While Baiwen managed the shifting tides of public opinion in Liyue Harbor and Ryen watched the recorded footage of sovereign dismay with his household, quiet melancholy lingered over the allied encampments across the threshold.
Baiwen fretted over the administrative ripples of the post-war bulletin.
The families of Liyue Harbor worried over when their soldier kin would return on leave.
The Tsaritsa sat alone in her outpost, brooding over the tangled romances of her inner court.
Within the adjacent Liyue compound, an equally thick gloom weighed upon the hearts of the illuminated adepti.
The root of their distress was the newly unveiled Genshin Impact module, specifically the world bosses designated as Morax and Azhdaha.
Azhdaha was manageable enough. Revered as the Dragon King was among the mountains, he was not their sovereign god. Moreover, the adepti had marched against Azhdaha during the ancient war of his sealing centuries ago.
Zhongli, however, was an entirely different matter.
Lifting a weapon against their own lord was an act none of them could bear to contemplate. The mere thought felt unnatural, an impossible line they had never dared cross.
Even if the entity was merely a geometric voxel construct assembled from blocks, it still bore the sacred name of Morax.
In the minds of the adepti, that creature was the Rex Lapis of the block world, and Rex Lapis demanded absolute veneration.
Striking their sovereign was the ultimate inversion of heaven and earth.
Yet to develop the module and harvest its divine bounties, that boss had to be slain.
Furthermore, Liyue had to be the one to strike the blow. Allowing another nation to execute the image of Morax would be a direct slap across their sovereign's face.
Trapped in that agonizing contradiction, Xiao and the mountain guardians sat with knitted brows, letting out quiet, helpless sighs.
Zhongli saw straight through their turmoil. Choosing not to press the matter of the boss encounters immediately, he retrieved his notebook, opened the vellum pages, and spoke in a steady, measured cadence.
"Regarding the Genshin Impact module..."
Hearing their lord speak, the adepti set aside their brooding thoughts and fixed their eyes upon him in attentive silence.
"In the immediate term, we lack the logistical freedom to initiate broad developmental operations. Our foremost priority remains the municipal repairs of Redstone Tech City."
"Additionally, we must organize expeditions into the Nether to harvest Wither Skeleton Skulls, as five hundred and thirty-two warriors still await restoration."
"We must gather sufficient points within thirty days to resurrect every fallen soldier without delay."
The adepti nodded in unified agreement. Restoring their fallen brothers was an absolute, non-negotiable priority.
Liyue held extensive experience in navigating the Nether, possessing seasoned tactics for farming wither skeletons and containing wither storm anomalies. Such operations presented little tactical difficulty.
"Following that will come the structural restoration of the metropolis and the replenishment of our strategic reserves."
"While we will not mount dedicated expeditions for the Genshin Impact module just yet, normal resource extraction will inevitably yield a steady trickle of its materials."
"Keep a sharp watch for rare reagents during your rotations, particularly Genesis Crystals and Intertwined Fates."
At the mention of Genesis Crystals, Zhongli's brow furrowed slightly, his golden eyes drifting into deep contemplation.
In truth, he knew what Genesis Crystals were.
Unlike Albedo, whose understanding was drawn from scholarly theories, Zhongli had laid his own eyes upon them in ancient eras.
Those relics rested in the hands of the Heavenly Principles.
Before the outbreak of the Archon War, the gods who walked the plains of Teyvat experienced occasional disputes, yet peaceful coexistence was never impossible.
Many among them shared warm, neighborly bonds.
Though diverse in temperament and origin, every true god shared a singular, foundational trait: a profound, unconditional love for humanity.
Every divine policy and celestial wonder they erected had been conceived to grant mortals a more prosperous existence.
Certain gods had strayed in their execution, such as Decarabian, the God of Blizzards who ruled Old Mondstadt as a tyrant. Yet Decarabian had genuinely believed that sealing his people within towering walls of roaring wind was the supreme method to shield them from the bitter frost.
His fierce devotion toward mortal life had burned no less brightly than Barbatos's own.
