"What is this...?"
Furina's eyelids gradually grew too heavy to keep open. Her mind became drowsy, and she soon drifted into a deep sleep.
Five hundred years.
It was truly a very long time.
But with Su Han's help, she would be able to enjoy a complete, beautiful dream every night.
"Consider this my gift to you, Furina..."
Su Han smiled softly.
Beyond that, everything was finally over.
The World Tree couldn't keep letting him travel back and forth forever. After this visit, he would rarely come here again.
It was also for safety's sake.
Su Han turned to leave, only to find another Furina standing at the doorway.
She was barefoot, wearing a long blue gradient dress. Her entire presence gave off a refreshing and tranquil aura.
Su Han raised an eyebrow.
"Focalors?"
"So you really do know me."
The newly appointed Hydro Archon smiled gently.
Her gaze then shifted toward the other version of herself. Seeing that she was merely asleep, curiosity filled the Hydro Archon's eyes.
"You called her Furina? And you even cast an illusion on her. What are you trying to do?"
"I gave her a beautiful dream that will last for five hundred years, one she can enjoy every night."
Su Han's eyes were filled with tenderness as he spoke.
Focalors was briefly stunned. Her own gaze softened as she looked at Furina and sighed quietly.
"Then thank you. That was never part of my original plan. But with your power, perhaps she'll have a much easier time."
To save Fontaine required paying an enormous price.
Furina would suffer greatly.
As for Focalors herself, she would have to give up her entire life.
Everything was for the sake of allowing the Hydro Dragon King, Neuvillette, to reclaim his Authority.
Part of it was also to break free from the Heavenly Principles' control.
At that moment, Focalors came up with a brand-new idea.
She carefully looked Su Han up and down before asking,
"You also seem to be a god. Could you do me a favor?"
"What is it?"
"Please help me destroy the Divine Throne."
"No."
Su Han's expression immediately darkened.
Was she joking?
Destroying the Divine Throne meant directly opposing the Heavenly Principles.
Although he now controlled the Land of Death, possessed the power of space-time, and even wielded the Six Paths' power...
He still wasn't strong enough to face the Heavenly Principles.
Seeing Su Han preparing to leave, Focalors hurriedly grabbed his hand.
"Please wait. Could you at least hear me out?"
"I may treat Furina well, but I have no reason to help you unconditionally."
"What if I said the reward would be very generous?"
Her words stopped Su Han in his tracks.
He looked at the Hydro Archon, wondering what she was planning.
Still, if the offer wasn't good enough, he would leave immediately.
"Let's hear it."
"You will gain the loyalty of a Hydro Archon."
"I'm not interested."
Focalors had expected that answer.
Still smiling, she continued,
"Then what if I said I would obey any command you give without condition? I'm an Oceanid. You should know what that means."
Oceanids.
A race capable of transforming into anything.
Their bodies were also incredibly soft and flexible.
They were practically the perfect race.
Unfortunately, Su Han wasn't interested.
"If that's your only offer, then there's no need to continue this conversation. I'm in a hurry. Besides, this is our first meeting. There's no need to sell yourself like this."
Faced with such blunt words, Focalors wasn't offended in the slightest.
Instead, she smiled even more brightly.
"Oh? Is this really our first meeting? Then how did you know Furina would endure five hundred years of suffering?"
"So you figured it out?"
Su Han looked at the Hydro Archon with some surprise.
Just from a few short conversations, she had deduced his origin.
Interesting.
"Mhm."
Focalors smiled proudly.
In truth, it hadn't been difficult.
Furina had only been born recently, yet this man knew both her name and exactly how long she would suffer.
If he were sent by the Heavenly Principles, he would have killed her immediately.
Instead, he had kindly given Furina beautiful dreams.
Possessing power comparable to a god while treating Furina so gently, there was only one possible answer.
He had come from the future.
"Let me explain my payment first. After all, what I'm asking you to do is extremely dangerous. Let's settle the price before discussing anything else."
Focalors understood the importance of negotiation.
She knew how powerful the man before her was.
If she could gain his support, perhaps five hundred years later she might still have a chance to survive.
No one wished to disappear.
Not even a god.
