The teleport feature is really useful.
In the last second, Yilan was still standing at Jean's doorstep, and in the next, he arrived at the teleportation anchor in The Chasm closest to Sumeru.
It should be noted that teleportation anchors are not merely game mechanics meant for player convenience.
There are specific references in Genshin lore stating that these are ancient, mysterious devices scattered across the continent.
Even ordinary citizens of Teyvat are aware of their existence, though no one aside from the Traveler can typically use them.
When Yilan uses a teleportation anchor, a mental map of the continent of Teyvat unfolds in his mind. Every location he has visited lights up, allowing him to teleport there directly.
For this, he has Ganyu to thank—she accompanied him across Liyue, enabling him to unlock every teleportation anchor point in the region.
However, time was pressing, so he didn't go to see Ganyu. Now that he had unlocked the anchor points, his mobility had drastically improved, and he could visit her anytime.
He first traveled to Gandharva Ville. After revealing his identity as the Archbishop of the Church of Favonius in Mondstadt, he easily met Tighnari.
After some casual conversation, he learned two important things.
First, a violet-colored monster had indeed caused trouble in Sumeru City some time ago and was ultimately defeated by the Little Lucky Grass King.
Second, Collei was not in the city.
These two facts were actually quite contradictory—and they were precisely what Yilan had been contemplating on the way.
Previously, his simulated copies always took place in the past, and when they overlapped with reality, the timing also aligned with the past—so there was no conflict.
But this time, his simulation was set in the future, and its superimposition overlapped with the present, potentially causing contradictions.
For example, in his simulated copy, Collei should be in Sumeru. So when the simulation was merged with reality, she ought to have been there too.
But she still seemed to be roaming the wilderness, driven by hatred, seeking a chance to take revenge on the Fatui.
Yilan had no idea how the system's superposition mechanism calculated this.
And as for the Heart of the Raiden Shogun—was it still in Inazuma's hands, or had it fallen into the hands of the scattered Harbingers?
"Never mind."
Yilan decided not to dwell on the problem anymore. After all, if Istaroth, the God of Time, could make future events unfold in the past, then a system of even higher order should be capable of this as well.
"I wonder what brings Mr. Yilan to Sumeru this time? Do you need me to notify the Akademiya or the Dendro Archon in advance?" Tighnari asked politely.
Even if Yilan's current identity was only surface-level, he was still regarded as a Sage affiliated with the Church of God in Sumeru. A figure of his status would naturally receive formal treatment.
"No need to go through the trouble. I'm just here to visit family," Yilan replied with a smile.
"Family? So Lord Yilan has relatives in Sumeru?" Tighnari asked, intrigued.
Yilan nodded. "They're my daughter and… wife?"
Tighnari's expression became subtly strange.
"Visiting family" usually implied reconnecting with long-lost relatives. But separating your wife and daughter?
Suppressing the urge to comment, Tighnari asked, "Do you know where your relatives are? Do you need help finding them?"
"No, I think they're easy to find," Yilan replied with an odd expression. "And…"
He stretched out his hand and caught a small bird that had flown over. The bird affectionately rubbed against his hand. Yilan smiled and said:
"I think she's already found me."
———
After leaving Gandharva Ville, Yilan headed toward Sumeru City.
By the time he arrived, the sun was already high in the sky—it was morning.
Without attracting attention, he entered the city like any ordinary person.
And unlike the game, Sumeru did not hand him a free Void Terminal upon arrival.
Still, since no one was offering, Yilan planned to acquire one himself. It was undeniably useful.
In the game's storyline, the Void System had to be shut down because its core function depended on the Dendro Archon's Gnosis.
However, the plot required the Gnosis to be handed over to Dottore, causing the Void Terminal to lose its primary function.
As for the later explanation—that people had grown too dependent on the Void, and thus it was better to turn it off, followed by poetic praise for the return to paper books—Yilan considered that narrative a tidy bit of screenwriting nonsense.
The internet has its risks. Hackers might hijack your device to do malicious things. But does that mean we should turn off the internet entirely?
These days, many people are addicted to smartphones and can barely function without them. Should we smash all phones, then?
Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is unwise. The Void Terminal, on balance, offers far more benefits than drawbacks.
For one, it functions as an ID and household registry—priceless in an ancient world where tracking citizen records was nearly impossible.
Culturally, it serves as a massive library. Militarily, in times of war, it could integrate the collective computing power of the populace to resist invaders.
Therefore, in this version of reality where the Dendro Archon's Gnosis hadn't been lost, Yilan would never halt the Void's operation.
Following the memory embedded in his simulated knowledge, Yilan made his way to the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Upon arrival, the guards immediately pointed their spears at him:
"Stop! This is the residence of the Dendro Archon. No outsiders are permitted!"
Their vigilance was understandable. After several simulations and attribute enhancements, Yilan's three stats had reached 30.
By panel values alone, he was already at the level of a god. To ordinary mortals, his presence carried a subtle but unmistakable pressure.
At that moment, a young girl in emerald green stepped out.
She wore a verdant cape dress with a ruffled hem inscribed with motifs of the moon, flora, and runes.
Her face was exquisite and delicate. Long silver hair was tied into a side ponytail, her pointed ears adorned with leaf-shaped ornaments, giving the impression of an elven spirit from the forest.
Her long, soft lashes fluttered as she looked at Yilan, her large emerald eyes filled with joy—and a faint touch of shyness.
"Don't be alarmed. Let him in—he is mine…"
"Stop."
Yilan gently placed his hand on her head, signaling her not to finish that sentence.
The guards stared in disbelief.
—This man had clearly been standing in front of them a moment ago.
How did he end up behind them without a sound? Teleportation?
"…Regardless, don't worry," Nahida said to the bewildered guards. "He is an important guest of Sumeru. If he ever visits again, don't stop him."
"Let's go inside. I have a lot of questions," Yilan said.
"Okay! I also have a surprise for Daddy… Look!" Nahida's smile lit up her face as she held his hand and pulled him into the Sanctuary.
Behind them, the guards stood frozen, watching the pair vanish into the depths of the palace.
"…Did I just see that man pat the Little Lucky Grass King on the head?"
"They were holding hands…"
"What exactly is their relationship?"
"..."
The guards remained in stunned silence.
Yilan, who had just stepped into the Sanctuary, was equally stunned.
Because standing before him was a man clad in green, wearing a wide-brimmed hat.
The moment he saw Yilan, his eyes filled with complex emotion, and his face flushed for some reason.
Clenching his fists tightly, Nahida softly encouraged:
"Keep going."
The man hesitated for a moment, then finally managed to speak three words:
"Welcome home, Father."
***
That ending caught me off guard ngl