Chapter 133

Takumi walked to the stone table and looked at the inscriptions on the two stone benches.

'Here I live in the flowing clouds' and 'Here I sit and die.'

The stone bench Zhongli was sitting on must have been borrowed from the Geo Archon himself.

Takumi sat on the stone bench with the inscription, "Here I live in the flowing clouds."

Zhongli poured tea for Takumi with reverence and asked calmly, "Is Lord Tianli here to open the door to the third world?"

When he said this, his calm tone was filled with anticipation.

"Liyue is fully prepared, just waiting for your command. When the time comes, I will seal that world before you."

Takumi gently shook the cup of immortal tea and waved his hand, signaling Zhongli to sit down and talk.

Zhongli nodded and took his seat. He could tell that Lord Tianli was more interested in Liyue, perhaps because Liyue was the most stable among the Seven Nations.

Takumi took a sip of the tea poured by Zhongli himself and said, "I know, Zhongli. You can't wait to make a contribution and see me resurrect the friends who passed away long ago, but there is no rush. The wear and tear have disappeared; there is no urgency for a day or two."

Zhongli nodded calmly at Takumi's words, with a hint of expectation in his eyes. "You are absolutely right, Lord Tianli. I was being impatient. Now that Teyvat has just stabilized, there is no rush for my friends to return."

The wear and tear were gone, and his strength had returned to the state of full glory from his youth. Moreover, when the second world was annexed, the new 'Rules of Stone' and 'Contract Rules' granted by Lord Tianli had greatly increased his power.

His strength had improved significantly, and he could also sense the 'abyssal aura' mixed in Lord Tianli's presence.

He had felt this aura from the 'Second Throne' in his youth.

Lord Tianli had taken control of the 'Second Throne.'

Therefore, the 'Abyss' was now under Lord Tianli's command.

Takumi smiled. "Your friend, Hariantus, is truly a god not inferior to you, and she is also a rare inventor."

When Zhongli saw Lord Tianli mentioning his deceased friend, he couldn't help but sigh. "Yes, indeed. She was a demon god equal to me, but she wasn't as fortunate." Realizing what he had said, Zhongli quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Lord Tianli. I spoke out of turn."

Takumi waved it off. "No need to apologize, Zhongli. You are my subordinate, not my slave. As long as you don't harbor rebellious thoughts, I will be very lenient with you."

Seeing that Takumi's teacup was empty, Zhongli quickly poured more tea for him.

Lord Tianli was indeed not a cold and heartless being; in some aspects, he was even more 'emotional' than humans.

His will was supremely noble.

Thinking of this, Zhongli couldn't help but look forward to Teyvat's future. The better Teyvat became, the better Liyue would be.

Zhongli continued, "Although I am a bit impatient, my desire is indeed to see my friends resurrected." As he grew older, Zhongli couldn't help reminiscing and shared his past with Takumi, just like an ordinary conversation.

Only Takumi could allow Zhongli to talk about his daily life like this; even immortals such as Cloud Retainer were not privileged enough.

After all, Zhongli and the immortals were bound by a contract, not by a romantic bond. To the gods, the friendship between them was akin to a contract.

Generally speaking, if demon gods became friends, they remained friends forever, even if they parted ways due to circumstances. They would not deny their bond.

Just like the Dendro Archon and the Flower God Maricata. After Maricata was resurrected, the Dendro Archon personally went to congratulate her.

The God of Contracts valued contracts, and Zhongli considered his death before fully building Liyue as an incomplete contract.

For the God of Contracts, an incomplete contract became an obsession.

Takumi nodded. "Zhongli, please wait for half a month. The main reason for coming here this time is to meet the Fourth Descendant."

Saying this, an inexplicable smile appeared on his lips.

Zhongli nodded. "She has completed the final test of finding an adeptus and is now cooking 'Buddha's Jumping Over the Wall.'"

Takumi smiled. "I must try her 'Buddha's Jumping Over the Wall.'"

Then, jokingly, he added, "Speaking of which, she will soon learn that you are the Geo Archon. Tell me, when she finds out you tricked her into farming in Liyue, do you think she'll want to rush over and chop you down?"

Zhongli couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. He hadn't tricked her.

However, since Lord Tianli said he had deceived her, even if that wasn't true, it now was.

As soon as he finished speaking, a large crane with blue tail feathers descended from the sky and landed gracefully on the island in the middle of the lake. The immortal light glowed as it transformed into a woman wearing red-rimmed glasses, exuding an aura of grace and immortality.

Seeing Zhongli, she quickly said respectfully, "Emperor."

Zhongli nodded. "Liuyun."

Cloud Retainer, also known as Liuyun, looked at the young man sitting in her usual spot and asked with a hint of doubt, "Emperor, who is this young man?"

Zhongli replied, "This is the ruler of time from Sky Island, Lord Takumi Tianzhi."

Liuyun was shocked. The god of Sky Island! The ruler of time! Was he a god of even higher rank than the Geo Archon?

She had known about the 'World Swallowing Plan' from the very beginning and had been preparing for it, awaiting orders from Sky Island.

Could it be that their mission was approaching?

Thinking of this, Liuyun quickly saluted respectfully. "Cloud Retainer of Jueyun, Liuyun pays respects to Lord Takumi."

Takumi admired Liuyun's human form and said, "No need for formalities. I'm just catching up with Morax. Feel free to go about your business."

Liuyun bowed slightly. She had seen the other seven rulers of the world gather with Zhongli before. "It is natural for the Geo Archon to have infinite power and connections with the gods of Sky Island."

"Emperor, that traveler has completed my test and is on her way."

With that, she looked towards the entrance to the path leading to the mountaintop.

Lumine's face was stained with ash, and she was holding a pot of soup. Paimon floated beside her, looking utterly exhausted.

Paimon pouted and complained, "Finally, I'm done with making this Immortal's Jumping Over the Wall. It took two days and two nights! And now I hear the Geo Archon made us prepare such a complicated dish."

Seeing the soup pot in Lumine's hands, drool formed at the corner of her mouth.

"And we can't even have a taste. Hmph, I think that Geo Archon is a stingy guy."

Lumine glanced at Paimon. "All you think about is eating, right? Didn't I give you the leftovers?"

"Don't forget what you said earlier. When the time comes, you'll give the Geo Archon a good slap."

Paimon suddenly perked up and waved her tiny hands. "I never said that! The Geo Archon is right ahead. If he hears you, I'll be doomed."

Lumine carried the pot of soup as they reached the island in the middle of the lake. She was surprised to see Zhongli and Takumi there.

"Takumi, Zhongli? Why are you two here?"