Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [520]

"I understand."

After leading the two of them to a pavilion and offering them tea, the elderly man turned and disappeared into the mist.

Gu Sanqiu paid no attention to the tea on the table. Instead, he retrieved his weapon and carefully wiped it down, allowing himself to be fully immersed in the familiar sensation. This was one of the ways he honed himself to his peak state.

"If you get bored later, I can have the Shadow Roc take you back. How about it?"

Hu Tao bared her teeth. "Wow, you bastard Qiuqiu! Now that you’re done using my token, you’re just gonna toss me aside? Typical! Men really are all the same!"

"That’s some serious survivor’s bias. I was just worried you’d be bored. It’s not like you’ll be of any help later, so you might as well go back and do your own thing."

Hu Tao rolled her eyes. "Nope! This Hall Master is staying right here. But how about you give me a bag of Mora first? If you get yourself killed, I’ll use it to cover the cost of a deluxe funeral package at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I guarantee you’ll have the most extravagant send-off."

"This isn’t any different from slashing the commander’s flagpole for good luck before a battle."

Gu Sanqiu chuckled helplessly. "Fine, stay if you want. The Shadow Roc will keep you company, and if you get bored, just head back. Nothing’s going to happen here."

Hu Tao made a playful ghost face. "Bleh, like I’d believe you! I’ve known you since we were kids, and I can count on one hand the times you’ve told the truth."

"Gu Xiangjun, Hall Master Hu."

From the other side of the mist, a robust elder clutching a bamboo scroll hurried toward them.

"I am the current Mountain Lord of Mount Canglong. I already understand why Xiangjun has come. Hall Master Hu, please remain here. Xiangjun, come with me."

"You’re the current Mountain Lord of Mount Canglong?"

Gu Sanqiu gave the elderly but muscular man a once-over, his expression somewhat odd.

"Be honest, old man—are you sure your physical condition meets the entry requirements for Mount Canglong?"

Mount Canglong was the sacred land of the cultivation world, essentially a retirement home for elderly masters from various sects.

The entry criteria were straightforward: if you were old and no longer physically fit to contribute to your sect, you could come here to retire. The mountain provided one of the best environments in all of Minlin.

But the robust elder standing before him… didn’t seem to fit the bill at all.

"Ah, it’s rather embarrassing to admit, but I do meet the requirements."

The old man let out an awkward laugh. "I specialize in physical cultivation. This is already what I look like after my vitality has declined."

That’s some hardcore "declining vitality." Then again, it made sense. While the elder looked strong, in the grand scheme of things, he might indeed be considered in need of retirement.

Liyue had suffered countless disasters and wars. Many cultivators had abandoned traditional spiritual enlightenment in favor of honing their bodies—pursuing the path of physical transcendence, the philosophy of "one punch to shatter the heavens."

This wasn’t just a joke recorded in ancient alchemical texts. As more and more cultivators turned to this path, even the adepti found themselves at a loss for what to do with the Golden Core—a mystical pill meant to simulate the creation of the universe.

It was an invaluable, near-mythical tool for ascension. But if given to a group of muscle-bound warriors obsessed with raw strength, they’d probably just swallow it whole without a second thought.

The path of body cultivation was a relatively new one in Liyue, but its practitioners had grown vast in number.

In historical records, it was often treated as an amusing anecdote—an adeptus’ lament over the changing times.

Times had changed.

People had lost interest in traditional cultivation methods and instead poured their efforts into refining their bodies.

But thinking back, one could understand just how dire the situation had been back then, as well as the sorrow behind it.

Traditional spiritual enlightenment offered a much higher ceiling—after all, that had always been the path of old. Everything was well-documented, and the road to divinity was clear.

But people had shifted to physical cultivation for one simple reason: they desperately needed warriors.

There weren’t enough traditional cultivators to go around. The cultivation world needed a faster way to mass-produce warriors to fight in battle, to give their last ounce of strength for peace.

"Perhaps this was simply the era’s choice… just as me being here now is."

Gu Sanqiu placed a hand on the enormous golden bell before him. The intricate carvings and sigils etched into its surface radiated a deep sense of history.

"What was once an annual gathering tool for the cultivation world—a means to convene and discuss the Dao—has now become an instrument to declare one’s bid for the position of Head Disciple."

He chuckled. "Mountain Lord, from what that elder said earlier, people have attempted to ring this bell before?"

"Indeed. But no one has ever succeeded. So it’s more or less returned to its ancient purpose—giving visiting sects an excuse to loosen their purse strings and share a meal."

The muscular elder solemnly presented Gu Sanqiu with a golden striker, wrapped in thick silver cords adorned with dragon patterns. It could easily pass as a high-grade weapon in its own right.

"One strike calls for battle."
"Two strikes summon the immortals."
"Three strikes ascend to the peak of the heavens."

"Gu Xiangjun, have you made your decision?"

"I must warn you—if you intend to challenge the Ascension Path and initiate the Trial of Contention, Hall Master Hu will not be able to assist you."

"For generations, the path of the Incense Bearer has always been a solitary one. This means you will have to face the entire cultivation world alone. Only by doing so can the golden bell ring thrice."

"If you fall in this endeavor, then even as Liyue’s Incense Bearer, you will be nothing more than a handful of dirt."

The Mountain Lord’s gaze held deep meaning. "I do not wish for you to die. The cultivation world still needs a figure like you to lead it."

"No matter how the world changes, we cultivators will never forget what the Gu Clan once did."

"Our ancestors proved that their faith was not misplaced. The Geo Archon was a benevolent and mighty god—a leader worthy of entrusting one's life to."

Gu Sanqiu smiled. "So even though you doubt my ability to reach the summit, you’re still willing to respect my resolve?"

"That’s right. The best outcome would be for you to survive."

The Mountain Lord spoke gravely. "As long as you live, we will always remember the glory of our forebears—and the meaning of this world."

"If you fall here, the changes that will ripple through the cultivation world… no one can predict them."

"If I die… the cultivation world might fade away entirely."

Gu Sanqiu accepted the striker and the thick silver cord, his gaze momentarily clouded

---

In the realm suffused with the energies of the Millelith and the Primordial, a slumbering dragon’s eyes snapped open in shock.

"A sudden shift… Why?!"

---

On Mount Canglong, Gu Sanqiu looked up at the sky. Above the golden bell, the heavens remained an unbroken, flawless blue—unchanged across time, an eternal expanse.

As he deciphered the omens revealed to him, a sudden realization surged through his mind.

"Death. Calamity."

If the divination was accurate, then upon setting foot on the Ascension Path and engaging in the Trial of Contention…

He would die. His soul would be obliterated.

"So this… is the fate of an Incense Burner?"

Gu Sanqiu hesitated.

If not for him, the other Gu Sanqiu would have perished long ago in the sacrificial ritual. The Gu Clan would have vanished from history.

His fate should have been entirely different—so why was he still doomed to die?

Who changed my fate?

And now, as fate itself moves to claim my life…

Isn’t this just the same as before?

Why should I accept this?

What did I do wrong?

A death sentence? You don’t get to decide that.

"Interesting."

Gu Sanqiu let out a wild laugh, flinging the striker and cord aside before slamming his palm into the golden bell.

DONG—

The resonant chime echoed in all directions.

Gu Sanqiu kept laughing, though his expression twisted into something almost feral.

"One strike calls for battle! I’ll be waiting for all of you!"

He raised his head to the heavens and roared:

"And I’ll be waiting for you, too!"

---

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!