Seeing that the two had agreed, Kaedehara Kazuha continued speaking.
"Of course, for this martial arts tournament, we've also prepared a grand prize."
His words immediately stirred the emotions of everyone present—even Ningguang couldn't help but glance at him.
"That prize is… an ownerless Vision."
Kazuha spoke slowly. Beidou took a large swig of alcohol, wiped the droplets from her lips, and picked up where he left off.
"This Vision was provided by Kazuha. If the winner of this tournament can reignite it, then the Vision will belong to them."
The moment these words were spoken, everyone was stunned. This was an opportunity—a chance to obtain immense power.
After all, very few people could possess a Vision, and an ownerless one was a rare treasure indeed.
Rover glanced at the elemental markings on his arm and couldn't help but smirk. He didn't seem to need this Vision, as his elemental powers had been directly bestowed upon him by a deity.
"Why doesn't it have an owner?"
Aether asked curiously. Kazuha lowered his gaze and took a moment before explaining.
"When the holder of a Vision passes away, the Vision itself does not vanish—it merely loses its light. I just wanted… to pass this Vision on to someone else."
A sorrowful atmosphere seemed to settle over them. Sensing this, Ningguang quickly raised her wine glass and steered the conversation elsewhere.
"Then it's settled. Let's all raise a toast."
The martial tournament would be held at Guyun Stone Forest. Once the time was confirmed, the group dispersed.
"Rover, do you think a Vision… can really be inherited by someone else?"
On the way back, Aether turned to Rover. Rover thought back on their recent travels and smiled.
"A Vision is a symbol of recognition from the gods. If someone can reignite a dormant Vision, they must be truly exceptional—perhaps that's the meaning behind Beidou's tournament."
Rover shared his thoughts, and Aether nodded thoughtfully.
Spending so much time with Rover really had changed him, bit by bit.
Early in the morning, the group arrived at Guyun Stone Forest.
The surrounding cliffs were incredibly steep, and the elemental energy had coalesced into irregular stone pillars that seemed deliberately arranged, forming a strange pattern when viewed from afar. When Morax had hurled his stone spears here all those years ago, had he hidden some mischievous intent within them?
The mist had yet to dissipate, and on the distant horizon, the sun rose from the other side, casting golden rays that created a hazy glow.
"Beidou said contestants need a grand reputation. I wonder just how famous our opponents are?"
Paimon was excited, but then another thought occurred to her.
Given their current standing—Aether, the Honorary Knight who had resolved Mondstadt's dragon crisis, and Rover, a hero who had stood against Osial's calamity in Liyue —who could possibly outshine them?
Thinking this, Paimon flew ahead proudly, as if eager to flaunt their achievements to the other contestants.
The two of them shook their heads helplessly at Paimon's excitement.
"Hey, mister, are you here for the martial tournament?"
Paimon found a contestant who had already registered—a man named Uncle Yun.
"Yeah, you guys here for the tournament too? Just a few days ago, I took second place in Mondstadt's Free Combat Tournament, and now I'm here right after!"
Uncle Yun was burly, and his tone was full of pride.
"Sounds like a pretty shady competition…"
Paimon muttered under her breath. Unexpectedly, Uncle Yun heard her and let out a long sigh before launching into an argument.
"Hey, what do you mean 'shady'? There were dozens of participants—I fought my way through fair and square!
"Not only that, but just a few days ago, I caught two Treasure Hoarders. They were robbing people at knifepoint, so I stepped in with a left kick, then a slap. One of them panicked and threw his knife at me, but I dodged in time—that blade got stuck deep in the wall!
"Of course, I handed them over to the Millelith afterward and even got commended for it. Isn't that qualification enough?"
Uncle Yun vividly recounted his exploits, and even Rover had to admit he was impressed.
For an ordinary person without a Vision, being able to handle threats like Hilichurls and Treasure Hoarders was already remarkable.
Paimon scratched her head sheepishly, apologized to Uncle Yun, and then turned her attention to the other contestants. This time, she was wiser—at least she didn't approach them with an arrogant attitude.
"Are you two here for the tournament as well?"
Two men in brown vests and matching scarves stood before them, their sleeves rolled up, giving them a sharp and capable appearance.
"I'm Chai Yi, and this is Liangzi. Our master told us that refining our martial skills requires real combat experience.
"Of course, if possible, we'd also like to obtain that ownerless Vision…"
After Chai Yi finished speaking, Liangzi added,
"If we get that Vision, we'll definitely become our master's most prized disciples."
Hearing their reasons for participating, Rover nodded in understanding. It seemed most contestants here were drawn by the allure of the ownerless Vision.
The thought made him sigh.
Faced with the desires of mortals, would the gaze of the gods truly descend upon these ordinary people?
Rover looked up and noticed a young man sitting on the beach, eyes closed, lounging in a relaxed pose.
As the group approached, the young man spoke in a deliberately mysterious tone:
"Young man, I take it you're also here for the Crux Clash?"
Rover raised an eyebrow. This guy was putting on quite the act—even he wasn't this pretentious. Did he actually have some skill?
"Indeed."
Hearing this, the young man stood up and swept a disdainful gaze over the group.
"My goal is to claim the championship. As for you? You're nothing more than stepping stones for me.
"After all, I excel in everything—whether it's academics or business, I reach heights others can only dream of. A small tournament like this will be a breeze."
Without even asking for their names, the young man turned and walked away. Watching his retreating figure, Rover simply smiled faintly.
He wasn't angry—this was the first time he'd met someone so confident. He was merely curious to see just how strong this young man really was.