After reestablishing the collaborative declaration in this new world,
the relationship between the two factions became much more harmonious.
Ningguang even publicly stated that the resources Mondstadt receives from Liyue would be priced at Liyue's internal trade rates.
As for those alchemical potions...
If purchased privately, just covering the base cost would suffice.
However, no one had ever brought up bulk purchases.
Jean and the others weren't going to bring it up either—
After all, they had just seen the alchemical potion mass production line, as well as the villager trading hub.
Even though the production line wasn't operating yet, Jean and the others understood clearly—
As long as there were enough materials, thousands of potions could be mass-produced in minutes.
And as for materials…
That was the one thing they had in endless supply!
With that in mind, was there even any point in negotiating for cooperation over those high-grade resources?
They'd already been taught how to fish—
If they still obsessed over the catch, wouldn't that be shortsighted?
Besides, by studying this technology and the crafting process themselves,
they'd also grow more familiar with the unique characteristics of this world.
Just taking without giving would only strain the relationship.
Only when Ryen and Liyue could see Mondstadt's contributions in this world,
could the bond between them become truly unbreakable.
Everyone—Jean included—understood this perfectly.
"Honestly… it's far beyond what I imagined…"
Lisa let out a quiet sigh, her gaze complex as she looked at Ryen.
"I originally thought… it would be an alchemist from another world,
who'd use alchemy to remove my curse."
"But I didn't expect—"
"Didn't expect the result to be even more unbelievable?"
Ningguang said lightly with a smile.
Lisa nodded slowly.
"A bucket of milk cured my curse.
I don't think 'unbelievable' even begins to cover it."
"So, Lisa, are you still thinking of learning alchemy from Ryen?"
Ningguang teased.
"If it's alchemy from this world, I suppose you could learn it from me instead,"
she said proudly.
"After all, the potion assembly line was built under Ryen's guidance."
"I'd say I've picked up a thing or two!"
At that, everyone couldn't help but chuckle.
Even Diluc, who was always so serious, laughed in good spirits.
He was in a genuinely good mood.
They hadn't bought any particular items on this trip—
But Mondstadt had seen its future.
And that achievement outweighed anything else.
Maybe someday, this would even surpass the legendary tale of Vanessa defeating the old aristocracy.
In fact—
Weren't the legends saying Barbatos once founded Mondstadt in Teyvat?
Then why couldn't they…
build Mondstadt anew in this world?
Years down the line, this too could become an epic sung by the bards of Teyvat.
Lisa smiled faintly and shook her head, her words holding a deeper meaning.
"Alchemy potions… aren't really what interest me now."
"Oh? Then what are you interested in?"
Ryen, sitting with Paimon on one side and Nahida on the other, looked up at Lisa.
A glint of violet lightning flickered in her eyes as she replied charmingly:
"Well… you, of course."
That made both Ganyu and Ningguang's expressions shift.
Ningguang recovered her elegant composure almost instantly.
But Ganyu clearly… didn't take it so well.
She was already struggling to deal with just Ningguang—
And now Lisa too? That spelled trouble!
Other people might not get it, but Ganyu definitely did:
Ryen was most defenseless against bold, open-hearted girls like Lisa.
As for calm, reserved types?
Just look at Hu Tao and Nahida.
They were treated like younger sisters.
Jean, picking up on Ganyu's mood, quietly nudged Lisa.
Lisa understood Jean's message and changed her tone with a playful smile:
"Compared to these simple and straightforward things,
I think you, Ryen, are far more mysterious."
"You understand this world's mechanics better than anyone.
If you don't mind… could I learn from you?"
It was a very reasonable request—
All she wanted was to study world-specific knowledge with him.
Ningguang and the others had investigated Lisa's personality.
They assumed maybe this was just her way of speaking.
But when it came to someone they all cared about—
A woman's intuition was sharp.
Both Ningguang and Ganyu felt Lisa definitely had other intentions.
Ryen, though, just laughed and nodded cheerfully.
"No problem. Even if you didn't ask, I was going to teach you all anyway."
"On Liyue's side, Ningguang and the others are already learning these technologies.
It makes sense for Mondstadt to have someone as well."
Everyone understood—this had been part of the plan from the start.
Like Cloud Retainer, Ningguang, and Keqing learning redstone and villager tech from Ryen—
Mondstadt needed their own expert too.
Otherwise, what? Have Liyue come over and teach them everything?
This was mutual cooperation, not disaster relief.
Lisa, as a clever and capable witch, was clearly the best candidate.
"Then I'll be in your care, Teacher Ryen…"
Lisa blinked playfully, her usual laziness replaced with a sweet charm.
"Just Ryen is fine," he said with a chuckle.
Then he paused and added:
"By the way, after everything you saw today… how do you all feel?"
The moment he said that,
everyone fell silent.
Feelings?
Where should they even begin?
The iron-farming machine producing endless ore?
The lucky blocks exploding into hundreds of tons of gold?
Or the way he could throw down a few blocks and instantly build a structure?
