Chapter 518: 518: So This Is What You're Like, Barbatos!
"Expected?"
Venti was still puzzled by this answer.
Logically speaking, during his time on the Douluo Continent, he hadn't appeared in the public eye, nor had he interacted with Zhongli.
With his strength, it wouldn't have been a problem to remain unnoticed.
But Venti didn't know that what Zhongli meant by "expected" was different from what he imagined.
First of all, Zhongli could confirm that all creatures on the Teyvat Continent were "transferring."
He was the first case, followed by other creatures, including the Archons.
Barbatos was also an Archon, and the wind carried information. In Barbatos' eyes, there were few secrets.
As long as he arrived on the Douluo Continent and learned about everything happening there, it was no surprise that he would come knocking.
After a short while, everyone arrived at the hall. Barbatos placed the fine wine in his hand on the table, his gaze sweeping over the group.
Because they were "neighbors," he was quite familiar with some things in Liyue.
Especially the passing of the Dust Archon over 3, 700 years ago.
Who would have thought that after 3, 700 years, the Dust Archon would find herself in another world?
"Long time no see, Lumine, Paimon!"
Without much thought, Barbatos greeted Lumine and Paimon with a smile.
As the Anemo Archon, the God of Freedom, he always wore a smile, giving off a gentle vibe.
Unlike the seriousness on Zhongli's face, Venti's smile was more approachable.
"Venti?"
"Bard!"
Lumine and Paimon were stunned. They hadn't expected the Anemo Archon to also come to the Douluo Continent and appear before them.
What a... fortunate encounter!
Hearing Paimon call him by his nickname, Venti just smiled, showing no displeasure.
The little one was still the same, unchanged.
"Well, I've been on the Douluo Continent for a while now. The local customs are nice, but many people are still living in hardship..."
Although Venti didn't do much, he had traveled across the continent and was well aware of the situation.
The oppression by the nobility made life difficult for the common people, and he saw it all.
How similar it was to Mondstadt in the past?
Fortunately, Mondstadt eventually overthrew the noble rule and returned power to the people.
As if remembering something, Venti shook his head and continued, "It's been a long time, so let's toast with some fine wine. These matters are already in the old man's plans, so I won't trouble myself with them."
Hearing this, Lumine and Paimon couldn't help but feel exasperated. Venti was still the same Venti, the one who loved to slack off. He hadn't changed at all.
Even though he could make a difference, he gave up the idea because of Zhongli's involvement. Truly the Barbatos who doesn't do anything serious!
Zhongli stroked his chin and glanced at Venti. If no one else were around, he might have sent Venti flying.
This guy's personality was still as "mischievous" as ever.
With Barbatos here, if Baal and others also arrived, his plan might be able to proceed.
For now, he needed to wait patiently.
"The chicken soup is here!!"
At that moment, Xiangling walked into the hall with a bowl of chicken soup, smiling as she placed it on the table.
Everyone was stunned. For some reason, they felt there was something off about the soup, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.
"Everyone, have some soup first. I'll make a couple more dishes to go with the wine!"
After saying this, Xiangling turned and left without looking back.
Everyone: "..."
"Well, let's eat first. We can talk about things later."
Zhongli said calmly, and no one had any objections to this.
After a few rounds of wine and several dishes, the meal ended. Zhongli and Venti went to a pavilion in the backyard.
In front of Zhongli was tea, and in front of Venti was wine.
"Barbatos, based on your perception of the continent, how many of the Seven have arrived?"
Zhongli took a sip of tea and got straight to the point.
The two were old friends. Even after not seeing each other for a long time, there was no sense of unfamiliarity.
Hearing this, Venti took a sip of wine. This wine was a royal specialty, considered top-tier on the Douluo Continent.
"Old man, besides you and me, Baal is in the Thunderous Canyon, and the Tsaritsa is in the far north. The others haven't shown up yet."
Venti said seriously. He knew what Zhongli was getting at, so he didn't ask further.
If his strength was needed later, Zhongli just had to say the word.
Hearing this, Zhongli nodded.
Four of the Seven had arrived. They were still missing the Hydro Archon, the Pyro Archon, and the Dendro Archon.
Of these three, only the Hydro Archon's whereabouts were unclear...
After a moment of thought, Zhongli continued, "Please keep an eye on the others. If they arrive on the Douluo Continent, be sure to let me know."
