"This is the most special, most unreasonable card I've ever seen since opening this shop." Lu Heng's voice carried a hint of awe.
It had reached the pinnacle of the fifth tier!
Moreover, it embodied the "Dao"!
Was Furina's [Ancient Throne of the Gods] strong?
Of course, it was incredibly strong.
Once Furina's equipment tier improved, activating the "Will of the King" would be akin to the effect of "words becoming law," wouldn't it?
Yet, in terms of extremity, it still paled in comparison to this card!
Hearing Lu Heng's (emotional sigh), the crowd gasped in astonishment.
Anyone with a brain knew that the strength of Shopkeeper Lu of the Card Shop was unfathomable.
If even he was moved to such emotion, just how heaven-defying was this [Lower Back, Exhausting the Origin]?!
Among the crowd, Zhongli and Venti strode forward.
Seeing the crowd's reaction, Venti curiously asked, "Seems like some powerful card was drawn? Or does it have some special effect?" The two were already familiar with Lu Heng and went straight to the shop entrance.
Then, they saw the card.
"Ah?"
Venti froze on the spot.
The Dao?!
Hold on—
How could something like this even exist?!
Zhongli's expression turned grave.
Just the imagery on this single card made his heart race with trepidation.
Especially when he noticed the edges of the card—golden with a faint reddish hue… Good heavens!
Zhongli had a deep impression of Keqing.
Back during the Rite of Descension, Keqing had openly questioned him. To most, this would be seen as an act of irreverence.
But Zhongli wasn't angry. On the contrary, he greatly admired Keqing's courage to question authority!
People worshipped the Geo Archon, Morax, and held unwavering faith in him.
Over time, they had sculpted Morax into an image of infallibility!
He was absolutely wise! Absolutely correct! Absolutely invincible!
And while Morax was indeed wise, he was not infallible—only relatively heaven-defying.
Zhongli didn't want this.
Because even he had many things beyond his control.
When someone among the people finally emerged—no longer blindly worshiping Morax but daring to question him—wasn't this a sign of their growth?
And Keqing was precisely that kind of person.
She believed in Morax, but that didn't mean she accepted every arrangement he made without question.
She had her ideals, her own unyielding principles.
Thus, Zhongli admired her and looked forward to the changes she would bring to Liyue.
And now…
Had she really drawn such an overpowered card?
Did this mean… she had gained the power to protect Liyue, and he could finally let go?
Zhongli fell into deep thought.
Then, he overheard Keqing and Lu Heng's conversation.
"You must be extremely careful when using this card," Lu Heng warned.
"Mr. Lu, could you elaborate?"
Keqing knew it was strong, but she didn't know just how outrageous it was!
"The pinnacle of sword Dao represents flawless sword techniques, the intent to draw one's blade and sever all things in the world… It means that too many things, in its presence, can be cut down with a single strike!"
Lu Heng carefully chose his words before continuing, "To put it simply, once you equip this card, even if you pluck a wild grass from the roadside, you could use it to slice through mountains, split rivers, or cleave the ocean in half."
"It's that strong?!" Keqing's eyes widened in shock.
"This is the Dao!"
"A casual swing of your sword would command the respect of countless swordsmen."
"If you don't use any flashy techniques, it might seem plain… but there's nothing it cannot cut!"
"Let me put it even more bluntly. Right now, with a three-foot blade in hand, aside from me and the things in this shop, anyone struck by your sword energy will inevitably be wounded. The severity depends on the difference in your cultivation realms."
With the pinnacle of sword Dao at her side, wasn't it only natural to challenge those above her level?
Even if Keqing was still a novice in terms of equipment, once she equipped this card, she could pluck a blade of grass from the roadside and—as long as she got close enough—land a hit. No matter who you were, what you'd receive was true damage!
It was like in games.
You had to consider attack power, elemental damage bonuses, and other stats.
And after an attack landed, part of the damage would be mitigated by the enemy's defense or resistances.
But!
What if the damage dealt was percentage-based true damage?
How would you counter that?
Keqing was stunned for a long moment before she blurted out, "Does this mean… I can queue up now?"
