Genshin x Minecraft: Building the Temple of Virtue

When it came to lapis lazuli, Ryen's enthusiasm wasn't nearly as strong as it was for redstone.

It wasn't that lapis lazuli was useless.

On the contrary, if Ryen kept fishing without getting any enchanted books, then lapis lazuli would be something he needed in large quantities.

After all, enchanting books at an enchantment table required two key resources—experience points and lapis lazuli.

Of course, that wasn't to say the enchantment table couldn't be used to enchant equipment directly, but…

What kind of sane person would enchant their gear at the enchantment table?

Wasn't the proper way to first enchant books, stack enchantments onto them, and then use an anvil to apply them to equipment?

Slapping enchantments directly onto gear at the enchantment table? That was just a waste of resources!

The truth was, Ryen hadn't yet figured out the best way to explain enchanting to the others.

Because as things stood now, none of them had any extra experience points to spare for enchantments.

The experience dropped from mining and slaying monsters—aside from what was allocated to Ryen—was directly absorbed into their Visions, strengthening their own abilities.

So when it came to enchanting… well, that was still an open question.

Because of that, Ryen didn't dwell too much on the topic. Instead, he smoothly changed the subject with a smile.

"Lapis lazuli has several uses. Besides enchanting, it can also dye wool and be used to make fireworks."

He paused briefly before adding, "Although, compared to redstone, it does seem… much less impressive."

Another pause. Then, a sheepish chuckle.

"Actually, let's be honest—it is much less impressive."

"However, there is something I think you all should experiment with."

Hearing that, Keqing and the others perked up, their curiosity piqued.

Ryen spoke in a low voice, "Lapis lazuli is a core material for enchanting gear, so I can't help but wonder… could it also possess some kind of unique property?"

Keqing's eyes flickered thoughtfully as she looked at him.

"You mean… like certain minerals in Teyvat? Such as amethyst and magical crystal chunks, which contain special properties?"

Ryen nodded, but then shook his head slightly.

"It's just a theory of mine—I don't have solid proof yet. If you're interested, you might as well take some samples back and test them."

The group didn't reject the idea. In fact, they were just as curious about what effects these seemingly magical minerals might have in Teyvat.

During this casual conversation, Xiao had already finished mining out the entire wall of ores.

However, instead of storing them in his inventory, he had simply left them piled on the ground, creating an almost absurdly extravagant display.

After walking back over, Xiao turned to Ryen and said, "I've mined everything, Mr. Ryen. However, I don't have enough space to carry all of it…"

His words immediately reminded the others of their own inventory limits.

One by one, they checked their available storage.

Ningguang pressed her lips together, shaking her head with a trace of helplessness.

"After storing the gold blocks, my inventory is completely full."

"I still have two slots left."

"I have one."

"This adeptus has three."

One after another, they revealed their remaining space. Finally, only Zhongli remained silent.

Noticing this, Keqing prompted, "Mr. Zhongli, how much space do you have left? If it's enough, hurry and store some of the ores."

Zhongli was quiet for a moment before he shook his head.

"I'm already carrying a shield, weapons, torches, and other essentials. My inventory is full."

After all, Zhongli was meant to cover the rear—his inventory couldn't be stuffed entirely with ores.

Hearing this, Ningguang and the others fell into a brief silence.

Even if they counted all their remaining slots together, they only had six empty inventory spaces left.

But looking at the piles on the ground…

Just the redstone dust alone took up over three full stacks.

Then there was the iron ore, the lapis lazuli… and different ores couldn't be stacked together in a single slot.

There was no way they could take everything with them.

Ningguang even started considering discarding some of their coal to free up space.

At that moment, Ryen casually stepped forward and collected everything into his own inventory.

Seeing this, Ganyu blinked in surprise before suddenly realizing the obvious.

"Ah! That's right! I almost forgot—Ryen has far more storage space than we do!"

But to her surprise, Ryen let out a wry chuckle and shook his head.

"Don't get too excited just yet. I don't have that much space left, either."

"…Eh?!"

Ganyu's expression shifted to one of confusion.

"But… doesn't Ryen have thirty-six inventory slots?"

Ryen simply shrugged.

"Let's see… I've got tools, torches, water buckets, iron, coal, redstone dust, wood, cobblestone, various foods, lapis lazuli…"

"Do you really think I have that much free space left?"

"As of now, I only have three slots left."

Now, the group had a real problem on their hands.

They had only been mining for half a day, but they still had another day and a half left to explore the cave.

If they were already running out of space, should they just teleport back to Teyvat right now to drop off their materials?

But…

That would be a complete waste of time—not to mention, it would kill the mood.

For a moment, everyone looked troubled.

No one noticed Ryen standing there, completely at ease, as if he already had a solution in mind.

Ryen waited.

He was waiting to see when the others would come up with the most efficient way to save inventory space.

Ningguang's mind raced through countless possibilities.

She considered discarding some materials, or perhaps placing chests here and coming back for them later.

She even debated giving up entirely and just hauling everything back to Teyvat.

But suddenly—her gaze landed on the shiny, golden blocks inside her inventory.

"Gold blocks?!"

Her eyes lit up with excitement, and before she could stop herself, she exclaimed aloud.

Her sudden outburst immediately drew everyone's attention.

Ningguang's tone carried a hint of delight as she explained:

"I have an idea! A lot of the ores we're carrying can actually be further compacted into higher-tier forms."

