Su Ming felt quite helpless.
The Dragon Factor originated from the Type-Moon World. In that world, every dragon had their physical and magic resistance maxed out. To face them, a mortal without a few legendary weapons specifically designed for dragon slaying or a divine blessing would essentially be embarking on a one-way trip.
What he never expected was that Magic Resistance, a trait unique to the dragon kin, would undergo such an unexpected transformation in the world of Teyvat.
In its original context, the effect of Magic Resistance was to nullify all magical attacks of a rank lower than one's own resistance level. In his body, this manifested as a total immunity to any Elemental Power attacks of a lower level than his own. Furthermore, when his physical body came into contact with elemental energy, he could even exert a degree of suppression and interference over it.
This was precisely why he had been able to snatch the Lightning Spear right out of Tartaglia's hand and crush it in his grip.
However, this meant it was no longer realistic for Su Ming to rely on ordinary experts to gauge the true extent of his strength. Most powerful mortals in Teyvat relied almost entirely on their mastery of Elemental Power. Without it, seventy to eighty percent of their combat effectiveness simply vanished.
Even in the lore of the Seven Nations, there were very few examples of top-tier powerhouses who didn't rely on a Vision. The only notable exception was the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius from five hundred years ago Arundolyn, the Lion of Light.
In other words, if Su Ming wanted to test his limits, he could only seek out powerhouses from the Abyss or entities whose elemental output was off the charts. For example, an Archon, The Seven, or perhaps the Seven Dragon Sovereigns.
Su Ming could only say he wasn't quite reckless enough for that yet. He wasn't about to go looking for a final boss the moment he stepped out of the starter village.
But while Su Ming was starting to feel bored and losing interest in the match, the man across from him, Tartaglia, was brimming with excitement. He couldn't remember the last time he had found an opponent stronger than himself.
Although the Fatui Harbingers were all masters of their own crafts, very few were actually willing to spar with him. This was mainly because Tartaglia was a total battle maniac; if he couldn't beat you once, he would nag you until the end of time for a rematch. Because of this, most of them simply refused to fight him. Out in the world, it was even harder to find someone willing to indulge him.
Now that he had finally found someone with unfathomable strength who was actually willing to trade blows, how could he not be thrilled?
"I clearly underestimated you... Fine. I'm taking this seriously now."
"Foul! Legacy!"
With a thunderous roar, Tartaglia activated the powers of both his Delusion and Vision simultaneously. A powerful shockwave instantly swept across the field.
Su Ming smiled at the sight. "Now that's more like it. Though it won't do much in the end."
Su Ming let his right hand hang low as an ink-black ice sword slowly coalesced in his palm. He was waiting waiting for Tartaglia's Foul Legacy transformation to finish charging. Even though he could essentially ignore the man's attacks, Tartaglia was undoubtedly a high-quality sandbag. Surely he wouldn't be so weak as to fall to a single strike?
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a surging wave of purple lightning, "Childe" unleashed his ultimate form and charged at Su Ming with the terrifying momentum of the Foul Legacy. He swung his Lightning Spear downward, aiming to split Su Ming's skull. A dense web of lightning crackled and fell, blanketing Su Ming.
Su Ming shifted to the side, dodging the brunt of it, and thrust his ice sword forward, aiming directly for the gap between Tartaglia's ribs.
The aggressive Tartaglia was forced to retreat and move into a defensive stance. But the moment he blocked Su Ming's sword head-on, he realized something was horribly wrong.
In his Foul Legacy state, Tartaglia's speed, strength, and elemental control were several times higher than his base form. Yet, Su Ming's seemingly effortless thrust was so heavy it nearly sent the Lightning Spear flying from his hands.
Now fully focused, Tartaglia gripped his spear tightly, stepped back, and followed up with a horizontal sweep, hoping to knock the ice sword aside.
Everything, however, was within Su Ming's calculations.
The swordplay inheritance of Jingliu was not just about forms and techniques; it contained the combat experience and insights of a thousand years of slaughter.
Just as Tartaglia launched his counterattack, Su Ming had already leaped high into the air, his ice sword beginning to emit a faint, ethereal glow. The frigid power of Parvati within his body was pushed to its absolute limit.
"Frost-Reflected Moon!"
In mid-air, Su Ming's silhouette blurred as he swung his sword with blinding speed. In an instant, countless crescent-shaped slashes flew from the blade, screaming toward Tartaglia.
"What!?"
Tartaglia's heart hammered against his ribs. Every slash flying toward him filled his soul with a bone-chilling dread. It was the instinctual fear of a warrior sensing a fatal crisis.
This feeling of utter helplessness reminded him of when he was a child facing his master, Skirk. No matter what he did, he was seen through; no matter how he attacked, he was easily neutralized.
It was as if his every movement was meaningless, and his every effort was vanity. This was the despair born of a gap in strength so wide it couldn't be crossed.
It had been years since he had seen his mysterious master, yet he was feeling that same overwhelming pressure today from this opponent.
He forced himself to stay calm. He knew that if he didn't resist now, his life would end right here. He spun the Lightning Spear frantically, parrying a single beam of sword light, but the field of his vision was already filled with the dense net of slashes. There was no room to dodge; he could only tank it.
"If that's how it is... then I have no choice!"
"Havoc: Obliteration!"
Tartaglia roared as his figure vanished, reappearing high in the air a moment later. As he raised his Lightning Spear, the Hydro energy in his body surged to its peak. In the next instant, a massive whale that seemed to blot out the sky manifested in the air, attempting to block the incoming slashes and even opening its maw to swallow them whole.
However, despite its majestic appearance, the giant whale couldn't withstand more than a few hits before it shattered and dissipated into mist.
Having exhausted his reserves, a drained Tartaglia was forced out of his Foul Legacy transformation. He fell weakly to his knees, watching with a bitter smile as the remaining sword light raced toward him.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The expected death did not come.
The slashes landed all around Tartaglia. Though he was sent flying by the resulting shockwaves and sustained significant injuries, he was very much alive.
By the time the panicked Fatui soldiers rushed over to help him up and check his wounds, a barely conscious Tartaglia realized that Su Ming had already vanished.
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