Xia Zhi had already reached Azhdaha. Only a row of Geo spears separated them.
Now, he could see Azhdaha directly through his God's Eye—though only a small portion of His body was visible.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was the shimmering progress bar hanging over that small portion.
[Progress: 0%]
As he had guessed—Diamond-tier.
"WHO ARE YOU?!"
Xia Zhi looked up at the furious dragon glaring down at him and said, "I am Xia Zhi, here at the behest of Morax to pay you a visit."
"Morax? Morax?..."
Upon hearing the name, Azhdaha began muttering lowly to Himself. After repeating it over a dozen times, as if suddenly recalling something, He completely lost it, roaring wildly.
"MORAX! MORAX! A MILLENNIUM OF HATRED! HOW WILL YOU REPAY ME?!"
Then, He began slamming even more violently against the Geo spears imprisoning Him.
"Looks like diplomacy failed..."
Xia Zhi sighed.
"Guess we'll have to try a different approach."
He pulled out the [Element Reaction Box] from his inventory, considered it for a moment, then put it back.
It was, after all, a Platinum-tier consumable. Based on his experience, its power was likely on par with Diamond-tier items.
During his previous experiment, just using a single [Adepti Sigil] to supply elemental energy for each type had already caused an earthquake.
This time, the elemental energy was concentrated and stored in the most compatible ores—its potency far surpassed the last test.
He was afraid the box might just blow Dragon-Queller clean off the map, and cleaning up afterward would be a hassle.
Better to use a safer method.
For example, Morax's own skill set.
Whatever He had used to beat Azhdaha back then, Xia Zhi would just replicate it now.
"Planet Befall."
A massive meteor descended from the sky and struck Azhdaha.
Thanks to elemental resistance, the dragon wasn't heavily injured. Instead, sensing the familiar Geo energy of Morax within the meteor, He grew even more enraged.
"MORAX! THE TIME FOR RECKONING HAS COME!..."
Damn, He's tanky.
There was another issue.
His field of vision was still severely limited.
He might miss his attacks.
He needed a way to temporarily restore his sight...
At present, there were two scenarios where Xia Zhi could see again:
First, in the dream world.
Second, while transformed.
"MORAX! MORAX! TODAY, WE SETTLE ALL SCORES!..."
Azhdaha, still in His frenzy, had mistaken Xia Zhi for Morax.
Xia Zhi tilted his head slightly and said gently to the dragon beyond the Geo spears:
"Don't rush. Just wait a moment. I'll settle them with you now."
He retrieved the long-unused [Transformation Badge] from his inventory.
It was ready for immediate use.
The transformation ability was [Titan].
He hadn't used this form before. Its strength didn't matter—what he needed was the temporary vision restoration that came with transformation.
Xia Zhi gripped the badge and activated it.
Before Azhdaha, a humanoid figure as massive as a mountain suddenly materialized.
Ah, being able to see again feels amazing... Let me check the skills—oh, brute strength-based? Well then, let's settle that so-called grudge now!
The Titan clenched a fist and activated [Without Thought].
In this state, your next attack or skill deals +1000% damage. Afterward, the buff ends. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
"With [Innate Super Strength] boosting it, you should be able to take this punch, right?"
The colossal fist shot through the Geo spear barrier like lightning.
The next instant, the entirety of Nantianmen shook violently.
-----
Nighttime at Wangshu Inn.
Thanks to Chef Yanxiao's sudden improvement in culinary skills, business at the inn had been booming over the past couple of days.
The first-floor dining area was packed with guests enjoying their meals, the clinking of cups and lively chatter filling the air.
In a quieter corner, Mountain Shaper and Moon Carver sat together at a table with freshly served dishes and a jug of wine.
Mountain Shaper lifted the jug and poured wine into two cups. "After days of patrolling the Guili Plains, I finally understand how exhausting Xiao's job is."
Moon Carver picked up his chopsticks and nibbled on some fried peanuts. "It's exhausting for us. Xiao moves much faster than we do. The only real trouble for him is the karmic debt."
Mountain Shaper nodded. "True. At least we didn't run into any spirits this time..."
Moon Carver sighed. "Yeah, what a shame..."
Mountain Shaper blinked. "Huh?"
Moon Carver glanced at him. "If we'd accumulated enough karmic debt that even Rex Lapis couldn't cleanse, wouldn't we have to go to Mr. Xia? And wouldn't that mean free meals?"
Mountain Shaper laughed helplessly and set down the wine jug. "Let's not go that far..."
Just then, they overheard guests at a nearby table raving about how delicious the inn's food was.
Moon Carver popped another peanut into his mouth and shook his head. "The chef here has improved, but he's still no match for Xiangling, let alone Mr. Xia."
Mountain Shaper passed a filled cup to his friend.
The two raised their glasses, clinked them lightly, and took a sip.
The wine slid down their throats.
Moon Carver frowned and shook his head again. "The wine here isn't great either. Can't compare to Diona's cocktails."
