Takumi obtained the Eye of the Shell God and directly signed a contract with Zhongli.
At the moment of the contract's conclusion, Zhongli stretched out a finger towards the void. A heavy force melted into the empty Eye of God in Takumi's hands. At the same time, a strong desire emerged in Takumi's heart—to change the world into the shape he envisioned.
But the moment this strong desire appeared, Zhongli laughed.
"Is that so? I understand. Then, as you wish."
With his words, the Eye of God burst out with a powerful Geo light. Takumi felt his limbs and bones strengthened by the Eye of God. Simultaneously, an elemental force, resembling solid rock, appeared in his body.
The Eye of God had taken shape.
Takumi examined the Eye of God in his hand and the information flooding his mind. He smacked his lips. "Is this the power of the Eye of God?"
Something felt off.
It seemed he hadn't just acquired the power of the Geo element—there was another unfamiliar power activating within him. A power that seemed capable of manifesting his desires through elemental energy.
"Huh? This power..."
A flash of surprise appeared in Takumi's eyes.
"What is it?" Zhongli asked, immediately noticing the change in Takumi.
Xiao, standing nearby, grew more vigilant.
"You seem to have gained another power? Or... is this your own power?" Zhongli questioned with a hint of astonishment.
The energy within Takumi made even Zhongli feel slightly uneasy.
Xiao instinctively tensed up.
"Well... it seems that way." Takumi nodded, sorting through the new information flooding his mind. "Maybe I finally understand why my hair turned white."
Takumi was startled by his findings. As long as he fully understood something's structure, he could use elemental power to create it out of thin air—be it weapons or equipment.
"Isn't this the power of the Herrscher of Reason?" Takumi muttered in disbelief.
Feeling the energy within himself, Takumi was astonished. However, it seemed weaker than expected. Was it because of this world's rules?
After all, the Herrscher of Reason in Honkai Impact relied on Honkai energy, while Teyvat was governed by elemental power. Since Takumi had no connection to Honkai energy, his abilities had been altered to fit this world.
Just like how Keqing was extremely powerful in Honkai Impact but much weaker in Teyvat.
If Takumi had appeared in the Honkai universe, he might have been able to unleash the full power of the Herrscher of Reason. But in Teyvat, his power was greatly limited.
Most importantly, his abilities relied on knowledge. He needed to understand something completely in order to create it.
And right now, his knowledge was lacking.
After thinking things through, Takumi realized another advantage of his ability—analysis. If given a sample, he could break it down and fully comprehend its structure. Knowledge was his greatest weapon.
Memories of books he had once read surfaced in his mind:
Compendium of Military and Civil Strategies The Barefoot Doctor's Manual Militia Training Handbook Physics, Chemistry, Geography...
He had forgotten much of what he had read in the past, but now, it was all resurfacing.
"Interesting," Takumi murmured. "This just keeps getting better."
Zhongli studied him with keen interest. This unexpected development intrigued him even more.
Though he didn't fully understand Takumi's power, he could tell it would be incredibly valuable.
"Emperor..." Xiao turned to Zhongli, his voice filled with concern.
Zhongli simply shook his head. "It's fine. Though this was unexpected, the contract has been established."
He remained calm and continued sipping his tea leisurely.
Takumi, regaining his composure, turned to Zhongli and said, "The contract has been made. Now, I will build Liyue according to my vision. If I make any mistakes or if you find my methods unreasonable, please forgive me."
Excitement surged through him. He had the power and Zhongli's backing—now, it was time to reshape Liyue.
"Then, I look forward to it," Zhongli said. "Next, head to Liyue Harbor. I will inform the Liyue Qixing to cooperate with you."
Zhongli placed his teacup down and looked at Takumi seriously. He did not ask about Takumi's plans—only the results mattered. However, if Takumi ever overstepped or violated his principles, Zhongli would intervene.
Takumi nodded. "I understand. Then I'll set off now."
"Liyue Harbor... I'm looking forward to this."
With that, he picked up his teacup, took a sip, and stood up. Without hesitation, he left Wangshu Inn, eager to test his new power.
...
"Emperor, are you sure about this?" Xiao asked after Takumi had left. "You're entrusting Liyue's future to an outsider."
Zhongli nodded. "I see a new future for Liyue through him. I want to give it a chance."
"Thousands of years have passed. It is time for Liyue to truly belong to its people."
"Takumi may be from another world, but I still wish to try. Even if he fails, isn't that why the adepti and I are still here?"
His tone was calm, unwavering.
He was placing a great responsibility on Takumi, but if things went awry, he would not hesitate to act.
With that thought, Zhongli sent a message to Ganyu in Liyue Harbor, instructing her to receive Takumi.
Xiao remained silent for a long while before finally nodding.
If the emperor had made his decision, then there was nothing more to say.
The two of them fell into a peaceful silence.
After a while, Zhongli put down his teacup, stepped onto the observation deck, and gazed into the distant mountains.
"I want to buy some osmanthus wine..."
He had begun reciting poetry again.
If Takumi were still here to see this, he would undoubtedly complain.