Dottore stared at Nahida for a long time, speechless.
Nahida shrank inside the green-glowing barrier, hugging her knees with both arms, her little face full of confusion.
Everyone was saying she was the reincarnation of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata?!
That was absurd!
But wisdom never truly dies;
wisdom perishes and is reborn, eternal and undying.
The Greater Lord had been gone for five hundred years.
If wisdom truly resurrected… where would she be now?
Nowhere. No trace, no clues — nothing.
So… could someone who looked so similar to the Greater Lord really be her reincarnation?
No way.
It couldn't be that ridiculous… right?
Nahida couldn't make sense of it.
And Dottore understood it even less.
Calling this child the reincarnation of the Greater Lord?
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it sounded.
This little thing looked like a newborn human child — naïve and bewildered.
One could say she knew nothing, or that she knew a little of everything, but nothing deeply.
Her, the reincarnation of the Greater Lord?
Even with ten thousand arguments, Dottore couldn't bring himself to believe it.
Yet the more he thought about it… the more it made sense.
Damn it.
Could the Little Lord Kusanali really be the Greater Lord reborn?
Dottore prided himself on being an evil scholar, someone whose actions were already mad enough.
But he never expected the sages of the Akademiya to outdo him.
They imprisoned the Little Lord Kusanali inside the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Dottore didn't know what to say.
Yet ironically, the sages' twisted actions gave him the opportunity to conduct his blasphemous experiment.
And the more the video exposed, the more likely someone would investigate whether Little Kusanali was truly the Greater Lord's reincarnation.
At that thought, Dottore felt greater pressure.
But there was another issue that left him helpless.
Since the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles obtained the World Stabilizer Device, she had started slacking.
The Gnosis held by the other gods wasn't nearly as easy to acquire anymore.
Even if the Sustainer ignored worldly affairs, they still had to consider her presence.
Thus, obtaining the Gnoses had become extremely difficult.
But… could he complete the experiment with only the Dendro Gnosis?
Dottore rubbed his temples.
Few things in the world could trouble a genius —
and Dottore was undeniably a genius. A wicked, twisted genius.
If an obstacle cannot be overcome for now… then simply bypass it!
And he hadn't forgotten —
Barbatos' Anemo Gnosis was already in his hands.
Time passed since the alliance of the three gods.
Under the Greater Lord's divine power, a great expanse had grown lush and green.
As the Grand Sage, Gu Chen led a group of scholars studying the Divine Tree.
"Each month, you must inspect the Holy Tree's condition. The tree must bear not only our city but also the dwelling place of our god. No negligence!" Gu Chen instructed.
"Yes, Grand Sage!"
The scholars nodded with respect.
With Gu Chen's continuous teachings, many scholars had already begun independent research.
As the Aranara once said —
they were a beautiful, intelligent, but lonely people.
After completing the day's research, Gu Chen returned to the newly built Academy of Dawn.
He named it so in hopes that scholars would grow into people of both virtue and talent.
And this first batch did not disappoint him.
Perhaps their knowledge wasn't yet vast, but their character and growing wisdom earned Gu Chen's approval.
"Grand Sage, the map you asked us to survey is complete. After exchanging information with three tribes under King Deshret, we obtained general terrain data."
A scholar rushed over with a large scroll.
Gu Chen spread it out on the ground.
It was a detailed map marking various factions, mountains, and underground rivers.
"From here… to here."
Gu Chen drew a line with a long pointer.
"What do you think of building a sandstorm-blocking wall here?"
"Grand Sage, forgive my bluntness — the location is excellent, but such a wall would need to be at least a thousand meters tall to stop the sand. Even with the Greater Lord's support, our academy simply does not have the capability yet. It would take enormous time and resources…"
Seeing Gu Chen's expression unchanged, the scholar continued boldly:
"I'm not saying we shouldn't build it — just that perhaps we should wait until we've accumulated enough foundation?"
"You don't understand."
Gu Chen shook his head. "Forget it — even if we start now, we won't make it in time."
"What do you mean?"
The scholar felt the Grand Sage was acting mysterious.
"The wall can wait, but we must ensure the environment everywhere remains stable."
Gu Chen said, "The Greater Lord cannot maintain the forest forever… So, I'm going to propose we construct a water-regulating mechanism. If it can make rain regularly, the Greater Lord will be freed to handle more pressing matters."
"Amazing foresight, Grand Sage!"
"The Greater Lord is the one with true foresight," Gu Chen laughed softly.
"Work hard. The sage positions for literature, mathematics, geography, chemistry… are all still vacant."
"Rest assured, Grand Sage! I may not build structures well, but the Sage of Geography will definitely be me!"
"Go, go."
Gu Chen waved him away with a smile and headed toward the divine residence atop the giant tree.
There, he found Buer continuously channeling divine power into the tree.
The power flowed through the gigantic roots deep into the soil, and the flourishing green spread farther and farther.
"You're here," Buer said.
"I knew it — building a sand barrier wall isn't something we can do right now," she said with a smile.
Gu Chen shrugged. "Yes. The urgent task is a rain-making mechanism."
By his calculations:
The land near the desert was dry and scorching.
Hot winds would severely damage the forest.
With the Greater Lord powering everything, it was manageable.
But if she ever became overextended, the forest would shrink and eventually be consumed by the desert.
To solve this, aside from a sand wall, they needed moisture — regular rainfall — to maintain the forest.
Buer entrusted the matter to Gu Chen.
Gu Chen, not being an ordinary human, wielded curious powers.
He took scholars and the first Aranara he met to the chosen location to begin constructing the device.
Three years later—
The mechanism, capable of irrigating thousands of miles, was completed under Gu Chen's direction.
