He changed Tiwat

She gave a final, somewhat melancholy smile before slowly turning into incredibly fine dust.

"This is a token of our covenant, and also my challenge to you."

"All my wisdom is hidden in this stone lock."

"If only we could solve it—"

For many years, he was unable to unlock the lock, nor did he know the rest of the sentence.

Or rather... he was unwilling to unlock that lock.

As time has passed, wild glass lilies have almost disappeared.

Until one day, a young fisherwoman from Yaoguangtan caught his attention.

The little girl selling fish had a dried glass lily pinned to her hair, which suited her perfectly.

Ningguang smiled faintly at Han Fulai's question.

She held up one finger—just like that night by the Luhua Pond when Han Fulai held up one finger to her.

"One day?" Han Fulai guessed.

Ningguang shook her head.

"An hour?" Han Fulai guessed again.

Ningguang still shook her head.

"It can't be..."

“One minute,” Ningguang said with a smile. “I remember it very clearly. I carefully rotated those mortise and tenon joints eleven times, and it took one minute.”

Han Fulai clicked his tongue in amazement.

Actually, he really could solve this problem.

The "perfect match" that Ningguang described is actually called a "Rubik's Cube," and the "lock of the mortal world" that Gui Zhong left behind should be called a "second-order Rubik's Cube" in Han Fulai's original world.

A completely scrambled 2x2 Rubik's Cube has a total of "7!3^6" possible distributions, which is 3674160 possible disordered states.

Of course, many of these disordered states are only theoretical possibilities and will not occur in reality, so enumerating them is not as complicated as in mathematics.

But Ningguang is not a modern person, nor has she received a professional Rubik's Cube speedcubing tutorial. She is entering a demon god's ruins for the first time and seeing the creations left behind by the demon god—and then she is able to find the most perfect solution in the shortest amount of time.

Because according to the exhaustive algorithm used by modern supercomputers, the simplest solution steps for the most complex disordered Rubik's Cube are eleven steps.

Gui was ultimately a demon goddess renowned for her wisdom, and her successor should indeed be Ningguang.

“When I successfully unlocked this ‘lock of the mortal world,’ I saw her.” Ningguang smiled and pointed to the top of her head.

As she spoke, a beautiful girl with long blue-gray hair appeared above the Lock of the Mortal World.

She sat on the Lock of the Mortal World, her bare little feet dangling, and raised her coat sleeves at Han Fulai as a greeting.

She was surrounded by a pale blue hue like stardust, and the edges of her body were slightly blurred, as if she were some kind of "holographic image"—after all, Gui Zhong was already dead, dead for thousands of years.

The demon girl stood with her hands on her hips, pouting, and said, "Little Guangguang, how can you be so insensible? Is this all you can say when introducing your mentor who taught you all your wisdom?"

"Yes, Master."

Ningguang coughed and straightened her face, saying solemnly, "This is the 'High-Intelligence Assistant Unit' of the Lord of Stardust, the God of Wealth, the founder of Teyvat Economics, one of the founders of Liyue, the creator of Guili Collection, the synonym for wisdom, the composer of autonomous mechanisms, the king of mechanical arts who crushed Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun, the master of alchemy, the Dust God Hargentus, the 'Heavenly One Unit', or 'Heavenly One' for short."

"Hmm." The girl tilted her head back and nodded repeatedly, seemingly very satisfied.

As Han Fulai suspected, the girl was indeed a hologram, and also an artificial being similar to AI.

But Gui Zhong, sitting on the Lock of the Mortal World, is indeed so vivid and lovely that one can imagine how lively and intelligent the original Dust Demon God must have been.

“Master Tianyi possesses all the wisdom of the Demon God’s Return to the End, and… even above that Return to the End, the ‘unspeakable wisdom.’ I owe most of my success today to Master Tianyi’s selfless care and earnest teachings.”

—This is Ningguang's greatest secret.

A "big sister" that's a standard feature of protagonists in wish-fulfillment novels.

The legacy and wisdom of a demon god, and the unspeakable wisdom beyond demon gods.

"I see... Thank you for telling me, Lady Ningguang. It has helped me understand many things."

Han Fulai did indeed understand many things.

—Ningguang was originally supposed to be the overpowered protagonist of Liyue, starting with a fishing boat, meeting the old man Zhongli, picking up the older sister Guizhong, and ending up as the empress. Maybe Yelan, Beidou, Ganyu, and Keqing will all be in Ningguang's harem...

When Han Fulai was first led by Ningguang into the "Reflection Zone of the Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," he had no idea how dangerous the tightrope he was walking on or how big of a mess he was making—he ruined the Empress's coronation right after transmigrating, which was quite impressive.

