Paimon even kindly asked on Shenhe's behalf.
Ningguang said that if Shenhe had any questions, she could bring them up as well.
Shenhe glanced at Mu Yang beside her. "No need. Master has already given me the answer I wanted."
Ningguang nodded, about to say something, when Beidou arrived.
"Yo, quite a few folks chatting here, huh?"
Lumine reacted first. "Big Sis Beidou? Where did you disappear to the other day? We thought you went off somewhere."
"Sorry, sorry, there was an issue with the fleet that I had to deal with," Beidou said, not elaborating further.
Paimon was caught up in the excitement of "asking Ningguang questions."
"Come on, come on, it's Beidou's turn! Does Beidou have anything she wants to ask?"
Beidou crossed her arms. "Me? I don't have anything to ask. I was just dragged into helping and joining the competition by her."
[She already knows everything, what's there to ask?]
[Isn't it more like knowing the depths and shallows?]
[I can be fake, but they've gotta be real.]
[Why isn't Mu Yang asking? Too shy?]
[Turning the tables, huh?]
Beidou turned to Ningguang. "Ningguang, don't forget what we talked about last time."
Her expression grew serious. "That thing's not easy to deal with. My fleet alone can't handle it, and I've got a bad feeling today."
Ningguang reassured her that everything was prepared.
The healing supplies were ready, and the Millelith had already gone ahead to set up an ambush.
"Good. Be careful yourself, don't let your guard down."
Beidou's tone lacked its usual sharp edge, showing the gravity of the situation.
This wasn't the time for jokes.
Probably the only one still clueless was Paimon. "Beidou, Miss Ningguang, what are you guys talking about?"
Ningguang said solemnly, "This is what Lumine just asked about, but it's not exactly pleasant..."
After saying this, Beidou left.
Ningguang turned to prepare for the ascension ceremony.
She wasn't tactless enough to ask Mu Yang if he had any questions.
In a more private setting, just the two of them, she might've teased him a bit.
But with so many people around,
as the Tianquan, she knew to keep things proper.
Mu Yang hadn't spoken the entire time, standing to the side with his eyes closed, resting.
[Mu Yang doesn't even have the strength to talk, does he?]
[Dude, you're overanalyzing. Isn't he always like this?]
[Looking at it with the answer in mind, it feels more and more like it.]
Once Ningguang was ready, she began her speech.
"The first time I stood on the Jade Chamber, I stood at the edge of the platform, looking down at Liyue Harbor from the sky."
"Back then, I thought, one day, I'll make the shadow of the Jade Chamber cover all Seven Nations."
Ningguang walked slowly but firmly toward the platform's edge.
"Today, my ambition remains unchanged. But this time, rebuilding the Jade Chamber isn't just for myself."
"I hope that, no matter when, the Jade Chamber will always float above Liyue Harbor, bearing witness to the prosperity and peace of the mortal world."
The group looked down at the bustling harbor at the foot of the mountain—the place Ningguang wanted to protect.
Mora, the Jade Chamber, Liyue—all were important to her.
She continued, "...I hope everyone here will bear witness with me."
"The ascension ceremony begins!"
As soon as she spoke, Ningguang activated the array, releasing the restrictions on the [Resonant Dawnstone].
The entire palace began to rise, the four chains binding the Jade Chamber stretching tighter and tighter.
The moment the chains were released, the Jade Chamber soared into the sky...
After reaching a certain height, the Jade Chamber began moving toward the center of Liyue Harbor.
Lumine and Paimon excitedly ran to the front to take in the rare view.
Even Shenhe followed curiously, eager to see Liyue Harbor's scenery.
But just as the Jade Chamber began to move, the sky darkened.
The once calm sea surface started to churn with water spouts and whirlpools...
A beast emerged from the sea, revealing a head that looked all too familiar.
The scene cut back to the Jade Chamber, where Mu Yang opened his eyes.
At some point, he had drawn [Withering Glory: Snow Burial Over a Thousand Peaks].
[Osial! It's him again!]
[Jade Chamber: I've behaved, please spare me!]
[Or maybe: Bro, don't mess with the new account?]
[That's not Osial, is it? The head looks like it's got some extra stuff.]
[Ohhh! Mu Yang's finally getting serious!]
[Bro, don't make a move, I'm scared!]
The Jade Chamber moved toward where the beast had awakened.
As it got closer, small bolts of lightning began striking the Jade Chamber.
But such minor attacks naturally couldn't hit Lumine, Mu Yang, or the others.
Ningguang remained calm. "So it's here, as expected."
She turned to Lumine. "Now I can answer your question. This is the [danger in the sea]."
Lumine looked at the beast roaring toward them from the sea. "That doesn't seem to be Osial. It's..."
Ningguang: "The remnant of the Vortex, Beisht, Osial's wife. The last follower of the Vortex Demon God."
"The last follower... that's a bit premature to say," Mu Yang finally spoke.
Because he could sense that it wasn't just Beisht beneath the water's surface.
Mu Yang was puzzled. According to the original game's plot, there was only one monster here—Beisht.
So why were there other sea beasts this time?
Could his presence have caused a butterfly effect?
It was very possible. For those sea beasts, they might not have any particular grudge against the Jade Chamber.
Unlike Beisht, whose husband was suppressed by it.
But if they sensed Mu Yang's presence, that was another story.
During the Archon War a thousand years ago, Mu Yang cut down these beasts with a single sword each, slaying pairs as they came.
It was entirely possible that Beisht had rallied them.
Sigh, isn't it better to just stay alive?
Mu Yang deactivated the system's power suppression.
Sure enough, just sensing the rise in his power caused a good number of them to flee immediately.
However, many stronger ones remained.
After all, Mu Yang's aura was significantly weaker now.
He had diverted most of his power back to the Sword Pool to suppress Clarisse, essentially fighting on two fronts.
"Master, I sense it too. There are many beasts hiding beneath the sea," Shenhe said, picking up on it as well.
This caught Ningguang off guard.
Beidou, with her keen sensitivity to changes in the sea, had warned her months ago.
After investigating, Ningguang had deduced that Osial's wife, Beisht, was about to cause trouble.
She had chosen this moment to rebuild the Jade Chamber to use Beisht's hatred for it to lure her out of the sea.
But a horde of sea beasts was beyond her expectations.
Ningguang frowned.
Beidou had been at sea these past two days—how had these beasts stayed hidden?
Didn't that mean Keqing and the Millelith handling the land assault, as well as Beidou leading the naval battle, were in danger?!
"I'll draw the beasts away. You focus on dealing with Beisht."
With that, Mu Yang drew [Withering Glory: Snow Burial Over a Thousand Peaks] and leaped off the Jade Chamber.
Plans couldn't keep up with changes. Since unexpected circumstances had arisen, he had to adapt.
He couldn't fully unleash [Soaring Cloud] at the moment, but it would do.
As expected, the beasts were targeting Mu Yang.
Stepping on ice lotuses, he skimmed across the water's surface, using himself as bait to lure all the beasts away...