Seeing this, the Black-Robed Emperor also condensed a Stone Spear.
Boom!
The Pure Gold Stone Spear and the Dark Brown Stone Spear collided violently, and two streams of majestic Geo Elemental Power exploded in midair.
The golden and dark brown lights intertwined into a dazzling curtain of light, shaking the entire ruins violently.
The black mist was forcibly torn apart by this power, forming a huge vacuum zone.
Debris flew, rock walls crumbled, and even Yunqin, who was controlled by the Abyss in the distance, was thrown back several steps by the shockwave.
Zhongli's figure remained motionless, his pure white divine robes rustling, as the golden light particles around his body grew even more brilliant.
He raised his hand in a guiding motion, and countless fragments of rock rose from the ground, instantly condensing into dozens of Stone Spears. With an aura of world-destroying power, they shot out toward the Black-Robed False Emperor all at once.
Each Stone Spear contained the pure majesty of Rex Lapis. The spear tips tore through the air, emitting sharp whistles as if they were about to pierce through this space.
The Black-Robed False Emperor's face darkened, a trace of panic flashing through his crimson eyes, but he still forced himself to raise his hand and condense Abyssal Geo Power.
A dark brown rock wall instantly rose from the ground, blocking in front of him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The golden Stone Spears struck the rock wall repeatedly, producing deafening explosions. Under the dense barrage, the wall gradually crumbled, covered in cracks, before finally shattering with a thunderous crash.
The False Emperor was thrown backward by the shockwave, a trickle of black blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, indicating he had already sustained light injuries.
"Cretins like you dare to usurp my name?" Zhongli snorted coldly. His figure suddenly vanished, and the next second he appeared before the False Emperor.
His palm was condensed with dense Geo Elemental Power, striking with the crushing weight of Mount Tai.
The False Emperor hastily raised his arms to parry, but they went numb from the impact. The ground beneath his feet instantly collapsed into a deep pit as dark energy erupted from his body, attempting to neutralize the Geo element's pressure.
The two fought fiercely amidst the ruins, their figures moving so quickly they left only afterimages.
The golden Geo light and the dark brown Abyssal Geo Power clashed continuously. Each contact erupted with terrifying energy, completely dispelling the black mist and revealing the full, dilapidated extent of the ruins.
Zhongli's strikes were steady and fierce, each move reflecting the God's unique control, steadily pressing the attack.
The False Emperor relied on Abyssal Power to counterattack frantically, his moves insidious and cunning, yet he was always suppressed by the True Zhongli. His black robes were torn in multiple places by the Geo power, with dark energy bleeding from his wounds.
"Pfft!"
The False Emperor was sent flying backward by Zhongli's palm strike to his chest, crashing heavily against the rock wall and coughing up a large mouthful of black blood.
He struggled to stand, but his body was weak, his crimson eyes had dimmed significantly, and the Abyssal aura around him had become chaotic.
Lydia and Lumine watched, stunned, their faces filled with joy.
Victory was within reach, the False Emperor was about to be defeated, and there was hope for Yunqin to be awakened!
Lydia gripped the Festering Desire, the green Anemo power surging around her, ready to step forward and assist Zhongli at any moment.
Lumine held Yunxuan in her arms, her eyes full of relief, her tense nerves finally relaxing slightly.
But just then, Yunxuan, who was being held by Lumine, suddenly used her last strength to hoarsely shout, "Stop acting!"
These three words were like a thunderclap, exploding harshly in Lydia and Lumine's ears.
The joy on their faces instantly froze, they looked at Yunxuan in disbelief, then turned to look at the heavily injured False Emperor at the foot of the rock wall, their minds going blank.
"Yunxuan, you... what are you saying?" Lumine's voice trembled, completely failing to understand Yunxuan's meaning.
Lydia also frowned, the green Anemo power gradually subsiding.
Yunxuan struggled to lift her finger, pointing toward the black-robed False Emperor, her lips moving slightly, her voice weak but exceptionally clear: "His... Abyssal aura... hasn't dissipated at all... He's... deliberately... pretending to be weak..."
Yunxuan turned her unfocused gaze from the black-robed False Emperor to the white-robed Zhongli by her side.
Her lips were pale and cracked, trembling with a barely visible movement, her breath so faint it seemed as if it would cease the next second.
But within those originally clouded eyes, a trace of abnormal clarity and alertness was forcedly revealed.
The white-robed Zhongli before them was indeed standing in front of them, indeed confronting the False Emperor, but his tone was too harsh and urgent, completely lacking the customary composure and gentleness of Rex Lapis.
"You... aren't Rex Lapis..." Yunxuan's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, yet it felt like an ice-hardened needle piercing Lumine and Lydia's hearts.
Before the two could react, Yunxuan suddenly used her last trace of meager Hydro Elemental Power to condense a crystal-clear Lyre Bow at her fingertips.
That Lyre Bow was so slender it seemed as if it would shatter at a touch, yet it carried a trace of resolute murderous intent.
She violently broke free from Lumine's support, her body swaying wildly from weakness, and with a surge of desperate courage, mustered all her remaining strength to stab at the back of the white-robed Zhongli!
This was a gamble with her life, a testament to her deepest trust in Rex Lapis: the real Zhongli would never let her down.
"Careful!" Lumine cried out, reaching to stop her but too late, her heart leaping into her throat.
But Zhongli seemed to have been prepared all along. A fragment of stone suddenly rose from beneath his feet, struck the side of the Lyre Bow with calculated precision.
With a soft "Clink," the Lyre Bow's trajectory was forcibly deflected, grazing Zhongli's white robe and burying itself deeply into the adjacent rock wall, sending tiny stone chips flying.
Yunxuan had already been at death's door, and this strike completely drained her last trace of strength. The Lyre Bow instantly dissolved into a shower of Hydro Elemental light particles, scattering across the ground like broken starlight.
She slumped softly back into Lumine's arms, her chest heaving violently as she gasped for air, unable to speak another word. Yet she still stubbornly forced her eyes open, staring fixedly at the white-robed Zhongli, her gaze filled with the heartbroken realization: "So it is as I thought."
Zhongli slowly turned around and sighed deeply, his tone tinged with a faint, imperceptible trace of pity, but devoid of any panic from being exposed: "Why? I wanted to let you die more peacefully."
He lifted his head, and within his golden eyes, once as gentle and warm as jade, a thick black mist gradually began to swirl.
His pupils constricted rapidly, transforming into the same crimson as the black-robed False Emperor!
The pure and clean Geo aura surrounding him instantly turned sinister and bone-chilling, and his pristine white divine robes were instantly stained by dark energy, spreading from the collar to the hem like ink being splashed, rapidly turning a deep black.
The originally embroidered flowing cloud patterns twisted and deformed, transforming into hideous Abyssal runes that emitted a nauseating stench of decay.
"You're a fake!" Lydia gripped the Festering Desire sword, the cyan-green Anemo energy surging wildly around her like an angry tide.
"Zhongli" ignored her furious accusation and strode toward the black-robed False Emperor. The two stood side by side, their auras merging in an eerie fashion.
The next second, the black-robed False Emperor's figure began to turn transparent, gradually dissolving like water vapor, finally transforming into a wisp of dense black energy that merged into "Zhongli's" shadow.