Gacha Hell: Furina Edition

The topic of retirement was brushed aside, but it planted a seed in Gan Yu's heart. The group's attention quickly shifted back to the gacha pulls.

Playing with an empty teacup, Lu Heng asked, "How are you planning to spend all that retirement money on pulls?"

"Any suggestions?" Zhongli countered.

"Me?"

Lu Heng thought for a moment, then blinked mischievously. "Go all-in. All-in is wisdom."

"Really?" Zhongli was slightly surprised.

If this were ordinary gambling, going all-in would mean risking everything with no fallback—a terrifying prospect. But since this was gacha, the worst outcome was simply getting fewer rewards than hoped for.

This was also the origin of Lu Heng's grand (and somewhat exaggerated) title—The Great and Peerless Mr. Lu.

Zhongli pondered for a bit before shaking his head. "I'd rather leave myself some room. At the very least, I need to budget for daily expenses."

Now that his identity had been exposed, he could technically freeload in Liyue. But that wasn't what Zhongli wanted!

Letting others treat him to a meal or two was fine, but if all of Liyue saw him as the retired Geo Archon and refused to take his money… Zhongli couldn't accept that.

"One billion Mora."

"That's the amount."

Zhongli made his decision. He had already converted all his assets into Mora and deposited them into his account. With the growing popularity of digital payments, more and more merchants were adopting online transactions for convenience.

"Then let the show begin." Lu Heng gestured invitingly.

But Zhongli shook his head and turned to Klee instead. "Klee, come over and do the pulls for me."

"Coming~!"

The cheerful little girl skipped over.

Zhongli wanted Klee's help because he knew her luck tended to favor items related to her interests. And what did Klee love most?

Materials and knowledge for making bombs!

By letting her pull, the chances of getting something explosive-related would naturally increase.

This was Zhongli's way of thanking her.

"Klee, after the pulls are done, any materials or knowledge about explosions will be yours. Just remember—no unauthorized bomb experiments in the city," Zhongli reminded her gently.

Klee nodded enthusiastically. This wasn't her first time helping with pulls, so she was quite experienced.

"Just relax and treat it like a game," Zhongli encouraged.

"Mhm!" Klee agreed.

After hesitating for a moment over the buttons, she decisively selected—100,000 pulls!

A single swipe deducted one billion Mora from Zhongli's account!

At the same time, multicolored crystals descended from the clouds, streaking across the sky. Their hues shifted continuously, culminating in a dazzling golden light as they landed.

Three 5-star gold cards appeared on the counter, along with thirty-two 4-star purple cards!

In the past, Lu Heng might have commented on the luck of the pulls. But now, he held his judgment until after appraising the cards.

After all, a single powerful 5-star gold card could be worth several ordinary ones—a lesson the shop had learned well.

Lu Heng flipped over the first gold card.

Everyone's eyes locked onto it.

Once appraised, the card depicted a scroll painting of a golden dragon. The brushstrokes on the scroll seemed to breathe life into the dragon's eyes.

[Art of the Finishing Touch]

Rarity: 5-star (Gold)Type: Skill CardTraits: Creation, AwakeningDescription: A master-level painting technique that brings drawn creations to life!

Damn.

The first 5-star card was already this strong!

Lu Heng was secretly impressed.

Anything involving the concept of "Dao" (the Way) was extraordinary by default. Some techniques were the pinnacle of simplicity, while others were so profound they could make one's head spin.

This card could practically be considered a painting-based Dao technique.

Venti was equally stunned, muttering in disbelief, "You've got some insane luck, old man."

Zhongli smiled faintly. "That's Klee's doing."

"Hehe~" Klee giggled, swinging her legs happily from her seat.

Lu Heng explained, "The concept of 'Dao' isn't something ordinary logic can explain. In simple terms, this card is a creation technique."

Unlike Albedo's alchemical creations or Lu Heng's own world-forging methods, this was an entirely different approach.

If creation were a math problem, this card offered a third solution.

