After several days of routine life, the day of the Rite of Descension arrived quickly.
What are the steps of the Rite of Descension?
Cid, the old uncle, didn't know. He simply followed little Hu Tao without thinking too much about it.
He also wanted to see if there was anything interesting around.
Soon, he was being pushed and shoved by the massive crowd.
Then came the moment to make a wish at the incense burner again.
Why "again"?
Because he had already made a wish to the real one before.
Let me think… what wish should I make?
Hmm, this one will do.
May the people around me be safe.
May I find the true me.
May the old uncle play with me for a lifetime!
May this journey go smoothly…
Old Master Zhongli sat on the high platform, watching the lively scene. Although he made no obvious movements, everyone could clearly sense his happy mood.
Awooo!!! Such a cute cat-dragon Lord of Geo! I sniff, I sniff, I sniff sniff sniff!
Old Master Zhongli covered his forehead. Clearly, even the Lord of Geo himself couldn't handle some of his more enthusiastic fans.
For Cid, the old uncle, there were only two important things.
Holding little Hu Tao's hand tightly to prevent her from getting lost.
Holding little Eula's hand tightly to prevent little Eula from wandering off.
After that, he just wandered around following little Hu Tao.
Cid followed little Hu Tao to the front row to watch the descent of the Lord of Geo.
"Old uncle! Carry me on your shoulders!"
Faced with little Hu Tao's request, the old uncle naturally wouldn't refuse.
He directly let little Hu Tao sit on his shoulders.
Then he turned his attention to the standard version of the Rite of Descension.
Oh ho, the one hosting today is still the familiar Liyue Qixing member, the fishing fanatic Uncle Tian.
And standing beside Uncle Tian was the extremely, supremely, invincible adorable coconut sheep—Ganyu.
One thing that made Cid, the old uncle, a little regretful was that Ganyu's clothes were different from those in the game.
They were very normal clothes.
It made sense, though—if she wore those seductive black stockings out in public, in a place like Liyue, people would say she was corrupting the children.
This trip back to Liyue was worth it—he got to see the adorable big sister Ganyu.
And just at that moment, Uncle Tian's ritual was perfectly completed.
In the clear, cloudless sky, a brown figure slowly emerged.
The Lord of Geo has arrived! The old uncle looked up. Little Hu Tao almost fell backward, but little Eula quickly supported her. The three of them gazed at the sky.
Rex Lapis's draconic form was long and agile, its scales gleaming with dazzling golden light. Under the sunlight, each scale resembled a meticulously carved piece of jade, reflecting brilliant radiance.
Its dragon whiskers fluttered in the wind like golden ribbons, exuding an air of elegance.
Its eyes were like golden stars—deep and mysterious, as if they could see through everything.
Its body swayed slowly, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, appearing noble and composed.
…
Rex Lapis began to announce this year's new decrees, speaking in his draconic form.
The speech wasn't long. After leaving a blessing at the end, he departed.
"Old uncle! Did Rex Lapis glance in our direction just before he left?"
Little Hu Tao excitedly boasted about her discovery.
"Maybe. Or maybe he was looking at you. Rex Lapis probably likes obedient children a lot—after all, the two of us burn incense for the cat-dragon Lord of Geo every day."
What followed was a sensation that drew everyone's attention.
"Cat-dragon Lord of Geo—is that what you mean?"
A small child asked.
"Yes, yes! The old uncle said he personally saw Rex Lapis descend upon his cat-dragon Lord of Geo statue before!"
No one doubted the truth of little Hu Tao's words.
Because this was happening during the Rite of Descension.
Oh no, we're done for.
The old uncle would bet a box of xiaolongbao that next year, every household in Liyue would enshrine a cat-dragon Lord of Geo.