"No problem, old man!"
Venti replied without hesitation.
As one of the original Seven, the two had known each other the longest and had the best relationship.
This was a small matter.
Of course, the Raiden Shogun, Baal, could also be considered one of the original Seven. However, the original Electro Archon was her twin sister, Beelzebub.
A goddess also known for her "wisdom," but unfortunately, her combat abilities weren't great. She ultimately died in the Cataclysm.
During that battle, only Zhongli, who had the help of Azhdaha, suffered no losses. Even the Anemo Archon had to sleep for five hundred years to recover.
That showed just how intense that battle was!
It also highlighted just how terrifying Morax's strength was, though Azhdaha's contribution couldn't be ignored.
"What do you plan to do next?"
Zhongli turned slightly, looking at Venti as he put down his teacup.
He wanted to know why Venti had come to him. Unfortunately, this guy was just like the first time they met, he simply wanted to drink with him.
Back then, he thought something major had happened in Mondstadt, requiring his intervention to suppress it...
He was fully prepared, only for this guy to show up with Mondstadt's Dandelion Wine, smiling and asking, "Want to have a taste?"
"Nothing much. You have so much fine wine here, old man, and you don't drink it. Isn't it a waste if I don't?"
Venti said matter-of-factly.
After being on the Douluo Continent for so long, this was the first time he had tasted such fine wine.
Yet Zhongli kept it stored away, rarely bringing it out. Wasn't that a waste of good wine?
Venti had to stay and finish all this fine wine before considering anything else.
Hearing this, Zhongli's eye twitched. He gave Venti a look but didn't say much.
"If you like it, take it."
"Just drink some. No need to take it all."
Venti quickly waved his hand, speaking with righteous conviction.
The next day, Zhongli's warehouse was "robbed," and all the wine was taken by someone.
Zhongli: "..."
Everyone: "..."
So this is what you're like, Barbatos!
####
Chapter 519: The Spirit Hall Joins the Heaven Dou Empire
Barbatos left. As the free wind, he yearned for a life of complete freedom.
Before leaving, he kindly took Zhongli's wine with him to ensure it wouldn't go to waste.
Of course, he didn't forget one thing: the search for news of the other Six Sovereigns of the Mortal Realm.
As time passed, the elite armies of the two great empires gathered on the Star Dou Plain. For this land, they were determined to prevail.
If they could control the Star Dou Plain, invading the enemy nation would be a breeze.
As for how the Star Dou Great Forest disappeared, they didn't care. Focusing on the immediate benefits was their top priority.
The gathering of over a million soldiers from the two empires brought new life to this land, along with the sounds of fierce battles.
This place could not be surrendered. It was the best battleground for a decisive fight.
As the soldiers of the two empires gathered on the Star Dou Plain, news that would shock the entire world spread rapidly across the Douluo Continent.
"What?"
"The Spirit Hall has joined the Heaven Dou Empire?"
The moment this news broke, the entire world fell silent.
After all, this was the Spirit Hall!
The comprehensive strength of the Spirit Hall far surpassed that of any single empire. Yet, such a powerful force had joined the weaker Heaven Dou Empire!
Whether it was the former emperor, Xue Ye, or the master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect, everyone was stunned upon hearing the news.
If the Heaven Dou Empire accepted the Spirit Hall's allegiance, dealing with the Star Luo Empire would be almost effortless.
But why would the Spirit Hall do something so strange?
Yes, strange!
The Spirit Hall had a history of ten thousand years, even predating the Heaven Dou Empire. How could such a long-standing, powerful force simply pledge allegiance?
Especially at such a critical moment.
Not only were the higher-ups of the Heaven Dou Empire baffled, but the Star Luo Empire was equally confused.
They hadn't expected an assassination by the Geo Archon but instead received a "backstab" from the Spirit Hall.
In the past, the Spirit Hall had always urged both sides to cease their war. Now, they no longer advised or directly intervened but instead joined one side.
Why couldn't that side be the Star Luo Empire?
For the higher-ups of the Star Luo Empire, the Spirit Hall's actions left them utterly bewildered.
"Is the heavens determined to destroy the Star Luo Empire?"
The Star Luo Emperor was on the verge of tears, filled with grief and indignation.
If it were a direct confrontation with the Heaven Dou Empire, he would have full confidence in securing victory.
