His Birth Shocks the Adepti of Liyue!

As Lin Yuan broke out of his egg and was born, the adepti of the Liyue mountains, particularly those residing in Jueyun Karst, sensed something extraordinary. Within their hidden abodes, they were all simultaneously drawn to the direction of Liyue Harbor, their expressions filled with shock.

A teal-colored mystical bird emerged from its cave, craning its neck to peer through the clouds toward the unseen harbor. This was none other than Cloud Retainer, the adeptus who had raised Ganyu.

At that moment, within Cloud Retainer's eyes, the sky above Liyue Harbor radiated with a towering and majestic aura. Though common folk couldn't perceive it, to beings like her, it was as bright as the sun in the darkest of nights.

Shock flickered in Cloud Retainer's eyes as she muttered to herself, "What is this majestic aura...?"

Before Cloud Retainer could fully comprehend it, a celestial voice rang out:

"Liyue has undergone a major change, the situation is urgent. All adepti must gather at Mountain Shaper's abode immediately for discussion."

Without delay, Cloud Retainer spread her wings and, using her adeptal arts, soared swiftly toward Mountain Shaper's domain.

Upon her arrival, she found that the adepti of Liyue had already gathered. Even the reclusive Conqueror of Demons, Xiao, was present.

Mountain Shaper, with his stag-like horns and dragon-scaled body, emerged from his cave and solemnly addressed the gathered adepti, "I assume you all sensed the aura from Liyue earlier."

The adepti, unable to hold back their questions, began to speak one after another:

"What was that aura we felt?"

"Such an aura... I've only ever sensed it from the Geo Archon himself. But surely, the Geo Archon wouldn't release such a powerful aura in Liyue."

"The Geo Archon has retired into the human world; this aura belongs to someone else."

The adepti all knew the truth that the Geo Archon had not truly perished, which only deepened their confusion. The aura they felt was not inferior to that of the Geo Archon—an emperor's presence, a sign of good fortune, and an overwhelming pressure far beyond any adeptus.

Mountain Shaper continued in a deep tone, "Stay calm, everyone. The aura, while overwhelming, also carries auspicious signs. This indicates that the being behind it harbors no ill intent. However, the appearance of such a powerful entity in Liyue without our knowledge is still a cause for concern."

Cloud Retainer added, "We must investigate thoroughly to avoid potential disasters."

Xiao, standing coldly to the side, said, "We need to find out the truth, to prevent any unforeseen threats."

The adepti, filled with questions, shared their thoughts:

"Did any of you sense how closely that aura resembled the Geo Archon's?"

"Indeed, the aura felt deeply connected to the Geo Archon. If we didn't know better, we might think..."

Mountain Shaper's voice boomed like thunder, "Do not speculate wildly. The Geo Archon is still alive. This world cannot give birth to a second Geo Archon."

The adepti understood. It was said that when a nation's god perished, a new deity would eventually rise to take their place. For instance, the Dendro Archon of Sumeru, the Lesser Lord Kusanali, had ascended in such a manner. But since the Geo Archon was still alive, no new god could possibly be born to Liyue.

One adeptus speculated, "Could there really be a second dragon in this world?"

"Impossible. The Geo Archon is the only true dragon in existence."

"The true dragon is a being of unparalleled might. Given time, it will naturally rise to become one of the strongest in the world. It's hard to imagine another such being appearing."

Despite all their guesses, the adepti remained puzzled.

Mountain Shaper declared, "We cannot rest until we know the truth. Let us all head to Liyue and uncover the source of this aura ourselves."

"Agreed."

The adepti, unable to tolerate such a powerful unknown presence within Liyue, nodded in unison. They would have to go and investigate firsthand.

Thus, they all took flight from Mountain Shaper's cave, each using their own abilities—some revealing their true forms, others riding the clouds, and some transforming into beams of light—heading towards Liyue Harbor.

Meanwhile, back at Liyue Harbor, Ganyu and the others had arrived before the Qixing.

Tianquan Ningguang, gazing over at Lin Yuan and Hu Tao, calmly asked, "Ganyu, is this the new Geo Archon? And is that Hu Tao, the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor?"

Ganyu nodded softly, "Yes, Lord Ningguang. Hu Tao was the one who incubated the egg and brought the new Geo Archon to us."

The Qixing turned their attention to Hu Tao, curious about the person who had discovered the egg of the new Archon and returned it to Liyue.

Far from being intimidated, Hu Tao met their gaze head-on and even spoke up with a grin, "I'm Hu Tao, the 77th director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I trust the Qixing will continue to support our business in the future!"

The Qixing, well aware of the nature of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's work, nearly broke their composed expressions at Hu Tao's cheeky remark. Her singular nature was immediately evident.

Hu Tao continued with a smirk, "I must correct one thing Ganyu said. It wasn't just me that incubated the egg; it was my very own method—the constant temperature incubation technique!"

At that, even Lin Yuan was speechless. Had he not worried that Hu Tao would cook him, he might never have broken out of the egg on his own. Hu Tao's "incubation method" working was nothing short of a miracle.

Despite their immense experience, the Qixing couldn't help but praise Hu Tao for her achievement.

With a small sense of pride, Hu Tao basked in their compliments.

At that moment, Ningguang spoke again, "Hu Tao, could you tell us in more detail how you came across the new Geo Archon's egg?"

The others were just as curious, eager to hear the full story of Hu Tao's discovery.

Hu Tao recounted her adventure at Wuwang Hill, detailing how she found the egg and encountered the Fatui. After she finished, the Qixing fell silent in contemplation.

"You said you encountered the Fatui before finding the egg?"

"To think the Fatui almost took our new Geo Archon... that's terrifying."

"We'll need to question the envoy from Snezhnaya. How could they show up at such an opportune time?"

Hearing how Hu Tao had thwarted the Fatui and safeguarded the egg belonging to Liyue's new Archon, the Qixing began to warm to her.

Any lingering skepticism about Hu Tao was dissipating, replaced with respect. She had, after all, played a crucial role in bringing the new Geo Archon to Liyue.

Having recounted her story, the focus shifted back to the little dragon—Lin Yuan—who was still focused on nursing, oblivious to the weight of the matters being discussed around him.

It was time for the Qixing to discuss how best to assist the newly born dragon.