To be honest, ever since everyone moved into the MC world, it was rare for them to return to Teyvat in the middle of the afternoon.
Still thinking about the beacon, everyone quickly boarded the Jade Chamber. Under Ningguang's control, it set off toward Guili Plains.
That area was far from Liyue Harbor, so even if the beacon's light shot straight into the sky, it wouldn't cause too much of a commotion.
There were also Qianyan Army soldiers stationed at Guili Plains, making it convenient for testing.
Ningguang and the others weren't afraid that the beacon's sudden burst of light would arouse suspicion.
In Ningguang's words:
Even if all of Teyvat knew Liyue was up to something big, would they dare risk angering Liyue just to investigate?
What Ningguang and the others were concerned about was merely causing too big a stir too suddenly, making it hard to explain to the people of Liyue Harbor.
The Jade Chamber hovered silently 500 meters in the air.
At the edge of the Jade Chamber's deck, a max-level beacon base had already been built.
It was still constructed from iron blocks.
At the very least, for now, iron was abundant enough to be used generously.
In fact, with a piglin farm, gold could be produced endlessly as well—but Ningguang felt that would be too conspicuous.
After all, the Jade Chamber still occasionally hosted guests.
If someone saw the entire platform covered in gold, it might give them quite a fright.
Ryen stood on top of the beacon base, holding the beacon in hand.
Almost at the same moment the base was finished, Xiao returned to the Jade Chamber riding a gale of wind.
"Mr. Ryen, the Qianyan Army has been notified."
Ryen nodded and got straight to the point, placing the beacon without delay.
The next moment, before everyone's eyes, the beacon erupted in a column of light far stronger than what they'd seen in the MC world.
It pierced the sky with unstoppable force, dispersing the clouds. The dazzling beam made it look like the Jade Chamber was suspended on a pillar of light.
It was almost as radiant as the sun.
Everyone instinctively squinted their eyes.
"As expected... The beacon is even more powerful in this world."
Keqing happily clenched her fist.
After adjusting to the glare, Ningguang stepped onto the platform and opened the beacon interface as usual.
Just as she was about to select the enhancement effects, she suddenly froze.
"Ryen, do beacons apply buffs to all humanoid creatures?"
At her words, Ryen paused, frowning slightly before replying:
"I'm not sure. This thing is still quite mysterious... Technically, it should apply buffs to all friendly units."
"How about when you choose the effect, you focus your thoughts on who should receive the buff?"
Ningguang went silent, then gave Ryen a helpless look.
"A world this rigidly programmed... would it really have such a subjective mechanic?"
Still, she went along with Ryen's idea and focused her thoughts on the people who needed the buff.
She selected Strength II and Speed I.
The next moment, a gentle light swept over everyone present. Jean and the others exchanged glances, feeling a surge of power flow through their bodies.
Though not as potent as Ryen's buffs, it was enough for them to wield MC-world tools without relying on elemental energy.
"Xiao, please go check if the Qianyan soldiers below received the buff."
Ningguang spoke calmly, having accepted this new power. She turned toward Xiao.
He nodded, then disappeared in a gust of wind.
Moments later, Xiao's voice returned with surprise carried on the breeze.
"The Qianyan Army has received the buff!"
"I knew it! The effect really did improve! This is great!"
Keqing punched the air hard in excitement.
At this point, the Jade Chamber was hovering at an altitude of around 500 meters.
If even from that height the Qianyan Army could receive the buff, it meant the beacon's effective radius was at least 500 meters.
That radius might not sound like much, but beacon buffs applied in all directions—no blind spots.
A 500-meter radius meant a coverage area of at least 78 hectares.
On a battlefield, that could shift the entire tide of a war.
Moreover, since the Jade Chamber could float and apply buffs from 500 meters up, it was beyond the reach of most conventional attacks in Genshin.
The strategic value of the beacon was now undeniable.
Even if the beacon's range capped at a 1-kilometer diameter, Ningguang and the others were already very satisfied.
The next step was to build enough bases and beacons to turn the Jade Chamber into a flawless war fortress.
"Raise the Jade Chamber higher."
Suddenly, Ryen spoke in a calm tone.
Ningguang nodded, took out the Jade Chamber's core, and began raising the altitude further.
Meanwhile, Xiao continued reporting back.
600 meters...
700...
800...
Only when they reached a distance of 1,000 meters from the ground did Xiao report that the buff had cut off.
"So... the final confirmed buff radius is a full one thousand meters."
Ningguang's mouth opened slightly in disbelief.
A full kilometer radius...
The horizontal area covered was now 314 hectares...
That was nearly half the size of Liyue Harbor.
This level of coverage didn't even need further explanation.
Once activated, the beacon could enhance at least ten thousand Qianyan soldiers across a massive area.
In that scenario, never mind small-scale skirmishes—
the Jade Chamber alone could steer the direction of an entire war.
And that's not even counting the redstone cannons...
Zhongli's pupils reflected his astonishment.
