The Rebirth of Ruotuo! Lin Yuan Carves the Dragon!

In addition to Ganyu and Keqing, Hu Tao's other friends had been dropping by to visit Lin Yuan during this period.

After Lin Yuan defeated Ba Che, Hu Tao had revealed his true identity to everyone, sparking immense curiosity among them. After confirming with Hu Tao that Lin Yuan wouldn't mind their visits, many of them decided to come and meet him.

For example, Xiangling visited frequently. Knowing Lin Yuan's love for good food, she always brought home-cooked dishes when she visited. Unlike the gourmet meals that Ganyu often brought from famous chefs, Xiangling's food was more homestyle. Yet, with her exceptional culinary skills, even simple dishes were extraordinarily delicious.

As a divine dragon, Lin Yuan could taste something deeper in Xiangling's food—the flavor of mortal life.

Xingqiu and Chongyun, upon learning of Lin Yuan's identity as the new Geo Archon, felt obligated to visit him at least once. Even Yun Jin had come a few times, hoping to create a new opera commemorating the birth of the new Archon. Sometimes she would bring Xinyan along; other times, she came alone.

Lin Yuan had no objection to the opera. He only shared the parts of his life and knowledge that he thought appropriate with Yun Jin. The rest was up to her creative talent. Eventually, she invited Lin Yuan to come see the finished performance, and he agreed.

Days passed in this way, and as people's curiosity about the new Archon gradually faded, they returned to their usual routines. Fewer and fewer people came to see Lin Yuan.

With fewer visitors, Lin Yuan found himself with more free time. By now, the reconstruction of Liyue Harbor was mostly complete, and the city had regained its vibrant atmosphere. Although he hadn't personally gone out to see it, Lin Yuan could feel the bustling energy of Liyue from afar.

After spending days resting, Lin Yuan felt the urge to get out. On one particular day, he left his cozy space to enjoy the sunshine, only to find Zhongli sitting in the courtyard, sipping tea.

"Old man, you're really living the life now!" Lin Yuan remarked with a sigh.

Zhongli had fully retired from his role as the Geo Archon. With no need to handle government affairs, and with his divine powers now transferred to Lin Yuan, he spent his days leisurely.

Taking a sip of tea, Zhongli replied calmly, "Aren't you living the same way, Lin Yuan?"

Lin Yuan paused, realizing that he, too, was living a pretty laid-back life. As the new Geo Archon, he had delegated all administrative matters to the Qixing. Handling government affairs was out of the question for him—he was perfectly content staying at home all day doing nothing.

"It's not the same!" Lin Yuan defended himself. "I may not deal with politics, but when Liyue faces a crisis, who else but me will have to step in?"

Liyue was littered with potential threats. During the Archon War, it had been one of the most fiercely contested regions, with countless gods fighting for dominance. Even those who perished or were sealed away still had remnants scattered across Liyue.

One day, any one of those sealed gods could break free again.

Zhongli took another sip of tea, remaining silent. Those matters were no longer his concern. He was content to leave it all behind.

Lin Yuan didn't mind either. With his current strength, he felt confident in handling any battle that came his way.

The stone formed from Ruotuo's essence is still with Lin Yuan. Back then, due to Ba Zhe's invasion, there wasn't enough time to handle Ruotuo's rebirth. After carrying that stone for a few days, Lin Yuan noticed that Ruotuo had been slowly absorbing the energy that he naturally leaked, so he was curious to see how far Ruotuo would grow.

"Ruotuo has stopped absorbing my power now; it seems she has reached her limit," Lin Yuan said to Zhongli.

"Ruotuo, huh... Well, since we have some free time now, let's go ahead and take care of Ruotuo's rebirth," Zhongli said, a flash of memory reflecting in his eyes as he set down his tea.

Lin Yuan brought along Lottia and, together with Zhongli, headed back to Fulong Valley. The valley was still in ruins, full of scars from the battle that took place there. The most notable one was the huge rift in the ground that had been torn open when Ruotuo emerged from her seal.

Around Fulong Valley, a squad of Millelith soldiers was stationed, keeping ordinary citizens from getting too close. After the story of the Dragon Emperor's battle in Fulong Valley had spread, countless civilians came with the desire to witness the site where the Dragon Emperor's exploits had occurred.

However, the battle had left the mountain terrain in the valley extremely fragile. Landslides occurred frequently. During the Millelith's deployment here, they had already witnessed several minor landslides. Besides that, the four elemental energies that Ruotuo had summoned during the battle hadn't fully dissipated. Now, inside the valley, there were still wild elemental storms raging.

