Genshin Impact, I, a mere mortal, cannot accompany you to the very end.

Rather than calling it a heart, it's more accurate to describe it as an aggregate of rock elements.

This is Morax's...Heart of God.

"Give me this." The boy's voice was low and weak. He struggled to keep his eyes open, staring at the figure on the other side of the firelight. "Are you willing to part with it?"

Qingnuoyan could sense the authority contained within the heart of the gods. This was Sky Island's recognition of the governor. The authority of the gods and the heart of the gods could only be borne by gods; mortal bodies could not accept it.

But the Qingnuo Rock of today is not the same.

His body has been transformed by 'karma' and he once reached the level of a ruler in the mortal world, so he is qualified to receive this gift.

'Qualifications for Godhood'

“Liyue no longer needs the Emperor.” Zhongli smiled and shook his head. “Liyue is a kingdom of humans. The gods of the past should fade away, and it’s time for me to retire.”

"Let karma transform my body, then remove karma, and give me the heart of God."

Qing Nuoyan said softly, "Are you doing this so that I can escape the cycle of mortal reincarnation, sever all ties with my past, and gain the qualification to advance?"

“This is only one of the purposes.” Zhongli shook his head. “It’s not just you; Liyue also needs to get rid of that past and remove her karmic burdens.”

He calmly stated, "A flawed history must be corrected. A country with a flawed history has no future."

“Moreover,” Zhongli said, “whether it’s Xiao, Ganyu, or all karmic obstacles, we must face the real past and make a clean break… Although it is painful, we cannot build anew if we do not choose to break free.”

“They need to move forward.” Zhongli gazed intently at Qingnuo Rock. “Liyue needs to move forward too.”

"Qingnuoyan, you also need to move forward."

The setting sun casts its rays upon the world.

Qing Nuoyan said softly, as if he had figured out many things.

"The karmic burdens of the Abyss of Layered Rocks... weren't they caused by your allowing Gan Yu's inner demons to be unleashed?"

Qing Nuoyan noticed something suspicious a long time ago. Such a crucial seal should be kept under constant watch by the Emperor. How could it be so easily released by someone else?

"You trust me that much...?" Qing Nuoyan asked. "You trust that I will step forward on my own initiative, that I will absorb those karmic obstacles...? If I don't do it, your subsequent plans will not succeed."

“And you must understand, failure,” Qing Nuoyan stared quietly at the Emperor, “would be a tremendous disaster for Liyue.”

To let one's inner demons unleash their karmic burdens... to give an analogy, it's like letting the Fools release a sealed demon god... that would require immense courage.

“This is also a test,” Zhongli said softly, “a test of whether you are still the same Fushe, a test of whether you are worthy of inheriting this power. And you have done it.”

Qing Nuoyan did it. He did not choose to run away. He was still the same person, two thousand four hundred years ago, two thousand four hundred years ago and now. He has always been himself.

What if I run away?

“Then the karmic burden can never be completely removed, but I will not let it pollute Liyue. I will seal it along with the entire Laminar Abyss.”

Mr. Zhongli was actually hiding his true abilities... He had already made two preparations, so that even if he failed, he could still salvage the situation.

However, given his personal authority, it would be difficult for him to do so.

But over the course of 2,400 years, he began to slowly transform the entire Laminar Abyss. Countless seals were buried around the abyss to prevent the karmic obstacles from breaking free and polluting the entire Liyue.

He didn't believe he would fail because he trusted his friends.

For Liyue to move forward, for the complete eradication of the filth that has lingered for two thousand years, for the correction of the correct history, for the fulfillment of the past contract, and for the sake of freeing his friend from the cycle of fate and granting him that one and only chance—this is worth the Emperor's gamble with the Abyss of Lapis Lazuli.

“You truly are… a genuine God of Contracts.” Qing Nuoyan clutched his empty chest. “You’ve fulfilled the last agreement.”

"You really killed me." He smiled helplessly.

"Feel sorry."

Mr. Zhongli looked at Qing Nuoyan, who was genuinely apologizing, bowing his head deeply. "I'm sorry..."

Sorry.

The afterglow of the setting sun covered Zhongli's back, scattering a soft light. He kept his head down and didn't raise it for a long, long time.

So even the Rock King Emperor can apologize.

Seriously...

However, Qingnuoyan could not blame the Emperor.

Because as a member of the Fushe family, he had also felt guilty towards Zhongli, but now, they were even.

"Your acting was really good before."

Qing Nuoyan said jokingly, "I almost thought we were really doomed. Zhongli, you owe me a drink. It has to be the best osmanthus."

You owe me a drink.

That's all.

Qingnuoyan received the heart of the Rock God. He felt the surrounding rock elements cheering and rejoicing, and the golden light embracing him. He could hear the deep beating of his chest.

After being stabbed in the chest by Zhongli, he lay in bed for a full month before slowly recovering. Now, he is ready to take on this heart.

As the setting sun slowly descended upon the earth, at the juncture of dusk and twilight, Qingnuoyan took the heart of God into his empty chest. The heart of Fushe also slowly dissipated, scattering into wisps of light that gradually merged with it. The body, shaped by karmic impurities, also embraced this heart.

