In the pitch-black parking lot, a foul, resentful aura was spreading outward.
Sensing the familiar presence, Xiao swiftly wiped a hand across his face, summoning the fearsome Yaksha mask that once terrified demons.
A sudden gust of wind tore through the air as he brandished his emerald green spear and charged straight toward the monsters.
"Xiao! Wait!"
Lu Chen didn't have time to stop him—Xiao had already vanished into the shadows, leaving only a blur behind.
Are all wind guys this fast…? Lu Chen glanced at Venti.
"We can't let him fight."
Venti blinked, as if realizing something.
"Right!"
This trip wasn't just for fun. Aside from completing Barbara's mission, they had another important goal—Xiao.
Lu Chen had hoped to help him stop the killing, to slow the advance of his karmic debt. But now, trouble had struck at the worst time.
"Leave it to us! Go stop him!" Venti said quickly.
Lu Chen turned his gaze to Xiao, who had already ascended into the air, surrounded by black mist. The power and killing intent he radiated were many times stronger than usual.
Lu Chen remembered this move—it was called "Demon Suppression Dance." Devastating in power, but it inflicted immense pain and backlash on Xiao.
In the next moment, Lu Chen teleported behind him and raised a Jade Shield between Xiao and the monsters.
The "Xiao-type pile driver" slammed into empty air, the Jade Shield flashing violently as it absorbed the force.
"!"
The snarling Yaksha mask turned toward Lu Chen in an instant.
Seeing who it was, Xiao's demonic aura eased slightly, though his voice remained cold.
"Lu Chen? What are you doing?"
"Adepti Xiao, you've been slaying evil spirits for millennia. Take a break—let us handle it this time."
Lu Chen used a light, joking tone to ease the tension.
Floating above, he glanced down at the monsters.
"Besides, don't you think something's off about them? If we strike too hastily, it might backfire."
"Hm?"
Xiao followed his gaze.
Below, a black rift hung in the air, and from it, countless monsters poured out, wreaking havoc on everything around them. Sirens blared throughout the parking lot.
A translucent secret realm was expanding outward, sealing off the area from the outside world. With both realms overlapping, Lu Chen could now see into the other side.
By now, Venti and Ei had already wiped out the first wave of monsters with ease.
But the second wave surged from the rift and immediately locked onto them, launching a fierce assault.
These monsters were far stronger than the first batch. The stench of hatred and corruption they carried was nauseating.
Venti frowned—this was getting tricky. He unleashed a Stormeye at the rift's edge, and the contaminated monsters were swept into the sky by a violent gale before they could fully emerge.
Ei followed up, cutting down the entire wave with swift, clean strikes.
"These monsters, corrupted by Archon remnants, seem to be under unified control... and the remnants on them are getting stronger," Lu Chen murmured.
Xiao had already removed his mask, golden eyes fixed on the third wave. He sensed it too—something wasn't right.
"On the other side of the Gate of Teyvat... someone's controlling the Archon remnants?" Xiao sounded surprised.
"Could it be..."
He might've been thinking about the revival of an Archon—but Lu Chen shook his head.
"It's the Abyss Order."
The Abyss Order had long been eyeing the Gate of Teyvat. What they were doing this time was still unclear.
Fortunately, within the real Teyvat system, "secret realms" were overlapping zones between the two worlds—and only accessible from Lu Chen's side. Meaning—
Lu Chen could observe what was happening on the other side of Teyvat without being noticed by the Abyss Order.
The system, for all its quirks, was incredibly useful—offering Lu Chen a place to fight, gain experience, and keep everything under wraps.
He returned to the ground, choosing not to join the battle with Venti and Ei. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and began scanning the surroundings.
It was dark here—and appeared to be dark on the Teyvat side too. Or at least, the other side was shrouded in shadows, making visibility poor.
Lu Chen focused on distinguishing Teyvat's environment—then, not far off, he spotted Miko waving at him.
Resting her chin in her hand, she gazed curiously in one direction, clearly having discovered something.
"Lu Chen, I found something interesting. Come here!"
He responded, ready to head over—when monster roars suddenly echoed around him.
"Miko, look out!"
Several monsters that had slipped past the others lunged at her. All were tainted by Archon remnants, giving them both strength and a bloodthirsty madness.
Just as he shouted, Miko vanished in a flash of purple lightning.
She reappeared beside Lu Chen, a faint smile on her face as the monsters dove into empty air.
"Aw, were you that worried about me?"
She smiled, calm and unshaken.
Lu Chen didn't respond. Instead, he summoned the Skyward Blade from the system and swung it at the oncoming monsters.
[Frost Destruction]
The blade condensed sharp frost, releasing a massive blizzard that tore through the air. The creatures were swept into the storm and shredded in an instant.
But even then, they didn't seem to feel pain. Covered in black mist, they clawed desperately in Lu Chen's direction.
"They're so ugly..." Miko stepped beside him, wrinkling her nose at the grotesque beasts.
The foul aura of the Archon remnants mixed with the growing scent of blood, thick in the air.
As Lu Chen crushed the remaining monsters, they dissolved into viscous black liquid or foul-smelling gas, sticking to the ground like tar.
That was the nature of Archon remnants—indestructible, hard to cleanse. Destroying their hosts was only a temporary fix.
"Looks like you've recovered fast."
Miko had been watching his fight. In her eyes, he was now nearly on par with the two gods fighting up front.
"Of course," Lu Chen said, though his tone turned slightly reproachful. "What were you looking at earlier? You weren't paying attention."
"I noticed the monsters," she said with a shrug. "But I saw something interesting in the other world and reacted a little slow."
Crossing her arms, she snorted. "Don't underestimate me, okay?"
Lu Chen chuckled and walked with her to where she'd been standing.
He had to admit—he often forgot that Miko had changed. She was no longer the little fox from back then. She was now the Grand Shrine Maiden of Narukami.
Yet in his mind, she still felt like the same mischievous girl.
They reached the edge of the secret realm. The two worlds were like overlapping layers, separated by a blurry pane of glass. Following Miko's gaze...
Lu Chen immediately saw them—members of the Abyss Order.
There were a lot of them.
Tall Abyss Heralds surrounded a massive, strange-looking device.
And as the Abyss Lectors began their ritual, Lu Chen watched in shock as the monsters pouring from the rift became even more twisted—and even more powerful.