Outside the Mausoleum of King Deshret, Rukkhadevata brought Lumine and the others here, enveloping them in a protective green shield.
Based on their recent analysis of the energy emanating from Chu Xi's body within the crypt, a catastrophic explosion seemed imminent.
Faced with Chu Xi in such a state, even Rukkhadevata, the God of Wisdom, was momentarily at a loss. Her only recourse was to evacuate Lumine and her companions as swiftly as possible.
"Paimon, Paimon, what's wrong?" Lumine's frantic voice cut through the air, drawing Rukkhadevata and Fidelle's attention.
Lumine was cradling Paimon, gently patting her back with her right hand. Paimon's eyes were tightly shut, her body limp as if she were fast asleep.
"Paimon! Little Paimon!" Lumine was so panicked she was about to pinch Paimon's philtrum when Rukkhadevata intervened. "Traveler, don't panic. Let me examine her."
"Please, hurry! Paimon has never been like this before."
Rukkhadevata conducted a thorough examination and sighed in relief. "She's fine. The little one is simply exhausted from overexertion and has fallen asleep."
"Overexertion?!" Lumine exclaimed, utterly bewildered. What could Paimon have done to become so exhausted?
Whatever the reason, Lumine was relieved that Paimon was safe.
She carefully cradled Paimon, trying to make the little one as comfortable as possible.
Having no time to worry about Paimon, Rukkhadevata turned her attention back to the Mausoleum of King Deshret. It was strange that such a massive and uncontrolled energy hadn't exploded.
Moreover, Rukkhadevata sensed something rapidly surging outward from within the Mausoleum.
It was Chu Xi!
"Traveler, Fidelle, be careful! Chu Xi is about to emerge. She'll disregard all sentiment now, and her power is immense. I'll try to restrain her."
No sooner had Rukkhadevata spoken than Chu Xi burst from the Mausoleum's entrance.
Boom—!
A torrent of energy, wreathed in ominous black mist, erupted without warning from the Energy Core in Chu Xi's chest, hurtling directly toward Fidelle.
This was no ordinary energy, nor did it belong to any known Elemental Energy. Though originating from Chu Xi's Energy Core, it churned with twisted runes and maddening whispers.
Lumine reacted with lightning speed, shoving Fidelle aside and instantly raising the Harbinger of Dawn in a blocking stance.
As for Paimon, Lumine had already sent her into the Serenitea Pot for safety.
Clang—!
A deafening clang of metal on metal echoed through the air. Lumine felt an unimaginable force surge through her sword, sending her flying backward as if struck by a siege hammer. She crashed heavily into the sand, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The Harbinger of Dawn snapped completely under the impact.
Lumine scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide with disbelief. She knew her current strength well—how could Chu Xi have sent her flying with a single strike?
Unbelievably strong! Unreasonably powerful!
Rukkhadevata urgently warned, "Don't underestimate her. Chu Xi is wielding the power of Forbidden Knowledge. Though the quantity of energy is small, its potency is immense."
Chu Xi's figure slowly emerged from the dust and swirling black mist.
Her movements were mechanical and precise, each step falling perfectly in time with her heartbeat, a chilling, suffocating rhythm.
Sunlight glinted off the intricate mechanical structures below her neck—a network of gleaming metal and whirring joints that exuded raw power.
Her eyes were utterly devoid of emotion, filled only with an unfathomable darkness. Dense, sacrilegious black mist poured from the seams of her mechanical body like living tendrils, wrapping around her and staining the sand she touched with a deathly gray pallor.
"Chu Xi..."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sighed softly, her eyes filled with pity and profound self-reproach.
Lumine hadn't told Rukkhadevata about Silaya's request. The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata remained unaware, yet ultimately, she bore the root cause of this catastrophe.
Had Lumine never come here, Chu Xi would never have learned the truth. Had she not allowed Chu Xi to accompany her, Chu Xi would never have discovered her origins.
Without knowing her origins, Chu Xi wouldn't have become this way...
Regret was futile now. The most pressing matter was finding a solution.
Rukkhadevata channeled the Ley Line, summoning pure Dendro Elemental Energy to form a protective shield.
Chu Xi's attack showed no sign of faltering. Her right arm rose, fingers splayed wide, and the mechanical structure in her palm whirred rapidly, transforming into a highly compressed energy orb seething with Black Forbidden Knowledge.
Whoosh—!
The energy orb shot forth silently, leaving a distorted, corrosive trail in its wake as it instantly pierced Rukkhadevata's hastily constructed emerald shield.
The shield shattered like fragile glass, but the energy orb retained its momentum, hurtling straight toward Rukkhadevata's face!
Lumine switched to the Dull Blade and lunged forward again, unleashing a burst of Anemo Energy to disrupt the orb's trajectory.
Her blade struck the black aura, but it felt like hacking into viscous mud. Instead of dissipating, the darkness coiled up the blade, attempting to envelop her arm.
Lumine immediately withdrew her sword, a bone-chilling cold spreading through her arm.
Chu Xi's combat style was ruthless and efficient. Without even moving, the mechanical structure on her back unfolded with a hiss, revealing a battery of cannons that glowed with an eerie light.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A barrage of energy blasts, each wreathed in black miasma, rained down like a storm, covering every possible escape route for Rukkhadevata and Lumine. Each shot precisely predicted their next move.
Ordinary energy spheres, tainted by the black miasma, instantly amplified their destructive power hundreds of times.
Rukkhadevata dared not face the onslaught head-on, focusing instead on defense and evasion with all her might.
The three figures darted across the sandy terrain, leaving behind deep craters scorched with a bizarre, charred black residue.
Rukkhadevata took a deep breath, seized her moment, and clasped her hands together, resonating with the Ley Line's immense life force.
"Imprisonment!"
Countless thick vines, glowing with a brilliant emerald light, erupted from the sand like living pythons. They snaked toward Chu Xi's mechanical limbs and torso from all directions, instantly binding her securely.
As the vines' powerful purification energy came into contact with the black miasma, a searing hiss erupted as the two forces clashed.
Seizing her opportunity, Lumine channeled her Elemental Energy to its peak, resonating Anemo and Geo elements within her. The sword's edge coalesced into a dazzling golden-yellow light, transforming into a colossal Geo Spear, its mountain-splitting force aimed squarely at Chu Xi's chest!
This technique, learned from Zhongli's Geo Spear, couldn't match his power, but it was still a formidable attack.
Clang!
An ear-splitting metallic screech rang out, yet the Geo Spear only left a deep scratch across Chu Xi's mechanical chest.
Chu Xi glanced down at the gash, her black eyes utterly impassive.
With a violent surge of her arms, she snapped most of the vines binding her with terrifying mechanical force!
Even more Black Fog erupted from the severed vines, surging back along the vines toward Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. Rukkhadevata let out a muffled groan and retreated half a step, emerald light flickering from her fingertips as she struggled to dispel the corrosive energy.
Behind Chu Xi, the mechanical structure shifted again, reconfiguring into a massive energy cannon. The cannon's muzzle glowed with a chilling crimson light, laced with an even denser Black Fog of Forbidden Knowledge. The destructive energy radiating from it warped the surrounding space itself.
"No!"