Cloud Retainer swore that not even the day she successfully completed the Guizhong Ballista had made her this happy.
And yet, the research for the Guizhong Ballista had been far more complex than the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon.
The moment everyone heard Cloud Retainer's confirmation, they all cheered and raised their fists in triumph.
Even Xiao, who rarely showed emotion, revealed a faint smile.
Time didn't pass in the End dimension the same way. No one knew how long they had been here.
Immersed in their experiments, everything around them had ceased to matter.
They had failed twenty-six times.
Though it didn't seem like many on paper…
Each failure carried the risk of death.
Each time it failed, the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon needed to be rebuilt from scratch.
It involved tens of thousands of blocks—
it was practically like constructing a floating island.
Not something you could just talk your way through.
"Looks like the experiment notebook won't be needed anymore…
Or maybe I should rename it Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon, Version 1 Blueprint?"
Lisa's eyes were filled with amusement as she glanced at Ryen and teased:
"It's just a bit of a shame our dear Ryen… can't read Teyvatian."
Ryen rolled his eyes.
"Must you roast me at a time like this?"
"Oh, I call it motivation~."
Lisa grinned and leaned closer from behind, her voice teasingly seductive:
"So, how about it? Want to learn Teyvat's writing from me?
I'll… teach you very thoroughly~."
"No way!"
Ganyu puffed up her cheeks and glared at Lisa.
"Hu Tao and I will teach Ryen! And don't forget Nahida—she's the Goddess of Wisdom!"
Standing nearby, Nahida proudly lifted her chin.
Lisa shrugged, choosing not to push the teasing further.
"Though the process of experimentation may be dull,"
"the joy of success is definitely one of the greatest feelings in the world…"
Zhongli sighed with contentment, unable to conceal the joy in his tone.
Tartaglia nodded in agreement.
"Which is why… I can somewhat understand why the Doctor turned into a research maniac."
Before he could finish, he suddenly noticed Diluc's increasingly dangerous stare.
Tartaglia quickly changed his tone:
"Although! That said—yes, that lunatic Doctor deserves to die.
People without boundaries like him shouldn't be allowed to exist in this world!"
"Hmph."
Diluc snorted coldly, then said calmly:
"So when the time comes, will you take the lead in killing him?"
Tartaglia raised a brow and gave a mock sigh.
"Well… Lord Diluc, we were once colleagues, you know.
I may not like the guy, but still—"
"Five hundred million Mora."
"Deal!"
A full set of enchanted diamond armor had cost Tartaglia ten billion Mora.
So taking on the Doctor—someone with Archon-level combat power—for five hundred million?
Totally worth it.
It seemed a little strange.
But after all, Tartaglia didn't have any good feelings toward the Doctor either—and he genuinely enjoyed fighting.
Even if Diluc had offered just one Mora, he probably would've agreed to help.
It was both a gesture of goodwill and a way to ease the tension between them.
Besides, Tartaglia didn't actually think that with such deep-seated hatred, Diluc and the others would let him be the one to finish off the Doctor personally.
He'd likely just be playing a supporting role when the time came.
"I once witnessed Celestia drop the Nail upon the snowy mountains, destroying an ancient civilization,"
Zhongli suddenly said, his gaze complex as he looked at the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon before them.
"Now that I see this... it feels like we've grasped a technology no less powerful than that ancient weapon."
"At the very least, that last shot—if I were fully armed and facing it head-on in Teyvat—I would've had no chance. I'd be dead for sure."
"So speed truly is power… what a terrifying force."
"This world's limits, just like before, never fail to redefine the bounds of what I thought possible."
Rosalyne nodded, albeit with some regret.
"It's a pity the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon is so complex to construct and can't be moved. It has to be rooted in the sky and fires only downward at fixed targets."
"If it were mobile, even Celestia would struggle to dodge it. At the very least, it would seriously wound her…"
Ryen chuckled and shook his head gently.
"Sure, it's hard to threaten Celestia—after all, if Zhongli can sense danger, so can she."
"But saying it's immobile… well, that's just your outdated perception."
"Didn't Liyue's Jade Chamber fly around with Redstone cannons installed?"
Rosalyne paused for a moment, her eyes lighting up with surprise.
"You mean—"
"The Jade Chamber can't mount the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon," Ryen said softly.
"This thing is just too big."
"But if we can build one Jade Chamber—why not a second? A third?"
"Eventually, combining the strengths of both worlds, we'll create a mobileOrbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon. That's the true goal."
"Still… don't get your hopes up that this alone can defeat Celestia."
"The battlefield of Celestia is in the sky."
Rosalyne looked at the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon with gleaming eyes.
"That doesn't matter! Even if it only targets the ground, it's already powerful enough!"
"We'll find a way to suppress her—one way or another!"
Everyone around shared the same deep conviction.
Ryen smiled but didn't continue the topic.
"Alright, the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon has been installed. Now it's time for the real test."
"Cloud Retainer, I'll leave it to you—go place the End Crystals."
"Because now, the Orbital Dragon-Slaying Cannon… is about to slay a dragon!"
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