"Undying…"
Everyone's hearts trembled simultaneously.
Diluc could no longer hold back. He asked in a deep voice:
"Is it… the kind of undying we imagined?"
Ningguang nodded—then shook her head. As she did, she pointed to something hanging at her waist.
The others saw it too.
Not just Ningguang—Keqing, Ganyu, Xiao, Hu Tao…
Everyone here, or more accurately, all of Liyue's top brass, were wearing the Totem of Undying.
"The Totem of Undying is a single-use consumable."
"As long as you carry it, if you die by any cause other than natural aging, the totem activates."
"Once triggered, your vitality will be restored to its peak in mere seconds."
"At the same time, all negative effects afflicting you will be cleansed—curses, poison, karmic debt, weakness, wear…"
"The Totem of Undying will give you a brand new life."
"Additionally, it will put you into a protected state."
"Any incoming damage will be partially absorbed."
"You'll also enter a fire-resistance buff period—immune to all Pyro damage, even magma."
As Ningguang's voice fell, a nearby Qianyan soldier downed a fire-resistance potion and calmly placed his unprotected hand into the magma.
Jean and the others were visibly shocked, but before they could say anything—
The Qianyan soldier withdrew his hand and showed it to them.
It looked no different than if he'd just washed his hands.
Diluc fell silent, his heart shaken.
He could feel the scorching heat radiating from the magma—that wasn't fake.
And yet a Qianyan soldier could wash his hands in lava just by drinking a potion?
Then what did that mean for his Pyro abilities…?
"It's immunity—not resistance, right?"
Lisa seemed to have realized something. A flicker of shock passed through her eyes.
Ningguang smiled and nodded lightly.
"It's immunity by the laws themselves…"
Lisa's gaze returned to Ryen.
She couldn't understand—how could something like this be made by alchemy?
What exactly is Liyue doing?
If these things were released to the world, they could completely overturn all of Teyvat in an instant.
Just how deep did Liyue's power run now? Lisa couldn't even imagine anymore.
"Totem of Undying… alchemical potions, enchanted books, diamond-tier gear and weapons…"
Diluc clenched his fists tightly, his eyes brimming with excitement.
These things weren't just a hope for revenge.
If he got his hands on them, he might even dare to take down the Fatui's headquarters.
Enhancing oneself, weakening the enemy, denying death all in one package—
This kind of existence—what difference was there between that and a god?
Osial had infinite strength in the sea—even having its head blown off didn't stop it.
But the Totem of Undying—wasn't that even stronger?
Ryen looked at the calm and composed Ningguang, and couldn't help but find it a bit funny.
Once upon a time, when he first introduced these things to Ningguang and the others, their reactions were even more intense than Jean and her group.
Back then, Xiao had immediately said he'd go hunt down the Wither and the Summoner.
Times had changed—Ningguang and the others had become more and more familiar with the Minecraft world.
As Ryen was thinking, the Nahida in his arms let out a yawn, raising a little hand to rub her sleepy eyes.
"Getting sleepy?"
Ryen asked softly.
Nahida pouted and stubbornly shook her head.
"Not sleepy!"
"Haha…"
Ryen chuckled and pinched her little nose.
"Don't push yourself. If you rest well, you might grow faster."
"Really?!"
Nahida's eyes instantly widened, full of hope as she looked at Ryen.
Being stuck as a loli was Nahida's biggest source of frustration right now.
Every day, she could only watch as Ganyu got to spend time with Ryen, while she was treated like a little sister.
Though she enjoyed Ryen's gentle care—
The more she enjoyed it, the more unhappy she actually felt.
What she really wanted… was for Ryen to love her the way he loved Ganyu.
A little sister? She didn't want to stop at just that.
Besides, she used to be the wise and elegant Greater Lord Rukkhadevata—why should she be stuck as a loli forever?
Nahida nodded vigorously.
"Mm! I want to go back and sleep!"
"Alright, I'll take Nahida home and tuck you in."
Ryen affectionately patted her head.
This time, Nahida didn't resist his brotherly affection.
In her mind, as long as she slept well, she could grow up fast.
And one day, she'd point to Ganyu and shout: "I can take her place!"
She wanted Ryen to realize she wasn't just a cute little sister—she could be the perfect little sister.
As those thoughts swirled in her head, Nahida grew drowsy again.
Even though she'd slept for five hundred years, she'd been so happy these past few days.
Living a normal person's life like Ryen, plus her divine power still growing—
She actually needed sleep.
Watching the drowsy Nahida, Ryen smiled warmly.
He gently picked her up like a treasured gem.
Then turned and walked away.
Seeing this, Ganyu quickly followed.
Jean and the others hadn't recovered from their shock yet, so no one said a word—making Ryen and Ganyu's movements all the more noticeable.
As they moved forward, they lowered their voices, careful not to wake Nahida.
"Nahida's going to sleep. I'll take her back first."
Ningguang blinked, then looked at Nahida curled up like a kitten, clutching Ryen's collar.
A trace of sympathy flickered in her eyes.
"Go ahead. Nahida really did tire herself out today."
She glanced at Ganyu, who looked like a bashful young wife. Ningguang sighed inwardly, but said nothing.
Ryen smiled and nodded gently, full of care:
"You should rest early too."
"I'll try…"
"No—you must!"
