"Our manager has always been like this, caring for others, shouldering everything himself, always giving the best to others while keeping nothing for himself... He's always been like this, from beginning to end..."
Hearing Wendy's assessment, Zhongli paused for a moment. A memory flickered, and a person appeared: a black-haired girl silently smiled at him, holding a Glaze Lily in her hand.
"Look at this Glaze Lily, living so resiliently. Isn't that like our people? Morax, do you think... do we still have a future?"
Thinking of this, Zhongli chuckled softly. "I'd buy osmanthus wine to share with you, but alas, my old friend... when shall we meet again?"
On the other side, a snow-white giant dragon soared through the sky, its icy aura seemingly shrouding the entire firmament. The power in this world was ultimately too weak; a mere Judgment-class Honkai Beast could alter the weather.
Wherever the dragon passed, the temperature plummeted instantly. The formerly warm weather felt as if winter had suddenly arrived. The people of Liyue touched their somewhat thin clothes, feeling the chill in the air.
"Why did it suddenly get so cold? Is it because of the dragon just now?"
The words spread like wildfire, and the entire Liyue knew of the dragon's existence. The rumors grew increasingly outlandish, with tales of single dragon riders, dragon girls, and all sorts of bizarre legends.
Benares flew swiftly and soon reached the Chasm. On its back, Lu Ze looked at Nahida with concern. Although her pained expression had vanished, she had fallen unconscious, and he didn't know her condition.
"Bella, please fly faster. If we're any later... it might be too late."
It was highly likely that the extraction of divine power had ceased. After all, experiments required time, and experimental subjects needed to be sustained. They couldn't drain all the divine power at once, but they were all beasts... if they died, so be it.
"Hold on tight! I'm accelerating!"
Its massive wings flapped rapidly once more, and the surrounding temperature dropped several degrees. If not for the core of the Herrscher of Ice, Lu Ze would likely have been freezing. Thinking of Nahida in his arms, he retrieved extra clothes from his system space and silently draped them over her.
They soon arrived at the rainforest. The originally sweltering weather instantly cooled down. The flowing stream turned into ice, and the entire river froze over, severely impacting the environment. Fortunately, it was temporary; if it persisted, many rare animals might perish.
"What's happening? Why did the temperature drop so quickly? I suddenly feel like it's winter. What's going on?"
Tighnari, who was on patrol, shivered as he touched his arm. The temperature had dropped suddenly, as if he had entered a freezer.
If his body temperature weren't high enough and his fur couldn't provide warmth, he would likely be shivering uncontrollably.
"Master, don't you feel like it's suddenly gotten much colder? It's like... like... Achoo! Winter... but does the rainforest really have winter?"
A green-haired girl said in a small voice, her body trembling as she rubbed her arms. If one looked closely, one could see tiny scales on her hands. This was a local ailment, the Withering, a very painful disease.
Treating it was extremely difficult...
"I don't know, but I have a feeling something big is about to happen in Sumeru City. We should return quickly. The river has frozen over, and we must take swift action to break the ice, or it will have consequences."
The green-haired girl nodded and followed her master, preparing to return to their treehouse.
Meanwhile, the white dragon finally reached Sumeru City and circled above it, as if searching for a place.
"Where is the Palace of Wisdom? Never mind, I'll just crash into the highest point. It's not like I built it, and it doesn't cost me anything."
Bella said nothing, only flapped her wings and swooped down towards the ground. The alert soldiers panicked.
If it really crashed, they would be the ones to die!
All the soldiers scattered instantly. The colossal dragon claws slammed onto the ground. Perhaps due to the height, the ground below vibrated, and a few fruits fell from the trees.
"Who dares trespass here? Do you not know this is Sumeru, protected by the Great Tree King? How dare you intrude upon the Palace of Wisdom!"
The one who arrived was the Grand Sage, accompanied by more soldiers, some of whom even possessed Visions. It seemed their armed forces were formidable, deserving of such arrogance.
The Grand Sage also saw the person on the dragon's back, which is why he was so belligerent. If it were merely a wild beast, he wouldn't have approached; he would have simply let the soldiers deal with it. But now, the situation was far from simple.
"What arrogance! The Great Tree King has passed away, yet you invoke the name of an old god. You're truly something!"
Lu Ze backflipped off the dragon's back, a massive sword in his hand. The Skyfire Greatsword silently unleashed its flames, while conversely, Lu Ze's body was covered in frost, as if encased in a layer of icy armor.
Faint starlight shimmered on him, a cape appeared behind him and billowed in the wind, and a crown of frost silently floated above his head.
One could even vaguely see a transparent figure hovering behind him, flickering in and out of existence, like a phantom.
He was also holding a comatose maiden.
"Who are you? Wait... isn't that... the Great Tree King?"
The Grand Sage immediately recognized the white-haired maiden as the Great Tree King. As her devoted follower, how could he not remember her appearance? Perhaps... this was fate.
"I know nothing of your Dendro Archon matters, but all I know is... you have plunged this maiden into suffering, rendering Nahida... unconscious. I have come... to punish you."
A chilling aura instantly filled the air. Numerous soldiers felt the cold, and by the time they reacted, they found their feet encased in frost that rapidly solidified, rendering them immobile.
However, those with Visions quickly broke free, drawing their respective weapons and facing Lu Ze with the intensity of imminent battle.
"This is just an appetizer. Today, none of you will leave. I... am very angry."
The cold, frosty aura on one side, and the fiery greatsword on the other, created the most dazzling spectacle on this battlefield.