"Reinforcing the seal?"
Ganyu looked at the Dragon-Queller Tree ahead and said, "I'll try first. If I can't manage it, then I'll ask Master for help."
Back when Azhdaha was sealed, Ganyu had not been one of the main participants.
"Thank you."
Keqing nodded.
Ganyu slowly walked toward the Dragon-Queller Tree.
Standing at the very edge, Ze stared at the massive tree and frowned slightly.
Something felt off.
Even though Azhdaha's resentment had weakened, the seal itself seemed to be loosening instead.
He couldn't understand it.
What exactly was happening behind the scenes?
Was there someone manipulating all of this?
Could it be the one responsible for stirring up the geovishaps?
Ze was still deeply wary of the unfinished quest tied to all of this.
He twitched his nose slightly, catching the faint aura leaking from the seal.
Taking a deep breath, he muttered,
"The malice of Azhdaha… it's really something."
Even the faint traces escaping through the cracks made him feel hungry.
Compared to the ancient remnants of gods that had eroded over countless years, Azhdaha who had harbored hatred for millennia was clearly far more powerful.
Ze's gaze flickered.
It was dangerous. There was even a chance he might be affected.
And yet… he truly coveted that power.
Ganyu placed her hand against the Dragon-Queller Tree.
Power began to surge within her.
Her Cryo Vision shone brilliantly.
Whether it was adeptal energy or elemental power, it began to gather around her.
Her hair and the hem of her clothes slowly lifted.
An otherworldly, transcendent aura—one that seemed to come from a thousand years ago radiated from her body.
The qilin blood within her stirred, faintly taking dominance.
Her connection to the mortal world seemed to be gradually severed.
The path of the adepti was distant and ethereal something that made others instinctively keep their distance.
Seeing this side of Ganyu, both Keqing and the Millelith showed clear surprise.
In their eyes, Ganyu had always been the diligent secretary quietly handling endless work without complaint. They had never seen her like this.
Now, she stood there like a serene lotus upon water, the most elegant and pure presence amidst the chaos of the mortal world.
"Master… you're so beautiful~"
While Keqing was still stunned, a proud voice sounded from below.
She looked down and saw that Ze's gaze was completely fixed on Ganyu.
Though he was just a child, there was something in his eyes a kind of admiration one would show to a lover.
…Was this child… admiring Ganyu like that?
"Wait, what am I even thinking?"
Keqing quickly shook the thought away.
How could she think something like that about a child?
He's still so young what would he even understand?
Ze spoke seriously,
"One day, I'll become one of the Qixing, reduce Master's burden, and let her show even more of her beauty."
"Hey now, don't make it sound like we're exploiting Ganyu."
Keqing laughed as she patted Ze's head.
"Of course, if you want to become part of the Liyue Qixing and help your master, then Keqing-jie is fully supportive."
Ze looked at her expectantly.
"Then will you help me?"
Keqing smiled faintly.
"I'm not Ningguang. I'm not making you any promises. You'll have to achieve it yourself."
"…Oh."
Ze nodded in disappointment.
Then he casually removed Keqing's hand from his head, shifted slightly, and continued watching his master.
Keqing stared at her now-hovering hand, momentarily stunned.
She couldn't help but laugh.
"This little guy… pretty pragmatic, huh?"
The moment she refused to help, he wouldn't even let her pat his head anymore.
"Sealing it, huh?"
Ganyu looked at the massive tree before her and said, "I'll try first. If I can't manage it, then I'll ask Master for help."
Back when Azhdaha was sealed, Ganyu hadn't been one of the main participants.
"Thank you," Keqing nodded.
Ganyu slowly walked toward the tree.
Ze stood at the outer edge, staring at the tree, his brows slightly furrowed.
Something felt off.
Even though Azhdaha's resentment had weakened, why did the seal feel looser instead?
Ze couldn't understand it.
What exactly had happened here?
Was someone meddling behind the scenes?
Could it be the same force that caused the vishaps to go berserk?
Ze still felt uneasy about the unresolved mission.
