Fu Ning gathered his strength and blocked Lumine's sword, then his figure slowly descended onto the Qunyu Pavilion.
Fu Ning's sudden appearance aroused intense vigilance among everyone present.
"Fu Ning…w-What… what do you want?!" Ningguang took a half-step back, her voice trembling in shock.
The Adepti also glared at Fu Ning with wariness and hostility, divine light flickering around them.
Fu Ning turned toward Ningguang. "Although there have been… some unpleasant incidents between us, I recognize your resolve."
"I will help you kill Osial. Now, return to Liyue."
"Domain Talent—Sequence Six!"
A vast domain unfurled, enveloping the entire Qunyu Pavilion. Under Fu Ning's control, the floating pavilion slowly began flying toward Liyue Harbor.
Fu Ning lowered his gaze and stared at Osial.
Osial's writhing, tentacle-like appendages lashed toward him.
Fu Ning ignored them and struck with a casual punch.
In an instant, as though the world had shifted, Osial's massive body was crushed in place. The sheer force of Fu Ning's blow shattered even the ocean beneath, leaving a yawning void in the sea.
Osial's true form was revealed.
"Offensive Talent—Sequence Eight!"
Fu Ning raised his left hand, and thick black mist surged out, engulfing Osial.
In the blink of an eye, the black fog swallowed the giant creature whole.
Everyone aboard the Qunyu Pavilion watched in stunned silence.
What terrifying black fog… such a pungent scent of death!
Even a touch might instantly corrode the body!
Paimon trembled. "Th-The Dark Demon… he's terrifying…"
"How is he so strong? He defeated Osial with just one punch…"
The black fog faded slowly, leaving behind no sound or trace.
Except…
Osial's enormous body had vanished.
"It's done."
Fu Ning looked down at the glowing water core in his hand. It was what remained of Osial—a condensed mass of pure elemental energy.
It wasn't accurate to call it a corpse. More precisely, it was the crystallized essence of Osial's being.
Elemental Talent—Sequence Nine: Water seemed particularly eager to consume this power.
Unfortunately, Fu Ning no longer relied on the power of water. His strength now stemmed from the twelve supreme talents and the Black Hole Staff.
The water core… he would leave it to Fu Fu.
"Alright," Fu Ning muttered as he arrived at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. "The farce in Liyue is over. Tell me everything about the Fontaine prophecy, Morax."
Zhongli nodded. "The contract is complete. I will tell you what I know of Fontaine's prophecy. However, I must warn you—I know far more about the previous Hydro Archon, Egolia. Prepare yourself."
"The prophecy of Fontaine can be traced back to Egolia, the Hydro Archon before Focalors."
"Egolia, like me, was one of the original Seven who ruled the mortal world. She died during the cataclysm that involved Khaenri'ah."
"She was a kind, yet sinful god. She was the source of life for the gods' creation—a being tied to the heart of the primordial Fetal Sea."
Later, the people of Fontaine prayed for a god to guide them. Egolia ascended as the Hydro Archon in response to that plea.
Fu Ning nodded. "I'm listening. Continue."
He already understood that the god Zhongli referred to was one tied to the Heavenly Principles.
"Egolia and I… we were good friends, once."
"But because she stole the power of the primordial Fetal Sea and committed an unknown transgression, she incurred the wrath of the heavens."
"The gods issued divine punishment, and she was imprisoned for centuries."
"As far as I know, that was when the prophecy began to circulate in Fontaine."
"Without a Hydro Archon, Fontaine fell into chaos again."
"The heavens had no choice but to release Egolia to quell the turmoil."
"Following her return, the people of Fontaine slowly regained stability."
"Egolia understood… that the laws of nature could not be defied," Zhongli said, glancing at Fu Ning meaningfully.
A descender, someone fated to challenge those very laws, falling for the successor of a god who bowed to them… It was a cruel irony.
Zhongli didn't linger on the thought. "Egolia used her temporary freedom to reflect on the prophecy."
