Genshin Impact: Awakening in the Darkness

"Where am I?" Xuan Qing woke up, but even with his eyes open, all around him was pitch black, stretching as far as the eye could see.

He hesitated as he walked forward, until...

"Hey, there's a stone here. Did it come from beyond the realm? It's so beautiful," a female voice said.

(Who are you.)

"Unfortunately, stones can't talk, but we can still give it a try."

(What to try.)

The sound that had been echoing in Xuan Qing's ears stopped after he stopped walking. He looked back for a moment, then continued walking forward.

"What's going on? It's clearly useful in both time and space, so why doesn't this stone work?"

(...)

"Then let's try life and death... Sigh, no, it's the shadow again. How come this stone is completely useless!"

(What did Stone do to you...) Xuan Qing thought to himself as he listened to the woman's voice.

“〖Primordial〗How about the five of us try it together? This stone can absorb power. Is it because we don’t have enough power that we can’t develop intelligence?”

(Is this space something they created?)

"Let's give it a try together," came the voice from [Space].

"Ah, I've got it! It's a success!" The Primal exclaimed, "He's gained sentience!"

"Who...who are you? Who am I?" A weak, childlike voice rang out.

(!!)

"Oh dear, [Primordial], did you make a mistake in one of the steps? His voice is different from ours." [Time]

"Could it be due to the influence of someone's power?" [Space]

"It definitely wasn't me." [Time]

"It wasn't me either." (Born)

"I'm even less likely to." [Space]: "Then..."

"It wasn't me..." A cold, desolate voice rang out, proving his innocence.

"Oh dear, why are you all so concerned? Hurry up and give him a name. I'm still struggling to decide what to call him." [Original] interrupted their probing questions.

"This child seems to understand our rules!" Sheng exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it's very unique, isn't it? So, I thought of a lot of names, but none of them really worked out."

"What names have you thought of?" [Death] asked.

(My name? Isn't my name Joász?)

“Listen to this, Roshak, Amon, Wieselt…”

"Stop, stop, stop, something sounds weird," [Time] quickly interrupted.

“Um…s…la…ruo…luo si…” A child’s voice rang out.

"Hey, Uranus? That's a nice name." That's how the primordial being decided on the child's name.

(Is it possible that the child was just trying to repeat what you said, but didn't remember it completely and spoke in fits and starts?)

Xuan Qing sighed and facepalmed, somewhat speechless: (But, was my original name Uranus?)

"Hehe, little guy, you'd better hurry up and transform into human form. I really look forward to seeing what you look like."

(That's such a pity.)

Xuanqing continued walking forward while pondering, and before he knew it, he had reached the exit.

"Dain, look! There's someone ahead!" Xuan Qing snapped out of his daze and saw a blonde girl cutting through the thorns at her feet, pointing at him, and speaking to the blond man who was arriving late behind her.

"Madam, are you aware that pointing a sword at someone is a very impolite act?" Xuan Qing stood there, arms crossed, looking at the two people who had suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Ah, sorry," the girl immediately sheathed her sword, "I was just a little excited to finally see him. May I ask this gentleman's name..."

"Please state your own name before asking someone else's," Xuan Qing said calmly.

"My name is Ying."

"Dainsreb".

"Xuan Qing."

The three exchanged names before beginning their formal conversation.

"Excuse me, how do I get to Liyue?" Ying asked, scratching her head sheepishly.

"Liyue, it's about two or three kilometers ahead from here, then turn left and go through that stone gate, and you'll arrive," Xuanqing said after sensing Morax's location.

"Thank you then."

"Thank you."

Xuanqing nodded in response to their thanks, and then walked in the opposite direction under their watchful eyes.

"Phew, Dain, I feel..."

"Hmm, this person named Xuanqing is no ordinary individual. We just walked this road, circled around, and then someone appeared on our way back. Something's definitely not right," Dain analyzed.

"That's not all, Dain. Don't you feel a strong sense of oppression emanating from him, like..." Ying didn't finish her sentence.

"what?"

"I can't remember. We'll just have to be careful if we encounter this again. Let's head to Liyue first."

The two chatted away, taking turns saying a sentence, unaware that Xuan Qing was eavesdropping from behind a tree trunk not far from them.

"Those four wouldn't be without ulterior motives, and besides, I'm still in physical form, and isn't my true body with Xuan Yue?" Xuan Qing was pondering when suddenly Xuan Yue sensed something: (Xuan Qing! Xuan Qing! A Qing! Where are you!)

(Xuan Yue, I'm here...)

Xuanqing discovered that he could not communicate with Xuanyue, but he could sense her presence; however, it was only a one-way transmission from Xuanyue.

"Damn it!" Xuan Qing punched a tree trunk, causing the trees to fall down row by row.

Xuan Qing gradually calmed down. He knew that he had to go to Liyue and see the Liyue of this world.

—Liyue side—

"Dain, we've arrived! That's Liyue, come quick!"

