After Kazuha finished his explanation, he closed his eyes and sighed, seemingly reminded of something from his past.
"Indeed, in my view, a Vision is a banner that represents the acknowledgment of the gods."
Beidou said thoughtfully, arms crossed over her chest as she regarded everyone with furrowed brows.
"And the one who can make it shine again must be a warrior among warriors."
"Whoever can rekindle this Vision light would indeed be formidable."
Qiu Bai remarked with a gentle laugh, looking at Kazuha while recalling a classic phrase.
"As they say, there will always be those from the mortal realm brave enough to face the divine radiance of the Electro Archon."
"To discover such exceptional fighters, and to give this Vision a chance to shine once more, I organized the South Cross Tournament."
Beidou explained to the group.
Turning to Lumine with a smile, she added,
"If you don't have a Vision, isn't this the perfect opportunity to obtain one?"
"That wouldn't be particularly useful for me."
Lumine replied honestly.
"Exactly! Instead of some fighting tournament, what we really want to know is how to get to Inazuma."
Paimon interjected, spreading her tiny hands
"Actually, I need to go to Inazuma as well, if there's a way please count me in."
Qiu Bai commented with a light chuckle, arms crossed.
"Qiu Bai, you're going to Inazuma too?!"
Paimon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Yes, little Paimon. The young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild asked me to handle something for him."
Qiu Bai explained with a smile, gently patting Paimon's head.
"Oh, I see! You mean Xingqiu, the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild?"
Paimon asked brightly.
"That's right."
Qiu Bai nodded in confirmation.
"Inazuma... you wish to go to that place..."
Kazuha murmured, slowly closing his eyes as if lost in distant memories.
"Well, why didn't you say so earlier? Going to Inazuma is no problem!"
Beidou declared, hands on her hips as she grinned at Lumine.
"If you win, your prize can be either the Vision or a ship ticket to Inazuma—your choice!"
"You're so accommodating!"
Lumine's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Beidou.
"You just want her to participate in your tournament!"
Paimon accused, crossing her arms and giving Beidou a suspicious look.
"Hahaha! Why not? The more skilled fighters, the more exciting the tournament becomes."
Beidou laughed.
"And you, Traveler, are someone I wanted to invite no matter what."
"What should we do, Traveler?"
Paimon turned to Lumine with resignation.
"To reach Inazuma, it seems we'll have to participate after all."
"I'm confident, let's give it a try."
Lumine nodded to Paimon with determination.
"This is troublesome. Winning is the only way to get passage to Inazuma."
Qiu Bai mused, stroking his chin.
"I suppose I'll have to enter as well."
"What?! No, no, no! If you participate, what chance will the Traveler have?!"
Paimon flew directly in front of Qiu Bai, her voice rising with alarm.
"Oh? Do you lack faith in Lumine, little Paimon?"
Qiu Bai teased the floating companion.
"You! You're impossible!"
Paimon stomped her foot in mid-air frustratedly.
"This isn't about faith at all!"
Paimon shuddered as images of Qiu Bai battling Osial and Azhdaha flashed through her mind.
How could anyone hope to defeat him?
Even if all the archons of the mortal realm joined forces, could any of them prevail against Qiu Bai in single combat?
"No! Absolutely not!"
Paimon shook her head vigorously.
"You are not allowed to participate!"
"Besides, don't you have that ability where you can just whoosh and teleport really far away?" she continued, waving her arms dramatically.
The diminutive guide jumped in the air, gesturing wildly to illustrate her point.
"Little Paimon, haven't I told you before?"
Qiu Bai explained with an amused smile.
"I can't use that ability to reach places I've never visited before."
"It's hopeless, Traveler."
Paimon lamented, flying back to Lumine with a dejected expression.
"We should forget about the tournament. There's no way we can beat this guy!"
"Don't be so pessimistic."
Qiu Bai offered consolingly.
"How about I use only one-tenth of my power? Would that be fair?"
"One-tenth of your power?"
Paimon turned back to Qiu Bai, spreading her tiny hands in exasperation.
"You're so generous... but what difference would that even make?"
Even at one-tenth strength, couldn't he still defeat the Traveler with just one finger?
"Qiu Bai, this is really important to me, you know that."
Lumine stepped forward, pleading earnestly.
"Is this Qiu Bai gentleman truly that powerful?"
Beidou asked, perplexed by their exchange.
