Chapter 38 The Truth of Heaven

Here's the revised and more readable version of the text:

[After dealing with Rhinedottir, Zhongli surveyed the cave. Inside was Rhinedottir laboratory, with simple experimental instruments and various monster corpses scattered about. Zhongli's gaze landed on a neatly arranged notebook on the stone table.]

Zhongli opened the notebook and flipped through a few pages before handing it to you. "These are Gold's experimental notes and… diary. You should find answers to your questions here. But remember my advice: after you've found what you're looking for, burn this notebook and keep its contents private. Otherwise, the entire continent of Teyvat could follow in Khaenri'ah's footsteps."

"I understand," you said solemnly as you accepted the notebook.

"One more thing," Zhongli continued, taking out an energy ball condensed from pure rock elements from his Vision. You recognized it as the magic weapon used by Yaksha Zhinian from Wuwang Hill.

"Before Bosacius went to the Layered Abyss, he gave me his brother's weapon and asked me to find a new owner for it. I think it's better that it goes to you," Zhongli said, his eyes showing a hint of nostalgia as he looked at the weapon.

"This is too precious. I'm just a knight who focuses on swordsmanship. Giving me such an artifact would be a waste. I can't accept it," you protested, shaking your head.

"Take it. As you uncover the world's secrets, you'll undoubtedly seek to strengthen yourself. Rather than wait for you to find power on your own, it's better to give you this weapon directly," Zhongli insisted.

Why does he think I'll need this?

You didn't fully understand Zhongli's reasoning, but you accepted Calamity Queller.

"Well, I've enjoyed traveling with you over these years. It's time to say goodbye," Zhongli said with a slight smile as he saw you accept the weapon.

"Wait, where are you going?" you asked.

"I need to rest. After meeting so many people and experiencing so much, my body has become quite worn out," Zhongli replied before his figure faded away.

After Zhongli left, you opened the notebook. The secrets of the world began to reveal themselves...

The notebook detailed events from the Demon God War. On the battlefield, countless demon gods fought for the position of the Seven Gods in a conflict unimaginable to mortals. Humanity could only survive under the protection of a few benevolent demon gods.

Suddenly, a floating island from another world appeared in the sky, accompanied by a loud noise, and the "Heavenly Principle" was revealed.

With the appearance of the Sky Island, the original starry sky of Teyvat vanished, replaced by a false one. Humans soon discovered that some individuals obtained a special magical organ known as a "Vision," allowing them to control the elements with their mortal bodies. Although this power was far from enough to challenge the demon kings, it provided a glimmer of hope in those chaotic times, and humans welcomed it eagerly.

Yet, there was no free lunch. For every Vision bearer on the ground, six corresponding stars appeared in the sky, known as constellations. A human who illuminated all their constellations in their lifetime would be eligible to become a god. Hence, Vision bearers were often called "Allogenes."

Those who failed to become Allogenes had their souls used as fuel to maintain the Celestia system.

This revelation is horrifying, Tsumugi Kujo thought, his face paling as he took out his Electro Vision. If not for its return, I'd want to discard it immediately.

The "law of heaven" enforced by Celestia required human souls to sustain its system.

The entity responsible for maintaining this law was known as the "Maintainer of the Law of Nature," who arrived with the Sky Island.

Initially, The Archons disregarded the Heavenly Justice Maintainer, continuing their war until the continent of Teyvat was divided by the seven most powerful Archons. The Heavenly Justice Maintainer summoned all Archons to the Celestia.

By then, the seven most powerful Archons, dedicated to protecting humanity, found themselves unable to guarantee victory against the Heavenly Justice Maintainer, whose power had reached unprecedented levels. Humanity had dwindled to a dangerous few due to centuries of demon warfare, risking extinction if further conflict arose.

The Heavenly Principles demanded that the Heavenly Law be central, and the Seven Demons were forced to establish a new order. To demonstrate her power, she threw a Frost Sky Nail into the ground, erasing the Kingdom of Sal Vindagnyr from history.

To protect their realms, the seven Archons compromised and established their own countries on Teyvat, integrating themselves into Celestia's system. The Heavenly Principles gave them a special Vision called the "Gnosis," directly connected to the Celestia and responsible for issuing Visions to humans.

"So… that's how it is," you thought.

Tsumugi Kujo shared the same realization.

"After all this, it turns out the destruction of the Kingdom of Sal Vindagnyr was just a demonstration of the Heavenly Justice Maintainer's power."

[But the law of nature is not unassailable. Deep within Teyvat's ground lies a power known as the "Ley Line." The Ley Lines store all information about Teyvat's past, present, and future. This power is native to Teyvat, and with the right approach, it can be used to challenge and potentially defeat the law of nature!]