While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

"Inazuma is currently in a closed-door policy, so it's always inconvenient to go there without a sufficiently prestigious status."

"I see." Ningguang's smile remained unchanged.

"Your Excellency Xu Chuan's arrival is timely. Inazuma has been closed off since then, and exchanges between the two countries have been suspended. If Your Excellency is willing..."

"Practice makes perfect, it seems I need to expand my business to Inazuma."

Recalling his role as a diplomatic liaison between Mondstadt and Liyue, Xu Chuan couldn't help but laugh out loud.

“Gan Yu happens to be here too.” Ning Guang sat back down at the table and picked up her pen. “She’s always been in charge of these matters, so we can just ask her.”

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Gan Yu." Xu Chuan got up and walked to Gan Yu's side.

"No...no trouble at all."

Gan Yu quickly waved her hand, "It would be more like we need to trouble Lord Xu Chuan to share these burdens with me."

She had a hint of apology on her face, clearly feeling genuinely sorry for troubling Xu Chuan.

“In that case,” Xu Chuan said with a smile, “when I return from Inazuma, Miss Gan Yu can treat me to a big meal as compensation.”

"no problem!"

Gan Yu's eyes lit up immediately, and in her excitement, she didn't even realize that she was almost touching him.

After realizing what had happened, her face flushed red, and she quickly took several steps back.

I'm so sorry!

Xu Chuan looked at her flustered appearance and shook his head with a smile.

The moonlight from outside the window fell in and spilled onto the windowsill of the Qunyu Pavilion.

When he left, he had an extra stack of documents in his hand.

It was a diplomatic document prepared by Ningguang, who was going to Inazuma as a special envoy from Liyue Harbor.

These documents bearing the Ningguang seal were enough to save him and Ying a lot of trouble in their actions in Inazuma.

Chapter 182 Departure: Inazuma, a Strange Cultivation Method

Liyue Harbor, a port.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and the silver moon had not yet completely set.

The port was already bustling with people, with countless goods being loaded, unloaded, and transported. The shouts of the boatmen and the bargaining of the merchants mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

The Death Star was moored in a deep-water berth at the end of the main channel.

It was much longer than the other ships in the port, and the dragon head on its bow was slightly raised, gleaming with a faint blue light under the waning moon.

Three main masts pierced the sky. The sails had not yet been raised, and only the thick ropes, as thick as a human arm, swayed gently in the sea breeze, striking the masts with a dull "bang bang" sound.

It lay there quietly, like a lurking sea creature.

The group from Wangsheng Hall stood on the platform at the end of the pier.

Paimon floated in mid-air on tiptoe, her little hands flat on her forehead, her little head craning around as if searching for something.

"Xu Chuan hasn't been seen since last night, where did he go?!"

The little guy's voice was clearly filled with anxiety.

She descended, landing on Ying's shoulder, her two little legs swayed twice, and then she floated up again.

Hu Tao crossed her arms, a sly glint in her plum-blossom eyes.

She deliberately drew out her words, her voice rising in a curve.

"Hehe, maybe he's reluctant to leave the Hall of Rebirth, but he's too embarrassed to ask..."

"No way!" Paimon turned around abruptly, his little fists clenched tightly.

"We made a promise to go to Inazuma together, and Xu Chuan has never gone back on his word!"

She suddenly stopped talking because she saw the suppressed smile on Hu Tao's lips.

The little guy then realized he'd been teased again, and his cheeks puffed up like a pufferfish in anger.

Ying did not join the banter.

She simply stood on the edge of the pier, her gaze passing over the layers of sails and masts, landing on the gray-blue horizon where the sea met the sky.

A morning breeze blew from the sea, lifting the hem of her pale yellow dress in a soft arc.

"Let's wait a little longer."

Her tone was calm, without the slightest hesitation.

Shen Heli stood a few steps away, and upon closer observation, she could see that Shen Heli was trying to cultivate the Golden Light Mantra according to Professor Xu Chuan's method.

Even at the farewell ceremony, she did not relax in the slightest.

Xiao leaned against a lamppost further away, his arms crossed, his golden eyes half-closed, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding noise.

But suddenly, he tilted his head to the side.

"I'll go find it..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhongli stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze still fixed on the direction of the port, and said with certainty:

"No need, he's here."

Shen He was the first to spot that figure.

Her gaze swept past the throng of people and landed on the stone steps at the port entrance.

"He's there."

Xu Chuan emerged from the morning mist.

He walked to the pier, his gaze sweeping over the familiar faces, a slightly apologetic smile appearing on his lips.

