Nilou: May I Dance for You Alone, My Lord?

Upon seeing the announcement, all the pantheons grew excited—the Ascension Festival of a new Supreme God.

For lower gods, such an event was almost unimaginable. More than ninety percent of gods hadn't even witnessed a grand feast like this, much less participated.

However, there was disappointment too: only Upper Gods and above were qualified to attend.

Those who had just reached Upper God rank felt immensely fortunate, while others could only sigh in regret.

Still, no one complained—after all, an Ascension Ceremony for a Supreme God naturally had high standards.

In today's Teyvat Universe, only Upper Gods truly stepped onto a new level, embodying Rules themselves.

All pantheons began preparing gifts for Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's Ascension Ceremony.

In Sumeru.

From the nation's founding until now, this would be the grandest, busiest, and most magnificent event in their history.

The citizens of Sumeru, knowing their Supreme God was about to ascend to an even higher divine plane, eagerly joined the festivities.

Their devotion to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was unquestionable.

The entire country buzzed with joy and celebration. Under the divine power of the Sumeru Pantheon, even the elemental beings across the land danced in joy, sending blessings to their goddess.

The stronger elemental beings could already take human form; even the weaker ones had developed sentience and could communicate easily with humans.

At this moment, the entire city of Sumeru was adorned with colorful ribbons, and musical instruments played sweetly in every corner.

Entertainment and festivities filled the streets.

To the gods, the entire nation was blanketed in lively "faith energy."

At the Sanctuary of Surasthana, with the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata about to ascend to Supreme God, there was no way Noah would miss it—after all, she was one of his wives.

Noah entered the Sanctuary, which remained unchanged from before. Perhaps the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata cherished her memories here too much to rebuild it.

Buer's clover-shaped eyes grew even softer as she saw Noah walk in through the front door rather than teleporting.

Her voice was gentle and melodious: "You're here, my dear husband. Did you come for my ceremony?"

Noah opened his arms, and Buer, overjoyed, nestled into them without hesitation.

He ran his hand through her long white-green gradient hair, petting her as if she were a small cat.

"Of course. My first woman is about to ascend—I couldn't possibly miss it."

"You know me well. I wouldn't miss such a lively occasion."

He then leaned down and teased her ear.

"A grand banquet inviting all the gods—you're way more impressive than me. I've never hosted anything this grand."

The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata blushed. Even after all they had shared, being teased like this still made her shy.

"Then... am I guilty of the crime of arrogance?"

Knowing how much Noah cherished his women, he chuckled and lifted her chin.

"Of course, a grievous sin."

He playfully lowered his head and captured her lips.

"Greater Lord Rukkhadevata..."

At that moment, Nahida entered the Sanctuary after assigning tasks to the other Sumeru gods.

She had just been about to report to her elder when she saw the Heavenly Principle intimately embracing the Greater Lord.

Noah released Buer and turned to meet Nahida's wide-eyed, focused gaze, smiling softly.

"Nahida, compared to last time, you've grown so much. You've already reached the level of a First-tier Primary God."

"If not for your youth, you would have been the next to ascend to Supreme God."

Noah hadn't opened many "backdoors" for the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and Nahida. He hadn't even asked Mio to directly bestow them with Truth.

Everything was earned through Buer and Nahida's own efforts.

After all, having good relations with a Holy God and receiving a little help was perfectly normal, right?

Nahida walked up to Noah, her small hands grasping his hand. Looking up at him with her soft, light-green eyes—despite now understanding all human knowledge and social nuances—her gaze still carried a pure innocence.

"Lord Heavenly Principle, I've been diligently studying all this time. I cannot let down your expectations. I've also broken through the shackles of my original form."

Closing her eyes, Nahida's body emitted a soft green divine light.

Her once youthful appearance visibly matured before Noah's eyes, growing into a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl. Her features became identical to the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, except the leaf ornaments on her ears mirrored opposite sides.

"Lord Heavenly Principle..." Nahida opened her eyes slowly. Her gaze, while similar to Rukkhadevata's in voice and appearance, retained its own innocent brightness.

Noah pulled her into an embrace, one arm around each waist—Buer and Nahida—like a pair of twins.

"Having grasped the 'Supreme Mystery,' you've transcended everything. Now that you've grown up, Nahida, I won't hold back anymore."

He leaned down and bit gently at Nahida's neck, the breath of the World Tree filling his senses.

Nahida let out a cute whimper:

"Lord Heavenly Principle, I understand. Please, pamper me as you do the Greater Lord."

She had long awaited this moment.

Noah smiled, picking her up and carrying her toward the resting place where Buer was waiting.

Buer watched with joy—after all, to her, Nahida was another version of herself. If Noah loved Nahida, he loved her too.

"Buer, you come too."

"Yes, Lord Heavenly Principle."

Click!

The doors of the Sanctuary of Surasthana closed.

Outside, Sumeru City roared with celebration.

Inside, the sanctuary too was filled with joy.

Meanwhile, pantheons from farther lands were racing toward Sumeru, eager for tomorrow's grand ceremony.

Given the sheer scale of Teyvat's main world, even at full speed, the journey took time.

The next day.

The doors of the Sanctuary of Surasthana opened. Noah emerged, looking refreshed and satisfied, with Nahida and Buer following behind.

Smiling, Noah watched as meteors streaked toward Sumeru from all directions.

"The gods are gathering. This is your moment. I'll simply watch from the audience."

"After all, as the Heavenly Principle, my presence would be too disruptive."

If he were to appear formally, Buer's ceremony would be utterly overshadowed.

Besides, with his status, how many gods below First-tier Primary God could truly stand on equal footing with him?

Noah suppressed his divine aura and masked himself with the presence of an Upper God as he walked through the streets of Sumeru City.

