Soon, another month passed.
During this time, the video platform was flooded with high-quality fan creations.
Qiu Nian, of course, remained at the center of attention.
Thanks to the Lantern Rite, his popularity had surged by several million.
Especially the battle between the God of Obscuration and Guixu—
Even among all current combat scenes in Genshin Impact, it still stood at the absolute peak.
Yet despite that, countless players were still asking—
When is Qiu Nian entering the banner pool?
On this day, Xuehua sat there, munching on a chicken drumstick from her takeout meal.
At the same time, she was watching the official PV released by Genshin Impact.
Yes—
It was the Version 1.4 PV.
The Windblume Festival of Mondstadt.
At the end of the PV—
A reversed Statue of The Seven appeared.
Dark purple-black energy gathered around it.
An Abyss Herald clashed with the protagonist.
And in the final moment—
The other twin appeared, holding a sword.
Then—
The screen went black.
And then—
Venti's eyes appeared.
Within them…
Reflected Qiu Nian's figure.
Venti frowned slightly.
A teal divine power began to surge around him.
And the PV ended.
At that moment, Xuehua's screen was flooded with comments.
[WHAT THE HELL?!]
[Venti met Qiu Nian?!]
[Why does the bard look so hostile?!]
[I can't stay in Version 1.3 any longer—release 1.4 NOW!!]
[I'm itching all over, I can't take this!]
[Is the drunk bard done pretending?!]
[I NEED to know what happens when Venti meets Qiu Nian!]
[This PV is pure torture—such a tease!]
Xuehua rubbed her eyes and replayed the PV.
Again.
And again.
After confirming that the figure reflected in Venti's eyes was indeed Qiu Nian—
She couldn't hold back and screamed in excitement.
Meanwhile, over the past month—
Qiu Nian had been living as leisurely as ever.
With his strength gradually returning, combined with the accumulated popularity—
His current power had reached twelve points.
Hearing that Mondstadt was celebrating the Windblume Festival—
He decided to go take a look.
That noon—
Qiu Nian casually stepped into Mondstadt's territory.
After entering Mondstadt City, he wandered through its wide streets.
The festive atmosphere filled the air.
Along the way—
Quite a few Mondstadt women approached him to strike up conversations.
Compared to Liyue, Mondstadt's people were far more open.
Almost every short distance he walked—
Someone would try to chat him up.
But Qiu Nian politely declined them all.
There were even Knights of Favonius members asking if he wanted to take the Wind Glider exam.
Since he had never met Katheryne before—
He headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
"Ad astra abyssosque."
"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild."
"Are you here to join an expedition team, or to obtain an Adventurer's License?"
Katheryne stood behind the counter, smiling.
"Expedition team…?"
"Adventurer's License?"
Qiu Nian looked slightly puzzled.
"Oh, let me explain."
"Adventurers can choose to form teams. A party of four is considered a full expedition team."
"I can also introduce you to other adventurers."
"As for the Adventurer's License—"
"Skilled adventurers use it to track targets such as monsters and enemies."
"Even non-adventurers—hunters or warriors—sometimes join the Guild just to obtain this information."
Katheryne explained patiently.
"I see."
Qiu Nian nodded and thanked her.
Then turned and left.
For ordinary people—
Teleport Waypoints were unusable.
Travel meant walking.
And along the way—
There were always monsters.
Without a Vision or sufficient strength, one could only avoid danger.
Being an adventurer was even harder.
Elemental monuments couldn't be activated without a Vision.
And even if you had one—
It might not match the required element.
There was also the Wind Glider exam.
For ordinary people, mastering it was far from easy.
Without a glider—
Crossing difficult terrain meant slowly climbing down with ropes or grappling hooks.
One mistake—
And it could cost your life.
That was why most adventurers traveled in teams.
Rarely alone.
Compared to them—
Lumine's journey was incredibly comfortable.
Even though she currently wielded only two elements—
She was far beyond ordinary people.
Stronger than ninety-nine percent of Teyvat.
For others to reach her level of comfort—
They needed a full team.
At least one Vision holder.
Someone who had passed the Wind Glider test.
And proper combat training.
Thinking about it…
Being a normal adventurer without a Vision or glider—
Was truly difficult.
After having lunch at Angel's Share, Qiu Nian made his way toward Dragonspine.
Outside the snowy mountain—
Horses were tied to trees.
Many adventurers were preparing their gear.
Some foreign travelers were taking photos and setting up camps.
There were even small food stalls nearby.
From Qiu Nian's estimate—
There were at least several hundred people.
Couples from Mondstadt sat on distant slopes, gazing at the majestic snow-covered peak.
Knights patrolled the area.
Qiu Nian bought a few skewers of roasted chicken from a stall—
And began walking up the mountain while eating.
The other adventurers stared at him in disbelief.
He was wearing so little—
Yet dared to climb Dragonspine?
They couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
Meanwhile, within Dragonspine—
Lumine, Paimon, and Venti were gathering materials listed by Albedo.
"There—there!"
Paimon suddenly gasped.
"Q-Qiu Nian?!"
Lumine followed her gaze—
And froze in shock.
Qiu Nian seemed to hear their voices.
He turned and walked toward them.
Venti's expression shifted slightly as he watched him approach.
"Qiu Nian—you finally showed up!"
Xuehua clenched her fists in excitement.
[He's here! HE'S HERE!]
[What's going to happen?!]
[What will Venti do when he meets Qiu Nian?!]
Paimon waved happily.
But just as she and Lumine were about to step forward—
A gentle breeze swept past them.
In the next instant—
Venti stood in front of them.
He raised one hand—
Shielding Lumine and Paimon behind him.
His expression turned serious.
Like he was facing a formidable enemy.
At the same time—
Qiu Nian's reflection appeared in Venti's eyes.
A faint teal glow lit up within them.
Divine power surged around him.
Even the twin braids at the sides of his head began to glow.
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