"Creating... a god?!"
In an instant, aside from Zhongli, who was already aware, everyone else felt a chill run down their spines.
"Blasphemous! Treacherous ambition!"
Cloud Retainer slammed the table in fury, her voice filled with righteous indignation.
"This is an insult to all the Archons! A grave act of disrespect against the gods who have protected them!"
"This isn't just Sumeru's problem anymore—it's an offense that will turn all of Teyvat against them!"
Xiao's expression darkened, his voice as cold as steel.
"If I had known this sooner, I would have made sure to confirm whether those sages were truly eliminated."
Their anger was justified.
The idea of creating a god might seem like it only concerned Sumeru, but the Dendro Archon was one of the Seven.
The Sages daring to craft a deity of their own was not just a matter of Sumeru's governance—it was a direct affront to the authority of the Seven Archons.
If Sumeru could create their own Archon today, who was to say they wouldn't try to forge a Geo Archon, an Anemo Archon, or even an Electro Archon tomorrow?
How could the other nations stand for this?
To the Adepti of Liyue, Morax was not only their ruler but also their mentor, their guardian, their god.
And now, those so-called sages were essentially proclaiming, "We can create our own gods, too."
This wasn't just a slap in the face—it was trampling upon centuries of faith and divine authority.
If they actually succeeded, what would the people of Liyue think? What would Ningguang and the Qixing think?
Wouldn't it set a dangerous precedent?
Even if Liyue as a whole refrained from such heretical endeavors, there was no guarantee that some lunatic wouldn't try.
Xiao's eyes flashed coldly as he spoke.
"Shall we summon all the Adepti? Or report this to Rex Lapis and convene a Seven Archons meeting to sanction Sumeru?"
That suggestion immediately alarmed Nahida.
Cloud Retainer and Xiao's gazes instinctively turned to Zhongli, as did Ningguang's.
Had the Sages merely sought to create another god—some ordinary deity—the Adepti might not have cared.
But they were attempting to manufacture an Archon.
That was an entirely different matter.
Even Barbatos, the most easygoing of the Seven, would be furious if he learned of this.
If Zhongli gave the order now, Xiao and the Adepti would have no hesitation in gathering their forces to storm Sumeru and raze the Akademiya to the ground.
Zhongli remained silent for a moment, swirling his teacup as he considered the matter.
Even though his godly power was greatly suppressed, his divine perception remained sharp.
Hearing Ryen bring up the so-called "God-Creation Project" again made him deeply uncomfortable.
Yet, after a sip of tea, he finally spoke with a calm and measured voice.
"I believe... that since the project has yet to succeed, this still remains an internal matter of Sumeru."
"Now that the Little Lord Kusanali is here, perhaps it is best to let her handle this. No matter what others may say, she is the chosen successor of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata."
"The wisdom of the Greater Lord was highly esteemed among the Seven. I trust that the Little Lord Kusanali will find a way to resolve this matter."
His meaning was clear:
If the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had chosen Nahida as her successor, then she must be worthy of the title.
For now, he would not interfere.
But if the project succeeded…
The moment an artificially created Archon was born, the Seven Archons would convene— and Sumeru would face judgment.
The Heavenly Principles would never allow a fabricated Archon to exist.
Nor would the Seven.
This was not just about Sumeru.
This was about the divine order of Teyvat itself.
Moreover…
Even with his suppressed power, Zhongli could still perceive the unmistakable traces of the World Tree and the Greater Lord within Nahida's very essence.
He had his suspicions.
And so, he chose to place his trust in her.
"I…"
Nahida lowered her head, her small hands tightening into fists.
After a long silence, she finally murmured,
"The Akademiya does not recognize my existence. The people of Sumeru… seem to have no need for me. Do I… truly have the right to act?"
Ryen did not answer. Instead, he looked toward Zhongli.
When it came to the role of an Archon, there was no one more qualified to advise Nahida than the oldest of the Seven.
Zhongli nodded and spoke with solemn certainty.
"Of course you do. No matter what anyone says, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata would never make the wrong choice. She was the avatar of the World Tree, the wisest of us all."
"If she chose you, then you will one day grow to be her equal, if not surpass her."
"I have read in ancient records that among the original Seven, none could match her wisdom."
"Believe in her choice. Believe in yourself."
Nahida's eyes wavered, feeling the weight of Zhongli's words.
For the first time in a long while, she felt… acknowledged.
A warmth bloomed in her chest, dissolving the uncertainties clouding her heart.
She took a deep breath and, after a brief pause, lifted her head with newfound determination.
"I understand now! I will put an end to the God-Creation Project myself! If the situation spirals beyond my control, I will take full responsibility before the Seven Archons!"
"I will defend the dignity of the Seven!"
At her firm declaration, Zhongli gave a small nod of approval and said no more.
Since Rex Lapis himself had spoken, Xiao and the others had no reason to press further.
However, this did not mean the matter was closed.
If the God-Creation Project was not thoroughly eradicated, they would not hesitate to march on Sumeru.
They might not concern themselves with the fates of the other Archons.
But the dignity of their own god—of Rex Lapis—was theirs to defend.
Imagine a world where the Seven Nations stand side by side, ruled by the Seven Archons—
And among them, there exists a god who was artificially created.
How utterly revolting.
"At the very least, the God-Creation Project has been sabotaged by Ryen, meaning it will be a long time before they can attempt it again."
Ningguang rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself after hearing such an earth-shattering revelation.