Aside from the massive World Tree, the city no longer resembled its former self. Even the tree had grown tenfold—its branches now housed flourishing streets.

The city buzzed with life: vendors selling goods, ordinary citizens enjoying the festivities, desert folk performing on the streets, and hosts organizing entertainment events.

Among the crowd were also humanoid elemental beings.

Though they had taken human form, many still retained traits unique to their elemental origins.

Only by becoming a god could elemental creatures fully assume a human appearance.

It was much like the yokai of Inazuma—retaining distinct features that made them instantly recognizable.

The transformation of the main world wasn't limited to gods and elemental beings. Humanity had undergone tremendous change as well—every human had become a transcendent being.

Although the dense rules and heavy matter of the main world suppressed their "expressiveness," the shift was still obvious.

The clearest change was in lifespan—ordinary humans now lived up to 300 years, practically making them a long-lived species.

Every human was now born with power comparable to those who once held Visions—capable of using "elemental energy," "magic," and similar forces.

Without training, this power would remain latent.

However, with cultivation—Liyue's martial techniques, Mondstadt's magic systems, or other practices—a person could reach the level of a Vision-holder with two or three Constellations.

Truly talented individuals could break through their life's limitations, ignite a fourth Constellation, and reach the level of a demigod—at which point they'd be welcomed into their respective pantheons.

Still, those who reached godhood through personal effort had no special privileges and would begin as Lower Gods.

When Teyvat became a universe, Noah had opened the path for all life to achieve godhood.

With the annexation of so many worlds, there now existed countless methods of divinity—

Each world had its own system and terminology.

In Liyue, those who cultivated immortal techniques to become demigods were called "Adepti."

In Mondstadt, those who mastered magical research became known as "Grand Magi."

But regardless of the name, Teyvat recognized only one measure: "Rank."

This ranking resembled the "Divine Class" of the Little Garden world, requiring power, merit, and cultivation to all align for promotion. Otherwise, one would be considered a "rule-breaker" at their level.

As of now, Teyvat had yet to see a so-called "old fox"—those powerful enough to rank up but choosing to stay put.

However, as Teyvat evolves into a great universe, such cunning individuals would inevitably emerge.

Just then, Noah noticed a sudden stir near the Zubayr Theater.

"Look! It's Miss Nilou!"

"She's the Goddess of Dance now. She's even more beautiful than before!"

"Of course—Miss Nilou is a goddess."

"I heard from the Construction God at the Akademiya that the Underworld's Main God might invite Miss Nilou to perform for the Greater Lord."

"Really? Wait—who's the Construction God?"

"Oh, that's Lord Kaveh of the Kshahrewar Darshan."

"Hey, I'll let you in on a secret—the Main God of the Underworld is the same as the Goddess of Flowers from the Sabzeruz Festival tale~"

"What?! The Goddess of Flowers is inviting Goddess Nilou to dance? This gossip's real?"

"It came straight from the mouth of the Construction God. How could it be fake?"

Sensing something, Nilou looked toward the crowd. The ornament on her neck—a Padisarah flower—began to emit a faint glow.

"Padisarah...?"

This flower had been a gift from an unknown god long ago, a reward for one of her most moving performances.

Back then, she was just a moderately well-known dancer. But because of that divine being, she became renowned throughout Sumeru.

Rumors spread among the people: "A dance so beautiful, even the gods stopped to watch."

It was thanks to that legend that she became a true "superstar."

Only now did she realize the Padisarah given to her was not an ordinary gift—it was a divine artifact imbued with Laws, capable of protecting her.

After ascending to godhood two days ago, she had wanted to find and thank that mysterious god. But with so many gods from countless pantheons, she had no way of knowing who it was.

Her light green eyes swept the crowd—finally landing on a seemingly ordinary figure.

The divine aura from her Padisarah perfectly matched that unassuming silhouette.

"Wait…"

Just as she was about to call out, the figure placed a finger to his lips. She quickly nodded, heart fluttering as if butterflies had taken flight in her chest.

Then a voice entered her mind.

'The once-clumsy dancer has become the Goddess of Dance. How delightful. I imagine your dance is far more beautiful than it once was.'

Nilou's hands flew to her chest, face flushed. She responded with divine telepathy.

'Back then… thank you. May I know your name, my lord?'

'Noah.'

In this universe, his true name carried the will of the cosmos. Without his permission, invoking it would bring divine retribution.

'Lord Noah, I can now perform a true divine dance. May I… dance for you alone?'

Her shy, heartfelt request echoed in the divine link.

This being held special meaning to her.

From that day on, he had protected her. She could sense it from the Padisarah.

'Of course.'

'Thank you. Please let me be your guide.'

Only Upper Gods and above could attend the Grand Ceremony. For her to feel the divine aura from the Padisarah, this lord had to be far more powerful than she'd imagined.

Nilou vanished from the eyes of the public.

In the next moment, she appeared beside Noah. She had changed into simple, unadorned clothing and hidden her divine aura, appearing no different from an ordinary person.

Her green eyes glistened softly as she looked at him.

"Lord Noah…"

She had long imagined what the god who favored her might be like.

Now she knew—reality was more perfect than fantasy. Her heart pounded.

Noah smiled, amused by the flushed, excited girl before him.

"Then I'll be in your care while I'm here in Sumeru, Nilou."

Nilou shook her head quickly.

"Not at all! If you'd allow this little goddess to stay by your side during this time, that would be more than enough."

"Then, Miss Nilou, keep up. If you get lost, I won't come looking."

"Yes, Lord Noah!"

Noah chuckled at the childlike delight she showed.

Ahead, many gods walked the streets, their divine presence suppressed.

And just then, a familiar figure approached.

"Ah~? Noah, my dear boy?"

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