"Husband, if you're feeling... tempted, why don't we head back to the courtyard? Everyone would be happy to... accommodate you," Buer whispered into Noah's ear, a rosy blush coloring her flawless cheeks.
Noah sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "My dear wife, to call the appreciation of feminine beauty 'desire'—you've truly let me down. I'm very disappointed."
Buer panicked slightly. "R-Really?" Though she knew he wasn't truly upset, his expression still made her uneasy.
"Appreciating girls is... an art? I didn't know that. I'm sorry."
She genuinely hadn't known. As the avatar of the World Tree who governed cosmic memory, she hadn't encountered such knowledge.
But if her husband, the Heavenly Principle himself, said it was art, then surely it must be.
Around them, onlookers glared at Noah's outrageous remarks. But no one dared to intervene—this was clearly a conversation between a couple, and besides, with their presence alone, it was obvious these two were high-ranking gods. At the very least, Middle Gods.
"Oh~? The world has such curious knowledge?"
At that moment, Nao Tomori—who had been tailing them—lit up with interest. With no hesitation and no sense of stranger boundaries, she rushed forward, camera in one hand and mic in the other.
She had long wanted to interview this strange divine couple, but hadn't found the right moment.
Now she had her chance and couldn't contain her excitement.
Even her brother, watching from a distance, was stunned and frozen in place—he hadn't been able to stop her in time.
Those two were obviously divine beings! And his sister, as impulsive as ever, really gave him a headache.
Noah looked at the girl holding a camera and mic in front of him, resting his chin on his palm with interest. "Oh~ little girl, so you've finally approached after following me for so long."
Nao Tomori, who had followed them after noticing their distinct auras, had repeatedly hesitated to step forward.
"Follow? No, no, I wasn't following! As you can see, Lord God, I'm an intern reporter with the Steambird Community! I wanted to interview you, but I was too nervous, that's all."
She quickly explained, ending with an adorably pitiful expression.
"You're not going to curse me, are you?"
Even though she'd only been in the Main World a short while, she was already well-versed in its rules.
The Steambird Community was a major organization famous throughout the universe and backed by Fontaine's Main God, Lady Focalors. So long as you weren't being outrageous, most gods would grant you some courtesy.
Before Noah could speak, Buer smiled and said, "Such a spirited little girl. But I don't see any cowardice in you."
Nao Tomori stuck out her tongue. "Sorry, Lord and Lady Gods—but I really do want to interview you! I'm collecting anecdotes and oddities for our feature section."
Noah grinned. "Anecdotes, hmm? So you want to ask me about my appreciation for the art of young girls? Well, you've come to the right person, little girl."
"Come, come, let's do the interview."
"Oh oh oh! Okay, okay! Mister God is the best!"
Nao Tomori eagerly turned on her camera.
The surrounding crowd watched with curiosity. Everyone knew the Steambird Press—it was a universal name. But a live interview like this? That was new, even if it was for the 'oddities and features' section.
Still, that was exactly what many people loved to read.
Noah crossed one leg over the other, propped his face on his hand, and proudly said, "Little reporter from Steambird Press, since you've come to interview me, I must ask you a question first."
"What question, Lord God?"
"What do you think is the part of a woman that most draws a man's eye, and is most beloved by them?" Noah asked, half-squinting as he sized up Nao Tomori.
Nao Tomori blinked. "Most beloved, huh... Well, definitely the chest and the butt, right? All men—even gods—love those two parts."
Noah nodded. "A promising student indeed." He raised two fingers and began speaking confidently.
"Those two places represent the origin of life—they are the very symbols of womanhood and motherhood."
"That's why all men, without exception, are instinctively drawn to them."
"Lust? Desire? Hmph—those are just biased labels people slap on something profound, cheap rationalizations that fall apart in the face of truth."
Noah shook his head, scoffing arrogantly.
Nao Tomori blushed slightly, and with a bashful but curious tone asked, "So, was that why you were sizing me up earlier, Lord God? I heard from other gods in the community that if one's clothes aren't reinforced with divine power, it's the same as being naked in a god's eyes."
Of course, her clothes were divine-enhanced—these days even poor quasi-gods could afford those.
Besides, gods rarely scanned people with divine sense; the sixth sense would immediately sound the alarm. Gods wouldn't humiliate themselves like that.
Noah replied righteously, "You think a naked woman is what attracts a man? If so, you've sullied the concept of true art."
Nao Tomori fluttered her eyes. "Then what qualifies as appreciation and not just lustful perversion?"
