Night had fallen.
The car cruised down a darkening highway, with scattered taillights flickering in the distance.
They had set out at night and were returning at night—but the trip had been more than worth it.
Lu Chen sat in the passenger seat, playing with the championship medal in his hand. The material wasn't anything special, but it carried great significance for Hai Zhou Academy.
When the coach called Director Zhang, he heard the man laughing so hard he was nearly out of breath—and then generously promising each team member a red envelope with 100,000 yuan inside.
Lu Chen wasn't in it for the money. He was more interested in Primogems.
He glanced at his system rewards.
Defeating the Ancient Geovishap had earned him 1,000 Primogems, and the competition itself netted another 3,200.
With some extra achievements and treasure chests on the side, he had just enough for a full 30-pull.
Without hesitation, Lu Chen hit the wish button.
The familiar azure sky filled with sudden streaks of falling stars.
Golden light flickered faintly.
The golden reward caught Lu Chen by surprise.
[Golden Item — Constellation: Power of Returning to the Origin]
[As the journey continues, the ancient body awakens. Lu Chen will rediscover his original power. The path ahead is long, but a mortal who stands equal to gods will walk the world once more.]
It was his own Constellation—again. He had drawn himself again.
The moment he received the Constellation, Lu Chen froze, stunned. He could feel his perception of the world shifting.
Not just in terms of vision or hearing.
The moonlit ground exuded the weight and resolve of stone. The trees along the roadside swayed in the evening breeze, faint traces of Anemo dancing through their leaves.
Every elemental signature appeared vividly before him. Lu Chen felt like he could understand the mysteries of the elemental world with ease—he could see them, control them, command them...
Teyvat was a world of elements. Master the elements, and you could rise to godhood.
Especially the victors of the seven thrones—their elemental mastery was so complete, they might as well be the very embodiment of their element.
The Seven Archons were, in truth, the peak of their respective elements—or perhaps even the greatest elemental beings themselves.
And now, Lu Chen could control multiple elements with ease...
He slowly reached out his hand. Dust and gravel swirling outside the car window gathered at his will, floated into the car, and landed in his palm.
Lu Chen casually manipulated the Geo energy—first shaping it into a cube, then twisting it into odd forms.
Miko looked over in surprise. "What kind of ability is that?"
Even Zhongli in the back was drawn by the surge of pure Geo energy and stepped closer.
"Hey!" Lu Chen grinned, making a stone lock orbit around him before showing off to Miko. "Don't I give off that Geo Lord vibe?"
Miko yawned sleepily, glancing behind him.
"Lu Chen, your control over Geo is already quite refined. But there's still a little ways to go before you can call yourself the Geo Lord."
Lu Chen wasn't embarrassed by Zhongli's comment. He just smiled and waved, letting the rock dust drift back out the window.
Now, he no longer had to rely solely on the elemental abilities extracted by the system. As long as he could connect to an element, he could shape it however he liked.
His elemental mastery was at least half of what it was at his peak.
Yet even then, he couldn't control this many elements...
Lu Chen stood up and moved to the open area of the car. Facing the air, he gave a low shout.
"Absorb and integrate—"
The scattered Geo particles swirled back, encircling him in a faintly shimmering golden barrier.
Miko finally perked up and glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"You really do have that vibe now!"
"Right?" Lu Chen shot Zhongli a smug look.
His knockoff Jade Shield looked and felt similar—just a bit thinner and definitely not as durable as Zhongli's.
"Very good. As your understanding of stone deepens, so too will your command of Geo."
Zhongli gave a faint smile—filled with recognition and the warmth of an elder watching a promising junior.
After getting some advice from Master Zhong, Lu Chen's thoughts returned to his gacha pulls.
Besides the unexpected Constellation, he also received a [Real World Skill Exchange Voucher].
There wasn't much left in the skill pool. He had already redeemed [Free Fighting Master] and [Outdoor Fishing Master].
He'd only picked up Fishing Master after Venti hyped it up—but unfortunately, they never ended up having that fishing match.
Now, only [Gardening and Flower Cultivation] and [Beauty Master] remained.
Lu Chen frowned... Neither seemed all that useful.
Mr. Zhong took care of all the plants around the villa, so gardening wasn't necessary.
As for the other one...
Lu Chen glanced silently at Ei, who was dozing on the sofa. Maybe he could help her with her makeup?
With no better option, Lu Chen chose [Beauty Master].
The system indicated the skill pool was refreshing. Maybe more practical options would show up next time.
He headed to the motorhome's lounge, now truly "loaded with loot."
The back was stacked with boxes of coconut milk, and Venti was using Anemo to help Hu Tao and Qiqi sort through them.
"Seriously, why'd you buy so much? There's already a ton at home..."
Venti grumbled as boxes piled up everywhere, almost taking over the RV.
Anyone else would've thought they were stocking a store.
"Because Qiqi likes it~"
Hu Tao tugged at Qiqi's arm. Qiqi pulled away with a frown, only to be grabbed again.
"Hehehe~"
Qiqi said flatly,
"Coconut milk... Lu Chen bought a lot..."
"You bought it... What a waste..."
"Not a waste, not a waste!" Hu Tao kept smiling. "As long as Qiqi likes it, it's never a waste~"
Lu Chen noticed their relationship had warmed quite a bit. Qiqi used to ignore Hu Tao, but now they'd actually chat once in a while.
Qiqi usually just sat in a corner, quiet and unnoticed.
She'd blankly watch everyone talk, lost in her own little world.
But Hu Tao's arrival was like a warm flame slowly melting Qiqi's icy shell. Even if Qiqi still responded with a bit of reluctance, she was definitely talking more now.
"Ah! It's Lu Chen!"
Hu Tao lit up when she saw him, suddenly remembering something.
She ran over excitedly. "Hey, what about what you promised me? When are you going to keep your word?"
Everyone turned to look, curious about what he'd promised.
Lu Chen thought back. When he and Hu Tao had talked about "obsession," he'd agreed to share some higher-level secrets of Teyvat.
They had some free time now—it was a good chance to tell a story.
Just then, Venti finished tidying up, brushed off the dust, and brought over a container of warm rice wine.
"Here! To celebrate you and Raiden Ei winning the championship. Want a drink?"
He'd picked up this local specialty—it was said to be smoother and richer when gently heated in warm water.
The mellow aroma of rice wine filled the RV, rousing Ei from her nap.
Lu Chen sat across from her and patted the empty seat beside him.
Hu Tao eagerly plopped down, her eyes full of anticipation.
A good story deserved a good drink—and a small toast sounded just right.