He sniffed the air, catching the aura leaking from the seal, and took a deep breath.
"The malice from Azhdaha… it's really something."
Even the faint traces seeping through the cracks made him feel hungry.
Compared to the heavily eroded remnants of other gods, Azhdaha who had harbored resentment for thousands of years was clearly far more powerful.
Ze's eyes flickered.
It was dangerous, and there was a risk of corruption…
But he was undeniably tempted by that power.
Ganyu placed her hand on the tree.
Power surged within her.
Her Cryo Vision glowed brightly.
Whether it was adeptal energy or elemental power, it began to gather around her.
Her hair and clothes fluttered gently.
An otherworldly aura from thousands of years ago emanated from her.
The Qilin blood within her began to take the lead.
Her connection to the mortal world seemed to fade.
The path of the adepti felt distant and untouchable.
Seeing this side of Ganyu, both Keqing and the Millelith showed looks of surprise.
In their eyes, Ganyu had always been a diligent secretary, quietly handling her duties. They had never seen her like this.
Now, she was like a serene lotus in troubled waters, the most elegant presence in a chaotic world.
"Master… you're so beautiful," Ze murmured.
Keqing glanced down and noticed Ze staring intently at Ganyu.
Though he was just a child, there was something in his gaze that resembled admiration for a lover.
"…What am I thinking?" Keqing quickly shook that thought away.
There was no way a child would think like that.
Ze said seriously, "I'll definitely become one of the Qixing and help ease Master's burden, so she can show more of her beauty."
Keqing chuckled and patted his head. "Careful, little one. You're making it sound like we're exploiting her."
"But if you really want to become part of the Qixing to help your master, I fully support you."
Ze looked at her expectantly. "Then will you help me?"
Keqing smiled. "I'm not Ningguang. I won't make you any promises. You'll have to achieve that yourself."
"Oh."
Ze nodded, a little disappointed, then moved away from her hand and shifted position, continuing to watch Ganyu.
Keqing stared at her empty hand, then laughed helplessly. "What a pragmatic little guy."
"Rise!"
Ganyu let out a soft shout.
At once, illusory ice crystals rose from the ground around the tree.
They attached themselves to it, turning it into a tree of ice.
And beneath it stood Ganyu like an immortal maiden, distant and ethereal, as if she might ascend at any moment.
Ze pressed his lips together and murmured, "Master… I won't let you walk that path alone."
She was breathtaking like this.
But he didn't want her to remain distant from the world.
Ganyu wasn't meant to be a solitary immortal.
At most… this could be something for the two of them in the future.
As long as he was here, he wouldn't allow it.
"If it comes to that… a beast like me might have to do something fitting of a beast."
He spoke softly.
He might accept her returning to the mountains—but not like this, alone and detached.
Gradually, the ice faded, sinking into the tree.
Everyone could feel it the seal had grown stronger.
Ganyu withdrew her hand, her aura returning to normal.
Keqing stepped forward. "Ganyu, is that enough?"
Ganyu shook her head. "I only reinforced it slightly. At best, it'll buy us some time if Azhdaha tries to break free."
"The original seal isn't something I can interfere with."
Keqing frowned. "In that case, I'll have to trouble you further."
Ganyu nodded.
"Master!"
Ze ran up and grabbed her arm.
"What is it?" she asked, surprised.
Ze said, "Master, you were really beautiful just now."
"Ah…?!"
Ganyu's face turned red.
"You can't just say things like that in public!"
People around them smiled at the interaction.
"But… it felt like you were going to fly away and leave me…"
Ze looked at her pitifully.
Ganyu paused.
She hadn't expected that impression.
She crouched down and gently touched his face.
"Don't worry. I promised you I'll always stay by your side."
"Mm!"
Ze nodded.
"But if you lie… I'll do something very bad."
He said it in a childish tone, almost like a joke.
"Alright, alright," Ganyu replied, as if humoring a child.
Clearly, she still didn't take it seriously.
Even though Ze spoke like a child…
He meant every word.
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