Ganyu paused for a moment, then let out a soft sigh,神色 gradually turning solemn.
"I understand. I'll have the Millelith tighten patrols and make sure the Rite of Descension goes off without a hitch," she said. "We'll have to mobilise the reserve troops again."
If not for their earlier preparations, they wouldn't even have reserves to move right now.
Keqing nodded slightly, her gaze drifting out the window toward Yujing Terrace.
The Rite of Descension was about to begin.
There could be no mistakes.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Inside the Liyue branch of the Northland Bank, the atmosphere was oppressive despite it being normal business hours.
The huge main hall was lit by dim lamps. The light slid over carved metal pillars, giving off a cold sheen. Rows of elite Fatui soldiers stood on both sides. Their footsteps echoed softly on the floor, steady and disciplined, yet carrying a faint urgency.
A moment later, one of the elites stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Childe, and reported in a low but respectful voice:
"Lord Childe, the Rite of Descension is about to begin."
"So it's finally starting."
Childe narrowed his eyes. "How are things around the site?"
"There are many differences from the original plan," the elite replied, frowning. "For some unknown reason, Liyue has deployed more Millelith around Yujing Terrace. They've even mixed into the crowd disguised as ordinary citizens watching the rite. It's… strange."
"What?"
Childe was stunned. "They added more Millelith?"
The security plan for the rite had been confirmed days ago.
Why suddenly increase manpower?
And not just more guards, but embedding them inside the crowd as well?
What were they trying to do?
"We don't know either," the Fatui soldier said. "But the Liyue citizens don't seem to mind. The layout map we obtained before is now useless — their deployment is completely scrambled."
"Has something big changed with this year's rite?"
Childe frowned. "Why else would the Liyue Qixing alter things at the last minute?"
He muttered, half to himself:
"In that case, I have to be present at the Rite of Descension. I need to see what's going on, up close."
He paused, then asked:
"And the Traveler from Mondstadt?"
"We cannot find any trace of the blonde Traveler," the elite answered grimly.
"Can't find her?"
Childe's expression grew stranger. "How's that possible? Didn't we already confirm which inn they're staying at?"
"Yes," the soldier said. "According to our intel, the Traveler left the inn early this morning. But she hasn't appeared in any of Liyue Harbor's main streets, and she never returned to the area near the inn. We've checked major shops, the port, and nearby districts… there's still no sign of her."
Childe fell silent for a beat.
If she wasn't deliberately hiding, then she was definitely doing something.
"What's your guess?" he asked.
"We suspect she'll appear directly at the Rite of Descension," the elite replied. "Yuheng Xing Keqing personally went to the inn to notify her."
Childe raised an eyebrow.
"So even the Yuheng moved personally? Looks like Liyue really cares about this Traveler."
The elite continued:
"Our people are digging deeper, but it's clear the upper echelons of Liyue are treating this Rite of Descension with far more caution than in previous years."
He paused, then added, "What's odd is that when the Yuheng left the inn… the Traveler didn't leave with her."
Childe thought for a long moment, then chuckled softly.
"In other words, even if we don't know where she is, she's bound to show up eventually, right?"
"Most likely, yes."
"In that case, let's head to the Rite of Descension," Childe said, turning toward the door.
Morning in Liyue Harbor was already lively, but Yujing Terrace was on a different level.
The place was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people, a solid ocean of heads as far as the eye could see. Citizens had come dressed in their best clothes — merchants in cleaned-up robes, mothers with fragrant sachets hanging at their waists, travelers who'd rushed from faraway lands, young couples carrying sleepy children.
Some quietly prayed and whispered wishes to Rex Lapis.
Some just watched with bright eyes, full of curiosity and excitement.
"Hey, I heard Lady Keqing is hosting this year's rite!"
"No, no, it's Lady Ningguang."
"What? Didn't Ningguang host it last year?"
"Are you fake Liyue or what?" the other snapped. "Last year was Lady Keqing. This year it's Ningguang."
"…Oh. I remembered wrong?"
"How do you mess that up?"
The crowd buzzed with overlapping conversations. The energy of the entire terrace kept rising.
At the center of Yujing Terrace, a golden shrine stood quietly.
Silken curtains hung around it, with trays of offerings neatly arranged before it: jade-coloured osmanthus cakes, glistening shrimp balls, fine wines and fruits… all placed with ritual precision. Incense burned slowly, its scent floating through the air in calm, solemn waves.
Lines of Millelith guards flanked the area around the shrine. Their armor gleamed, spears in hand, faces serious. They kept watch over the crowd, ready to respond to any disturbance.
"Please maintain order and don't push," one of the patrolling Millelith shouted. "Do not approach the altar!"
Despite their anxiety, the citizens complied, staying behind the set boundaries.
High above the terrace, hidden among the clouds, an almost invisible mechanical vessel hovered silently over Liyue — a star barge.
On its transparent deck, Kairo and Zhongli stood side by side, looking down at the sea of people below.
