"What?!" These words were like a crack of thunder, exploding within the adeptal abode and instantly leaving the three people present utterly dumbfounded.
Paimon's mouth fell wide open, her eyes full of disbelief. "The... Overlord of the Vortex?"
Lumine was also completely shocked, her pupils shrinking.
Cloud Retainer let out a sigh, her voice carrying a bit of helplessness and heartache as she added, "Seventeen years ago, Yunqin was brought to Liyue Harbor by the sea waves. Rex... Zhongli took pity on her youthful innocence, adopted her, and entrusted her to me to be taught."
"We hoped to use adeptal energy to suppress the god power within her body, allowing her to grow up safely and happily like an ordinary adeptal disciple."
"But we didn't expect that as Yunqin grew older, the god bloodline in her body would begin to assert its might. Her power grew stronger and stronger, even reaching the point of becoming uncontrollable."
"Then what she just said about the seal loosening..." Lumine nervously pressed for answers, her heart rising in her chest.
Zhongli's golden eyes were full of heaviness. "Although the god power granted her immense strength, it also brought her tremendous suffering. We had no choice but to seal a portion of Yunqin's relevant memories and her power within her body. Only then did the Yunqin you know come to be."
"As time has continued to pass, the original 'Yunqin' has been constantly eroded along with the seal. The number of times she takes over Yunqin's body in her sleep has become more frequent, and the duration has grown longer."
Tartaglia's gaze fell on the unconscious Yunqin resting on the soft couch, remaining silent for a long time.
-
When Zhongli's words, "Yunqin is a descendant of Osial, Overlord of the Vortex," appeared on the screens in the parallel world, the barrage of comments that had just been spamming "Yunqin is the absolute combat ceiling" instantly fell dead silent.
A mere three seconds later, major live stream platforms and gaming forums erupted into an unprecedented frenzy.
To differentiate between the two "Yunqins," many players even started calling the Yunqin who used the Hydro Element "Hydro Qin."
"Did I hear that right? My waifu's background is that hardcore?"
"No wonder she can switch to the Hydro Element! So the root cause is her god bloodline!"
"Hydro Qin said, 'I was once just a blank sheet of paper, but was replaced by Yunqin.' Her very existence isn't even acknowledged!"
"What did I say! Such a lovable character like Yunqin is absolutely tied to the upcoming plot!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Then could the Prophet kindly make a prophecy on the future plot direction? For example, what's going to happen to Hydro Qin?"
[Viewer 'Rice-Eating Astrologer' has left the live stream.]
Talented players began creating fanart overnight: someone drew a scene of Hydro Qin and Yunqin locking eyes within a space of consciousness.
One gaze was filled with hatred, while the other was brimming with determination.
It was as if a fated duel was taking place between the two.
The comment section was full of hopes like "I hope they can reconcile" and "don't hurt each other."
Tartaglia's gaze shifted from the unconscious Yunqin on the couch, and the corners of his mouth, which usually carried a smile, were pressed into a straight line.
He really couldn't reconcile the heavy label of "god's descendant" with the lively and bouncy girl in his memory.
"Then... did Yunqin herself not know about this from beginning to end?" He turned to Zhongli, his voice carrying an unconcealable hesitation, even the end of his sentence trembling slightly.
Zhongli slowly shook his head, his golden eyes seemingly recalling Yunqin's childhood: "This child is simple by nature. She once heard the Adepti talk about the Archon War from a thousand years ago, and knows that it was an existence that caused people to lose their homes."
"We were afraid that after knowing the truth, she would treat herself as a 'monster', so we kept it from her."
"But she's not stupid, she should more or less guess that she's hiding an unknown secret. Last time she asked me 'why sometimes there are traces of the Hydro Element when I lose control', I could only vaguely say it was 'a normal reaction of adeptal energy awakening'."
"No wonder she didn't think it was strange at all when we mentioned the 'Hydro form' to her before," Paimon whispered as she floated over to Lumine's shoulder.
"By the way, Zhongli," Lumine suddenly remembered something. Her gaze fell on the steady aura surrounding him, and she asked curiously, "How do you know so much about Yunqin? Also, the way you and Cloud Retainer speak to each other sounds exactly like old friends who have known each other for a long time. Could it be that you are also... an Adeptus?"
Zhongli paused, seemingly weighing his words.
Seeing this, Cloud Retainer quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "There is something the Traveler does not know. Mr. Zhongli is immensely knowledgeable, and we adepti often consult him with our questions. Coupled with his connection to Yunqin, it is only natural that we interact frequently."
Her words were a mix of truth and fiction, protecting Zhongli's identity while explaining their closeness. She also discreetly shot Zhongli a reassuring glance.
Tartaglia nodded thoughtfully, a flash of understanding in his eyes.
Everyone had their secrets; if Zhongli did not wish to speak of it, it was not his place to press the matter.
Besides, he had already pretty much guessed Zhongli's true identity anyway.
Rather than Zhongli's identity, he was more concerned about whether Yunqin would accept this truth after she woke up.
Right at that moment, Yunqin let out a muffled groan from the soft couch.
She struggled to open her eyes. Her long eyelashes, like butterfly wings damp with dew, fluttered several times before fully opening.
The first thing she saw was Lumine, standing not far away.
In an instant, the biting cold of being swallowed by the Abyss in the Serenitea Pot and the chilling aura of the thrusting Festering Desire rushed back into her mind.
Her body tensed subconsciously, her Vision glowing with a warm golden light out of her control, and her breathing grew rapid.
Bang! With a muffled crash, the soft couch beneath her completely collapsed, shattered by a sudden burst of the Geo element.
Amidst the flying wooden splinters, the earth beneath her feet quickly condensed into a pale gold Geo platform—her commonly used "Little UFO."
The platform lifted her rapidly into the air, shooting towards the ceiling of the adeptal abode as if fleeing some terrifying threat.
Before anyone could react, the Little UFO had already rushed to the top of the adeptal abode, and Yunqin's forehead smacked into the transparent barrier with a crisp thud.
She clutched her forehead, pouting in grievance.
The pain was secondary; the main issue was that it was simply too embarrassing.
She looked down below: Lumine was watching her with eyes full of worry, holding no weapons in her hands; Zhongli's brows were slightly furrowed, his eyes full of concern; Master was so anxious he was practically about to fly up.
Only Tartaglia was raising an eyebrow, a hint of an amused smile on his lips as he enjoyed the show.
Realizing she had just made a fool of herself, Yunqin's cheeks instantly flushed red.
She gripped the edge of the Geo platform and gave an embarrassed smile, her voice as quiet as a mosquito, "Um... I just didn't react in time."
"As long as you're okay, that's what matters," Lumine quickly spoke up to ease her embarrassment. "You just woke up and your body is still weak. Just come down slowly."
The little UFO slowly descended. When Yunqin jumped down from the Geo platform, her steps were still a bit unsteady, and she stumbled slightly before finding her footing.