Under normal circumstances, there was zero inherent reason for the gods to butcher one another until a lone victor stood upon mountains of corpses.
Then the Second Throne of the Heavens descended.
The Heavenly Principles summoned every divine being across the continent, handing down an unyielding decree: the gods of every region were to wage total war until seven sovereign Archons remained to claim the seats.
Yet what genuine allure did a sovereign seat hold for an immortal god?
What vital purpose could a Gnosis serve to beings who already commanded boundless authority?
The ancient gods of Liyue had commanded strength rivaling Zhongli himself. A Gnosis offered zero enhancement to his fundamental power, carrying no practical temptation. How could such a bauble hold absolute value for his peers?
The war was ignited because the Heavenly Principles directly manipulated the underlying laws of Teyvat.
From that moment onward, the continent was forcibly steered into an era of inescapable, divine slaughter.
The distortion of worldly principles slowly twisted the minds of the gods, sparking the horrifying meat grinder of the Archon War.
Zhongli had observed the turning of those gears, having once caught a fleeting glimpse of the catalyst.
The Heavenly Principles had rewritten the laws of Teyvat using Genesis Crystals.
Whether Albedo's assertion that Genesis Crystals were the foundational bedrock of world creation held complete truth was something Zhongli could not verify.
Yet he knew with absolute certainty that Genesis Crystals possessed the power to rewrite worldly laws from their very roots.
Even the subsequent manifestation of Gnoses and the covenants binding the Seven Archons had been defined through the resonance of Genesis Crystals.
It was a secret Zhongli had never spoken aloud, intending to take it to the grave.
Such relics were exceedingly scarce, and whatever fragments existed remained locked within Celestia's grasp.
Now, the Genshin Impact module offered a boundless supply of them.
An inexplicable intuition told Zhongli that these crystals might provide the cleanest path to resolving the crisis of Celestia: sealing the throne without bringing ruin upon the world.
Testing that theory, however, required holding the crystals in his palm.
As for Intertwined Fates, Zhongli knew they were relics woven from trajectories of destiny, though their exact functions remained obscure.
Regardless, among the materials introduced by the module, Genesis Crystals held the highest strategic priority.
Seeing Zhongli lost in thought, Xiao assumed his lord was agonizing over the execution of Boss Morax.
Xiao pressed his lips together, asking in a low, cautious tone, "My Lord... must we truly strike down that boss entity?"
Snapping out of his reverie, Zhongli gave a firm, unhesitating nod.
"It is mandatory. The tactical significance of the Genshin Impact module is too great to ignore, and we must master its systems at the earliest opportunity."
"Yet..." Mountain Shaper hesitated, shifting his feathers with clear discomfort.
"Do not torment yourselves over it; I shall take the field alongside you," Zhongli replied gently, shaking his head.
"Ryen spoke with sound reasoning. The Genshin Impact module is unlike foreign frameworks; each nation ought to oversee its own sovereign encounters."
"Were we to hunt Boss Barbatos while Venti led a division to strike down Boss Morax, Venti and I would mind very little, but I doubt our people would accept it so easily."
Zhongli looked toward his guardians, and the adepti quickly averted their eyes with guilty expressions.
If Zhongli took the lead, following his spear into the arena was something they could endure.
Watching a foreign army march into Liyue's territory to execute their lord's likeness, however, would feel like an intolerable disgrace.
The Genshin Impact module was deeply personal, forcing everyone to evaluate its mechanics through national pride.
A flicker of dry resentment crossed Zhongli's thoughts. Ryen had undoubtedly prepared this module weeks in advance.
The strange prickle of cold malice Zhongli had felt after the initial cataclysm was clearly Ryen scheming behind his back.
To extract a few moments of petty amusement, that man commanded boundless, terrifying perseverance.
If only he directed such dedication toward productive labor!
Knowing his troublesome friend, Ryen had almost certainly recorded every second of the meeting.