As dusk and twilight fell, Qingnuoyan took his first step on the long staircase leading to the divine realm.

Everything was broken down into smaller parts, marking a new beginning. And at the very top of that long staircase lies a freedom that transcends the ordinary.

【Qingnuo Rock】

[Level: 1]

[Talent: Heart of God, Floating Mind, Body of Karmic Obstacles]

All of these are slowly fading away, leaving only one.

[Talent: Ascend to Divine Rank (Governor Level)]

"My friend, with my heart—" Zhongli laughed heartily, "forward...towards!"

_

P.S.: Phew, the Liyue arc is almost over! Time to get ready for the next one!

Chapter 111 The Stone That Will Never Come (2.5)

Gan Yu returned to Liyue.

Liyue Harbor is still the same Liyue Harbor, as lively as ever. It is late spring, and the osmanthus flowers in the cobblestone alleys are in full bloom, their swaying shadows dappling the white walls.

She walked through the alleys of Liyue Harbor, where a summer festival was being held in the sweltering heat of summer.

As Yuehaiting's secretary, she seemed to have many things to do and a lot of work to handle—for thousands of years, she had found escape through her work, but now, with the karmic burdens in her heart emptied, she also felt her mind was empty.

Then I felt that work wasn't that important anymore.

The matter of the floating house... has not yet been fully disclosed to the public, but it has been circulating more or less among the Seven Stars and Eight Gates of Liyue. Gan Yu looked at the quiet and peaceful street and suddenly had a feeling that a storm was brewing.

She had no idea where to go or what to do. She thought she was very familiar with the human world, but in fact she didn't understand anything about it.

The osmanthus blossoms at the alley entrance rustled in the wind. She continued walking along the bluestone alley, which was covered with red petals. The streets on both sides echoed with the cries of vendors selling candied hawthorns, sugar paintings, and other exquisite trinkets, as well as fireworks.

The festivals in the human world are still as lively as ever.

It still feels so unfamiliar.

Every festival in Liyue, from the festival process and preparations to the budget, is handled by Yuehaiting. Ganyu plans every festival and knows everything about it, but she is still very unfamiliar with it—because she has never been there.

She had forgotten when she last went to the human world. She only remembered the fireworks exploding, painting the landscape red for miles, the thin wisps of smoke, and the faint scent of incense. She walked to the center of the bustling flower street, where a rough and large hand steadily held hers. They walked through the endless sea of ​​people, the hazy light of the lanterns illuminating their profiles. That day was as hazy as a photograph.

This is a very distant memory.

She tried hard not to think about those things.

Gan Yu left Liyue City and wandered aimlessly.

The sun slowly set, and the setting sun covered the plain. The crimson afterglow washed away the desolation of the wilderness. As she walked, she came to the barren slope. At the end of the desolate wilderness, there was a tomb without a marker.

Wild grasses grew rampant, and layers upon layers of green moss and vines formed.

As I walked, I arrived here.

Gan Yu knew, of course, that the true Fushe was not buried on this desolate hillside. His body became one with the light, transforming into the mountain range that supported Liyue. At the same time, the mountain collapsed in her hands.

"Sister Gan Yu, you're here. That's great, it's wonderful that someone has come to visit Big Brother again."

"Don't worry, Big Brother won't go hungry. Yingda burns a lot of money every year, enough for him to buy lots of wine... Tell Sister Ganyu that Big Brother isn't actually lonely. During the New Year, Xiao comes to pay respects in the afternoon, then Fanan, and Brother Mi Nu comes the latest, waiting until dusk... I didn't know that before. Don't you think they're being unreasonable?"

Yingda half-squatted, her slender fingers plucking the vines from the ground in front of the grave and removing the moss. As she did these things, she said to Gan Yu:

"And now... Sister Gan Yu is here too. Big Brother's favorite is Sister Gan Yu, he'll be very happy."

Yingda said softly, her head lowered and her shoulders trembling slightly, but she was smiling, a bright smile, "That's wonderful, senior brother, everyone is finally... finally reunited again."

"Two thousand four hundred years, everyone has come."

Gan Yu gazed at the tomb mound, "...Only I don't have it."

"Only I... hate him."

She was the only one who didn't have it.

Every year the Yakshas come, but she, his closest junior sister, has never even glanced at him.

"It's something we can't help..." Yingda pursed his thin lips. "It's karma..."

"This is not something that can be done helplessly."

Gan Yu gently shook her head, her voice low and somber. "You all won his heart, but I alone have never known his feelings or his pain. I have seen his soul, but it was already broken."

“Now that the karmic obstacles are gone, everything will be alright,” Yingda said softly.

"When the karmic obstacles are gone, the stone also shatters."

This is the end.

Gan Yu fell silent. She was leaving; she didn't want to stay any longer. She was going back to Yuehai Pavilion. There were still many things to deal with in Liyue, and she needed to keep her mind busy.

"Mount Aozang," Yingda asked. "Sister Ganyu, aren't you going back to Mount Aozang for a visit?"

Gan Yu didn't reply, and walked into the distance. The warm glow of the setting sun enveloped her back as she walked further and further away, as if she were running away.

"...I'm leaving."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.