Dainsleif looked at Lumine and Paimon as they spoke.
"Then, your brother told you that the fall of Khaenri'ah caused a great upheaval, and that he wanted you to leave this world called Teyvat with him."
He spoke slowly, his gaze steady on Lumine.
"The fall of Khaenri'ah is that what he said?"
Paimon turned to Lumine, asking in a hushed voice.
"That's right. Those were the exact words I heard at the time."
Lumine nodded at Paimon.
Dainsleif furrowed his brows.
"You both experienced that calamity. That was five hundred years ago…"
"It seems your first awakening in this world was also during that era."
Lumine listened quietly as Dainsleif spoke.
Paimon tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"So, that means your brother—"
"Since he woke up before you, he must have learned more about this world than you had at the time."
Dainsleif continued, his voice deep.
"And after that, the two of you soon encountered a being…"
"A god who blocked your path and you failed to escape."
Paimon perked up.
"Oh, I know this part the best!"
She nodded at Dainsleif. After all, back when Lumine fished her out of the water, this was one of the first stories she had heard.
At the mention of the mysterious god, Lumine gaze unconsciously drifted toward Qiu Bai, who was standing beside her.
Qiu Bai, noticing her stare, turned his head toward her.
"Lumine, tell me."
"What did the god who blocked your path look like?"
Perhaps she thought he might know something but the truth was, most of Qiu Bai memories were hazy from long periods of slumber.
As a transmigrator, he knew what the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles looked like.
But for now, he chose to feign ignorance.
Lumine placed a hand on her chest, closing her eyes as she recalled.
Then, she carefully described the appearance of the god who had stopped her and her brother.
After finishing, she looked at Qiu Bai expectantly.
Qiu Bai furrowed his brows and shook his head.
"No… among all the gods I know of, I have never heard of such a being."
His words were not entirely false.
Indeed, among the gods that still walked the mortal world, none looked like the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
Paimon eyes widened in shock.
"Even you don't know?!"
"But aren't you—"
She turned to Qiu Bai, her voice loud with disbelief.
Meanwhile, Lumine expression faltered slightly, disappointment flickering in her golden eyes.
Seeing this, Qiu Bai let out a small sigh.
He actually wanted to know as well, but having been asleep for so long, how could he possibly know?
"Sorry, Lumine, I truly don't know."
"The exact identity of the god you encountered..."
Qiu Bai looked at Lumine and spoke slowly.
Dainsleif frowned slightly as he observed him.
"It seems this Mr. Qiu Bai knows quite a lot."
"Even the Traveler is looking to you for answers."
Dainsleif hadn't assumed that Qiu Bai was a god—rather, he regarded him as some kind of sorcerer or mystic.
After all, Teyvat had billions of living beings, but there were only eight gods.
Unlike in a game, encountering a god was exceedingly rare.
Qiu Bai chuckled, glancing at the frowning Dainsleif.
"Don't mind me."
"Go on, Dainsleif."
Dainsleif studied him for a moment, then turned back to Lumine.
"At the time, you had just awakened."
"You were in a rush to leave this world and knew nothing about Khaenri'ah."
"But now that you've learned more about Teyvat, you've realized that the battle you witnessed back then was actually the destruction of Khaenri'ah, correct?"
Lumine crossed her arms, her golden eyes contemplative.
"Even if it was just a name…"
"It was still the biggest clue, second only to the Eight Gods."
Dainsleif nodded at her response.
Paimon sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"Even if you traveled across the Seven Nations looking for gods…"
"A nation like Khaenri'ah, which was wiped out five hundred years ago, wouldn't be found anymore."
Dainsleif gaze darkened as he looked at the three of them.
"Regarding Khaenri'ah I know more than you do."
He exhaled slightly before continuing.
"Khaenri'ah was a nation without gods."
"Not because they died or left but because they never existed in Khaenri'ah's history to begin with."
Lumine and Paimon fell silent.
Dainsleif voice was deep, carrying an unshakable weight.
"It was a powerful nation built purely by humans."
"A civilization of unparalleled prosperity and brilliance, filled with human pride."
His eyes lowered, as if recalling something long buried in the past.
Then, he slowly lifted his head and said:
"Indeed, it was strong. And it had every right to be proud."
Qiu Bai lips twitched slightly.
"Well, just look at Sumeru two big treasures."
He muttered internally.
Before he transmigrated, he had played through the game and had indeed been shocked upon seeing those two massive constructs.
Paimon murmured under her breath, her expression complex.
"A nation without gods?"
Dainsleif voice turned heavy, his words like a verdict from the past.
"And everything that followed… happened just as your memories showed."
"In the end, everything was destroyed by the gods."
Lumine stiffened.
Paimon eyes widened.
"Y-You mean…?"
Paimon exclaimed in shock.
"Five hundred years ago, the gods descended together and destroyed Khaenri'ah."
"They uprooted humanity's so-called pride like weeds in the divine garden."
Dainsleif spoke heavily as he looked at the three before him.
"How could this be? History books have never mentioned it!"
Paimon could hardly believe it.
"That's so cruel..."
"This world is too dangerous. I just want to find my brother as soon as possible."
Lumine gaze shifted sharply to Qiu Bai beside her, her brows furrowing.
Paimon also stared blankly at him.
Feeling the weight of their gazes, Qiu Bai mouth twitched.
"Come on don't look at me like that."
"I really don't know anything!"
He sighed, rubbing his forehead in exasperation.
Dainsleif continued, his voice steady.
"And yet, some gods never appeared."
"One of them was Morcius, the God of Yin and Yang—also known as the Yin-Yang Immortal Lord of Liyue."
Paimon tilted her head.
"I heard that god had been asleep for a thousand years."
"Not long ago, they awoke, slew the Vortex Demon God with a single strike, and then fell back into slumber."
Hearing this, Paimon turned back to Lumine, who was still frowning at Qiu Bai.
She quickly spoke up.
Qiu Bai immediately nodded if he didn't, Lumine would surely start suspecting him.
Seeing him nod, Lumine finally relaxed her expression.
She had heard the same thing, Qiu Bai had been asleep all this time.
"Well that god has always been mysterious."
"Lingering on the past will only wear down one's resolve."
Dainsleif observed the odd atmosphere among them and spoke slowly.
Qiu Bai twitched at his words.
"Dainsleif, it's not that I'm mysterious—"
"I just never woke up from my damn sleep!"
He muttered in frustration before glancing at Lumine, who was still deep in thought while looking at him.
"But next time we meet Venti and Zhongli..."
"It's probably necessary to hear what they have to say."
Lumine brows furrowed again.
If Qiu Bai didn't know anything, then surely Venti and Zhongli must.
Dainsleif sighed.
"Let's keep moving. As for the answers you seek..."
"I'll tell you along the way."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)