Hearing Ei's words, Yae Miko remained silent. After all, they still hadn't fully grasped the true extent of the Divine Sovereign's power.
Although Ei, with the Gnosis as a medium, had gathered the faith of all the people of Inazuma, making her power unprecedentedly strong, Yae Miko had a feeling that even now, Ei might still not be his match.
"Hmm, your proposal is indeed quite tempting," Yun Fan said after a moment of silence, his tone suggesting that he agreed with Ei's suggestion.
"In that case..." Ei began, but before she could continue, Yun Fan abruptly changed the subject.
"However... Ei, Yae Miko, I'm quite curious. Can the faith of the people of Inazuma that you've gathered truly surpass the will of the Divine Sovereign?"
After hearing Yun Fan's words, Ei, now in her divine attire, silently drew Musou Isshin and assumed a combat stance. She then turned to Yae Miko beside her and said, "Yae, step back."
"Ei, be careful," Yae Miko said, seeing that Yun Fan was determined to fight. Knowing she had no role to play here, she could only sigh helplessly and flew down to where the Kamisato siblings were standing.
Watching Yae Miko leave, Ei felt slightly relieved. Now, Yae Miko was her only remaining friend. If something were to happen to her, Ei would truly have nothing left.
With this thought, Ei turned her gaze back to Yun Fan, narrowing her eyes slightly. The silver-haired youth before her seemed casual in his movements, yet there were no openings to exploit, as if he were a natural force.
Even with the boost from the faith of the people, temporarily elevating her power to the peak of an Archon's strength, she still couldn't fully grasp the true extent of Yun Fan's power.
"Make your move," Yun Fan said indifferently. Under Ei's puzzled gaze, the silver-haired youth sheathed Stonefire Dream, dispelled the lightning around him, and even retracted his overwhelming divine aura, reverting to an "ordinary person."
Is he mocking me? Ei thought, her anger flaring. For a warrior, Yun Fan's actions were nothing short of the greatest insult.
"Hmph! In that case, Divine Sovereign, may your arrogance lead to your downfall here!"
Ei let out a cold snort, raising Musou Isshin high above her head. Above them, dark clouds gathered, forming a spiral.
Boom! Boom!...
Thunder rumbled as countless purple lightning bolts descended from the sky, converging onto the blade of Musou Isshin. In terms of power and intensity, this surpassed even the full-powered "Musou no Hitotachi" unleashed by the Eternal Guardian.
"Now this is more like it," Yun Fan nodded in satisfaction, then pulled out a golden, glowing card from his waist and examined it.
"The Authority of Finality... For Teyvat, this is a true dimensional downgrade..." the silver-haired youth murmured, then closed his eyes and pressed the card against his chest.
Hum!
The card emitted a soft hum, then slowly merged into Yun Fan's body. In the next moment, faint purple Honkai energy, carrying the aura of the end, erupted from him, dispersing the dark clouds in the sky and replacing them with a mysterious, starry expanse.
The changes weren't limited to the sky. At the same time, Yun Fan's attire also transformed.
His traditional Liyue robes shattered as the Honkai energy surged, reforming into a black coat.
The coat had a Western-style design, somewhat similar to Zhongli's attire, but with subtle differences. Purple patterns adorned the coat, with a mysterious energy flowing through them. A purple tie formed at the collar, tightening the otherwise loose neckline.
"This aura... It surpasses even the Heavenly Principles!" Ei's pupils dilated in shock. She had always regarded the Heavenly Principles as the supreme law, the ultimate goal of her pursuit of eternity.
She had thought that the Divine Sovereign of Liyue was, at most, on par with Morax, or perhaps slightly stronger.
But the aura emanating from the man before her now likely surpassed even the Heavenly Principles.
"You, who pursue eternity."
As Ei was lost in thought, Yun Fan spoke. His indifferent voice carried a peculiar power, resonating in the ears of all who heard it.
"Eternity is the enemy of the End."
"I shall annihilate you here!"
---
"Lady Yae." xN
Seeing Yae Miko, who had been confronting the Immortal Phoenix in the sky, descend toward them, the Kamisato siblings quickly greeted her.
"Lady Yae, what is the current situation?" Kamisato Ayato asked nervously. Why had only Yae Miko come down? Did this mean the matter wasn't over yet?
"Sigh, the situation isn't optimistic," Yae Miko sighed, her eyes fixed on the two figures in the sky, filled with worry.
"Then... Lady Yae, is there any other way?"
"Another way? I'm afraid not. Ei has gathered the faith of the people of Inazuma. In other words, she is now the embodiment of the collective will of Inazuma. If she loses, then Inazuma is truly defeated," Yae Miko shook her head, smiling bitterly.
Hearing this, the Kamisato siblings fell silent. They had also sensed this earlier, as their own faith was part of the collective will. But...
"Are all the adepti of Liyue this powerful? To be able to oppose an entire nation single-handedly?" Ayaka couldn't help but ask. Today's events had truly shattered her worldview and her understanding of what it meant to be an adeptus.
"An adeptus? He's not an adeptus," Yae Miko said helplessly.
"Not an adeptus?" Ayaka's mouth fell open in disbelief.
"Yes, the man before us is not an adeptus. There is no such person as the Immortal Phoenix in Liyue. His true identity is the current supreme ruler of Liyue—the Divine Sovereign."
The Divine Sovereign?
The Kamisato siblings were stunned, exchanging glances and seeing the same indescribable shock in each other's eyes. How could this be? He was the Divine Sovereign!
While Ayato was filled with astonishment, Ayaka's heart was more complicated. Recalling her interactions with Yun Fan since their first meeting on Watatsumi Island, to today's events as the chief negotiator, and even his banter with Kujou Sara, Ayaka found it hard to reconcile the man before her with the legendary Divine Sovereign who could effortlessly slay gods.