Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

"What is it about?" Shen Liang also looked at the blazing flames on the horizon. Yingda completely burned herself up, and before she became a demon burdened by karma, she met her end with the purest flames.

"An absurd poem: crossing the river, trying to dissuade someone. Unable to dissuade her. Crossing the river, she died. What can I do with her?"

"If you find a person who is generally considered smart doing something stupid that will lead to their death, it's either because you're not as smart as him, or because this matter has nothing to do with intelligence."

"So my second sister isn't smart."

“Sister Yingda is indeed not very smart.” Shen Liang watched as the Golden King Beast was gradually dragged into the ground and sealed again. He watched and watched and watched.

Then he suddenly flew into a rage.

two months.

Seventy-seven days.

After seventy-seven days of oppression on this battlefield, he could no longer bear it. After witnessing Yingda die for him, his composure could no longer be maintained!

Maturity, strength, arrogance... none of these flaws he should have overcome in his life experience mattered anymore! He suddenly felt utterly meaningless, sometimes compassionate, sometimes fearless, sometimes cynical, sometimes humble and powerless!

Has he grown up? Has he matured? Has he become more composed?

Is experiencing life in the military and watching your friends and women die one by one what you call growing up?

Have you learned to keep your emotions in check? Have you finally shed that childish, willful air of a little princess? Do you realize that one shouldn't treat life with a frivolous attitude?

Is it useful?

What's the point of suppressing it for so long?

Shen Liang, oh Shen Liang!

You! He! Mother! Is! Pretending! What! Are! You! Huh!

An endless rage, seemingly from nowhere, welled up in Shen Liang's heart, burning hotter and more painfully than the flames of holy blood. He tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and willingly let this anger and sorrow consume him.

Only after a long time did he finally say softly, "But what Yingda is fighting against is not 'death,' but the mundane 'life.' If one dies while crossing the river, what can death do to the person crossing it?"

Finally, Shen Liang found his key.

Chapter 109 Sky Island, Gretchen

If you find it difficult to face death.

Then try embracing it.

As a moth drawn to a flame, as a spark left to the world by a previous civilization, he was never meant to save the world, nor did he bear the responsibility of saving it.

He is an insurance policy.

He was the backup plan for everything.

He is the epitome of a comeback.

Death is not the end, but merely a farewell after drinking. Those who have died are simply sleeping in a lake, waiting to be awakened one day and reunited with him on the clear, sandy shore.

The "Son of Man" project has always been like this: it doesn't need to do anything, it just needs to exist. As long as it exists, all losers can be saved.

As long as Eve is here, all things can be saved.

He gripped the wrist holding the knife tightly, straining with all his might, and looked up at the sky: "The Moth Chasing the Flame... the Eleventh Seat! The Stars... where are they?"

Fa Nan stared blankly at him, watching Shen Liang raise the broken sword, solemnly pointing it at the sky. The iron-blue light illuminated his eyes. He seemed to have these words stuck in his teeth, but he suddenly burst them out, as if commanding the world, sending a question to some ancient and profound being.

She didn't know how to describe it, but at that moment she suddenly had a strange feeling. Shen Liang was like a remnant soldier searching for his exiled comrades alone in the most desolate land.

Where are the stars?!

On a bright and scorching afternoon, the sun hung high in the sky, and the white clouds seemed to gather. Suddenly, everything seemed to freeze. Everyone looked up, their faces changed. They all sensed something strange in the sky; the clouds stopped moving, and the wind grew stronger. This incongruous and absurd scene made it seem as if something terrible was about to happen.

Then someone heard a buzzing sound. Just then, Alice, who was huddled in her tent not participating in the battle, suddenly looked up. Her intuition told her that this was not the buzzing of bees. She had never heard such a sound before. It sounded like countless invisible bees were swarming down from the sky, but without the disorder of a swarm.

The buzzing grew louder and louder, and Alice abruptly left the tent. She saw plumes of dust being shaken and bounced upwards on the distant battlefield, the buzzing growing louder and louder, as if everything was resonating. Alice's pupils dilated slightly, and her magic allowed her to see the boy in the dust-filled middle of the battlefield. The boy was still looking up at the sky, even as the wind howled across the land.

“Oh my god…” Alice suddenly realized something.

She couldn't speak; an emotion exploded in her eyes! Rosalyn saw immense fear in the great witch's eyes. She was even stunned, because it was the first time she had ever seen such an emotion in Alice! This great witch seemed to have many secrets and kept them hidden. Even in the War of Kanria, she had always stood by and never truly participated. Even the immortals couldn't see through her abilities, and even Shen Liang respected her.

Rosalind thought this kind of person was just a witch playing with the world, how could she possibly be afraid? But she saw it, and that fear was planted deep in a person's soul, so strong that it could tear the heart apart.

