Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue.

A faint tremor ran through the domain as the Ley Line Blossom slowly unfurled. Wisps of visible white energy flowed into Aether's body, causing his aura to swell noticeably.

"A power boost, huh? But what else?"

Gu Sanqiu kept his eyes fixed on the now-blooming flower, waiting for its next move.

Clink.

With a metallic clang, the flower expelled a crude, weathered spear along with scattered elemental crystals and Mora.

What?!

Gu Sanqiu froze, staring at the loot in disbelief.

This really was a weekly boss drop. And one he didn't recognize from his memory, no less!

But the implications churned in his mind. How did this domain come to exist? What was the connection between Paimon and these anomalies?

His thoughts were interrupted as Paimon flew over, frantically instructing Aether to gather the scattered rewards.

The guilt of causing her partner's financial predicament had evidently transformed into unrestrained glee. With Mora glinting in her eyes, she couldn't have looked more like the embodiment of greed.

A low rumble, akin to distant thunder, echoed through the domain. Gu Sanqiu glanced around, noticing how the surrounding energy seemed to falter and weaken, as if the space itself were entering a state of depletion.

"Waiting for a reset?"

He frowned. "No… it's not that simple."

It felt less like the domain was resetting and more like… a recovery process.

Gu Sanqiu shot a quick glance at Aether.

Now it made sense. This was why that lazy old bard had hinted that Gu Sanqiu might need looking after. Venti had likely known in advance that Gu Sanqiu's attacks would prove useless, and that Aether's abilities would perfectly counter the domain's mechanics.

A purification ability.

But why here?

Why in Dragonspine, a place recently ravaged by the Abyss Order? Why had Durin been chosen as the manifestation of this anomaly?

Gu Sanqiu's thoughts spiraled. If this so-called "reset" actually marked the resurgence of some dormant force, and if Aether's purification ability was crucial to quelling it, then something—or someone—was orchestrating these events behind the scenes.

And worse, these repetitions might serve a greater, more insidious purpose.

His face darkened, and a string of curses formed in his mind. He hated the creeping feeling that his suspicions might be right.

If they were, there wouldn't even be time to grab his belongings and flee before it all fell apart.

"Sanqiu, Sanqiu! Here!"

Paimon cheerfully hauled the worn spear toward him.

"This looks like one of those weapon prototypes the blacksmith mentioned! Neither Aether nor I can use it, so we're giving it to you!"

Actually, this could be useful, Gu Sanqiu thought, but it'd be smarter to sell it and upgrade that dull blade Aether's been using.

Taking the spear, Gu Sanqiu gave Aether a sidelong glance.

"Let me break this prototype down and infuse its energy into your sword. No idea why you insist on sticking to that thing, but this should give it a decent boost."

"Are you sure?" Aether scratched his head. "You'll end up with nothing if you do that… Won't you feel bad?"

Even Paimon chimed in, nodding vigorously. "Yeah! You deserve some rewards too, Sanqiu! If more good stuff like this pops up, we'll need you to tag along next time!"

Whoa. A full sentence without stumbling? Impressive, kid.

Suppressing his parental pride, Gu Sanqiu shot her an unimpressed look.

While they had worked together to defeat Durin's shadow, the truth was that Aether had carried the fight. If anything, Gu Sanqiu had been the one tagging along.

Still, he couldn't deny the thought nagging at him—would Aether have been able to defeat Durin with only Venti's assistance?

He sighed. His family had a literal "God of War" back home—the old man who could reshape the terrain with a spear. Yet, neither Zhongli nor Hu Tao had ever swooped in to give him a similar boost.

Or… could the old man be secretly helping Hu Tao while keeping me in the dark?

The thought lingered, adding to the list of grievances brewing in his mind.

"Fine. I'll call you guys next time something like this comes up."

If I can even consider this a "good thing," Gu Sanqiu thought, already imagining the blood pressure spikes awaiting him in future domains.

As much as he tried to focus on the rewards, his irritation flared at how blatantly the Ley Line Blossom had ignored him after Aether used the Condensed Resin. No loot. No shared reward.

What kind of collaborative effort didn't split the spoils?

If only the domain had responded to his efforts. He might've unleashed a cataclysmic [Seismic Technique] to teach that stingy Blossom some respect.

Instead, his body suddenly tensed.

The glowing core of his inner furnace flickered faintly, activating [Rocksundering Art]—a gift passed down by Azhdaha himself.

The domain's energies, previously hidden, stirred faintly. It was as though the Ley Line energy had been compressed into an unseen dimension.

What could suppress [Rocksundering Art]'s detection of Ley Line power?

Gu Sanqiu stiffened.

Only two beings could clash with such force as to create this kind of anomaly: the highest-tier entities of Teyvat.

And if there was another hand at play here—another puppetmaster manipulating these domains—he might've just stumbled onto something truly nightmarish.

"Run. We're leaving. Now."

He grabbed Aether and Paimon, rushing toward the exit.

---

Outside the domain, Venti lounged lazily atop Dragonspine. A plate of fried potatoes rested on his lap, and a bottle of fine wine dangled from his hand.

When he spotted the streak of glowing blue light darting from the domain's entrance, its aura laced with palpable panic, he chuckled mischievously.

"Hehe. That'll teach you to overthink everything, little nephew. Normal folks just enjoy their rewards and move on, you know?"

Venti twirled a potato wedge before popping it into his mouth.

"There are some things in this world you shouldn't dwell on too much. You're smart—too smart, even—but sometimes ignorance really is bliss."

Looking skyward, he waved cheerfully at nothing in particular.

"And hey, you, cut it out with the spying. I'm doing your kid a favor here, you know. Don't even think about using that Geo spear to whack me!"