Jun Bai slowly woke up from the bed in the guest room, feeling as if he had experienced a very long and realistic dream.
The memories of Phenex from his birth all the way to his battle against the God of Dreams became exceptionally clear, because Jun Bai had personally lived through that entire experience in the dream.
[Host, well done. The first segment of history has been successfully replaced. Background Completion Task · II requires 50,000 popularity points to activate. Would the host like to activate it now?]
"This nearly five-hundred-year experience is already enough for me to digest for quite a while." Jun Bai rubbed his brow and rejected the system's proposal. "Let's wait until after the Liyue plot. Otherwise, even with your protection, I'll end up with a split personality."
[Understood. The host currently has 100,000 popularity points remaining.]
"Put all of it into strength."
[Affirmative.]
The popularity points were instantly spent. Jun Bai heard a crisp cracking sound inside his body, and the elemental power within him surged violently.
Flames once again appeared on the surface of his body, but with a single thought from Jun Bai, the rampaging fire element instantly became obedient.
During the period when history was being replaced, Jun Bai had incarnated as the naturally born god Phenex. This level of fire element control was not even up to the standard Phenex had at the moment of his birth, so manipulating it was naturally as easy as flipping his hand.
"System, your calculation is wrong. At this level of elemental power, let alone the peak strength I set for myself, it's not even as good as when I had just been born."
[It was only after replacing the history that I truly realized how high the settings you gave yourself actually were.]
Jun Bai rolled his eyes directly, then stood up from the bed. Crisp sounds of bones realigning rang out from all over his body.
"System, during the time I was completing my background, did my body sleep for three days?"
[No, only two and a half days.]
"...You overcooked the chicken feet."
[No, this is merely a wonderful coincidence.]
"You'd better hope I believe that."
[Such details are unimportant. Host, I have already edited the content of your background completion task into a 25-minute animated short film. Do you need me to upload it to the parallel world now?]
"How much real time has passed?"
[Less than two hours.]
"Then save it for now."
The Mondstadt main storyline only took two days plus one night, less than five hours in total. If another two hours passed now, the players would still be immersed in the process of raising their Adventure Rank.
Everyone was busy leveling up who would you upload the video for?
Videos related to important characters, whether PVs or animated shorts, would only attract attention during the players' idle grass-growing periods.
Otherwise, when players had things to do, who would care about a video? Mihoyo from his previous life understood this very well and always released character PVs right on the grass-growing periods.
They would even force a grass-growing period if there wasn't one.
Speaking of which, the system said it was an animated short film? The treatment that the Knave only got in version 4.6 you're giving it to me right at the start of version 1.0 when the server just opened?
[I am a super-intelligent system. Isn't it only natural that my processing capability is stronger than the game company from your previous life?]
Jun Bai vaguely detected a trace of superiority in the system's calm electronic voice.
A system comparing itself to humans and actually developing a sense of superiority? Jun Bai expressed that he did not understand.
Not bothering to deal with the system any further, Jun Bai walked to the top-floor balcony. This time, Xiao did not appear probably afraid that Jun Bai would continue forcing him to eat.
Standing on the high balcony with a wide view, Jun Bai gazed into the distance toward the place that was originally called Guili Plains.
A market no smaller in scale than Liyue Harbor had been built in the sea of Glaze Lilies.
History had been modified. The God of Dreams had not been defeated but was directly slain by Jun Bai. Naturally, there was no great flood that submerged the Guili Plains.
The people of the Guili Assembly had not lost their homes, and the Glaze Lilies still grew across the land of the Guili Plains.
The true capital of Liyue, the Guili Assembly, was right there, always existing.
"The Rite of Descension is still twenty-eight days away. Before then, I should go meet some old friends."
A look of reminiscence appeared in Jun Bai's eyes, and the corners of his mouth could not help but curve into a faint smile.
Just like when he had entered the Guili Assembly back then, Jun Bai rose into the air, spread his wings, and flew toward the direction of the Guili Assembly.
—Reality
Thanks to the advantage of being a closed beta player, Silver Wolf officially reached level 26 on the third day after Genshin Impact's launch, becoming the first streamer in the Honkai: Star Rail girls' group to start the Liyue main storyline.
Here, Silver Wolf had to thank the rich guy with the ID "Jun Bai." The ten Carnivals he gifted were more effective than any energy drink.
"Brothers, level 26 achieved. Let's charge toward Liyue and Jun Bai go go go!"
As Silver Wolf spoke, she directly opened the map and used a teleport waypoint to arrive at Stone Gate.
Because she knew that Liyue's teleport waypoints would basically be encountered during quest tracking, Silver Wolf had not specially gone to Liyue to unlock them.
Anyway, following the quest tracker now would achieve the same thing.
Silver Wolf remembered that the Liyue main storyline would only trigger upon reaching Liyue Harbor. However, because of the precedent of Mondstadt's major plot rewrite, even as a closed beta player she was still very much looking forward to Liyue's storyline.
Thinking of Liyue Harbor, Silver Wolf suddenly said: "Brothers, let me remind you turn on screen recording and screenshots. Otherwise, if you miss the full panorama of Liyue Harbor, you'll have to wait for other streamers or reach level 26 on your own account to take screenshots again."
[Closed beta players are already fully prepared.]
[Even the wolf cub who does both story and combat is saying this. Looks like the Liyue Harbor panorama is really beautiful.]
[I guarantee it won't disappoint. That's all I can say.]
Silver Wolf controlled her character and sprinted all the way from Stone Gate, lighting up teleport waypoints as she ran.
Soon, under Silver Wolf's control, Lumine arrived at Wangshu Inn, took the elevator to the second floor, and lit up the teleport waypoint.
Then Silver Wolf remembered that the potted plant on the top-floor balcony was interactive and could give a precious chest. Since it was on the way, she might as well interact with it.
The character reached the top-floor balcony, finished interacting with the potted plant, and Silver Wolf was about to turn and continue the quest.
Suddenly, Silver Wolf noticed the chat exploding.
[Stop! Wolf cub, stop! Turn the camera right!]
[Camera right!]
[Right turn, there's a really beautiful view!]
[I'm begging you! Wolf cub! Can you turn the camera right once!]
Silver Wolf's eyes widened. "I haven't even reached Liyue Harbor yet? What's going on?"
So she instinctively turned the camera to the right.
Then, Silver Wolf's eyes widened again, stunned by the scenery before her.
The full panorama of the Guili Assembly, no less grand than that of Liyue Harbor, appeared on the players' screens just like that.