The Wither extermination battle had gone on for who knows how long.

But all four Withers had now been summoned.

When the last Wither was finally slain, its soul transformed into light and merged into the resurrection totem in Zhongli's hand.

Zhongli and the assembled immortals all let out a deep, heartfelt sigh of relief.

No matter what, they had now gathered enough revival points to bring back Yixiao and Tongque.

As for whether the resurrection would actually succeed...

They had prepared for both the best and worst outcomes.

They had already done everything they could — the rest would be up to the resurrection totem.

Aside from the one in Zhongli's hand, none of the Nether Stars dropped by the Withers had formed into Totem of Resurrection.

Still, Ningguang and the others didn't plan to turn them into Beacons.

They decided to hold onto them — just in case they were needed for something else in the future.

Rosalyne looked on with clear longing in her eyes, hoping to strike a deal with Ningguang to buy one of the Nether Stars.

Ningguang didn't mind selling — but the price she named was well beyond Rosalyne's means.

Ningguang didn't want Mora — she only accepted resources.

Resources from both Teyvat and the Minecraft world.

And the quantity she demanded could only be described as astronomical.

Still, Rosalyne had no objections.

Now that all three nations had established themselves in this world, if they needed anything, they could gather it themselves.

Ningguang couldn't continue offering Mondstadt the same special treatment as before.

From now on, trades involving resources and treasures in this world would mostly be handled via bartering.

Jean agreed with that as well.

After all, those Wither Skeleton Skulls had been painstakingly gathered from the Nether by Liyue's Qianyan Army. They couldn't just give them all away selflessly.

Jean would feel embarrassed to accept them without giving something in return.

An alliance was one thing, but everyone still had to draw boundaries between "yours" and "mine."

Ryen led everyone in packing up and quickly returned to the villa.

Once the dragons were parked, the group gathered around the fountain in the center of the estate.

Zhongli stared at the resurrection totem in his hand, emotions swirling.

Unlike the Totem of Undying, this one clearly radiated a more mysterious aura.

There was something eerie and unexplainable about it.

"Can this thing… really bring them back?"

Zhongli sighed. He had looked forward to this moment before obtaining it, but now that it was in his grasp, he felt a mix of hope and anxiety.

The higher the hopes, the deeper the disappointment if it failed.

Ryen patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"You've got it in hand now — how will you know if it works unless you try?"

Zhongli let out another sigh and said helplessly:

"You're right… Let's just give it a shot and see what happens."

With that, Zhongli took out Yixiao's remnant soul.

It looked like a strange branch — except it was made of jade.

Although the sky was still fairly bright, everyone could already tell that this object was emitting a faint light.

"Before his death, Yixiao was most proud of his antlers. His antlers absorbed the marrow of my divine power — they were the hardest substance in all of Liyue."

Zhongli's tone was calm and distant, making it hard to read his emotions.

Nearby, Mooncarver also seemed a bit downcast and silently nodded.

"Yes, that guy… when he was alive, he used to come show off his antlers to me almost every day."

Glancing at the curious looks from Ningguang and the others, Moon Carver gave a faint chuckle, tinged with melancholy.

"The version of Yixiao you hold in your hearts may be that of a great hero who saved Liyue's immortals. But in reality, he was a calm yet flamboyant weirdo."

"Often, when we passed each other on the road and I greeted him, he'd pretend to be shy and say, 'How did you know my antlers have absorbed the essence of the Lord's divine power?'"

"If I asked how his cultivation was going, he'd reply, 'How did you know the Lord once said my antlers are the strongest thing in Liyue?'"

"That guy was obsessed with his antlers. He used up a massive amount of his immortal energy every day just to keep them glossy and radiant."

"Centuries ago, a Liyuean once glimpsed a dazzling jade-like branch deep in the mountains. Later, rumors spread of an unparalleled jade treasure, born in a mountain crevice, blinding all who saw it."

"But in truth, that was just him showing off his antlers."

As they recalled those days, the immortals couldn't help but smile.

Who would have imagined that the solemn and steady Yixiao, Lord Who Guides the Heavens, was actually such a vain and boastful fellow?

"And then what happened?"

Lumine pursed her lips, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"And then..."

Moon Carver's gaze flickered as his mind drifted back—to that collapsing Mount Tianheng, to the blood that flowed and became the Bishui River...

To the raging flames of war and the dreadful demon god.

"Then came the Archon War. Mount Tianheng crumbled. That day, when the mountain shattered, it felt as though the sky itself had fallen."

"By then, Liyue's people had already relocated to Liyue Harbor. Had the mountain collapsed sooner, less than one in ten would have survived."

"So, Yixiao told us... to cut off his antlers… to support Mount Tianheng."

The immortals shut their eyes in pain as they recalled that moment.

To them, the greatest agony in the world was having to hurt their own friend with their own hands…

"I'm sorry..."

Lumine murmured softly. Paimon, still confused, asked:

"But weren't Yixiao's antlers said to be the strongest thing in Liyue? How could you just cut them off?"

Moon Carver looked utterly dejected. After a moment of silence, he said quietly:

"Teeth are among the hardest bones in the human body. But the part connecting them... is not."

Everyone shivered involuntarily upon hearing that.

Paimon was frightened. She whispered, trembling:

"So that means…"

The immortals shook their heads, unwilling to speak further. The scenes from that day were still their worst nightmares—just remembering them brought unbearable pain.

"Yixiao used his antlers to support Mount Tianheng, and then fought to the bitter end, until he shed the very last drop of his blood..."

"His blood flowed and formed the great rivers—what we now call the Bishui River."

"With his blood drained, his immortal power was also exhausted. In the end, his body was destroyed by the demon god..."

"Yixiao died to protect Liyue. But us cutting off his antlers… also hastened his death."

"If we had refused to cut them, he might still be alive..."

"There are many stories like this in ancient Liyue. That's why we are so determined to resurrect them."

"They've sacrificed too much. They are the ones most qualified to witness the beauty of present-day Liyue."

~~----------------------

Patreon Advance Chapters:

patreon.com/Dreamer20