Paimon and The Traveler looked at Teppei in front of them, listening to his story.
"So that's how it was."
"I never thought the Musou no Hitotachi came to be like this."
Paimon looked at Qiu Bai and The Traveler in front of her and spoke.
"The Archon War sounds like it was a cruel conflict."
"I've heard storytellers say that beneath Guyun Stone Forest, there's not just Osial. That place is called the tomb of the gods."
The Traveler looked at Qiu Bai and Paimon with furrowed brows.
"That's right, the gods sealed beneath Guyun Stone Forest aren't just Osial."
"Apart from Osial who was still alive before, all the others have perished now."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms against his chest, looking at The Traveler with a smile.
"The Archon War, gods fighting each other."
"Just thinking about that scene makes it terrifying."
Paimon scratched her head, speaking somewhat fearfully.
Just thinking about the spectacular scene of Zhongli, Azhdaha, and Qiu Bai fighting gave her chills.
"I'll wait in the cabin for a while."
"It will still be some time before we reach Watatsumi Island."
Teppei smiled at the three of them before walking toward the small cabin on the wooden boat.
"So Qiu Bai, you were born a thousand years ago."
"I suppose you wouldn't have participated in the Archon War, right? If you had participated in the Archon War, could you have won?"
Paimon looked at Qiu Bai curiously.
"You mean me as I am now?"
Qiu Bai smiled at the curious Paimon.
"Hmm... let me think."
"If I as I am now were to participate in the Archon War?"
Hearing this, Qiu Bai smiled without saying anything, turning his back to The Traveler and Paimon to look at the ocean view with his hands behind his back.
"I would only need to exert minimal effort to understand the limits of the Archon War."
"In those years, when I faced the gods, I didn't know what it meant to have an opponent."
Qiu Bai spoke calmly with his eyes slightly closed.
A powerful aura of superiority washed over The Traveler and Paimon.
Behind Qiu Bai, The Traveler and Paimon opened their mouths wide, staring at his back.
They had never heard such boastful words before.
For a moment, they didn't know what to say.
"Stop bragging, Qiu Bai."
"You were stabbed through the stomach by the Raiden Shogun."
Paimon shook her head, breaking free from the effect of Qiu Bai words, and looked at his back with disdain.
"Hahaha."
"But that's what you asked me about, right?"
Qiu Bai laughed, looking at the skeptical Paimon.
"I feel like Qiu Bai really could win the Archon War."
The Traveler looked at Qiu Bai and spoke.
"Why?"
Paimon turned to The Traveler beside her with confusion.
"Do you remember Qiu Bai heaven-splitting sword strike?"
"And the power he used when fighting Azhdaha?"
The Traveler turned around to face Paimon, reminding her.
"Of course I remember."
"A single sword strike that split two mountains, and that strange flame, and the sword strike that split the sky when fighting Osial."
Paimon looked at The Traveler beside her with confusion.
But didn't he still lose to the Raiden Shogun?
"When Qiu Bai was in that plane..."
"He was simply using his sword, without using any of those powers."
The Traveler reminded Paimon.
"You're saying this guy was pretending?"
After hearing The Traveler explanation, Paimon crossed her arms, looking at Qiu Bai with suspicion.
"That's unfair to me. In that plane, all my powers were suppressed."
"I could barely manage to wield my sword to fight with the Raiden Shogun."
Qiu Bai looked at the two of them and explained with a straight face.
"So that's how it was."
"But why didn't I feel my powers being suppressed?"
The Traveler looked at Qiu Bai with a puzzled expression, scratching her head.
"Ahem..."
"That's because I'm a god, and her plane only affects gods."
Qiu Bai looked at The Traveler, coughed lightly with some embarrassment, and then explained.
"I see, no wonder Qiu Bai immediately healed his wounds when we came out."
"So in that plane, your powers were suppressed and you couldn't heal yourself."
Paimon nodded, looking at Qiu Bai with an expression that suggested she understood.
"Then Qiu Bai, if you fought outside that plane, could you win?"
"How much of your power was suppressed in there?"
Paimon looked at Qiu Bai with curiosity.
Qiu Bai looked at Paimon, his mouth twitching slightly, surprised that she actually believed him.
"Hmm..."
"Probably reduced to about one percent."
Qiu Bai pondered for a moment before answering.
"Re-reduced to one percent?!"
"Th-that means you could defeat the Raiden Shogun with just one finger outside?!"
Paimon exclaimed in shock after hearing Qiu Bai's explanation.
"Hahaha... One finger is a bit of an exaggeration."
"But the one outside is a puppet, not the true Raiden Shogun."
Qiu Bai explained with a laugh, not hiding anything from the surprised Paimon.
"Not the true Raiden Shogun?"
"No wonder the one outside was so cold and emotionless."
Paimon spread her hands in surprise, looking at Qiu Bai.
"So the one in that plane is the true Electro Archon?"
"No wonder she let us go when we were inside, but when we came out, she pointed her blade at us again."
The Traveler spoke with surprise.
It made sense now why the Electro Archon had let them go.
Thinking carefully, Venti, Zhongli, and Qiu Bai all seemed approachable and personable.
When she met the Raiden Shogun, she always felt like she had no emotions.
So it turned out she was a puppet.
"Her name is Raiden Ei."
"She placed her consciousness in an object to avoid erosion."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms, smiling as he explained to The Traveler and Paimon.
"Raiden Ei has an older sister, called Raiden Makoto. They were twin gods."
"They looked almost identical."
Qiu Bai turned around to face the sea and explained.
"Twin gods?"
"Like you and Qiu Yue?"
Paimon scratched her head, looking at Qiu Bai's back with confusion.
"Hahaha, you could say that."
"In essence, Qiu Yue and I are indeed twin gods."
Qiu Bai turned around to face Paimon, explaining with a smile.
"These two sisters, one excelled in civil matters, the other in martial prowess."
"And Raiden Makoto perished in the calamity five hundred years ago."
Qiu Bai explained to the two of them.
"The calamity from five hundred years ago caused Ei to lose many people she cherished."
"Not being skilled in matters of governance, she misunderstood the meaning of eternity."
Qiu Bai paused, then continued.
"She believed that progress leads to loss."
"So rather than moving forward, she chose stagnation to prevent further loss. And since ambitions represent progress, this became the origin of the Vision Hunt Decree."
Qiu Bai explained slowly with his arms crossed.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Now you can read 30 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)