"Skybracer? Are you alright?"
Mountain Shaper called out Skybracer's name anxiously, yet no matter what, the other party did not respond to him.
"What's going on? Didn't that kid Chen Feng say he would release his control over them? Could he have forgotten?"
Cloud Retainer glanced at Guizhong, the Guardian Yaksha, and the previous Liyue Qixing, only to find that everyone looked completely blank, and she immediately grew anxious.
"It's not impossible..."
Moon Carver thought that Chen Feng might have forgotten about this for a moment because he was chatting with Hu Tao, and his face immediately filled with worry.
What are we going to do? The people are back now, but they're unresponsive.
Should we try to repair them with a Great Memory Restoration Dream?
Hearing the commotion over here, Hu Tao took a deep breath to compose herself, then prepared to come over and see if she could help.
However, at that moment, the expression on her face clearly froze, and then she shouted in extreme panic.
"Mountain Shaper, be careful!"
Even before Hu Tao spoke, Mountain Shaper had already sensed the danger and tried to pull away, but it was too late. A slender arm reached out from the void, firmly grasping his head, and then a strange and magnetic voice came from the other side of the void.
"Yo, little bird. Be a dear and stay away from the subordinate I've taken an interest in."
Before anyone could react, an irresistible, crushing force surged through the hand.
BOOM!
Mountain Shaper was slammed into the ground, his head buried deep in the earth, leaving only his upper body visible. He went instantly still.
The situation had taken a catastrophic turn. Most of the onlookers stood completely paralyzed, stunned by the scene before them.
"Mountain Shaper!"
Seeing this scene, the Adepti's minds went blank for a moment. After they snapped out of it, a wave of panic surged through their hearts. Had they lost another companion?
Just then, the space violently tore open, revealing a slender and graceful figure.
That...
That was a woman who appeared to be in her twenties. She wore a red and white form-fitting outfit that perfectly accentuated her voluptuous figure, with a white coat casually draped over her shoulders.
Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, the ends simply tied into a ponytail that fully revealed her beautiful face. Her features were as exquisite as a painting, and her deep eyes were like staring into the starry sky, her entire being radiating an imposing aura of heroism.
At this moment, the woman's lips curled slightly, a faint smile on her face, but her beautiful eyes emitted a chilling coldness.
"Release Mountain Shaper!!"
Zhongli flashed into existence not far from the opponent, staring coldly at this uninvited guest. An invisible force pressed in on her from all directions.
However, the woman seemed completely unaffected, letting the force bear down on her. She then released her grip, slowly straightened up, and looked at Zhongli with intense interest and fighting spirit.
"Don't worry, he still has a breath of life left."
"I'm in a good mood today. He's lucky to have kept his life."
After dropping these words, the woman again fixed her gaze on Zhongli. Instantly, Zhongli's body tensed. At this moment, he felt as if he were being stared down by a primeval beast. The last time he had experienced a similar feeling was all the way back during the Archon War.
Sensing the terrifying power emanating from her, Zhongli abandoned the idea of directly using his full strength to suppress her.
Her strength was likely not inferior to his. And even if she were weaker, once a battle broke out, he would be unable to hold back against an enemy of this level. In that case, everyone present would probably be caught in the crossfire.
"Showing yourself here only now, it seems this whole incident is related to you as well."
Hearing Zhongli's words, the woman nodded.
"That's right. In fact, I was the one who told Number Nine about his plan and mission."
"And that day, Number Nine didn't see Qi Shu. The person he saw was me."
The woman smiled faintly, then continued.
"He... he hasn't recovered his memories, nor can he ever recover them, because his memories were long ago sacrificed as the price for obtaining power."
"As for why his emotions were left intact, it was simply out of concern that they might interfere with the plan he devised."
Hearing these words, Hu Tao's mind exploded.
"You lied to him?!"
An indescribable rage surged within Hu Tao as she glared at the strange woman, her grip on the Staff of Homa so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"Lied to him? No, no, no, I would never do something so utterly meaningless."
