Genshin Impact: Pool Character, Nirvana of the Demon God

"—With the knowledge of the divine canister in your hands, you have become the hottest and most dangerous person on the royalists' wanted list."

"After all, what was sealed in that jar was never knowledge—but the 'taboo itself' that could shake the very foundation of Mount Sumeru."

"Similarly, this is also the most important thing that the royalists are currently pursuing."

Her bright eyes were clear and sharp, her tone calm yet each word sharp as a blade: "That's why you have no choice right now—only to stand shoulder to shoulder with us."

"Otherwise, once the Academy falls completely into the hands of the royalists, that academic temple that was once based on reason will eventually become an arena for power struggles, and there will be no quiet room or study for you to stay in, nor any clear air for you to breathe."

Her lips curled slightly, the smile not reaching her eyes, yet she already saw through everything—Elhesen's intellect was like a cold blade drawn from its sheath, sharp and ruthless.

His weakness lies precisely behind this sharp edge:

It's not that he disregards morality; rather, he has long placed "self" at the top of the value hierarchy.

He allied himself with the royalists solely to seize access to the most cutting-edge texts and experimental rights; his alliance with Caesar stemmed from the unknown blueprint sealed within that "divine jar of knowledge," a blueprint powerful enough to shake the boundaries of cognition—

It's not about faith, it's about how we understand the world.

For him, morality is a proposition that can be dissected; righteousness is a redundant rhetoric.

Comfort, however, is an uncompromising underlying parameter in his meticulously operating rational system.

He needed an orderly library, undisturbed late-night calculations, and an environment where even the air was filled with the lingering resonance of logic—

Rather than the chaotic quagmire of royalist rule, characterized by extravagance, nepotism, and the subservience of truth to factionalism.

Ying didn't need to say much; she simply pointed out this cause and effect, and Elhesen understood immediately.

He nodded, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cold metal canister in his arms, his voice low and firm: "Caesar entrusted me with the 'Knowledge in the Canister of Gods,' not as a mandate, but as a trap."

"If it remains in the Church of Jesus, it will eventually be discovered by the royalists; but once it falls into my hands, it is destined to become a fuse."

"As long as I want to unravel the mystery, I have to confront them head-on."

He suddenly chuckled softly, a rare hint of weariness and self-mockery in his laughter: "As expected of Caesar... even my curiosity was precisely calibrated and pre-planted by him, becoming the most silent and sharpest piece on his chessboard."

"Indeed, curiosity is the most dangerous thing in this country."

Before the words were finished, Seno's voice came faintly from the shadows of the pillars, his tone flat, yet as if tempered by frost:

“Recorder Elhesen, you should know that in this city, curiosity has always been more likely to attract scrutiny than treason.”

A seemingly casual remark, yet as sharp as a blade slicing through water—trust has not yet taken root, but suspicion has already taken hold.

[Hai Ge's rhetoric is truly exceptional.]

[↑Not only are their communication skills exceptional, but their intelligence is also outstanding.]

[↑Before my great Lord Caesar, Haige's intelligence is nothing but child's play!]

[This conversation suggests that Seno is more naive; Elhesen seems to have absolutely no trust in him.]

[The main reason is that Sino is upright, while with Al-Hysen, we know nothing about his stance, only that he can be trusted for now.]

[Caesar even considered not leaving the divine knowledge in its jar to the royalists; truly befitting a clone of the Doctor.]

Then, Seno's eyes sharpened, his fingertips silently moving to his waist, the spear poised to strike at any moment, his gaze piercing like a blade towards Elhesen:

"Answer my question—Sage, did they reveal their plans to you?"

Al-Hysen stood by the window, his profile sharp and cold in the backlight. Hearing this, he merely turned his head slightly, his tone calm yet sharp as a knife:

"Was I not clear enough? Right now, both of us are names that 'require close observation' in the Whitsun's secret files. What do you think?"

The air seemed to freeze. Seno remained silent for a few moments, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before finally releasing his grip slowly: "...Fine. I'll temporarily not consider you an enemy—but suspicion remains, and the evidence is still unclear."

Sino was not entirely at ease with Elhesen.

However, unlike the two who have no direct grudges, they now share a common enemy—the royalists.

"Please go ahead." Elhesen lowered his eyes, his voice as calm as the wind brushing across the sand, without a trace of emotion.

Beside her, Candice chuckled softly, twirling a stray strand of hair between her fingers, her smile warm yet measured.

"Hmm... Hmm... It's rare that the two of you can calmly and clearly explain things... Not bad, really not bad."

Her gaze swept over the lingering tension between the two—

It wasn't a carefree acceptance of things fading away, but rather a restraint, like a sword half-sheathed, its edge still concealed. But for her, that was enough.

After all, it would be too naive to expect two men who had just fought to the death in the scorching sun and yellow sand, their swords cutting through the hot wind, to shake hands and make peace in just a few words.

She turned around immediately, her gaze fixed on the last figure standing silently: "Well then—Dishia, it's your turn."

Dixia suddenly looked up, a smile playing on her lips, and first offered a crisp apology: "Sorry, sorry! I was listening to those two boys talking about 'sages,' 'secret files,' and 'people to be wary of'... it was really hypnotic, I almost fell asleep!"

She shrugged, her tone light yet undeniably frank: "As for me? It's simple—"

"Dina Zede, the eldest daughter of the Huma family, is familiar to Ying and the others; she's been resting at home recently, and her illness hasn't completely dissipated yet..."

