"Haha…"
"So that's the reason."
Qiu Nian said with an amused smile after hearing Lumine's explanation.
"In that case, I happen to have an excellent sword with me."
"I'll lend it to you for now."
"When you obtain a better weapon in the future, you can simply return it to me."
"There's no need to worry about it wearing down."
"As a weapon I once used, no matter how you wield it, it won't suffer any damage."
"As for sharpness… it should at least be sharper than your Dull Blade."
As Qiu Nian finished speaking, a long sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
The blade bore mysterious patterns.
Both the guard and the hilt were deep green, resembling aged, weathered wood.
The blade itself carried a gradient of colors—deep green, dark red, and violet.
The colors gradually blended together as they extended toward the tip.
The overall appearance was ancient and austere.
Most of the blade was covered in deep green and dark red, while the violet at the tip occupied only a tiny portion.
Carved patterns on the blade slowly flowed with something resembling a faint blue starry sky, emitting a dim, subtle glow.
The entire weapon looked both mysterious and ancient.
Yes—
This was Qiu Nian's sword: Zhanxi.
"What a beautiful sword…"
Paimon said while examining it with wide eyes.
"Qiu Nian… are you really going to lend this sword to me?"
Lumine looked carefully at the sword floating in Qiu Nian's hand and asked in surprise.
"Haha…"
"This sword is no longer of much use to me."
"Just take it and use it."
Qiu Nian explained with a light laugh.
"Then I won't hold back."
Lumine accepted it without hesitation.
The moment she grasped the sword, she could clearly feel a strange sensation—
Heavy.
Vast.
And eerily silent, like endless emptiness.
"Oh, right."
"This sword is called Zhanxi."
"It's getting late now, so I'll head back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"I wish you both a smooth journey."
After saying that, Qiu Nian glanced at the sun that had already set behind the mountains and began walking downhill.
"Zhanxi…"
Lumine murmured.
She looked at Qiu Nian's retreating figure, then at the sword in her hand.
She decided to go test it on a few monsters.
"Wow, that sword looks amazing!"
"And it's a five-star weapon!"
Xuehua stared at the item notification that popped up on the left side of the screen.
Today she was cosplaying Ganyu, looking absolutely stunning.
She quickly opened the weapon menu and found Zhanxi under the one-handed swords.
Zhanxi
Base ATK: 627
CRIT DMG: 40.2%
Level: 90 / 90
Passive — Dead Waters Shall Reawaken, Withered Wood Will Bloom Again
HP +6%
All Elemental Damage Bonus +8.9%
Normal Attack Damage +10.5%
Elemental Mastery +35
Energy Recharge +15%
When the current character generates elemental particles through attacks, absorbing them allows switching to any character, granting the current character +10% ATK for 10 seconds.
Description:
A heavy and ancient sword that appears sealed, like withered wood deprived of water.
Strangely, when you hold it, you feel an immense, endless stillness—as if the vast silence of the cosmos resides within the blade.
You know that "Zhan" represents clear and transparent water.
"Xi", in ancient Liyue script, depicts splitting wood with an axe.
Water and wood-splitting.
Zhanxi.
A strange combination… one you cannot quite understand.
"Qiu Nian just gave me a fully leveled five-star sword?!"
Xuehua leaned so close to the screen that her Ganyu horns almost hit the monitor.
She completely lost composure and shouted.
The livestream chat instantly filled with question marks.
[Well… Qiu Nian is definitely Dad now]
[That base attack is higher than Skyward Blade!]
[Not just that—the main stat is Crit Damage and the passive buffs literally everything]
[This sword works on basically every sword character]
[You don't need to guess—it works on EVERYONE]
[Even compared to Skyward Blade it's insane]
[But Skyward Blade at R5 might still be stronger]
[Why are you comparing so much? THIS ONE IS FREE]
[It's already level 90 too! No farming materials needed!]
[Why does he just give this to us for free?!]
[Thank you, Dad!!!]
[The one true god, Qiu Nian]
[I apologize for doubting Qiu Nian earlier]
[Bro has great taste in life]
[Zhongli is business style, Qiu Nian is sporty style]
[Actually the opposite]
[Not quite]
[Qiu Nian really does seem sporty though—he's been walking around nonstop]
[You guys are killing me hahaha]
[The lore description of the sword is such a riddle]
[Yeah, and it says the sword is sealed… did Qiu Nian seal it himself?]
[The unsealed version is probably his signature weapon when he becomes playable]
[That makes sense]
[If this sealed version is already this broken… imagine the real one]
[So when exactly will Qiu Nian enter the banner?!]
[After I pull Zhongli and Childe, I'm saving all my Primogems for Qiu Nian]
[Same here, I'm saving with you]
After returning to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Qiu Nian went back to his room.
He read for a while before washing up and going to sleep.
The next morning—
As usual, the two "experts," Zhongli and Qiu Nian, took turns lecturing the young attendants.
Once finished, Qiu Nian left the funeral parlor.
After eating breakfast at Wanmin Restaurant, he headed out of Liyue Harbor.
"Good morning, Mr. Qiu Nian!"
Some Liyue citizens recognized him along the road and greeted him warmly.
Qiu Nian responded with a gentle smile to each of them.
After leaving the harbor, he decided to head toward Lingju Pass.
There were many ancient ruins in that area—a perfect place to explore.
When he arrived, he began strolling along a mountain path.
But before long, he was stopped by a Millelith soldier named Daipai.
"Be careful, sir."
"This isn't the best time for sightseeing."
Daipai warned with a firm voice, looking at the scholar-like young man before him.
"Why do you say that? Has something happened?"
Qiu Nian asked curiously.
"Yes."
"Our headquarters has received multiple sighting reports."
"Some Ruin Guards have been wandering in places where they absolutely shouldn't be."
Daipai explained.
"Our commander sent people to investigate their origin."
"It seems they suddenly emerged from a certain ruin."
"Hm…"
"Ruin Guards…"
Qiu Nian placed a hand on his chin, appearing deep in thought.
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