"I merely made a few adjustments to the plan he formulated."
"Don't you think those undead returning from the World of the Dead are all exceptionally skilled warriors?!"
Fanaticism and excitement flashed in the woman's eyes.
"Freed from their fragile flesh, they've been granted new and powerful bodies forged from spiritual energy!"
"They know no fatigue, suffer no wounds, feel no fear, and dread no death..."
"Ordinary attacks can be completely ignored, and only a very few special methods can have any significant effect on them..."
"With just a little tempering of their will, they will keep getting up and fighting, fighting again and again, unless they are completely erased or sealed with special methods, even if they are crushed, torn, pierced..."
"There are simply no better warriors than them!"
"Are they... are they not countless times stronger than those useless fools who only know how to wallow in sweet dreams?!"
"So how could a handful of people be enough? What I want is... everyone!"
With just a few words, Ningguang realized that the woman before them was a complete lunatic, and her heart became extremely heavy.
While Hu Tao had a general idea of what the opponent had done, she could no longer restrain herself, her entire body enveloped in the flames of her overwhelming rage, her Vision flashing rapidly and bursting with waves of blinding light.
A very conspicuous line of fire was drawn through the air, and the piercing sound of a sonic boom echoed through heaven and earth. Hu Tao condensed all the sadness, pain, and anger in her heart upon the Staff of Homa in her hand, launching an all-out charge at the woman.
As Hu Tao's power broke through her limits once more, it was, of course, not only driven by her emotions; after receiving Chen Feng's gift, her soul was gradually becoming pure and powerful.
Even though Hu Tao displayed such strength, everyone present felt a sense of panic, because the opponent's aura was simply too terrifying.
Lumine wanted to stop Hu Tao, but her physical weakness caused her to grab at empty air. In the end, she could only look anxiously at Paimon by her side, who tacitly understood her meaning and shouted loudly to Zhongli,
"Rex Lapis, hurry and stop Director Hu!"
Even without Paimon's reminder, Zhongli would not let Hu Tao face such a terrifying enemy directly.
The reason he had held back until now was because he knew Chen Feng would not seriously harm them; he simply wanted to force him out to conduct a transaction and have him cooperate in acting out a play.
But this woman was different. The moment Hu Tao made a move, Zhongli sensed a cold and crazed killing intent emanating from the opponent.
If left unchecked, Hu Tao would die!
Realizing this, Zhongli raised his hand, causing countless rock pillars to erupt from the ground in front of Hu Tao, sealing her completely inside.
Only after seeing Zhongli intervene did the crowd finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Tsk, you're lucky to have kept your life."
"If you hadn't become Number Nine's weakness, allowing my plan to be carried out so smoothly, you would have died today just for swinging a weapon at me."
The woman looked at Hu Tao with a smile that held no warmth, her eyes utterly frigid.
"Who the hell do you think you are? Why do you look so damn arrogant?" Paimon spat, her face contorted with indignation as she took in the woman's words and Hu Tao's agonized expression.
But the moment Paimon finished speaking, she felt an aura of death envelop her.
Before she could even process it, she felt herself being shoved aside. A muffled groan reached her ears. By the time Paimon snapped out of her terror, she saw Lumine's back, her arms raised in a defensive block as she was sent flying backward at a blinding speed. A faint scent of blood lingered in the air.
Lumine was thrown hundreds of meters before she finally managed to regain control. She channeled Dendro Elemental Power, forcing countless vines to erupt from the ground and entwine around her body. Yet, even these incredibly tough vines were powerless to absorb the immense force. Lumine was thrown another hundred meters, plowing a deep furrow into the earth before her body finally came to a stop, half-dangling over the edge of the cliff.
"Traveler!"
The group let out a cry of alarm, then rushed forward to check on her injuries.
Paimon was filled with self-reproach, flying a long time before she finally reached Lumine's side. Seeing the blood oozing from Lumine's lips, she burst into tears with a loud "Waaah!"