Mountain Shaper also found the wine lacking. "We've been eating and drinking like this for thousands of years..."
Moon Carver didn't argue. Instead, he pulled out a can of Lao Gan Die from his spatial storage.
Inside were crispy fried fish—originally made because Diona had wanted some, with the leftovers shared as snacks.
Aside from being a tasty treat, they also made excellent drinking companions.
The moment the can was opened, a rich, savory aroma of fish filled the air, overpowering the scent of the other dishes.
The two adepti picked up their chopsticks, took a bite of the golden, crispy fish, and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
Now this is food.
"Cheers."
"Cheers."
They clinked glasses again and took another sip.
The previously bland wine now tasted far more palatable.
The tantalizing aroma of the fried fish drew envious glances from other tables, with some guests even swallowing hard.
After a while, Moon Carver picked up the wine jug to refill their cups when he suddenly felt a faint tremor in the ground.
The vibration traveled up the table legs, causing ripples in their wine.
An… earthquake?
The other guests noticed it as well.
Someone shouted, "The earth dragon is turning over!"
Moon Carver froze.
He looked up to see his friend leaping to his feet, staring outside in shock.
"What's wrong?"
"The quake… it seems to be coming from that direction."
"That direction?"
"Nantianmen."
"!?"
Moon Carver's tipsiness vanished instantly. He stood up, his expression grave as he looked in the same direction. "Nantianmen… Are you thinking…?"
Mountain Shaper's face was troubled. "Yes. I'm worried something might have happened to Azhdaha's seal. Guarding Dragon-Queller's seal is my duty. I originally planned to attend Ping's birthday gathering, then return to Mt. Hulao after dinner. But I've been stuck in Liyue Harbor for nearly half a year now, and the seal has been unattended all this time..."
Moon Carver's voice was calm. "Don't panic. The seal was placed by Rex Lapis himself—it's not something just anyone can break..."
Mountain Shaper looked at him and lowered his voice. "Don't forget what happened with Osial last year."
Moon Carver's expression darkened.
True. Osial's seal had also been placed by Rex Lapis, yet the Fatui had used "Sigils of Permission" to break it, causing a massive incident.
There was no telling if the Fatui might attempt something similar at Dragon-Queller.
Mountain Shaper added, "I need to go back and check."
Moon Carver nodded. "Then I'll go with you. We just finished patrolling Guili Plains today, so there's nothing left to worry about here."
"Should we report this to the school?"
"With Rex Lapis's abilities, he's surely already aware. No need for unnecessary steps."
"Alright, let's go."
"Right."
Mountain Shaper headed for the door.
Moon Carver glanced at the unfinished food and wine, tossed the payment onto the table, and watched as the Mora scattered into a pattern.
He studied the divination and froze.
Then, he called out, "Check, please!"
"Coming! Safe travels, guests!"
Moon Carver took another look at the divination, deep in thought as he walked away.
After a few steps, he suddenly turned back, grabbed the half-finished can of fried fish, and left.
Outside the inn, Mountain Shaper was waiting impatiently. "Hurry up!"
Moon Carver strolled over leisurely and whispered, "I know you're in a rush, but don't be."
"!?"
"I just did a divination."
"About Azhdaha?"
"Of course not! I divined myself—to see how this trip would turn out."
"And?"
"Great fortune."
"!?"
Mountain Shaper looked stunned.
"Great fortune?"
"Great fortune!"
"So… this earthquake is actually a good thing?"
"Yes. Assuming my divination isn't wrong."
"In my experience, your divinations have never been wrong. Though lately, you've had a lot of duds..."
Moon Carver's face darkened. "Enough chatter. Are we going or not?"
Mountain Shaper nodded immediately. "Yes! Of course!"
"Wait, I just thought of something else."
"What?"
"Nantianmen isn't far from Mt. Aocang."
Moon Carver's tone turned meaningful. "A few days ago, when Mr. Xia left, he mentioned he was heading to Mt. Aocang to visit Cloud Retainer. By now, he's probably already there."
Mountain Shaper caught on. "Even if something has happened at Nantianmen, the tremors here at Wangshu Inn are just aftershocks. The quake must have been far stronger at Mt. Aocang. Ping and Cloud Retainer wouldn't ignore it, and if they go to investigate, Mr. Xia might join them."
Moon Carver lowered his voice. "Might? With the Dendro Archon's personality, she'd drag him along for the excitement!"
Mountain Shaper thought for a moment and nodded. "Fair point..."
Moon Carver continued, "So, with those three around, even if Azhdaha has broken free, nothing disastrous will happen. Just think about what happened to Osial..."
Mountain Shaper relaxed. "True."
While Azhdaha had originally been stronger than Osial, He had been sealed for far longer and suffered far worse erosion, so He likely wasn't much of a threat now.
"I think this 'great fortune' in the divination refers to this. By the time we get there, everything might already be resolved, and we can even mooch a meal at Cloud Retainer's place."
"Excellent!"
The two adepti exchanged smiles, their worries eased.