Teyvat Continent.
The boundaries of the world were cracking one after another. The Abyss's assault was all-encompassing. After realizing they could no longer advance through the gate, they shifted to a surprise attack on Teyvat instead.
However, thanks to his earlier collaboration with Nahida, Lu Chen had already established a continuous flow of "Wish Power" within Teyvat. He repeated his previous maneuver, and once again radiant light blanketed the continent.
The pitch-black forces retreated beyond the boundary, while agonized cries echoed across Teyvat's sky. Lu Chen sensed a swell of resentment and fury.
It was the collective consciousness of the Abyss—just as the Human Realm Force was the collective will of humanity. At this moment, Lu Chen embodied humanity's collective consciousness—and that of two worlds.
When all was over, he supported Ei. Seeing that she could barely stand, he simply picked her up in a princess carry.
Ei struggled, shy and embarrassed—countless humans were watching the sky, watching the two of them. But she had no strength left to resist. In the end, she accepted Lu Chen's embrace with a mix of shyness and helplessness.
[Planar Quest: Boundary Guardian]
[Quest Completed. Reward: "Ark Technology Energy Shield Blueprint"]
[Archon Quest: Reopen the Gate to Teyvat. Quest Completion: 100%]
[Mission Complete. Reward: 1,600,000 Primogems, 100 Billion Real-World Currency]
[Congratulations, Host. Your dual-world journey through Teyvat has reached its conclusion. The Teyvat Gate will now unlock fully for you. With your permission, any character may travel freely between the Teyvat world and Real World 110786.]
[Congratulations, Host. Through your relentless efforts, you have become the sole candidate for the Throne. Proceed to Celestia. Completing the quest will unlock a system message.]
Lu Chen couldn't help smiling. After claiming the energy shield blueprint, a complete and intricate tech tree unfolded in his mind. This technology alone could resolve the boundary's instability.
In other words, the power of the Abyss would be sealed outside forever.
As his divinity gradually receded, Lu Chen's human side took the lead again. He smiled at Ei in his arms—her face was buried against his chest, too shy to even glance at the people below.
Lu Chen glanced down with another smile.
"What are you staring at? Never seen gods in love?"
Ignoring the stares, Lu Chen kept ascending. He pierced through the clouds, broke through layers of resistance, and landed on the magnificent Celestia with Ei in his arms.
A female deity with long white hair and golden eyes blocked their path.
"I am Unknown God, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles."
Lu Chen smiled.
"I am Lu Chen."
"I know you. You've done something significant—something that will shape Teyvat's destiny."
It sounded like praise, yet her tone was utterly flat and her face impassive. Seeing the goddess's lofty demeanor, Lu Chen's smile faded.
Setting Ei—who was brimming with curiosity—down, he curled his lip in a mocking grin.
"You didn't come to exchange pleasantries. Let's go—enough talk. You want to take me somewhere, don't you?"
Asmodeus let out a barely audible snort. Still as haughty as ever, she nonetheless said evenly,
"Follow me."
Lu Chen and Ei followed her through Celestia's gates and crossed a grand hall.
It was their first time here. Ei could no longer suppress her curiosity; her violet eyes darted everywhere. Lu Chen, however, tried to keep his cool—he cast a brief, indifferent glance around and then drew his gaze back.
Within this structure like a pantheon, they drew countless looks: curiosity, doubt, even rejection. Among them might have been the gaze of Mondstadt's hero, Vanessa. Venti had told Lu Chen that humans who obtained a Vision had a chance to ascend to Celestia and become one of the gods.
The guide before them, Asmodeus, clearly held a rank above those gods.
Soon, Lu Chen and Ei were brought into a pristine white room within the hall.
Lu Chen looked around suspiciously, his aloof mask finally slipping. The sense of déjà vu was overwhelming—he felt as if he'd stepped into the city hospital four kilometers from his seaside villa.
Yet the technology here was far more advanced. Lu Chen stopped before something like a spacecraft's stasis pod. Through the transparent cover, he saw a white-haired man in deep sleep.
"Phanes?"
Asmodeus gave a slight nod in answer.
"During the war with Nibelung, Lord Phanes fell into slumber. We tried countless methods to wake him, but none worked. I believe he has entered physiological death. Even with the technology of their world, there is no solution. He... will never open his eyes again."
"After the Sovereigns' retreat, Celestia's authority was left with a gaping breach. Our control over Teyvat diminished greatly, which is why we considered having the Seven Archons govern humanity in our stead."
Asmodeus looked Lu Chen in the eye and said calmly:
"We once thought you would be the next threat to Celestia. But you proved with your actions that you fight for Teyvat's continuation."
"Your performance shows the potential of the next heir—both in spiritual strength and in power."
"Therefore, accept the gift Lord Phanes left in his final moments."
Lu Chen watched Asmodeus operate a blue, high-tech light screen. A glowing orb, faintly blue and reminiscent of Primordial Energy, appeared before him.
"Accept it." Asmodeus's gaze on Lu Chen carried an almost commanding tone.
"Chen..." Ei tugged lightly at Lu Chen's fingers. For some reason, a bad premonition nagged at her.
"It's fine. Don't worry." Lu Chen waved her off. He felt he had uncovered Celestia's secret, and the moment of revelation was close at hand.
Under his touch, the blue orb unfolded, revealing a virtual projection of Phanes and a plain-looking key.
"Greetings, friend."
"I cannot see you as you are now, but your presence here proves you passed my trial. Impressive!"
"By mastering the power of the human realm, you've gained the ability to command Teyvat. That temptation—I doubt you can ignore it!"
Phanes's voice held unexpected warmth. In the projection, he spoke as if chatting face-to-face. It was a recording he had left during his lucid moments. Like a storyteller, he recounted everything to Lu Chen from start to finish.
"I come from the vast cosmos, from a more advanced civilization within this universe."
"But my home has been destroyed. The world is collapsing, fading..."
Here, Phanes sighed softly.
"Entropy—cruel yet unavoidable—may be the immutable law all things in the universe must ultimately accept. Whenever a civilization reaches a certain stage, heh heh heh, this force comes down like a filter..."
"Teyvat—in our tongue, the name means 'Ark.' The 'Teyvat Project' I carried out was, in essence, an 'Ark Project.'"
"After the apocalypse, I carried humanity's gene bank in search of an untainted new home. That's how I came here."
"At that time, this world was still wild and untamed—raging with primal elemental currents, unfit for human life..."
"I became the creator god of Teyvat's humanity..."
Phanes spoke at length—from his homeland, to Teyvat as an ecological sphere designed to preserve and back up human civilization against disaster—until he finally reached the crux.
"I trust you've fully grasped the Human Realm's power. Having tasted the role of an all-knowing, omnipotent creator, you now have the right to inherit this vast vessel. So, take this key."
"Let me guess—Asmodeus may take a hard line. But remember: the choice is yours."
"Mine?" Lu Chen blurted, then realized belatedly that this was only a pre-recorded projection.