He appeared to be a bright and cheerful young man, his face carrying a trace of an unshakable smile.
"Lord Sea Gazer! You finally came! Quick, call Zhongli and Ryen! This woman wants to fight us! Let Ryen avenge me!"
Paimon waved her tiny hands energetically at Sea Gazer.
Although only one adeptus had arrived, even that was enough — if Ei still insisted on attacking now, it would become a grave matter.
Doing so would be a blatant provocation against Liyue — practically a declaration of war between gods.
Sea Gazer secretly exchanged a glance with Lumine and the others, then turned toward the stunned Ei and spoke in a deep voice:
"Your Excellency Baal—this is Liyue's territory. You have attacked our guests within Liyue's borders. Tell me, how do you expect the Geo Archon to respond to this?"
Ei froze. Something in his words made her tremble, and for a long while, she couldn't say a single word.
Sea Gazer was puzzled, but he kept his tone stern:
"Withdraw at once. Otherwise, if the Lord of Geo himself intervenes, things will become far more complicated."
That finally snapped Ei out of her daze. Her gaze turned sharp and urgent as she stared at Sea Gazer.
"You… weren't you supposed to have fallen in the ancient era?"
"Why… why…?"
"You've been resurrected! Liyue has resurrected you! You people have a way to bring someone back to life!"
"Don't you?! Tell me—am I right?!"
Ei's emotions surged uncontrollably. Divine power flared from her body without restraint, affecting the surrounding sky.
Thunderclouds began to gather—crackling, ready to strike.
Sea Gazer frowned slightly.
"Your Excellency Baal, using divine power within Liyue's borders violates the Covenant of the Seven."
The Covenant of the Seven?
Now wasn't the time to talk about that! Ei's mind was spinning.
Breaking a divine treaty could wait—what mattered now was how Sea Gazer had been resurrected!
If she could find that answer, she would gladly accept any punishment Zhongli deemed fit—even the Punishment of Stone and Earth.
Taking a deep breath, Ei forced herself to calm down, suppressing her divine power. Her tone turned heavy but composed:
"Lord Sea Gazer, if I have broken the contract, I will personally give Morax an explanation."
"But now, please tell me—how did you come back to life?"
Sea Gazer was momentarily stunned. He exchanged a quick glance with Lumine.
Seeing Lumine shake her head slightly, Sea Gazer coughed awkwardly and replied,
"This matter concerns Liyue's most guarded secrets. I cannot reveal it."
But his subtle movements did not escape Ei's sharp eyes.
It was related… to Lumine?!
Ei instantly turned her head toward her, her tone urgent:
"You—how did you do it?"
Lumine crossed her arms and pouted.
"Oh? You were trying to kill me just now, and now you're begging me for help? Hmph! I'm not that easy to talk to!"
After being hunted and chased for so long, Lumine was still full of resentment. There was no way she would reveal something as confidential as this.
She intended to let Ei stew in her own anxiety for a while.
Ei stared at Lumine deeply. After a long silence, her tone softened:
"If this is because of what happened just now, I can apologize."
"But resurrection… it means everything to me. If you're willing to help, I will grant you anything within Inazuma's power."
Lumine couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. It seemed that Ei's obsession with resurrection was extraordinarily intense.
But the more obsessed she was, the more Lumine wanted to toy with her.
This was the Traveler's revenge!
It wasn't enough just to get bullied—she had to torment Ei's heart!
With a soft hum, Lumine lifted her head and said:
"If I just tell you now, won't that make me lose face?"
"Besides, I'm not really interested in Inazuma anyway!"
She snorted proudly, guiding the dragon to leisurely fly toward Liyue Harbor.
Flying boldly right past Ei, Lumine felt a thrill. But Ei no longer dared to act against her.
Ei had no clue about Lumine's connection to the secret of resurrection. Any rash move now could completely ruin the chance of resurrection.
Watching the six dragons fly into the distance, Ei felt uncertain and conflicted.
She wanted to follow and talk things over, but…
The Covenant of the Seven pressed down on her like a mountain.
She had already unleashed divine power on Liyue's soil and struck at others. If she acted further in front of the adepti, Morax himself might intervene immediately. Everything could end in vain.
Moreover, Raiden's consciousness was beginning to resist her. In the Shogun's eyes, her current actions already counted as "destroying eternity."
But resurrection…
Ei's expression darkened with a touch of melancholy.
"Makotoobu…"
Lumine opened her mouth but paused, helplessly watching Ei.
Ei sighed softly, turning her head slightly to transmit a message to Lumine:
"The little one is still angry. I'll talk to her and sort things out. You go back and settle Inazuma first. You don't want Makoto to return to handle this mess, do you?"
Hearing this, Ei fell silent.
Thinking of the consequences if Makoto returned to see Inazuma like this…
Though Ei's sister was gentle, when it came to principles… Makoto wouldn't hesitate to severely reprimand her.
Ei knew she might be stronger than Makoto, but if her sister struck, could she really resist?
Her mind was in turmoil, consumed with thoughts of resurrection.
As Lumine's figure began to disappear from view, Ei hurriedly sent a final message:
"Miko… you… will come back, right?"
Miko's lips curled into a slight smile:
"What are you talking about? Inazuma is my home."
With Miko's promise, Ei finally exhaled in relief.
After a brief silence, she quietly departed.
The Shogun's rebellion was growing more severe, and Ei needed to return quickly to make adjustments.
And…
Resurrection was like a thirsty traveler stumbling upon a green oasis in the desert.
Ei felt both anxious and hopeful, lost in conflicting emotions.
Flying over Inazuma once more, she surveyed the land below.
The people were suffering…
A wave of guilt washed over Ei.
~~----------------------
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