I'm in the Teyvat running group

While collecting information about the Azure Spirit Carp and searching for various other things, Yunxiu and Hutao finally arrived at the first key place mentioned by Fujin, the "Lingshu Court," which was once the residence of the White Snake Immortal. There were still a large number of medicine cages here, and they were still continuously emitting waves of immortal power.

“This place… seems to have a lot of things similar to what Doctor Bai has.” Hu Tao pointed to the huge medicine cage floating in the air and said, “Yunxiu, could this thing be something left over from ancient times?”

"You can certainly be a little bolder with your guesses. Remember the white snake with immortality around Doctor Bai's neck?" Yunxiu smiled.

"This used to be his home."

Chapter 268 Spiritual Pivot Listens to the True Insights and Receives Immortal Gifts (Second Update on Thursday!)

The war between demons and gods is a rather absurd thing.

Driven by the 'Primordial', all the demons launched a war, and they even devoured each other. But the reality was not so simple, or in other words, the demon war was actually a conspiracy.

The war itself was quite public from its inception to its final end, at least on the surface of the water. But the events that occurred underwater were not so simple. Why did the demon god of Shenyu Valley go mad? Why did the children of Sky Island rebel? These are all essentially unsolved mysteries.

Even how the Grass Dragon King managed to escape the gaze of Sky Island and survive to this day is a strange question. However, it is possible that he has some connection with the Red King, and it is normal for this child of Sky Island to have some privileges.

The current situation of the White Snake Medicine Lord is actually a result of this war.

"The White Serpent, the Medicine Lord, is that the immortality snake on Doctor Bai's neck? How did he become like this?" Hu Tao was quite puzzled. She herself had been to Bu Bu Lu many times for various reasons, and occasionally needed to take in some incurable patients from Bu Bu Lu to prepare ceremonies for their funerals. The snake on Bai Shu's neck was indeed eye-catching, and quite venomous:

"If it's that snake, wouldn't it be huge? I've seen Sister Gan Yu's true form, and it's enormous!"

"This is what's known as the 'Snake-Drag-Dragon Method,' which is actually a way to survive by borrowing life force." Yunxiu touched the exterior of the medicine cage, sensing the aura within. The cage itself did indeed feel like snakeskin, though snakeskin is traditionally used in medicine. He looked at Hu Tao and said, "Sharing life force with a pharmacist, signing a contract, and exchanging medical skills for the continuation of life is a rather excellent secret method."

“Is that so…” Hu Tao said in silence, “Doesn’t that mean Dr. Bai’s life will be very short…”

"This was Bai Shu's own choice, but if he comes to me, I wouldn't mind helping him out." Yun Xiu smiled. It really wasn't a big problem for him; Teyvat's suppression of life and lifespan was far too strong, what did it have to do with him, a Descendant...

The Reign of Death told her that Teyvat's destiny was unbreakable, and that if she wanted to gain a lifespan beyond her original rank, she would suffer a backlash.

That's right. This law of fate is firmly nailed to the skies of Teyvat, just like how if humans want to live beyond the limit of their lifespan, they must use some other means, or they might simply turn into something strange.

Even if you reach the pinnacle of legendary status, it is unavoidable. This is why Anya Anderstot, the illusionary witch at the pinnacle of legendary status, ultimately did not choose to extend her lifespan. Although the other members of the Witch Guild could extend her lifespan with their strength, she would have to bear the consequences herself.

That is, to become a non-human monster. Anya wanted to die in human form, so she chose to give her last pen to Dulin after her life ended, so that the little dragon could live in the new world.

However, most of the laws of Teyvat are useless against the Descendants. The Descendants are worlds in themselves, carrying complete world laws, and most of them are not weak. Although Luminosity at her peak could not defeat Asmodian, one of the incarnations of the Heavenly Principle, she could still deal with most of the Daedric Lords without any problem.

Although Yunxiu was born in the form of a mortal, he grew to the point where he could influence the situation in Teyvat in about a year.

Therefore, Yunxiu could use the Kiss of Time to directly transfer the cost of his relatives' immortality to himself. Of course, he would have to bear some backlash, but compared to his own status, it would be nothing.

This backlash will manifest as energy consumption, but as a powerful legendary mage, Yunxiu's own energy level has been pushed to a level comparable to some weak demon gods. Not to mention tens of thousands of energy consumption, even ten times that amount wouldn't matter.

As for what the future holds...

Judging from Asmodie's methods, the final result will be nothing more than the four Kage taking action themselves, but what does that mean to her?

