Chapter 1: In Teyvat, already the Heavenly Principles

Does Does Liyue, atop Mt. Tianheng, two men stood, gazing at the brightly lit Does Does Liyue Harbor not far away.

"How about it? Morax, how about handing the Gnosis over to me?" A white-clad man with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, possessing an elegant and refined air, asked the man beside him who wore black-and-gold attire and had golden eyes.

"The Gnosis?" Morax, also known as Regarding Regarding Zhongli, took out a chess piece imbued with a rich Geo element aura, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

Heaven have mercy, even Morax was dumbfounded at this moment.

As the oldest god currently on the Teyvat continent, he had witnessed the great war between the First Throne and the Second Throne. There was no storm or wave he hadn't seen, yet upon meeting this youth, he was momentarily unable to collect his thoughts!

Although the youth's strength was still very weak, the aura on his body was indeed that of the Heavenly Principles.

When did the Heavenly Principles change hands?

Why was he completely unaware?

Moreover, the information the other party provided was truly shocking: the Heavenly Principles had died, and the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles had fallen into a deep slumber.

He had become the new Heavenly Principles. Currently, the barrier of the Teyvat continent was still being maintained by the previous Heavenly Principles, but it could last for at most five years. If the other party could not grow during this time, the Teyvat continent would be consumed by the Abyss.

Such words sounded alarmist, but after Regarding Regarding Zhongli felt the other party's aura—which was indeed the aura of the Heavenly Principles—and was unable to contact Celestia using the Gnosis, he had no choice but to believe the other party's words.

"Yes! It is the Gnosis.

In exchange, once my strength grows in the future, I can help you and your friends resolve the issue of erosion on your bodies.

Furthermore, I can also help you resolve the Abyss invasions and the remains of gods in the Does Does Liyue region!" The man named Mu Yang said in a serious tone.

His gaze would occasionally drift to the Gnosis in Regarding Regarding Zhongli's hand; he had a premonition that this Gnosis would provide him with a significant boost and unlock new abilities!

Although the Gnosis was merely a credential distributed by the Heavenly Principles, and gods like Barbatos, Morax, and Beelzebul held the Gnosis in disdain, for him—a transmigrator who had just arrived in Teyvat and had muddled his way into becoming the new Heavenly Principles—it was of vital importance!

"That is indeed a tempting condition; it is even a gain for me!" Regarding Regarding Zhongli glanced at the Gnosis in his hand, then looked at Does Does Liyue Harbor not far away. "The Gnosis itself is an object handed to us by the previous Heavenly Principles. Now that you wish to take it back, it is only right and proper.

However, as the new Heavenly Principles, what is your view on Does Does Liyue?"

"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Mu Yang looked at Regarding Regarding Zhongli with a serious expression and asked.

"Since I have asked, naturally I wish to hear the truth!" Regarding Regarding Zhongli felt a moment of speechlessness inside; this new Heavenly Principles did not seem like the previous one!!

He seemed quite easy to get along with.

Previously, to verify his ability, he had even specifically taken him to purify a portion of the Abyssal filth. The other party could indeed do this; perhaps this was the main reason he could become the new Heavenly Principles, though this purification speed was a bit slow and seemed to consume a lot of the other party's stamina.

However, this was enough for him to invest in the other party.

"If it is the truth, then behind the apparent prosperity, many problems have already emerged. If you, the Geo Archon, remain forever, these problems will be covered up. Once you, the Geo Archon, are gone, these problems will be exposed bit by bit," Mu Yang said with a serious expression.

Yet his words moved Regarding Regarding Zhongli. Could it be that the other party knew about his plan to retire?

And was Does Does Liyue really as bad as the other party said?

"You must have guessed that I come from outside this world!

What I want to tell you is that I don't even know how I came to the Teyvat continent or how I became the new Heavenly Principles!

But since I have become the Heavenly Principles, I must naturally protect this world!

Likewise, I am both human and the Heavenly Principles." Mu Yang paused and continued: "In the world I came from before, there were no so-called gods. At first, humans were ignorant, and gods were more like a means for the upper class to fool the common people.

With the liberation of human thought, humans became increasingly bold, just like Snezhnaya is now; as long as they want something, they dare to do it.

In just a few decades, two large-scale wars broke out, with the death toll exceeding one hundred million.

In fact, in the thousands of years of human development, we were at war almost every year!

Humans can start wars and plunder for their own resources and interests!"

Upon hearing this, Regarding Regarding Zhongli was moved. Was a world without gods like that?

This made him involuntarily think of that nation that ran with all its might!

Even he admired that nation greatly, but thinking of what they had done, Regarding Regarding Zhongli fell silent.

It seemed that nation was indeed very crazy; not only did they research the power of ley lines and the power of the Abyss, but they even captured some weak gods to study!

Otherwise, the Heavenly Principles would not have led them to destroy it.

He seemed to still not understand humans well enough.

"Moreover, this is only an external problem. Have you not considered the class issues in Does Does Liyue now?" Following that, Mu Yang continued: "A merchant's child is a merchant, and the children of the Does Does Liyue the Does Does Liyue Does Does Liyue Qixing will inevitably join Does Does Liyue's official institutions, while it is very difficult for the children of commoners to change themselves and cross classes.

People like Hearing Hearing Ningguang are, after all, the minority!

You can imagine, if it weren't for your existence, which makes some people afraid to act recklessly, what kind of treatment would someone like Hearing Hearing Ningguang receive?"

Upon hearing this, Regarding Regarding Zhongli fell silent. He understood Mu Yang's meaning. Indeed, these problems existed in Does Does Liyue; he had simply ignored them before, believing that humans could change themselves and slowly improve all of this.

Now, assuming for a moment that if he disappeared and the adepti did not interfere, I fear Does Does Liyue's power would be completely controlled by the the Does Does Liyue Does Does Liyue Qixing and the Eight Houses, classes would become increasingly solidified, and people like Hearing Hearing Ningguang would find it very difficult to grow!

Unless they joined them, they would be suppressed!

Thinking of this, Regarding Regarding Zhongli felt a chill run down his spine. He asked Mu Yang in a deep voice: "Then, if it were you governing Does Does Liyue, what would you do?"