In Teyvat, it all begins with rescuing the grass god.

What if, as Rod said, Zhongli also went mad?

Xiao dared not even think about it.

The Geo Archon is the oldest deity in Teyvat and the progenitor of all the immortals in Liyue. It can be said that the immortal arts, mechanical arts, alchemy, and other techniques that immortals use today are all cultivation methods passed down from him.

Xiao doesn't believe that gathering all the immortals of Liyue makes him comparable to Zhongli.

not to mention.

Blackening is three times stronger, whitewashing is three times weaker.

This is no joke, it's for real.

When you have good intentions.

They are always cautious in battle, worried about harming innocent bystanders.

But what if these good intentions are replaced by malice?

Then, when they strike, they have no more scruples; they can be as ruthless as possible and do whatever can cause the greatest damage to the enemy. This is how they can unleash even more formidable combat power.

Just like Vanan and Minu, who were also Yakshas of the immortals back then.

Due to the impact of karmic obstacles.

These two yakshas lost their minds and transformed into rampaging killing machines.

Their battle unleashed destructive power far exceeding their own capabilities, ultimately resulting in their mutual destruction as they lost their reason.

Looking at Xiao's drastically changed expression.

Rod smiled and said, "You've already agreed to him, so what are you worried about?"

"We were unaware that the Emperor's condition was already so critical."

Xiao lowered his head, his expression inscrutable.

In his mind, Zhongli was the omnipotent Rock King Emperor. He never imagined that even such a Rock King Emperor would suffer such a double torment, both mentally and physically.

"The most critical situations were in the past."

"Once he is freed from the burden, he will no longer have to worry about being worn down and tormented."

"You will also encounter a similar situation to him in the future."

Rhodes downed the apple cider in his glass in one gulp, then spread his hands and said, "After all, you have to abide by the contract he made. As long as the contract isn't terminated, this wear and tear will last a lifetime. Even if you go crazy, he'll keep bothering you."

"It doesn't matter."

"What do I care if I suffer wear and tear, as long as it can relieve the Emperor's worries and troubles?"

Xiao adopted a look of resignation, his face hardening.

"You should take care of yourself first."

Rhodes scoffed, "The Emperor must have told you about the benefits of inheriting a godhood, right?"

"Ah."

Xiao nodded.

"Then it'll be fine."

"Wear and damage don't happen immediately after you make the Geoculus."

"As long as you successfully inherit the divine position and dispel your own karmic obstacles, the wear and tear will be a matter for the future. At the very least, you don't need to worry about it now."

Rhodes' words did not dispel Xiao's lingering worries; instead, they made him even more puzzled.

sound.

What Rhodes meant was that the wear and tear wouldn't appear immediately, and he would have a fairly long period of safety after completing the handover of the divine position with Zhongli.

If you think about it carefully...

You'll then discover the true meaning behind Rod's words: that the item might not reappear after being worn down.

This made Xiao quite confused.

What makes Rhodes so certain that wear and tear won't recur?

Xiao was secretly speculating over there.

Rhodes continued, "In short, when I talked to the Emperor about this, he clearly said that you just need to fulfill your role as a guardian. It's best not to interfere with what the mortals of Liyue do or what happens to them, lest you end up like him, falling into wear and tear not long after becoming the Geo God. What you need to do is make the people of Liyue remember that they have a god."

"Didn't Immortal Lord Liuyun and the others conclude that mortals are disrespectful to gods because they deserve to be beaten?"

"Then let them fight."

"Unless Liyue faces a major crisis, you should stay as far away as possible, just like the Anemo Archon. Give them the right to govern their country freely, and that will be enough."

Xiao listened attentively to what Rhodes had to say, then showed a thoughtful expression.

In fact, these words were all summaries based on Zhongli's own experience.

The so-called wear and tear.

In Zhongli's view, it is actually a kind of mental exhaustion that occurs when gods perform their divine duties.

It’s okay in the short term.

If it takes a long time.

Such wear and tear can cause irreversible damage to one's mental well-being.

The Dragon King Ruoduo is quite special.

Its wear and tear is due to its own inherent characteristics, but the result is the same: the mental exhaustion is too severe, resulting in the complete loss of memory even though rationality remains, ultimately leading to utter madness.

The gods each have their own methods for dealing with wear and tear.

For example, Thor, one of the Seven Gods, abandons his physical body and places his spiritual body in an eternal and unchanging state, directly eliminating the added wear and tear of time from the root, thereby avoiding the wear and tear on himself.

Wendy's approach was even simpler and more straightforward.

He simply abandoned his divine duties and became a street urchin wandering around Mantewat.

By doing so.

To avoid the mental strain of performing one's religious duties.

Of course.

This method cannot completely eliminate the torment of wear and tear.

That's why Wendy sometimes falls into a deep sleep, completely emptying her mind and pushing away anything that might cause her distress. She will never wake up unless Mondstadt is in danger.

And this approach.

The downside is that it completely lost control of Mondstadt.

The several internal conflicts in Mondstadt were a consequence of this.

What Zhongli needs to do now.

It borrows from Venti's approach, keeping Xiao in a state where he seems to be performing divine duties but doesn't actually do so. This is to ensure that the Liyue elites don't forget that there is a Geo Archon above them, while having the immortals do some things to keep Xiao in check, in order to prevent situations like the Cult of the Order and the Lawrence family directly undermining the gods.

Rod didn't know how Zhongli had explained it to Xiao.

Anyway, he threw out all his understanding and what Zhongli had said, leaving Xiao to digest it slowly on his own.

Anyway.

The best outcome is when things are clearly explained.

The key is to help Xiao understand what he needs to do in the future.

After last night's frank and open conversation...

Xiao, who was preparing to travel with Rhodes again, was clearly in better spirits than yesterday.

Rosalyn also arrived on time.

She also brought Rod some good news.

"Hmph, be thankful."

"With Her Majesty the Queen's permission, the Doctor has agreed to your request."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 246 A Slime Feast of Extraordinary Significance

The deal is done.

Having successfully obtained the Heart of God, Rosaline did not linger and immediately left Liyue.

When leaving.

Her face showed a mixture of confusion and relief.

Honestly.

Haggling with Rhodes is incredibly tiring.

This bastard is different from the Liyue high-ranking officials who have clear needs and can exploit loopholes, and he's also different from the Grass God who governs a country riddled with problems and finds it difficult to stand up for himself.

At Rhodes's strange request, he was ten times more stubborn than those mindless monsters.

She is truly impervious to reason.

If you try to explain the benefits and advantages, he won't listen.

Even if you use force and verbal threats, you still can't beat him.

What's even more infuriating is...

This guy has some powerful backing.

He is truly an indestructible and unyielding piece of metal.

Now, the doctor's sudden compromise.

This finally put Rosalind at ease.

The Heart of God is in hand.