"Alright, alright, I was just teasing you!"
Seeing that Aether was about to leave, Lumine waved her hand dismissively, her tone utterly uninterested.
"Anyway, now that I know where you are, I don't need to waste time running around looking for you."
"I plan to stay in Mount Shu long-term. The Sect Master said cultivation is the most important thing for me right now."
"As for Teyvat, I'll come back to travel from time to time, just to relax my mind after training."
"Oh, right—don't go yet. Wait outside for a bit. I'll head to First Seat Zhongli and swap out a martial arts manual for you."
Hearing this, Aether simply nodded and stayed put.
Lumine thought for a moment, then added:
"For the next half a month, I can bring you some beasts to hunt. But after that, don't try to contact me."
Aether frowned slightly, staring at her in puzzlement.
"You have something important coming up?"
"It's not just me, the entire Mount Shu does."
Lumine shrugged.
"A month from now is the Great Nine Nether Secret Realm Expedition. The Sect Master ordered every disciple to enter the Nine Nether Secret Realm."
"There aren't many fierce beasts in there, but plenty of demon beasts. If things go well, I might even get the chance to slay a mid-stage Refining Essence demon beast and broaden your horizons."
"And three months later, there's Mount Shu's Seven Peaks Tournament. That's the grand event of the sect, and as a divine body, I have to place high."
"So yeah, I'll be busy. Won't have much time to come back to Teyvat."
At that, Aether's brows knit tightly, his eyes full of concern.
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm Expedition? You have to go?"
Aether knew all too well what the Nine Nether Secret Realm meant.
At present, probably only the people of Inazuma still didn't know its name.
The Seven Kings of the Nine Nether Secret Realm that roamed within—back in the first expedition, even Barbatos, Morax, and the Witch Assembly's elder had been gravely wounded.
The reputation of the Nine Nether Secret Realm resounded across all of Teyvat.
And now Mount Shu was reopening it, forcing every disciple to enter…
Wasn't that practically courting death?
Lumine might be a cultivator, one of Teyvat's strongest.
But in Mount Shu? In the cultivation world? In the Nine Nether Secret Realm?
She'd be nothing but cannon fodder.
So what if she had a divine body?
A genius who hasn't matured yet is just an ant.
Naturally, Aether didn't want Lumine risking herself.
But to his surprise, Lumine's expression hardened with a resolve he had never seen before.
"I have to go!"
"Not just because the Sect Master ordered it, but because it's what every Mount Shu disciple must do."
"The Sect Master said it himself: disciples of Mount Shu are destined geniuses of their era, and we must forge our own path of invincibility."
"Yes, the Nine Nether Secret Realm is dangerous. But we cannot cast aside this gift from our forebears out of fear."
"Cultivators fight against the heavens themselves—what cultivator ever grew strong in comfort?"
"Every great Mount Shu cultivator carved their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood."
"To the Sect Master, what we're doing now is just child's play. Only those who survive true life-and-death battles are worthy of being called Mount Shu disciples."
"What's more, First Seat Zhongli was once gravely wounded by a Nether General under the Seven Kings."
"Now he dares face the Demon-Sealing Tower again, training in seclusion to wash away that shame. I, a divine body blessed with so many privileges, should what—shrink back from battle? Shy away from the Nine Nether Secret Realm?"
Lumine clenched her fist, her fighting spirit burning hot.
"That so-called Nine Nether Secret Realm is nothing more than a world split open by our Uncle Master, the Wine Sword Immortal, with a single sword stroke!"
"If fear is to be had, it should be the demon beasts within fearing us Mount Shu disciples!"
"If we're the ones trembling, wouldn't that be an insult to Uncle Master's legacy?"
"In short, I will enter the Nine Nether Secret Realm!"
Aether stared at her in a daze.
And for the first time, he realized—
The sister who once clung to him, traveling the worlds by his side, had now found her own home, her own purpose worth dedicating even her life to.
Lumine no longer needed him to protect her.
On the contrary—now, she could protect him.
And in the future, she might even shelter him.
After all, they were siblings. Deep down, Aether only hoped she would keep growing stronger.
"…I understand."
Aether nodded slightly, his voice low.
"Then I wish you good fortune in battle."
"Of course!"
Lumine tilted her chin proudly.
"I'm the genius cultivating the Sect Master's Divine Thunder Sword Art! If I can't handle a mere Nine Nether Secret Realm, I'd better find a block of tofu and smash my head on it."
Aether's gaze grew distant. After a pause, he spoke softly:
"Your future is no longer clear to me. From here on, you'll walk your own path. But no matter what, it will be brighter than mine."
Lumine faltered slightly at his heartfelt words, then urged:
"Seriously, Aether… why not come with me to Mount Shu?"
"You're not lacking in talent. I could speak to the Sect Master. If you can pass the Threefold Heart Inquiry, you'd become an inner disciple."
Truth be told, Aether was tempted.
But when he thought of the promise he made five hundred years ago, and the large, if sometimes foolish, group of subordinates waiting for him—
He pushed the thought down and shook his head.
"You have your path to walk. I have my mission to fulfill."
"Don't worry about me. When the time is right, I'll come to Mount Shu."
