Not getting to drink was exactly what he expected. The winds of Natlan had already told him what was going on there: Abyssal power was stirring restlessly.
Back during the Khaenri'ah catastrophe, Natlan suffered an especially severe Abyss incursion. All these years, they'd been fighting the Abyss nonstop.
"Ah… Khaenri'ah. Always causing trouble."
The last Sacred Night Patrol of Returning Fire had been ten years ago.
…
Koji arrived in Natlan's wilderness. There were special ores out here—after mining them, they could be used as auxiliary materials to boost Pyro.
Liulin Stone: a red, scale-like mineral deposited in regions rich in phlogiston, containing extrely high heat.
Phlogiston was spread throughout Natlan, a special kind of high-heat energy.
"Mu…"
After the Light Sli popped out of the Serenitea Pot, it reacted differently to Natlan's environnt.
Phlogiston and Light Realm power were inseparably connected. You could even say phlogiston was a form of Light Realm power—one of the world's primordial forces.
To fight the Abyss, the Heavenly Principles transford phlogiston into elental energy, so it could better respond to the threat from below.
"Ronova, compared to phlogiston, elental energy is only, what, not even thirty percent of the real thing. Why would you make that kind of modification?"
The Night God's Nation was created by the Night God, and Natlan's rules were established with the Ruler of Death's help. The Night God created it under the Ruler of Death's guidance.
"That? Because elental energy is more suitable for humans."
Ronova appeared and scooped up the Light Sli in her arms. It wasn't about being stronger—what fit you was what mattered.
Phlogiston was ancient. It was a high-heat energy… attribute. If you wanted phlogiston to flow through your body the way elental energy did, ordinary people simply couldn't do it. They couldn't endure it. At best, they could only control it by borrowing external objects.
"But this little guy can use phlogiston. Koji, the fact you raised a sli into sothing like this… that's genuinely unexpected."
Ronova was very interested in the Light Sli. As the most common elental lifeform in Teyvat, it had returned to simplicity—becoming a rare Light-Realm-powered elental creature instead.
"Ronova, I heard the way you guided the Night God into building the Night God's Nation was a bit… out of line, and the Heavenly Principles aren't too happy about it?" Koji asked.
"Yeah. For a 'shadow' like , that kind of behavior is indeed over the line." Ronova shrugged, looking like she didn't particularly care.
"So… do you want to beco the Heavenly Principles?"
"That's not impossible. The Heavenly Principles are basically Teyvat's emperor, right? And emperors are supposed to have a few consorts. You guys want to enter the imperial harem?"
Koji actually seed to be considering it seriously. The Four Shadows were all top-tier in looks, each with their own style.
"Ambitious appetite. But it's not impossible. We Four Shadows all serve the Heavenly Principles." Ronova smiled with amused interest—she hadn't expected Koji to want to eat the whole buffet.
"As for the others, they'll have to rely on themselves. If you want to do it with … not yet."
Ronova vanished, leaving behind words that invited all kinds of imagination.
Koji smiled and shook his head. There was a fatal allure to Ronova—especially in what she was wearing. It was outrageously bold.
After packing up the ore, Koji returned to the Stadium of the Sacred Fla. Lumine arrived as well, and at her side was a small brown dragon.
Natlan's dragons had actually regressed over ti, and that was connected to Celestia.
"My dear… my partner… don't lose your way. Walk your own path."
"For so reason, I wanted to na it Neuvillette or Azhdaha, the Dragon King, but the little guy absolutely refused." Lumine said seriously.
"Those nas put way too much pressure on it," Paimon complained.
One was the Hydro Dragon Sovereign, the other was the Dragon King—this little guy was still tiny. Of course it couldn't handle that.
"Hehehe… Lumine, you're a genius. You actually wanted to na a baby dragon after Neuvillette." Furina couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
If Neuvillette found out his na got slapped onto a baby dragon, it would be nothing short of humiliating.
"Lumine, this little dragon is a descendant of the Pyro Dragon Sovereign."
Koji revealed the little one's identity. Even if it ultimately gave up becoming the Pyro Dragon Sovereign, its lineage was undeniable.
"Huh?!"
Lumine froze. She'd sensed the little guy was special, but she hadn't expected it to be descended from a Dragon Sovereign.
And the authority of the ancient dragons was an even deeper mastery over elental power.
"Neuvillette would probably be very interested in this little guy," Furina said, surprised.
Even if the dragons of modern Teyvat weren't at their forr peak, their innate talent was still terrifying. Whether it was elental control or physical body, they had a natural advantage over humans.
"Lumine… we rescued a Dragon Sovereign," Paimon sighed in awe.
"Doesn't matter." Lumine was only startled for a mont. "It's our partner now."
Whether it was a Dragon Sovereign or not ant nothing to her. She didn't need a Dragon Sovereign's power.
"I don't know why, but this ti when I touched a Statue of The Seven, I still didn't get Pyro."
Lumine was puzzled. She was only missing Pyro now, but she just couldn't obtain it.
"Natlan's situation is a bit special. Once you've been through it, you'll be able to resonate with Pyro." Koji spoke like a riddle-teller again.
"Oh… got it."
Lumine nodded. She was only missing Pyro among the seven elents, but she didn't have to rush it. It was probably sothing wrong with the ley lines… or sothing wrong with the Pyro Archon herself.
"Let introduce you. This is a friend I just t—Kachina."
Lumine introduced her with a smile.
"Hi… I'm Kachina of the Children of Echoes. I like eating Granule Fruit, and I want to beco stronger."
Kachina introduced herself, tense and not very confident.
"Lumine. Three years minimum," Koji said gravely, like he was dispensing profound wisdom.
"What are you even thinking? Do I look like that kind of person?" Lumine rolled her eyes. She wasn't into little girls.
"In a new nation, how could I not make a few new friends?"
Kachina really was cute, but she was too young. Lumine preferred soone with a fuller figure like Eula or Shenhe.
"If it's Sayu, that little one would probably beco a pretty good friend for you," Yae Miko said lazily.
"Sayu loves slacking off too much. Their personalities probably won't match, right?" Lumine thought of Sayu—always seeing her sneak off to laze around.
"Kachina, do you want to beco stronger right now?" Koji suddenly asked.
"Of course I do."
Kachina nodded. How could she not want to be stronger? She craved improvent far too much.
"Then take this."
Koji pulled out a Jumpy Dumpty. Klee had given it to him, and he had no use for it.
The mont they saw it, Lumine and the others recognized what it was and couldn't help laughing. This really was one way to "get stronger."
"This is… a doll?"
"It's a bomb."
"Eh?"
(End of Chapter)
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