Since the calamity of the pitch-black abyssal beasts five hundred years ago,
Liyue has never again faced such a disaster.
The sea surged inland, and even standing far away within Liyue Harbor, one could see the towering pillar of black light rising from the direction of Guyun Stone Forest.
Storms and whirlpools had formed around the pillar.
If there's one thing the people of Liyue are most familiar with, it would be the tale of the Geo Archon sweeping through all opposition and founding the nation.
And that creature from the sea—anyone who had listened to storytellers would know—
That was a god sealed beneath the ocean during the Archon War.
The God of Vortex: Osial.
And now… Osial was breaking free.
Under normal circumstances, the people of Liyue would hardly bat an eye. At most, they'd crowd around to watch the spectacle.
They knew too well:
If a god really did appear, it was nothing to worry about—because the Archon would take action.
And the Geo Archon was the strongest of the gods.
But now…
The Rite of Descension had only just occurred a few days ago, and the Geo Archon had been gravely injured.
He hadn't awakened yet.
So who would fight the god this time?
The people of Liyue grew numb. Foreign merchants panicked, scrambling to pack and flee, but what about the locals?
They couldn't leave.
They wouldn't leave.
This land had been their home for thousands of years.
> "A god... a god! Lord Morax, what should we do?"
"Lord Morax! Will you still protect Liyue?"
Prayers filled with anxiety and dread echoed through the streets and alleys.
Everyone stepped outside, staring toward the whirlpool in the sky.
But if one were to carefully observe the faces of the Millelith…
They would notice something off.
They didn't look scared.
In fact, they almost seemed… excited?
As if… a new dragon was preparing to rise.
---
On top of Mt. Tianheng—
Lumine, who had been collecting Cor Lapis with Zhongli, suddenly looked up in shock.
She turned back to glance at Liyue Harbor—already covered in ominous black clouds.
Countless whirlpools now churned the harbor waters.
Farther out, Osial was being unsealed.
Closer to shore, however, were swarms of dark figures moving beneath the sea.
Clearly, those were sea monsters.
Lumine was stunned.
She had expected Zhongli's so-called "test" to be harsh—
But never imagined he'd go so far as to unseal a god!
And he was even letting sea beasts attack Liyue Harbor!?
This guy… didn't he hate seafood!?
> "Zhongli… you must be crazy!"
Lumine yelled in frustration.
> "Was it really necessary to release a god!? Liyue Harbor can't withstand this!"
> "Paimon, let's go!"
Just as she said that, a golden light flared up, locking Lumine and Paimon in place.
Zhongli stood with his hands behind his back, calm and unhurried.
> "If it were before, I would have let you go. But now… there's no need."
> "Liyue cannot rely on anyone else. Not you, not Ryen, not even Mondstadt."
> "This time, they must face it alone."
Lumine slashed at the barrier, but it didn't budge.
With a sigh, she gave up.
> "Are you sure they can handle it?"
> "If you want my objective answer," Zhongli said flatly, "then no, I'm not."
He stood quietly, gazing toward the noise and turmoil of Liyue Harbor.
The rocks beneath his feet crumbled, lifting him and Lumine into the sky—
Apparently seeking a better view.
> "But if you're asking for my faith in the trial… then yes. I believe in Liyue."
> "You and I… can simply be spectators."
---
At the Northland Bank, Tartaglia (Childe) and Rosalyne had climbed to the third floor—
The best vantage point for watching what was to come.
They silently observed the god's awe-inspiring might.
Even though Osial wasn't fully unsealed yet, the destruction was already enough to shake the world.
And this was with Osial's power greatly weakened.
Even so, he looked as though he could overturn the seas.
> "A god… is a god, after all," Childe murmured.
He glanced sideways at Rosalyne.
Her expression was slightly grim.
Clearly, Osial had reminded her of Venti.
No matter what, Venti was one of the original Archons—also a god.
Even with injuries, surely he shouldn't be weaker than Osial, who had been sealed for centuries?
Yet even with just a partial unsealing, Osial was already capable of such destruction.
Compared to that…
Venti really did get played.
Rosalyne felt somewhat bitter, but soon brushed the thought aside.
> "Even such a terrifying god could be sealed by Morax's hand… the Geo Archon is beyond formidable."
Childe shook his head and continued staring toward the distant horizon.
Rosalyne frowned slightly and asked:
> "Do you still have faith in Liyue now?"
Childe didn't answer right away.
Truthfully, he wasn't so sure anymore.
He had underestimated just how terrifying Osial was.
If Osial fully escaped, things would get very ugly.
If Childe ran too late, he might get slapped straight into the sea.
The gap between a god and someone like him—who hadn't even reached godhood—was immeasurable.
And as the one who had orchestrated this whole event, no one knew better than Childe just how many dangerous beings had been summoned…
Near-god-level Beisht, thousands of sea beasts, nearly a thousand vanguard troops...
Some of the sea beasts even seemed strong enough to be considered divine beasts.
Forget Liyue—even the entire region might be engulfed in flames if things went wrong.
And if that happened, would he get off easy?
Even if he claimed he was just following orders, Ningguang would likely find a way to kill him anyway.
Childe sighed deeply, troubled.
