For a queen who has long reigned over the northern territories and commanded respect, what is the most important thing?
Without a doubt, it is her land and her dignity.
Yet, both of these invaluable treasures were trampled upon by the man before her.
After the dust settled.
The Tsaritsa hugged a pillow, crouching in the corner, her eyes dazed, as if she couldn't quite believe what had just happened.
Lucas shook out his clothes and calmly pulled them over his head.
"What's done is done. The seed has been planted," Lucas said indifferently. "Now, all we need to do is wait for it to take root and sprout."
"Don't even think about it!" The Tsaritsa bit her lip tightly. "I'll freeze whatever you left inside me into ice. I won't give it a chance to grow!"
"You underestimate your own body," Lucas shook his head. "Life finds a way. Even if you torment yourself like that, the outcome won't change."
"At the very least, I can end my own life!" The Tsaritsa's fingers transformed into a razor-sharp ice blade, pressing against her throat. "If the soil is destroyed, how can the seed sprout?"
The Tsaritsa had thought her actions would at least make Lucas show some concern. Instead, he simply looked at her with indifference, as if saying, "Hurry up, I'm on a tight schedule."
"You… you're not going to stop me?" The Tsaritsa seemed nervous.
"If the soil is destroyed, I'll transplant the sprouted seed into healthy soil," Lucas said coldly. "Similarly, even if you die, I can find another vessel to replace you… You're right. When it comes to 'defiling life,' I am indeed second to none."
The blade had already nicked the Tsaritsa's snow-white neck, drawing a thin line of blood. Finally, she dropped the ice blade, covering her face and weeping like a true fallen queen.
"If you cooperate with me, I can spare your life," Lucas said as he pushed open the door, not looking back. "Remember, I've already given you one chance to be willful. There won't be a second."
After closing the door, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles crossed her arms and said, "You were lying to her earlier, weren't you?"
"I've lied to her many times," Lucas shamelessly admitted. "Which one are you referring to?"
"You really are a scoundrel," the Sustainer said coldly. "If she dies, the child inside her cannot be transplanted. An ordinary human body cannot nurture such a powerful fetus. The energy required would drain the mother dry in an instant."
"You're right. I was just trying to scare her. No matter what, the Tsaritsa herself is the best vessel," Lucas said without changing his expression. "But do you really think I'm the type to not have a backup plan? I've already created puppets in Inazuma that can serve as vessels. And if all else fails… there's always you."
The Sustainer was momentarily stunned before she reacted, her voice tinged with anger. "What exactly do you take me for?"
"A stepping stone. You, the Tsaritsa, even myself—we're all just stepping stones to help me climb to the highest point."
As Lucas spoke, his body began to age rapidly. His black hair turned white, and his once heroic features were soon covered in wrinkles. "Step by step, I've gone from a prisoner to the Tianquan, to the head of the Liyue Qixing, to the uncrowned king of the Seven Sacred Alliance. I stand atop the Jade Chamber, yet I still haven't reached the highest point. Every time I climb to a new height, there's always a higher place waiting for me."
"Humans are truly incomprehensible creatures," the Sustainer said with a complex expression. "Even if you do reach the highest point, what do you plan to do then?"
"I don't know," Lucas said with a carefree smile. "If that day ever comes, I'll just take a deep breath and see what the air at the top smells like."
---
[Mission Complete: Stop the Tsaritsa's Restoration]
[Reward: Talent - Icebreaker]
[Effect: Increases damage dealt to all ice-elemental creatures, constructs, and substances by 50%.]
---
[Age 71: Your previous failures with the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles were not in vain. The seed you planted in the Tsaritsa's soil has indeed taken root and begun to sprout. However, this is no ordinary human fetus, and the time required for its gestation is something even you cannot accurately estimate.]
[Age 72: Perhaps due to the use of the genetic enhancement serum, your body's aging has accelerated, and your strength is gradually fading.]
[Age 73: In Liyue's folklore, there's an old saying: 'Seventy-three, eighty-four—if the King of Hell doesn't call for you, you'll go on your own.' These ages are considered two major hurdles in life, where death often comes easily.]
[However, the one who passed away wasn't you—it was Ningguang. Even in her final years, she never gave up her duties as the Tianquan.]
[To many in Liyue, including you, Ningguang seemed like an immortal, ageless figure. Thus, her death felt somewhat unreal.]
["What a pity… I didn't get to see you reach the highest point," Ningguang said, her voice weak but her demeanor as graceful and beautiful as ever. "But in my eyes, you've always been the highest."]
["Rest easy. Wait for me over there," you whispered in her ear, your aged voice soft. "When I reach the highest point, I'll come find you."]
[You commissioned the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to hold a state funeral for Ningguang. Just like when you held a funeral for Uncle Tianshu, the parlor didn't charge a single Mora for the service of this lifelong servant of Liyue Harbor.]
[Though you and Ningguang were never officially married, your relationship had long been like that of an old married couple. Following her final wishes, you buried her ashes beneath the tree in the Jade Chamber. As you filled in the last handful of soil, you shed your first tear in decades.]
---
[Age 74: You welcomed a new 'guest' to the Jade Chamber—a young girl who bore a striking resemblance to the Doctor but was much younger. She handed you a letter, the handwriting unmistakably the Doctor's.]
[The letter's contents were simple. As you had guessed, the girl was the child you and the Doctor had 'cultivated' years ago.]
["Did your mother not tell you about your father?" you asked, testing the waters.]