Chapter 81: Mountains, Seas, and Stars (Part 2)

Axue controlled Astrea as she ran to the harbor and boarded the large ship.

Then, the game transitioned into another cutscene.

"Raise the sails, set sail."

Under Xuanqing's command, the luxurious ship left the harbor and headed out to sea.

After a bout of wind and rain, Longhua sat on a chair at the bow of the ship, while Lumine and Paimon marveled at the massive island looming in the distance.

Mist swirled around the island, giving it an ethereal, otherworldly aura.

One breathtaking scene after another flashed across the screen, mirroring the ink paintings from the PV.

Each painting had now come to life as a true paradise.

Gradually, the cutscene came to an end, and the ship docked at the harbor.

"Traveler, Paimon, I'll need to go and lift the protective barrier now. It might take some time, so feel free to explore the island and take in the sights of Shanhaijing."

With Longhua's words, the nearby Teleport Waypoint unlocked, and Axue was free to move around.

Although there was a quest to follow, Axue ignored it for the moment and ran to the right. Under a rock, she found a Common Chest.

"I knew I wasn't seeing things!"

Axue happily opened the chest, then widened her eyes in surprise.

"No way? A Common Chest gives five Primogems? The Sect Leader is amazing!"

It was worth noting that Common Chests in Mondstadt and Liyue didn't give any Primogems, while those on the Golden Apple Archipelago gave two. But here in Shanhaijing, they gave five.

What more could be said?

「The Sect Leader is mighty!」

「The Sect Leader reigns supreme for eternity!」

「The richest woman in all of Teyvat. Marry her, and you'll never worry about life again.」

「While we're here watching the stream, smart people have already left to log in and hunt for chests.」

「Sect Leader, I'm coming! Please give me enough Primogems to pull for you!」

Axue first explored the island's coastline before following the quest marker to the island's town.

As she reached the outskirts of the town, another cutscene began.

Lumine walked up a slope, with Paimon floating beside her. When they reached the top, the sight before them left them stunned.

In the distance was a mountain that resembled a volcano, but instead of spewing lava, it gushed water.

The water column shot into the sky, scattering and flowing down the mountain through wide rivers that spread across the island before eventually merging with the sea.

Below them, traditional-style houses were built along the waterways, with small bridges connecting the paths on either side.

The scene was like a beautiful work of art, leaving Lumine and Paimon in awe.

"You must be the outsider, right?"

An elderly voice, filled with warmth, spoke up.

"The Sect Leader asked me to welcome you."

With this sudden voice, the cutscene ended, and the game transitioned back to dialogue.

An old woman appeared beside Lumine.

"Wow, Granny, what's the deal with that water-spewing mountain?"

Paimon exclaimed in amazement:

"It's so spectacular, but also a bit scary. Aren't you afraid of being flooded?"

"Hahaha, of course not. If anything, we only feel reverence and gratitude for that mountain."

The old woman smiled as she spoke:

"After all, that mountain is the source of life that sustains all of Shanhaijing. We rely on it entirely."

"Huh? You rely on it?"

Paimon was shocked.

Lumine also blinked in surprise.

The old woman nodded and explained, "Humans can't live without fresh water, and that mountain, called Gaoyang Mountain, is the source of all fresh water in Shanhaijing."

"Gaoyang Mountain contains the Sect Leader's adeptal energy, which continuously transforms seawater into fresh water. That's why we've never had to worry about fresh water for thousands of years."

Paimon couldn't stop marveling. "Longhua is really amazing."

"Haha, the Sect Leader's protection goes even further."

The old woman spoke proudly:

"The Sect Leader is the God of Abundance. Under her protection, even though Shanhaijing has limited land, we've never lacked food. Moreover, issues like childbirth have never been a problem. For thousands of years, since the Sect Leader began protecting us, there has never been a case of a child dying young or a mother dying in childbirth. It's all thanks to the Sect Leader's blessing."

Hearing this, Axue couldn't help but nod. "Now this is what I call protection. What Venti does is just deception."

「Does abundance also cover fertility?」

「Abundance and fertility have always been linked.」

「What's wrong with deception? Deception is also a form of protection! How can you protect without deceiving? There's nothing wrong with deception for the sake of protection! Protection isn't deception, but who can fool the connection between deceiving and protection? And if you can't deceive, then what's the difference between deception and protection? If there's no difference, then deception is protection, and protection is deception. No matter how Venti deceives, as long as he deceives successfully, isn't that enough?」

「666666, I can't keep up with the typing speed of the person above, so I can only type 666.」

Axue glanced at the chat but found nothing that needed a response, so she continued with the quest.

After chatting with the old woman, Lumine didn't actually let her guide them around. Instead, after being led to the accommodations Longhua had arranged, she parted ways with the old woman.

She decided to explore on her own, embracing her role as a Traveler to see if anyone needed help and to boost her local reputation.

Huh? What's that? You say she's not alone? What about Paimon?

Paimon expresses her gratitude, thanking you for being the first Traveler not to treat her as emergency food.

You're truly a breath of fresh air among Travelers!

—But Axue isn't.

So she wandered around the town alone.

After speaking with five residents, Axue completed the quest.

No one needed help. Under the Sect Leader's guidance, the people of Shanhaijing were self-reliant.

Thus, Axue quickly moved on to the next stage of the quest: returning to her room to rest.

And then… just as Axue selected the option to rest, another cutscene interrupted.

This time, however, the camera shifted away from the Traveler to another location.

This was a certain coastline in Shanhaijing.

A woman—tall, imposing, and radiating authority—stepped onto the shore under the cover of night.

Her hair was primarily white, with streaks of black, and her eyes were an unusual mix of black with red cross-shaped patterns.

—This was a woman who exuded danger at first glance.

She walked up the slope where Lumine had stood earlier, gazing down at the town and the distant fountain-like mountain under the night sky, her expression cold and indifferent.

After a long moment, she spoke in a magnetic voice:

"A deity even older than the Tsaritsa… How troublesome."