...So Zhongli, Ganyu, and Ningguang initially refused to let him participate in the matter, but later suddenly changed their attitudes—because he later found his role as the "glue" between immortals in the united front.

So later, during the Battle of Ba Che, he asked Ning Guang to take a huge risk to help Shen He, which made Ning Guang abandon her original plan. Ning Guang was happy to see this happen, which was indeed because "he gave too much" - not only helping Ning Guang gain prestige and money to consolidate her rule, but also helping her to subdue the troublemakers in the Senate.

Because the benefits Han Fulai brought were so great, perhaps even greater than Ningguang's direct "ascension to the throne," Ningguang did not hesitate to use her marriage as a means to bind him.

That's how that date by the Luhua Pond came about.

If everything unfolds as Ningguang envisions, what's wrong with recreating the story of two gods ruling together in the "Return to the Realm"? It would simply mean that he, the "Geomorph," and Ningguang, the "Dust God," would have a romantic relationship.

However, he refused Ningguang's marriage proposal.

He also told Ningguang that from now on they would no longer be "siblings".

Later, he even competed with Ningguang for a spot.

That's why things turned out this way.

These issues seem to be solvable if they can be discussed properly.

—As for what kind of deep-seated, life-or-death feud existed between them, if we disregard Ningguang's possible role in orchestrating today's assassination attempt on Rouran… there really wasn't one. Moreover, it seems she genuinely came to save him.

Chapter 418 The Excuse for Avoiding the Issue Wasn't Some Great Hatred [4k5]

“I’ve said it before, telling you this… is my ‘sincere’ gesture.” Ningguang nodded slightly to Han Fulai, then turned to the girl sitting atop the “Locking of the Mortal World,” “Master Tianyi, may I speak about your secret palace and the ‘Heaven and Earth Cage Test’?”

The barefoot girl waved her coat sleeve, looking impatient: "What a pointless question. If you weren't here to say these things, why did you call me out here to create your own little world?"

Ningguang subtly pouted, "I was just being respectful to you, sir..."

"Who are you calling old!" the girl glared.

Ningguang ignored Tianyi's retort and turned to Han Fulai, saying, "The day I took you to Luhua Pond, it wasn't just to catch fish. If you had accepted my invitation that day, I was actually prepared to reveal this secret to you."

“Luhua Pool… a secret…” Han Fulai frowned, remembering something, “Could it be—the ‘Huaqing Guizang Secret Palace’?”

This time it was Ningguang's turn to be surprised: "So you knew?"

Han Fulai nodded and replied, "Ahe told me that what looks like a clear pool is actually a secret treasure hidden beneath it, a treasure that can confuse mortals. True Lord Liuyun said it is called the 'Secret of Guizang'."

This was a story that Shen He had told him a few months ago when he took him to the Minghai Qixia Zhenjun Cave Heaven. He remembered it very clearly. At that time, Shen He told him about three secret realms, which together happened to be similar to the "Three Changes" tradition circulating in China.

Tianyi curled his lip: "That big-mouthed Liuyun should be put in a bit..."

Speaking of which, when Gui Zhong was alive, he and Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhen Jun were always bickering. Tian Yi not only inherited Gui Zhong's wisdom, but probably even replicated Gui Zhong's personality... Han Fu Lai decided to pretend he didn't hear Tian Yi's "disrespect for the immortal master" and asked instead, "Does this 'Secret of Gui Cang' also have the meaning of 'the secret hidden by Gui Zhong'?"

“That’s right.” Ningguang nodded. “There are actually two grotto-heavens hidden in the Huaqing Guizang Secret Palace. One is an ancient relic, the Shuiyue Grotto-Heaven Fanghu Treasure Land, which contains a maze. If one is not well-versed in immortal arts, one would probably never come out once one enters… The other is the research institute of the Demon God Guizhong before his death. When its former owner Guizhong was studying the science of mechanisms, he collected several ‘ancient evil objects’ inside, which the immortals sealed in the Outer Realm Grotto-Heaven.”

"What are these so-called 'ancient and evil artifacts'...?"

"Kanria's mechanical creations, namely those 'Ruin Guardians' and their energy cores. This is also related to the fact that the name of Gui Zhong was not passed down to the later generations of Liyue... Gui Zhong was the former master of Gui Li Yuan, and her wisdom was unparalleled in the world. The reason why her reputation was not well known was because she touched a taboo, so what she did back then was deliberately covered up."

Ningguang paused, her tone becoming serious: "Before meeting the Emperor, Guizhong had already begun researching the mechanical creations of Kanria. The energy source of those creations is the runes inscribed on their parts, which is 'power from beyond the world'—'Word Spirit.' Guizhong once said: 'If we can understand and reconstruct such mysterious technology, perhaps we can change this world.'"

