"Don't worry. We know what we're doing," Lora said to the Millelith who tried to stop them.
They approached Azhdaha's Sealed Tree and entered through a cave beside it, where Zhongli's seal came into view.
After enduring a thousand years of erosion, the seal had suffered some damage, but it was still enough to keep Azhdaha from escaping.
The oppressive presence that permeated Mt. Hulao, which Lora had sensed earlier, was likely the power Azhdaha was leaking through the damaged portions of the seal.
"Azhdaha, is it? Trying to intimidate me? Just wait."
Staring at the fractured corner of the seal, Lora suddenly smiled. She raised her hand and drew in the surrounding Hydro elemental energy.
Vast torrents of Hydro gathered rapidly in her palm, stirring the Hydro element within the ley lines. It surged up from deep within the earth and flowed into Lora's body.
Behind her, Rhodeia watched with undisguised admiration.
This was her god—the Queen of Many Waters.
Rhodeia's gaze was filled with awe and evidence.
Lora pressed the concentrated Hydro elemental power onto Zhongli's seal, neatly filling the damaged gap. As the breach was sealed, the oppressive force that had blanketed Mt. Hulao instantly vanished without a trace.
"Girls hold grudges, you know, Azhdaha."
Lora smiled at the seal. She didn't know whether the Azhdaha trapped within could hear her, but mocking it was enough for her.
Time had already worn away at the core of the seal. Even with this repair, it would not be able to bind Azhdaha forever—but it would at least keep his power suppressed for a very long time.
From behind her, Rhodeia spoke softly, "Miss Lora… by your own reckoning, that 'very long time' would still be short compared to the thousands of years you have already lived."
Lora: "…"
"It's a figure of speech! Do you even know what a figure of speech is?!"
"Yes, Miss Lora, you're absolutely right," Rhodeia nodded quickly. As an Oceanid, she clearly didn't have much grasp of human conversational nuance, which was why she had spoken so bluntly.
"Rhodeia, saying something like that is an easy way to get yourself beaten," Lora said earnestly.
"Please don't worry, Miss Lora. Although we Oceanids aren't particularly skilled at combat, aside from the Adepti, even ordinary people with Visions aren't guaranteed to defeat us," Rhodeia replied seriously.
Seeing her answer so earnestly, Lora sighed and pressed her fingers to her forehead.
"You really need to study how humans interact with each other. Otherwise, you'll give yourself away very quickly."
"Give myself away? Why?" Rhodeia asked, puzzled.
Lora explained, "Even though I haven't deliberately hidden my identity, now isn't the time for my existence to be made public. If you attract too much attention, my disguise will be meaningless."
"So that's how it is?"
Rhodeia suddenly understood. She vowed solemnly, "Miss Lora, please rest assured! No matter what happens, I will strictly guard the secret of your identity. Even if I face a god, I won't reveal a single word!"
Her expression was utterly resolute, as if she were prepared to face death. Lora had underestimated just how deep Rhodeia's devotion to the Hydro Archon Egeria ran. Hearing this, Lora felt helpless.
She waved her hand and said, "There's really no need to be that serious. If we truly encounter other gods, my identity won't be something I can keep hidden anyway. And there's no reason for me to hide it from them."
"Understood. I'll follow your arrangements in everything," Rhodeia nodded.
Looking at her like this, Lora couldn't help wondering whether bringing Rhodeia along had been the right choice.
...
Lora turned and walked away from Azhdaha's Sealed Tree, heading toward a nearby stream. The Millelith were spread out at a distance, none of them intending to approach the Sealed Tree. This gave Lora a safe space to act.
She raised her hand and poured her power into the stream, summoning several Oceanids.
"Lady Egeria, what are your orders?"
The Oceanids called out her honored name as they swam happily through the water. A few were so excited that they leapt straight out of the stream.
"I called you here because I have a task for you," Lora said. "Beneath this land lies a seal imprisoning an extremely powerful Elemental Dragon Sovereign. Someone is trying to destroy that seal and release it."
"Lady Egeria, what is an Elemental Dragon Sovereign?" the Oceanids asked in their clear, innocent voices.
"…"
Lora fell silent for a moment, then said, "You don't need to know that. All you need to do is notify me immediately if anything unusual happens here."
"Yes, Lady Egeria! No problem, Lady Egeria! We'll keep a close watch on this place!"
The Oceanids nodded vigorously, quickly promising to carry out their duty.
"Ah… alright, alright. Stay here and keep watch," Lora said, several black lines forming on her forehead. Then she added seriously, "But most importantly, make sure you protect yourselves. I don't want any of you dying here. If an Oceanid must die, it should be in Fontaine."
At her final words, both Rhodeia and the Oceanids turned solemn. They nodded firmly and replied in unison, "Yes! Lady Egeria, we shall follow your will!"
After making all the arrangements, Lora turned to Qiqi and Rhodeia. "Let's head back."
"Miss Lora… I've never been to Liyue Harbor before. Will the Geo Archon allow me to set foot there?" Rhodeia asked uncertainly, looking at Lora with concern.
When she had fled Fontaine and arrived at Qingce Village, the Geo Archon had appeared directly before her.
That overwhelming presence—an aura that made it feel as though all things under heaven bowed in submission—had left an indelible impression on her soul. I
t was because of that encounter that she had remained in Qingce Village for five hundred years, never daring to venture into other waters.
She had believed that the Geo Archon's appearance back then was meant as a warning, a way of telling her not to cause trouble in Liyue.
"Oh, Zhongli is actually very easy to talk to—so long as it doesn't involve contracts," Lora said with a smile, waving her hand. "If he truly disliked you, would he really have allowed you to stay in Qingce Village for five hundred years? Rhodeia, don't assume everyone is that terrible."
"I don't think everyone is terrible," Rhodeia said seriously, looking at Lora. "In my heart, you are the most perfect god."