Bosacius lurked in the shadows, continuously launching attacks at Jun Bai. One Electro giant palm after another condensed and then slammed into the smoke.
Jun Bai hid within the smoke, constantly waving Phoenix Perches on Demon Subjugation in his hand. Fire elemental energy kept condensing as he directly confronted the Electro giant palms.
Continuous explosions kicked up even thicker smoke.
Gradually, the frequency of firelight flashing within the smoke grew weaker and weaker. In the end, no more fire elemental energy appeared inside the smoke.
However, Bosacius showed no sign of relaxing. His offensive was like a tidal wave, increasing in power with each successive attack.
The out-of-control Bosacius did not notice the scarlet eyes that had quietly appeared behind him.
By the time Bosacius noticed, Phoenix Perches on Demon Subjugation had already transformed into a Fangtian Huaji. Jun Bai, with his flaming wings fully spread, locked onto Bosacius with an indifferent gaze.
Before being swallowed by flames, the last thing Bosacius saw was a pair of pupils that had turned into crosshairs.
"Fall—— for me!"
Jun Bai threw the Fangtian Huaji in his hand. A ferocious fire phoenix manifested between the two of them.
With no room to react, the tip of the Fangtian Huaji struck Bosacius's chest.
Flames instantly engulfed Bosacius.
Power erupted. Bosacius was sent flying once again and embedded into a large crater in the training ground floor.
Flames coiled around Bosacius's body, which was covered in wounds. The slash and stab left by Phoenix Perches on Demon Subjugation on his chest were exceptionally clear.
Bosacius collapsed to the ground, struggling to get up, but the accumulated injuries on his body were no longer enough to support that action.
"Stop trying. Karmic debt." Jun Bai walked in front of Bosacius. "You are not Bosacius, and you certainly do not possess Bosacius's resolve to sacrifice his life without hesitation."
"The lingering obsession of the defeated should remain like this forever — lying on the ground, at the mercy of others."
Jun Bai spread his five fingers and pressed them onto the Noh mask on Bosacius's face.
Scarlet flames exploded, using the karmic debt as fuel and continuously burning inside Bosacius's body.
The Nirvana Flame gradually devoured the karmic debt. The karmic debt had no ability to resist.
Miserable, shrill howls emerged from Bosacius's mouth. If Bosacius's body could still move, the karmic debt would have long since controlled him to counterattack.
But Jun Bai had deliberately heavily injured Bosacius earlier precisely because he did not want the opponent to resist while he subdued the karmic debt.
Now the karmic debt was fish on the chopping block, and the Nirvana Flame in Jun Bai's hand was the knife.
Unfortunately, the knife could not completely end the fish's life. Otherwise, the karmic debt on Xiao and Bonanus and the others would not have been suppressed with seals but completely eradicated.
However, the past was the past, and the present was the present.
The Jun Bai in the background completion used power that was still within the Teyvat worldview, so he could only suppress the karmic debt with seals.
But now, Jun Bai possessed power from outside the world.
"System, proceed as we discussed earlier!"
When the Nirvana Flame had weakened the karmic debt to a level where it could be suppressed, Jun Bai said silently in his heart.
The system did not respond, but the popularity value balance suddenly decreased. In the next moment, Jun Bai instantly felt another consciousness take over his body.
Jun Bai did not resist, because this was what he and the system had agreed upon, so he allowed the other party to control his body.
Under the effect of popularity value, the system took control of Jun Bai's body and rapidly formed several hand seals.
Jun Bai, watching from the side, found it familiar: "Isn't this Daoist hand seals?"
[Just for show.]
The system replied, then directly ripped the karmic debt out of Bosacius's body.
The karmic debt, emitting an ominous aura, condensed into a physical form in mid-air. After the karmic debt left his body, Bosacius lost consciousness and collapsed to the ground. The flames on his body extinguished along with it.
[Task complete. I'll leave the rest to you. I'm going back to being a camera.]
Then the system left Jun Bai's body.