Both the landslides and the elemental storms posed serious threats to ordinary people. Quite some time had already passed, and the Seven Stars had issued public warnings about the dangerous state of Fulong Valley. Now, only a few civilians came close. The Millelith stationed there had also been reduced several times, and now only two small teams rotated duty.

As usual, these Millelith were patrolling the area around the valley, making sure no ordinary people strayed into the dangerous territory.

"Who's there?"

The Millelith soldiers stationed at the outskirts of Fulong Valley noticed three figures, one large and two smaller, approaching the valley. They immediately raised their guard.

But soon, one of the patrolling Millelith recognized Lin Yuan's identity.

"The Dragon Emperor!"

The soldier, caught off guard by the Dragon Emperor's sudden appearance, called out in a flustered voice. He quickly instructed his companion to notify the other soldiers resting at the base.

In no time, all the Millelith stationed there had assembled, standing tall and proud in front of Lin Yuan.

"No need for formalities. Continue with your guard duties. I just need to enter the valley," Lin Yuan said calmly.

"Yes, sir!" the Millelith soldiers responded loudly, their voices filled with excitement.

Lin Yuan waved his claw, then proceeded to enter Fulong Valley with Zhongli. The soldiers were thrilled by their close encounter with the Dragon Emperor, who turned out to be approachable and down-to-earth. They watched with shining eyes as Lin Yuan's figure disappeared into the depths of the valley, their spirits lifted as they resumed their duties.

Inside Fulong Valley, the elemental energy that Ruotuo had summoned before was still wreaking havoc, forming several elemental whirlpools that occasionally collided, releasing bursts of energy. The violent clashes between these forces caused tremors throughout the valley, and pieces of stone crumbled and fell from the surrounding cliffs.

"I didn't expect the energy to still be lingering after all this time!" Lin Yuan remarked in surprise.

"It seems the elemental energy is stuck due to a disruption in the ley lines," Lottia, the embodiment of water, quickly detected an abnormality within the swirling water element.

Because of the fierce battle that had occurred, the ley lines in the area had become chaotic. However, this chaos had also created a strange equilibrium. Every time the elemental energy was depleted, more would leak out from the ley lines to replenish it, ensuring the elements never fully dissipated despite their constant clashes.

"These elemental forces can help fuel Ruotuo's rebirth," Zhongli said in a serious tone.

Lin Yuan nodded in agreement. Ruotuo, as the Dragon King capable of controlling four elements, was naturally suited to be reborn in this elemental-rich environment. It felt as if the circumstances were perfectly arranged for her rebirth.

Lin Yuan took out the stone formed from Ruotuo's essence and placed it at the center of Fulong Valley. He glanced back at Zhongli, knowing that Ruotuo had once been Zhongli's loyal companion. Even though she had reverted to her stone form, the bond forged through millennia of battles together couldn't just fade away.

Zhongli, however, shook his head. "Now that you are Liyue's Emperor, Ruotuo should be sculpted by you."

Lin Yuan nodded, accepting the responsibility. Summoning his divine power, he began carving the stone, following the natural grooves on its surface to shape it into a dragon form. Just as Zhongli had once said, the dragon shape already existed within the stone—it only needed to be freed.

As Lin Yuan infused the stone with his divine power, the elemental energies in the valley seemed to react. Four elemental ribbons—red, white, blue, and purple—extended from the whirlpools, connecting to the stone at the center. Bit by bit, the elemental power flowed into the stone.

As time passed, the pull of the energy grew stronger, forming a multicolored vortex at the heart of Fulong Valley.

Boom!

The balance between the elements shattered, and a tremendous explosion rang out, causing the entire Fuao Valley to tremble violently. The fissures above threatened to break apart again!

"Watch out!"

Lottie's cool voice called out. She saw a massive boulder, torn by elemental forces, plummeting down. Quickly, she conjured a Hydro shield, placing it above Lin Yuan for protection. However, even with her best efforts, the shields distorted and twisted under the pull of the swirling elemental vortex!

This vortex was powered by Lin Yuan's divine strength, so it was natural that Lottie couldn't fully control the water element.

"No need to worry."

Lin Yuan's claw gently patted Lottie's head as he strengthened her Hydro shields. Since Lottie was a being composed of water elements, her shields were essentially an extension of her body, and letting her battle his divine power could be harmful to her.

Lottie was simply concerned for him. If even the attacks of Azhdaha, the Geo Dragon Lord, couldn't break through his defenses, what harm could a few falling stones do?

