Genshin Impact: I Am a Slime

Chapter 770 The Eye Without Light

When the topic once again touched upon the rule that Eye of the Gods holders were barred from participating in the competition—a rule abolished by Ningguang—Beidou fell silent for a few breaths, her reddish-brown eyes narrowing slightly as she gazed at the vast, undulating, and misty mountains behind Liyue Harbor.

The ancient land of Liyue can be described as a place where hidden talents abound.

Besides the renowned exorcist families and martial arts masters who open schools and teach students, there are also many hidden sects and extraordinary individuals unknown to the port city hidden in those secluded valleys, forests, cliffs, and caves.

These beings, whether through seclusion and spiritual practice or due to conflicting ideologies, have long since severed ties with the bustling Liyue Harbor. The skills they pass down are unpredictable and their code of conduct is even more difficult to fathom, existing outside the boundaries of worldly good and evil.

In other words, once the doors are opened, the martial arts tournament that is about to begin will likely attract far more than just disciples from righteous and prestigious sects.

Those with twisted minds, extreme actions, wavering stances like a reed in the wind, or even those who have already fallen into evil ways, may all be attracted to this grand event, like sharks that have smelled blood.

After all, who wouldn't want to be the best in Liyue?

What casts a shadow over Beidou's heart even more is that, in the thousands of years of history of Liyue, in addition to the brilliant civilization that has been washed away and accumulated, there is also silt that has sunk to the bottom of the river.

For example, those forbidden arts and fragments of evil scriptures that have been forgotten by time but have not necessarily disappeared are like lurking venomous snakes. Who can guarantee that they won't be picked up again by some unworthy people in some dark corners?

However, if this traveler were to participate, things might take a turn for the better.

The plan to recruit its own crew can continue.

Thinking of this, Beidou patted Yingmei on the shoulder with a tolerant smile, like an elder looking at a newborn calf.

"Traveler, I know you are incredibly powerful, even daring to confront the demons that stir up the seas."

"But never underestimate the land of Liyue. In the mountains and forests, in the city streets and alleys, there are countless hidden masters who never show their talents. You would never guess."

Beidou's smile faded, and his reddish-brown eyes held the composure unique to sailors who had weathered many storms.

"A renowned hero like you, even just standing on the stage, can draw out countless powerful figures who usually keep a low profile, eager to exchange blows with you and test your strength. That's what a true battle of the titans looks like!"

Hearing that Beidou's words seemed to tacitly acknowledge her intention to participate, Traveler quickly shook her head and said firmly:

"Captain Beidou, we really didn't come here to participate in the martial arts tournament."

"Hey, don't be so quick to rule things out!"

Beidou immediately waved his hand, a mysterious smile on his face that said the best was yet to come, and turned his gaze to Wanye, who stood quietly beside him like a pine tree.

"The real highlight of this conference is the treasure that Wan Ye brought out as the prize for first place!"

"A silent, unclaimed Eye of God!"

Beidou paused deliberately, looking with satisfaction at Paimon's wide-eyed stare and the Traveler's slight curiosity, before announcing, word by word. Wanye then chimed in, his voice like the wind sweeping through a silent valley, peaceful yet carrying a strange weight.

"That's right. If the final winner of the martial arts tournament can rekindle the light in this dormant eye, then it will have found a new home and belong to the victor."

"A... an unowned God's Eye?!"

Paimon was so startled that he spun around in the air and covered his mouth with his little hand.

"This...this thing, what about its original owner? Why didn't they want it anymore?" When the Traveler and Paimon mentioned the unclaimed Eye of God, the first person they thought of was Ning Lan, the former head of the Silver Plains Hall.

In the dimly lit storage room of Yuehai Pavilion, the air was filled with the scent of dust and the silence of time. A simple urn sat quietly in the corner, and on the lid, a divine eye, devoid of all its luster and like a dusty, gray stone, silently told a story of an ending.

Those were Ning Lan's belongings, the woman who once managed the salt administration and ultimately met her end caught between faith and reality.

Then, even heavier fragments of memory surged up. The gentle yet endlessly sorrowful whispers of the Salt Demon Heuria seemed to echo softly in the silent air once again. The shock and compassion brought about by that conversation spanning a thousand years were still clearly etched in the traveler's heart.

If the foundation upon which the faith rested had not collapsed, or if the soul had not returned to eternal silence, how could a divine eye, which once represented the gaze of the gods and the obsessions of mortals, have lost its luster and become a cold, lifeless shell left behind in the human world?

Thinking about this, the traveler realized that he hadn't visited Heureia in a long time and didn't know how she was doing lately.

The girl was completely unaware that Heureia had already embarked on a new journey with Pantalone, and was still thinking about taking some time to visit her before heading to Inazuma.

Upon hearing Paimon's question, Wanye's gaze turned to the surging sea in the distance, as if piercing through the veil of time, his tone carrying a poetic remoteness and a hint of barely perceptible melancholy:

"When the holder of the Eye of God returns to eternal silence, the light contained within will be extinguished like a falling star, and the body that once borne that glory... will be left behind in the mortal world."

"What is the meaning of an empty shell without a soul? Opinions vary, but I believe that since it exists in the world, it is waiting."

"Waiting for a soul that can revitalize it and make it shine with lightning again, to take on that unfulfilled wish."

Wan Ye withdrew his gaze, looking down at his outstretched palm as if staring at some invisible entity.

Beidou nodded vigorously, taking over the conversation with a tone as firm as a rock and as bold as the sea breeze:

"In my view, the Eye of God is a flag, a flag erected by the gods themselves, signifying their approval and attention!"

"Only a true strongman, tempered and indomitable, can make this flag of death fly high again!"

"It was in order to find such a strong person, and to restore the glory of this dormant flag, that I came up with the idea of ​​organizing the Southern Cross Martial Arts Tournament."

"Of course, it would be even better if I could also see if any promising talents would be willing to join my Death Star and venture into the seas of the Seven Kingdoms together."

At this point, Beidou suddenly changed the subject, revealing a pragmatic smile characteristic of a captain. However, the smile quickly faded, turning into a barely audible sigh.

Beidou's gaze fell upon the towering, mountain-like Death Star beside him, his voice lowering, carrying a heavy, rough quality like sea salt:

“The holes in the ship from the previous battle with Osel have long been patched up, but the gaps left by those good brothers who went down with the waves are not so easy to fill.”

"So, Traveler, if you have not yet received the favor of the gods, isn't this conference, which Ningguang organized with my idea, the perfect opportunity for you to obtain the Eye of God and prove yourself to the world?"

Beidou withdrew its gaze and refocused on the traveler, its eyes filled with expectation and an unwavering fervor. (End of Chapter)