The instant he regained control of his body, Jun Bai did not hesitate at all and threw a punch directly at the karmic debt.
The karmic debt clearly had not yet realized it now possessed a physical form, so it was sent flying by Jun Bai's punch and embedded into the wall.
"Previously when you were inside Bosacius, I still had to hold back." Jun Bai plucked a feather from his flaming wings and placed it on Bosacius.
The feather, burning like flames, landed on Bosacius and then transformed into warm light that merged into his scarred body.
Before long, Bosacius's injuries stabilized. Although further recovery was still needed, at least they would no longer worsen over time.
Jun Bai stood up, holding Phoenix Perches on Demon Subjugation and pointing it at the karmic debt: "Now I can finally…"
"Teach you a profound lesson without restraint."
"Phoenix Cry, Long Sky."
A phoenix cry rang out, filled with killing intent.
Flames coiled around his body. The phantom of a Fangtian Huaji appeared on Phoenix Perches on Demon Subjugation, then gradually solidified. A dark red Fangtian Huaji emerged, as if it were real.
A snow-white robe manifested, its design full of Liyue elements. Scarlet armor covered his upper body, with intricate patterns appearing as the young man stepped forward.
Flames flowed. His clothes fluttered without wind.
(Upper body armed, face exposed, lower body with a skirt hem symbolizing the strong! If you can't imagine it, go check the build side story "Galaxy Dragon" — it's just the armor with a recolor.)
The karmic debt fell from the wall and let out a roar. It then transformed into Bosacius's appearance and launched an attack at Jun Bai.
Black lightning surged toward Jun Bai.
In response, Jun Bai, who had entered the Fully Armed state, simply raised his hand with a calm expression.
The karmic debt Bosacius's momentum-filled punch landed squarely in Jun Bai's palm. Violent wind and lightning scattered in all directions, yet Jun Bai remained completely unmoved and evaluated:
"Pathetic."
Jun Bai caught the karmic debt Bosacius's punch with one hand, then raised his hand. The Fangtian Huaji slashed upward, drawing a scarlet afterimage that struck the karmic debt Bosacius's chest.
The karmic debt Bosacius was sent flying back at an even faster speed than when it had come.
The wall shattered directly. The karmic debt Bosacius's body blurred for an instant.
It struggled to get up, but when it raised its head, it saw the figure in scarlet light armor.
A slender palm pressed onto the Noh mask of the karmic debt Bosacius.
Then, Jun Bai smiled slightly: "My incompetent subordinate has truly troubled you. Thank you for 'taking care' of him!"
With that, Jun Bai exerted force with his palm, directly slamming the karmic debt Bosacius's head into the ground, then stomped down on the fallen figure.
The karmic debt Bosacius struggled to rise, but the foot Jun Bai had planted on it was as immovable as a mountain.
"The suffering Bosacius has endured for nearly a thousand years — repay it all to me!"
Jun Bai stomped heavily on the karmic debt Bosacius. A large crater immediately formed in the ground.
"——"
The karmic debt Bosacius let out meaningless syllables.
Jun Bai crouched down, grabbed the opponent by the neck and lifted it up. Then he suddenly released his grip, gripped the Fangtian Huaji with both hands, and began swinging the weapon.
One slash, two slashes, three slashes…
Continuous wide, sweeping strikes landed on the karmic debt Bosacius, leaving it with no room to resist.
"The curse of the defeated…"
Fire elemental energy condensed on the halberd blade, like a brilliant scarlet gem.
"Fall into the boundless hell together with the defeated!"
"Kneel before me!"
The Fangtian Huaji drew a circular arc. The halberd blade, condensed with a large amount of fire elemental energy, slashed across the karmic debt Bosacius's body, leaving a scarlet wound.
(Inspired by the combo in episode 50 of King Ohger, where Racules solos Camijim.)
Jun Bai put away his weapon and turned to walk toward Bosacius.
Behind him, the body of the karmic debt Bosacius was completely burned away by flames.