Mu Qingge had also received Ningguang's invitation. After a discussion at the Jade Chamber, she agreed to lead the defense of The Chasm.
Among the Liyue Qixing, no one was better suited to command troops than her.
Moreover, this matter concerned Malice. Even if Ningguang hadn't asked, she would have gone anyway.
She had sworn before Rola's corpse to personally slay it and avenge her friend!
Leading an army to The Chasm was no small undertaking, nor could it be accomplished overnight. This afforded her the perfect opportunity to visit home and spend time with her parents and younger sister.
This wasn't the grand finale she had envisioned, but merely an overture.
She craved a spectacular, earth-shattering climax—something that would shake the world.
As part of her plan, this deployment to The Chasm would last a considerable time, leaving her current persona with limited time left.
Several days later.
The Millelith had assembled completely, all supplies ready for departure.
Just before setting out, her family arrived.
"Qingge, your mother stayed up all night making these for you. Take them for the journey," Father Mu said, handing her a bundle filled with her favorite foods.
Mu Qingge silently accepted the bundle. Noticing only her father and sister, with no sign of her mother, she asked, "Where's Mother?"
"Mom stayed up all night making preparations," Qingxu replied. "She was supposed to come with us today, but she was too exhausted and fell asleep this morning, so we didn't wake her."
Mu Qingge patted her younger sister's head approvingly.
"Child, be extra careful out there. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Father Mu urged, repeating his warnings over and over. His eldest daughter had always been precocious, understanding things far beyond her age, yet she was the one he worried about most.
To outsiders, the Kaiyang might seem like a figure of boundless glory, but to her family, she was still just a young girl who had barely turned eighteen—still their child.
"Don't worry, Dad. You two take good care of yourselves at home. And you too, Qingxu—be sensible and don't give Mom and Dad any cause for concern."
"Sis, I've told you a million times, I'm not a kid anymore! You don't need to worry about us. But you—you absolutely must take care of yourself!"
Mu Qingge nodded, then turned and left with determination.
No sooner had she said goodbye to her family than she ran into a familiar face.
Seeing the figure standing there, radiating an aura of reassurance, Mu Qingge hurried over to greet him.
"Geo Archon!" she called out.
With no one else around, addressing him by this title felt more appropriate.
Zhongli maintained his usual composed expression.
"This journey may be fraught with danger. Remember, do not act impulsively in any situation. And keep the Mystic Barrier with you at all times."
"I will heed your counsel, Geo Archon!"
After delivering these instructions, Zhongli departed. Qingge stared after his retreating figure for a long moment before turning and walking away herself.
-
Liyue.
After many twists and turns, Lumine and Paimon finally managed to rendezvous with the Crux Fleet.
Upon learning the fleet's current anchorage, the duo immediately set out.
"We're finally going to Inazuma! I heard they're in lockdown right now. I wonder what it'll be like!" Paimon exclaimed excitedly. She had gradually recovered from the tragedy involving Rola; after all, the departed were gone, and the living still had to strive on.
Meanwhile, in the Player World, a new version update had arrived.
Though it was just the prologue, player enthusiasm surged to unprecedented heights.
They might complain and criticize, but Genshin Impact's storyline was undeniably well-crafted and of higher quality compared to other games.
Even though Genshin Impact had served players a mouthful of heartache, player loyalty remained undiminished—in fact, many new players had joined.
Like the vast majority of players, Guojia had been eagerly awaiting the release of the Kaiyang, one of the Liyue Qixing, into the gacha pool.
But after endless waiting, there was still no sign of her.
This baffled players. The Kaiyang was the first character they'd met in Liyue, and her popularity had skyrocketed. Why hadn't she been added to the gacha yet?
By the time Inazuma was released, her hype would surely die down!
It made absolutely no sense!
Though they couldn't fathom the logic, the game still had to be played.
Fueled by anticipation for the storyline, Guojia started a live stream and embarked on quests with her viewers.
"After waiting so long, she's finally here!"
-
Lumine and Paimon ran for ages, flying and swimming, before finally setting foot on the Alcor.
After explaining their purpose, Lumine learned that the crew was about to hold a martial arts tournament, with the ultimate prize being a Vision without an owner.
This Vision had been provided by their new friend, Kaedehara Kazuha.
The naive Paimon immediately asked, without a second thought:
"How can a Vision be without an owner?"
"Paimon!" Lumine quickly tugged on Paimon's small cloak, but Kazuha waved it off, saying, "There's nothing to hide. This Vision actually belonged to a dear friend of mine. He... has already passed away."
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."
"It's alright, Paimon. As I said, there's nothing to hide."
Despite Kazuha's reassurances, Paimon still felt a pang of guilt.
Lumine was eventually invited to participate in the tournament. Since she could wield Elemental Power without a Vision, the prize for her if she won would be a ticket to Inazuma!
The competition went smoothly, and Lumine steadily fought her way to the finals.
But a twist occurred during the final match: the other competitor didn't show up, and the Vision was stolen.
Kazuha overheard everything.
In the end, guided by Kazuha, they found the thief and recovered the Vision.
Kazuha then shared the story behind the Vision.
"He was once my dearest friend. That day, he asked me, 'Have you ever heard of the Musou no Hitotachi?'"
"I replied, 'Of course. That strike can only be witnessed when Divine Judgment descends. It's the pinnacle of the Raiden Shogun's martial prowess, the ultimate symbol of power.'"
"But he said, 'That strike... it might not be beyond reach.'"
"'There will always be mortals who dare to face the Electro Archon's thunderous glory.'"
"..."
Lumine and Paimon listened quietly to Kazuha's story, feeling the weight of the Inazuman Archon's authority.
Their journey to Inazuma might not be so smooth after all.
"What expression was on his face at the final moment?"
"There was no time to speculate. I simply snatched the Vision, its light fading, and fled."
"I only knew I couldn't let his burning ambition be entombed within that cold, divine statue!"
-
Player World
[Inazuma, huh? I always felt like Inazuma's God would be hard to get along with, definitely less approachable than Venti or Zhongli.]
[Kazuha is Anemo too. Has anyone noticed that the three Anemo boys we've seen so far are all relatively short?]
[A scattered Vision... guess who that reminds me of?]
[Shut up, you old bastard!]
[Still waiting for Inazuma? This update is taking forever!]
The trio returned to the martial arts tournament arena. After dealing with the aftermath of the incident, Lumine and Paimon were informed that a fleet would soon depart for Inazuma.
They were told they would be notified when the time came. Lumine and Paimon then returned to Liyue.
It seemed their journey to Inazuma would have to wait a little longer.