Liyue Harbor, at sea.
The battle between Osial and Barbatos reached its climax.
Barbatos enveloped Liyue Harbor in a massive Anemo shield. Despite the earth-shattering scale of the conflict, the city remained largely unscathed.
Osial was ultimately defeated, once again sealed away by Venti.
The God's divine status was too high; killing Osial here could unleash a cataclysmic force that even Barbatos might struggle to contain.
Moreover, Barbatos believed that entrusting this matter to the Old Man would be the most prudent course of action.
Sensing Morax's current location, Barbatos immediately pursued him.
After the Anemo Archon departed, the sea around Liyue Harbor gradually returned to calm.
Ningguang immediately stepped forward, issuing a series of commands to swiftly mobilize the remaining Qixing and Eight Departments personnel to stabilize Liyue's situation.
She had not joined the support mission to The Chasm, not out of reluctance, but because Liyue was now in chaos and needed someone to oversee the overall situation.
Having served as the Tianquan for many years, no one was better suited for this task than Ningguang.
-
The Chasm.
The Chasm Entrance was littered with monster corpses. The Millelith stationed above were retrieving the bodies of their fallen comrades, while the severely wounded lay nearby, receiving medical attention.
Qingxu and Paimon were among those tending to the wounded, their eyes constantly darting toward the Chasm Entrance as they bandaged wounds.
Suddenly, an overwhelming aura descended upon them.
Under its immense pressure, not a single soul above the Chasm Entrance could muster even the slightest thought of resistance.
The instant this aura manifested, Morax materialized directly above the Chasm Entrance.
His Divine Regalia, primarily black and white, accentuated his muscular physique. Like Venti's Divine Regalia, it featured a white hood, but he wasn't wearing it at the moment. Barefoot, he radiated an intimidating presence.
His amber eyes burned with icy intensity as he stared down into the Chasm Entrance below.
The injured Millelith soldiers lying nearby widened their eyes in disbelief. Thinking they were hallucinating, they rubbed their eyes vigorously, but after confirming that their vision wasn't deceiving them, they either leaned against the walls or helped each other to their feet.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, you're... still alive..."
Hearing the calls from behind, Morax slowly turned around.
The remaining Millelith soldiers above were mostly wounded. Even Zhongli's typically cold gaze softened at this sight.
He nodded slightly to the soldiers, his gaze pausing when it reached Qingxu.
This child...
Qingxu was both nervous and excited. The Geo Archon had arrived—would her sister finally be safe now?
Paimon had never seen Zhongli like this before. In her memory, he had always been a kind, easygoing old man. This new demeanor made her slightly afraid.
After a brief pause, Morax entered The Chasm.
As he departed, some of the heavily wounded Millelith soldiers collapsed to their knees, weeping with relief.
The Geo Archon is safe! The Geo Archon is safe!
Their God still lived. He still lived!
-
Beneath The Chasm, Lumine slowly descended into the mine tunnel, cradling Qingge in her arms, escorted by the Millelith.
There, suspended motionless in mid-air, she saw Morax.
Tartaglia saw him too, but he merely lowered his head and said nothing.
The Millelith soldiers were beside themselves with excitement:
"The Geo Archon! It's the Geo Archon!"
"As expected, the Geo Archon wouldn't fall so easily..."
After a brief flurry of excitement, the Millelith fell silent again, suddenly remembering the dire situation.
Lumine, still holding Qingge, walked toward Morax.
Morax descended, his feet touching the ground, his gaze fixed on Qingge's lifeless face.
In that instant, the surrounding air pressure plummeted. A chilling draft surged from the soldiers' heels to the crowns of their heads, and their hearts felt as if they were being clenched by an invisible hand.
"Traveler, give her to me," Morax said, his voice calm and even, betraying no emotion. Yet Lumine, who knew Zhongli well, sensed that he was seething with barely suppressed fury.
Without hesitation, Lumine gently placed Qingge into Morax's arms. Tartaglia stepped forward and handed Qingge's severed left arm to Morax.
Morax silently accepted the arm and placed it against Qingge's severed shoulder. Tiny Geo Crystals enveloped the broken ends, seamlessly reattaching the limb.
He then took the Vortex Vanquisher from Tartaglia, but even in his hands, the spear remained dull and lifeless.
Barbatos materialized silently beside Morax.
"Old Man, her soul too..."
Morax nodded faintly. Seeing this, Barbatos fell silent.
The atmosphere froze. The two gods remained silent, Lumine and Tartaglia were equally quiet, and the Millelith soldiers held their breath, afraid to make the slightest sound.
"Old Man, calm down..." Barbatos couldn't help but warn him.
Morax slowly exhaled, suppressing his raging emotions. Then, cradling Qingge, he strode out of The Chasm.
Barbatos nodded to Lumine and followed him out.
-
Chasm Entrance.
When the Geo Archon, who had just left, returned cradling someone in his arms, everyone present turned to look.
Qingxu spotted the figure's distinctive white hair in the Geo Archon's embrace. Her mind exploded with a deafening boom. Her face stiffened, her breath hitched, and she scrambled toward the Archon on all fours.
No... please don't let it be her. Please, not my sister!
As she drew closer, Qingxu recognized the person in the Geo Archon's arms, and her last shred of hope vanished.
"Sister!!!"
What unspeakable horror could stain the face of someone drained of blood?
Qingxu saw it. Seeing her sister's current state, Qingxu's vision blurred, her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Impossible. How? How could this happen?
Paimon struggled to lift Qingxu from behind, but the little creature's strength was too meager to move the stricken woman.
Snapping back to reality, Qingxu was overcome with grief, falling to the ground and howling in inconsolable sobs.
Morax gently lowered Qingge to the ground. Qingxu immediately crawled over and threw herself onto her sister's body, clinging to her and weeping hysterically.
"Sister... waaaah..."
Paimon stood nearby, her eyes glazed over, two streams of tears silently flowing down her cheeks.
Lumine arrived as well. Paimon rushed to her, wrapping her arms around Lumine's neck and desperately trying to stifle her sobs.
But in the end, she couldn't hold back. She wept so hard she could barely breathe.
Morax turned away and closed his eyes.
-
Liyue Border.
Malice realized he couldn't shake Aether. The guy seemed to have obtained something that allowed him to roughly pinpoint Malice's location. Though not perfectly accurate, Aether had been relentlessly pursuing him since then.
What's going on?
I don't think I've ever wronged him. Is this really necessary?!
Lost in thought, Malice suddenly slammed into an invisible wall. The impact, given his high speed, left him badly injured.
What the hell?!
Why is there a wall here?!