"The old man came to Mondstadt?! Oh no! He's not here to beat me up, is he?!"
Venti sobered up instantly.
Though they had been neighbors for thousands of years, the old man was extremely particular about "rules." If there wasn't a reason, he would never leave Liyue's soil.
The last time he came to Mondstadt was over a thousand years ago, when one of his retainers—the Yaksha general—was about to self-destruct from karmic corruption, and Venti had stepped in to help.
To thank him, the old man had come to Mondstadt to gift him several catties of immortal tea. Venti had shown off about it for a long time afterward.
Then, emboldened, he took that token favor as permission to frequently visit Liyue, singing in the streets to mooch drinks.
"This time... what's the reason the old man is coming to see me?"
Venti pulled out a towel to wipe his forehead—though there wasn't a single bead of sweat there.
Could it be because he had guarded against the old man recently, and even under his nose, took something valuable? Maybe his unsettled conscience was why the old man was here to teach him a lesson.
There was that one time, while busking in Liyue for drinks, when he accidentally let slip a long-lost secret from ancient times. The old man had been so furious he blasted him from Liyue all the way back to Mondstadt.
It was brutal—so brutal that from then on, Venti had behaved himself around the old man.
Though he was a bit worried, given their long-standing relationship, the old man probably wasn't so petty.
He should go out and greet him.
At the Stone Gate, what had once been an ordinary landmark had transformed into a towering divine mountain. The path to Mondstadt had become a wide canyon grassland.
Zhongli walked slowly across the Mondstadt border, one hand carrying a teapot, the other clasped behind his back. Feeling Barbatos' aura, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well now~ Old man, what wind has brought you to Mondstadt today?"
Venti appeared in front of Zhongli, rubbing his hands together, a hint of suspicion in his wide eyes.
The old rock himself is smiling? What on earth could make him this happy?
He sniffed the air, then looked at the teapot in Zhongli's hand—and was stunned.
Oh my god, that fragrance! Isn't that the divine tea the old man hoards so jealously he won't even spare a single leaf?
He brewed the entire batch at once? That's insanely extravagant!
He himself hadn't even dared to eat a single fruit from Mondstadt's Frostbearing Tree, saving them until the universe grew stronger—then they'd surely become even more potent.
Zhongli said, "Barbatos, you asked me for tea previously. I thought it over and realized that, given our long friendship, I was indeed too stingy. So Director Hu brewed all the tea."
Venti trembled and gaped. "Old man... you... you're apologizing to me?"
Goodness! Is this still the domineering, peerless old man? The invincible god of war?
Zhongli replied, "You and I have been friends for thousands of years. Now that we're walking the same path, with eternal time ahead of us—friendship is priceless."
Venti was deeply moved. "So that's how you think, old man."
Indeed, the old man might be rigid, but he valued bonds above all. I used to think he was stingy—it was me who was small-minded.
With a thought, Zhongli summoned a stone table and stools made of cor lapis.
"The scenery here is pleasant. Let us drink this tea, enjoy the view, and contemplate truth together."
He poured Venti a full cup.
"This tea was brewed from 28 leaves. Ten cups will yield the best effect. We shall each drink five—I'll give you half."
Venti, overwhelmed by the aroma, was beyond touched. The old man gave me half!
"Thank you, old man."
Without another word, he began drinking. This tea was so precious that even hesitating a second would be disrespectful.
Zhongli nodded, the corners of his eyes showing a trace of amusement, though his face remained stoic and calm.
"Old man, cheers!"
"Though I love drinking, old man, this tea of yours... it's more fragrant than wine."
You take a cup, I take a cup. Back and forth, they quickly emptied the entire pot.
"Ahhh... satisfying. I think I gained a bit more insight. How about you, old man?"
Venti felt that after drinking this tea, infused with the aura of truth, he had advanced ever so slightly on the path toward Supreme Godhood.
If that path were a staircase with ten thousand steps, he was currently around the two-thousandth. With this tea, he had climbed at least one step.
Zhongli didn't answer but said instead, "Barbatos, I've heard you possess a tree similar to my tea tree."
No small talk—straight to the point.
Damn!
Venti's smile froze instantly.
Like a malfunctioning robot, he turned stiffly to face Zhongli, his whole face twitching.