"Sorry I'm late."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Hu Tao, Zhong Li, Shen He, and Xiao.

"I didn't expect everyone to come."

Walnut jumped down from the railing of the pier, put her hands behind her back, and winked at him.

"When you arrive in Inazuma, don't forget to help Wangshengtang expand its overseas business."

Xu Chuan chuckled and said, "Master, I'm just about to set off for Inazuma. It's not auspicious."

Hu Tao stamped her foot, but the mischievousness in her plum blossom eyes quickly disappeared.

She dropped her joking expression, became unusually serious, and softened her voice.

"I'm not going to argue with you anymore."

Hu Tao took half a step forward and looked up at Xu Chuan.

The morning light shone on her face, and her usually mischievous plum blossom eyes were now serious to the point of being profound.

"Inazuma is not Liyue. The isolation order has been in place for so long, and things have been very chaotic and unsettled there recently."

She took a deep breath, then patted Xu Chuan's shoulder hard, "If you don't adapt, come back. I, the head of this hall, will personally give you a welcome dinner!"

"understood."

Zhongli stepped forward and, without any pleasantries, got straight to the point.

"I won't comment much on Thor's pursuit of eternity and the Eye of Eternity itself."

"But the things involved in this matter may give you some new insights."

"Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Zhongli. I have taken it to heart."

Xu Chuan should take this seriously.

In fact, he had thought about the Eye Hunt Order many times over.

The Eye of God, in general, cannot be discarded or destroyed. Physical destruction is ineffective against it, and even if the holder wants to throw it away, it will return on its own before long.

Keqing and Ningguang are perfect examples of this.

However, after General Raiden confiscated a large number of God Eyes, those God Eyes that had been embedded in the Thousand-Handed and Hundred-Eyed God Statue collectively "failed to function".

The holders then lost their wishes, and the Eye of God no longer appeared around them as before.

What force severed this connection?

What are the powers of the Thunder General?

What is the mechanism behind the idol itself?

Or is it some deeper rule, about the invisible link between "desire" and "the eye of God"?

The Heart of God and the Eye of God are both part of the divine plan of Heaven and God, and he is quite interested in them.

Xu Chuan turned around and faced Shen He.

She still stood ramrod straight.

The morning light fell on her frosty white hair, making her cool face less aloof and more serene.

She looked at Xu Chuan, her lips moving slightly.

Have a safe journey.

Xu Chuan nodded, took out a pale gold jade pendant from his sleeve, and handed it to Shen He.

The jade plaque is about half the size of a palm, with a warm and smooth surface. A circle of fine talismanic patterns is engraved around the edge, and a faint shimmering light can be seen moving within it when the light shines on it.

"I made this Soul-Binding Jade Talisman in my spare time. It contains a portion of my power, which can be used to bind and nourish souls after it is consumed."

"I've written the specific instructions on the talisman on the back of the jade tablet. You can read it by activating it with your immortal power."

Shen He looked down at the jade pendant in his palm, his fingertips gently stroking the jade surface.

"While I'm away, the head of the hall will be in your hands."

"Don't let me down!"

Shen He gripped the jade pendant tightly and raised his eyes.

"it is good."

Xiao did not move its position at all.

He remained leaning against the lamppost until Xu Chuan's gaze fell upon him, at which point he slightly nodded his chin.

"Bon Voyage."

Clean and efficient, just like him, decisive and straightforward.

Xu Chuan clasped his hands in a fist salute to him.

Xiao hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to return the greeting.

His movements were somewhat stiff, clearly indicating that he was not used to this kind of occasion.

"Then let's leave here. We should get going."

Xu Chuan turned around, with Ying and Paimon following beside him. The three of them stepped onto the gangway lowered by the Death Star.

The wooden pedals creaked and groaned underfoot.

The gangway was retracted, and the mooring rope was untied from the stone pillar. The thick hemp rope swung in the air in an arc before landing heavily on the deck.

The sailors shouted in unison, the winch began to turn, and the iron chains rattled as they wound up the drum.

The Death Star slowly departed from the pier.

Xu Chuan stood on the side of the boat and waved to the shore.

Hu Tao jumped up and waved her arms at him. Zhong Li nodded with his hands behind his back. Shen He stood still, gripping the jade pendant tightly. Xiao's figure had already disappeared.

As the ship sailed out of the harbor, the figures on land gradually shrank, becoming a few blurry dots.

The sound of the waves grew louder.

A pair of hands patted Xu Chuan's shoulders with considerable force, carrying the rough touch characteristic of someone who had been at the helm for many years.

"Hey! I almost didn't recognize you after a few days. You two changed your clothes and look like completely different people."