The Eight Adepts were eight renowned people from Liyue who lived in the era of the Archon War. Though they were not genuine adepti, their powers resembled those of adepti closely enough to win them that name. Over a peaceful meal in Liyue Harbor, Gaming asks the elderly Lan Junming something he has wondered about ever since a storyteller first told him “The Sanctification of Tao Dou”: how did the eight come together?
Quick answer: The Eight Adepts were never summoned by Rex Lapis or united under a noble banner. They met by pure chance at a roadside tea stall, recognized each other’s talents, and chose to do good across the land.
A meeting over tea, not a divine decree
The popular myth says a decree from Rex Lapis brought the Eight Adepts together. Lan Junming corrects that record at the table. The eight came together much the way the dinner guests did that evening, at a simple roadside tea stop, entirely by coincidence.
Over that shared tea, the eight discovered how different their skills were and how well they fit together. They decided to combine those talents and use them for the good of Liyue. There was no grand summons and no heavenly banner, only strangers who found common purpose in a chance encounter.
Gaming takes the lesson to heart, arguing that tea is about far more than eating and drinking. It is what draws people to the same table in the first place.
Who the Eight Adepts were
When Tao Dou disturbed the divide between the living and the dead during the Archon War, the eight joined forces to bring the god down. Their Seven-and-Eight-Gates Method claimed one of their number: the Lone Butterfly of the Crimson Flame. Their names are preserved in three groups.
| Group | Member | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Three Hermits of Guizang | Wind Reader | Qimen arts |
| Three Hermits of Guizang | Yunlai Angler | Yunlai Swordsmanship |
| Three Hermits of Guizang | Wuwang Kid | Qihuang sigils |
| Two Sages of Lianshan | Sage Hu | Gourd crafts |
| Two Sages of Lianshan | Sage Jian | Bronze mirrors |
| Three Beasts of Tao Dou | Lone Butterfly of the Crimson Flame | Art of Homa |
| Three Beasts of Tao Dou | Jade-Plumed Silverwing | — |
| Three Beasts of Tao Dou | Gold-Eyed Celadon Mare | — |
The mainstream view holds that the Guizang Hermits and the Lianshan Sages were human, and, given the era they lived in, have long since passed away. Their legacies, however, still shape present-day Liyue.
How their legacy still lives in Liyue
- Wind Reader founded the Lan clan of Chenyu Vale, whose descendants still practice his Qimen arts and treat the Silverwing as a treasured symbol.
- The Yunlai Angler’s rod techniques became the basis of Yunlai Swordsmanship, the style Keqing trained in.
- Old Man Wuwang inherited the Lone Butterfly’s mantle and taught her techniques to the founders of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
- The Two Sages of Lianshan cultivated in seclusion at the Hidden Palace of Lianshan Formula.
- The Gold-Eyed Celadon Mare, also known as Zibai, still wanders the Qingce mountain range in her white horse form.
The dinner party’s “New Eight”
Inspired by the origin story, Hu Tao proposes a modern counterpart to the legendary eight, drawn from the guests at the table. She starts by naming herself, Lan Yan, and Chongyun the “Three Heroes of Chenyu,” a nod to the historical Three Hermits of Guizang.
Lan Yan worries that presenting themselves as Liyue’s best will leave them swamped with requests. Hu Tao goes ahead regardless, naming Gaming, Xingqiu, and Xiangling the “Three Heroes of Wangshu” in a nod to Tao Dou’s Three Beasts.
The idea soon falls apart. Xiangling reminds them that her real job is cooking, while Xingqiu points out that the Three Beasts were genuine adepti. He suggests that he and Chongyun form the “Two Heroes of Xingyun,” echoing the Two Sages of Lianshan. Hu Tao dismisses the proposal since the pair share no secret arts, then suggests Paimon as a possible adeptus because she can fly and is plainly no ordinary being. Paimon insists on remaining with the Traveler’s team, throwing Hu Tao’s carefully arranged groupings into disarray.
Lan Junming’s parting reflection
As the banter settles, Lan Junming gazes out over the mountains. He observes that the past still echoes into the present and that modern Liyue is beautiful, yet he feels it is no longer a world where an ancient being like himself belongs. It is a quiet, bittersweet close to a story that began, fittingly, with a cup of tea shared between strangers.
