"The Fatui manipulated the Raiden Shogun."
"The Vision Hunt Decree should never have been issued."
Lumine frowned as she spoke to Raiden Ei before her.
"Oh?"
"You summoned me from my eternal meditation just to say this?"
Raiden Ei shook her head at Lumine.
"Perhaps you are underestimating me too much."
"Of course I know about the Vision Hunt Decree."
Raiden Ei crossed her arms and spoke with her eyes half-closed.
"You know about everything happening outside?"
Lumine asked in surprise.
"Not exactly... What I know is everything related to Eternity."
"Including the issuance of the Vision Hunt Decree, which I permitted."
Raiden Ei slowly opened her eyes and explained.
"So you don't really know after all."
Qiu Bai looked at the foolish Raiden shadow, his mouth twitching as he couldn't help but cover his forehead.
"And as for the Fatui actions."
"They have not yet posed a threat to Eternity, otherwise... they would have been eliminated long ago."
Raiden Ei said, looking at Qiu Bai and Lumine.
"But the Vision Hunt Decree..."
"It has caused the people of Inazuma to lose so much..."
Lumine said, placing a hand on her chest as she looked at Raiden Ei.
"Ambitions are inherently detrimental to Eternity."
"Perhaps you haven't realized that pursuing ambitions often leads people to lose even more."
Raiden Ei was silent for a moment, then spoke to Lumine and Qiu Bai.
"Just as the confiscation of Visions itself doesn't cause anyone to lose their lives when their Vision is taken away..."
"Those who die are actually the ones who insist on pursuing their ambitions, aren't they?"
Raiden Ei asked Lumine.
"Teppei..."
Lumine murmured in her heart.
"Traveler, you are indeed a special existence in my eyes."
"You carry countless uncertainties within you; in other words, you are furthest from Eternity."
Raiden Ei said to Lumine.
"Therefore, I have no intention of making you understand its meaning."
"It is enough that this body carries out the path of Eternity for the people of this world."
Raiden Ei explained slowly, arms crossed.
"This place is your Plane of Euthymia."
"A space constructed by your consciousness, right?"
Lumine asked with furrowed brows.
"Correct, you even know about this..."
"Well then, you're looking for a chance to shake my resolve, aren't you?"
Raiden Ei slowly asked the two before her.
"Beelzebul, your Eternity may be correct."
"But this path is not suitable for your people."
Qiu Bai spoke slowly to Raiden Ei.
"Morcius, you are the Eighth God of the mortal world and a close friend of Morax."
"Then you should understand the harm that erosion brings."
Raiden Ei frowned as she addressed Qiu Bai.
"The past may be painful, but the fleeting light is worth pursuing, because at least we have this moment of beauty."
"Therefore, keep moving forward, run forward without looking back, and perhaps you can maintain what is beautiful."
Qiu Bai didn't answer Raiden Ei directly, but instead spoke these words to her.
"Those were Makoto words."
"But..."
Raiden Ei shook her head with sadness upon hearing this.
"Five hundred years ago, the nation that ran at the forefront without stopping."
"Along with her, perished in that era."
Raiden Ei spoke with sorrow to Morcius before her.
"Ei, if we follow your understanding of Eternity."
"Then I believe I have already achieved your version of Eternity."
Qiu Bai crossed his arms and spoke slowly to Raiden Ei.
"Achieved Eternity? What do you mean?"
"Apart from the Heavenly Principles, have you also touched Eternity?"
Raiden Ei covered her chest with one hand and asked Qiu Bai with confusion.
"Heh heh..."
"Honestly, I don't consider myself to have achieved Eternity, but according to your thinking, perhaps I have."
Qiu Bai looked at Raiden Ei and explained with a light laugh.
"I am a being that cannot be eroded."
"But regarding achieving what you call Eternity, my heart feels no great waves."
Qiu Bai walked up to Raiden Ei, looking into her beautiful eyes.
"The old warriors never die; they pass on their legacy like fire."
"For me, mortals running with all their might toward their ambitions, or entrusting their unfulfilled wishes to the next generation—both are worthy of respect."
Qiu Bai extended one hand, with Yin and Yang energies rotating continuously in his palm.
"But..."
Raiden Ei raised her head, divine light flashing in her beautiful eyes, about to refute.
"I know what you want to say."
"Mortals live only a hundred years; they lack the strength to bear such suffering, right?"
Qiu Bai interrupted her, asking with a light laugh.
"Human life is indeed only about a hundred years, but precisely because it is so brief."
"Within their limited time, doing what they want to do, being unrestricted and pursuing ambitions."
"There is certainly pain, but equally, there is joy. I think you once experienced these things too."
Qiu Bai said softly to Raiden Ei.
"I..."
Raiden Ei lowered her head in silence.
"As gods, you and I have extremely long lifespans."
"But likewise, mental damage is unavoidable."
"For humans with only a hundred years of life, your philosophy might be correct, but these ideas are not suitable for mortals."
Qiu Bai spoke slowly to Raiden Ei.
"Just wanting to lock yourself in a room, always avoiding things—as a god, I cannot agree with your philosophy."
"And you are also unaware of the harm caused by the Vision Hunt Decree."
Qiu Bai murmured to Raiden Ei.
"The harm of the Vision Hunt Decree?"
Raiden Ei raised her head and asked Qiu Bai with confusion.
"As a god, I have traveled alongside the Traveler on this journey."
"During this time, I have seen the people of Inazuma, the war, those who lost their ambitions, and even the Vision Hunt Decree itself was permitted due to your being misled."
Qiu Bai spoke with his eyes slightly closed, arms crossed.
"No..."
"This moment is fragile and illusory... Only when time is fixed can everything be constant and still."
"Whether it is the present, future, or past, all must be one, so that nothing is lost, and nothing will be lost."
Raiden Ei raised her head and refuted Qiu Bai.
Having meditated for so long, how could she change her inner thoughts because of just a few sentences?
"So, we still have to fight, don't we?"
Qiu Bai sighed as he looked at Raiden Ei.
He never expected to convince Raiden Ei with words alone.
After all, how could a god who had reinforced her beliefs for so long be moved by mere words?
"What is Qiu Bai saying to the Electro Archon?"
Lumine looked at the two with complete bewilderment; she couldn't understand much.
But it seemed they had failed.
"I will... defeat you..."
A dull blade appeared in Lumine hand as she firmly addressed Raiden Ei.
"Draw your blade..."
"Do you wish to be the enemy of Eternity, Traveler?"
The Musou Isshin appeared in Raiden Ei hand, with the power of lightning flashing in her beautiful eyes.
Then she suddenly charged toward Lumine!
CLANG!!!
With a tremendous sound, a figure blocked her path.
"Add me in, shall we?"
Qiu Bai looked into Raiden Ei beautiful eyes, blocking the Musou Isshin with his Chaos Sword, his pupils emitting a faint ink-white light as he asked with a smile.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Now you can read 30 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)