> "In this world where gods and demons rise, though I have no desire to fight for supremacy, I understand the suffering of all living beings…
I only wish to cleanse the four corners of the land and protect a small corner of the mortal world…"
At Jialing Pass, the Three Gods War was raging.
Suddenly, a figure in divine armor appeared.
Their voice echoed throughout the world.
As the words faded, the figure waved a hand, then brought both arms together.
> "Heaven Moves All Phenomena!"
With that, a massive earth-colored meteor descended from the sky—
Qian Renxue's eyes shot open.
Between her delicate brows, cold sweat streamed down. Her clothes were already soaked through.
The terror in her beautiful eyes slowly faded, and her breathing calmed.
> "Jialing Pass… Tang San… Bibi Dong… Sea God… Rakshasa God…"
"The Spirit Empire…"
"And… Morax!"
This dream wasn't the first time.
Every time, it came in fragments.
And every time, she'd wake up just as the meteor struck.
> "Who… exactly are you?"
Qian Renxue murmured gravely.
She could no longer distinguish dream from reality.
It felt too real—so real it was as if she had truly experienced it.
This time, in a fleeting glimpse, she vaguely saw the face of the figure.
That voice… also felt strangely familiar.
Suddenly thinking of something, Qian Renxue shook her head like a rattle drum.
> "Impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
"He's just a street bum, a freeloader who lives off others…"
> "How could he possibly be the mighty Morax with divine power!"
---
Heaven Dou City, in a luxurious mansion on the northernmost edge.
> "Ah-choo!"
A handsome young man sneezed, amber phoenix-shaped eyes flashing with confusion.
By normal logic, he shouldn't catch a cold—
Let alone fall ill.
> "Who could be talking about me…?"
> "Zhongli, what's wrong?"
A small creature, barely over two feet tall, rubbed its sleepy eyes.
> "Nothing… just a bit of a chill."
> "???"
Hearing this, the still-sleepy creature jolted, instantly floating into the air, face full of disbelief.
Her mind was filled with question marks.
> Zhongli? Catching a cold?
> "Paimon, don't overthink it. Go get some more rest."
Looking at this little "god-mouth," Zhongli still hadn't fully adjusted.
In his heart, Zhongli harbored a secret:
> He was a transmigrator.
In his previous life, he had transmigrated into the newly born Morax.
But the memories of his past life didn't awaken until Morax's mind began to erode.
By the time his transmigrator memories returned—it was too late to change the tragic ending.
> Even a solid rock wears away with time.
If the Geo Dragon King couldn't endure, then neither could Morax—nor could he.
Not wanting to bring disaster to Liyue, Zhongli arranged his affairs and left alone for the dark seas beyond.
On the way, his mind barely intact, he encountered a "blonde-haired auntie"...
Somehow, inexplicably, Paimon—who originally followed the Traveler—also ended up transmigrating with him!
When they first arrived in Douluo Continent, Zhongli and Paimon were both utterly confused.
As his divine consciousness recovered, what should've been completely eroded miraculously began to regenerate.
In this world, there was no heavenly curse like in Teyvat.
As long as there was no erosion, he—a god—could continue to exist indefinitely!
With his mind fully restored, the memories of his past life surged back, crystal clear—as if it had all just happened yesterday.
At first, he wasn't sure where he was…
Until one day, he saw two people using Martial Soul Possession, with spirit rings rising beneath their feet—
> "Douluo Continent?"
Somewhat surprised, he hadn't expected to cross over into this kind of "cultivation-tile" fantasy world.
Before long, Zhongli accepted reality.
Transmigrating wasn't so bad.
If he had stayed in Teyvat, he'd probably have gone mad by now.
Even someone as powerful as him had limits to his sanity.
They transmigrated near the center of Heaven Dou City and the Sunset Forest.
As he was heading to check out Heaven Dou City, Zhongli ran into an old man with dark green hair.
Seeing that the man was poisoned, Zhongli kindly offered advice—
> "I wonder how the Traveler's doing... How can I sleep with all this on my mind?"
Paimon looked worried, bitter frustration on her face.
She had randomly transmigrated with this "old geezer" and still didn't know what happened!
Without her, the Traveler lost his best guide!
Without her, the Traveler would save tons of Mora—pff, no, no—
> Come on! I don't eat that much!
> Just 300,000 Mora per month, tops!
Moments later, Zhongli looked at the sleeping Paimon and a dark line formed on his forehead.
> Didn't she just say she couldn't sleep?
It's barely been five minutes!
Shaking his head, he tucked her in with a little blanket before lying down again, eyes gazing at the moon outside the window.
If he remembered the timeline correctly, the main cast should be arriving at Heaven Dou City soon.
For Zhongli, not sleeping for a year or two wouldn't matter.
At this point, sleeping on time was merely a habit from his past life.
---
Morning sunlight spilled over the land.
A gentle glow awakened the world.
> "Street bum! Wake up!"
Zhongli twitched.
Paimon's nicknames were always so creative.
He opened his amber eyes helplessly and stared at her.
> "Paimon, I remember the Traveler once said… you're emergency food."
> "I'm not emergency food! Paimon is Paimon!"
> "He was just joking!"
Paimon got flustered, stomping in the air, hands on her hips.
> "Alright, I get it."
Zhongli nodded, no longer teasing her.
She might be able to fool that blonde-haired auntie, but how could she possibly fool Morax?
Without her guidance, the Child of Man might truly stray from the path.
That's probably what worried her most.
Of course, there's also another possibility—
> Paimon is just Paimon.
The one who holds dominion over time.
> "Street bum, what's for breakfast?"
Paimon's moods came and went fast.
She never held grudges.
Now, she was rubbing her hands together, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Just a moment ago she called Zhongli a freeloader…
Now she wanted that same "freeloader" to buy her breakfast.
Only someone like Zhongli with a good temper could put up with her.
Otherwise, he'd show her why the flowers bloom red.
> "Heaven Dou City has a wide variety of breakfast options. We've been here for over half a month and still haven't tried them all."
"Today, let's go to the shop on the west side and try their tofu pudding."
As soon as he finished, Paimon's face lit up.
> "Great!"
"I want sweet tofu pudding!"
> "Sweet? Salty might be more refined…"
> "Nope! I want sweet!"