Ying ran ahead, while Dain followed at a leisurely pace, and together they entered Liyue Harbor.

"Hmm, a familiar aura, who is it..." In a teahouse, a young man put down his teacup and disappeared without anyone noticing, leaving only a few Mora on the table.

Xuan Qing teleported back to Jueyun Realm, but unlike before, it was even more desolate...

"Now, nearly two thousand years have passed, old friend, you've finally returned." Morax appeared behind Xuan Qing, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Where is Xuan Yue?" Xuan Qing asked succinctly.

Morax's smile faded, and he did not answer.

"What about the end?" Morax remained silent.

"And what about the other immortals?"

"Most immortals have gone into seclusion, so Jueyun Pass is now deserted." Finally, the silence was broken.

"Then, it's my turn to ask. When did you become Xuanqing?"

"?" Xuan Qing tilted his head, looking at Morax in front of him.

"After returning from Mondstadt," Xuanqing replied truthfully.

“I understand.” Morax smiled faintly. “It’s rare to see an old friend like us. Why don’t we sit down and chat?”

"can."

After a long while, having listened to Morax recount his past, Xuanqing put down his teacup.

“So, Gui Zhong died in battle, Mark Hughes went into seclusion, and Xuan Yue…” Xuan Qing’s face was expressionless, but his other hand under the table was trembling.

"........."

"Morax, thank you." Xuan Qing stood up: "I'll leave Li Yue to you."

"What are you planning to do?" Morax didn't stop him.

"Break." That was Xuanqing's answer.

"Then, as before, I will wait for your return in Liyue."

“Morax, I don’t know if Xuan Yue has told you, but you are the best leader. We are very relieved to entrust Li Yue to you, which means that I can let go.” Xuan Qing did not respond to that sentence. Morax also understood what he meant. If he left, it might not be him who came back, or he might never come back.

"I long to buy osmanthus blossoms and share wine, but alas, when will I see my old friend again..."

“It is nothing like the carefree days of youth.” Xuanqing replied with the second half of the sentence, and then left Jueyun Pavilion.

Xuan Qing returned to where he had come from, since the fact that he was able to get here meant that this was a relatively weak point in the area.

"Phew~, it's been a long time since I used this move." Xuan Qing took a breath and held the Lesser Yin Manifestation in his hand.

"The Milky Way pours down, shattering the long night; the first rays of dawn bring prosperity to all things."

A rift ripped through the sky, and Xuan Qing stepped inside. When he reappeared, he was no longer on the Teyvat continent, but in the Dark Sea.

You heard right, the Dark Sea, the sanctuary of the remaining demon gods, is also the only passage connecting to the outer realms.

“Xuanqing…” Here, as he walked on the road, on the surface of the clear blue water, he heard Xuanyue’s voice again and sensed the situation on his side.

“Xuan Yue, let them go. They need to experience the consequences for themselves.”

"Where are you? Why can't I sense your presence in Teyvat anymore!"

"...Outside the shell, I am heading to the world outside the shell..."

"Outside the shell...you..."

“People are coming. Xuan Yue, I’m just a consciousness here. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon…” Xuan Qing drew his sword, looking at the many demon gods flying towards him.

"What about these taboos..."

"We still have time, don't worry, the rest is up to you."

"Okay...come back soon..."

"Um…"

Contact with Xuan Yue was lost, and the demons' attacks arrived.

"That's it." Xuan Qing casually waved his hand, clearing away all the attacks.

Without saying a word, he raised his sword and swept it horizontally. This was the Dark Outer Sea, where the survival of the fittest was the rule.

One by one, the demons fell, their blood staining Xuan Qing's entire body.

He didn't stop. He walked to the boundary, cleaved through space, and left this area—or rather, left this spacetime…

"Who are you?" Xuan Qing walked to the dark place again. As soon as he entered, a voice rang out. It was not "Yuan Chu" (Primordial Beginning), nor the four shadows, but "Tian Li" (Heavenly Principle).

"I am Order! Is this our first meeting, or has it been a long time?"

--small theater--

"Boss, you acted well. We've finally finished filming."

"Okay, I'll go check on Xuan Yue." Xuan Qing sheathed his sword and headed towards another theater not far away.

Morax was about to make himself a cup of tea when he saw Mu Xiang frantically packing her things.

"Hey, Mu Xiang, aren't we going to continue filming? Why are you up so early..."

"Shh!" Mu Xiang immediately covered Morax's mouth: "They're filming the Battle of Guizhong next door. If Xuan Qing goes there now, he'll definitely come after me on behalf of Xiao Xuan Yue. Let's stay away for now and start filming the next scene later. I left a note and ran ahead."

Mu Xiang grabbed her film and phone, then got into the taxi she had already hailed and sped away.

"Oh, the play of finality... the play of finality!!"

"Crack!" The teacup in Morax's hand was attacked by an unknown force and shattered.