In the principal's office, Xia Zhi was seated at his desk, reading the book Detailed Explanations of Faith Power.
He had consulted his cousins, and it seemed they only used faith power for simple tasks like restoring divine energy or enhancing strength.
As for the Akasha, that required a Gnosis as a medium.
But the knowledge in this book was different—it taught how to use faith power for all sorts of creative applications.
The ingenuity of the ideas was truly eye-opening.
For example, even without a Gnosis, there were multiple ways to construct a new Akasha…
After reading it, Xia Zhi felt the book should really be titled The Self-Cultivation of an Excellent Deity.
Tonight, he had learned another interesting method for utilizing faith power.
After some thought, Xia Zhi closed the book.
After all, one couldn't just read—theory and practice had to go hand in hand.
He took a piece of jade from his inventory and used a carving knife to shape it into a slender staff-like form.
Then, following the method described in the book, he inscribed a circle of divine words onto it.
The staff was complete.
[Wand of Light]
Quality: Gold
Type: Weapon
Trait: Divine Blessing
Effect: Can wield the power of Light Element.
Hidden Effect: The purer the wielder's faith in light, the stronger the power they can wield.
Recyclable: 100 points.
Xia Zhi twirled it in his hand, feeling quite pleased.
The main appeal was its effect—it allowed an ordinary person to wield the power of the Light Element.
This was similar to how Visions in Teyvat allowed their wielders to harness the power of the seven elements.
But the two methods were likely not the same.
Visions had strict usage conditions; only the wielder could use them to harness elemental power. To anyone else, they were nothing more than useless stones.
This staff, however, had no such restrictions. Anyone could use it to wield the power of the Light Element, and if the user was a devout believer in light, the staff's effects would be further enhanced.
When Shenhe arrived, Xia Zhi handed it to her to test.
Shenhe took the beautiful staff, her curiosity piqued.
"How does it feel?"
"It seems… besides the power of the Cryo Element, I can sense another new elemental power."
"That's the power of the Light Element."
"How do I use it?"
"Just like you would with your Cryo Vision. In theory, all your Cryo skills can be replicated using the Light Element, though the effects may differ."
"Let me try."
Shenhe thought for a moment, then raised the staff and chanted:
"[Spring Spirit Summoning]."
This was one of Shenhe's signature combat techniques, which condensed frost and dew to repel all evil.
It granted her the [Icy Quill] effect, surrounding her with a ring of icy feathers that dealt damage to enemies with each attack.
But now, altered by the power of the Light Element, the technique had changed.
A brilliant light flashed before her eyes.
Shenhe found herself surrounded by a ring of soft, white light feathers.
She swung the staff forward, attempting an attack.
But the feathers didn't follow her movements.
Xia Zhi said softly, "The power within it is healing, not destructive."
"Healing?"
Shenhe paused, then seemed to understand.
She conjured a blade of ice with her fingertip and lightly drew it across the back of her hand.
A thin, red wound immediately appeared.
At the same time, one of the white light feathers floating around her drifted down, transforming into a gentle glow that merged into the back of her hand.
The freshly made wound healed instantly, leaving no trace.
"I see."
Shenhe's eyes lit up.
Xia Zhi watched this scene, deep in thought.
The healing power seemed stronger than he had anticipated.
Could it be because of Shenhe's faith in him?
---
After experimenting with using Cryo skills with the power of the Light Element a few times, Shenhe tried combining the power of her Vision with that of the staff.
A new elemental reaction occurred between the Cryo and Light Elements.
This reaction was somewhat similar to the [Swirl] reaction between Cryo and Anemo, where the effect could "spread" from one enemy to another, dealing slightly reduced damage.
Xia Zhi felt this mechanism resembled the reflection of light on ice and decided to call it [Reflection].
Like [Swirl], this was an elemental reaction that turned single-target attacks into area-of-effect attacks.
The difference was that [Swirl] "spread" elements other than Anemo, while [Reflection] "spread" the power of the Light Element itself.
Now, Shenhe could trigger elemental reactions on her own, which was quite fascinating.
But what was even more intriguing was the elemental reaction between Dendro and Light Elements.
Xia Zhi named it [Growth], as if light could make plants grow taller and more lush. With the addition of the Light Element, the [Bloom] reaction's "Dendro Cores" would grow significantly larger…
"If you like it, I'll give it to you."
"Okay."
"But it doesn't seem as convenient to carry as a Vision."
"That's fine. I can use it as a hairpin…"
Shenhe gathered her long hair into a bun and inserted the slender jade staff into it.
"See? It fits perfectly."
This hairstyle, often seen in anime for mature women, gave Shenhe an air of grace and elegance.
With her long hair no longer covering it, her slender neck appeared even more snow-white, like a sweet-smelling ice cream that made one want to savor it.
"Yes, it suits you well."
And that was that.
If anything, Shenhe had just unlocked a new style.
---
The next day, the Liyue Newspaper published a report on the grand school inauguration ceremony and announced the major news that the school would begin enrolling students over the next month.
To make it easier for people to sign up, Ningguang had set up teachers in various districts of Liyue to handle the process, with the Millelith maintaining order and spreading the word.
The atmosphere in Liyue City was once again buzzing with excitement.
"Mr. Xia, do you know how many children have enrolled today?"
"How many?"
"Two thousand six hundred."
"That's even more than yesterday… Are these children from out of town?"
"Exactly. Most of them are from nearby villages, and some have even come from as far as Qingce Village, Stone Gate, and Qiaoying Village."
"That's quite a distance. Even such remote places have heard the news… Miss Ningguang, has the Liyue Newspaper's reach become this extensive?"
"This isn't the Liyue Newspaper's doing. We have to thank Dr. Baizhu. A while ago, he went out of his way to provide free medical treatment, and while healing people along the way, he also spread the news about the school. With Dr. Baizhu's credibility backing it, they had no reservations."
"Is that so… No wonder Dr. Baizhu looked so exhausted during the Lantern Rite gathering. He must have been working tirelessly for this, yet he never mentioned it."
"Dr. Baizhu has always been a man of few words."
"But as the school's principal, I should still express my gratitude to him."
"What do you have in mind, Mr. Xia?"
"I'll invite him over for a meal in a couple of days. I'll prepare some good dishes… It's also a good opportunity to bid farewell to Miss Yelan and Xiao, who are about to set off to explore The Chasm."
---
At Yujing Terrace, Moon Carver and Mountain Shaper sat under a tree, gazing at the distant lights of the city.
"According to Yaoyao, Mr. Xia is planning to host another dinner."
"It's for Dr. Baizhu, as well as Miss Yelan and Xiao."
"Are we going?"
Mountain Shaper turned to look at him as if he were an idiot.
"What do you think?"
"But Mr. Xia didn't invite us."
"Of course he did! He had Yaoyao come back and tell us about it. Isn't that an invitation?"
"True."
"The more, the merrier."
"Exactly."
"Do you think there'll be [Gods' Temptation] again?"
"Hard to say."
The two Adepti smacked their lips, both feeling a bit of anticipation.