NOVEL WEB Chapter 83: 83: Learning
Ganyu's name stood out on the list of Adepti, alongside others like Pixiu, cranes, and deer. Unlike top-tier Adepti with "True Lord" titles, Ganyu, despite her age, was known as Moonlit Guardian or Qilin of the Moon. Skilled in archery and healing arts, she also knew Serenitea Pot techniques, though not expertly—perfect for Reisen Riou, who only needed a foundation to build upon with his own deductions. (Raiden Ei's Plane of Euthymia isn't established yet, but precursor tech exists.) He also coveted her healing arts, scarce in Inazuma.
"Hello, Miss Ganyu. I'll be troubling you for a while," Reisen Riou said with a cautious smile.
"No trouble. The Seven Archons' Banquet gave me a break from Qixing duties, so I'm free," Ganyu said softly. "But your request to learn Serenitea Pot and healing arts… my healing comes from my Qilin bloodline, and Serenitea Pot from Lord Morax's blessing. I can't guarantee you'll master them."
"No worries, Miss G—Ganyu," he caught himself. "Just teach. I'm confident in my learning."
"We'll need a serene place for Adeptal training. Let's head to Jueyun Karst. Many seek immortals there, but most linger at the edges. Only true seekers meet Adepti," Ganyu said.
"Thank you, Miss Ganyu."
Knowing his speed, Ganyu didn't walk. She glided through the air, Reisen Riou trailing as Electro light, zigzagging to avoid overtaking her slower pace. By sunset, they reached a tranquil spot in Mt. Aozang, the dojo of Ganyu's master, Cloud Retainer, a premier crane Adeptus. Morax and friends once drank here, making it a famed Adeptal abode, though its vastness and Cloud Retainer's reclusive mechanism studies kept it obscure among mortals. Moon Carver, Morax's chief disciple, was better known.
"Let's start with Serenitea Pot," Ganyu began, explaining its complex principles, part of Morax's Three Eyes and Five Manifestations. She crafted a temporary pocket realm using Cor Lapis and other materials for demonstration.
Reisen Riou, with Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine at full power and remote processing aid from Raiden Ei, barely grasped the theory. Ganyu's Serenitea Pot was basic; her pocket realm collapsed quickly, partly due to common materials. She taught stabilization techniques, delaying collapse until midnight.
As Ganyu detailed the art's intricacies, Reisen Riou closed his eyes, calculating furiously. White steam rose from his head, and his Thunderous Yougou Divine Machine warmed, strained by the effort. Serenitea Pot used a [medium] to forge a vast space within a [container], neither fully material nor wholly mental (Liyue's "inner realm"). It balanced illusion and reality, becoming more tangible with upkeep, allowing fish, flowers, or crops.
Beyond space manipulation, it involved reality-illusion interplay, material-energy cycles, and elemental absorption—profound knowledge. Its true value was mitigating erosion, a curse on long-lived beings, causing estrangement and identity loss. Noticing Reisen Riou's unfamiliarity, Ganyu explained: erosion turned friends into foes and selves into strangers.
Despite his focus, Reisen Riou caught every word. "I've got the basics," he declared, eyes snapping open. Using materials he'd collected—mirroring Ganyu's—he channeled youkai energy, melting them into a 10cm box. A bubble formed, creating a one-square-meter space in his perception, then collapsed into a crumpled mass.
"Failed," he said.
"You missed the framework," Ganyu explained. "A support structure is needed, like the hut in my demo."