Early the next morning, everyone gathered once again at Xianyun's home.
There was no Hu Tao, no Chongyun, no Xingqiu, and not a single mortal present.
This was a meeting of adepti, gods, and Dragon Sovereigns.
"Let me make one thing clear in advance. No matter what happens next, as a Dragon Sovereign, I will not automatically stand on the same side as you gods," Apep said to everyone before the meeting began.
"Mm. We know you're being stubborn." Lora nodded.
"I am speaking from a dragon's perspective!" Apep looked at Lora and emphasized it again.
"Am I a dragon or not? Am I?" Zhongyue pointed at herself and asked Apep, "How can you speak from my perspective? I haven't even agreed!"
Wynlin spread his hands. "That's why you should think before you speak."
Apep: "..."
"You can discuss it among yourselves. I won't interrupt." Apep leaned back and watched everyone present.
Seeing her like that, Sophia and Nahida exchanged a glance and both laughed. For the moment, the atmosphere remained fairly relaxed.
With the exception of the Pyro Archon, Mavuika, nearly all of Teyvat's current allied divine powers had gathered here.
"Oh my! This truly is an unprecedented gathering!" Guizhong looked at the assembled gods and laughed, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Zhongli nodded in agreement. "Yes, indeed."
With the exception of the Pyro Archon, all of The Seven were present. Even the Dragon Sovereigns had seats at the table.
This meeting had brought together the most powerful beings in Teyvat today.
At the same time, that also meant the matter represented by this meeting was grave enough to decide Teyvat's fate.
"Since everyone is here, I'll get straight to the point." Lora looked at everyone and spoke first.
Among those present, she was the most suitable person to explain all of this.
"Perhaps all of you have already sensed the unusual surges in the Ley Lines. With Makoto, Sophia, and other gods awakening one after another, this world's fate is about to face a major test."
"The gods who once died are going to return."
"So... does that mean a new Archon War might begin?" Beleth, who had only just understood the situation after hearing Lora's words, looked at her in disbelief, her voice filled with incredulity.
Guizhong continued, "The Archon War of the past was a selection created by the Heavenly Principles to determine The Seven. This new Archon War will likely be a war of revenge between the survivors and those who were eliminated."
"The gods' memories will not be passed down through the power within the Ley Lines," Venti said slowly, sharing his view. "The gods who awaken again will merely possess the same authority as the gods of the past. But that hatred will still remain."
"Because Teyvat's stability has declined, the gods revived from the Ley Lines will be stronger than they were in the past, and even more deranged. The so-called love for humanity that once restrained the gods will likely no longer exist."
Then he asked, "Has anyone here not participated in the Archon War? Raise your hand."
Beleth, Focalors, and several of the younger ones raised their hands.
"But we'll be fine. We have Lady Egeria," Focalors added, and Furina nodded along.
Beleth looked at Lora, then at Focalors, then lowered her head to look at herself before falling silent.
Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she quickly asked, "What about the Heavenly Principles? If a new Archon War is about to begin, will the Heavenly Principles and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles not intervene?"
"The Heavenly Principles can no longer awaken, and the power of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is gradually declining as well." Lora looked at Beleth and said, "You should know that Teyvat was already a world on the verge of destruction. It was the Heavenly Principles who brought people here and established a new order, barely managing to keep Teyvat alive."
Makoto had been listening all this time, and only now did she speak up. "In other words, this new Archon War will descend into complete chaos?"
"There is also another issue everyone needs to pay attention to."
Sophia spoke up, reminding them, "The Abyss still exists. Beneath Sumeru, within the ruins of Khaenri'ah, the Abyss Order has always been working to drown the divine thrones in the Abyss and overturn Teyvat's current order."
"Perhaps their original intention was to free this world from the cruel order set down by the Heavenly Principles," Lora said with a sigh. "But after being steeped in the Abyss for so long, they have already strayed far from what they once believed."
She did not deny the Abyss Order's original ideals.
But it was clear that the Abyss Order of today was no longer what it had once been.
Ei's expression turned serious as she said, "Then I will go and eliminate the Abyss Order entrenched in Khaenri'ah!"
Makoto shook her head and stopped her. "The power of the Abyss is extremely dangerous. Even though it is contained within the ruins of Khaenri'ah, setting foot in that place would still be dangerous for us, even as gods."
"There's no need to worry that far ahead yet!" Lora said, easing everyone's nerves. "What we need to prepare for now is the abnormal movement of the Ley Lines and the gods who will awaken. Aside from that, nothing else poses an immediate threat."
Venti leaned lazily against the back of his chair and said to Lora and the others, "I imagine all of you already know the situation in Mondstadt. There aren't many gods on my side. Only Decarabian and Andrius."
Makoto looked at Venti, frowning in thought. "I remember Mondstadt should have one more..."
"The Ruler of Time?"
Venti knew who Makoto was talking about. He reassured her, "Don't worry. Although from our perspective, the Ruler of Time has been missing for a very long time, that being still watches over Teyvat's time and bears witness to the course of fate. This revival through the Ley Lines should not affect a being of that level."
"It isn't just the Ruler of Time. There are also Life, Death, and Space, meaning the sleeping Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. Those four should not be affected either," Lora added, putting everyone at ease.
"A pure, all-out brawl between gods," Sophia remarked.
"Compared to Mondstadt, the situation here in Liyue is rather complicated. Liyue sits at the center of the continent, and many gods once resided here..." After Venti, Zhongli briefly explained Liyue's situation to everyone.
The first-generation members of The Seven present all knew that Liyue had once been home to many gods, so Zhongli was mostly explaining it to the younger ones, such as Beleth, who did not know the details.
After listening to him list the ancient gods of Liyue, everyone fell silent.
For Scaramouche and the others, this was the first time they had directly grasped just how terrifying the battles that once took place across Liyue had been.
"Liyue... will it really be all right?" Furina looked at everyone with worry and asked the question aloud.
From her perspective, Liyue had so many gods. If they all awakened, the thought alone was terrifying.