"So, Fate is the ultimate knowledge, isn't it?"
"A truly excellent insight. I wholeheartedly agree."
Rukkhadevata walked toward Nahida. "And precisely for that reason, you will not become me."
Nahida seemed somewhat dejected.
"But you might become a God even greater than I, heh."
Nahida's already large eyes suddenly widened a bit. Rukkhadevata chuckled softly. "I've already seen within you a will that I did not possess back then. The future guided by that will is your own unique destiny."
"And those are also the blessings brought by everything you've experienced in the past. Rest assured, the growth of wisdom is much like that of plants and trees. You simply need to wait patiently for the flowers to bloom."
Lumine: "I believe Nahida will definitely become a truly great God."
"Looking back now, the Akademiya Sages' judgment was truly hopeless..." Paimon sighed with emotion.
In Chen Xiyao's live stream:
Two adorable Nahidas stood face-to-face beneath the Irminsul tree, creating a scene of ethereal beauty.
"Nahida, when you return, you absolutely must punish those Sages properly! Especially the Great Sage—it infuriates me! Locking up such a capable and adorable little god for five whole centuries... she must have been completely broken inside!"
"By the way, is Silaya's storyline over? I remember her thesis was about saving Irminsul, right?"
[If even the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata couldn't do it, how could Silaya possibly succeed?]
[I just hope no one criticizes Silaya when she fails. Remember how many people had such high expectations for her?]
[Exactly! Our Silaya just accidentally chose the wrong research topic.]
In Penguin's live stream:
Ever since he chose to reject Chu Xi's quest last time, the biggest difference between his storyline and those who accepted it was the absence of Chu Xi by his side.
During the final battle with Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, Chu Xi still appeared, tending to Silaya at the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Aside from that, nothing else seemed to have changed, leaving Penguin—a half-Chu Xi fan—and some viewers in his live stream utterly frustrated.
After all, very few players would willingly forgo the Primogem rewards. Incensed, Penguin created a new alt account and this time resolutely accepted Chu Xi's quest.
"From the very beginning... my existence has been tainted by Forbidden Knowledge."
"Ah... how could this be..."
Paimon felt deeply saddened. The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had always been so kind.
Nahida, however, had long anticipated this.
"I've witnessed that agony within your consciousness. It must have been a truly terrifying experience."
Rukkhadevata: "Indeed. Besides you and me, another young one has endured this suffering. Her name is Silaya. She's remarkably intelligent, even more so than anyone else I've ever met. She wants to save Irminsul and me... But I died five centuries ago, and Irminsul isn't so easily saved."
"Silaya... she's also my student..." Nahida's expression grew deeply moved. So, she had known about Rukkhadevata's situation even before I did?
Rukkhadevata: "Her soul is unique, capable of resonating powerfully with Irminsul. This allows her to enter this place repeatedly and experience everything I have."
"Her soul?!"
Lumine stepped forward. "Dendro Archon, is Silaya's soul truly that special?"
Having spent so much time with Lumine, Paimon knew what she suspected and edged closer, equally curious.
"Human souls invariably carry impurities to varying degrees, but hers feels utterly pure, devoid of any taint."
Paimon couldn't help but recall Silaya's sneak attack on the Akademiya Scholars and her knocking out the Great Sage. However, she quickly shook her head. That kind of purity likely wasn't what Rukkhadevata meant.
Lumine retreated a few steps, lowering her head in thought.
Silaya is undoubtedly a Pure Soul, she reasoned. Since Persons of Pure Soul resonate strongly with Irminsul, Angie's near-immunity to Nahida's Authority...
I need to find Tartaglia and get answers!
After everything we've been through together, Angie is no longer our enemy!
The Dendro Archon, appearing in this fleeting form, declared:
"I have been tainted by Forbidden Knowledge. Even if I die, my existence—everything connected to me—will remain preserved within Irminsul as memories and knowledge. Thus, the Forbidden Knowledge cannot be eradicated."
Lumine looked up at the Dendro Archon.
"And I... can never truly erase myself. It's a paradox."
"Therefore, I broke off Irminsul's purest branch to serve as my reincarnation, leaving clues... all so you could come here and completely erase my tainted self from Irminsul..."
Nahida's breathing quickened. She scurried forward, shaking her head frantically, unable to believe her ears. "...Wait, no... that's not right... no... it can't be!"
Rukkhadevata: "Heh, do you understand what that means now? You truly are clever. Just as you've surmised, Irminsul contains all the knowledge and memories of this world. Erasing me from Irminsul... would be equivalent to me never having existed in this world at all."
"Yet, this is the only true way to save Irminsul."
Nahida shook her head vehemently. "The people revere you so deeply. They've never stopped longing for you. I... I too... How can I just... forget you like that? Isn't there any other way? Anything else I can do?"
Rukkhadevata: "You are the God of Wisdom, Buer. You should already know. There is no other way."
Nahida's voice trembled with tears. "But... but... this is too cruel! I don't want to forget you..."
Rukkhadevata: "Don't be so heartbroken, Buer. As a wise one, you should be rejoicing at having found the answer. This is the answer you've been seeking all along—the words that reveal the full picture... 'Let the world completely forget me.'"
Chen Xiyao's eyes reddened. She had thought her resilience was strong enough after enduring so many emotional blows, but she was wrong...
To be forgotten by the world was akin to never having existed at all...
The mere thought of it was agonizing.
Death was not the end; oblivion was. From this moment on, Teyvat would never again have a Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. She would be completely erased from existence.
"Ugh... Mihoyo really knows how to twist the knife..."
[My eyes are leaking.]
["Let the world completely forget me..." So that's where the setup from the beginning was leading...]
[Waaah, I want Greater Lord Rukkhadevata! She would have been such a great support character!]
[Poor Nahida...]
Penguin Live Stream:
"No, not again! Are you trying to make me cry again?!"