the gift I promised you? It's time to open the box."
[The Awakening]
"What kind of gift is it?" Ei asked as they flew toward the summit of the palace where the Sacred Sakura graft stood. "If it's clothes or jewelry, I don't really need them... you should give those to the others."
Su Han shook his head. "I've been preparing this power since before I even met you. I intended to wait longer, but with the treasures we've acquired, the time has been moved forward."
Seeing his grave expression, Ei's smile faded. Her heart began to race. "You... the gift you're talking about... is it...?"
Her voice trembled. There was only one person in the world who could make the Electro Archon lose her composure like this: her twin sister.
Su Han didn't answer with words. He stepped toward the Sacred Sakura and pressed the Azure Fallen Immortal Pill into the trunk. As the pill merged with the tree, Ei's fingers clenched into tight fists. In the world outside, the sky over Liyue and Inazuma was suddenly blanketed by a violent, uncharacteristic lightning storm, reflecting her inner turmoil.
The pill dissolved into the wood. For a moment, there was silence. Then, a pulse of Electro energy rippled outward. A scent familiar to both Yae Miko and Hanachirusato slowly began to permeate the air.
"She's finally returning..."
"After so long... though it's still just a spiritual form. A physical body is still a far-off goal, but she can finally leave the tree's core," Hanachirusato whispered.
The elemental energy within the Secret Realm began to converge toward the Sacred Sakura like a Great Whale swallowing the sea. Even the spirit springs seemed to dim as the tree drank in every drop of available power.
"This aura... it's like the Shogun, yet softer," Bosacius noted, his brow furrowing.
Xiao, who knew more of Su Han's plans, stood by. "He's done it. He's bringing the former Archon back."
[A Sister's Reunion]
Thunder roared, but it felt like a gentle welcome rather than a destructive force. High on the World Tree, Venti paused his drinking, nearly dropping his bottle.
"Whoa... is he serious? How is she coming back? She died centuries ago... Su Han, you really are a miracle worker." Venti transformed into a gale, racing toward the Secret Realm.
By the time he arrived, the Fountainhead Palace had become a sanctuary of lightning. Bolts of purple energy formed a staircase leading to the Sakura tree. Within Ei's sleeve, the Musou Isshin began to hum and vibrate, sensing its true master.
Step. Step.
A figure slowly emerged from the glowing trunk. Her attire was different from Ei's—where Ei wore the practical robes of a warrior, this woman wore an elegant, flowing kimono.
Ei had dreamed of this moment for five hundred years. But seeing her sister standing there, she froze, utterly lost for words.
"Sister..."
Ei abandoned all pretense of dignity. She lunged forward, throwing her arms around Makoto. Tears streamed down her face as she began to sob. Five hundred years of loneliness, of stagnation, and of silent grief finally broke.
"There, there... little sister," Makoto whispered, stroking Ei's hair. "You're a wife now, yet you're still crying like a child. Be careful, people will laugh at you."
"I don't care! As long as you're here, I don't care about anything else!"
"You're still so silly," Makoto sighed, though her eyes were wet with tears. "Still so stubborn."
"Then don't ever leave me again!"
"I won't. From now on, I'll stay by your side. We'll never be apart again."
[The Legend Returns]
As the sisters embraced, the others watched from a respectful distance. Yae Miko walked over, her eyes red but her voice sharp as ever. "Who's the 'unreliable' one now, Makoto? You and Ei are exactly the same—you have no idea how much I've sacrificed for this!"
"Miko is right," Hanachirusato added with a smirk. "To save you, she even 'sold' herself to Su Han."
Makoto chuckled, looking at the two kitsune. "I was only teasing, Miko. I've been inside the tree; do you think I haven't seen everything you've done?"
"Hmph! As long as you know! Now come and massage my shoulders; being the Guuji is exhausting work."
"Do you want me to bring up your 'dark history' instead?" Makoto teased. "I remember a certain woman named Alice..."
Whoosh!
Yae Miko vanished in a blur of pink petals. Even as a ghost, Makoto knew too much.
Hanachirusato laughed. "She never learns. Always so easy to tease. So, Makoto... are you limited to being a spirit for now?"
"Yes," Makoto explained. "The pill transitioned me from a fragmented soul to a complete spiritual body. I can walk around now, but I still lack a physical form."
The Azure Fallen Immortal Pill had done more than just mend her soul; it had infused her with the power of the Netherworld (Biluo). This was a death-based power from outside Teyvat. If Makoto were to truly revive now, she would no longer be the "weak" Archon who couldn't fight; she would possess a power over life and death that surpassed her previous peak.
"We'll leave you two to catch up," Su Han said, taking Hanachirusato's hand. "Let's go back to the meeting."
As the sisters sat under the cherry blossoms to talk about the last five centuries, Makoto looked at the retreating back of Su Han. "Ei... you found a truly remarkable man. He's taught you that a nation doesn't need 'Eternity' to thrive—it just needs hope, a full belly, and a God who truly loves them."
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