"Why are you so afraid of him participating?"
She couldn't understand why the Traveler, who had helped Liyue repel an ancient god, would fear a seemingly delicate consultant.
"This guy... it's beyond a simple question of strength."
Paimon explained with one hand pressed against her forehead.
"Yes, the Traveler helped Liyue against the ancient god, but..."
"I know the Traveler repelled the ancient god, and naturally the Immortal Lord destroyed it."
Beidou said, puzzled.
"But why are we discussing this?"
"Are you suggesting, that this gentleman is as powerful as our Immortal Lord?!"
Beidou stared at Qiu Bai in disbelief.
"No, no!"
Paimon hastily waved her hands in denial.
"You scared me there, I thought you were claiming there was someone in this world besides Rex Lapis who could defeat the Immortal Lord."
Beidou exhaled, wiping sweat from her brow.
She had momentarily feared this Qiu Bai might be even stronger than the divine adepti themselves.
"But from what you're saying, this Qiu Bai must still be incredibly strong!"
Beidou remarked.
"Why not let someone so powerful participate?"
Crossing her arms confidently, she continued.
"You should have faith in yourselves. No matter whom you face, stand firm in your resolve and fight with everything you've got!"
"How do we explain this to Beidou..."
Paimon whispered to Lumine.
"I have complete faith in you normally, but against that guy? I can't muster even a shred of confidence."
"To be honest, I don't feel confident either."
Lumine admitted, placing her hands on her hips with irritation.
"This is all Qiu Bai's fault."
The seasoned captain observed their hushed exchange with growing curiosity.
Though she couldn't hear their whispered words, the trepidation in their body language spoke volumes.
Who exactly was this Qiu Bai? His gentle demeanor certainly belied whatever strength they attributed to him.
In her years sailing the treacherous waters around Liyue, Beidou had encountered countless warriors and even supernatural beings—yet she'd never seen the famous Traveler so hesitant.
Meanwhile, Kazuha maintained a thoughtful silence, his keen senses detecting something unusual about the mysterious consultant.
Unlike ordinary vision bearers whose elemental affinities he could easily discern, this Qiu Bai emanated no such resonance—almost as if he existed beyond the elemental tapestry that defined Teyvat itself.
"Perhaps there's another solution, the tournament allows for team participation. You could both enter as allies rather than opponents."
Kazuha finally offered, breaking his contemplative silence.
Beidou eyes lit up at this suggestion.
"That's right! What a brilliant idea, Kazuha. You two could register as a team—that way, you're working together instead of against each other!"
Paimon and Lumine exchanged hopeful glances. This could be the perfect compromise.
"What do you say, Qiu Bai?"
Lumine asked, her expression brightening considerably.
Before Qiu Bai could respond, a commotion from the harbor drew their attention.
Several merchants were arguing vehemently about shipping routes, with repeated mentions of Inazuma's intensifying sakoku decree.
The lockdown of the isolated nation was becoming more stringent by the day, with fewer ships willing to brave the journey.
"The situation in Inazuma grows more complicated."
Beidou noted with a frown.
"Even with my connections, passages are becoming increasingly rare. This tournament might be your best chance for some time."
Qiu Bai studied Lumine determined expression, then nodded slowly.
"Very well. A team entry would be acceptable. After all, I'm merely curious about the competition, not set on winning it."
"Really?!"
Paimon exclaimed, doing a little aerial somersault.
"You're not just saying that?"
"I give my word."
Qiu Bai replied with a mysterious smile.
"Besides, I'm quite interested in seeing what this masterless Vision is all about."
His gaze drifted toward Kazuha, who tensed almost imperceptibly at the scrutiny.
There was clearly more to the story of this Vision than the wandering samurai had shared.
"Then it's settled!"
Beidou declared, clapping her hands together decisively.
"The tournament begins in three days. Be ready to show Liyue Harbor what true warriors look like!"
As they discussed the registration details, Lumine couldn't help but notice Kazuha distant expression as he stared out toward the eastern sea, in the direction of Inazuma.
Whatever connection he had to that isolated nation—and to the masterless Vision—ran deeper than he was willing to admit.
For now, though, their path forward was clear: victory in the South Cross Tournament would secure their passage across the treacherous waters to the land of eternity.
And with Qiu Bai as an ally rather than an opponent, perhaps that victory was finally within reach.
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist? Read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [p@treon.com/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)