The sight of the infested monks was naturally repulsive, especially for a child like Klee, who couldn't bear to look at the screen. Paimon, too, hid behind Su Han's back, refusing to peek. Only Ruo-Ruo remained unfazed, casually munching on a chicken leg while watching the broadcast.
Venti did not alert the monsters at the temple. Instead, he slipped through the shadows, moving like a breeze until he reached the Inner Sanctum. There, he found the Divine Child of Sediment.
"What is your purpose here?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I've come for the Mortal Blade," Venti replied, his usual playfulness replaced by a divine gravity. "And then, I am going to slay the demon of the Fountainhead Palace."
The Divine Child shuddered. The Divine Dragon was an entity of overwhelming power—mortal blades were only meant for seals, not slaughter. But Venti smiled gently. "I am a god from a distant land. If you trust me, this land will be restored to health within the hour."
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes and hearing him recount secrets only she knew, the Divine Child handed over the blade without a trial.
Venti adrew the sword. A crimson, murderous aura washed over him. "A fine blade... truly capable of severing the undying."
After advising the Child to flee before the coming storm leveled the temple, Venti took flight. He didn't need a palanquin or a ritual; he simply rode the winds straight toward the Fountainhead Palace.
[The Chat Group: Envy of the Palace]
Yae Miko: "Oh my... look at that scenery! When are we going to remodel Mt. Yougou? The Fountainhead Palace is a hundred times more beautiful than my shrine."
Hanachirusato: "Once Venti kills the dragon, perhaps he can just... move the mountain back to Teyvat?"
Eula: "..."
Diluc: "..."
The people of Teyvat were becoming increasingly "efficient." From scavenging treasures to literally stealing mountain ranges, the Sovereign's influence was turning them into a group of world-class looters. Even the Raiden Shogun felt a spark of envy—if Inazuma City looked like this, it would be a true paradise.
[The Battle of the Heavens]
Venti glided over the Great Sakura tree. Beneath the waters, a Great Colored Carp—a giant, mutated monster—lunged at him, but he avoided it with a flick of his wings.
"This tree is the anchor," Venti mused. "Su Han said it's how the dragon drains the earth. I'll take it then!"
"Rise!"
Venti spread his arms. An unfathomable storm erupted, uprooting the massive Sakura tree. Before the wood could even splinter, he stowed the entire thing into the Serenitea Pot.
As the roots left the earth, the sky above the palace shifted. The Divine Dragon awoke from its slumber, roaring in fury as its connection to the land was severed. Venti didn't wait; he surged into the sanctuary, stepping into the realm of the clouds.
The dragon stood thousands of meters tall, its lower half a mass of gnarled wood and its upper half a pale, elegant creature holding a seven-branched sword. It swung the blade in a horizontal arc, a wave of sword qi so powerful it threatened to cleave the very atmosphere.
"Impressive," Venti muttered, narrowly dodging the blast. "If that hit Mondstadt, the city would be gone. I have to end this before the Great Serpent arrives."
[Ashina's Hope]
In Ashina Castle, the aged Sword Saint Isshin Ashina looked toward the lightning-choked horizon of the Fountainhead Palace.
"Someone is challenging the demon," he whispered.
"Is it a good thing, Lord Isshin?" Emma asked.
"You don't understand, Emma. History says our land was rich until that demon arrived. If it dies, perhaps our crops will grow again. I have no interest in immortality; I've lived a full life. I just want my country to breathe again."
[The God of Storms]
Back in the clouds, Venti unleashed his true power. "Tempest: Ravage!"
Hundreds of tornadoes, each hundreds of meters high, swarmed the dragon. This was the true strength of Barbatos.
The dragon retaliated, its roots piercing through the clouds while it unleashed dozens of sword beams per second. Even without the Great Sakura, it was drawing life force from the surrounding mountains, causing the nearby forests to wither instantly.
BOOM!
A sword beam descended toward Venti, but he simply dissolved into the wind. "Ehe~ Did you forget? I'm the Wind God... a spirit of the breeze has no solid form to cut, you big dummy!"
"Su Han mentioned a move called 'The Marbles' (Rasengan). I think I'll try a wind-style version..."
Venti manifested a massive, five-hundred-meter-wide Hurricane Sphere and slammed it into the dragon's back. The impact shattered the dragon's wooden armor.
It was no longer a fight; it was a god playing with his prey. The "Spirit of the Wind" was untouchable. Venti flickered around the dragon's head, mockingly offering to "give it a new haircut" with another storm blast.
However, as the dragon's strength began to flag, Venti's brow furrowed. "Wait... you're trying to flee?"
Despite the damage, the Divine Dragon felt strangely weak for a Five-Star mission. Could a Five-Star threat really be this easy to suppress? Venti sensed a deeper malice stirring beneath the clouds.
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