At this moment, in Liyue.
Morax was locked in a fierce battle against more than twenty Abyssal gods, unleashing terrifying divine power unmatched by any other.
Even though he had drawn away the majority of the calamity, the portion that slipped past him alone was enough to destroy Liyue as it was now. His protective barrier could not endure much longer. Under the assault of those five gods and countless Abyss monsters, it was on the verge of collapse.
And among all the people of Liyue, only a small number were capable of fighting at all. Before this catastrophic disaster, they were as small as grains of sand in a vast desert. Despair seeped into every heart.
When an unstoppable calamity descends, the world becomes silent.
Liyue's lights still burned brightly, yet all liveliness had vanished. The city felt empty—silent, lifeless.
As more and more cracks spread across the protective barrier, a clear voice rang out.
A young-looking man, dragging a long spear behind him, stepped forward and faced the five gods. Seeing those towering, mountain-sized monstrosities, he walked toward them without a moment of hesitation.
Every gaze instinctively turned to him.
No one spoke.
Not the Adepti, not the Liyue Qixing, not the Millelith, nor the citizens of Liyue. Not a single person uttered a word—they merely watched.
In every heart existed the same answer. And that answer lived in Xiao's heart as well.
He knew very clearly that he had no ability to fight those five gods. Stepping forward meant only one thing—certain death. Yet he had to fulfill his duty. Protecting Liyue was the contract he shared with the Geo Emperor.
"You once pulled me from the Abyss."
"Today, for you, I will step into the Abyss myself."
"Your Majesty…"
"I will protect Liyue with all I have, until the very last moment."
As his voice fell, he transformed into a streak of green light and shot through the barrier.
The five gods and the surrounding monsters immediately locked onto him as their target. They surged toward Xiao like a devouring tidal wave. The overwhelming horde swallowed every trace of light.
In the next instant, a burst of green light exploded from within the swarm. And in the moment that followed, the monstrous horde and the five gods vanished into nothingness.
Xiao, still wrapped in fading green radiance, stared wide-eyed at the man standing before him.
As the light around him gradually dissipated, Elliot simply patted his shoulder.
"Go back."
Turning his head, Xiao saw that the golden barrier—just moments from shattering—had been restored to perfection. But when he looked back again, Elliot had already disappeared.
Surrounded by twenty-eight gods, even Morax in his prime would have struggled to breathe. Now, he had no attention to spare for anything else. Merely dodging the relentless attacks exhausted all his focus. He didn't dare relax—not even for a heartbeat.
Every one of these creatures had been infected by that dark purple virus. Even Azhdaha, even an Archon, could not resist such a thing. He could not gamble that he would somehow escape infection.
BOOM!!
A thunderous explosion tore through the battlefield. Half of the attacks suddenly vanished.
Before Morax could react, a second explosion detonated beside him. This time, he saw several gods dissolve into nothing right before his eyes.
"So you truly are the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles." Morax looked at Elliot.
Elliot didn't answer. He simply eliminated the remaining gods with a casual gesture.
"What are these things? Why are sealed gods awakening like this? Can gods be infected? Is there any cure?"
Morax no longer cared why Elliot had once denied being the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles. He had far more urgent questions.
Elliot offered neither answer nor denial. He knew it was pointless to argue. Whether he was the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles or not meant nothing right now. The priority was resolving the Abyss.
"Return."
Leaving only that single word, he vanished from Morax's sight.
The same scene unfolded across the other six nations. Using his spatial abilities, Elliot deployed powerful protective barriers around each nation's central region. With the monsters' strength, breaking through these shields should have been impossible.
After finishing his work, he returned immediately to Celestia, afraid Shenhe might worry.
Seeing him return unharmed, Shenhe rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
"I made you worry," Elliot said, gently stroking her soft hair.
Shenhe buried her face against him, replying softly, "Mm…"
She trusted him—but saying she hadn't worried at all would have been a lie. Ever since he left Celestia, every moment had been anxious. Now that he had returned safely, she finally let out a long breath.
"What's the situation? Can Azhdaha heal him…?" Shenhe asked quickly.
Elliot had departed in such urgency—something serious had clearly happened. In her impression, he had always been calm and steady. She had rarely seen him so tense and desperate.
"The situation… is very bad."
"Even Azhdaha cannot cure it."
Elliot shook his head, sorrow weighing down his expression. He had tried to heal it with the power of [Life], but the result had been disappointing.
"Then what should we do? Is there something I can help with? I'll do everything I can!" Shenhe insisted. She believed in her strength—surely she could be useful.
"I'll find a way. And I'll need your help, too."
"Alright! I'll do my best! Just tell me what you need from me!" Hearing that he needed her, Shenhe couldn't hide her happiness.
"What I need… is for you to stay safe and sound."
"You are my everything. To me, nothing is more important than you."
Elliot's sincerity made Shenhe blush. She lowered her head shyly.
Elliot used Celestia's authority once more, surveying all of Teyvat. After confirming that no gods had invaded the Seven Nations, he issued a proclamation:
[Hear this, all Archons. The Abyss has erupted. Malevolent corruption now runs rampant. Avoid combat with these creatures at all costs. Once tainted by this corruption, no one can survive.]
His voice echoed simultaneously in the minds of all Seven Archons. His four avatars also patrolled the nations, preventing unexpected incidents.
He had hoped things would improve.
But instead, the monsters multiplied endlessly—like an unending swarm, rising ceaselessly from the depths of the earth. Across all of Teyvat, every region outside the protective barriers was now overrun.
This was far more terrifying than any zombie apocalypse. Zombies were at least fallen humans. In sparsely populated areas, their numbers were fewer.
But Abyss monsters were different. They were manifestations of the Abyss itself—emerging endlessly from the land, numberless and relentless, invading every corner without end.