It possessed wondrous power.
It shouldn't be called a water-supply device —
but a rain-making machine.
Capable of adjusting the forest's climate.
"Human greed grows easily. From now on, you shall guard this place," Gu Chen told the first Aranara.
Strong and dependable, the Aranara agreed eagerly.
Once Gu Chen and the scholars left, it gathered its friends to begin building an Aranara settlement there.
[Chat]
Kirara: The rainforest is improving day by day! And the Greater Lord finally has free time now! (Klee yay)
Nilou: This rain device should've been built ages ago! That way the Greater Lord could spend more time with Mr. Gu Chen! (nod)
Collei: Something feels off…
Last time Gu Chen said he would always stay and chose the Greater Lord firmly, she was obviously happy.
So why does she act distant now?
Is she… stringing him along?! (Paimon shocked)
Venti: Oh no, the Leader has become a clown! Even worse than King Deshret! (pain) (meme)
Kaeya: It's over, the Leader is also in a one-sided love! (meme)
Kokomi: If you think carefully, that conclusion makes no sense.
It's clear the Greater Lord knows she will fall.
She doesn't want to give Gu Chen hope — she wants him to leave, yet can't bear it.
Nilou: She's so wise — of course she realized Gu Chen would be devastated if they were together and she died when the calamity came.
So she'd rather not start anything at all…
Heizou: That's one way to understand it. (nod)
Gu Chen: Now tell me loudly — WHO'S THE CLOWN?! (Zhongli smirk)
Venti: (…the clown is me)
Kaeya: (…the clown is me)
Azhdaha: The disaster isn't even here yet! This is when you should follow Ei's philosophy — even fleeting moments are precious! (roaring)
Furina: Time for my Winning Theory™!
Kaeya: Explain the Winning Theory!
Furina: Greater Lord…
You don't want to lose Gu Chen, do you? (Hu Tao evil smile)
Yae Miko: Gods, the Inazuma energy here is STRONG. (fox smirk)
Time passed quickly.
King Deshret and the Flower God weren't the main subjects of the video; their scenes flashed by briefly.
Only during the gatherings of the three gods did they appear more often.
Each time they appeared, Deshret's affection for the Flower God grew even stronger.
He seemed to love her down to his bones —
But knowing he would never be with her, he turned that love into motivation to elevate his kingdom.
Time slipped away like a white horse across a gap.
On the Holy Tree—
In the divine dwelling Buer named the Sanctuary of Purification,
Gu Chen and Buer stood side by side, gazing toward the vast Great Red Sand Sea.
"Nabu Malikata (the Flower God) has fallen," Buer said softly.
She had foreseen this long ago, yet when it truly happened, she still felt sorrow.
She was the God of Wisdom — of course she understood emotion.
Her friendship with the Flower God was precious.
Gu Chen sighed. "Isn't this what she wanted?"
"Yes. It was all part of her plan."
"When the calamity that destroys everything arrives… it brings despair, but also new life…"
Her voice faded into the wind.
A few days after the Flower God's death—
Gu Chen and Buer saw a dispirited King Deshret.
The once-ambitious sovereign now looked hollow and devastated.
"All because of that damned forbidden knowledge!" Deshret roared.
"Do not touch it," Buer warned.
Deshret did not listen.
Gu Chen said, "To meddle rashly in forbidden knowledge — when the heavens rage, nothing can be undone."
Deshret scoffed. "I naturally have the power to handle it!"
The unpleasant conversation ended.
He left in haste.
He gathered the kings beneath him to discuss the future.
One king advised him to stop grieving, rebuild his will, spread his authority across the land, and build grand palaces.
Deshret frowned. "No."
A second king advised war — that Celestia was untouchable, but the Greater Lord had everything. Why not seize her land?
Deshret was enraged. "Absolutely not!"
A third king advised that reviving the Flower God must be done quickly — all power and wisdom were meaningless otherwise.
Deshret fell silent for a long time before murmuring:
"…Yes."
Consumed by obsession, he summoned the Flower God's familiar spirits.
He vowed to resurrect her.
They believed him — and followed him.
"It seems everything is beyond saving. He has vanished for too long… he must already be researching what he shouldn't," Gu Chen sighed as he read the latest report.
"Are preparations complete?" Buer asked.
"Of course."
"We've stocked enough grain, weapons, everything. Once calamity erupts, we can support immediately — or at least protect ourselves."
Buer nodded slowly.
With a Grand Sage whose power was nearly divine, she felt at ease.
The god and the sage simply stood together, quietly watching the distant changes.
If it could not be stopped, then they would face it with everything they had.
In the desert—
King Deshret's mighty kingdom began to crumble.
Liloupar's three-generation-long revenge unfolded.
The once-prosperous kingdom collapsed almost overnight.
Until Deshret returned.
"What have you done?!"
Deshret roared, tearing Liloupar apart and sealing her away.
But he was no longer the same king.
His curiosity had swelled beyond control, and the answers he obtained only drove him further into madness.
With a shred of reason left, he formed a pact with Apep, the mighty Dendro Dragon sleeping beneath the sands.
The proud dragon disdained the god;
but despite looking down on him, it allowed his actions.
Deshret began wielding forbidden knowledge.
He would rebuild his great kingdom!
Within the endless gold sands… a sinister black began to spread.
The people who hoped his return would bring light instead witnessed plague and catastrophe.
On the earth, desert dwellers grew scales across their skin, agony twisting their bodies.
Even the autonomous machines in the kingdom wailed in torment.
Deshret himself could no longer control the forbidden knowledge.
Once it fully consumed him, it burst outward like a dam breaking.
Forbidden knowledge surged like a flood across the land.
The world looked like the end of days.
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