"For example, coal can be crafted into coal blocks, iron ingots into iron blocks, redstone dust into redstone blocks…"

"If we just compress everything, wouldn't that free up a huge amount of inventory space?"

"And when we get out of here, we can always break them back down into their original materials at a crafting table!"

Her words were a revelation.

Keqing facepalmed in frustration.

"I can't believe I didn't think of that… Ryen even mentioned this before!"

She felt a little annoyed with herself.

She and Ganyu were the first ones to explore this world with Ryen, yet somehow, Ningguang was now more adept at understanding its mechanics than she was.

Keqing made a silent promise to herself—once they returned, she would set aside time to study this world with Ryen.

At the very least…

As the Yuheng of Liyue, she couldn't just be a glorified miner following Ryen's orders!

Ryen, of course, had no idea Keqing was having such an internal crisis.

He was simply pleased to see that Ningguang had quickly figured out how to use the game's mechanics to solve problems.

This meant she was rapidly adapting to the world of Minecraft.

At this rate, Ryen was certain—it wouldn't be long before Ningguang became a reliable partner who could lighten his load.

With a satisfied clap of his hands, he said cheerfully,

"Alright! Since we have a solution, let's start crafting and compressing our materials."

"Throw away any cobblestone you don't need—it's everywhere, and we can always collect more later."

"We need to free up as much space as possible, so we don't have to keep making trips back to Teyvat."

"Next up…"

Ryen paused, turning his gaze toward the deep, dark cavern stretching downward in the distance.

"It's time to find diamonds!"

Evening in Liyue Harbor

As dusk approached, the streets of Liyue Harbor grew livelier.

More street vendors appeared along the roadsides, and the air was filled with the sounds of enthusiastic merchants calling out to customers.

On both sides of the main thoroughfare, the elegant, redwood-carved buildings of tea houses and opera houses lit up one by one.

Doormen stood ready to welcome guests at the entrances.

In just half an hour, Liyue's official workday would end.

And after that…

It would be time for the hardworking citizens of Liyue to unwind.

That was when business would truly boom.

Among the many establishments in Liyue, one stood above the rest—

Yunhan Opera Troupe.

As Liyue's most prestigious entertainment and cultural enterprise, Yunhan Opera Troupe dominated the industry, thanks to its star performer and owner—Yun Jin.

Her reputation had spread far and wide, making Yunhan Opera Troupe the most sought-after venue in Liyue.

Of course, rumors swirled in Liyue's back alleys about a mysterious big boss backing Yunhan Opera Troupe.

As for who this mysterious boss was…

Aside from the Tianquan of the Qixing, Ningguang, there was hardly anyone else in Liyue with the power and influence to command Yun Jin's respect.

Liyue's citizens all understood one thing—

In Liyue, any business that reached a monopoly level or became extremely profitable had to, in some way, be connected to Ningguang.

Because…

Ningguang was the true economic overlord of Liyue.

Power in one hand, wealth in the other.

If this were Ryen's previous world, someone like her would be considered a national-level economist.

Yunhan Opera Troupe didn't need advertisements to draw in customers.

The very name "Yunhan Opera Troupe", and more importantly, the name "Yun Jin", were the most powerful advertisements in Liyue Harbor.

Just like how Mondstadt had Barbara, Sumeru had Nilou, and Inazuma had… Miss Hina…

…Wait, something odd slipped in there.

Anyway!

Unlike regular tea houses and street vendors, which had doormen to greet guests, the entrance to Yunhan Opera Troupe was guarded by strong, well-trained private bodyguards.

These weren't just for show.

They were expert enforcers, ensuring that no one dared cause trouble at the opera house.

After all, everyone in Liyue knew that Yunhan Opera Troupe was backed by the Qixing.

This meant it was one of the safest places in the city.

The bodyguards were paid above-average wages, yet they rarely had anything to do.

Sure, they knew their employer was kind-hearted, but as Liyue citizens, they couldn't just sit around getting paid for nothing.

And today—finally—they had a chance to show their worth!

Suddenly—

A clear, youthful voice rang out.

"Yun Jin! Yun Jin! I'm here!"

The four guards at the entrance, who had been dozing off, instantly snapped to attention.

Their hands clenched into fists.

Who dared to shout Yun Jin's name so casually right outside the opera house?!

Even the high-and-mighty Tianquan, Ningguang, addressed Yun Jin as "Miss Yun" out of respect.

And yet, someone had just barged in, yelling her name like an old friend?!

Unacceptable!

These guards had been waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves—

Now was their moment!

They exchanged glances, rolled up their sleeves, and stepped forward to block the approaching figure.

But the moment they saw who it was, all four of them froze in place, their expressions twisting into something comically absurd.

"Yo! Afternoon, everyone! Is Yun Jin inside?"

The girl before them wore a long, black coat embroidered with cloud patterns—a dignified and formal outfit.

Yet despite her serious attire, her fair, slender legs and playful plum-colored eyes gave her a mischievous charm.

A Qiankun Tai Gua hat rested on her head, bearing the well-known emblem of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.

Tucked into the side of the hat's brim was a plum blossom that never withered.

Hands on her hips, she stood confidently before them.

She had an air of cheerful liveliness, the kind of girl whose mere presence could lift people's spirits.

And if not for her petite frame, she might have been considered utterly captivating.

But for these four bodyguards…

There was no admiration in their eyes.

Because standing before them was none other than—

Liyue's most notorious undertaker, the "dark business" matriarch, the death-loving funeral director who actively promoted coffins and burial services…

The 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—

Hu Tao!

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