Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

"Tch, I'm the one doing the work, but you, you old geezer, get all the cool lines."

The black-robed man leaned on the armrest and stood up. "Alright, leave it to me. Go take care of your own business."

"Hm, take care of yourself."

As Zhongli vanished, the black-robed man scratched his head, a faint feeling of contradiction nagging at him.

Take care of myself, but then send me off to do something like this? Is that old geezer alright in the head?

Bang!

A block of Geo energy plummeted from the sky, landing squarely on the black-robed man's head before merging into his body.

"Ahh—"

The black-robed man exhaled deeply. "Thanks. With this, I should arrive in one piece."

Boom!

---

Deep within Teyvat's underground, a deafening roar echoed from the "sky."

Many Hilichurls looked up curiously, trying to see the source of the commotion, only to be dragged back by a hulking Hilichurl Berserker or their tribe's leader.

Within the ranks, a Hilichurl Shaman angrily smacked the curious ones with their staff, muttering guttural words incomprehensible to surface dwellers.

One thing was clear: they weren't words of praise.

"People of the Order, come out and face me!"

The black-robed man's shout reverberated through the underground, and an immense surge of elemental and unknown energies began converging toward him, his aura rapidly skyrocketing.

"Heh. I've really become a burrowing rat. Still, the air down here feels more comfortable."

He stretched out his pallid arm, watching as his skin darkened from the fingertips. With an indifferent expression, he clasped his hands together and forcefully tore at his arm—

Rip!

Charred flesh fell to the ground. His body trembled slightly, but his skin reverted to its lifeless, pallid hue.

"A rare chance. If I push this a bit further, even the old sage's schemes might not be able to reverse it."

The black-robed man laughed, his voice resonating with the surrounding stone forests. Waves of Geo energy rippled outward, carrying his laughter far and wide.

"What are you doing?!"

Several Abyssal Chanting Mages, their bodies radiating various elemental powers and flanked by floating catalysts, ascended into the air, their voices filled with anger.

"What are you here for?!"

"None of your damn business."

In a flash, the black-robed man struck, his fist slamming into one Mage and sending them crashing to the ground. With a spin, he summoned a cluster of Geo constructs, which formed into copies of himself. The duplicates unleashed a flurry of attacks, forcing the other Mages out of the air and into the ground.

"Bring someone who matters, or better yet, call for your 'Highness.' Otherwise, I'll start a massacre today."

The black-robed man raised his hands, channeling the seemingly endless power of the ley lines into them. Slowly, an ancient, imposing spear materialized, its resonance causing violent tremors in the surrounding terrain.

"Don't think you're invincible!"

A massive black fist shot upward from below, its wielder a Geo Elemental King clad in enormous armor. Unlike most of its kind, its eyes held no trace of rage.

The black-robed man didn't hesitate, raising his right hand to meet the attack. A thunderous clash echoed, forcing him back several paces in the air, while the Geo King was driven back to the ground.

Around the Geo King, the Chanting Mages glared icily, their catalysts glowing faintly. They had freed the Geo King from its constraints, allowing it to leap into the air for the attack. Without their intervention, the king's power alone wouldn't have reached its target.

"Heh. So, it's real, huh? A Geo Elemental King forged under extreme ley line pressure—a pure weapon of war. You people are ruthless, even to your own kind."

"If they were truly our kind, they would heed the Abyss's call, embrace its grace, and join our great cause. Pain and suffering are merely shortcuts to truth!"

"Shortcuts?" The black-robed man sneered. "You want the right answers and think there's a shortcut? Are you joking?"

He raised his right hand again, and the colossal spear shifted, its tip now aimed squarely at the Geo King and the Chanting Mages.

"[Descend]!"

The Mages' faces turned pale as they desperately channeled elemental energy into the Geo King's armor, attempting to intercept the descending weapon. The armor rippled with elemental waves, straining against the spear's overwhelming force.

"Enough."

A massive hand emerged from the distance, effortlessly catching the spear. With a gentle squeeze, both the hand and the spear disintegrated, their elemental energy dispersing back into the world.

"Descendant of the Gu clan, what is your intent? Does Liyue wish to declare war on us?"

"Your people dared target my kin. Isn't it only natural for me, as his elder, to seek an explanation?"

The black-robed man smirked coldly. "And from the looks of it, you can't move freely either. I could summon that spear again—would you be able to stop me a second time?"

As the spear rematerialized in the sky, its sheer presence caused everyone below to collapse to their knees, unable to withstand the oppressive pressure.

"Targeting Gu's descendant?"

The distant voice hesitated. "That indeed breaches our rules. Wait a moment; you will have an answer."

"Forget it. Old ones targeting the young—how shameful. And let's face it, you won't kill them all."

The black-robed man sneered. "As long as they're alive, they won't stop. Spare me the theatrics—who are you trying to fool?"

"If it weren't you, I wouldn't even bother with appearances."

"You're different. You becoming one of us is only a matter of time."

"Over my dead body. I'd burn myself to ashes before joining you."

The black-robed man waved dismissively, his tone impatient. "Hand over the compensation. I may not have the strength of the Geo Archon to subdue demon gods with a single spear, but if I decide to go on a rampage, none of you can stop me right now."

"What do you want?"

"Three hundred New Sprouts. Then we'll let this matter drop."

"Impossible!"

A Chanting Mage stood in fury. "Why should we compensate you?!"

"Because unless you deploy irregular forces, no one in your ranks can stand against my clan. Don't believe me? Check your history."

The black-robed man's tone was cold. "Is that reason enough?"

"Hmph. That arrogance—it truly runs in your bloodline."

A small pouch flew toward him, landing at his side. "Now leave. But know this: we eagerly await the day you join us. The Abyss's cause needs strong allies like you."

The black-robed man raised a pale middle finger. "I told you—over my dead body. Stop dragging us into your mess. It's annoying."

"Dragging you in?" The voice chuckled. "You've been entrenched in this far longer than you realize."

As space distorted, the black-robed man frowned but allowed the mysterious force to pull him into an unknown realm.

"Handed over the compensation and now pulling tricks to take it back?"

Opposite him, a cluster of dark-red flames flickered. "For surface dwellers, New Sprouts may be rare. But underground? They're far easier to obtain."

"Answer one question for me, and I'll give you five hundred more—straight from my personal stash. Deal?"

The black-robed man refused flatly. "I don't know how the old sage pulled it off. I'm just a musclehead who swings weapons around. Don't bother asking."

"And by the way, someone else asked me that question before. If you're curious, go investigate it yourself."