In the System Space, there was no cycle of day and night, only an endless expanse of soft white light, as if wrapped in warm, fluffy clouds.
The ground was smooth as a mirror, reflecting three identical figures, even the texture of their clothing clearly visible.
Xiao Qin puffed out her cheeks and plopped down on the ground, her eyes shimmering with aggrieved tears. "This is outrageous! I'm being bullied by the Abyss, and my Vision is rejecting me, yet you two are here debating whether the Rex Lapis statue or the Osial fountain is more beautiful?"
Not far away, Yunqin, dressed in the same attire, crouched on the ground. A faint golden Geo element flowed from her fingertips as she meticulously sculpted the hem of a Rex Lapis statue dozens of meters tall, her expression as focused as if she were completing a priceless masterpiece.
Meanwhile, Hydro Qin stood on the other side, using fine Hydro Element particles to sketch the outline of a hundred-meter-tall fountain. The water ripples refracted the white light, creating gentle waves that formed the shape of Osial.
Hearing Xiao Qin's complaint, Yunqin's hand trembled.
"Ah! Sorry, Xiao Qin!" She quickly stopped her work, scratching the back of her head as she ran over, her face beaming with a goofy smile. "We've been waiting for you for so long in the System Space that we got bored and couldn't help but start playing..."
"We weren't just playing; we were studying these things to make the upcoming 'controlled by the Abyss' act more convincing and avoid being exposed," Hydro Qin said, retracting her Hydro Element and walking over to Xiao Qin, her tone calm yet perfectly gentle.
Hearing Hydro Qin's words, Yunqin seemed to have found an ally and nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at grain, her goofy smile now tinged with urgent seriousness.
"Right, right! We were studying the plot!"
"Just last night, I practiced lines for 'slandering Rex Lapis' in front of the empty air for almost an hour. But as soon as I said, 'Rex Lapis stopped caring about Liyue long ago,' I couldn't hold it together."
"Wuwuwu ╥_╥, I really can't say things like that. It feels like I'm betraying Rex Lapis."
As she spoke, she clumsily mimicked her earlier attempt: deliberately furrowing her brow and trying to make her tone cold, but the words softened as soon as they left her mouth, feeling awkward even to herself.
She barely got out half a sentence, "Rex Lapis...", before bursting into laughter.
Xiao Qin looked at the two "selves" before her, one anxiously scratching her head and the other as calm as a deep pool of water, and couldn't help but roll her eyes in exasperation.
"So you've been racking your brains all this time and still haven't figured anything out?" she asked, pointing her finger at Yunqin and Hydro Qin.
Before Xiao Qin could finish, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from a distance.
Lu Qiuyun rushed out, shouldering a dripping broom still caked with rock slag and stone fragments. Water droplets trickled down the wooden handle, splashing tiny marks onto the mirrored floor.
Her already tense face instantly turned tomato-red upon seeing the three "Yunqins," her fury practically erupting from her eyes.
"Racking their brains? I think they've played all their brain cells away!"
She raised the broom, the wooden handle nearly grazing Yunqin's nose as she swung it, her voice filled with desperation: "Since you entered the System Space, I'm the one who figured out how Xiao Qin could seamlessly transition into the 'Abyss' storyline! I'm the one who adjusted how Zhongli would notice the Vision! I'm even the one who cleaned up the rock slag from your statue-carving and the water you splashed everywhere!"
She paused, then remembered something and grew even angrier.
The System Space was great in every way, except that everything cost Emotion Points!
Cleaning the System Space once cost a huge amount of Emotion Points!
To save Emotion Points for the upcoming plot, she even had to count every single point just to buy a few snacks to satisfy her cravings!
And what were they doing? Having the time of their lives in here!
Yunqin yelped and immediately hid behind Hydro Qin, peeking out with only half her head. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "I'm sorry, Qiuyun... We'll definitely clean up properly next time..."
Xiao Qin grabbed Lu Qiuyun's wrist, which was still holding the broom aloft. Her strength was far greater than the other two "selves," and she easily held the trembling broom still.
"Original Self, don't be angry."
"We didn't consider how hard you work. Next time, we'll clean up ourselves and won't trouble you."
Hydro Qin also gently patted Lu Qiuyun's back, her voice soft and soothing. "Calm down first. Getting angry won't solve anything, and we still have important things to do."
Lu Qiuyun struggled for a few moments before her tense shoulders finally slumped.
She took a deep breath, threw the broom aside, and swiped her hand fiercely through the air. "Forget it! Arguing with you all will give me wrinkles!"
As she moved, the scattered rock debris and water puddles instantly dissolved into motes of light. Even Yunqin's Rex Lapis statue and Hydro Qin's sketched-out Osial fountain vanished without a trace.
"Hey! My Rex Lapis statue!" Yunqin stomped her foot in distress.
"I hadn't even finished designing the arc of the falling water..." Hydro Qin's brow furrowed slightly, her tone tinged with a rare hint of regret.
Lu Qiuyun ignored their laments, her gaze fixed on Xiao Qin—the "third personality" born from the fusion of Geo, Hydro, Abyssal power, and adeptal energy.
Though her features were identical to Yunqin's, her eyes held an icy coldness that warned others to keep their distance.
Lu Qiuyun walked over to Xiao Qin and gently patted her shoulder, her voice softening. "Don't be nervous. I know you've just stabilized your form and are still getting used to it."
She continued, "The original Yunqin was supposed to play the 'Abyssal Erosion' role, but she... well, she struggled for ages just to say a single bad word about Ningguang."
She turned to Hydro Qin and sighed helplessly. "And you, you're too calm. During the last rehearsal, I asked you to portray 'the agony of being controlled by the Abyss,' but you controlled the Hydro Element with perfect precision, without even furrowing your brow. How is that supposed to look like you're being controlled?"
"I had no choice but to create these personas for you."
As she spoke, Lu Qiuyun reached out and pinched Yunqin's and Hydro Qin's cheeks.
When she pinched the original self, her touch was as light as cotton, afraid of hurting her.
When she pinched Hydro Qin, she used a teasing force that made Hydro Qin flinch slightly.
"The three of you—one too soft-hearted, one too calm, and one too sharp. None of you alone can carry the upcoming plot. Only when you fuse together will you become the complete Yunqin." Her voice was filled with resignation.
As her words faded, Lu Qiuyun raised her hand and drew a circle in the air. A pale golden barrier of light slowly descended, enveloping the three "Yunqins."
The Geo element from the original self surged first, followed by the Hydro element from Hydro Qin. The Abyssal aura from Xiao Qin also began to unfurl.
The three powers intertwined and spiraled in the air, transforming into streams of golden, deep blue, and violet-black light. After circling the barrier three times, they violently collided, erupting in a blinding white flash.
The white light faded, and only one Yunqin remained. She lowered her gaze to her hands: she could freely manipulate the Geo element, control the Hydro element, and wield both Abyssal power and adeptal energy with ease.