"Go to the Star of Wishes together?"
To be honest, he wasn't particularly interested—he had already realized that the so-called Star of Wishes was most likely the very planet where Teyvat lay.
However… Sam Li was intrigued by the mention of the starry skies, and especially by that vast [dragon] silhouette he had seen within them.
So.
Sam Li neither refused nor agreed outright.
Instead, he shifted the topic, asking the group about that colossal [dragon] silhouette.
"I once looked up at the starry sky and saw, deep within it, a dragon's shadow as immense as a celestial body. Do you know anything about it?"
Upon hearing this,
Himeko, the Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng, and the others exchanged bewildered glances.
A dragon's shadow as vast as a star?
They had never seen such a thing themselves—but in the entire cosmos, only one existence matched that description.
The Aeon [Dragon]. Dan Heng's Vidyadhara lineage was one of the many descendants of that very Aeon.
Hearing Sam Li's words,
March 7th exclaimed excitedly, "Mr. Sam Li, are you saying you saw the Aeon [Dragon]?"
Sam Li frowned slightly. "The Aeon [Dragon]?"
March 7th nodded eagerly. "Exactly! That figure you saw in the starry sky must be the legendary Aeon [Dragon]. They say it's one of the oldest and strongest of all the Aeons. Theoretically, every dragon-shaped being in the universe is a descendant of the Aeon [Dragon]…"
As she spoke,
March 7th glanced at Sam Li, then at Dan Heng.
The two were not of the same people, yet both carried the [dragon] bloodline.
March 7th hurried on, "When did you see it? Where did you see it? Tell us!"
Sam Li answered calmly, "A few days ago. While looking at the starry sky, I saw it deep within the cosmos. It even helped me resolve a bit of trouble."
Hearing that,
Dan Heng seemed to understand something. He murmured, "No wonder… my bloodline power fluctuated unusually a few days ago…"
He had originally assumed the disturbance was caused by Sam Li himself.
But now, it seemed far more likely that it was connected to the appearance of the Aeon known only as the "Dragon."
Realizing this, Dan Heng looked at Sam Li again, his expression darkening.
According to ancient records, that Aeon had not shown any sign of activity for countless years—some even whispered it had already perished.
Yet now, its will had stirred because of Sam Li, even coming to his aid. That alone spoke volumes about how highly Aeon regarded him…
After discussing the Aeon "Dragon," the group soon shifted to other Aeons—Aha, the Aeon of Elation, and Akivili, the Trailblazer Aeon who once guided the Astral Express…
Speaking of this, March 7th smiled.
"People say there are eighteen Paths—eighteen Aeons in total, each one governing a different cosmic order."
Sam Li understood at once.
Just as each element corresponds to an Archon in Teyvat's seven nations—
except that, on a cosmic scale, the authority of the Aeons far surpasses that of Teyvat's Seven.
Hearing March 7th explain all this, Sam Li grew genuinely interested.
He wished to explore other worlds himself—and, if possible, meet that Aeon called the Dragon.
While they were still chatting cheerfully,
Sam Li's phone suddenly rang.
He checked it—sure enough, it was Nicole calling.
As soon as he answered, Nicole's delighted voice rang out:
"Sam Li! Tonight, New Eridu's government is hosting an extremely grand celebration ball! Belobog Heavy Industries, Victoria Housekeeping, Miss Keqing, Miss Ganyu, the Sons of Calydon… and even the Proxy and the Traveler will be there. You must come! I can't reach Cloud Retainer, so please let her know… And what about those off-world guests—do you have their contact info?"
Sam Li replied immediately, "Leave it to me. I'll invite them."
Then,
he informed March 7th, the Trailblazer, and Himeko about the official celebration ball.
March 7th, hearing the word "ball," was overjoyed. "Yay—!"
The Trailblazer naturally didn't refuse. "Rest assured, Mr. Sam Li. We'll definitely be there tonight."
After chatting with the train crew for a while,
Sam Li took his leave and walked down another street.
Along the way,
every street and alley, every doorstep and courtyard, overflowed with decorations for the celebration.
It was livelier than even the grandest Spring Festival of the old world.
Throughout all of New Eridu—both the central districts and the Outer Ring—citizens celebrated their victory over Hollow Zero.
This moment
marked the beginning of a brand-new era for New Eridu.
Furthermore… according to the latest official announcement, starting this year, a new calendar system would be adopted: the New Eridu–Liyue Era.
Soon, Sam Li crossed several streets and arrived at Lumina Square.
There, he found Venti.
At that moment,
Venti was sitting on a bench by the roadside, playing a gentle, melodious tune on his lyre to accompany the celebrating citizens.
When he noticed Sam Li approaching,
Venti stopped playing and smiled. "The citizens wrote a song just to thank you. Want me to sing it for you?"
Sam Li gave a faint smile. "I've already heard it."
On his way from another district, he had heard people singing it.
At first, he hadn't realized it was a song praising him and the Adepti—until he heard mentions of cranes, divine dragons, and celestial deer. Only then did he understand.
The song was well-written and catchy.
Clearly, the composer was no ordinary person.
Sam Li looked at Venti. "Was that song your creation?"
Venti thought for a moment, then said, "Not exactly. I just gave that superstar a bit of inspiration. She composed most of it herself. She's your fan—actually, the whole of New Eridu is your fan. It's a shame you walk past them and they don't recognize you… Ah, if I had that many fans, I'd never run out of good wine again."
Hearing that,
Sam Li chuckled. "Just climb the walls of Mondstadt and shout, 'I am the Anemo Archon—Barbatos!' Then you'll have more fans than you can handle."
Venti's eyes lit up for a moment, then he shook his head repeatedly. "Ah-heh, that won't do. The great Anemo Archon—Barbatos—would never stoop to such foolish behavior."
The small talk ended there.
Immediately after,
Venti shifted to the real topic. "Those people from beyond this world came looking for you again, didn't they?"
As expected—nothing could be hidden from Venti.
Sam Li answered slowly, "Yes. They'll return to the starry sky in a few days, and they want to invite me to the Star of Wishes."