[Reward: Plot Resolution—Sumeru]
You have earned a unique skill: Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation.
Because you previously obtained One Qi into Three Pure Ones, your two black-and-white avatars now also learn this skill.
Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation? That one? Perfect.
Trading blows with Marana's avatar while piloting the Prime Machine God made it painfully clear: I lacked a way to match true colossi head-on. And now the system hands me exactly that. Even better—both avatars inherit it. My combat power just about doubled overnight.
I don't yet know what my manifested dharma-body will look like, but as long as it isn't too ridiculous, I can live with it.
[Reward: Plot Change—Nahida's Status]
You have gained: Seed of the World Tree.
Properly cultivated, it will grow into a new World Tree in Teyvat.
A World Tree seed?
Even Nahida is merely the purest bough of the World Tree, not the Tree itself. "Cuttings taking root" still need ages to mature. But this—this is a seed. If the Heavenly Principles ever caught wind of it, they'd fight over it.
Too bad. It bears my surname now.
"And the Marana energy I siphoned off still needs a home…" I mused. "This seed might be just the vessel. The pill I finished will handle the Greater Lord's matter, too."
With Sumeru's final loose end—the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—in mind, I accepted the reward. I stowed the seed in my system space for now; I'll unveil it before the Greater Lord herself. Time to digest the Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation transmission.
A torrent of knowledge crashed into me; I leaned back and—despite myself—dozed.
Nahida puffed her cheeks from under the quilt. I'd told her to "warm the bed," she had, and I wasn't even lying down? Rude. But seeing how pale I was, she only smiled, leaned in, and gently nipped my shoulder. A soft green glow flowed from her lips, knitting away fatigue and injury.
"There's a banquet tonight, and you're the guest of honor," she whispered. "Don't oversleep… my Sage—my King."
Her life force mingled with the medicine; the aches faded quickly.
Night fell. Sumeru blazed with lantern-light. The Grand Bazaar—already the city's loudest stage—was flooded to the rafters. Delegates from abroad pressed in with the locals to join the most raucous celebration in living memory.
The quietest table was, ironically, Furina's. Hydro Archon or not, few dared crash a god's seating chart after a few drinks.
Furina watched the swirl of dancers and torches and smiled. "This trip to Sumeru has paid off handsomely."
Clorinde inclined her head—Idris won respect even from the famously severe. Navia chuckled. "Backed by the Divine Tree, a mortal unknots five hundred years of grudges, then crowns himself king and names a god the realm's princess. Turn that script into a film and Fontaine will blow the doors off the theaters."
"Thank goodness Charlotte from The Steambird stayed home," Navia added. "She'd be hounding the Grand Sage for interviews and asking if he'd star in his own drama."
"Spare me," Furina said dryly. "Some legends lose flavor if the lead isn't the legend himself."
Her goodwill toward Idris had deep roots now—today's valor, and the Bloodline-Reversal Pill he'd given her. If his approach worked in Fontaine, it might save lives. Tomorrow, they would sail home.
At the Liyue–Mondstadt cluster, the murmurs were just as lively.
Keqing sighed. "Shifting a realm from divine rule to human governance—in front of its own god—takes courage and iron. One decree: the god becomes a princess; an entire nation nods."
"Idris once said he admired Liyue," she went on. "But after today, it's we Seven Stars who envy him."
Xiangling giggled. "So we promote Rex Lapis to… princess?"
Keqing coughed. "Given the… probable gender of the Rock King, that seems ill-advised."
Hu Tao waved a hand. "Do we know for sure? If the Geo Lord's a lady, 'Princess' fits just fine."
Far off, Zhongli—sharing contraband wine with Venti—choked.
"Hrrm."
Venti thumped the table, laughing. "Ha! Old man, they're coming for your title! Weren't you once voted 'handsomest Archon'?"
Zhongli arched a brow. "Better that than having a statue so free no one can tell what sex it is."
"This is called freedom," Venti sniffed. The chance to mock Zhongli was rare; he took it.
His grin wilted when Eula, at the Mondstadt table, spoke up. "If Acting Grand Master Jean borrowed a page from Idris's book—stricter statutes, firmer penalties—certain bards who 'forget' to pay after singing would learn swiftly."
Venti blanched. "No! Jean is perfect as is! No need to emulate the Grand Sage… at all!"
Zhongli folded his arms. "Speaking of 'forgetting to pay'… did you bring money?"
Venti: "Uh…"
If they got caught skipping tabs in a foreign capital, even their departed friend might resurrect just to scold them.
Amid the laughter and clatter, the guest of honor finally arrived.
As Idris strolled in, the Grand Bazaar hushed on instinct. After a few hours' meditation—and Nahida's quiet aid—he looked none the worse for wear. He stepped into the central ring, glanced around at the thousands of filled seats, and smiled.
"Friends—thank you for coming. I'm late on account of some injuries, so I'll fine myself three cups later.
"I won't waste breath. First, I'll keep my promise."
He flicked his fingers. A pill of twinned black and white appeared between them.
"This is the Life-Reversal Pill (Fanming Dan). As the name suggests, it all but grants you a second life. It lodges quietly within the body and activates only at the brink—unless your head is severed or your natural span has ended, in which case even alchemy yields.
"I'll be awarding this to those who showed outstanding service defending Sumeru today.
"Rest assured—everyone in that number will receive one."
He hadn't even finished his entrance before dropping a bombshell. The Grand Bazaar held its breath.
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