An hour passed without her noticing. Nahida slowly opened her eyes, gazing somewhat blankly at the ceiling, the sights she had just witnessed having completely shattered her worldview.
"Even as the God of Wisdom, I cannot fathom these things. What are they? So marvelous."
In just one hour, she had experienced warships, Honkai energy, Stigmata, weapons—things her knowledge couldn't explain. It made her, the God of Wisdom, feel a little less wise.
Perhaps it was due to her exceptionally powerful spiritual energy, but the short hour hadn't burdened her mind. She removed the helmet from her head and looked at Lu Ze, who was busy. Her small feet jumped onto the floor.
Even though she had grown, she couldn't shake the habit of not wearing shoes. Her small feet padded on the cool floor. If one looked closely, not a speck of dust clung to them. Was this perhaps the magic of a god?
"Lu Ze, time's up. I'll be going now. Next time, I'll bring you a customer."
Suddenly, a feeling of discomfort spread through her mind. The pain caused the Dendro Archon to collapse to her knees, countless tiny green motes of light dissipating around her, as if she might vanish at any moment.
Far away in Sumeru City, a group of people gathered around a large glass tank. From the day they found the little Dendro Archon, the Sumeru higher-ups had gone from hopeful to extremely disappointed.
After all, the Dendro Archon they found possessed neither the wisdom nor the power of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Her intellect was no different from a child's…
Looking at the verdant green of the Gnosis, the Grand Sage's intentions shifted. The knowledge they currently possessed was no longer sufficient for their desires… They wanted to study the gods!
Inside the large glass tank, a child stood quietly. She… was the current Dendro Archon, Nahida, also known as the Lesser Lord Kusanali.
Everything around her was frantically siphoning her power. As a price, she was about to endure immense pain. With her true consciousness elsewhere, she had no idea what was happening, but this familiar agony… she knew it had begun again…
"What's wrong? Nahida! Lu Ze, come quickly!"
Venti, who had been resting nearby, immediately noticed Nahida on the ground. Seeing her body becoming increasingly transparent, she panicked, having no idea what was happening.
"What's wrong?"
He had just pressed the save button, having finished the PV, and quickly stood up to look. He was dumbfounded. What was happening? Why was her body becoming more transparent?
"I… I'll be alright after a moment. It's nothing…"
Perhaps the amount of power being extracted this time was too immense, and Nahida fainted. Looking at the young girl's suffering, for some reason… it brought back a flood of memories…
Anna's appearance overlapped with Nahida's. An immense rage ignited within him. The surrounding temperature plummeted, and Lu Ze was covered in frost, an aura of ice emanating from him…
"Zhongli… I know you're here. Tell me what's happening… I want… to make them pay!"
As expected, the moment Nahida was in pain, Zhongli sensed something and rushed over from his room at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Do you really have to go? I believe you already know her identity. Even she, the Dendro Archon, hasn't said anything. Is it truly right for you to make such decisions for others?"
Zhongli's words once again made Lu Ze recall memories of Anna. Yes! Was it right to make decisions for others? But… I don't want to see her suffer either! It would be better to end it!
"You don't need to worry about that. Just tell me what's happening. I… I must do something, no matter how many enemies there are!"
Seeing Lu Ze's resolute expression, Zhongli shook his head. He was getting old, unable to wield his weapon anymore. Fine, let him cause trouble if he wishes.
"While I don't know exactly what's happening, I can sense that the Dendro Archon's power is being drained. It's akin to forcibly dilating a human's blood vessels; it will only cause them to rupture.
The Dendro Archon's palace is called the Sanctuary of Surasthana. If you wish to help her, that is where you should go."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Ze eagerly picked up Nahida from the ground. He looked at Bella behind him, his eyes filled with pleading.
Although he could fly, carrying someone would slow him down. Every moment counted now. The faster he could go, the better.
"For the sake of Her Majesty, I'll let you ride on me."
Bella, her face slightly flushed, turned her head away, a look of reluctance in her eyes. She absolutely did not want a man to sit on her noble back.
That spot was reserved for Her Majesty alone!
The three of them quickly ran out of the shop. Since the port was nearby, there was ample space, enough for a dragon to stand.
Bella leaped from a high point, transforming into a dragon in mid-air. With a flap of her wings, a powerful gust of wind swept away nearby objects. Her four massive dragon claws landed on the port, and she let out a roar into the sky.
Perhaps it had been a long time since she transformed into a dragon; the feeling was somewhat nostalgic. But the current situation did not allow her to dwell on past memories. Lu Ze executed a backflip and landed steadily on her back.
Zhongli watched all of this from behind. It seemed he had another headache to deal with. Although, he supposed he just needed to inform Ningguang.
Not long after, Ningguang, atop the Jade Chamber, received news of a giant dragon-like creature appearing at the port. This immediately piqued her interest.
"Dragon… what a wondrous word…"
Báer Nàles at the port flapped her immense wings slightly, and the entire dragon soared into the sky. The people of Liyue were in considerable fear, for humans are generally frightened of unfamiliar creatures, especially such colossal beings.
But they had just seen a man standing on its back. Had this dragon… been tamed?
Once the thought entered their minds, it became unstoppable. As they watched the giant dragon depart, they began to chat, for this was a rare bit of excitement after so long.
"Say, is your shopkeeper always like this? I feel like he's a bit too impulsive."
Venti looked at Zhongli beside her. He wasn't impulsive at all; she just hadn't seen him when he *was* impulsive. That scene… she didn't want to see it.