"Go ahead."
Su Han also wanted to hear what price this god could offer.
Focalors snapped her fingers.
Countless water spirits gathered together, forming a table and chairs before them.
"Shall we sit down first?"
"No problem. But just sitting would be boring. Let me add some desserts."
Su Han took out some food from the Serenitea Pot.
There was black tea, pastries made by Xiangling, and various desserts prepared by a master pastry chef.
The spread was extremely lavish.
Focalors elegantly lifted her teacup.
The rich black tea filled her mouth with an exquisite aroma, surpassing every black tea Fontaine had to offer.
Her eyes lit up.
"You're from Liyue?"
"You could say that."
The tea from Chenyu Vale was famous throughout Teyvat. There was no hiding its origin.
After enjoying the tea and tasting the pastries, Focalors finally stated her offer.
"If you help me, then from now on, you will gain the loyalty of every Oceanid, myself included. What do you think of that?"
"Of course, don't reject it just yet."
"I know that after the coming disaster, the Oceanids will become corrupted. Many of them will even flee. Once I enter that place, I won't even retain the authority to command them."
"But even so, having an entire race as rare as the Oceanids pledge themselves to you still has considerable value, doesn't it?"
The entire Oceanid race?
Su Han fell into thought.
Helping Focalors wasn't impossible.
The problem was how.
Simply destroying the Divine Throne was actually something he could accomplish now by using the Authority of Death.
The problem was that once he did...
Focalors would die as well.
The crucial point was that she wanted to live.
Destroying the Divine Throne while keeping her alive.
That truly was a difficult problem.
Su Han rubbed his forehead, feeling as though he had reached a dead end.
Focalors wasn't in a hurry.
After all, if it weren't an impossible problem, she wouldn't have sworn eternal loyalty to him.
If he stopped thinking in terms of divinity...
And only considered power...
Then as long as the Oceanids possessed enough Hydro elemental power, could they use it as a new source of life?
Suddenly, Su Han felt as though his thoughts had broken through.
He immediately looked at Focalors.
She noticed the change and smiled.
"Found an answer?"
"More or less. But the key depends on you."
"Me?"
Focalors looked puzzled.
Su Han quickly explained,
"Oceanids are born from the Primordial Sea, which is why you're bound by this world. But if I could find something similar for you to reside in, would that work?"
"You mean... transferring my Origin?"
Focalors immediately understood what he meant.
But any object capable of housing a god's Origin would certainly be unimaginably valuable.
"Exactly."
"No wonder you hesitated. If you want to keep me alive, the price really is enormous."
Focalors smiled bitterly.
Such an item wasn't merely expensive.
Anything capable of containing divine power would already be a divine artifact.
If someone possessed something like that, why would they casually give it away?
"So, do you still want to continue?"
"Wait... you actually have something like that?"
Focalors was stunned.
She had thought the problem he described was impossible to solve.
Yet he actually had a solution.
Was he really this wealthy?
Su Han replied helplessly,
"Weren't you the one who promised eternal loyalty? Otherwise, I wouldn't even consider taking out a treasure like this. So, do you want it or not? Let's make one thing clear first. Once you use my treasure, you will belong completely to me."
"Of course I do!"
Focalors answered without the slightest hesitation.
She was terrified of offending him.
After all, this was her only chance to survive.
"Alright. Wait here for a moment."
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"Just wait."
Su Han melted into the shadows and disappeared.
Where was he going?
To draw a prize, of course.
Treasures from ordinary comics definitely wouldn't be enough.
But Chinese Paladin 3 was different.
It belonged to a true cultivation world, where treasures far surpassed the divine level.
Of course, that "divine level" referred to Teyvat.
After arriving outside, Su Han opened the system interface.
The Chinese Paladin 3 comic series appeared before him.
Comic: Chinese Paladin 3 (TV Drama Version)
Authority: Level 5 (Currently able to produce Volumes 9-10)
Requirement: Sell 300,000 copies to unlock subsequent content.
Reward: Sell 300,000 copies to unlock the sixth draw. After seven draws, one treasure can be obtained for free. Remaining draws available: 2.