Unlike Luminous, who needs a spaceship to leave this world, the Reign of the Sky's own binding spells cannot surpass the level of gods. After all, even if Teyvat suppresses its power, Asmodian cannot possess the power of a chief god; Fanes at his peak might be more like it.

Then just run.

However, running away will definitely leave behind a bunch of hidden dangers that can't be dealt with...

But the four shadows will probably be the most troubled at that time, right?

Yunxiu is currently maintaining a terrifying balance with the Four Shadows, because the biggest problem lies in the promotion of the magic system and a series of new cultivation methods.

At least in most cases in Teyvat's history, whether it was the existence of Hyperion, the rise of Canria, or even the series of events involving the Red King's technology, the fundamental reason why the anti-Sky Isles system did not succeed was that every action had a leader and someone took the lead.

Of course, there were also people who rushed to the front.

But now, the biggest problem for Teyvat is that the promotion of elemental barriers, the Spirit Sealing Cave Mirror, and the spell cultivation system has eliminated barriers for most people's cultivation.

With the Spirit Realm solving communication and exchange, and the new mechanism resolving the qualification issue, unless the Heavenly Principles themselves launch a world-ending attack, wiping out the entire Teyvat and then restarting a new world, it would be meaningless to force Yunxiu out of this world.

Not to mention that this world itself is extremely fragile and unlikely to withstand a world-ending event, the spread and promotion of the elemental isolation spell, a zero-ring spell, is extremely easy, requiring only a few dozen runes to write down.

Once it is passed down to the next era, the magic system will still emerge in a very short time, even without sufficiently detailed guidance; it will only delay things a little.

Maintaining Yunxiu's public status and existence allows us to plan the development direction of the magic system itself. However, things will get interesting once everyone collectively moves towards the abyss and the undead in the next era. Neither Tianli nor the Four Shadows can withstand such devastation.

Therefore, the two sides are currently maintaining a kind of terrifying balance.

Yunxiu only thought of this matter after the standoff with the major ruling powers ended following her rescue of Funina.

The reason he initially developed the Elemental Barrier was actually because of Zhiqiong. He simply wanted to save Zhiqiong. Humans themselves could not withstand elemental power, so he developed the Elemental Barrier with Xianyun. He also created an array through the creation of the Sealed Spirit Cave Yuanjian, thus promoting the entire magic system.

His first disciple was Zhiqiong. At first, his magic was only promoted on a small scale within the Imperial Academy. He would take on a few disciples every now and then, like the fortune teller Qiming, who is now a fifth-ring divination mage. Her divination skills have improved significantly compared to before, but now she is the head of the divination school of the Liyue Mage Association.

However, with the participation of the Seven Stars and various other forces, the Sealed Spirit Cave Mirror now covers almost all the major cities and gathering points in Teyvat, and almost everyone has mastered the spell of elemental isolation.

There are already hundreds of millions of spellcasters in various countries, and a large number of spells are being developed and uploaded to the Spirit Realm every day. In just half a year, zero-ring spells have emerged one after another, and now all kinds of spells that even Yunxiu could not imagine are being developed.

However, if we follow this line of thinking, Zhiqiong is indeed the key to this world...

After figuring this out, Yunxiu began to act more freely. As long as she didn't do anything to harm the foundation of Teyvat, the Four Shadows wouldn't do anything to her.

While pondering these matters and collecting Azure Spirit Carp with Hu Tao, Yun Xiu quickly toured the entire Ling Shu Court. Looking at the large pile of things in her hands, Yun Xiu casually tossed them all into her storage bag and smiled at Hu Tao, saying, "Let's eat something first, and then go to the next place?"

“Okay, but this place is so strange. Let’s go to the top of the mountain instead.” Hu Tao waved the handful of Azure Spirit Carp in her hand. She was quite adept at collecting these things: “How many of these do we need to collect to be enough for that fairy? I’ve collected several hundred since today.”

"If I'm not mistaken, there should be tens of thousands of these things... but collecting a portion should be enough to let her roam freely." Yunxiu pulled Hu Tao and jumped all the way up to the mountaintop, then casually found a place without anything strange to do and started cooking.

In reality, there are indeed more Azure Spirit Carp than in the game, but they are not so numerous as to be unbelievable. Moreover, the number of Azure Spirit Carp is also affected by the power of immortality; there are more in places where the power of immortality is abundant, and naturally fewer in places where it is scarce.

