Chapter 140: The Heavenly Principles and the Sustainer

"Lumine, I agree!" Aether's slightly anxious voice echoed through the hall of the Abyss Order, causing the three departing figures to pause.

"Really?" Lumine turned around, looking suspiciously at Aether on the dais.

"Really! I promise!" Aether didn't dare deny it. If Lumine really went through with marrying that guy out of spite, even if he eventually led the Abyss to victory over the Heavenly Principles and overthrew the throne...

By then, Lumine's children would probably be old enough to run errands. The thought of a bunch of golden and silver-haired children calling him "Uncle" made Aether's heart tremble, and he quickly shook the terrifying image from his mind.

"Hmph! It would've been better if you'd agreed earlier," Lumine said with a light snort, hands on her hips, rolling her eyes at Aether.

"But there's one more thing."

"What is it?" Seeing that Aether was about to set conditions, Lumine's lips twitched downward. But in the end, she didn't say anything. After all, he was her brother. If it wasn't too unreasonable, she could agree.

"Fighting the Heavenly Principles is like fighting the laws of the world itself. Without sufficient strength, there's no chance of survival," Aether said gravely.

"So, in the coming days, you must work hard to improve your strength and strive to break the seals on your power, returning to your peak. Additionally, the elemental powers of Teyvat are also worth learning. They can help you reach new heights."

——————

"What's wrong? Did someone remember something?" After leaving the Abyss Order, the three of them began their journey back to Liyue Harbor.

Enjou had taken Griseo away around noon, and factoring in the travel time and the delay in the Abyss Order's headquarters, by the time Yun Fan and the others left, the moon was already high in the sky.

"What's wrong? Still thinking about something?" Along the way, Lumine had been silent, not saying a word. She kept her head down, seemingly deep in thought. So deep, in fact, that she nearly walked into a tree several times.

If Yun Fan hadn't pulled her back in time, she would've been covered in bumps by now.

"Nothing, I'm just thinking about what the so-called Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is. If she's the Sustainer, then what is the true Heavenly Principles?" Lumine shook her head, her eyes filled with contemplation.

"Ah, that question," Yun Fan rubbed his nose. To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure about the Heavenly Principles either.

The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles came from beyond this world, like Lumine. If the Heavenly Principles referred to her, then things would be simple. Just drag her down from Celestia and give her a good beating.

As for whether he could defeat the Sustainer, Yun Fan had no doubts. After breaking the second seal, his strength was roughly on par with hers, if not greater.

Even if he couldn't defeat her, or if the Sustainer was just a puppet and the true Heavenly Principles were something else entirely, Yun Fan still had a trump card—the "Authority of the Finality" experience card he had obtained from the gacha.

If the Heavenly Principles pushed him too far, he could unseal the card, transform into the Herrscher of the End, and reset Teyvat, reforging it entirely!

With this in mind, Yun Fan patted Lumine's shoulder and said, "Don't worry. Leave it to me. You just focus on being beautiful."

"Pfft," Lumine burst out laughing. Yun Fan really was something else. But his antics lightened her mood, and she reached out to wrap her arm around his again.

Unlike her earlier actions in the Abyss, this time it was genuine, without any pretense.

...

"Your Highness, I found this near the exit of the headquarters," a Cryo Abyss Mage said, holding a small, exquisite mask as he approached Aether, who was deep in thought.

"A mask?" Aether took the mask from the Abyss Mage and examined it carefully. According to the mage, it had been found near the exit.

His sister didn't own anything like this, and the blue-haired girl probably wouldn't like this style either. So, could this mask belong to Yun Fan?

Remembering Yun Fan's terrifying strength, Aether's interest in the mask grew. He examined it closely, as if it were some rare treasure. After a thorough inspection, he even put it on.

But to his disappointment, the exquisite mask seemed no different from a five-Mora trinket from a Liyue street stall, with no special powers whatsoever.

'Is this just a piece of junk? A fancy piece of junk?' Aether shook his head. No, this belonged to that guy. There had to be something more to it that he was missing.

"Your Highness, perhaps you could try infusing it with a bit of Abyssal energy?" the Abyss Mage suggested tentatively, seeing Aether's puzzled expression.

'Ah, why didn't I think of that?' Aether's eyes lit up, and he immediately gathered a wisp of dark Abyssal energy at his fingertips, attempting to channel it into the mask.

Buzz—

The mask emitted a soft hum and began to float, hovering at the same height as Aether.

'It worked! Let's see what you really are,' Aether thought excitedly, his fists clenching as he stared at the mask now enveloped in flames.

"HAHAHAHA!!! I, Kalpas, HAVE RETURNED!!! HAHAHAHA...!!!"