Zhongli stood with his hands clasped behind his back, golden eyes reflecting the spectacle at Yujing Terrace. His expression was calm, tinged with a hint of nostalgia.
"Star-sailing craft…" he murmured. "An intriguing construct indeed."
"Our Liyue has fine organ-craft, but this doesn't belong to any art of Liyue's, does it?"
Kairo glanced at him with a small smile.
"It's still a proper mechanical device," he said. "Just one from another world. Over there, these things are made like assembly-line products."
"Mass-produced flying vessels…"
Zhongli nodded, thoughtful.
On the other side, Paimon was plastered to the transparent railing, eyes sparkling as she stared down at Yujing Terrace.
"Wooooah… Liyue's Rite of Descension is so lively!" she squealed. "There are way too many people down there!"
She spun in the air, giddy.
"Watching from this high up — we really lucked out!"
She was so absorbed in the scene below that she didn't notice Zhongli and Kairo's gazes had already turned elsewhere.
Because in front of Kairo, lines of translucent text suddenly appeared.
[You accepted Jing Yuan's goodwill and openly went along with him.]
[Under his invitation, you toured Luofu, gathered a trove of information, and formed a decent working relationship with him.]
[Congratulations, you have received the reward for Option One: Lightning-Aligned Power. Upon fusion, your Trailblaze power can now manifest lightning; from now on, your attacks will carry an elemental attribute.]
A torrent of energy surged into Kairo's body like a roaring river.
A violent thunderous aura burst through his limbs and bones, as if a slumbering thunder dragon had awakened and was racing through his meridians. His blood seemed to boil; every inch of his skin tingled with invisible lightning, a burning sensation right on the edge between pain and transformation.
It didn't feel like being scorched — more like being reforged.
His bones hummed faintly, his muscles thrummed with power.
The thunderous energy tempered his meridians, making them tougher, and packed his flesh with explosive strength.
At the same time, more text bloomed before his eyes.
[On Luofu, the Divination Commission's Lord Fuxuan personally prepared to interrogate Kafka.]
[The Astral Express crew, including you, were summoned as observers.]
[Facing Fuxuan, who is about to begin the interrogation, you choose…]
[Option One: Forceful Intervention]
You step in and insist the interrogation be halted. Kafka's intelligence is too valuable; the Divination Commission's methods might bury secrets you'd rather see exposed. If you can't get those secrets, no one else can either.
(Reward: Oath of Cold Iron – a shield forged from unknown alloys, light in the hand and almost impossible to dent, said to have once guarded a doomed kingdom on the brink of annihilation.)
[Option Two: Volunteer Yourself]
"Interrogate Kafka? Why not interrogate me first?"
You raise your hand very seriously and claim it's a great honor to be personally questioned by Lord Fuxuan, even suggesting they "warm up" by practicing on you, so she can fully demonstrate the Divination Commission's interrogation artistry.
(Reward: Fuxuan's Silk Stockings – a pair of white stockings imbued with her destiny power and personal scent.)
[Option Three: Coldly Observe]
This has nothing to do with you. You remain silent and simply watch events unfold, letting the situation reveal its own fortune and misfortune.
(Reward: Fuxuan's Third Eye – upon fusion, you gain the ability to foresee the general fortune of upcoming events.)
Kairo stared at the options in silence.
"…Seriously?"
So Ningguang corresponds to Fuxuan now?
He couldn't help glancing down again.
Ningguang, with her long flawless legs, regal posture, and elegant curves… and in his mind, the system was calmly matching her to the petite, sharp-tongued Fuxuan with her short legs and habitually exasperated face.
This system really lived for contrast.
Option One's reward — Oath of Cold Iron — sounded good, several tiers above that old "Bronze Perseverance" shield he'd gotten earlier.
Option Two… he decided to mentally censor that one entirely.
Option Three was Fuxuan's "third eye," letting him divine good or ill in future events. Not bad, but not exactly urgent for him.
He weighed the choices, even as the ceremony below moved toward its climax.
Down on Yujing Terrace, Ningguang had already reached the center of the platform.
She took in a slow breath, raised one hand, and turned her palm upward. A powerful surge of geo energy rose from within her.
"The Rite of Descension," she declared, voice steady and clear, "officially begins."
Her voice was not loud, but it carried undeniable authority.
At once, golden lines lit up beneath her feet. An intricate geo formation bloomed outward like a lotus, covering the entire altar.
Countless floating amber crystals manifested around her, orbiting gently. Under the glow, Ningguang's already striking figure looked almost divine. She closed her eyes briefly, expression serene, fingers moving as if plucking invisible strings and drawing power from the earth itself.
"Go."
Her fingers flicked.
The orbiting ambers shot outward like falling stars, embedding themselves in the four directional nodes of the formation.
A roaring hum shook the terrace. Geo energy flooded into the shrine, merging into a single towering pillar of light that burst into the sky.
The ground rumbled.
The heavens responded.
The column tore through the clouds, stirring up a vast whirlpool of golden light high above, like a blazing eye opening over Liyue.
The Rite of Descension had reached its most sacred moment.
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