When the hour came for Zhongli to raise his polearm against Boss Morax, Ryen would undoubtedly arrive with a camera resting on his shoulder, filming every stroke for posterity.
The mere thought made Zhongli's jaw tighten.
His evaluation of Ryen shifted from a reliable, peerless companion to a dependable ally whose core was thoroughly rotten with mischief.
He could only pray that Ryen would refrain from broadcasting the footage across the city, or the dignity of Rex Lapis would be reduced to ash.
Still, that voxel monster was merely an imitation, a comforting thought that allowed him to swallow his pride.
Letting out a soft sigh, Zhongli spoke with calm resolve.
"Set your minds at ease."
"The creature is a monster, while I stand before you in living flesh. The distinction is clear."
"Consider the entity an insolent imposter who has stolen my name and divine title."
Framing it in such terms allowed Xiao and the adepti to breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Impersonating Rex Lapis was supreme blasphemy, transforming the boss from their lord into an enemy that deserved total eradication.
With Zhongli personally leading the strike, their moral dilemma resolved into righteous duty.
"There is no need to rush, however," Zhongli continued, waving a dismissing hand.
"Challenging world bosses will become practical only after the module's baseline infrastructure is established."
"At present, our forces are entirely occupied with recovery, meaning boss encounters must wait."
"Our priority remains executing the municipal reconstruction phases according to Ryen's schedule."
"Furthermore, the precise coordinates of these world bosses remain uncharted, likely resting deep within unexplored sectors of the New Continent."
"We shall proceed step by step."
Seeing that the tactical overview was complete, Zhongli prepared to end the briefing.
"You have all endured immense strain over these past weeks, especially Xiao, whose repeated sacrifices during the final days placed heavy psychological burdens upon his spirit."
"We conclude our gathering here. Return to your quarters, rest well, and clear your minds. Tomorrow, we shall inspect the lines and review whatever tasks Ryen requires."
The adepti bowed respectfully, preparing to disperse.
Before anyone could step through the doorway, Keqing's crisp voice cut through the hall.
"Lord Morax, regarding the municipal server parameters for Redstone Tech City, shouldn't we draft an official framework tonight?"
Zhongli froze, turning to find the Yuheng standing tall with bright, indefatigable energy glowing in her eyes.
A helpless, bitter smile formed in his heart.
The Yuheng was undeniably capable, but her addiction to overtime was terrifying!
Worse still, she had an incurable habit of dragging everyone into her late-night working sessions.
The cataclysm had barely concluded, and before anyone could draw a restful breath, she was already demanding they dive into administrative planning.
It was entirely too relentless.
Besides, he was a retired Archon!
Drafting municipal server rules fell primarily under Ningguang's purview; his role as administrator was merely to provide checks and balances.
Even if they debated through the night, he could not enact parameters unilaterally.
Furthermore, Liyue belonged to the era of human rule. The laws established by Ningguang and the Qixing were far more suited to modern governance than ancient adeptal edicts.
Most critically, Zhongli desperately wished to sleep.
Forty-nine continuous days of relentless tactical command had worn down even his ancient divine endurance.
Being dragged into an all-night bureaucratic workshop by Keqing would shave years off his life.
Could an ordinary mortal truly survive the Yuheng's working pace?
Gathering his composure, Zhongli offered a calm, measured reply.
"The server parameters must ultimately be proposed by Ningguang, requiring a formal joint assembly attended by all three administrators."
"Redstone Tech City is not an autocracy."
"Overtime tonight serves little practical purpose. We shall deliberate tomorrow; there is no need for haste."
Seeing Keqing prepare to raise another point, Zhongli quickly cut in.
"Our session concludes for tonight. Lady Yuheng, you should retire early as well; every person here has worked tirelessly."
"A rested mind is the prerequisite for sharp labor tomorrow."
His logic was airtight, leaving Keqing no room to argue as she pressed her lips together and nodded in concession.
Seeing that he had successfully deflected the threat of overtime, Zhongli offered a swift farewell and hurried his party out of the hall, vanishing into the night before she could change her mind.