Lumine said nothing, simply gazing at him quietly.
They were siblings. Even if Aether didn't say it aloud, she knew the road he'd chosen was fraught with danger.
After a long silence, she sighed.
"Fine. Do as you please. But don't you dare die."
For the first time that day, Aether smiled sincerely.
"Relax. I'm not that easy to kill. Besides, isn't there you? You're already a cultivator, and a divine body at that. Your strength is recovering, and soon you'll be much stronger."
"Ha? You think I'm your safety net? A single 'sister' isn't enough payment for that."
Lumine smirked mischievously, her mood turning sour again.
Turning her head away, she waved him off impatiently.
"Go already, I've got things to do."
"Hey, you're the one asking for help here! Ever heard of manners when you're begging someone?"
Lumine spat on the ground, muttering under her breath:
"Dog of a brother."
"You calling me that means you're calling yourself one too."
Aether chuckled, teasing her back.
Lumine ignored him, dragging Paimon along as she walked toward Liyue Harbor.
"Oh, right."
Suddenly Lumine seemed to recall something.
"The Sect Master once mentioned a pill called Blood Qi Pellet. It's what ordinary martial artists use for cultivation. The ingredients are simple, refining it isn't hard. I'm on good terms with Senior Sister Lisa. Want me to get you some?"
Aether's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly.
"If you could, that'd be perfect."
"…I was just asking casually, you actually said yes? You really have no shame."
Lumine curled her lip.
Aether waved it off, completely unbothered.
"Strength comes first. Nothing shameful about that. I'll leave it to you then."
Lumine didn't answer, simply quickened her pace, pulling Paimon along.
Watching her retreating figure, Aether let out a faint sigh before fading into the void.
In the end…
He had become the very sort of person he once despised most.
Flowers, please.
Didn't manage to leech off the old man… ended up leeching off his sister instead.
After all that with Aether, Lumine no longer felt like wandering around Liyue Harbor.
Paimon didn't mind much. In the past, she'd have been obsessed with the food stalls.
But after tasting the flesh of fierce beasts and demon beasts, Teyvat's so-called delicacies no longer tempted her.
Seriously—could a slab of ancient boar meat, frozen for centuries, compare to the meat of a Foundation Establishment wild boar?
Once you've had fine grains, it's impossible to go back to coarse chaff.
The two quickly decided to take a cursory stroll through the harbor, just to see how the cultivation craze had reshaped the city.
Then, without hesitation, they rode their swords into the sky toward the Jade Chamber.
That scene left countless Liyue citizens stunned.
Who would have thought the young girl walking casually among them moments ago was actually a cultivator, soaring away on a flying sword?
And to head straight for the Jade Chamber of all places—most cultivators wouldn't dare approach it so brazenly.
That was the domain of Ningguang, an inner disciple of Mount Shu.
Anyone flying up there was clearly an inner disciple themselves.
After some curious inquiries, the people learned she was none other than Lumine—the honored guest of Liyue and genius divine body of the inner sect—along with Paimon.
Sighs of awe swept the harbor once again.
Inside the Northland Bank, the Cryo Archon and her followers watched the direction Lumine had gone, deep in thought.
After a moment, she turned to Childe.
"How close are you with the Traveler?"
"…Close?"
Childe scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Does fighting count?"
"…"
The Cryo Archon fell silent, then scowled, clearly exasperated.
"You went to Mount Shu and wasted your chance like this? Is fighting your only way of communication?"
"Well… we did talk a bit too."
Childe gave a sheepish grin, then straightened his posture, speaking seriously.
"She cultivates the simplified version of the Sect Master's Divine Thunder Sword Art, and she's a divine body. She defeated me in a single strike. Afterward, I praised her profound skill. Pretty harmonious communication, don't you think?"
The Cryo Archon opened her mouth, then sighed deeply.
"…Find a way to build a relationship with her. If Mondstadt and Liyue can appoint her to official positions, there's no reason Snezhnaya can't."
"Two divine bodies hold enormous strategic value in the realm of cultivation."
Childe's face reddened with embarrassment, but he nodded earnestly.
"I understand."
On the Jade Chamber.
At this moment, Zhongli and the others were already seated, silent around the long table.
A flash of sword-light descended as Lumine and Paimon landed quietly. Seeing the solemn gathering, Lumine exhaled in relief.
"Good, good, at least I'm not the last one here."
Zhongli set down his teacup, gazing at her helplessly.
"No, you are the last."
Lumine blinked, double-checked the room, and protested:
"But what about Xiao and Ganyu? They're not here!"
"They're on the verge of breaking through to Spirit Transformation, preparing for their tribulation. It's only a meeting—no need to drag them from Mount Shu."
With that explanation, Lumine rubbed her face awkwardly.
"Uh… ran into a little trouble on the way. Sorry."
"It's fine."
Zhongli withdrew his gaze, sweeping it slowly across the room.
Here sat the most powerful figures of Liyue.
A pang of melancholy touched him, mixed with quiet relief.
After a pause, he spoke softly.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin. There is only one matter on today's agenda."
"Three days from now, at the Rite of Descension, I shall formally relinquish my title as the Geo Archon—and return Liyue to its people."
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