Chapter 4: The Covenant with the Divine, The Awakening of the System

Qian Yunyu stared at the figure before her—one she was intimately familiar with—so overcome with emotion that she was rendered speechless. She knew her intuition had been correct; it was indeed Zhongli, or rather, Morax!

As she met those deep, amber-gold eyes etched with geo patterns, a surge of emotion swept through her, and she could not help but reach out.

The moment her small hand touched him, a blinding golden light engulfed her, and in an instant, she found herself in a realm of pure gold. Qian Yunyu remembered this space well; she had spent ten years here during her self-imposed seclusion. Yet, unlike before, there was now another figure present: Zhongli, whose consciousness had descended into this place.

For a year, Zhongli had been unable to fathom the nature of that strange, mysterious power. He had surmised that if he were to make any progress, he would need to start with the little girl. He had only just entertained the thought when that familiar sense of traction pulled him in.

His consciousness followed the pull back into the golden space, but the infant he remembered had grown into a six-year-old girl. It was clear that this was not the Teyvat continent, and the flow of time between the two worlds differed.

"Rex Lapis..." Qian Yunyu murmured softly, suppressing the turmoil in her heart as she looked at Zhongli.

Zhongli raised an eyebrow slightly. For a girl from another world to know his name—it seemed this situation was far from simple.

"My name is Qian Yunyu. Thank you, Rex Lapis, for saving my life six years ago!" Qian Yunyu stepped forward and bowed deeply, her small face filled with gratitude and reverence.

Having experienced reincarnation, Qian Yunyu found nothing impossible anymore. She never viewed the Zhongli she encountered in the Douluo world as a mere game character; she saw him as the true Rex Lapis.

"A name as beautiful as fine jade reflecting the radiance of the mountains," Zhongli’s voice was deep and mellow, like the resonance of an ancient bell. "Little one, there is no need to thank me. The sliver of power you returned to me was of great benefit."

Qian Yunyu looked at him in confusion. The power she returned? She hadn't been aware of any such thing. Could it have been the doing of the system's core?

After a moment of contemplation, Zhongli asked, "Little one, would you tell me about this world?"

Qian Yunyu blinked, nodded eagerly, and began to explain the nature of the Douluo world to him.

In the outside world, onlookers saw only white feathers enveloping Qian Yunyu and her mysterious spirit, keeping her suspended in mid-air. Qian Daoliu had never encountered such an anomaly during a spirit awakening, but feeling that Qian Yunyu’s energy remained stable, he finally set his mind at ease.

Seeing the worry etched on the faces of Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong, Qian Daoliu offered reassurance: "Do not panic; Yu'er is fine. We must not disturb her."

...

After hearing Qian Yunyu's explanation, Zhongli gained a preliminary understanding of this world—a cultivation system entirely distinct from that of Teyvat.

"Yunyu, would you be willing to enter into a contract with me? I shall project myself as your spirit, granting you the authority of Geo, while you, in turn, use your own power to help me resist erosion. What say you? Are you willing?" Zhongli crouched down to meet her gaze and extended his hand, waiting for her answer.

"Of course I am! It is my honor to be of help to you, Rex Lapis." Qian Yunyu nodded hurriedly, smiling as she placed her hand in his palm. She had adored Zhongli in her past life; having the fortune to meet him in person, there was no way she could refuse.

"Very well. The contract is sealed." Zhongli tightened his grip on her hand. The power of the contract coiled around them, forging an unbreakable bond.

Zhongli then reached out and tapped her forehead lightly. An irregular cube composed of countless smaller blocks emerged from between her brows. Qian Yunyu looked on in bewilderment; she had no idea that a remnant of his power had been lingering within her.

Seeing her confusion, Zhongli explained patiently, "This 'Planet Befall' was condensed from my own power. I sealed a sliver of the Geo essence within it, so it would never dissipate."

"I shall strengthen this essence and grant you the authority of Geo. In the future, this object can manifest as a Geo spear to serve as your weapon. With the projection of my spirit as your own, no one on this continent will be able to cause you the slightest harm."

Qian Yunyu cupped her face in her hands, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at him. *The old gentleman is so imposing,* she thought, *this is true peace of mind!*

Zhongli, noticing the girl staring at him, said helplessly, "Yunyu!"

"You can just call me Yu'er, Rex Lapis. That is what Grandpa and the others call me," she said sweetly. She rolled her eyes, her mind already racing with schemes. She tugged at his sleeve and pouted playfully, "But Rex Lapis, I don't know how to use a spear!"

"Do not worry, I will teach you," Zhongli replied gently. He had a premonition that he might frequent this world in the future, and teaching a girl the way of the spear was no burden.

"Hurrah!" Qian Yunyu, having waited exactly for those words, jumped for joy and bowed to him again. "Yu'er pays respects to her Master!"

Zhongli sighed softly and ruffled her hair. "Yu'er, there is no need for such formalities. I do not care for such empty titles."

Qian Yunyu’s expression turned serious. "No, if you teach me the way of the spear, then you are my Master."

Seeing the stubbornness in her eyes, Zhongli remained silent for a moment before yielding. "Very well, Master it is. As you wish!"

In his thousands of years of life, he had never formally taken a disciple. He had never expected such a fate to fall upon a little girl from another world.

This time, Zhongli stayed a little longer than before. When his consciousness returned to his true body, he discovered that while he had not obtained the power to purge erosion, his own erosion had lessened during this period. This discovery confirmed that his newly accepted disciple was indeed the source of that power; simply being near her could soothe the wear of time.

Back in the Spirit Hall, after Zhongli’s figure vanished, the system—which Qian Yunyu had assumed was dead—suddenly appeared in the golden space.

Startled, Qian Yunyu blurted out, "System? I thought you were gone!"

The light orb that was the system replied, "Nonsense. I would not die; I was merely in a deep sleep due to a critical state. The core that merged with you was my very essence. The reason your Seraphim spirit mutated was because of it. We are now one. This is the system space within the core. That deity from earlier also used my power to arrive here..."

To avoid further confusion, the system explained everything in one go.

Qian Yunyu finally understood. The power Zhongli spoke of—the ability to purge erosion—was the system's essence. Now that it had merged with her and her Seraphim spirit, her spirit possessed the power to help him.

However, the system also noted that since the core had no offensive capability, her mutated Seraphim spirit lacked it as well. But, the system clarified, since both spirits shared the same spirit power—which was inherently offensive—as long as she selected the skills of five-star Genshin Impact characters as spirit skills for her Seraphim, it could become a powerful offensive force.