Ningguang was momentarily taken aback.
Behind her, Xingqiu also froze.
Suddenly, they remembered what Lu Heng had said to Ningguang earlier.
And now…
Lu Heng nodded solemnly.
"You're fully qualified!"
Keqing's eyes immediately lit up with a radiant smile.
Hah!
No need to envy Ningguang anymore!
She, too, was now qualified to challenge the Geo Archon!
And she only needed one card to do it!
As Zhongli approached, he overheard this.
A chill ran down his spine.
Why… did he feel like they were discussing something rather disrespectful about him?!
"Lady Yuheng can now queue up to challenge the Geo Archon too. Her luck is amazing!"
"Yeah, yeah! Sword Dao—so cool and so strong… I heard Lady Yuheng was already skilled in swordsmanship, right?"
"Among the current Qixing, two are almost comparable to the Geo Archon now… What an era we live in!"
Zhongli: "…"
Huh?
Me?!
So what they meant by "queueing up" was… lining up to challenge him?
Zhongli's lips twitched.
Wasn't this a bit too… rude?
Did the Geo Archon not deserve any respect?
Cough cough…
Venti was laughing so hard his stomach hurt.
He was grateful!
Thankfully, he hadn't lived as long as the old man and didn't have titles like "the oldest Archon" or the folkloric "God of War" attached to him!
Hah!
"Our revered Geo Archon has now become a unit of measurement," Venti said, barely holding back his laughter.
Zhongli's expression was complicated, his words stuck in his throat.
What could he even say?
After some thought, it seemed there was nothing to say.
Lu Heng spotted the two and nearly lost his composure.
He simply nodded with a smile before turning back to Keqing. "But don't get too cocky. Theoretical comparisons are just empty talk. In a real fight, practical experience matters. After all, a child swinging a giant axe won't scare many people."
"I understand," Keqing said solemnly, nodding.
Just having the qualification to queue up was enough—it wasn't like she actually wanted to defeat the Geo Archon.
"While this one card lets you roam the world unhindered… cards are like Mora. No one ever has enough. It's better to have a few more in reserve," Lu Heng said with a smile.
"Mhm!"
Keqing fully agreed.
She immediately equipped the card.
The moment the knowledge card was equipped, the swordmaster's lifetime of knowledge and understanding of the sword became Keqing's own.
Her aura abruptly transformed.
She became razor-sharp, like a blade that could sever anything!
The crowd shuddered, their hairs standing on end.
But in the next instant, she returned to a state of simplicity.
The feeling of facing an unsheathed sword ready to claim lives vanished without a trace.
Keqing closed her eyes, immersing herself in the sensation.
In this state, she had… attained enlightenment.
After a long while, her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
A glint of sword light flashed in her pupils before she concealed it.
Exhaling softly, she said, "Then I'll continue drawing cards."
"Go ahead," Lu Heng nodded.
Keqing resumed drawing but didn't pull a second gold card.
Still, she remained calm. "Getting one overwhelmingly powerful card is already a stroke of incredible luck. I shouldn't be greedy today."
"Feeling rewarded is what matters," Lu Heng said, repeating his usual line.
Though she didn't get another gold card, she did obtain several decent purple cards.
Two were weapons—a dagger and a warhammer, neither of which were swords.
Did she even need purple-tier weapons now?
Before the pinnacle of sword Dao, they were redundant!
Though a fifth-tier sword would still be a welcome addition.
"I won't hold up the line any longer," Keqing said, stepping aside to sort her cards.
After her, it was Xingqiu's turn.
Lu Heng looked at the second young master of the Feiyun Commerce Guild.
His home was right across the street—about 200 meters away, given the wide entrance of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. They'd be seeing each other often.
"Mr. Lu!"
Xingqiu had a scholarly air about him, his manners impeccable.
"So, what's the plan?" Lu Heng asked with a smile.
After all, while the Feiyun Commerce Guild couldn't compare to Ningguang's influence, it was still a prominent name in Liyue Harbor!
Another big spender!
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T/N:
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