Xia Zhi thought of Baizhu, the doctor who had once gifted him a few rare herbs in gratitude.
Baizhu had spent fortunes scouring the world for immortality, and even then he'd only managed to gather a handful of spirit plants.
Now, Xia Zhi could mass-produce them effortlessly—just by feeding petals into the Box.
He plucked another seed and checked its info.
[Sakura Tree (Seed)]
Quality: Black Iron-tier
Type: Consumable
Traits: None
Effect: Special seed infused with a faint spiritual essence.
Hidden Effect: Blossoms restore a small amount of mana over time.
Recyclable Value: 1 point
He smiled faintly. "So now we've got one for restoring energy."
Checking the rest, he found even more effects:
Regenerates stamina.
Prolongs lifespan.
Heals minor wounds.
Attracts spirits and youkai.
Fragrance spreads for miles.
Each seed carried its own distinct property.
But the details didn't matter. What mattered was—they were all recyclable.
Their individual value might only be one point each, but he could create them in bulk without cost or effort.
Compared to crafting incense, pills, charms, or artifacts, this method required no materials, no energy, and no limit on production.
He raised his head and looked at the field of blooming cherry trees before him through his glasses.
"Trees?" he murmured. "No… those are all points."
He chuckled quietly.
Sure, upgrading the Box had cost him plenty of points—but with this? He'd earn it all back in no time.
Madame Ping really was a good person.
After all, he'd only borrowed this Box from her. He owed her a proper thank-you.
Just playing her a song suddenly felt too cheap.
He thought for a while.
Since she loved music so much… why not gift her an entire score instead?
With his mastery, composing a high-quality original piece wouldn't be difficult—just time-consuming.
Smiling at the idea, Xia Zhi put the Box away and turned toward his room to begin composing.
---
Outside Gandharva Ville in Sumeru,
Collei was checking the forest facilities along the trail, while Lumine and Paimon were busy cleaning the Statue of the Seven nearby.
Since Paimon could fly, she took charge of wiping the upper half of the statue, chattering as she worked. "Now that I look closely, the Archon carved on this statue looks pretty small, doesn't she?"
Lumine nodded. "I guess that means the Dendro Archon really does have a small build."
Just then, a strange little creature popped out of the ground beside the statue—then vanished back into the soil before either of them could react.
"...?"
Lumine blinked, confused. "..."
Paimon's eyes went wide. "Wait, what was that?! Did you see it too or was that just my imagination?"
Lumine turned toward her. "So you saw it too?"
Paimon nodded furiously. "Yeah! It was small and round—kind of like a little vegetable! It really freaked me out. What if it's some kind of rare monster?"
Lumine frowned slightly, staring at the spot where it had disappeared. "I don't know... but it vanished so quickly."
Paimon floated over and poked around the area for a while before flying back. "There's nothing weird over there."
"Forget it for now," Lumine said. "Let's finish cleaning the statue first. Afterward, we can ask Collei about it. Maybe she knows something."
"Okay... but I still have a bad feeling about this," Paimon muttered, looking uneasy.
Whatever that feeling was, it definitely made her work faster than before.
Once the Dendro Archon's statue was spotless, Paimon clapped her hands. "All done! Let's go find Collei!"
Lumine gave her a dry look. "You're seriously that scared?"
Paimon crossed her arms. "I'm not scared! I'm just being cautious, thank you very much!"
"Right, right," Lumine said, clearly unconvinced.
They climbed down the rocks together, and as soon as they reached the ground, Paimon called out, "Collei! We're back!"
Collei hopped down from one of the lamp posts she was fixing and smiled. "Good work, you two. Climbing up and down like that must've been tiring. Let's take a short break."
Paimon floated closer and whispered, "Hey, Collei... have you ever seen a tiny creature that looks kind of like... a plant?"
Collei blinked. "A creature that looks like a plant? Hmm... if Master were here, he'd probably just say, 'Plants are living beings too.'"
Lumine and Paimon quickly explained what they'd seen.
Collei tilted her head, thinking. "That sounds a lot like a creature from the stories children tell. They call them Aranara. Supposedly, only kids can see them. Once you grow up, you stop seeing them—and eventually, you even forget they existed."
"Really?" Lumine asked, intrigued.
Collei shrugged. "That's what I've heard. I'm not sure if it's true. But when we get back to town, I can ask the kids there if they've seen anything like that."
Lumine smiled. "Thanks, Collei."
Collei waved it off. "Don't mention it. By the way, are you two hungry? I brought food and water."
Paimon immediately perked up. "Yay! What'd you bring? Is it instant noodles?!"
Lumine cleared her throat. "Paimon... maybe try acting a little more polite?"
"What? Why?" Paimon said, puffing up her cheeks. "Collei's our friend! And showing enthusiasm for food is the best compliment a chef can get!"
Collei giggled. "Paimon's right. No need to hold back between friends. I brought some pocket bread—rangers eat it a lot during patrols. Oh, and I did bring instant noodles too, but we'd have to boil water for that."
"Boiling water sounds like too much trouble," Lumine said. "Let's just go with the pocket bread."
Paimon looked a little disappointed—instant noodles were still her favorite meal in Teyvat—but she didn't argue.
They sat together, sharing the food under the dappled forest light.
After a few bites, Paimon suddenly asked, "Hey, Collei, what kind of god is the Dendro Archon, anyway?"
"The Dendro Archon..." Collei hesitated. "Do you mean the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata or the Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
Lumine blinked. "Greater Lord Rukkhadevata? So that was the name of the previous Dendro Archon?"
Collei nodded slowly. "Yes. Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was Sumeru's first Dendro Archon. She created the rainforest and built the sandstorm barrier at the desert's edge, giving everyone a safe land to live in. To the people of Sumeru, she was the symbol of wisdom, compassion, and omnipotence. But... she disappeared hundreds of years ago, during a great calamity."
Her tone grew distant.
It was a well-known part of Sumeru's history.
She used to believe it, too—until she met the truth in the Library of Mondstadt not long ago.
Collei took a breath before continuing. "Master once told me that after the calamity, the sages discovered a newborn Dendro Archon and brought her back to Sumeru. To celebrate the return of their god, they named her the Lesser Lord Kusanali and built the Sanctuary of Surasthana for her."
Paimon leaned forward. "And then?"
"Then... the sages realized that Lesser Lord Kusanali was a completely new deity—innocent, inexperienced, and far weaker than her predecessor. She didn't have the same wisdom, nor did she know how to rule a nation. The sages were disappointed, so for hundreds of years, she was rarely seen. The Akademiya barely mentions her anymore."
"What?!"
Collei looked at them seriously. "Right now, it's the Akademiya that truly runs Sumeru. People say they still worship the gods, but many of them secretly continue to revere the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata instead. Whether they still genuinely believe in her... only they know."
Lumine and Paimon exchanged stunned glances. That was a shocking revelation—like being handed a world-shaking secret.
"Wait," Paimon said slowly, "how do you know all this, Collei?"
"That's... my secret."
Collei smiled faintly and shook her head. "I can't tell you yet. But once you've recovered completely, I promise I'll explain everything."
Lumine met her gaze and nodded. "Alright."
----
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