"day by day……"

Alice wasn't the only one feeling immense fear. The only enemy on the battlefield, the alchemist Haltafu of Kanria, also knelt down in terror. He should have fled immediately after losing his Golden Beast, but now he knelt down almost wailing, staring at the sky as if it were the end of the world.

Everyone's breathing quickened, a strong, nameless unease gripping their hearts. Vanan stared at Haltaf. That Kanriyan, though a heinous invader, was also a fearless man who dared to attack Liyue with only a dozen men. He feared neither death nor death; what could possibly make him weep and kneel? Vanan realized there might be something he didn't understand. The alchemist, though young, was Kanriyan. Kanriyan were most renowned for their ability to resurrect history; they had studied countless ancient kingdoms that existed but were mysteriously destroyed. If there was anything more terrifying to them than death, then…

"Sky...Sky...Sky Island!"

A nightmarish scene unfolded: the sky was torn apart.

Yes, torn apart. The white clouds, blue sky, and sun were just a texture in your eyes, ripped apart after the sky stopped functioning—a false sky, everything false. And descending from above was a colossal city, a sight everyone thought was straight out of a dream. The city was larger than the entire Laminaria Abyss—no, perhaps even larger than Liyue! It was pressing down, the endless gales caused by the air being compressed by the contact between the two continents. Before the false sky tore apart, no one could see this enormous city!

That is Sky Isle! That is where the laws of nature reside! In every historical legend of Teyvat, Sky Isle hangs high above the sun, visible to all but untouchable, accessible only to gods. There dwells the rulers of Teyvat, the "Celestial Laws," and countless deities who uphold these laws reside there, untouched by mortal dust, watching as human history unfolds.

Even the seven elemental gods were merely seven rulers permitted by the laws of nature to govern the land. After the Demon God War, the laws of nature lay dormant for two thousand years, so long that everyone forgot the existence of this monarch. But now she has awakened. She is the ruler of Teyvat's throne, the one who single-handedly created the Demon God War, the one who proclaimed the path to godhood, or perhaps… she is the royal authority that punishes all disrespectful kingdoms!

A tremendous fear descended from the sky. The beast horde scrambled, ran, and jostled each other in terror, trying to escape the oppression of nature. But there were ferocious beasts everywhere, too many and too densely packed. Even if they sensed something and desperately tried to retreat into the depths of the abyss of layered rocks, it was too late.

Then Sky Island activated, its sun-like rays gently illuminating the earth. But for the ferocious beasts from the Beast Realm, it was like rust being doused with aqua regia. They let out the most pitiful howls they had ever heard, their flesh crushed and melted by the sunlight, unable even to reach the surface. A few beasts fled underground, but it was futile; wherever the sunlight touched, it began to melt, and sooner or later, the melted areas would spread across their entire bodies. Even the painless and fearless beasts were torn apart by each other in agony. Many more beasts underground perished not from the sunlight but from the repeated tearing and trampling. The few remaining survivors dared not venture to the surface again; the shadows were their only means of survival.

This is the King of Kings, the God of Gods, the majesty of Heaven's justice.

She is always asleep, but when she is awakened, she can easily wipe out all the rebels on the continent.

Shen Liang looked up and saw that Sky Island had stopped approaching. Then, the bridge connecting the Seat of Heaven and the earth slowly descended. Countless light curtains formed a staircase connecting the human world and the island. A woman, a woman with white hair like a waterfall and a solemn demeanor, walked down the platform with a haughty air.

She gazed at the absurd battlefield where blood flowed like a river, then at the wounded Thousand Rock Army, and finally, she fixed her gaze on the only boy whose white clothes were stained red.

Shen Liang leaned on his sword, looking up at the goddess who had descended from Sky Island: "Are you a child born from the information database of the Fire Chasing Civilization? Hmm... speaking of which, we are of the same lineage... perhaps you can call me brother."

The white-haired goddess gave a cold smile, snapped her fingers, and then, from the distorted space behind her, she rushed directly into the ground, heading straight for Shen Liang!

Vanan panicked and was about to intercept her, but she realized that she was unlikely to be able to keep up with the speed of a god of this level. That was the power to manipulate space. She was the goddess of Sky Island and was even more powerful than the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World!

But Shen Liang neither dodged nor avoided. The impact pillar, which was compressed into a cube by the distorted space, bypassed Shen Liang the moment it approached him and blasted Hartafu behind him to death!

This alchemist probably never imagined that he would die at the hands of Sky Island.

His eyes were filled with resentment, but the spatial distortion force instantly obliterated him, leaving not even a trace of information behind. Sky Island's intention was clear: exterminate all the Kanriyans here, leaving no one alive.

The pillar-shaped space continued its slaughter of the fleeing Kanriyans on the battlefield. Only a dozen or so advance troops managed to enter Liyue's homeland; some hid underground, some within autonomous machines, and some even lurked outside the Lava Abyss. But under the casual slaughter of this unknown goddess, none could escape, and none survived.