"But before she could find a way to unravel it, time ran out."
"The Khaenri'ah War broke out, and she perished."
Zhongli's tone softened. The memory of that calamity was still raw.
"Before her death, Egolia passed the mantle to her successor—Fontaine's current Hydro Archon, Focalors. Your… girlfriend, Funinna."
"It is said that the people of Fontaine are born with sin. Looking at Egolia and Focalors' choices… I fear the prophecy may indeed be true."
"Focalors has likely struggled with the prophecy for a long time. I believe she sent you to find me because she seeks answers as well."
Zhongli sipped his tea in silence.
"But alas, I am the Geo Archon of Liyue. My knowledge of Fontaine's prophecy is limited. You must go to Fontaine yourself."
He sighed deeply, eyes distant. "I want to buy osmanthus wine and carry it beneath the moon, but it no longer feels like the days of my youth…"
"A pity. Old friend… when will we meet again?"
Fu Ning stood there, sorrow and fury churning in his heart.
"So Fu Fu's suffering… was because of Egolia."
"No… it wasn't."
"It was justice, wasn't it?" Fu Ning asked, looking at Zhongli. His tone was calm, but beneath it simmered murderous resolve.
Zhongli hesitated. "What are you planning to do?"
Fu Ning replied evenly, "I will reach Celestia. Sooner or later."
"Sooner or later…"
"No one is born with sin. No one should be born with sin."
"Where does sin come from? It comes from the greed of others… from worldly shackles… from helpless submission."
"But I will not bow to greed. I am not of this world—and I am not powerless."
"I am the Descender. I am the Fifth Descender. At my peak… I can shatter the Heavenly Laws."
Fu Ning's voice rose as his fury built. "Heavenly law is invincible? That's just what Egolia believed! And she passed that delusion to Fu Fu. How ridiculous!"
"If she were alive, I would show her—there is nothing in this world that cannot be overcome!"
"Not even…"
Fu Ning abruptly fell silent.
He had once defeated ultimate evil itself. Compared to that, what was justice?
He didn't say any of this aloud.
But his gaze sharpened.
"If the laws of nature claim that the people of Fontaine—and my Fu Fu—are guilty…"
"Then I will ascend to Celestia… and erase that sin with my own hands."
***
Inside the Northland Bank, Fu Ning, Zhongli, Tartaglia, and La Signora were engaged in a tense discussion.
Tartaglia scowled, clearly dissatisfied. "You're really calling this a 'cooperation between Harbingers'? Cooperation should at least involve sharing information…"
La Signora shot him a cold glance, her voice dripping with disdain. "Oh, please, spare me, Childe. In the end, you bypassed all proper negotiations and stormed ahead with brute force. Isn't that exactly your style? It suits you perfectly."
"Besides… we're discussing matters between Snezhnaya and Liyue, and Fontaine's highest authority. It's not your place to interfere."
La Signora turned her head away, scoffing coldly.
Zhongli stepped in, attempting to ease the tension. "Mr. Fu Ning and I have signed a contract. Regardless of how this play concludes, Mr. Fu Ning is entitled to witness it in full."
Signora ignored him and looked toward the door.
"…By the way, it seems someone you know has arrived."
The group turned to see Lumine and Paimon enter the Northland Bank.
"Hey! It's Fu Ning, Zhongli, and Childe! And… you! You're one of the Fatui Harbingers!" Paimon pointed accusingly at Signora, her tone filled with alarm.
Lumine immediately became alert, bracing for anything suspicious.
Fu Ning stepped forward. "It seems you've had bad experiences with Signora. Don't worry—while I'm here, she won't dare act out."
Signora frowned. She really didn't appreciate Fu Ning's patronizing attitude.
Unfortunately for her, Fu Ning's power was overwhelming. She wouldn't risk provoking him. After all, Fu Ning was rumored to have felled Osial with a single blow…
Ignoring Fu Ning, Signora turned her attention to Lumine and Paimon. "Ah… we met in the City of Bards, didn't we? I see you still remember my name. I'm flattered. But of course, it's hard to forget the feeling of standing by helplessly… as something precious to your friends is torn away before your eyes."