After silently comparing it to his own creation techniques, Lu Heng concluded that his were more complex but also more versatile once mastered.

Returning to the topic, he continued, "The practical use is straightforward. Zhongli, you've given life to Azhdaha before—think of him as your own painting. Use this to add the final touch to his eyes, and he'll awaken."

Zhongli had already grasped the concept, but hearing Lu Heng's explanation made him realize just how powerful this card was.

If he could paint a dragon to life, then why not a tiger? Or anything else?

Zhongli pondered before asking the crucial question:

"What tier of creatures can this card create?"

If it could only make weak beings, its value would drop. But if it could summon high-tier entities…

Zhongli's expression grew serious.

"Between low-tier 5-star and mid-tier 5-star," Lu Heng answered. "It depends on your own skill. A masterpiece requires time, effort, and focus."

The more meticulous Zhongli was in his painting, the stronger the result.

"Also," Lu Heng tapped the remaining cards, "if you have enhancement cards, you might even create high-tier 5-star beings. But that'd require exhausting your spiritual energy."

Zhongli chuckled and shook his head. "I understand."

Creating something powerful wasn't easy, but he wasn't in a hurry.

Painting a 5-star creature might be difficult, but a 4-star would be much simpler—like the difference between a masterpiece and a sketch.

"Let's check the second card," Lu Heng said, appraising the next gold card.

This one depicted a ferocious, wrathful face—eyes wide with fury, expression filled with rage and righteousness.

[Wrathful Visage]

Rarity: 5-star (Gold)Type: Equipment CardTraits: Amplification, Evil-SlayingDescription: The furious gaze of a guardian deity, capable of subduing evil.

A mask?

Lu Heng raised an eyebrow.

"Now this is interesting."

With [Wrathful Visage], Zhongli—who was already overpowered—would get even stronger.

If both Zhongli and Morax (his archon form) were buffed… would it just cancel out?

Not quite.

Not everyone had access to buff cards, and their effects varied in strength.

"This is a high-tier 5-star card," Lu Heng noted. "Very useful, especially against evil entities."

Zhongli nodded, scanning the card with his vision before tearing it.

A mask of wrath materialized in his hand.

He examined it curiously—this was his first time seeing such an equipment card.

Then his gaze drifted to Venti.

"I heard you wanted to challenge Morax in line?" Zhongli asked lightly.

"Eh?!"

Venti stiffened before hurriedly waving his hands. "Old man, you know me—I'm not that ambitious! Don't listen to rumors!"

Zhongli smiled knowingly.

Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh.

Earlier, Venti had bragged that with Jean's [Fluttering Banner], he could go toe-to-toe with Morax.

"He's not wrong," Lu Heng agreed.

At this stage, with 6-star cards still locked, Zhongli's strength was more than enough.

He had the qualifications to challenge Morax, but that didn't mean he could defeat Morax outright.

This wasn't just flattery—among the gods, Zhongli's origins and power placed him at the top tier.

Even among the adepti, few could match him.

This was why experience mattered.

The older one got (and the wiser they became), the more formidable they were.

Take Xiao, for example—a battle-hardened warrior now freed from karmic debt.

His original duty was guarding Dihua Marsh, but now he roamed freely, slaying demons in seconds.

Lu Heng mused that Xiao's [Evil-Conquering Tribute] was a safe buff card. The only downside was exhaustion after use, but proper rest fixed that.

No doubt—Xiao was a monster.

"Since it slays evil, it'd suit Xiao," Zhongli murmured.

Plus, with his millennia of experience, Zhongli had countless tricks up his sleeve.

To put his strength into perspective:

Rain of Stone SpearsJade ShieldPlanet Befall

All of these were 5-star gold-tier skills!

The only difference was that they weren't as conceptualized as gacha cards, but their power was undeniable.

And that wasn't even counting his other skills—alchemy, talisman-making, formations…

Zhongli's lowest skill level was "proficient"!

He wasn't born with these talents—he learned them over 6,000 years.

Hence, his decision to give [Wrathful Visage] to Xiao made sense.

