Outside the portal...
After comforting Paimon, Nahida raised her hands and aimed them at the portal of the Spiral Abyss.
The next second, a dazzling light burst from her hands, slowly covering the portal.
Seeing this, Lumine did not hesitate, took out the Gnosis Nahida had given her, held it in her palm, and, along with her own power, teleported it to Nahida.
With the infusion of two colossal powers, the light emanating from the portal became even more brilliant and dazzling. Nahida had never concentrated her spirit so intently, solely to find the figure she wished to see amidst countless worlds.
As she continued to inject her power, time gradually passed. Nahida felt increasingly tired but refused to give up. Deep down, she believed that persistence would lead to the desired outcome. She was also afraid, afraid that a moment's lapse in concentration would cause her to miss the opportunity to find Ying...
"Pfft..."
A faint sound caught Nahida's attention, who was fully focused on her search. Finally, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in her mind.
"Hyaa!"
Ying was seen leaning against a stone pillar, facing a horde of Hilichurls that resembled a zombie tide. Blood flowed from her numerous wounds, dyeing her already tattered clothes a deep red.
Yet, even in such a state, Nahida saw no hint of panic in her eyes, only a growing determination.
Nahida wanted to try and pull Ying out of the Spiral Abyss but found herself blocked by a strange energy fluctuation.
Was she tricked to this extent?! Damn it...
Seeing Ying as a tiny leaf in the vast ocean, likely to be swallowed by these monsters at any moment, Nahida could no longer hold back. She used all her strength to send all the monsters in this layer, including Ying, into a dream.
After accomplishing this, Nahida's face turned considerably paler, and her hands began to tremble uncontrollably.
"I've found Ying, but I can't pull her out. Moreover, connecting to her location requires a constant, massive drain of Elemental Energy. Coupled with the sheer number of monsters, I won't be able to sustain this for long with my current strength..."
Nahida, enduring the dizziness, relayed the message to the others.
"This, this..."
Paimon was incredibly anxious. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she placed her hand on Nahida's back.
Although she was restricted by that energy and couldn't transform, her Elemental Energy still existed. While not much, it could at least help her persist a little longer.
Damn it...
Lumine gritted her teeth. She knew this wasn't a solution and wanted to calm down and think, but her Elemental Energy was already running low, possibly even less than Nahida's or Paimon's.
Just as everyone was at a loss, another hand was placed behind Nahida.
"What's this?!"
The sudden surge of Elemental Energy startled Nahida. She looked back and saw a smiling male... no, a boy?
Hearing Nahida's confusion, Lumine turned to look beside her and exclaimed with surprise.
"Venti?!"
Hearing Lumine's call, Venti turned to look at her and offered a bright smile.
"Long time no see. The wind's summons informed me of this matter."
Paimon clapped her fists happily.
"Great! Now we don't have to worry!"
A smile finally appeared on Lumine's face, but Nahida immediately poured cold water on it.
"I'm very sorry. Although with this increased power, I can hold them off for a considerable time, I fear the Doctor foresaw this and modified some algorithms of the portal beforehand, preventing me from pulling Ying out."
"Huh?!"
Paimon immediately asked.
"But can't you modify it back?"
Nahida shook her head.
"I've already tried. In Paimon's terms, it's like he fixed this passage and then immediately blew up the escape route, leaving you no chance to modify it."
"Huh?!"
Paimon was shocked.
"Then what do we do now? Should we go find the Heavenly Principles directly? But... but if we don't find them in a short time, won't Ying starve and die of thirst?"
Seeing Paimon's worried expression, Venti gently stroked her head and said with a smile.
"Don't worry, the time you have isn't as tight as you think."
"Not as tight as we think?"
Lumine subconsciously repeated the words, her eyes suddenly lighting up as she asked.
"Do you mean we can also use the portal?"
"Chirp~"
Venti snapped his fingers with a smile and then slowly explained.
"The Doctor who devised this plan must have made complete preparations and certainly wouldn't allow you to rescue Ying easily."
"Since that's the case, why not try the opposite approach? Don't focus on rescuing Ying, but on the time it takes to rescue her."
Hearing this, Nahida also realized.
"You mean, modify the flow of time?"
Nahida quickly contemplated and nodded subconsciously.