The surrounding crowd leaned in. They were all curious. Even if his words sounded elaborate, wasn't it still just twisted logic?
Noah shook his head and conjured a pair of glasses, slowly placing them on his nose with the demeanor of a strict old scholar.
"Since we've reached the crux of the matter, I must educate this young lady properly."
Nao Tomori pulled out a tiny stool from her Vision's spatial pocket and sat primly like a student.
Her brother stood in the crowd, utterly dumbfounded.
Noah launched into a lecture.
"First, beauty and eroticism are two entirely different concepts. A woman is not most beautiful when fully exposed—that lacks any aesthetic appeal."
"True beauty is when there is partial concealment—when it feels like you can see, but absolutely cannot. That tension sparks boundless curiosity and the desire to explore."
Nao Tomori gasped, "Could it be... the true art of appreciating a woman lies in one's imagination of the 'unknown frontier'?!"
Noah widened his eyes. "To think you arrived at the truth so quickly—genius!"
"That's right! True art lies in an endless curiosity for the new and unknown."
"Yes! The highest form of art exists within the cosmos of the mind!"
Nao Tomori's eyes gleamed. "Within the cosmos of the mind!" Suddenly, the phrasing sounded so lofty—was this the perspective of a god?
Noah pointed to the sky. "Just like the underside of a girl's skirt."
"Even if you do see it—it's just some plain underwear."
"But if you can't see it—now that, that is the art of appreciation. That is true art."
Nao Tomori was stunned. "Not seeing it... is the true art of appreciation!"
Noah nodded. "It seems you've grasped the essence of real art. I'm proud of you."
Nao Tomori pressed her hands together solemnly. "Yes, I have understood the true meaning of appreciation, Lord God."
Noah extended his hand. "Fellow connoisseur. Come, let us shake on it."
"Yes! Fellow connoisseur!"
Their hands met in a dramatic moment of mutual respect.
Then, Nao Tomori pulled her hand back and stuck out her tongue cheekily.
"Well then, lecherous Lord God, I'm off now~"
With that, she hugged her camera and skipped away.
During the handshake, this Lord God had even tickled her palm. If she didn't leave soon, the goddess wife nearby might actually curse her.
Even goddesses could be jealous—just look at the Olympian ones.
Whenever she ran into male gods from Olympus, she kept her distance.
Buer smiled. "She shook hands with my husband... that girl's future will be filled with good fortune."
Touched by the Heavenly Principle's aura, and with his permission, her fate would be favored by the will of the cosmos—smooth sailing and serendipitous encounters.
ROARRRRRR!
Cheers erupted—the results for a round of competition had been announced. Winners jumped for joy, basking in applause. Even the losers showed no disappointment—just being part of this grand event was an honor.
This Universal Gourmet Divine Championship would last an entire month.
That might seem long to a regular Earthling.
But for people in the Main World, it was nothing. Average lifespans reached 300 years, and even light cultivation could push it to 500 or 600. True long-lived beings.
In such a universal festival, gods from all pantheons snuck out for fun—especially the Western gods, who loved a good crowd.
Of course, they wouldn't appear in full glory—they disguised themselves as ordinary gods, or even plain mortals.
"Come on, Brother Venti! Drink! A chance to freeload food and booze like this only comes once every few hundred years!"
"Haha, big bro, drink! Sure, I've had no shortage of fine wine lately—but offerings can't compare to the joy of mooching!"
Odin and Venti clinked mugs at a food stall, both drunk and boisterous.
"Another round, Brother Venti!"
"Absolutely!"
Odin let out a drunken burp. "So, Brother Venti, can you, uh... secretly tell your big bro how far you've gotten on that path? Give me some pointers."
"You see, I just finished a task and got that... gift thing. I'm this close to sitting in the same seat as you."
"So I figured I'd learn from you a bit."
He had just obtained a Truth Gift but was stuck at comprehending the Supreme Mystery. Thankfully, he had the foresight to shamelessly swear brotherhood with Venti. Otherwise, he'd really be screwed.
Venti played coy. "Ah~ Big bro, that thing you're talking about... I'm a little slow, I don't quite get it..."
But Odin wasn't so easily fooled. With a smirk, he "accidentally" dropped a little booklet from his sleeve.
"Oops~ Brother Venti, did you drop something?"
Venti picked it up and his eyes sparkled. Without a word, he slipped it into his own pocket.
"Ah~ Big bro, sharp eyes as always. Just the Valhalla registry. A few hundred hero True Names. Nothing too major."
Good heavens. Truly generous. This old brother was serious. To gain insight into the Supreme Mystery, he directly handed over ownership of Norse mythology's Valhalla.