After enveloping the three of them in Jade Shields, Lin Yuan hoped it would ease Lottie's worry.

It was unfortunate that Lottie, being a Hydro elemental creature, couldn't blush, or her face would have turned completely red by now. She shyly hid behind Lin Yuan, her timid demeanor bringing a knowing smile to his face.

Continuing to channel his divine power, the body of Rex Lapis' Stone Beast, Ruo Tuo, was beginning to take shape. Lin Yuan sculpted it according to the original patterns of the stone, its form looking just like the Ruo Tuo from his memories.

But then, Zhongli, who had been silently observing from the side, suddenly spoke up.

"Ruo Tuo never had a fixed appearance. Why not try sculpting him into a divine dragon form like yours?"

"Is that really possible?"

Lin Yuan looked suspiciously at the elder Zhongli. If it was possible to change the appearance, why had this old man sculpted Ruo Tuo in such an ugly shape before?

"By the logic of elemental creation, any form can be changed."

Zhongli replied calmly, but under Lin Yuan's sharp, dagger-like gaze, even with his 6,000 years of composure, he started to feel a bit embarrassed.

"In the past, I simply thought it was best to maintain his original appearance. Besides, Ruo Tuo didn't care!"

Nonsense! Ruo Tuo had spent all his time underground. How would he even know what the aesthetic standards of the outside world were?

Having never seen anything else, of course, he wouldn't think he looked bad!

Sure enough, Ruo Tuo's appearance was on Zhongli's shoulders! Lin Yuan rolled his eyes at him.

Zhongli could only sigh. In the ancient times, when the land of Teyvat was still wild, many of the gods and creatures had bizarre and strange forms. By comparison, Ruo Tuo's form was rough, but it made sense in context.

Besides, when a mighty Dragon Lord, hundreds of meters tall, stood before you, imposing with all that pressure, the last thing you'd think about was whether the dragon was ugly!

But Lin Yuan no longer cared. Excitedly, he looked at the center of Fuao Valley where the stone beast lay. Since he could change its shape, it was time to sculpt something magnificent!

Divine power flowed into the stone, slowly reshaping Ruo Tuo's appearance.

Unlike before, when the outer stone shell was peeled away, now the core of the stone itself needed reshaping. Soon, Ruo Tuo would become his familiar, and if he were going to present it to the people of Mondstadt, it couldn't be unsightly!

It didn't have to be astonishingly handsome, but at the very least, it couldn't be particularly ugly, right?

Conjuring an icy mirror before himself, Lin Yuan began to sculpt Ruo Tuo's new form, using his own image as a reference. Under the guidance of his divine power, Ruo Tuo was on the verge of manifesting into the real world. However, to reshape Ruo Tuo's appearance, Lin Yuan temporarily suppressed its formation, cutting off its pull on the surrounding elemental energy. For now, Fuao Valley returned to a peaceful state, only the subtle hum of Lin Yuan's divine power breaking the silence.

It made sense now why so many games had character customization features. Humans naturally held a great fascination for such things!

After much careful work, Ruo Tuo's new form was finally complete. It was a lifelike image of a divine dragon, full of spirit. Though made of stone, it appeared almost alive. Its form closely resembled Lin Yuan's own, with the only noticeable difference being the color. Ruo Tuo retained its original sturdy Geo-colored exterior, distinct from Lin Yuan's appearance.

"It looks just like Lin Yuan!" Lottie said with a tinge of disappointment.

Her strength didn't compare, but before this transformation, she could at least take some comfort in the fact that Ruo Tuo's appearance was rougher. Now, with Ruo Tuo bearing the same majestic form as the Geo Archon, both being divine familiars, she felt entirely overshadowed, making her even more envious and disheartened.

Lin Yuan chuckled softly and patted Lottie's head, reassuring her:

"Don't feel down. In time, I'll find a fitting opportunity for you too!"

Lottie nodded earnestly, quickly regaining her composure.

After comforting Lottie, Lin Yuan returned his focus to the sculpture. Ruo Tuo's new form was complete, save for one final detail—the eyes.

Thinking about the ancient story of "bringing a dragon to life with the final touch," Lin Yuan mused. Perhaps the final touch, bringing the sculpture to life, should be left to someone more experienced.

Turning to Zhongli, he said:

"Old man, how about you take care of the finishing touch for the eyes?"

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T/N:

For those wondering if the main character gains a human form, the answer is yes! Here's a sneak peek: "The figure was clad in a flowing golden robe, intricately embroidered with a lifelike dragon. At his waist, he wore a...."(Chapter 84)

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