Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [526]

Let’s be real—if even Diluc, someone capable of holding his own against multiple Fatui Harbingers before making a clean getaway with a bit of assistance, could only make it to fifty consecutive wins…

That meant something.

Sure, it was possible that Diluc had gotten bored and intentionally forfeited to avoid unnecessary trouble—but that alone was enough to prove how ridiculous this whole thing was.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Gu Sanqiu bid farewell to Canglong Mountain.

Everyone knew this was an imperial decree—the sooner he got there, the better.

---

Hu Tao clamped her hands around Gu Sanqiu’s waist and viciously twisted.

"Ow, ow, ow—aren’t you being a little inhumane to someone who just recovered?!"

Hu Tao scoffed. "And leaving me to watch you get beaten into that state wasn’t?"

Gu Sanqiu chuckled. "Didn’t I leave you a note? So? Wasn’t I true to my word? Didn’t die, didn’t I?"

"Hmph. I’ll let you off this time."

"Ah, many thanks, great Hall Master Hu, for your boundless mercy and grace."

Gu Sanqiu raised his hand, inspecting the scarlet sigil on his arm. "Looks like I’m the only one allowed in this time. I’ll drop you off at Liyue Harbor first."

"If they’re so confident about this arena, it means that after winning a hundred matches, there must be some kind of proof—maybe a special mark or a commemorative token."

Hu Tao frowned. "But if that Adepti hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t even have known this so-called 'Ancient Gods' Arena' existed. If it’s named after the ancient gods, it must have quite the background, right?"

"No clue. Never heard of it before."

If even the cultivators were completely unfamiliar with the name, Gu Sanqiu would have assumed this was just a personal trial arranged for him by the old man.

But since this place was well-known, there was no way it was some private training ground crafted just for him.

Put simply—if something went wrong again, even the old man wouldn’t be able to save him.

After pleading with Hu Tao to not tell his sister about what had happened, Gu Sanqiu ordered the giant condor to return to its territory and continue its reign of dominance.

Meanwhile, he followed the sigil’s guidance—arriving at a seemingly empty Yaoguang Shoal.

---

"The hell? This so-called 'Ancient Gods' Arena' is supposed to be here?"

Gu Sanqiu frowned at the empty landscape.

If this thing was actually in Liyue, there was no way he wouldn’t have heard of it before.

Buzz—

The scarlet sigil glowed.

A grand, silver-blue portal materialized before him.

…?

Gu Sanqiu narrowed his eyes.

Something wasn’t right.

Wasn’t this… the Challenger’s Gate?!

What kind of bullshit was this?!

Did real-life events like this actually exist?!

Gu Sanqiu almost felt like flipping a table—but the sigil kept flashing, urging him forward like an impatient driver honking at a slow pedestrian.

"Whatever. There’s no way Moon Carver would lie to me."

Muttering under his breath, Gu Sanqiu stepped into the portal.

"A hundred consecutive wins? Pfft, I’ll clear it with ease!"

---

Watching the scene unfold, Zhongli finally let out a breath of relief.

Perched on one of his dragon whiskers, a tiny green spirit fluttered excitedly—darting left and right like a hyperactive child.

"Finally got that unlucky kid sorted out! But I gotta say, I was shocked—never thought they’d actually step in to help."

Zhongli nodded. "Logically speaking, I agree. I didn’t expect them to assist Sanqiu so directly."

He wiped his dragon whiskers with a trace of golden energy. "From disaster to fortune… though the identity of this 'fortune' is rather sensitive."

The green spirit clicked its tongue. "Tsk, tsk, exactly! Who would've thought that Little Traveler's Sister would pop up too? You think the kid’s gonna tell her about all this?"

Perching back on Zhongli’s whisker—as if the previous wiping had just been to clean its seat—the spirit hummed.

Zhongli shook his head. "No. Since she’s involved with the Abyss, Sanqiu won’t say a word—not until he’s absolutely certain about the situation. You can rest easy on that."

"Still… why hasn’t the kid become an immortal yet? If he had the strength of an Adeptus, this whole mess wouldn’t have been such a disaster."

Zhongli paused, then flicked his whisker, sending the spirit tumbling off before answering.

"Not yet. It isn’t time. He cannot ascend just yet."

The spirit blinked. "Wait… is this because of what happened back then? Like, if he ascends, something sealed inside him will awaken?"

Zhongli cast a side-eye of pure disdain. "You think too much."

"I did consider that possibility, but I never actually forbade him from ascending. It just so happens that our thoughts align."

The spirit sighed dramatically. "Tsk, tsk. So it’s a 'father and son' mind connection, huh?"

Then it spread its tiny hands. "Also—what even is this so-called 'Ancient Gods’ Arena'? If I’m not mistaken, isn’t it… that place?"

Zhongli nodded. "Yes. That place."

"The little world secretly created by Natlan’s old one."

"It was built to gather battle-hungry warriors so he could watch their fights for entertainment."

The spirit let out a helpless sigh. "So it really is that big old troublemaker’s playground. And after all this time, it’s still intact? Are we sure this was just a hobby project?"

Zhongli’s tone remained calm. "Someone has been maintaining that world. The arena itself has no sentience—otherwise, it wouldn’t still be active today."

"I see."

The spirit patted its chest. "Whew! Good to have someone else dealing with this mess. Meanwhile, I’ll keep on being the lazy, carefree god I was meant to be! Drinking, singing, having fun—none of this 'building entire battle realms' nonsense."

Zhongli snorted. "Hmph. If there were a ranking for 'not doing one’s job,' no one in this world could ever surpass you."

He turned to the spirit. "You should leave. And while you’re at it, fix that little backdoor you left open. I don’t want you randomly showing up here again."

The spirit grinned. "Aww, come on~ Can’t old friends have a face-to-face chat once in a while? Why be so distant?"

The two continued their bickering (crossed out) conversation—while, on the other side…

---

Gu Sanqiu stepped through the portal—emerging into a vast, open arena.

The ground was paved with stone slabs, and at the edges, four towering stone pillars stood tall, each crowned with a burning flame, as if announcing that the referees had taken their positions.

"Clean place."

Gu Sanqiu ran a hand across the floor.

Not a single speck of dust—which meant either the stone was special, or the entire space was under some kind of automated maintenance.

"Identity confirmed. Origin: Liyue."

"Physical strength: Extreme."

"Combat technique: Not recorded."

"Possesses a Vision. Element confirmed."

"Now matching you with an opponent of equal strength."

…?

Gu Sanqiu’s expression turned strange.

This place doesn’t seem very normal…

For a moment, he even began to doubt the old man’s reliability.

"No, no, no. The old man is a god—THE god. A god among gods. His wisdom is unquestionable."

After chanting a couple of obligatory praises, Gu Sanqiu drew his weapon, eyes locked on the other side of the arena.

Time to see just how 'smart' this matching system really was.

---

This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!