Valhalla held hundreds of hero True Names—meaning all those myths now belonged to Mondstadt.
And Mondstadt had always lacked a strong middle tier—this was perfect.
What a sharp old fox! Now Venti had no choice but to share his own First-tier Primary God comprehension notes.
Just then, Zhongli passed by, carrying a birdcage and playing with a songbird. He caught sight of the whole myth-trade.
Good grief. He inhaled sharply.
Mythical heritage... being sold?!
And worse—not to him!
Among the original Seven Nations, their greatest weakness had always been mythological heritage.
Though they could now spread new myths by completing world annexation missions, they were inherently disadvantaged compared to other pantheons.
After all, their native myths were limited to the 72 Demon Gods.
And they were all the myths of their Primary Gods.
Their pantheons lacked strong Middle Gods, which would be a disadvantage over time compared to other pantheons.
Fortunately, as the gods of the original Seven Nations had advanced ahead of most other pantheons, they could suppress others with sheer strength.
But Middle Gods couldn't always rely on invoking their Primary Gods for prestige.
Zhongli pondered this situation. If myths were now openly being traded, should he consider negotiating some exchanges himself?
Or perhaps he should organize a Gift Game centered on the competition for mythic heritage?
Noticing Zhongli, Venti quickly acted innocent, feigning surprise.
"Oh, Morax, out walking your bird, I see? I've had a few too many... I'll just take my leave!"
"Brother Odin, I'm not good with alcohol. I'm drunk—I'll leave first!"
Odin grinned from ear to ear. "Very well, Brother Venti." He knew—deal secured.
Venti vanished into a gust of wind, leaving Zhongli's face twitching.
Good grief... This was his territory—Liyue! Why were they acting like they needed to dodge him like a thief?
Looked like he'd need to start taking strolls in Mondstadt more often.
"Brother Zhong, I have travel permits and entry tokens! Not illegal, I swear," Odin said with a friendly smile, pulling out a jade butterfly seal.
Zhongli replied calmly, "I understand. That won't be necessary."
"Then I'll be on my way!" Odin said with a whoosh and disappeared.
Zhongli's cheek twitched. That won't be necessary, indeed. I never even planned to trade with you.
He wasn't the only one observing all this. A man with a mole on his forehead—whose demeanor practically screamed mischief—walked over.
"Hehe... Brother Zhong, I saw the little 'exchange' just now. Truth is, I've long wanted to make your acquaintance."
Zhongli's reserved face softened into a smile. "Brother Indra, I'm an old man who enjoys making friends. Shall we talk over some tea?"
This was none other than Indra—Chief God of Mount Sumeru.
He, too, faced the hurdle of comprehending the Supreme Mystery.
Receiving the Truth Gift merely granted entry—it didn't guarantee understanding. And right now, he had no clue.
Only by becoming a First-tier Primary God could a pantheon truly wield influence in the universe. Otherwise, they were just small fry.
At a tea stall—
Zhongli said warmly, "Liyue is a nation of contracts, valuing fairness above all. From a rational standpoint, equivalence is the foundation of any transaction."
He sipped his tea calmly. He wasn't in a rush—the advantage was entirely his.
And his 'experience' was priceless across the entire universe.
"Of course, of course," Indra nodded eagerly. He knew exactly how precious Zhongli's insights were. It wasn't like you could just waltz in and sell off a pantheon.
Well... that's exactly what he planned to do.
He'd come to terms with it. Mount Sumeru and the Liyue Pantheon shared common roots—why not just merge?
Besides, he had a keen eye. He could tell that the Geo Archon's ascension to Supreme Godhood was only a matter of time.
And as for himself? He was self-aware—he definitely wouldn't reach that level.
Better to join early.
With that, a small booklet landed at Zhongli's feet.
"Oh my~ Brother Zhong, you dropped something."
Zhongli was speechless. He'd copied Odin's exact tactic.
Still, he lifted the booklet into his hand. One glance—and his golden eyes narrowed sharply. Snap! He closed it instantly.
Turning to Indra, his face remained calm, but waves roared within.
"Brother Indra... are you serious? This isn't something to joke about."
Indra grinned. "It's more comfortable in the shade of a big tree. Rather than planting one myself, I might as well move my whole family under yours."
"Brother Zhong, do you have the courage to accept it?"
Zhongli steadied his emotions. "Then it's settled. Let the Cosmic Nexus construct a Gift Game."
Indra: "No problem."
Zhongli's golden pupils contracted—he's serious!
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