Powerstones pls
...
"That's right. Back when I was adventuring at sea, I happened to come across a piece of Sunset Vermillionite, so I brought it along," Beidou said casually.
"But judging by the looks of it, mine's clearly inferior to yours~"
"And Miss Yun is here to participate in the competition as well. Since he happened to need a ride on my ship, we came together."
Yunjin nodded.
"To be honest, I'm participating in this competition because I need the right to ask Lady Ningguang a question."
"My father has a few connections, so the Vermillionite I managed to get, although small, barely passed the threshold."
Lumine's eyes sharpened.
"So that makes us competitors, then!"
But Yunjin shook her head.
"Rather than compete, I actually have a better proposal."
"Lady Ningguang said the top three who gather all the materials will receive rewards."
"Three questions, divided equally between the three of us."
"Instead of being rivals, why not team up and take the top three spots together? What do you say?"
Lumine was slightly taken aback.
She did, after all, only have one question she truly wanted to ask. Beyond that, she wasn't sure what else to say.
Beidou caught on quickly.
"The most troublesome material, the Sunset Vermillionite, all three of us have already found."
"The remaining two materials aren't one-of-a-kind. As long as one of us finds a supply, all three of us can benefit."
Yunjin smiled gently.
"Exactly."
Shenhe murmured, seeming to understand.
"So that's how it is…"
Beidou, as loud as ever, jumped in.
"Alrighty then! Let me start by sharing what I know about the Wonder Core. I've got some clues."
"From what I've heard, forging the core isn't that hard—the tricky part is preparing the rare minerals needed for it."
"I plan to head back to the ship and ask Su Ling if she knows anything. As for you guys…"
Yunjin and Lumine exchanged a look, then said together:
"We can ask Master Zhang, the Blacksmith in the city. Lumine, what do you think?"
"Sounds good to me. Tackling a problem from different angles is always more efficient."
Beidou nodded in approval.
"Exactly. Multiple paths, multiple chances. Lumine, I can't wait to see what kind of surprises you'll bring in the upcoming tournament!"
Lumine lifted her chin with confidence.
"Don't worry. I won't disappoint you."
Beidou burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha… Good! Then let's split up and get to work. No matter which side succeeds, it brings us all closer to victory."
Once Beidou left, Lumine and Yunjin set off on their own.
Lumine thought back to Yunjin's performance during the Lantern Rite and asked, feigning nonchalance:
"Yunjin, what do you want to ask Ningguang?"
Yunjin blinked her ruby-like eyes.
"I'm searching for a venue for my new opera. Lady Ningguang has exquisite taste—I'd like her opinion."
"Opera?"
Lumine, Paimon, and Shenhe all tilted their heads at the same time.
Yunjin explained as they walked.
"This opera is based on a legend passed down in the streets. My father poured his heart and soul into writing it. It's a tale of gods and immortals."
"It's called The Divine Damsel of Devastation."
…
"Oh? You've got time to drop by old Zhang's today—planning to forge some weapons?"
Yunjin greeted him politely.
"Sorry to bother you, Master Zhang. Have you ever heard of the Wonder Core?"
"Of course I have. And you are…?"
Yunjin gave a small bow.
"I'm Yun Jin. You may not know me, but my father once commissioned you to forge props for stage performances—swords and spears, remember?"
"Yun Jin… opera… Wait—are you Miss Yun?"
"Ack, my old head's all muddled from hammering steel. Even someone like me, who doesn't listen to opera much, knows the name Miss Yun."
"You're here about the Wonder Core, right? I won't lie, I can make it. I helped out Lady Ningguang last time when she was repairing the Jade Chamber."
"But the minerals required for the core are pretty rare. Ningguang provided them before—did you bring any this time?"
The four exchanged looks.
Paimon spoke up.
"Nope, that's actually why we're here—to ask what kinds of minerals are needed."
Master Zhang stroked his stubbly chin.
"Generally, you'll need Starshatter Ore and Mystglow Stone."
"If memory serves, Lady Ningguang sourced them near Mt. Tianheng. Starshatter Ore has a special trait—apparently it resonates with Visions."
"It's hard work, but it's definitely findable. Mystglow Stone, though… That's much trickier. It's said to be extremely rare on the market."
Paimon asked:
"Then how are we supposed to find it?"
"Er… I'm not entirely sure. But I've heard that folks around Mt. Tianheng know a secret method to detect Mystglow Stone."
"Just a rumor, mind you. I'd recommend you start by mining some Starshatter Ore near Tianheng. If you come across any locals, you might ask about the Mystglow Stone then."
"Mt. Tianheng…"
Shenhe fell silent, her expression growing complicated.
Yunjin tapped her chin.
"Come to think of it, The Divine Damsel of Devastation takes place in Mt. Tianheng too."
Paimon lit up.
"Then let's head there right away and start mining!"
.
"Why go through all that trouble?"
A familiar voice came from behind.
Lumine's eyes brightened slightly.
Paimon happily waved.
"Shajin! And Ganyu! Huh? Who's that with you?"
Shenhe tilted her head.
"Master?"
Cloud Retainer let out a light sigh.
"So my transformation technique really is that unconvincing?"
"Eh?! That voice…"
Paimon pointed at her in disbelief.
"You… you're that woman!?"
"Impudent! Which woman?!"
…
Cloud Retainer massaged her temple.
"What are you two doing? Don't you recognize me?"
"So it's not that the technique failed—it's just that Ganyu and Shenhe are too used to seeing me."
Paimon rubbed her eyes.
"You're… you're that bird?! How'd you turn into a person?!"
Cloud Retainer gave a calm nod.
"A mere shapeshifting art. Nothing more than a casual trick for someone like me. I simply never had the inclination to use it before."
Paimon covered her mouth.
"Wow, you're amazing!"
Cloud Retainer crossed her arms.
"What, did you think I was just a big fancy bird?"
Lumine scratched her head.
"So… why the interest now?"
"Roaming the world in my true form draws too much attention. From now on, just call me 'Xianyun'."
Paimon couldn't help but blurt out:
"You?! Worried about attention?! You used to just whoosh land on rooftops out of nowhere!"
Shajin clapped his hands.
"Alright, enough chit-chat. I've got plenty of Starshatter Ore in stock."
"As for Mystglow Stone—we do have some, but probably not enough to fully rebuild the Jade Chamber. So we'll still need to mine more."
"Besides, our tasks are already wrapped up. Since we've got some free time, why not join you guys?"
_
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