During the war on Earth, the gods of Sky Island were probably watching them like a theatrical performance. Therefore, they had a firm grasp of the situation and could resolve all problems directly once they intervened, without missing a single one or letting a single one go.

The white-haired goddess finally walked up to Shen Liang.

She lifted Shen Liang's chin, looking at him with a proud and cold expression. "Interesting, brother?"

"Hey!"

Fanan was dumbfounded! This was clearly a god descended from Sky Island! Shen Liang, you're already incredibly audacious, how dare you continue to be so reckless! Even your mother might not be able to protect you in her hands! You actually dared to answer her call, can't you tell she's mocking you?

"It seems you've remembered most of it." The goddess lifted Shen Liang's chin and slowly stroked it. "The maintainer of the laws of nature, here we welcome the awakening of the Son of Man. We have been in this world for ten thousand years, and finally we have waited for this moment."

"Yes, I'm awake."

The Sustainer looked at him arrogantly, and the two stared at each other for a long time before the Sustainer slowly spoke: "Aren't you going to hug me?"

Shen Liang decisively pulled her into his arms, and the other woman was not to be outdone. She bit his lip, held the boy who was a head shorter than her in her arms, and kissed him deeply without any restraint.

No one moved; everyone froze. The abrupt plot development had even caused someone as intelligent as Fa Nan to lose her mind. All they could see was the Heavenly Ruler who had descended from Sky Island and the boy they knew quickly developing a relationship that no one else could interfere with. Although it was their first meeting, they seemed to know each other more than they did Shen Liang.

"So, which number were you created by Greta?"

“I am the 520th agent of the Ark Project, responsible for maintaining the Teyvat-Second Throne order established by my sister Gretsch.”

"Gresh is still asleep?"

“Gresh is the executor of Project Ark, and like you, she has lived for millions of years. But unlike your Project of the Child of Man, Gresh doesn’t erase her memories and start over again and again. So she spends most of her time in slumber, only waking up to carry out the home-building project when she discovers a new home,” the Sustainer said calmly. “For example, the order of this continent has been modified.”

"for example?"

"Before our intervention, the world ruled by the First Throne was not the peaceful place it is today. Humanity was fragile, and civilization could not be established. We seized the throne and established a world order based on the principles of Heaven and the elements, ensuring the operation of civilization. Only in this way could civilization possibly develop to a level similar to Earth." The Sustainer glanced at him. "And there are still many worlds that Sister Gretsch needs to witness. Unless a world reaches the level of Earth's civilization or has the possibility of defeating the Honkai, she will not stop."

"So you're temporarily in charge of this continent? The executor of Project 520?" Shen Liang smiled.

"The title of 'Supporter of Heavenly Law' suits my temperament better." The Supporter sneered arrogantly, "Eve, we are both executors of the Fire Chasing Civilization Project. You cannot be considered my senior or elder brother. We are equals."

“I don’t need to be your senior or older brother.” Shen Liang suddenly let go of her hand and stopped hugging her. He saw a trace of sadness in her eyes and then couldn’t help but laugh. “For a pretty girl like you, I usually want to be her boyfriend.”

The maintainer gritted her teeth. She wasn't angry at the boy's teasing, but rather she knew the source of Shen Liang's audacity in mocking her like this.

"This... Damn it! Sister Gretsch is really... infuriating!"

"That's Gretchen's twisted sense of humor, isn't it? Ten thousand years ago, when my landing pod reached the stratosphere, you intercepted it, right? Back then, she observed my memories and extracted some data, right?" Shen Liang smiled slightly. "So when she cloned you, she followed my memories. Hmm, you and Sister Sirin really have too many similarities. For example, the classic white hair of the Shaniat family, and this arrogant temperament, even the similar spatial abilities were copied."

"I knew I was an exception! I was transplanted with the personality model of Sirin from your memories! I remember clearly the wicked smile on Gretchen's face when she threw me into this world!" the Sustainer said angrily.

"It's okay, I like it."

"Clones have human rights too! You're a clone, you should know that! No wonder I couldn't help myself when I saw you, it's all because of that Sirin personality model! I... I am the upholder of justice, how could I be so seduced by you!"

"First of all, I'm not a clone. If I had to say, I do have a mother. Secondly, how could I be the one who seduced you? Hey, Miss Maintainer, you're the one who came up here and started taking advantage of me from a superior position. What does this have to do with Sister Xilin's personality model? Sister Xilin won't see me and then..." Shen Liang suddenly stopped speaking and scratched his head.

The maintainer was silent for a moment, realizing the inappropriateness of her words. Then she chuckled and said arrogantly, "Eve, I'm even influenced to the point where I want to pin you down on the bed. You haven't really noticed your sister Sirin all these years..."