From ancient times to the present, Lucas was probably the only person to have ever seen the Geo Archon in such a state.
Before Zhongli could say anything, there was a soft ping as a delicate button, unable to withstand the weight of the "mountains," popped off and fell to the ground.
Without a second thought, Zhongli bent down to pick it up.
It's worth noting that she had been standing with her back to Lucas the entire time, and his hands were still resting on the dimples of her lower back. As Zhongli leaned forward, the position they were in looked... more than a little suggestive.
Just then, the door to the room swung open, and Xianyun walked in, her face beaming with pride. "So? How does the outfit fit? Is it comfor—"
Her words trailed off as she froze in place. From her angle, Zhongli was bent over, and Lucas was standing behind her, his hands still on her waist.
Though Xianyun had never experienced romance herself, having lived for thousands of years, she knew exactly what this looked like. Her cheeks flushed red, and she quickly turned around. "Sorry for interrupting! Carry on!"
Normally, a mother-in-law catching her son-in-law in such a compromising position with another woman would cause quite a scene, especially someone as principled as Xianyun.
But the woman in question was none other than the Geo Archon!
No way she could interfere! No way!
Better to just leave!
Seeing Xianyun's misunderstanding, Lucas quickly called out, "Wait, it's not what you think!"
"Don't worry, I won't tell Ganyu!"
Xianyun rattled off this sentence at lightning speed before gracefully exiting the room, leaving behind only her noble intentions.
By then, Zhongli had picked up the button. Even without its support, the "peaks" remained impressively upright. Though they seemed to have a slight outward tilt, their sheer grandeur made them a sight to behold.
"What's wrong with her?" Zhongli seemed oblivious to what had just happened.
"It's... it's just..." Lucas's gaze lingered on the "valley" for several seconds, almost as if he were being pulled in. Even the Ring of Manipulation on his wrist glowed with a faint pink hue.
"I see," Zhongli stroked her chin thoughtfully. "From a rational perspective, you must be... reacting to my body."
Holy crap! Do gods always speak so bluntly?
"Don't... don't joke around!" Lucas tried to brush it off. "That's so rude."
"You're very polite," Zhongli glanced down at the other Lucas, "but it isn't."
Indeed, "Little Lucas" was standing at full attention, making his feelings abundantly clear.
This was probably the male version of "the mouth says no, but the body says yes."
Seeing Lucas's flushed and flustered face, Zhongli continued, "This explains everything. From the angle Xianyun saw us, she must have mistaken our position for... mating."
"Please don't just casually say that word..." Lucas said, half-laughing, half-crying. "You're still a woman, after all."
"Heaven and earth intertwine, and all things are born. Male and female unite, and all things flourish. This is the natural order of things. Why hide it?" Zhongli spoke with an air of righteousness. "Your desire to mate with me shows that my body is sufficiently attractive and that your body is healthy. This is a good thing."
As expected of the Geo Archon, her perspective was on a completely different level from ordinary people.
"Having desires is perfectly normal," Zhongli's gaze fell on the Ring of Manipulation on Lucas's wrist. "Rather than suppressing your desires and letting them become your shackles, face them head-on and turn them into your weapon."
These words seemed to strike a chord with Lucas. He nodded thoughtfully, murmuring, "Face my desires... head-on?"
Ever since awakening the "Villain Simulator," Lucas had been torn between good and evil. On one hand, in the simulator, he could do whatever it took to achieve his goals, no matter how unscrupulous. On the other hand, in reality, he had to suppress his darker impulses.
Evil thoughts arise from desire. If he could face his desires head-on, perhaps those dark impulses would no longer bind him.
Perhaps because of this sudden realization, even the glow of the Temptation Ring on his wrist began to fade.
"Also, I was quite impressed with your performance today," Zhongli said calmly. "So... I've decided to give you a gift."
"A gift?" Lucas asked curiously. "What kind of gift?"
"It's something I've treasured for a long time," Zhongli replied. "I've kept it hidden away, but after our battle today, I feel it's time to awaken it."
With that, Zhongli's hand produced a heavy, rough stone spear—the same training spear she had used to teach Lucas earlier.
"Is this it?" Lucas was a bit speechless but still managed a polite smile. "Its weight is perfect for training."
"Ah, I almost forgot." Zhongli smiled faintly. With a gentle touch of her fingers, the hard stone shell of the spear cracked, and pieces of rock fell away like crumbling plaster.
Inside the stone shell was a sleek black spear, its blade gleaming with a golden-white light. It was clearly no ordinary weapon.
"This spear is called Vortex Vanquisher. It was a weapon I often used in my youth," Zhongli handed the spear to Lucas. "Though it's not particularly rare or valuable, it's sturdy and reliable. It pairs well with the Rain of Stone Spear Technique I taught you."
Not particularly rare or valuable?
Come on, this is a 5-star weapon!
Its worth atleast hundreds of pulls!
[Vortex Vanquisher]
[Rank: S]
[Effect 1: Increases shield strength by 40%.]
[Effect 2: Each hit increases attack power by 8%, stacking up to 5 times.]
[Description: A peerlessly sharp spear, said to be capable of piercing anything. When swung, it leaves visible cuts in the air itself.]
The Geo Archon truly lived up to her title, casually handing out 5-star weapons like they were nothing.
Of course, with her level of power, she had likely transcended the need for weapons altogether. To her, armaments were probably just sentimental relics of the past.
With that in mind, Lucas had no qualms about accepting the treasure.
If Zhongli was willing to give, he was certainly willing to receive.