She gestured with her chin towards the window, her smile deepening: "I just happened to be passing by and thought I'd have a touching reunion with you, Candice—but when I got closer..."

His gaze suddenly turned cold, sweeping diagonally over Seno and Elhesen, his eyebrows slightly raised, his voice carrying three parts mockery and seven parts anger:

"Whoa, those two big shots from the Order of the Fathers are staring at each other, arguing louder than a sandstorm—my temper flared up instantly, my hand moved faster than my brain, and I drew my sword..."

Paimon opened his mouth to reply, but Candice smiled and clapped her hands lightly: "That's all?"

She blinked and smiled, "Hmm...very Dixia."

She then opened her arms wide, her voice clear and warm: "Welcome back, Dixia!"

"That's more like it!" Desia laughed loudly, strode forward, and pulled Candice into a tight embrace, as if she wanted to press all the burning joy of their long-awaited reunion into that hug. "I've missed you all so much, Candice!"

Before he finished speaking——

"Roar--!!!"

A harsh roar tore through the heavy sandstorm outside, making the window frames vibrate.

Paimon jumped in surprise: "What...what was that sound?!"

That was Aberdo's lament!

[Abedo: Even now that I've reached the desert, they still won't let me go? This abominable hell!]

[Hahaha...Professor Abedo can never escape the fate of being a wedding officiant, no matter when or where.]

[Seriously, can Professor Abedo really make that kind of sound? Oh, he, Golden Beast, and Bleeding Dog were all created by the same person, so it's normal for them to be able to make that kind of sound.]

[Sound translation: It's red and blue again!]

Candice didn't even flinch, calmly straightening her cuffs, her smile still gentle: "It's alright. Since everyone has put aside their prejudices, why don't we rest here for a while?"

She turned and walked towards the door, her leather armor gleaming matte in the dim light, her voice soft yet carrying immense power:

"I'll go and ask the 'guests' who got lost in the sandstorm to leave."

Paimon exclaimed anxiously, "Could it be a wild beast from the sandstorm?! Are you really alright all by yourself?!"

Candice paused, turned back and smiled, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminating a sharp glint in her eyes:

“Under the sandstorm, the wind is a knife, the sand is an arrow, and the terrain changes in an instant—only those who have been crawling and rolling on the sand ridge of Aru Village all year round can truly understand the language of the wind.”

"Combat in sandstorm conditions can only be mastered by those who have been trained locally in recent years, so I won't trouble you all."

Desia laughed heartily and said, "Yes, don't worry about Candice, she's very capable!"

[That's quite a display of strength!]

[↑But Candice seems to be a four-star...]

[↑So what if they're four-star? There are well-developed four-star characters too! At miHoYo, character development and combat power aren't based on star ratings at all!]

Although it's only a four-star character, its background is estimated to be stronger than both Noah and Elheisen.

[Candice, a four-star character, seems capable of going toe-to-toe with all the five-star characters present, except for the one who can influence the parents' fate.]

[That makes a lot of sense. Ningguang, a four-star character, has several five-star subordinates. It's perfectly reasonable for a four-star character to be on par with a five-star character.]

[In the sandstorm, the sand whipped up by the gale was like sharp blades, and I feel like Candice got cut quite a few times... She needs me to take good care of her delicate skin (righteous indignation.jpg)]

After a while, the howling wind gradually subsided and dissipated, as if the raging roar between heaven and earth had finally exhausted its last bit of strength.

Iya listened intently, her fingertips lightly touching the edge of her ear, her gaze slightly sharp—

A moment later, she smiled slightly and said in a clear and firm voice, "The wind has stopped, the sandstorm... is completely over."

"Really?" Paimon suddenly floated up, his little hand gripping Ying's sleeve tightly, his eyes filled with a mixture of excitement and doubt.

Yiya nodded, his movements swift and decisive, like a short blade drawn and returned to its sheath.

Paimon let out a long sigh, but before he could fully recover, his brow furrowed again: "But Candice... she hasn't come back yet. Could something have happened to her?"

His voice softened, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"How about... we go out and look for them?" She looked up, her tone no longer hesitant, only urgent.

Upon hearing this, Dixia, who had been leaning against the wall with a relaxed expression, paused, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the Eye of God at her waist, her eyes flashing slightly:

"...Now that you mention it, I'm actually a little worried about Candice."

She suddenly smiled, a hint of self-deprecation in her sassiness: "Alright, if we wait any longer, mushrooms might even grow in the desert—I'm already tired of this shabby house."

Before she finished speaking, she glanced up and swept her eyes towards the corner—

Seno stood still like an ancient pine tree, arms crossed, his gaze calmly fixed on the lingering gray haze outside the window;

Al-Hysen, meanwhile, was looking down at an old book with worn edges, the sound of turning pages barely audible.

Neither of them spoke, yet their silence seemed to weave an invisible net, making the air in the entire room feel slightly heavy.

“Hey, gentlemen,” Dixia called out with a raised eyebrow, her tone decisive and leaving no room for argument, “it’s time to get going.”

no respond.

Dixia shrugged, not paying much attention.

It was just a casual remark; she didn't expect the two of them to want to come along—they were complete strangers to begin with.

Without hesitation, Ying reached out and pushed open the wooden door, which had been worn shallowly by the wind and sand.

With a creak, crisp, cool air rushed in from the long-closed crack, carrying with it the vastness and silence that followed the settling of dust. Four figures stepped out from under the eaves, facing the vast, clear sky of the desert after the rain.