Prize Pool: Obtain various treasures from the world of Chinese Paladin 3, including bloodlines, the Five Spirit Pearls, and numerous mystical techniques. At Authority below Level 5, the Five Spirit Pearls cannot be obtained. Upon reaching Authority Level 9, a special bloodline becomes available.
Benefit: Treasures can be upgraded with points. One comic sold equals one point.
"Let's see what I can get."
Su Han's goal was simple.
Draw a water-attributed treasure.
Even a flying sword from that world would be enough for Focalors to inhabit.
The prize pool began spinning.
Soon, countless treasures flashed before his eyes.
Notification: Congratulations. You have obtained the treasure Spirit Crossing Flying Ark from the world of Chinese Paladin 3.
Notification: Congratulations. You have obtained the treasure Water Spirit Pearl.
"My luck is actually this good?"
Su Han couldn't help feeling surprised.
He had really drawn the Water Spirit Pearl.
His luck was incredible.
As for the Spirit Crossing Flying Ark, it was also an excellent treasure.
It was a flying artifact that combined both offense and defense, serving as one of the Heavenly Court's warships.
After putting away the treasures, Su Han returned to Focalors.
"You found something?"
"Yes."
Su Han opened his palm.
A deep azure pearl appeared within the grand hall.
An overwhelming surge of Hydro elemental power flooded the surroundings.
Focalors' eyes widened in disbelief.
She had never seen such an incredible treasure.
Even the entire Primordial Sea couldn't compare to the value of this pearl.
"What... is this?"
She stared at Su Han in shock.
She was certain that even the Heavenly Principles possessed nothing of this level.
Su Han smiled proudly.
"The Water Spirit Pearl. A treasure capable of repairing worlds. Do you still think I was being rude earlier?"
"I never thought you were rude."
"I was simply trying to save myself. As long as Fontaine can return to normal, I'm satisfied, even if it means pledging eternal loyalty to you."
"I just never imagined..."
"You could actually produce a treasure of this level."
A bold thought suddenly surfaced in Focalors' mind.
If the Water Spirit Pearl were used to seal the Primordial Sea...
Wouldn't that also count as saving Fontaine?
No.
She immediately shook her head, forcefully driving away the unrealistic thought.
The existence of the people of Fontaine was itself a mistake.
Without Neuvillette's forgiveness, they would never truly become ordinary humans.
Besides, they still had to overcome the Heavenly Principles.
So the original plan still had to continue.
"My time is limited. If you're going to transfer your Origin, do it quickly. Otherwise, I'll have to leave."
"Alright."
Focalors collected herself and immediately began the process.
True Oceanids were a unique race.
Even if they lost their physical bodies, they wouldn't perish.
The real problem was finding something capable of housing them.
Focalors had never considered this path before because no such treasure existed in Teyvat.
It was like asking humanity to build another sun if the real one burned out.
Even if the idea existed, what could they possibly use to create it?
That had always been her dilemma.
For other gods, separating one's Origin was an agonizing and dangerous process.
For Focalors, however, it was still far preferable to death.
As large portions of her soul's Origin separated from her body, Focalors gradually became transparent.
"...Phew. From here on, this body will carry out the rest of the plan."
"But if even this doesn't work, then there's nothing else I can do. Take it with you. When I die, all of my memories will transfer into it. At that point... this body will become me."
Focalors' soul had become extremely weak.
Even so, it was still sufficient to watch over the vessel as it absorbed energy.
Su Han nodded slightly before turning to leave.
Inside the cold palace remained only the sleeping Furina and the barely conscious Focalors.
It wasn't that Su Han was cold-hearted.
He simply had no time to care for Focalors any longer.
At that very moment, he began to feel the world rejecting him.
It was difficult to describe.
It felt as though someone was glaring directly at him.
A realization dawned upon him.
By saving Focalors, he had incurred the rejection of the world itself.
"But so what?"
He looked up at the sky, his eyes filled with disdain.
"This is nothing more than a world governed by incomplete laws, and it dares to reject me?"
"Khaenri'ah nearly destroyed the entire world, yet I never saw you show yourself then."
"And now you decide to come out and put on airs?"
"You think you're worthy?"