If such a Jade Chamber had existed during the Archon War...
With redstone cannons providing blanket fire from above, and the beacon enhancing personal strength...
Even if thrown into the fiercest battles between gods, it would have swept through with overwhelming force.
"Bring the Jade Chamber back down to 500 meters."
Ryen exhaled in relief, clearly satisfied with the beacon's performance. The beacon's power in Teyvat had far exceeded his expectations.
"Five hundred meters is more than enough for you all. At that height, it's nearly impossible to attack and ideal for precision targeting with redstone cannons."
"It also allows for wide-range combat buffs..."
Nearby, Diluc looked at Ningguang with a hint of envy.
"Congratulations—you've obtained a true war fortress…"
Upon hearing this, Ningguang couldn't help but smile happily.
"This is just the beginning. As Ryen continues to unlock new mods, I believe the Jade Chamber, and Liyue, will only grow stronger."
As she spoke, Ningguang turned to Jean with a soft smile.
"The same will happen for you all. I've already sent people to purchase floating stones. When the time comes, you can transport them back."
Jean was visibly touched and whispered:
"Thank you…"
Xiao also returned to the Jade Chamber, staring at the beacon radiating a dazzling white light.
"The beacon gives a strong boost to us adepti as well. We need more beacons!"
Ryen flipped his hand and pulled out an iron pickaxe, smiling at the others:
"Beacons create too much of a spectacle. Unless necessary, it's better not to activate them casually."
"Remember to use an iron pickaxe to dismantle the beacon—that's the only way to retrieve it intact."
Saying that, he handed the dismantled beacon and the remaining three Nether Stars to Ganyu.
These things were a bit heavy; Ningguang and the others might not be able to carry them.
"Keep these with you. Get the pedestals built in advance. When you need to use a beacon, you can just install it directly."
Ningguang nodded, but then glanced at Ryen with a slightly troubled look.
"We only have five Nether Stars in total… Are you sure you don't want even one?"
Ryen chuckled.
Honestly, beacons had beneficial effects, but they weren't all that important to him.
In the Minecraft world, even with the full effect radius of a beacon—what was he going to boost?
The manor villa?
The beacon's range couldn't even reach the front gate of that place.
Besides, to Ryen, beacons were really just for marking the way home when you got lost.
Now that he had teleportation points, he didn't need that either.
As for the strength or speed buffs a beacon provided…
Why not just drink a potion? Much more effective.
Besides, Ryen had the Blade Sword in his left hand, the Lifesteal Staff in his right, and an AK-47 on his back.
If none of those three weapons could deal with an enemy, then a beacon's buff wouldn't help much either.
Beacons truly shone in Teyvat, not here.
But Ryen didn't bother explaining. He just smiled and shook his head.
"I don't need them. All I care about is killing a set number of Wither Storms."
Since he said that, Ningguang didn't press further. She just nodded and sighed with a wry smile:
"My Jade Chamber… it was originally just a private garden. Now, with all these modifications, it's become a war fortress…"
"If you don't like it, you could always sell it to Mondstadt."
Lisa teased with a grin, and Ningguang rolled her eyes.
"No, what I mean is… I think I need to expand the Jade Chamber. I get the feeling there'll be even more modifications in the future."
Everyone shared a laugh, steering the Jade Chamber back in the direction of Mt. Tianheng.
Xiao couldn't sit still.
He grabbed some iron blocks and began building the remaining three pedestals atop the Jade Chamber.
To be fully upgraded, the Jade Chamber needed at least four max-level beacons.
Ningguang and the others didn't think it was urgent—resources on the Jade Chamber were limited, after all.
But for Xiao, items that could boost combat performance across a wide area were best brought into use as soon as possible.
Everyone understood. After all, he was the main combat adeptus!
Ryen took a sip of tea, gently rubbing Nahida's head as he said softly:
"Earlier, Dashi brought me eight Wither Skeleton skulls. That means three more Wither Storms. Let's head to the usual spot around dusk and take care of them."
No one objected.
Had they not known what beacons did, they might have told Ryen to slow down.
But now…
The fact that they weren't urging him to go hunt more Wither Storms right away—that was them showing restraint.
"As for tomorrow…"
Ryen paused, then continued quietly:
"We'll search for the End Portal—and along the way, find a suitable base location for Mondstadt."
He had already mentioned going to the End several times over the past few days, so everyone was mentally prepared.
Though Ryen said he wouldn't slay the Ender Dragon this time, things could always change. Who knew what might happen?
What if he suddenly got the urge to kill the dragon?
"Ryen,"
Ganyu tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
"I remember you once said the Wither Storm and the Ender Dragon are both considered final bosses."
Ryen nodded.
At least in the vanilla game, those two were the ultimate bosses.
Seeing him confirm it, Ganyu became even more intrigued.
"Then… the Wither Storm drops Nether Stars, which are key components for beacons…"
"What does the Ender Dragon drop?"
At this, Ryen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The Ender Dragon? It drops a Dragon Egg."
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