Earlier, Jean and the others had a thousand things they wanted to say.
But now, when Ryen actually asked—
Even Lisa was at a loss for words.
So much…
Aside from repeatedly marveling at how right they were to come here, everything else seemed like it could be recorded in Mondstadt's annals as major discoveries.
Ryen wasn't in a hurry either, and said with a smile,
"Take your time to think about it first. You can decide later."
After speaking, he turned to Ningguang and said softly,
"The planned new city of Liyue — the foundations, fences, watchtowers, and such — are all completed now."
"It spans about a thousand hectares."
"In the short term, even with many other buildings constructed, a city of this size is enough to house a hundred thousand people."
"Of course, if we want a more spacious and comfortable living environment, I think the population shouldn't exceed fifty thousand."
"But ultimately, it's your decision. Besides that, the First Garrison Unit has submitted their application."
"For a city of this scale, even if they could finish it, it would take more than three months."
"If you're in a hurry, you can dispatch more miners and construction workers."
"Based on my estimate, a construction team of two thousand people should be able to finish everything within a month."
Hearing this, Ningguang nodded slightly and responded in a gentle voice,
"This will be brought up at the next Qixing meeting. But for now, let's pause the expansion — we can take it slow, there's no rush."
"Once the Rite of Descension is held, we can proceed with large-scale development."
Ryen glanced at Zhongli without a word, exchanging a subtle look.
The Rite of Descension?
That probably meant Ningguang and the others would be busy for another two months.
Even though Zhongli had decided not to truly fake his death and abdicate, he hadn't changed a single part of the script.
But that was fine. After all, when it came to building in the Minecraft world, everything progressed quickly.
What really surprised Jean was Ryen and Ningguang's conversation.
"Ningguang… you're planning to build a city in this world?"
"Mhm, just being prepared for the future. Like Ryen says — don't put all your eggs in one basket."
Ningguang nodded with a soft smile.
"Neither Teyvat nor this world is completely safe. You're aware of what happened with Khaenri'ah."
"Finding an alternate retreat in advance is for Liyue's lasting survival."
"Rex Lapis also knows about this and fully agrees."
"This world is under Ryen's control, so we feel secure."
Ryen's position in this world was essentially equivalent to that of Celestia.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't part of the Liyue faction, but unlike Celestia, he wasn't aloof or cold.
As a trusted friend, he was the most important factor in building a second Liyue in this world.
Jean was clearly a little envious of Ningguang. After a pause, she asked quietly,
"Can I ask… how many people have already moved into this world? Of course, if that's a Liyue secret, you don't need to say."
Ningguang waved her hand casually.
"It's not a secret to you. You'll be settling here too eventually, so you'll find out soon enough."
"In this world, we've stationed three teams, with a total of fifteen hundred people."
"One team is building a city on the plains, the second is responsible for gathering resources from the Nether, and the third has just arrived and is still familiarizing themselves with the area near Base No. 2."
"By the way, the third team also needs to search for mines to extract resources. But really, they're using this process to quickly understand the world."
Diluc pressed his lips together and said quietly,
"So fifteen hundred people, in just a little over a month, managed to bring such drastic changes to all of Liyue?"
Ningguang nodded. Jean and the others didn't say anything further.
They were truly envious of Liyue's progress. But since Liyue had achieved this much in just over a month, they only needed to wait.
Liyue's model was perfect — something Mondstadt could copy entirely.
They just had to be more mindful of personal freedoms.
After all, with Mondstadters' yearning for freedom, it wouldn't be surprising if some of them wanted to go exploring the moment they arrived in this world.
That was something Jean and the others couldn't allow.
If that really happened, how would Ryen feel?
Diluc gave a small nod, already thinking about suitable candidates.
"You've just arrived, everything is still new — take your time."
Ryen offered a comforting smile, and said gently,
"When you've developed enough, you can also build a city here. This world is uninhabited — it's a resource-rich world entirely under my control."
"Just let me know where you want to build."
Jean nodded, then asked,
"No one lives here? Then what about those human-like beings in your estate…"
"Those are villagers. They're an important resource for villager-based tech."
Before Ryen could respond, Keqing patiently explained,
"Villagers aren't the same species as us. They're not human, and they have no intelligence. They're just a mechanical part of the world's features."
"They're extremely useful. Many technologies require villagers. But that's still a bit far off for you guys — you'll learn it over time."
Hearing this, Jean and the others didn't press further.
After all, they had just arrived and didn't understand anything yet. There was no need to question Ryen and Liyue's already well-established development plans.
"Speaking of which, there's one more thing I need Lisa for."
Ryen mentioned casually. Lisa rested her chin in her hand and smiled at him.
"You're so polite, Ryen… Just say the word. If I can do it, I'll do anything for you~"
"It's related to alchemy."
Ryen paused for a moment, then spoke with a bit more seriousness:
"I'd like to ask you to look into whether these special materials in this world can be used, through Teyvat's alchemy, to develop other types of products."
~~----------------------
To read 30 future chapters head over to patreon:
patreon.com/Dreamer20