The six Infinity Stones continued to flicker, as if agreeing.
[Heh. Next comes purging all this junk from the kid's body.]
[Good thing you were diligent enough two thousand years ago and let me collect most of the treasure chest energy.]
[Well, whatever—might as well purify your body one more time.]
The system spoke calmly. Jiang Yan's body suddenly began to glow.
Immediately after, his body gradually melted away. Wisps of black mist let out shrill, piercing screams before dissipating.
Gradually, a spotless, flawless white body reappeared in the air.
[Tsk. Your clone probably can't be maintained anymore, but that doesn't matter.]
[You're heading back soon anyway.]
The system's voice carried a hint of fatigue, as if it had expended a great deal of energy.
[What a troublesome brat… forget it.]
[I'll send you back while I'm at it.]
As the system's words fell, a portal opened. Jiang Yan's body turned into starlike points of light and entered the portal.
…
Liyue Harbor.
At this moment, Guizhong, Azhdaha, Marchosius, Ganyu, and a host of Adepti were gathered on the third floor of Yuehai Pavilion.
Ganyu sat dazed on a bench, holding the pile of wood that Jiang Yan's clone had turned into, her eyes empty.
Before long, Morax walked in from outside.
"Well?"
Guizhong and the others stood up and asked him.
Morax looked at them, then suddenly sighed.
"Even the Heavenly Principles don't know Jiang Yan's current condition."
Ganyu's entire body trembled. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant.
It was as if the only pillar supporting her had collapsed.
Cloud Retainer gently hugged Ganyu, as if comforting herself as much as her.
"It's fine. Jiang Yan might not be in danger. The Heavenly Principles didn't say he was dead, did they?"
Morax was just about to speak when a humming sound suddenly rang out.
Immediately after, a pitch-black vortex abruptly appeared on the ceiling of Yuehai Pavilion.
"What's going on?!"
Morax and the others stared at the suddenly appearing vortex, instantly going on guard.
The Vortex Vanquisher manifested in Morax's hand as he gazed solemnly at the whirlpool above.
Just as everyone was bracing themselves, movement came from within the vortex.
A fair, familiar body fell from the sky.
At that instant, the atmosphere froze.
Almost everyone widened their eyes.
Looking at that all-too-familiar figure, their bodies began to tremble.
"Ji… Jiang Yan!"
Ganyu called out in a trembling voice.
But Jiang Yan's eyes were tightly shut, and he showed no response.
"This…"
Cloud Retainer stared in disbelief.
Morax's gaze was complicated—joy, anger, shock all mixed together.
For a moment, it felt as though everyone had lost their voices, as if trapped in a dream.
Then, the vortex in the sky vanished.
With nothing supporting him, Jiang Yan began to fall.
Morax was about to step forward when a figure flashed past him and caught Jiang Yan midair.
"Ah Yan… Ah Yan…"
Tears poured from Ganyu's eyes as if they cost nothing, streaming down endlessly.
When Jiang Yan had seemingly died and vanished, it had felt as though the sky itself had collapsed for her.
At this moment, even if this were a dream, Ganyu would be satisfied.
Feeling the warmth in her arms, she never wanted to let go.
"I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Guizhong's body trembled, her eyes filled with joy.
But soon, everyone noticed a problem.
Ever since Jiang Yan appeared, he had never woken up.
His eyes remained closed. His warm skin and steady breathing continued—he looked as though he were merely asleep.
Still, this alone was enough to make Morax and the others breathe a sigh of relief.
As long as Jiang Yan was alive, that was enough.
As long as he lived—even if he hadn't woken up yet—there was still hope.
They brought Jiang Yan to Jueyun Karst. Inside a cave dwelling opened by Cloud Retainer, Ganyu gently laid Jiang Yan flat on the bed.
Over the next period of time, Cloud Retainer and Guizhong began examining Jiang Yan's physical condition.
After a thorough inspection, both of them were shocked to discover—
Jiang Yan's physical state was astonishingly good.
There were no obvious injuries on his body at all.
And yet, he simply wouldn't wake up.
It was as if he were truly, deeply asleep.
Left with no other choice, Guizhong and Cloud Retainer set up several formations around him to gather energy, providing what Jiang Yan's body needed to maintain normal function.
There was no helping it.
Jiang Yan wasn't injured.
And he wouldn't wake up.
No matter how much Guizhong and Cloud Retainer examined him, they couldn't figure out why.
All they could do was wait for him to awaken naturally.
But no one knew when that would be.
Although everyone wanted to stay and wait for Jiang Yan to wake up, Liyue Harbor couldn't be left unattended.
In the end, Morax made the decision: everyone would take turns guarding Jiang Yan, one day at a time.
They would rotate continuously.
Additionally, the fact that Jiang Yan could not wake up was not to be disclosed—to avoid causing panic among the populace.
Fortunately, during this period it had been the clone Jiang Yan governing.
That cold and emotionless version of him had not appeared before the people for a long time anyway.
Thus, even if Jiang Yan did not show himself for an extended period, it wouldn't cause major issues.
—
At the same time, deep within the Chasm.
A small white ermine with a little snake coiled around its neck was darting about wildly at the abyssal depths.
These two were none other than Xiao Bai and Apep, whom Jiang Yan had left behind in the Chasm before entering the Abyss.
Since there was no telling what might happen on that journey, Jiang Yan had chosen not to bring them along.
Because their souls were bound by master–servant marks, the moment Jiang Yan returned from the Abyss, Apep and Xiao Bai sensed it immediately.
"Hey, Xiao Bai rat, you've been running around in circles for half the day now. Are you even reliable?"
Aside from Jiang Yan, Apep's mouth was just as foul as ever toward everyone else.
"Shut up, you bastard! I'm a marten—an Treasure-Hoarding Marten! What do you mean 'Xiao Bai rat'?!"
Xiao Bai roared back angrily, his face full of indignation.
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