I heard about Kanria's relationship with "Word of Power" once again.

Han Fulai frowned even more deeply. Ever since his trip to the Layered Rock Abyss, he had discovered that the "power from beyond the world" that the ancient kingdom of Kanria had acquired was indeed influencing this world all along. Even the Demon God Gui Zhong from thousands of years ago could be linked to them.

But what exactly does "changing the world" mean in the end?

Han Fulai recalled another term Ningguang had mentioned earlier—"the Heaven and Earth Cage Test".

As if seeing through Han Fulai's thoughts, Ningguang nodded again, "You're right. The result of Guizhong's research was the 'Heaven and Earth Cage Test'. Later, Guizhong collaborated with the Emperor on this project. After Guizhong's death, the Emperor continued the test alone, but eventually shut it down."

“However, Lord Yan intends to return the throne to the people of Li; therefore, the traces of immortals and Taoist practices should be eradicated from the human world.” — Han Fulai recalled the stone tablet he had seen in front of Taishan Prefecture.

The "Heaven and Earth Cage Test" is said by Granny Ping to be a trial for immortals seeking the path to immortality... Speaking of immortals, the Geo Archon stopped enlightening immortals after the Demon God War, and the immortals of Liyue have mostly stayed away from the world. Even those like Granny Ping who live in seclusion never reveal their immortal ways, which can be considered as following the Archon's order that "the immortal methods and traces should be eradicated from the human world."

"After the founding of Liyue, no one is allowed to become an immortal." That's probably what the Emperor meant...

Before Han Fu came, he had gone to Taishan Prefecture for Xiao's sake and had seen the stone tablet. Ningguang was of course aware of this as well.

"Have you ever thought about why the Emperor ordered that mortals in Liyue be forbidden from seeking immortality?" Ningguang asked.

Han Fulai had certainly thought about it.

The statement that "the throne rests with the people of Liyue" is naturally just the "official statement." As a civil servant, Han Fulai knew that the gap between the "official statement" and the "truth" was probably as vast as heaven and earth. The Emperor reigned for over a thousand years after severing the path of immortality. If he truly wanted to restore human rule in Liyue and thus severed the path of immortality, he would have abdicated long ago.

Of course, judging from the Emperor's governance, he did intentionally eliminate the influence of immortals on the human world. At least the immortals did not interfere in politics much in the three thousand years after the founding of Liyue, so the claim that the immortal path was severed and returned to humans may not be false.

On the surface, Han Fulai could come up with many reasons.

For example, a disciple of the immortals like Shen He had to go up the mountain to cultivate in order to obtain the immortal path. During the cultivation period, she obviously did not engage in production. She was not even clear about many common sense things about human society. It was only after she went down the mountain that Han Fulai and Yan Fei slowly taught her.

Although it seems that the need for food is not a necessity after becoming an immortal, which is called "abstaining from grains" in the immortals' terms, at least the disciples of the immortals still need to eat. Gan Yu's grass-eating racial characteristic is an exception. Anyway, Shen He and Yan Fei all need to eat, and Xiang Ling is even a chef.

If everyone in Liyue goes off to cultivate immortality, who will farm? Who will mine?

If only a portion of people can cultivate immortality, while the rest of the ordinary people continue farming and mining... wouldn't that be a de facto polarization between the aristocratic and commoner classes? It's simply turning "noble bloodlines" like those in Mondstadt into "noble cultivation," which is essentially no different.

Moreover, the immortals are far more powerful than the nobles of Mondstadt who would be overthrown by the common people. They are almost second only to the demon gods in terms of combat strength, and their lifespans are also exceptionally long...

Once the ratio between superhumans and ordinary people crosses a certain population threshold, ordinary people will have an overwhelming dominance.

Furthermore, the immortals of Liyue have a completely self-sufficient system, requiring no human offerings or prayers. Being celestial beings, they have no need for human society; wiping out these insignificant humans wouldn't bother them. Protecting the people of Liyue is truly an act of charity.

Imagine an ordinary citizen living under the rule of immortals—it's truly hopeless, with no hope of ever turning their life around.

Although the immortals of Liyue are generally quite detached from worldly desires and there is no record of any immortals exploiting the people in history, there is still a racial barrier. The immortals of Liyue were originally beastmen and have always been separate from human society.

What if everyone in Liyue was a "human immortal"?

Even if those who become immortals are all good people who are pure of heart and have few desires and do good deeds, they still have social relationships such as relatives, friends, children, and disciples before they became immortals. The saying "when one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven" is not just a joke.