Lumine kept her composure, realizing that clashing with a Harbinger here would be unwise.
Tartaglia gave a half-hearted wave. "Hey, long time no see. Since the whole… thing happened. It's kind of awkward, huh."
Paimon's expression soured. Her good impression of Tartaglia had clearly evaporated. "Hmph! I never should've trusted you, knowing you were one of the Fatui's top brass!"
Tartaglia laughed awkwardly. "Haha… I may have misled you a little back then, but I had no ill intentions toward the Traveler."
"Besides, aside from that unfortunate falling out at the end, wasn't our cooperation going pretty well?"
"Anyway, Osial's already been taken care of by Mr. Fu Ning, and Liyue's people didn't suffer too badly…"
"Honestly, it was Mr. Zhongli and Ms. Signora who deceived me the worst…" Tartaglia sighed dramatically, rubbing his temple.
Lumine blinked, confused. "Zhongli… deceived you?"
Fu Ning shrugged. "I warned you, didn't I? The Geo Archon might be somewhere out there… silently watching all of this."
"See? You didn't believe me. And now, you've been fooled."
He turned to Zhongli. "This man right here—is the Geo Archon."
"EH?! Zhongli is the Geo Archon?!" Lumine and Paimon shouted in unison, stunned.
Signora stepped forward, her expression sharpening. "As per our contract, the Gnosis must now be handed over."
Fu Ning interjected, his brow furrowed. "What kind of contract would make the Geo Archon willingly hand over his Gnosis…?"
Although he had never seen a Gnosis before, the name alone made it sound like an artifact of profound importance.
"I'll explain it to you later," Zhongli replied, before turning back to Signora. "Our agreement has been fulfilled. As promised, I will now give you what I owe."
A radiant, golden object—Zhongli's Geo Gnosis—manifested in his hand.
It was the first time Fu Ning had laid eyes on a Gnosis.
"I wonder… what would Fu Fu's Gnosis look like?" Fu Ning mused quietly.
Zhongli finally spoke. "This was an agreement made between myself and Her Majesty the Tsaritsa."
"As you know, I have dwelled in this world for six thousand years. With the Adepti, I helped establish Liyue. Its history stretches back 3,700 years."
"Yet even rock, which the sea cannot shatter, will erode beneath the passage of time. I kept telling myself the day of its decline had not yet come."
Fu Ning looked at Zhongli blankly. The problem of erosion had long since been solved—by him.
Zhongli noticed the look and gave a faint twitch of his mouth, but continued undeterred.
"One rainy day, I passed through the harbor and overheard a merchant praising his subordinate: 'You've completed your duty. Now, go and rest.'"
"…And in that moment, I found myself standing still among the crowd, asking: Have I fulfilled my duty?"
"But as I began to contemplate abdication, I realized that I could not simply walk away. Too many reasons bound me here."
"Liyue, the land of the gods… Was it truly ready to enter a new era without me? I needed to see for myself."
"And so I orchestrated this false death, to drag the Adepti and the Qixing into this final test of Liyue's strength."
"As for Mr. Fu Ning… he was merely an unexpected variable."
"Old man, you should've just said you wanted to retire." Fu Ning snickered.
"To be honest, I don't entirely agree with your outlook. But I do respect your resolve."
"That said, let me give you a word of advice: Can a land without gods really stand against one with them?"
Zhongli narrowed his eyes. Was that a reference to Khaenri'ah?
He shook his head slowly. "Your desire for battle no longer suits the world we live in."
Fu Ning sighed. "Maybe. I'm only speaking as a fellow god. I have no interest in philosophical debates."
"Still… even if I did end up stealing Osial's head, it seems Liyue has come out of this ordeal with a renewed spirit and energy."
Zhongli nodded. "Indeed. The outcome of this crisis… exceeded even my expectations."