This was not a matter she could comment on too freely, especially with Cloud Retainer and Xiao watching her, waiting for her stance.
Liyue could not afford to entertain such heretical thoughts.
"Although Nahida claims she can handle this, she has no real influence in Sumeru. We must provide some form of assistance."
"I will have the Ministry of Civil Affairs draft a comprehensive plan to counter the Akademiya's God-Creation Project at every turn."
"We will closely monitor the situation there. Any developments will be reported immediately."
"Rest assured, this matter will remain strictly confidential between us. The knowledge of this project will not spread beyond this room."
"Liyue will never pursue such arrogance. Our people understand the irreplaceable role that Rex Lapis holds in our land."
Hearing this, Cloud Retainer and Xiao finally withdrew their gazes.
At the root of it all, the blame lay with the Akademiya—or rather, the deranged sages who ran it.
Because they could no longer extract new knowledge, they deemed Little Lord Kusanali useless and decided to manufacture a god who could grant them wisdom.
The sheer absurdity of it was laughable.
If a mother could no longer provide for her children, would they create a new mother?
How utterly ridiculous.
Ryen knew this wasn't just about Nahida.
If the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had failed to provide them with knowledge, these sages likely would have attempted the same madness with her.
In the end, this was the real problem—these so-called scholars never truly sought knowledge on their own.
All they knew was how to take.
And when the door to free knowledge was closed, their addiction to effortless learning drove them to madness.
No wonder Lisa despised the Akademiya, no wonder she saw them as a lost cause.
They deserved this.
Lisa, at least, had her principles intact.
"Ryen, where will Nahida be staying?"
Ganyu, ever perceptive, cleverly changed the topic. She blinked her large eyes in curiosity as she looked at Ryen.
Ryen ruffled Nahida's hair and grinned.
"Since she's my hostage, naturally, she must remain under my watch at all times."
"I've already arranged a room for her in my little courtyard. As for this world..."
Meeting Nahida's expectant gaze, Ryen chuckled.
"I plan to build a Temple of Virtue with Nahida, then create a garden for her. And after that… the Redstone Technology Project can begin, followed by constructing a grand ceremonial carriage..."
Nahida beamed with joy. But before she could respond, Ganyu suddenly blurted out:
"Then… Then I'll live with Ryen too!"
"???"
Everyone turned to stare at Ganyu in utter shock.
It was only after speaking that Ganyu realized how strange her words sounded. Flustered, she quickly explained,
"Well… Nahida will need someone to take care of her, right? And I have experience! I've been looking after Yaoyao for years!"
Ryen didn't know what to say to that.
Looking after Yaoyao?
Anyone familiar with Ganyu and Yaoyao's relationship would know that Yaoyao, the little adult, hardly needed anyone to care for her.
If anything, it was Yaoyao who constantly worried about Ganyu's erratic lifestyle.
Still, Ryen had no reason to refuse cohabiting with Ganyu.
It was clear that they were on the verge of something significant, and living together would certainly accelerate things.
He grinned and nodded.
"No problem. I've always kept a room for you, Ganyu. Once we wrap up the situation here, I'll help you move in."
They exchanged a knowing glance, a silent understanding passing between them.
Ganyu had no objections to Ryen's desires.
After all, she had already decided he was the one.
And besides… they'd already kissed.
There was only one step left.
However, Ningguang and Nahida were not pleased by this turn of events.
Not that they could say anything about it.
Ningguang still had to manage the Jade Chamber. Even though she could visit the MC world frequently, she had a mountain of official duties awaiting her every night.
As for Nahida…
In Ryen's eyes, she would always be a small, eternally youthful, legal loli.
He would never think of her in any other way.
Cloud Retainer, meanwhile, sighed as she looked at Ganyu.
It felt like just yesterday that the chubby little qilin had been following her around.
And now, in the blink of an eye, she was at the age of marriage.
To avoid further unpleasant thoughts, Ningguang decided to change the subject.
"Ryen, didn't you mention wanting to use this attack as an opportunity to test your Redstone Cannon?"
Ryen snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered.
"Right! I almost forgot! Since I have the materials ready, now's the perfect time to build it."
Redstone cannons had evolved through countless iterations over the years.
The earliest versions were simple constructs made of stone and water.
But they were incredibly inefficient—every shot wasted an enormous amount of TNT.
Even with Ryen's near-limitless TNT reserves, he couldn't afford to be wasteful.
Later, designs incorporated Redstone comparators, repeaters, and sticky pistons.
These marked a significant advancement over the primitive stone-based cannons.
Then came the TNT duplicator.
That monstrosity was mostly used for large-scale mining operations.
Once activated, it continuously generated and ignited TNT using a unique MC mechanic.
But these were all ground-based or stationary air designs.
The real game-changer was the Redstone Bomber—
A fleet of mobile bombers that traveled through the sky, carpet-bombing everything in their path, leaving nothing but devastation behind.
However, such a weapon was completely unsuitable for a base defense scenario.
A single bombing run would obliterate everything within a several-kilometer radius.
For now, Ryen intended to build a piston-driven Redstone Cannon.
He had all the necessary comparators, repeaters, and other materials ready.
Leaving a few of these cannons to guard the base wouldn't be a bad idea.
Just as he was contemplating how to start, a hurried voice interrupted his thoughts.
A Millelith soldier rushed into the room, his footsteps urgent.
"My lords, the Pillagers are attacking!"
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