But if the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Empire joined forces against the Star Luo Empire, the chance of victory would be less than ten percent, or perhaps even nonexistent.
At this point, there was no turning back. They could only fight!
Near Zhongli's residence in Heaven Dou City.
Ning Fengzhi, Chen Xin, Gu Rong, and others sat in the pavilion.
Their expressions were complex, their eyes revealing a strange glint.
"Fengzhi, I have a feeling that the Heaven Dou royal family and the Spirit Hall have been in contact for a long time," Gu Rong said expressionlessly. His intuition wasn't unfounded.
After all, the Spirit Hall had launched two sect-destroying wars. The first time, the Heaven Dou Empire could claim ignorance and lack of time to intervene.
But the second time, when the Spirit Hall came with full force, the Heaven Dou royal family still didn't send reinforcements. This spoke volumes.
Even if the reinforcements were just ordinary soldiers or slightly stronger troops, the complete lack of support indicated that something was amiss.
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect supported the Heaven Dou royal family, maintaining a close relationship. Yet, during both wars, there was no support…"
"I suspect that the royal family had a hand in the destruction of the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect," Chen Xin said solemnly.
Although the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect supported the Heaven Dou royal family, it was still an independent sect. No matter how close their relationship was, there were boundaries.
Destroying the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect in exchange for the Spirit Hall's support was a deal the royal family would surely make.
"What's the difference between this and making a deal with the devil?" Oscar, sitting to the side, quipped.
"The royal family is weak, and the Spirit Hall is strong. If the Spirit Hall claims to join the Heaven Dou Empire, once the Star Luo Empire is eliminated, can the royal family suppress the Spirit Hall's power?"
"To put it bluntly, they might end up being replaced by a puppet."
Oscar, now a 92nd-ranked Titled Douluo, still couldn't change much.
Hearing this, everyone nodded subconsciously, as if thinking of something, their gazes turning toward the neighboring residence.
The reason the Heaven Dou royal family was willing to cooperate with the Spirit Hall was likely because of the person next door.
Even deities would bow their heads in his presence.
Suppressing the Spirit Hall's power would be a trivial matter for him.
"Alright, let's set aside the matter of the Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou royal family for now. Our grudge with the Spirit Hall won't end just because they've joined the empire," Ning Fengzhi said, waving his hand.
"Let's focus on cultivating. Only by becoming gods can we have a greater say on the continent."
As the sect master, even after the sect's destruction, Ning Fengzhi maintained a clear mind.
The Sea God Poseidon and the Nine-Colored Goddess had introduced him to the fact that Poseidon was one of the most powerful first-rank deities in the divine realm.
Yet, even such a deity treated Zhongli with caution and respect.
What did that signify?
Moreover, Zhongli had the new God of Destruction and the God of Fire by his side.
Even if Ning Fengzhi and Oscar became gods, their influence on the continent would be limited, as neither of them were combat-oriented deities.
"It seems we can only implement the century-long plan."
After humans become gods, they can remain on the Douluo Continent for a hundred years before ascending.
He didn't know how long Zhongli and the others had stayed, but they became gods faster and would ascend sooner.
Once Zhongli and the others ascended, Ning Fengzhi could turn the tide!
Even if he couldn't, his descendants could.
If the century-long plan failed, there was the millennium-long plan, or even the ten-thousand-year plan!
The glory of the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect would once again shine across the Douluo Continent!
At Ning Fengzhi's words, everyone fell silent. Although the higher-ups were still alive, the lower-tier members were nearly wiped out.
Even if they became gods, their ultimate hope would only be to gain a bit more influence on the continent, unable to change the current situation.
"Oscar, you and Rongrong need to work harder."
At these words, Oscar and Ning Rongrong blushed but didn't say much.
Both of them were exceptionally talented, so their children's potential would undoubtedly be high.
"Father-in-law, your martial soul is the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda. You should work harder too!" Oscar said with a smile, cupping his hands toward Ning Fengzhi.
Though he didn't explicitly say it, everyone present understood his implication.
Ning Rongrong snorted and pinched Oscar's waist.
"For the sake of the sect, I will strive harder."
Ning Fengzhi ignored the others' gazes and nodded.
Although the Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect was gone, its wealth remained. Raising more children was entirely feasible.
Only with more children would there be hope for the sect's revival.