At the summit of Guyun Stone Forest, three adepti had already arrived: Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper.
After a while, Streetward Rambler—also known as Granny Ping—slowly made her way up the mountain path.
"To think Lord Barbatos is here."
Back during the gathering of the Seven, the adepti had also been in attendance. Since Venti wasn't hiding his aura now, they recognized him immediately.
Klee sat obediently in Lu Heng's lap, tilting her head to look at Venti, then at the talking animals.
She was full of curiosity but too shy to ask.
"It's been a while since I last saw you all."
Venti chuckled before adding, "Come, let me introduce you."
Having already been shocked once, Xiao remained relatively calm, but the other adepti exchanged bewildered glances.
Cards that could grant power comparable to the Geo Archon?
That sounded utterly absurd.
But given Venti's status, he wouldn't make such an outrageous joke.
Which left only one answer—it was real.
And that truth was even more staggering.
No one understood the extent of the Geo Archon's power better than they did.
Yet now, with enough Mora and a bit of luck, surpassing him wasn't just possible—it was within reach!
That raised another question: What level was Lu Heng, the owner of the card shop, at?
No one had dared to think too deeply about it.
Whether it was Furina and Neuvillette, Venti and Zhongli, or even Tartaglia—none had probed the question.
Because the moment they did, they'd realize: Anyone capable of running such a shop had to be far beyond the power of the cards they sold.
Tier 6?
Even that might be an underestimation.
Digging deeper would only reveal that the entire world of Teyvat paled in comparison to a single individual.
Rather than dwell on something so world-shattering, it was easier to slap on a label like "unfathomable" and leave it at that.
Sometimes, ignorance was bliss.
Peering beyond the well only made one realize how insignificant they truly were.
"Mr. Lu, we pay our respects!"
The adepti spoke in unison.
Lu Heng glanced at Venti, who grinned mischievously.
His friendship with Zhongli ran deep—clearly, he knew the adepti's temperament and didn't want them accidentally offending Lu Heng by underestimating him.
"I'm just a businessman, nothing special. No need for formalities."
Lu Heng waved a hand. "The tea's almost ready—everyone should try it. The leaves are from Chenyu Vale, but the water is the real treasure."
While he hadn't received any "Enlightenment Tea," he did have something akin to spiritual springwater—even Neuvillette had praised it!
"Absolutely true."
Venti nodded in agreement. "Teyvat's environment rarely produces mountain springwater of this quality. The tea's flavor is familiar, but the water… that's what you should savor."
The adepti remained somewhat reserved.
This was only natural.
No matter how they usually carried themselves, facing beings of higher status and power made even them cautious.
Footsteps echoed urgently from the mountainside.
Under the weight of meeting such formidable figures, everyone turned to look.
Ganyu had just reached the summit when she realized all eyes were on her.
"Uh… did I miss something?"
She froze, flustered.
On her way up, she'd run into Xiao, who briefly explained the situation before heading to the Jade Chamber and back.
Of course, she couldn't match Xiao's speed, so she arrived much later.
Why was everyone staring?
Was she late?
"Miss Ganyu, perfect timing. The tea's just been brewed."
Lu Heng broke the silence.
"Mr. Lu knows this child?"
Cloud Retainer sounded slightly nervous.
Ganyu was excellent in every way, but she still worried about her.
"Of course."
Lu Heng nodded seriously. "Without Miss Ganyu's help, opening a branch store would've taken much more consideration. She saved me a lot of time."
"I see."
Cloud Retainer visibly relaxed.
"You flatter me, Mr. Lu. I didn't do much."
Ganyu shook her head before turning to Venti. "So you really are Lord Barbatos."
"Shocked?"
"Surprised?"
"Didn't see it coming?"
"Hehe!"
Venti had a knack for lightening the mood.
His playful tone immediately eased the tension.
"I really am surprised. I should've recognized you sooner."
Ganyu sounded guilty.
"Not blaming you at all~"
Venti grinned. "Come, sit. The tea Mr. Lu brewed smells incredible—I can barely resist."
Lu Heng poured the tea while Venti distributed the cups.
"Little Klee, you get juice. This tea would keep you up all night," Venti said with a laugh.