At this moment, Lumine, whose head was still ringing, desperately wanted to sew Paimon's mouth shut. Just now, Paimon's reckless action had almost let Lumine see her great-grandmother in heaven.
Wait, does she even have a great-grandmother...? Never mind, that's not important!
In her desperation just now, she had even forced herself to unleash the Power of Void, causing her body to suffer a considerable strain. If she had only used the power of the five elements, she would probably be severely injured and unconscious right now.
Besides, Lumine vaguely remembered from where she had been looking from afar earlier, that the opponent had merely thrown out a casual punch.
Too strong!
This overwhelming pressure was not much less than that of the invincible Neuvillette.
At this moment, when the woman saw the attack had been blocked and Paimon was still unharmed, she raised her hand, wanting to launch another attack. However, Zhongli had already stepped forward, blocking her path. A Stone Spear emitting an ancient glow had appeared in his hand at some unknown point, and his body exuded a powerful aura that could not be ignored.
"Who are you?"
Although Zhongli demanded to know the other party's identity, he actually already had the answer in his heart.
Just now, the other party had made a move so decisive that even he was thrown completely off-balance, and although it was partly due to the opponent's decisive action, this level of strength was also terrifying. He was not completely sure of victory against her.
Moreover, before this, he had never heard of such a person. Combined with the timing of her appearance, the other party's identity was already self-evident.
"Oh, speaking of which, I indeed have not introduced myself yet."
The woman thought for a moment, then ultimately decided to give up on fighting Zhongli now.
With one hand on her hip, the woman wore a faint smile on her face as she walked toward Zhongli step by step, leaving deep footprints on the ground with each step.
At the same time, a terrifying aura erupted from her body, sweeping directly toward the others. The expressions of everyone changed as they felt as if they were suddenly placed on a grand battlefield, their sight filled with mangled bodies. The thick smell of blood made it difficult for them to even breathe.
Soon, a bright yellow halo enveloped everyone present, and they were freed from the illusion. In just a few moments, sweat had already soaked their clothes.
Not long after, the woman stopped about ten meters from Zhongli, and their gazes met across the distance in the air.
Suddenly, the woman smiled.
"My name is Persephone. Of course, I know this name is quite unfamiliar to you."
"So, I will allow you to address me in another way."
"I am No. 3, the one who will soon bring destruction to this world. Remember my name well!"
Another Numbered Member!
Upon hearing this title, everyone present was struck with horror.
Although they had already vaguely guessed it, when she personally revealed her identity, everyone's hearts inevitably grew even heavier.
Moreover, her number was so low, which made a surge of fear unavoidably well up in everyone's hearts.
Chen Feng, as Number Nine, had already turned Liyue upside down, and now Number Three had appeared!
The crushing pressure Persephone exerted was far beyond anything Chen Feng had ever caused!
"Your strength is impressive," Persephone said, her gaze once again settling on Zhongli. "But... you're far from your peak, aren't you?"
She sighed softly. "Killing you now would be a waste."
"Of course, I will only grant you this one chance. The next time we meet, I will tear you apart with my own hands!"
"And everything you cherish and protect will be utterly destroyed by me!"
"So, let me offer you a piece of advice: restore your full strength before that day comes."
"When it does, I trust you'll provide me with an even greater surprise!"
As Persephone finished speaking, a look of deep apprehension crossed Zhongli's face.
She saw right through me!
Her insight is truly formidable.
The others, hearing her words, initially thought she meant Zhongli was exhausted from the battle and not at full strength. But they couldn't shake the feeling that she was referring to something else entirely.
Only the Adepti who knew a portion of the truth could no longer remain calm. Zhongli's current strength was indeed far from what it once was, not only due to the erosion brought by time and the loss of his Gnosis.
Everyone knew that Mora was created by Rex Lapis, but few knew that every single Mora contained a piece of Rex Lapis's flesh and blood.
How many years had passed since the Archon War ended? How much Mora had Liyue produced over thousands of years? This was the most severe erosion Rex Lapis had suffered!