"It's indeed a feasible method. If we make the flow of time extremely slow on Ying's end, one second there could be a day, a month, or even a year in Teyvat. This would give us ample time to find the Heavenly Principles."
However, at this point, Nahida couldn't help but frown.
"I should be able to modify the flow of time, but forcibly doing so will require an immense amount of power. Even with the help of the Anemo Archon, it might not be enough to achieve a ratio of one second in that realm to one year in Teyvat."
"Eh~"
Hearing this, Venti extended his free hand and summoned two elemental powers that did not belong to him.
"Hehe~ Actually, I also paid a visit to the Old Man and the Electro Archon along the way. However, unlike me, they are temporarily occupied with some trouble and asked me to bring their contributions over~"
"That's wonderful."
Nahida breathed a sigh of relief. With this, it was practically foolproof.
Paimon couldn't help but glare at Venti.
"Still in the mood to joke at a time like this. You truly are something."
"Hehe~"
Meanwhile, in the dream realm...
Ying found herself suddenly on this familiar grassy field, momentarily stunned.
"Is this... the place where I first met Nahida?"
"You still remember?"
Hearing such a familiar voice, Ying immediately looked behind her with surprise and, sure enough, saw the cute little萝莉.
"Nahida?! How did you get here?"
Nahida winked at Ying with a smile.
"My little hero is in such danger, of course I have to come and help her."
Then, Nahida told Ying everything that had just happened.
Upon learning that everyone had given their all to save her, Ying couldn't help but flash a brilliant smile.
"You all worked so hard for me, rushing around."
Nahida nodded.
"You certainly owe us a great deal of gratitude. So, you must hold on until your sister rescues you~"
Ying said with a smile.
"Hehe~ Judging by your plan, perhaps the moment you leave, Lumine will defeat the Heavenly Principles and rescue me."
Hearing this, Nahida playfully retorted.
"You have such great confidence in your sister."
"Of course~"
Ying proudly lifted her little head.
Nahida and Ying chatted for a long time, only deciding to end the conversation when she was about to lose her strength.
"Before I go, is there anything you need me to relay? Although it might have only been a few seconds for you, your sister and friends have truly been working hard for years, even decades."
"Hmm..."
Ying fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking.
"If that's the case, please tell Paimon to behave himself and listen to Lumine while I'm gone. He absolutely must not make her angry, or I'll deal with him properly when I get out. Paimon will be his guardian."
"Tell Venti that when I get out, I'll definitely invite him for a good drink in Mondstadt and gather you gods together so that you, the newly appointed one, can communicate more with those old guys."
Hearing this, Nahida couldn't help but pout slightly.
"I'm older than you, you know."
"Hahaha~"
Ying chuckled, then continued.
"Lastly, please tell Lumine to take good care of herself, be cautious on future journeys, and don't worry about me. And also..."
At this point, Ying smiled slightly and teasingly said with a wicked grin.
"I'm delighted that you've been bullied less often~"
--------
"That's what she said."
After listening to Nahida's words, Lumine couldn't help but chuckle and looked at the portal, murmuring.
"Even in such a state, she's still thinking of others. What a foolish sister."
"Ying, don't worry. I will make the Doctor pay for this. I will also find the Heavenly Principles and get the method to rescue you from her. When that time comes, I'll take you on a journey here again, and then we'll travel to other worlds together with your brother."
Finally, Lumine looked up at the sunset and flashed a mischievous smile.
"Besides... you can run for a while, but not forever. While you're gone, when I rescue you, I'll make you compensate for all of it."
Seeing Lumine regain her confidence, Venti on the side also smiled.
"After helping so much, my power and that of our Little Honorary Archon are almost depleted. Since you've regained your fighting spirit, we can safely watch as spectators and cheer you on~"
"Ah."
Lumine responded and then said to Paimon and Paimon.
"Let's go, Paimon, Paimon."
"Ooh~"
Paimon excitedly raised her fist, while Paimon looked a little dejected.
"Alas... I didn't expect to be unable to break free from that damned energy even in the end. Doesn't that make me just a second Paimon..."
Paimon immediately showed a displeased expression.
"Hey! What's wrong with being the second me?!"
"Hehehe..."
Lumine chuckled softly, walked over to them, faced the next destination, and said softly.
"Wait for me, Ying, brother. I swear, I will find you all. I will..."
[End of Book]