For all the thrill of showing off, Bai Hao now needed one thing above all else—
Sleep.
The adrenaline of unleashing divine-level power had faded, and exhaustion slammed into him like a tidal wave.
He needed an inn. Immediately.
"…Wait. Do I even have any money left?"
He froze.
He'd spent every single Mora renting that sad excuse of a boat.
Was he really about to sleep under the stars like some broke NPC?
No way.
He hurriedly opened the dashboard of his Teyvat Fan-Creation Livestream System, checking the revenue from the "Mona Cow-Dance Clip."
At worst, maybe it'd cover a night at a budget inn.
When he saw the number, he almost dropped his phone into the sea.
Balance: 100,000,000 Mora.
Over a million people had purchased it.
Bai Hao gasped.
"Good lord—Teyvat's degenerates really are on par with the ones back home!"
He pressed his palms together reverently.
"I'm sorry, Mona. I used to lump you in with broke bards like Venti, but no…
You're my personal cash goddess—
my walking, talking, Mora-printing ATM!"
After basking in emotional gratitude for a solid minute, he turned the boat around and headed back toward Liyue Harbor, grinning like an idiot.
Thanks to the miniature tsunami he'd stirred up earlier, the waves practically carried his little boat all the way back.
He reached Liyue Harbor in under fifteen minutes.
But what greeted him made his jaw unhinge.
The entire city was in full-scale evacuation.
The Millelith had locked down every port, security checkpoints were swarming, and citizens knelt on the docks praying:
"Blessed be the Lord of Geo!"
"The Archon has descended!"
"Save Liyue!"
It took everything Bai Hao had to slip through the checkpoints without blowing his identity.
Blending into the evacuees, he boarded a hired carriage and sank into the seat, holding his handsome face in both hands.
"…I should probably be more careful next time I cast that thing…"
If scenes like this kept happening, he'd be exposed sooner rather than later.
Then again…
If a full-powered Heavenly Earthquake cast from Guyun Stone Forest caused this much chaos…
What if he cast one from The Chasm?
"…Eh. Future Bai Hao problem."
A short carriage ride later, he reached Wangshu Inn, booked the finest suite, and collapsed face-first onto the bed.
Meanwhile, for the rest of Teyvat, sleep was absolutely out of the question.
Guyun Stone Forest
After Bai Hao's "remodeling," the region was nearly unrecognizable.
Lush vegetation had been scorched and torn apart.
The legendary "Guyun Stone Forest F4" were… well, absolutely obliterated.
Countless golden spears of petrified rock now stood like a brand-new mountain range piercing the heavens.
Suddenly—
CLANG!
A teal blur descended from the sky.
Xiao landed in a crouch, Primordial Jade Winged-Spear humming in his grip. He rose slowly, his sharp golden eyes locking onto the tall figure standing atop a cliff.
"Lord Morax," he said solemnly. "That starfall just now—was it your doing?"
Zhongli stood with arms folded, amber gaze heavy.
"No," he said quietly. "But whoever it was… duplicated my power. By the time I arrived, they were gone."
Xiao's eyes widened.
"Duplicated… your power?! Could it be—the Tsaritsa?"
That monumental surge of Geo energy, that unmistakable downpour of stone spears—
Only Azhdaha could imitate something like that… but he remained sealed.
If not him…
then only the Cryo Archon had the resources to attempt such a thing.
Replicating an Archon's divine technique was equivalent to inventing a nuclear weapon.
Zhongli shook his head.
"No. This has nothing to do with her. In fact, whoever it was… has strengthened the seal here."
Xiao froze.
"The… seal?"
Zhongli gazed toward the sea.
"The bindings had been eroding for thousands of years. Recently, someone began tampering with them, loosening the structure. They were preparing to release Osial."
He sighed softly.
"I intended to observe for the time being. But this stranger struck once—and wiped away all their work."
How awkward for the culprit.
Xiao bowed slightly.
"Then… what are your orders?"
Zhongli closed his eyes briefly.
"Keep watch. Whoever they are… I would like a proper conversation."
Xiao bowed deeply.
"As you command, my lord."
Liyue Harbor — Northland Bank
In the upper floors of the Northland Bank, Tartaglia paced restlessly, brows furrowed.
"That much Geo energy spanning that distance… that was no illusion."
His expression darkened.
"Could it be that the Geo Archon noticed my preparations… and is issuing a warning?"
La Signora had declared that the Archons were weakened relics of a forgotten era.
But that single Heavenly Earthquake had nearly caused a tectonic shift across Liyue.
If that strike had been aimed at him…
Even Foul Legacy Transformation wouldn't save him from annihilation.
His plan to unseal Osial—
to force Morax and the Vortex God into mutual destruction and claim the spoils—
was now completely shattered.
He would have to start over.
"For Tonia… for Anton… for Her Majesty…"
Childe's eyes hardened with burning resolve.
"No matter what… this mission must succeed."
Sumeru
The entire nation was in uproar.
Since Mona was technically Sumeran by origin, her… memorable global livestream appearance had dealt a catastrophic blow to Sumeru's public image.
Some factions within the Gilded Brigade twisted the scandal into a nationalistic outcry, calling it a "shame of Sumeru" and demanding that the legacy of the Red King be restored.
The Akademiya dismissed them—they were gnats at best.
But like persistent flies, they didn't need to bite.
Their buzzing alone was enough to drive everyone insane.
And thus, the chaotic circus of Sumeru's internal politics marched on.
Mondstadt — A Shabby Rented Room
Mona stood at the crossroads of her life.
Her homeland had revoked her citizenship.
Her mentor had disowned her.
Her mother was… well… a meme-posting stray mutt.
Her public humiliation was global.
She was tired.
She was ready to watch the world burn.
Then—out of nowhere—she received a message from the editor-in-chief of The Steambird.
Mona had worked with them before, writing a popular astrology advice column that once funded her research.
She thought the message was a termination notice.
But instead…
They wanted her to headline a brand-new series centered on her personal journey.
Despite the scandal, Mona's popularity had exploded—
every astrology publication in Teyvat had sold out overnight.
Love her or hate her—
she was pure traffic gold.
Instead of cutting her off, they wanted to capitalize.
At first, Mona was set on refusing—
she was far too busy hunting down that damned misheard-lyric demon.
But then the editor added:
"One hundred million Mora upfront.
Another four hundred million upon completion.
Thirty percent royalties."
Mona froze.
Then, in complete silence, she grabbed her pen, her eyes blazing with renewed purpose.
"When's the deadline?"
This was her comeback.
Only an absolute fool would turn down that kind of money.
Of course…
she fully intended to hunt down that misheard-lyric bastard afterward.
That audio troll was NOT escaping fate.
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