[The Dragon's Palace]
The battle was over.
The Black Dragon King was dead, his soul devoured and his body harvested. But the cost was high.
The Diren Queen sat on the ground, her vitality fading rapidly.
Without the Eternal Youth Array, time was catching up to her. Her flawless skin wrinkled, her hair turned white, and her breathing grew shallow. She looked like a withered flower.
She had lost her youth, her blood essence, and her hope.
Shenhe walked over, her expression unusually soft. "He didn't forget you because he wanted to. Gu Yue... he had no choice."
"No choice?" The Queen wheezed, her voice raspy. "I waited two thousand years..."
"He is the Earth Emperor," Rosalyne explained, stepping forward. "He used his power to seal the Rift in the Sky to prevent a Demon Invasion. The price of the seal was his memory of love. He remembers you exist, but he doesn't remember loving you."
The Queen froze. "So... he didn't abandon me?"
"No," a gentle voice spoke from the air.
An old man descended on a cloud. It was He Ran (Ran Weng), the immortal companion of Gu Yue.
"I tried to tell you, child," He Ran sighed. "But you wouldn't listen. You trapped me in that barrier."
"Is he... truly safe?" The Queen asked, a spark of life returning to her eyes.
"He is in Tianwai Village," He Ran nodded. "But look at you now. You have days left to live."
"It doesn't matter," the Queen smiled weakly. "Even if I am an old woman... I want to see him. Just once."
He Ran looked at the Teyvat group, then back at the Queen. "Very well. I will take you to him. Better to die with closure than live in sorrow."
He waved his hand, lifting the Queen onto his cloud.
Before leaving, He Ran glanced at Su Han's team. "You defeated the Dragon but did not take the Kongtong Seal for yourselves. You have good hearts. Fate will reward you."
With that, the cloud ascended, carrying the tragic couple away.
Chen Jingchou watched them go, clutching the Kongtong Seal. "They... really left it to us?"
"Yeah," Beidou shrugged, hauling a massive chunk of dragon meat. "We're not here for the Seal. We're here for the loot. Speaking of which..."
She pointed to the piles of frozen Shrimp Soldiers.
"Xiangling, pack these up. We're having a seafood feast tonight."
[System Notification]
[Mission Complete: Defeat the Black Dragon King.]
[Reward: 400,000 Points (40,000 per member).]
[Time Remaining: 50 Minutes.]
While the others processed the seafood, Rosalyne slipped away into the inner sanctum.
The Dragon King's treasury.
Gold and jewels were everywhere, but Rosalyne ignored them. She was looking for something more valuable.
In a hidden study, she found a shelf of glowing Jade Slips.
She picked one up and injected her spiritual energy.
[Manual: Water Ripple Emerald Array]
A defensive formation capable of blocking attacks from Immortals.
"Jackpot," Rosalyne whispered.
There were dozens of them. Formations, cultivation techniques, alchemical recipes—all left behind by the ancient immortals who once lived here. The Dragon King had hoarded them but likely couldn't understand half of them.
Rosalyne swept the entire shelf into her inventory. With these, she could upgrade the defenses of the Sky City and Inazuma significantly.
[Return to Teyvat]
Flash.
The team materialized back in Tenshukaku. They were battered, bruised, but grinning.
[Multiverse Mission Chat Group]
Hu Tao: "Welcome back! That looked intense! Is everyone okay?"
Ningguang: "Good work. The Dragon King looked formidable."
Lisa: "I noticed something interesting. That old immortal, He Ran... he was watching the whole time, wasn't he?"
Su Han: "Correct. He Ran is powerful enough to slap the Dragon King into oblivion. But he didn't interfere because it was a trial for the protagonists—and for us."
Beidou: "Tch. You knew that? You almost got us killed!"
Ganyu: "I believe... that was the point. Without that pressure, I wouldn't have achieved Bankai. The recent missions were too easy. We needed a life-or-death struggle to break our limits."
Diluc: "Agreed. I realized my claymore technique is too rigid. I need to refine my Haki."
Eula: "My bones are broken, but my spirit is stronger. I won't lose next time."
Rosalyne: "Indeed. The gap between Elemental Energy and True Qi is vast. But we found the path. Compress your power. Form a Core. That is how we reach the next level."
Su Han: "Exactly. You've all grown. Now, rest up. The Moonchase Festival is coming, and we have a lot of Dragon Meat to cook."
Xiangling: "I'm already on it! Black Dragon Soup coming right up!"
The group laughed. They had survived the Sky Trace, and they were stronger for it.
But in the shadows of the lab, Albedo was staring at a sample of Diren blood he had collected.
"Fascinating..." he muttered. "The cellular structure... it's adaptable. If I combine this with the properties of a Vision..."
The Chalk Prince smiled.
"I might be able to create something wonderful."
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