Well played! Well played! He figured it out in an instant and looked devastated.
"Old man, you set me up?! You, of all people, resorted to this kind of trick?"
"Just now, I truly believed your words about our millennia-old friendship."
Zhongli said calmly, "Our millennia-long friendship is genuine. But in Liyue, we believe in reciprocity."
"This is an exchange of goodwill."
Venti looked like he'd lost his last drink, hanging his head with a helpless sigh.
"Old man, you're ruthless. If you wanted to trade, just say so. I might not have refused."
So that's what this was about. The old man wanted his Frostbearing Fruits but feared he'd say no.
Now that the tea was gone and he drank half of it, he owed half the fruit...
"The longest road I've ever walked is your setup, old man."
...
In Liyue, Noah watched the "surveillance feed" of Zhongli conning Venti and broke into a wide grin.
Director Hu really was something, pushing even Zhongli to the point of setting up Venti.
Throughout this entire event, everyone was happy—except Venti, who suffered.
"Buer, did you see that? This is the art of transferred joy. Hahaha!"
Buer watched the oldest of the Seven Archons play mind games with the drunken bard and couldn't help but almost laugh, though she managed to hold it back.
"My dear husband, you really have a wicked sense of humor."
Noah shrugged. "Nonsense. I didn't do anything. I merely sat in Wangsheng Funeral Parlor for a while."
"This is just the ripple effect of fate."
In the days that followed, Noah and Buer enjoyed a few more leisurely outings around Liyue Harbor. Meanwhile, the Gourmet Divine Championship was reaching its conclusion.
Throughout this month, those who participated in the Gourmet Divine Championship feasted to their hearts' content. Gods from various pantheons had their fun, and the chefs themselves gained widespread fame.
Such a grand event would be passed down in the form of myth and legend across planes and planetary worlds.
After all, major events in the Main World always impacted its subordinate worlds to some extent.
As poets and bards spread the tales, these stories would leave marks in "Human History"—marks that, in turn, fed back into the "True Name."
The true name of the Culinary God Xiangling had both deepened and strengthened significantly as a result of this grand festival.
Other judges of the event also gained a measure of fame.
In this, the bard played a critical role in spreading myth and legend.
This activated the Cosmic Nexus's positive feedback system.
Bards who contributed to the spread of myth were granted special myth-chanting authority by the Cosmic Nexus through its judgment with Human History.
At the same time, to prevent misuse of this authority, multiple restrictions were put in place.
A bard's storytelling must benefit the "World" and "Human History" for their chants to be effective. They could not arbitrarily tarnish myths and legends for personal gain.
One could not use this "Authority" for evil, either—at best, the privilege would be stripped away; at worst, the offender would fall into the Abyss.
At that moment, in the final arena of the Wanmin Hall Community.
Ten victorious chefs stood proudly on the stage, greeted by thunderous cheers.
Some of them hailed from other pantheons; others were quasi-gods, specially invited to the Main World.
Barbara stood on the high platform and announced with excitement, "The ten final victors have emerged! They have triumphed over all challengers across the universe."
"Without question, these ten are the strongest culinary kings in the cosmos! Let the entire universe celebrate, cheer, and crown them with honor!"
Roar roar roar roar...!
As the arena erupted with celebration, Xiangling appeared before them. Floating above their heads were chef hats—not ordinary ones, but sacred artifacts forged by the God of the Stove, Marchosius, through divine authority.
"Without a doubt, you are the finest chefs in the universe. I congratulate you and wish you godhood in the near future."
Marchosius stood atop the highest divine seat and proclaimed loudly, "Now, I bestow upon you the title of the Ten Culinary Gods of the First Gourmet Divine Championship. Let this glory be your eternal pride."
The ten chefs stood tall, looking up at the Stove God glowing like the sun above.
The atmosphere swelled with emotion—only one phrase was missing: "Devote your hearts!"
To be acknowledged by a Primary God and bestowed the title of Culinary God meant being officially recognized by the Law of Cuisine.
In the future, not only could they become Middle Gods, but even Upper Gods were within reach.
Barbara continued, "Now comes the most important moment—awarding our victors with their prizes!"
