Guizhong's energy had completely revived.
The bright, mischievous young goddess seemed to have burst back into the world all at once.
"I kept feeling something was odd. According to you two, redstone technology is miraculous, limitless.
So why is everything you've built just weapons?"
Her eyes sparkled.
"So that's why, it's because Ryen is academically lopsided! No wonder your redstone results are all explosions!"
She folded her arms triumphantly.
"Hmph! I knew I was essential. Without my supreme, ageless, genius-level brilliance, you'd never produce anything impressive!"
Cloud Retainer and Pingzi exchanged a weary glance.
Guizhong's moods rose and fell like spring rain, quick to arrive, quick to pass.
Still, seeing her lively again was a relief.
Then, Guizhong blinked and abruptly steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Speaking of which… what do you think of Ryen? What kind of person is he?"
Pingzi pressed her lips together in a small smile.
"Ryen… is a very unusual man."
"In the MC world, he resembles the Emperor of bygone days, organizing everything, planning with precision, leading us through dangers we could not survive alone."
"That world is exceptionally dangerous. Even we, as immortals, suffer severe reductions in strength once we enter it."
"It was only because Ryen maintained careful preparation and strategy that we obtained the greatest gains with the smallest cost."
"Without him, our current level of development would have taken much longer, perhaps with heavy casualties along the way."
"He is the anchor of that world. As long as he is present, we can explore safely, without fear."
"Even when the enemy seems overwhelming, Ryen can always isolate their weaknesses, produce a strategy, and eliminate them with ease."
"The Twilight Forest, the Wither Storm, the Ender Dragon, those were all overwhelmed because he led the operations."
She sighed softly.
"It's embarrassing, truly. We said we would help him explore, but in the end we merely provided manpower.
All the true problem-solving was done by him."
Guizhong nodded thoughtfully.
"So… another Morax-type personality? But he doesn't seem stiff like Morax. He looks easy to talk to, and even a bit childish."
Pingzi spread her hands.
"That's why I said he's strange."
"He dominates the MC world like a stabilizing divine pillar, yet the moment he returns to Teyvat, he becomes a lazy child."
"No thoughts. No plans. Just sprawls around enjoying life."
"Not quite a social parasite, but… not very far from one. Ganyu and Ningguang dote on him constantly."
Guizhong's eyes glittered with curiosity.
"So he really knows how to enjoy life. And little Ganyu has grown into such a graceful young woman…
And Ningguang too… Ryen is certainly living comfortably."
Cloud Retainer nodded.
"We think it may be because the MC world carries constant danger. When we enter, Ryen feels responsible for leading us."
"So he must protect us at all costs. Overall, he is reliable, and highly responsible."
"He only becomes a rascal in Teyvat."
"Perhaps simply because nothing here can threaten him, so he doesn't bother using his brain."
Guizhong leaned forward.
"And he is really that strong?"
This time, both immortals nodded instantly.
"Strong. Extremely strong. Zhongli is not even a match for a single exchange."
"How to describe it…"
Pingzi looked toward the sky, searching for comparison.
"If all the Archons on Celestia stood together, including the Heavenly Principles, Ryen could still punch them to death."
"His physical power is at the absolute limit. If someone told me he could shatter Teyvat with one punch, I would believe it."
"He possesses no elemental power, only pure physical strength, pure destructive force.
And that is precisely why we do not want him fighting the Heavenly Principles unless absolutely necessary."
"He can kill, not seal. If he kills the Heavenly Principles outright, Teyvat itself may collapse."
The topic of Ryen's strength was inexhaustible.
"Ryen carries a void-cutting blade that manipulates space itself, an artifact from his world."
"And like your staff, he has his own: a master-level ice staff, the Everfrost Scepter."
"And another staff that governs time."
Guizhong frowned, taken aback for the first time.
"Power of space and power of time… terrifying. All of that comes from that world?"
Pingzi and Cloud Retainer nodded.
Guizhong lifted her own staff.
"And mine? Does this staff also possess something similar?"
Pingzi laughed.
"That's from an entirely different mod. Time-based spells are exceedingly rare, even within that mod."
"And yours is an Advanced-tier staff. Ryen's is Master-tier.
In all our exploration, only he and Lisa have obtained master-level staves."
"You'll be able to upgrade yours in the future once new modules are unlocked."
Guizhong puffed her cheeks in indignation.
"If I had known, I would have asked for a master-level staff as compensation!"
Cloud Retainer and Pingzi shook their heads, half amused, half helpless.
"Advanced-tier is already exceptional. Besides, Ryen has already given you plenty."
Pingzi tapped Guizhong's staff lightly.