For example, isn't Wang Ping'an, whom Han Fulai knows, just a fraudster using the name of an immortal? Speaking of which, given Han Fulai's current relationship with the immortals, if he were to show even the slightest intention of helping mortals pass on messages or handle matters for the immortals, he would probably be immediately overwhelmed by a tidal wave of people seeking immortality.

Of course, on the other hand, the Immortal Path in Liyue probably requires certain qualities in the cultivators. Perhaps only someone like Shen He, who is pure of heart and desires, can become an immortal? However, Han Fulai doesn't really know much about this, so he can't speculate.

Furthermore, the immortality of the immortals also brings many problems. Consider that the people of Liyue who cultivate immortality often live for hundreds or even thousands of years. What kind of productivity would be needed to support the needs of such a large population of immortals? For example, immortals like the Naruto Sea Immortal are renowned for collecting and crafting treasures. Currently, Liyue has a small number of immortals, and they have enough rare and precious materials. But what if Liyue had tens of thousands of immortals?

...While such a Liyue would be very powerful, it might also become a source of chaos for the Teyvat continent, since if its internal resources are insufficient, it will have no choice but to plunder from the outside.

In conclusion, the Emperor's decision to cut off mortals' path to immortality was, in every respect, the right choice.

But there's clearly something hidden in this.

According to Ningguang, this "Heaven and Earth Cage Test" is related to Guizhong's research on Kanria's "Word of Power Technology".

And then, thinking back to the fall of the Kingdom of Kanria five hundred years ago…

"Does the immortal path of Liyue actually violate the taboos of the natural order?" Han Fulai asked.

Ningguang nodded, "That's right. The 'Heaven and Earth Cage of Fate Test' uses Qingyun Peak as 'Heaven,' Taishan Prefecture as 'Earth,' and the grotto-heaven as 'cage' to simulate the 'fate' of a world. This is what is meant by 'Heaven and Earth Cage of Fate.'"

"...Liyue's Immortal Path is actually an experiment in 'creation'? The Immortals are actually... 'New Humans'?" Han Fulai felt his voice trembling slightly.

Gui Zhong and Zhong Li... you two are really going big! You're not just the "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," you're aiming straight for the "Creator Gods"! This is rebellion! And Zhong Li, you're not just starting to rebel now, you were a major threat to the court 3,700 years ago!

Ningguang said in a deep voice, "Gui Zhong's death is actually a warning from Sky Island to the Rock King Emperor."

Han Fulai inexplicably thought of the assassinations of Chinese scientists by foreign forces in the early days of the People's Republic of China. It seemed the same story played out in every world. The reason Tianli killed Gui Zhong but not Zhong Li was probably because Zhong Li was too powerful and not so easy to kill…

Zhongli's decision to shut down the "Heaven and Earth Cage Test" may be similar to how, after the core researchers were assassinated, he was forced by pressure to close the nuclear test research facility.

Well, so Zhongli is bound to rebel no matter what, whether it's for his ideal of "giving people the right to choose," or because he has a good memory and is good at "holding grudges," he's bound to rebel anyway...

"So, you who have received the inheritance of the finality... are you alright?" Han Fulai asked.

"Oh? You worry about me too?"

Ningguang's gaze shifted, and Han Fulai lowered his head and coughed lightly.

"Yes, it's alright for me. The 'Heaven and Earth Cage Test' was actually a failed experiment. It didn't fully simulate the world at the beginning of creation. The immortals of Liyue also knew that their inheritance of the 'Ancestor of Immortals' was not perfect. Otherwise, immortals should have lived as long as heaven and earth as the Emperor."

Tianyi interjected, "In fact, such simulations are still involved in the alchemy techniques of the Liyue Immortals. The essence of immortals refining elixirs is to simulate the state of chaos at the beginning, when the clear and the turbid were not separated and heaven and earth were one. It is a microcosm of the creation of heaven and earth. However, this technology is not yet mature, so the things refined can only be used as enhancement materials. If it can be completely simulated, it can actually achieve the highest achievement in alchemy - 'artificial humans'."

Han Fulai nodded without much reaction; he was too lazy to be shocked anymore.

Considering that our "Liyue Academy of Arts" has already started building "Gundams," "Homunculi" isn't so strange, right...? Ah, he remembered that when Master Liuyun was researching Gundam, he seemed to have used Canria technology as well... Hmm, Master Liuyun truly deserves his reputation as a master who rivals Guizhong for the throne of mechanical arts; touching forbidden territory was practically inevitable for him...

—Oh, I started the "Liyue Academy of Celestial Arts." Liyue is touching taboos again after thousands of years, and I'm the culprit. These things are all recorded in the ley lines; if the laws of nature were to awaken, I'd probably be on the kill list too.

Han Fulai realized that he was now so indifferent to having too many lice that he didn't itch, and so indifferent to having too much debt that he didn't worry.