Qiu Bai watched as Zhongli slowly opened his eyes, deep in thought.
At this rate, if he helped Morax recover a dozen more times, the wear and tear on his body would be fully repaired.
"Morax, from now on, I'll help restore your wear every three days."
"Speaking of which, what about Azhdaha?"
Qiu Bai looked at Zhongli with some confusion. Logically speaking, he had only purified the black energy affecting Azhdaha but had not repaired his wear.
"Azhdaha..."
"Three hundred years ago, Azhdaha was still worn down. I fought him for three days and three nights, eventually striking him down and sealing him underground."
Zhongli spoke nostalgically about the past, but suddenly, as if remembering something, he turned to Qiu Bai.
"My old friend, you can repair my wear."
"Then you should also be able to repair Azhdaha, right?"
Zhongli looked at Qiu Bai with some anticipation. After all, he had very few old friends left.
If Azhdaha could be restored, at the very least, they could enjoy tea together during idle times, Zhongli truly felt lonely.
"A thousand years ago, I didn't have the power to repair Azhdaha wear."
"But now, I can give it a try. After all, my current strength is far greater than before."
Qiu Bai smiled at Morax. His power now was more than ten times stronger than before, giving him full confidence in restoring Azhdaha.
"In that case, after the Rite of Parting, let's take a trip there."
"I've been feeling the seal on Azhdaha loosening recently."
Zhongli sat in his chair, speaking slowly.
"Then it's decided. It's getting late I need to visit The Chasm tomorrow."
"I need to see for myself what this so-called Black Calamity really is."
Qiu Bai sat in his chair, his expression solemn.
"I've already sealed off the lowest level of The Chasm."
"The black energy there is beyond even my control. When you go tomorrow, I will undo the seal."
Zhongli looked at Qiu Bai, who was seated, then stood up and walked toward the upper floor.
"In that case, I'll see you tomorrow, Morax."
Qiu Bai returned to the room that the Hall Master had prepared for him. It was spacious, with a bed, a cabinet, and plenty of empty space.
How long had it been since he'd had a good night's sleep? Five hundred years? A thousand?
Sleep was different from unconscious slumber—it was a time of peace and awareness. He sighed at the thought.
The Next Morning – Jade Chamber
A woman dressed in elegant attire sat in a chair, her long legs crossed gracefully.
The blend of elegance and softness made her a stunning sight to behold.
She was the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, but at this moment, she held her head in frustration as she looked at Shenhe.
The disappearance of the Immortal Lord, how could this happen?
As far as she knew, the Yin-Yang Immortal Lord had known the Geo Archon for over a thousand years.
The two had even fought once before becoming close friends.
The Immortal Lord had also descended alongside the Archon for the Rite of Parting and helped plan Liyue's development.
But now, when she was asked to find him, she realized that she didn't even know what he looked like.
According to ancient records, the Geo Archon always appeared in his true form.
Meanwhile, the Immortal Lord took a human form, dressed in black-and-white robes, with long hair, though his face was always obscured by a mysterious black and white aura.
Ningguang put down the confidential files in her hand and stood up, looking seriously at Shenhe.
"I understand now. Miss Shenhe, please convey this to the Adepti."
"Liyue will do everything in its power to find the Immortal Lord!"
Afterward, Ningguang summoned Baishi and Baiwen, issuing the order for the search.
As she sat back in her chair, something seemed to cross her mind. She immediately called for Ganyu.
Still saddened by the Immortal Lord's disappearance, Ganyu looked at Ningguang with sorrow.
Seeing Ganyu's expression, Ningguang comforted her for a moment before asking:
"Ganyu, you've met the Immortal Lord before, haven't you?"
"Do you remember what he looks like?"
Ganyu sat across from Ningguang, carefully recalling his image.
"The Immortal Lord wears black-and-white robes, with a Taiji symbol resembling a Vision hanging from his waist."
"His light blue eye markings are like the midnight stars, deep and mysterious. His long, ink-black hair flows over his robes, and he is incredibly handsome."
Ganyu paused.
"Very handsome. His face is as warm as jade."
"Overall, he has a very elegant aura... and, and the Immortal Lord even patted my head once."
Ganyu blushed as she recalled the moment.
Ningguang memorized these details before calling Baishi and Baiwen again, instructing them to search for someone matching the description.
Looking at Ganyu flushed face, Ningguang had a strange expression.
How could an Adeptus be acting like a young girl?
In the Immortal Lord's eyes, did Ganyu still seem like a child?
Liyue Harbor
Qiu Bai left Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, walking along the bustling streets of Liyue Harbor.
In the distance, he overheard residents talking.
"Hey, have you heard? The Immortal Lord is missing!"
"Wasn't the Immortal Lord supposed to be in slumber? How could he disappear when the Adepti were guarding him?"
"That's what I thought! But I heard the Adepti even sent disciples to meet Tianquan Ningguang, asking her to search for him."
All over Liyue Harbor, people were discussing the matter.
After all, his reputation was equal to that of the Geo Archon, so his disappearance caused fear and panic among the people.
The Millelith were now patrolling the streets in large numbers, searching for him all across Liyue.
"Having too big of a name isn't always a good thing."
"Forget it. I'll head to The Chasm first. I need to see what this 'Black Calamity' really is."
Qiu Bai looked at the seal key Zhongli had given him, then disappeared from Liyue Harbor.
The Chasm
In an instant, Qiu Bai arrived above The Chasm, concealing himself before flying downward.
As he descended, he saw countless mining tunnels, ruins, and structures, as well as Fatui and Treasure Hoarders moving about.
After an unknown amount of time flying downward, Qiu Bai took out Zhongli's Geo-infused meteorite and pressed it against the ground.
As the seal was lifted, dense, glowing runes appeared, and a bottomless pit emerged before him.
Qiu Bai flew down. When he landed, he was shocked by the scene before him.
Massive tree roots stretched far into the distance, dense and twisted, emitting sinister black energy.
Liyue's ley lines were being continuously corroded by this dark aura.
"So, this is the gathering point of the Black Calamity..."
"The place Morax mentioned."
Using his divine sight, Qiu Bai examined the black energy and saw it was converging toward a specific location.
He flew toward it, what appeared before him was a massive ancient tree.
Dark purple energy writhed over its surface, radiating an ominous aura.
A tree of darkness and corruption. Qiu Bai was certain that, a thousand years ago without divine power shielding him, its mere presence would have eroded his mind.
But now?
Even without resisting, this corruption was incapable of affecting his will.
"Azhdaha was already worn down and then further polluted by this black energy."
"This tree is slowly corrupting Liyue's ley lines."
"If I don't deal with its source completely, this will become a major threat in the future."