But then, glancing down, he suddenly noticed something.
The Millelith…
While the people of Liyue were panicking, while foreigners fled—
The Millelith warriors…
They were grinning.
> "They… they're smiling?!"
> "What?"
Rosalyne turned toward him.
________________
At the temporary resting quarters of Beidou, she was just about to go talk to Ningguang again.
By her estimation, Ningguang should've finished her preparations by now.
But before she could even step out the door, the disturbance over the sea startled her.
Kazuha and Ayaka followed closely behind as they all rushed outside.
Staring at the dreadful elemental force on the distant horizon, both their faces turned pale.
> "Captain Beidou! It's a god… a god is attacking!"
> "A god has struck!"
Kazuha unsheathed his sword at his waist, glancing anxiously at Beidou.
She furrowed her brow.
> "To the Jade Chamber—immediately!"
Drawing her greatsword, Beidou led Kazuha and Ayaka straight toward the Jade Chamber.
Along the way, they ran into Keqing, who was also heading there.
The group exchanged a glance without words and ascended the levitating platform, flying straight toward the floating palace.
---
Meanwhile, Diluc had just entered Liyue's borders with 500 Knights of Favonius under his command.
Standing tall, he looked out over the sea at the unfolding chaos.
Over in Sumeru, near Liyue's border, Tighnari, Alhaitham, and Cyno stood on high ground, watching the terrifying elemental disturbance in the distance.
In Inazuma, across the sea, the war between the resistance and the Shogunate army had come to a halt.
Yae Miko stood with a complicated expression, looking toward Liyue.
Liyue had always held sway over Teyvat's economy.
Now, it had also begun producing mysterious resources—
Tying it more and more tightly to the entire continent.
And so, the eyes of all Teyvat were now drawn toward one place:
Liyue Harbor.
---
Back at the Jade Chamber…
By the time Keqing and the others arrived, the adepti were already in position.
Not far away, Ryen had called Jean and the others over, and they stood to the side, watching quietly—
Ready for the grand spectacle about to unfold.
As long-time visitors of the Minecraft world, they knew all too well—
This "trial" was hardly a challenge for Liyue.
In fact, they were still joking and chatting with each other.
When Beidou and her group entered, they saw Ningguang still casually conversing with the adepti.
Beidou frowned.
> "Ningguang, Osial is breaking free! What about the Archon?"
Ningguang turned to her with a smile.
> "The Archon? Still recovering, of course. Why? Something wrong?"
Beidou grew more puzzled.
A god was attacking—and yet Ningguang could still act so calm?
What on earth was she planning?
> "Ningguang!"
Beidou raised her voice slightly.
> "This is a god-level threat! Only the Archon can counter something like Osial! Without the Archon, how can we possibly fight back?"
> "I don't know what you're all plotting, but the people are innocent!"
> "If the Archon really is too injured to act, then we should be evacuating Liyue Harbor immediately!"
Ningguang waved her hand dismissively, chuckling lightly.
> "Liyue Harbor has stood for over a thousand years. This is our home. Why should we be the ones to retreat?"
> "Relax. Everything is under control. No need to panic."
> "Besides, the battle hasn't even started yet. Sit down and rest a while."
Beidou couldn't figure Ningguang out. She didn't know whether to stand or sit.
But Ningguang didn't seem bothered in the slightest.
She turned toward the adepti and asked softly:
> "Immortals, do you have any advice?"
Cloud Retainer looked completely indifferent.
> "You may arrange it as you see fit. We are not allowed to interfere directly. This is your trial."
> "But… this immortal thinks it's not really a big issue. It just depends how far you want to take it."
Sealing Osial again—reestablishing the binding—
Would be simple enough.
But killing Osial…
Now that would be much harder.
Ningguang let out a soft laugh and shook her head, not revealing her full intentions.
> "Really now? Cloud Retainer, are you not tempted to use this rare opportunity to test out our weapons?"
At that, Cloud Retainer fell silent.
To be honest, this really was a rare chance—
A situation where they could launch a full-scale bombardment without restraint.
Who knew when such a satisfying event would come again?
But then there was Zhongli, who had forbidden them from directly participating...
> "There's no need to worry too much," Ningguang said. "The Archon forbade you from confronting the god directly—he never said anything about using tools."
> "If you use those weapons… you're no different from the Millelith."
Cloud Retainer exchanged glances with Moon Carver and the others.
A strange excitement sparked between them.
This was a grand occasion. If they didn't participate in some way, it would feel like such a waste.
No direct combat?
Well, who needed immortal powers anyway?
If it's just pulling triggers and firing cannons, what could possibly be wrong with that?
Clearing her throat, Cloud Retainer pretended to remain composed.
> "Although this is a trial from the Archon, we too are Liyue's protectors. Taking part in this… is only right."
> "We'll do as you say."
Ningguang smiled and nodded, then turned to the still-bewildered Keqing, Beidou, and the rest.
> "I know you all still have many questions. I'll explain everything afterward."
> "But for now…"
Ningguang stood tall, pulling out a radiant gemstone.
With high spirits and commanding presence, she declared:
> "It's time to show the world—
What Liyue is truly capable of."
~~----------------------
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