Yunxiu collected more than Xiangling, over a thousand, and the two of them together collected nearly two thousand. However, the final number should be ten thousand eight hundred, which coincides with the number of the heavens. After all, there are only a few places in Chenyu Valley with abundant immortal energy. If he only collected two thousand after sweeping around Lingshu Court, then the other places with abundant immortal energy are probably about the same.

"Yunxiu, tell me, what kind of beings are immortals?" Hu Tao asked with considerable doubt while eating the food Yunxiu had prepared. "Tell me, are these immortals all in this predicament because they tried to save the common people? I have read through a lot of history from the period of the war between demons and gods, and there were quite a few immortals like that in that era."

"Won't they...have other intentions? Or do something bad?"

"Hmm...the kind of immortals you're talking about do exist, but they all eventually disappeared." Yunxiu smiled. He wasn't surprised by Hu Tao's question; it was actually the same question most people had after reading about history.

Are there really so many wise and good people in the world who save the world and all living beings, like the immortals of Liyue, many of whom even sacrificed themselves for humanity?

The same applies to Yixiao Daotian, Fujin, Yaojun, and Maxius. And one by one, the immortals and demons who have committed sins will eventually pass away. This seems to be a cliché script where the good guys win and the bad guys lose.

Of course, the kind-hearted immortals did pay a heavy price in this process, but in the end they established the kingdom of Liyue, which can be considered the final victory. This is something that the evil immortals failed to see.

This is what is meant by "those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help."

In reality, it's not that simple.

Because this is actually a very easy question to understand. Even if you set aside all the irrationality, all the storylines and the assumptions about Guan Yu, you will still find something very interesting.

That is, even bad people prefer to live with good people.

Chapter 269 Tracing the Causes of Past Fate with Shen Yu (Third Update on Thursday!)

In a certain TV series, one thing that everyone always jokes about is that after the villains are caught, the first person they seem to look for is always the most righteous one.

The reason is very simple: they know what they will be done to if they fall into the hands of truly bad people after they are caught. On the contrary, if they communicate with good people, they may get a better result, at least they can get fair treatment, and they can have dumplings before eating peanuts.

This principle applies equally to immortals.

Unless one is truly a reclusive immortal, immortals also need subordinates, relatives, disciples, and their own territory. Even before the Geo Archon unified Liyue, there were numerous settlements, large and small, led by immortals or demons, living on this land.

So, when you need to use a certain method to deal with your subordinates and relatives, you will gradually discover that you can only make your overall power grow rapidly by giving them a portion of the benefits they deserve and granting them autonomy.

Otherwise, the first problem is internal strife. Whether it's forceful rule, brutal suppression, or even being all alone and doing everything for yourself, it all comes at a cost. In the midst of internal strife, you'll easily fall behind the development speed of other groups, and it wouldn't be surprising if you were killed by righteous immortals.

In fact, quite a few monsters and villains have been slain in Liyue's historical records, including several killed by Liu Yun.

Moreover, this brings another major problem: in interactions among people of the same level, people prefer to associate with kind immortals. Therefore, kind immortals are often able to obtain more resources and opportunities for growth, and can also form closer alliances to survive in the chaotic world.

When the Geo Archon unifies Liyue, will he first kill the group of wicked immortals and demons, or will he deal with the immortals and demons who treat humans kindly?

In fact, after the war between demons and gods began, most of the kind-hearted immortals and demons gathered under the Emperor's command and ultimately won the war.

The choice between good and evil has nothing to do with personal preference or human nature; it is simply because it is the optimal solution in the long run. The first person in Liyue to realize all this was not the Emperor, but Gui Zhong.

It was precisely because she personally made a pact with the Emperor and formed alliances that the war in Liyue proceeded smoothly.

"Therefore, even the Hall of Rebirth is the same. The Hall of Rebirth deals with the final, most important matter in the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death, walking the line between life and death. It can be said to be one of the most 'bitter' professions in Liyue, and every Hall Master faces danger." Yunxiu looked at Hu Tao earnestly and said, "But on the other hand, isn't the Hall of Rebirth also helping to maintain the balance between life and death? That's why it's revered by thousands and has been passed down through generations in this chaotic world."

"If Hu Ye, the earliest head of the Rebirth Hall, hadn't done those things, would he have ultimately become a victim of that great disaster?"

"Therefore, saving others is saving oneself, which is the meaning of 'The Emperor, moved by their sincerity, bestowed upon them the Immortal Techniques of Penetrating the Netherworld, and entrusted them with the rituals of Yin and Yang transformation, thus establishing the Hall of Rebirth to eternally guard the boundary between life and death.'" Yunxiu smiled. "Since it's eternally guarding, as long as the Hall of Rebirth continues to do this, it's also a guarantee from the Emperor's 'contract,' ensuring that the Hu family lineage of the Hall of Rebirth will continue forever."