"This staff contains a spell called Lich Bastion, it forcibly negates any attack five times."
"And besides, Ryen gave you seven or eight Totems of Undying."
"That's seven or eight extra lives. Any fatal blow will trigger a totem, and once it activates, your state instantly returns to its peak."
"It purges all negative effects, including erosion.
In fact, when Azhdaha's erosion was removed, it was because Zhongli hung a totem on him.
Only after killing him with that protection did the erosion disappear."
Guizhong curled her lips, muttering:
"I know, I know, I owe him a massive favor! You don't need to remind me so insistently.
Whose side are you two on, mine or Ryen's?"
After grumbling, she fell quiet for a moment and then whispered:
"I'll repay him. Does he… like anything in particular?"
"Ryen's preferences?"
Pingzi and Cloud Retainer exchanged a glance.
"Elemental power."
"???"
Guizhong stared blankly.
"But didn't you say he's absurdly strong, with weapons that use space and time?"
Cloud Retainer spread her hands.
"That's why we told you he's strange."
"He has such bizarre abilities, such overwhelming strength, yet what he loves most is elemental flair."
"He adores flashy attacks. In his words:
A skill without special effects is dull and lifeless."
"The Cryo Archon gave him seven Delusions, and Zhongli's Gnosis is also in his hands."
"But whenever he uses elemental power, the abilities he creates are always gorgeous, dazzling… and pitifully weak."
"For every ten parts of elemental energy he channels, Ryen spends nine parts on visual effects."
"He chases beauty, not practicality. Even if it hits like a feather, as long as it looks cool, he's satisfied."
Pingzi couldn't help adding:
"He even went beyond the Dark Sea to catch a loose demon god just to use it as a living battery for recharging Delusions."
"So now, in Guyun Stone Forest, there's a demon god imprisoned solely for being drained every day to manufacture Delusions."
Guizhong's mouth opened slightly. After a long pause, she whispered:
"So… he holds the strength to destroy everything, yet his priority is whether his skills look pretty?"
Both immortals nodded solemnly.
"He said himself: he doesn't care whether elemental powers can be strong. He only cares whether they look stylish."
"Besides, unless it's inside that other world, any enemy here is just 'one punch' to him…"
"I suppose this is a quirk only someone at the peak of existence would have. Even if it's hard to comprehend."
Guizhong pressed her fingers against her forehead.
"This is…"
"Too bizarre?" Cloud Retainer offered gently.
But Guizhong suddenly brightened, eyes sparkling.
"This is exactly my style!"
"???"
She lifted her chin proudly.
"Isn't this how things should be? Who cares about raw power, what matters is whether the skill looks good!"
"Strength changes over time, but aesthetics? A beautiful technique is eternal!"
"I always thought Morax's Planet Befall was too plain!"
"It should be, "
Cloud Retainer sighed softly and continued the sentence for her:
"A meteor cascade wrapped in radiant golden trails, exploding on impact into countless shimmering celestial flares…
Preferably with an enormous, complex, yet mostly useless divine sigil hanging in the sky?"
Guizhong's eyes flashed with delight.
"Exactly! Yes yes yes! Cloud Retainer, I didn't know you liked this too!"
"…"
Cloud Retainer looked at her with an expression between pride and resignation.
"That was Ryen's opinion.
You two truly are kindred spirits…"
Guizhong giggled.
"So it was Ryen's idea? That man really suits my taste!"
"Tomorrow I'll give him a Divine Crystal.
I want to see if he can use my power to invent even more beautiful attack effects!"
"I never expected his artistic sensibilities to be this refined!"
Pingzi rubbed her temple helplessly.
"Now I understand why you, despite being a top-tier demon god, were sometimes weaker than advanced ones."
Guizhong snorted.
"You think I wanted the Dust Authority? It's so drab!
I spent ages trying to design attacks that looked pretty!"
"How else could I match my image as an ageless, invincible beauty?"
Cloud Retainer exhaled deeply.
"You and Ryen truly can talk about aesthetics… in every sense."
"Hehe, I think so too!"
Pingzi, however, looked more worried.
"Guizhong… Ryen is a good man, but not a suitable partner."
"He has far too many women, and he never refuses anyone. Do you understand what that means?"
Guizhong froze, then flushed and protested:
"Don't drag me into your matchmaking nonsense! I'm not thinking about that!"
She promptly hugged Pingzi tightly, rubbing her cheek against hers.
"I have Ping'er already! I don't need men!"
Pingzi pressed her lips together.
She didn't argue further, but deep inside, she felt uneasy.
Guizhong said that now.
But…
Pingzi had a faint, persistent sense that the future would not unfold as simply as Guizhong imagined.
~~----------------------
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