"Big Brother Venti is really the Anemo Archon?" Klee looked up at him.
"Shh, it's a secret~" Venti winked.
"Klee won't tell anyone!" She nodded solemnly.
"This child is adorable."
Cloud Retainer sighed softly.
She felt the urge to adopt her.
"Pretty bird lady is cute too!" Klee immediately returned the compliment.
…Pretty bird lady?!
Before Lu Heng could intervene, Xianyun (in human form) beamed.
"Oh? Really?"
"Mm-hmm!" Klee nodded.
Turns out, whether being called "bird lady" was offensive depended entirely on who said it.
From Klee? It was just childish innocence—Xianyun accepted it without complaint.
Anyone else?
Well, good luck.
"She's about the same age as Yaoyao," Granny Ping remarked warmly.
"Don't let Klee's size fool you—she'll be helping you all out quite a bit later," Venti said, pointing. "Especially you."
"Me?"
Xiao was puzzled.
He'd deliberately sat the farthest from Klee, wary of his karmic debt affecting her.
Now Venti was saying this child could help him?
"That's not my story to tell. When the old man gets back, he'll explain."
Venti smirked.
This only deepened the mystery.
His cryptic attitude made Lu Heng's fingers itch with the urge to smack him.
But since he already knew all the secrets Venti was hiding…
Eh, never mind.
This was actually kind of fun.
Watching everyone else flounder in confusion?
Highly entertaining.
Though the distant skies roared with battle, the mountaintop was serene.
Lu Heng, despite his status, didn't put on airs. Respect was mutual—no need for constant formalities.
Gradually, the adepti relaxed.
Twenty minutes later, Morax and Tartaglia returned together.
Morax's robes were slightly damaged, but his aura remained steady.
Tartaglia looked a bit worse for wear, but his grin was brighter than ever.
"How was it?" Lu Heng asked.
"Incredible!"
Tartaglia exhaled sharply. "I was too naive before."
Morax—now back in his Zhongli guise—modestly said, "Objectively speaking, I only had a slight edge."
"Too humble. It's boring."
Tartaglia waved him off. "I didn't use 'Life at the Brink,' but if I had, it wouldn't have been a spar—it'd be a fight to the death. Even then, I'd probably lose by a mile."
Zhongli nodded.
No false modesty this time.
A five-star gold card's desperate last stand was no joke.
Accepting a cup from Lu Heng, Tartaglia took a sip and laughed.
"Right now, there's a gap—but it's a gap I can see!"
At the very least, Morax couldn't overwhelmingly crush him anymore!
"What if he had a few more gold cards?"
Venti interjected.
Tartaglia's smile froze.
Why would you say that?!
Everyone knew the card system was stackable power.
Imagine total strength as the volume of water in two buckets:
Bucket 1: Original abilities (Teyvat's power system).Bucket 2: Card system.
Combined, they determined final strength.
If Zhongli had similar cards in quality and quantity…
Tartaglia stood no chance.
And that wasn't even considering the long-term outlook.
Teyvat's native power system had a ceiling.
Over time, the card system would become dominant, rendering everything else supplementary.
"Doesn't matter!"
Tartaglia forced a grin. "I'll get more cards later!"
He then smirked. "Besides—how rich is he, really?"
Zhongli: "…"
"Old man, was that the most damaging blow tonight?" Venti teased.
Zhongli: "..."
Did you have to say it out loud?
In front of all the adepti?
Did dignity mean nothing to you?
While the adepti puzzled over why the God of Mora had no Mora, Lu Heng was already laughing.
"Since Xiao is here, let's discuss the main topic," Zhongli said sternly.
"Don't change the subject~" Venti singsonged.
"Now that you mention it, it's been a while since we sparred. I wonder how much you've improved?" Zhongli turned, his expression perfectly polite—but the threat was clear.
"Ahaha, I'm but a humble bard! No match for you!"
Venti waved his hands frantically.
Yep. The old man was genuinely rattled.
Lu Heng watched, a strange loneliness creeping over him.
They all had rivals to test themselves against.
But he had none.
A single charged attack, maybe two…
And all of Teyvat would be reduced to atoms.
This must be what it felt like to stand alone at the peak.
Too high, too cold—no one left to challenge you.
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T/N:
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