In fact, this is one of the reasons why Zhongli ultimately saved Hu Tao in the original storyline.

Love for the people of Liyue and high regard for Hu Tao herself are certainly important parts of the deal, but ensuring that the lineage of the Hall of Rebirth is not cut off is also a way to fulfill the "contract". Hu Tao is not married yet, the Hu family has no bloodline to carry on, and the Hall of Rebirth has basically always been a single lineage. How could we let Hu Tao's lineage die out?

This was naturally impossible, so the Emperor directly took action and retrieved the walnut...

After all, if he doesn't take the job, he'll really have to become the 78th generation leader himself. Even disregarding what Hu Tao said, in Liyue, the only person who can master this kind of ritual besides Hu Tao is the Geo Archon.

So even in the original timeline, although Hu Tao was prepared to die, the intelligent girl also vaguely guessed the Emperor's identity, believing that he was at least an immortal. That's why she said those words, partly because she hoped that the Hall of Rebirth could continue to exist and its incense could not be extinguished.

On the other hand, it was actually a cry for help.

As for the bloodline left by Hu Tao after her marriage, it will naturally inherit the lineage of the Hall of Rebirth. The plum blossom pupils of their lineage are the best proof. Many spells of the Hall of Rebirth need to rely on bloodline to be performed. Although Yun Xiu has now greatly reduced this danger and even replenished Hu Tao's vitality.

However, the condition of the bloodline itself cannot be resolved in a short period of time.

"Yunxiu, you're really amazing. You can think of so many things. But I haven't actually thought that much since I took over the Hall of Rebirth." Hu Tao said with a grin. "Besides, the magic you developed has reduced so many deaths in Liyue, which has affected my business. If the Hall of Rebirth goes bankrupt someday, you'll have to compensate me."

"Although I don't think the probability of the Rebirth Hall going bankrupt is very high... it's not a big deal for me." Yunxiu scratched his head. Raising walnuts and even the Rebirth Hall lineage was really easy for him.

After finishing their meal, the two tidied up a bit and headed towards their next destination.

The scenery of Shenyu Valley itself is quite beautiful, and the two of them took a rare trip that felt like a leisurely outing.

I collected all sorts of flowers and plants by the roadside, along with some Azure Spirit Carp. Occasionally, I would see one or two fallen stone tablets and collect the inscriptions and information on them. A lot of information was exposed on the spot, and even an ordinary person could easily collect quite a bit here. It's just that not many people were willing to look at these things.

Even in Yunxiu's time, there were only a few people who enjoyed researching textual criticism and history. In fact, there were many amateur enthusiasts who could easily outperform those with formal academic backgrounds. History was a discipline in which only a few amateur scholars could enter the field based on their hobbies.

Naturally, there was even less in this era. A large amount of information was collected by Yunxiu and put into her storage bag. For the part that she couldn't take with her, she wrote it down in words.

By the afternoon, the two boarded a boat here and drifted on the river while listening to the boat songs. Yunxiu's storage bag, which she had specially prepared to carry these things, was already more than half full.

"We've only covered a third of the distance, and we've already collected so much... Shenyu Valley really is a magical place." Yunxiu carefully rummaged through her storage bag and laughed, "I just wonder how much important information is inside. Let's go straight to Yilongbu for dinner, then rest for the night before continuing our journey."

"Yilongbu? It's been a long time since I've been there. I heard it's a place where many Fontainebleau and Winter Solstice merchants gather, and there are quite a few foreigners there." Hu Tao said, playing with her ponytail. "But I don't know much about this place myself, although I've heard there are many unique snacks there, and many of them are made with tea..."

"I don't come here often myself. I only went once, when I was going to Fontainebleau, starting from Yilongbu." Yunxiu carefully recalled the map of Yilongbu and said uncertainly, "But... we're just going there for a meal, we shouldn't run into any trouble, right? Probably..."

The two traveled by boat and soon passed Baojuekou. This huge jade pendant was actually originally formed from immortal power. It was during that ancient war that the immortal Fujin used his immortal power to throw the jade, which sorted out the water veins of the entire Chenyu Valley and gave the ancestors a chance to avoid disaster.

This event is also mentioned in the records of our ancestors, namely:

"...He said: Lai Xin has been covered, and the floating brocade is gone...I also...distribute the jade that was bestowed by rain in the past, to prevent evil spirits from coveting it...I offer it here, you should stay here and wait..."