Chapter 35: The Telling

"Elements exist in every corner of the world; they are the foundation upon which the world is built…."

Senior Zhongli's gentle, low voice rang out.

"I purified elemental power and obtained a new kind of power, purer still, resonating with the world to a greater degree than elemental force."

"This power can be gentler, or it can be more violent — entirely up to the user…."

The crowd listened as he described the origin of one world's power system, gaining a rough initial understanding of the immortal power of Teyvat.

Senior Zhongli extended his right index finger, and a brilliant, dazzling golden power drifted up from its tip.

"What dense magical power!" Su Lin, seated closest to Senior Zhongli, pressed his face right up to the immortal power Senior Zhongli had manifested to study it closely.

Ye Fan seemed lost in thought about something.

According to Senior Zhongli, the spiritual energy of the Teyvat world was inert, and because elemental power was extremely active, spiritual energy was usually mingled and mottled together with elemental force.

Without refinement, using it was extremely difficult.

Senior Zhongli had discovered this power while pursuing more efficient methods of using elemental force, and had begun research into purification techniques.

Later, over the long years, immortal beings who mastered immortal power began to appear.

But

this did not mean the immortal beings were merely ordinary cultivation practitioners.

Their starting point was too high, and after countless years of cultivation, in their world they truly were immortals.

"Sorry I'm late."

A teleportation gate flickered into light.

Weigong Shilang stepped out of it first, his other hand still outside the gate, holding onto something.

"Don't be afraid, just come on over."

"I'm not afraid at all!" a clear, crisp voice rang out.

A little girl in a purple Western-style dress, wearing a purple bonnet, her peach-gold hair like silver, with crimson eyes, was led in by Weigong Shilang from the other side of the teleportation gate.

It was none other than Weigong Shilang's adoptive father's daughter, Dada Liya.

Su Lin, unaware of the private conversation Weigong Shilang had with Xiao Yan, was so startled by the situation that he forgot to set down the tea cup in his hand.

"Lucky him."

Of course, that was just a joke.

Dada Liya looked around in a daze, not expecting Weigong Shilang to have been telling the truth.

Whoosh—

A massive, pitch-black figure appeared, blocking itself in front of the little girl.

Wild battle aura roamed unchecked; the berserker in everyone's eyes now radiated tremendous hostility toward them, and the fighting spirit carved out on real battlefields could make the weak faint.

Fortunately.

There were hardly any truly weak people here.

Lu Mingfei, who had taken out his phone to snap photos as a memento, offered no comment.

The guy's carefree look seemed to assume that if the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.

He was, in fact, the most relaxed among them all.

Although he had indeed been startled at first, once he recovered, Lu Mingfei hurriedly grabbed his phone to take photos.

This was a rare chance to see the real, original version in person.

He had to take photos to commemorate it — who knew when he'd get another chance to see the real Saber in person.

Fate/Zero had only recently been released in their world and was still fairly popular.

Originally, on this trip to Akihabara, Lu Mingfei had also planned to buy some figurines.

The stone-axe sword in his hand was held horizontally before his chest in a defensive stance, warily watching the people gathered around the stone table.

"Berserker?" Dada Liya said, somewhat puzzled.

Senior Zhongli rose, a little surprised, and studied the hostile warrior ahead.

"A soul body, yet seemingly possessing flesh."

Paying no heed to the other's hostility, he strolled unhurriedly toward the giant.

"Fierce fighting intent, outstanding reflexes — only why does it seem as if madness has been carved into your soul?"

"Interesting."

Watching the newcomer approach step by step.

The giant was on the verge of losing patience.

"Hold on, Berserker." Dada Liya called out to stop him, saying: "Who are you? And where is this place?"

"That's not urgent — let the young man who brought you here explain."

Senior Zhongli walked to a distance of ten meters and stopped.

"Mm." After a moment's consideration, Senior Zhongli asked: "Would you allow me to first awaken this warrior from his madness?"

Dada Liya turned her head to look at Weigong Shilang beside her.

Baffling.

Utterly baffling.

Weigong Shilang had somehow learned of her physical condition, and on the other hand claimed he could take her to a fairyland-like place to cure her body.

If Weigong Shilang hadn't kept her happily entertained and suggested living together like family, she wouldn't have believed such a lie.

Honestly, that teleportation-gate-like magic had surprised her quite a bit.

Weigong Shilang had also said that if she was worried, she could call Berserker along, or he could use magic to control his life first.

With things said to that extent, she had finally decided to come take a look.

After arriving here, the connection to the Greater Grail was actually severed.

One must understand that no matter where on Earth she was, as the Lesser Grail, her connection to the Greater Grail could not possibly be severed.

And then there was the group of people before her eyes.

They had actually forced Berserker to voluntarily assume a defensive stance.

"Don't worry, Illya, they're not bad people."

Illya kicked Weigong Shilang's shin: "Don't treat me like a kid!"

"Hiss—"

Illya nodded.

The Mad Warrior was seen retracting his stance and standing silently in place, allowing Senior Zhongli to step forward.

Golden talismans took shape from the void, transforming into a streak of golden flowing light that burrowed into the Mad Warrior's body.

Gradually, the frenzy in the black giant's eyes vanished, and the spirit eroded by madness slowly calmed down.

"Berserker?"

The Mad Warrior nodded: "May I ask which deity's incarnation are you?"

The divinity was extremely faint; if he himself were not the great strength god of myth, possessing divinity, it would likely have been very difficult to detect.

But this faint divinity fit the person before him perfectly; the only conclusion that could be drawn was that the person before him was the incarnation of some god.

"In the past, when I served as one of the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World, I was called Morax. I imagine you wouldn't recognize that name either; like everyone else, just call me by my current name, Senior Zhongli."

Senior Zhongli observed the Mad Warrior's current state for a moment, and he developed a strong interest in this kind of soul materialization.

Remembering that a group of people were still waiting nearby, he temporarily restrained the urge to study this phenomenon.

"One of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods of King Solomon?" Heracles said with a hint of surprise in his tone: "I didn't expect that after the age of mythology had ended, you could still walk the world."

Senior Zhongli was slightly stunned, realizing that this one had misunderstood something.

"I am not the one you speak of," Senior Zhongli added: "I am the deity who once presided over the earth and wealth of the Teyvat continent, and also the God of Contracts. Not long ago, I stepped down from the position of Geo Archon."

"To you, I should count as a deity from another world."

"Another world?!"

"Come over here and sit down to talk first. Aren't you tired of standing?" Su Lin waved over at the few people on that side.

"Precisely so; let's all take a seat together first." Senior Zhongli walked back toward the group, thoughtfully using the power of Geo element to create several stone chairs.

The thoroughly confused Illya and Heracles could only follow and sit down first, analyzing the situation before them as they did so.

Seeing the few people seated, the earlier discussion on immortal power resumed once more.