The evil-slaying trait was perfect for him.

Full energy restored.

"What about Xiao's equipment issues?" Venti asked.

Zhongli pointed at the pile of cards. "They're right here."

"Actually, that shouldn't be necessary," Lu Heng interjected. "Xiao protects Liyue—his equipment upgrades should be the Liyue Qixing's responsibility."

Though the adepti weren't officially part of the government, from a national standpoint, Xiao was a top-tier combat asset—one that never slacked.

The only issue was the divide between humans and adepti, which made people overlook their needs.

But this couldn't be ignored.

The adepti weren't human, but they had protected Liyue for centuries—they were living ancestors!

While fallen heroes were commemorated, the living ones deserved care too.

Thus, the funding should logically come from the Golden House.

"I forgot about that angle," Zhongli admitted.

When considering the issue earlier, he'd overlooked the human-adeptus dynamic.

Now, he understood. "I know how to handle this."

Useless cards could be dismantled, while decent but low-tier ones could be handed to the Qixing as rewards.

Gan Yu, who had been quietly observing, quickly pulled out her phone and started typing.

Several plans immediately came to mind.

"I should head back and draft a proposal!" she said urgently.

"Go ahead," Zhongli nodded.

After bidding farewell, Gan Yu hurried off.

"Look at this," Lu Heng chuckled. "A few casual words from us just piled more work onto Gan Yu."

"I only started it—I didn't say anything else!" Venti protested.

"The instigator is the real culprit," Lu Heng said.

"Agreed," Zhongli added.

"Tch. You're all ganging up on me," Venti grumbled.

"Let's check the last card."

Lu Heng appraised the final gold card and grinned.

It was a classic material card.

Zhongli remained unfazed.

Two out of three gold cards being highly effective was already an excellent result.

He was more than satisfied.

"You could sell this to Ningguang later for a decent sum," Lu Heng suggested.

"I'll hold onto it for now. If she needs it, she can contact me," Zhongli said.

Older people tended to hoard things, and Zhongli was no exception.

Lu Heng then appraised the remaining 4-star purple cards.

Zhongli skimmed through them and quickly grasped their value.

Klee, too, was delighted, carefully tucking her new bomb-related cards into her backpack.

"Now, it's time to deal with Azhdaha, right?"

"Yes. No more delays."

The longer they waited, the worse the erosion would get.

Azhdaha had already lost the ability to distinguish friend from foe.

He even hated Zhongli now.

They had only been waiting for Klee's equipment tier, and now was the time.

Any longer, and Azhdaha might forget everything.

Lu Heng could intervene directly, but that would be too big a favor.

It wasn't necessary yet.

"Since I've got nothing else to do, mind if I tag along?" Lu Heng glanced at the Dendro Archon.

"Sure~" She was curious too.

Klee's abilities might even help with Apep, the Dendro Dragon.

While others didn't know Apep's whereabouts, the Dendro Archon had an idea.

After devouring King Deshret's divine remains, Apep was likely still suffering.

Though Apep's adaptability was strong, that didn't mean the process wasn't agonizing.

If the torment went on too long…

The Dendro Archon didn't have a close relationship with Apep, but for Sumeru's sake, healing the dragon was necessary.

Leaving a time bomb in their backyard was too risky.

"Need any other preparations?" Lu Heng asked.

Zhongli shook his head.

With him and Klee, nothing else was needed.

Lu Heng opened a portal.

"Then let's head out now—quick trip, quick return."

The other side led to Mt. Hulao in Minlin.

The mountainous Minlin region was home to towering peaks like Mt. Hulao and Mt. Aocang, where adepti resided.

The Submerged Palace of the Adepti lay beneath Mt. Hulao—where Azhdaha was sealed.

Stepping through the portal, Zhongli led the way, effortlessly navigating to the site.

With a wave of his hand, the earth parted, forming a tunnel.

Deeper inside, they soon encountered the outer seal.

Once unsealed, the path grew darker and more foreboding.

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T/N:

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