Lisa's slightly domineering tone somehow made Ningguang's heart feel warm and cozy.
She gently pushed Ryen's shoulder.
"Got it, give me some face… I'll go rest in a bit."
"We're off then. See you tomorrow."
Ryen smiled and turned to leave with Ganyu and Nahida, heading toward the floating stone.
On the way, seeing Jean and the others looking over, Ryen nodded gently.
"I hope you find what you're looking for in Mondstadt."
Although they didn't know who Ryen was, Jean and the others politely replied with a "thank you."
Just before he could leave, Lisa suddenly spoke in a soft voice:
"Mister, you seem unfamiliar… may I ask your name?"
"Ryen," he replied, turning around to meet Lisa's gaze.
Clearly, Lisa had already taken notice of him.
Because of Nahida?
That was likely part of it…
Ryen quietly admired Lisa's sharp instincts.
"Ryen…" Lisa softly repeated the name, nodding thoughtfully.
"I'll remember that. If you have the time, may I buy you a drink sometime?"
She smiled charmingly and even winked at him.
To the others, it looked just like Lisa had fallen for a man at first sight and was boldly asking him out.
It even made Jean a little embarrassed.
But Ryen only responded with a faint smile, gazing deeply into Lisa's eyes.
"I'm not much of a drinker. But if you stay in Liyue for a while longer, perhaps I might invite you for tea instead."
With that, Ryen turned and walked away, his figure soon swallowed by the darkness.
"Until we meet again."
His airy farewell drifted to everyone's ears.
Lisa's gaze remained fixed on the dark where he vanished.
Jean noticed Ningguang's expression shift subtly and nudged Lisa gently.
In a low voice, she said:
"Lisa, we're still in the middle of official discussions… even if you've taken a liking to him, save it for later…"
"Hehe… Taken a liking? I suppose I have taken a liking to him… But if we miss today, who knows if we'll ever see him again?"
Lisa replied, her words laced with deeper meaning.
Jean knew Lisa wasn't one to speak without reason. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Lisa didn't answer directly. She sipped her tea calmly, then sent a voice transmission:
"The little one he was holding… is the Lesser Lord Kusanali."
"???"
Jean almost fell off her seat in shock.
She looked at Lisa in disbelief.
She knew Lisa was one of the most brilliant students of the Akademiya—she would absolutely recognize the Lesser Lord.
There was no way she had mistaken her identity.
"Earlier, when the Geo Archon arrived, he greeted that man first."
"Although Ningguang appeared to be the host of tonight's banquet, the true person behind it all… is that Ryen."
Jean was quick-witted. Once Lisa explained, it all clicked.
"You mean to say, he's the one behind all these things… maybe even everything happening at Tianheng Mountain…"
Lisa said nothing more, only lifted her cup and took another small sip of tea.
She gave a subtle signal—Ningguang was watching them.
Jean understood that this wasn't the right time for such conversations. She immediately straightened her posture and addressed Ningguang seriously:
"Miss Ningguang, all of this far exceeds our expectations, but we are indeed very interested in forming a trade agreement for these resources."
"What would your conditions be?"
Now that it had come to business, Diluc also sat upright.
Jean pursed her lips before speaking, albeit with some difficulty:
"Miss Ningguang, I'm not trying to make excuses, but Mondstadt has just suffered a dragon disaster. Many trade routes remain blocked."
"Our Grand Master's expedition also took a large amount of resources. We don't have much capital to offer at the moment…"
Ningguang chuckled softly and shook her head.
"I understand. That's why I have no plans to trade the truly precious resources with you right now."
Hearing this, Jean was startled and hurriedly tried to respond, hoping to negotiate.
But Lisa gently placed her hand over Jean's and smiled sweetly:
"Then, Miss Ningguang, may I ask, what exactly counts as precious in your eyes?"
Ningguang smiled again, her voice gentle and deep.
"The Undying Totem is never for trade. Ender Pearls, diamond-grade armor and weapons, various specialty materials…"
"So that leaves us with alchemical potions, milk, golden apples, and enchanted books for potential trade?"
Lisa followed up with another question.
Ningguang nodded slightly.
"In truth, even alchemical potions and enchanted books won't be traded in bulk for now. But small-scale exchanges are acceptable."
Lisa paused. This outcome had already far surpassed her expectations.
Truth be told, from the very beginning, Lisa understood:
Ningguang was showing off Liyue's depth—
Making them genuinely value the alliance.
Although the Undying Totem and such shocked Lisa, she never thought Ningguang would actually sell them.
After all, Mondstadt had nothing valuable enough to offer in exchange.
Lisa's baseline expectations were milk, golden apples, alchemical potions, and perhaps priority purchasing rights to the resources Liyue had released to the market.
If the prices were slightly lower, that would be ideal.
But what she hadn't expected—
Was that Ningguang would even be willing to trade enchanted books.
That was a surprise windfall.
Even if the price was sky-high, Lisa believed it was worth it.
Still…
Lisa sipped her tea again, and softly recalled Ryen's figure.
"What if… we wanted to obtain things like Ender Pearls?"
Ningguang's eyes sparkled as she took another small sip of tea.
"Miss Lisa, haven't you already guessed the answer? Why ask again?"
Lisa suddenly let out a soft chuckle, murmuring something layered with meaning:
"Indeed… Fate really does work in mysterious ways."
~~----------------------
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