Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [584]

The raging city of water unleashed a torrent of hydro-elemental devastation. The sheer power and overwhelming force forced Moon Carver to retreat—charging in headfirst would be nothing short of suicidal.

The Ifrit, now partially ascended to a near-divine state, moved sluggishly across the ocean’s surface. Its body, formed from Delusion-fueled flames, sent up massive plumes of steam, making it look as if a giant were soaking in a hot spring.

But in the very next moment, Osial summoned a towering wall of water, slamming it down mercilessly, burying the Ifrit beneath the waves. It was clearly not going to allow it anywhere near the sphere imprisoning Gu Sanqiu.

"What an amusing little human. No wonder you managed to awaken a Constellation in this era."

Within the grand but empty city of water, Osial gazed up at the two seemingly decorative spheres floating in the air.

A vortex. A mirrored sphere.

"But the victory is mine. Compared to my defeat in the last era, such a triumph almost feels… laughable."

A flicker of unease flashed in Osial’s eyes. "Even one as powerful as Morax has fallen… Time truly is the poison that grinds all things to dust."

The more Osial wielded this power, the more terrifying it became. Even gods—exalted beings beyond mortal comprehension—were still insignificant in the face of the universe’s inexorable flow.

In a twisted way, Osial almost owed Morax gratitude.

Had the Geo Archon not sealed it away, it would have long since been dragged into the elemental cycle, forced to endure an eternity of slow, agonizing regeneration.

But by then… would the resurrected God of the Vortex still be Osial?

A sharp glint of aquamarine flickered across its brow, and Osial immediately banished the thought.

Its state was already fragile enough—it could not allow such corrosive ideas to take root in its mind.

"In this age where the war of gods has long ended… is there truly a chance for recognition once more?"

Osial’s gaze hardened. "I must try. If I succeed… what is a mere seal in the face of eternity?"

"The stone-laden land of Liyue… if reshaped into countless islands adrift in an endless sea, would that not be my new vortex kingdom?"

Osial gathered its strength and unleashed another furious assault upon the already struggling Moon Carver.

"And I shall become the ruling Sovereign of this new Liyue!"

---

Inside the water prison, Gu Sanqiu refused to yield.

He could no longer sense his Ifrit manifestation, and his own condition was far from ideal.

But none of that was reason enough to give up.

Gu Sanqiu pushed his power to its absolute limits, scouring his mind for any possible way to break free.

If Osial were at full strength, he would have immediately thrown up a shield, resigned himself to waiting, and let the old man handle the rescue.

But Osial wasn’t at full strength.

And Gu Sanqiu was not ready to give up on self-reliance just yet.

"Trying to provoke a god as a mortal is definitely risky. Honestly, it’s borderline suicide."

"But that’s what makes it fun."

Fast and slow. Stillness and motion.

Gu Sanqiu felt himself being dragged in every direction by the sphere, but even this technique had a discernible logic behind it.

"So Osial is using Hydro to simulate time? Gotta admit, that’s bold—but it’s flawed."

Teyvat was governed by the Seven Elements, but above them, other natural laws still applied.

Time. Space. Physics.

This world was not a place where beings simply merged into their elements, drifting about like floating wraiths.

This wasn’t some pure slime-infested realm. At least, not yet.

But there was one critical difference—when it came to spatiotemporal law, there was a throne.

And that throne… had once been occupied.

Just like how he had once begged Venti for a Wind Seed, only to be flat-out rejected by the drunkard Archon.

So Osial… did it really think it could just play around with such forces and not get itself killed?

From a long-term perspective, Gu Sanqiu doubted Osial would enjoy a peaceful slumber in its seal.

But right now… this half-baked power—it might just be his way out.

"Time… Every being carries its traces—maybe that’s the key."

A soft pink light shimmered in Gu Sanqiu’s eyes.

He reached for the answer in a way no adeptus or scholar ever had.

A spy’s approach.

If he couldn’t break the vortex from the outside—he would become part of it, blend into its flow, and find its weakness from within.

Time flowed—both in growth and decay.

Yin and yang. Life and death.

Even elemental attacks weakened over time, stretching along the threads of space-time.

Time and mortality were inseparable.

And where there was immortality, there was always madness.

Even the Geo Archon, after six thousand years, had sought a way out.

True immortality—under the scrutiny of time—was nothing but a mockery.

"Only eternity… comes closest to Celestial Law."

Only by freezing time itself at a single moment could one glimpse true eternity.

Gu Sanqiu’s gaze wavered in the fog of confusion, but his soul, under the protection of the Thousand-Year Wish, remained clear.

And the clearer he became, the more he realized—

Gods aren’t fools.

The Shogun… had ascended to power as a warrior, never fully grasping the weight of governance.

But perhaps… five hundred years ago, the Raiden Shogun had already paved the road for her.

All she had ever needed… was the right opportunity.

"Time. Space. Change. Who truly knows how they unfold?"

"Does the one upon the throne truly understand the secrets of time?"

Gu Sanqiu had his breakthrough.

"For mortals, time is nothing but a personal perception—a theory born from subjective experience. That is the only real time."

"Osial… no matter how powerful you are, all you’ve built is a fraudulent imitation of time itself."

And once the illusion of time was stripped away…

What was left?

Gu Sanqiu struggled to extend his right hand.

This battle was never about raw damage.

It was about authority and law.

"Osial… let’s see what’s really hidden behind your false time!"

BOOM!

A tidal wave of grief surged forth—centuries of rage, frustration, and helplessness.

A god’s shattered dream.

A being who had lost everything, unable to see its loved ones ever again.

The agony of a defeated god, bound and forgotten.

It all crashed into Gu Sanqiu at once.

"HOLD IT TOGETHER!"

Mental barriers shot up.

He hadn’t expected the truth behind this false time to be this.

If he let it consume him—he would die.

False time. Real sorrow.

An ocean of suffering—centuries of despair, pain, and resistance.

Even in failure, Osial had never stopped fighting.

It was not a weakling.

It was not a mere failure.

It was a witness to the fall of an era.

"I will not yield!"

"GOOD!"

Gu Sanqiu roared, his body igniting in pink light as he broke free!

Wounded and battered, he drove his fist into Osial’s stunned face.

"I’ve changed my opinion of you!"

With a ferocious bellow, Gu Sanqiu’s body swelled in size.

Before Osial could react—

He slammed a second punch into its massive head.

The colossal serpent toppled, crashing into its own city of water, shattering it to pieces!

---

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!