As soon as she finished speaking—
Under the watchful gaze of the divine judges and the entire audience, ten brilliant golden orbs appeared before the ten Culinary Gods. The glow was soft, yet it illuminated the whole arena.
The first-place prize was a Simulated Divinity, enabling one to achieve the absolute potential limit of their race.
Second place received a divine farming toolset capable of turning deserts into fertile fields—and with sustained effort, could transform all barren land into arable soil.
Third place was awarded a cookbook containing recipes for various divine-grade dishes.
Fourth through tenth places each received a god-grade kitchen tool of their choosing—based on what they most desired.
Naturally, even the top three also received their preferred divine cookware.
Oooooohhhh!!!
Cheers filled the heavens.
The bards—some scribbling furiously, others frantically mixing paints—captured the scene in story and illustration.
Noah stroked his chin as he watched the enchanted, utterly absorbed bards.
These bards, with their special divine status, were essentially Teyvat's version of the Poet Spirit Rank.
In the Little Garden, Poets were ranked the fourth most powerful species—because they could reshape human history by rewriting myths.
Gods were intimately connected to human history. Offending the bards meant risking slander and distortion.
Athena becomes Medusa, Zeus becomes Jupiter...
But in Teyvat, bards had no such authority.
Even so, gods still treated them with utmost respect.
After all, to spread their myth through Human History, the bards were indispensable.
They'd become highly sought-after figures. Any god whose myth had been sung by a bard would be more than willing to protect them.
Thus, the Gourmet Divine Championship ended with the ten crowned Culinary Gods clutching their honors, cheered by gods and mortals alike.
Visitors, participants, and gods all reluctantly began to depart.
These gods had never before participated in such a joyous and celebratory event.
But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Soon, Liyue returned to its usual tranquil rhythm.
The arena hadn't yet been fully cleaned up, and the lingering traces of the festive bustle remained.
Buer returned to Sumeru.
At the same time, Noah arrived in Inazuma.
At the Grand Narukami Shrine—
Raiden Makoto and Raiden Ei were personally attending to Noah.
Makoto massaged his shoulders while Ei delicately peeled a Amakumo Fruit and fed it to him.
Makoto was overjoyed to have Noah visit Inazuma.
She had been hoping, longing for his arrival, and now that he was here, she was determined to make him never want to leave.
"Though Inazuma's pantheon doesn't have many gods compared to Zhongli's, we do have quite a few Middle Gods—and all of them are goddesses," Makoto said sweetly.
Noah gently tapped her forehead, "You and your little schemes."
Makoto looked up gently, "So, do you like it?"
Noah smiled, "You already know the answer."
"Right now," Makoto added softly, "many of Inazuma's Middle Gods are close to breaking through to Upper God."
"Sangonomiya Kokomi, Sara, Kuki Shinobu, Kirara, and even Mitsuri Kanroji who ascended from the lower realms—they're all exceptional."
The more Noah looked at Makoto, the more he liked her. Gathering beautiful girls for him—how could he not love such a thoughtful, adorable wife?
"Hmm... once they become Upper Gods, I'll come meet them."
"In two days, I'll open the final major world of the second phase. After that, we begin the third phase."
The third phase: from Single Universe → Strong Universe → Super Universe.
The fourth phase: Multiversal → Super Multiversal → Infinite Multiversal.
Noah guessed the fifth phase would be: Box-Level (Low Outerversal) → Infinite Box (High Outerversal) → Exponential Tower (Boundless).
That phase hadn't even been displayed in the system yet—understandably, since it wasn't something he needed to worry about for now.
Raiden Ei's eyes lit up. "So we're about to enter the final major world?" Her favorite times were interdimensional wars, battling gods from other realms.
Each battle pushed her "Musou Isshin" a step closer to perfection.
Now, as a First-tier Primary God, her "Musou Isshin"—bolstered by Supreme Mysteries—could sever the Laws themselves.
With a single casual swing, she could cleave through multiple planets. If she gave it her all, even stars could suffer irreversible damage.
Granted, those were ordinary stars—not supreme celestial bodies like the Sun of Teyvat.
Noah extended his hand. A glowing sphere appeared in his palm, like an astrolabe containing an entire universe.
"Originally, I planned to give this to you once you became Supreme Gods. But since you've already come into contact with the secret of 'Divine Collective'—I'll give it to you early."
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