After the bath, it was time for everyone to eat.
Riveria, along with the elf girls, had already changed into clean clothes and left the dark-golden bathhouse that Lumine had temporarily constructed.
Soon after, with another surge of Geo energy, the bathhouse transformed into a small residential cabin.
So convenient.
At this moment, the cabin had just been completed, and Riveria and the others were still standing outside.
This place was a clearing between the mountain forests, roughly halfway up the hillside.
Though the surroundings were pitch black, no one seemed to care about the eerie silence.
They had numbers on their side and an actual house to stay in. To anyone else, this journey might have seemed exhausting, but for their group… it felt more like a leisurely outing.
All of this convenience stemmed from the golden-haired, golden-eyed girl who had recently been the focus of attention alongside her brother.
Watching her in the white dress bustling about nearby…
"I didn't expect Lumine to ever be shy."
Riveria's lips curved into a faint smile.
"She's… actually a little cute."
Speaking of which, the clothes they were wearing had already been cleaned once.
Yes, first a simulated "Kudou Shinichi-style washing machine" using Geo + Hydro energy, then dried with Pyro energy…
Amber, as a scout knight, had plenty of experience using this convenience, so it was second nature.
As a result, everyone felt warm and comfortable in their freshly cleaned clothes.
Soon…
"Dinner's ready~"
Lumine's voice carried the reminder.
"Tonight, aside from soba, we have 'radish vegetable soup' and 'mint jelly'!"
"Of course, the mint jelly is dessert."
"Yay~"
Led by Anju, the girls excitedly gathered around Lumine.
Riveria, however, maintained her composure, laughing softly as she stayed at the back.
Today was yet another day for Teyvat's Queen of Females to farm affection points.
"These affection points… won't carry over to my main body."
Meanwhile, elsewhere…
"I see. The gods in this world have existed for hundreds of millions of years."
As night fell, although the Stellar Abyss skill had fully restored his mana, Aether didn't continue grinding in the "Goblet of Eonothem" arena.
With strong new allies joining, Aether now had the ability to linger at the entrance of the arena. Killing monsters here gave experience almost equal to the Moytura, and much more safely.
Even without teleportation, he could keep contributing steadily.
After three days, the Emperor, who had recently maxed out his Genshin level to Lv.40, tossed a Tianxing into the arena (without overloading it).
Aether and the Emperor then retreated, teleporting together to rest at the 50th floor.
Xiao had also temporarily returned from the 49th floor.
Now, the three sat near a teleport anchor, at a makeshift stone table on stone stools.
Much like the layout on Mount Ozawa, they ate and chatted.
The girls had their own ways of interacting, and the men had their own unique conversation atmosphere.
At this moment, Aether was talking with Zhongli about the gods of Orario.
Xiao, uninterested in the topic, was still a competent listener.
No doubt…
In terms of lifespan, gods that lived hundreds of millions of years far surpassed the millennia-old Archons before him.
Hence, Zhongli was curious…
"After enduring such long ages, don't they… wear out?"
To this question…
"I don't have concrete evidence, but I speculate the difference stems from 'differences in worldview.'"
Aether shrugged.
"No need for unnecessary analysis. The conclusion is: Emperor…"
"Friend, you may just call me Zhongli."
"Oh."
Aether nodded.
"The conclusion: Zhongli, Xiao… all Genshin, and even 'myself' and Lumine in this state, likely do not 'wear out.'"
"Because in this alternate world during the divine era, the concept of wear simply doesn't exist."
Hearing this, Zhongli simply said:
"Noted."
He always remained incredibly humble, even though in Teyvat, he was more knowledgeable than anyone else.
Perhaps his experience truly validated the saying: "A master always keeps the heart of a student."
Speaking of which, when Zhongli's Genshin level was maxed, Aether had cautiously tested whether a Teyvat god could trigger the dungeon's 'Weeping' state.
Now he knew the answer:
Nope!!!
Of course, he had already theorized extensively.
In Teyvat, a "god" is more a position than a race.
Aside from the Seven Archons, other Archons existed as the highest elemental lifeforms.
This leads back to the "worldview difference."
Here, the gods of Orario not only have "domains" but also possess divine might and divine power.
Putting aside the "domain" as their symbol…
Divine power is omnipotent. Unauthorized use sends one straight back to heaven.
As for divine might…
If compared to energy waves, this is likely what dungeons "dislike."
Thus, in this world's current trajectory, whether past or future, if gods enter a dungeon… nothing happens.
Only if they intentionally or unintentionally release their divine might does the dungeon react.
Zhongli, however, had no divine might, and now lacked even the "Heart of God" symbolizing the Seven Mortals of the World.
So…
"From now on, don't casually use 'All-Things Move' above the 30th floor."
With no worry about divine might, the remaining concern was whether this Martial God might accidentally damage the floor.
"If such actions harm innocents, I will be careful."
Aether had indeed mentioned the Destroyer Zagnat incident.
But now he thought…
"Just mentioning avoiding innocents… in other words…"
Aether couldn't help but sigh.
"Zhongli truly doesn't care about a mere 'destroyer.'"
Yes, Zhongli was humble. But humility is a virtue; self-doubt is not.
The Geo Archon of Liyue, though not arrogant, certainly possessed unyielding pride.
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