"Feel..."
"..."
The Abyss Lector hadn't expected his enemy to be so fast. In a blur, the enemy had already teleported right in front of him.
But what caught him even more off guard was just how absurdly strong that enemy was.
Lu Chen's powerful punch slammed into the floating Abyss Lector, launching him into the air. The only thing left behind was the sound of bones shattering.
And that wasn't the end of it. A thunderclap cracked through the air as a bolt of lightning struck down. The Abyss Lector, still midair and not quite dead, was slashed by Musou Isshin.
He was torn apart on the spot, reduced to nothing...
Lu Chen called this move "husband and wife mixed doubles," and it was brutally effective, instantly eliminating the most dangerous enemy in the group.
Such a direct and forceful display stunned the members of the Abyss Order.
It was Lu Chen and Ei who had suddenly appeared, yet they looked more like the villains.
The battle continued.
After teaming up to take down the Abyss Lector, only four Abyss Heralds remained among the Order's high-level forces. As for the remaining Abyss Mages, Lu Chen simply ignored their attacks.
"Solid as a rock—"
Now that he had ascended to demigodhood, his control over elemental energy had grown stronger than ever. The upside-down building trembled slightly, stone cracking as unseen Geo energy surged toward him, forming an indestructible elemental barrier.
It was a magnified version of the Jade Shield, enveloping both him and Ei. The Abyss Mages' spells landed on the translucent shield, sparking golden flares, but none could reach Lu Chen.
Instead, with a casual counterattack, he effortlessly took down a few obstructing Abyss Mages.
Even so, the remaining Mages showed no fear at their slaughter—only fanatical aggression.
Amidst the chaotic burst of multi-colored elemental skills, Lu Chen reached the four Abyss Heralds.
They swung their tidal blades with force. As water scattered, even the Geo barrier flickered—the golden glow dimming for a moment, a sign of intense impact.
But it still posed no threat to Lu Chen. In Teyvat, elemental energy was plentiful and unending. With a wave of his hand, fresh Geo power filled the cracks in the shield.
Meanwhile, the Skyward Blade in his hand gathered a sharp chill—Cryo was still his most fluent offensive element.
[Kamisato Art: Hyouka]
Hydro in the air froze instantly. These Heralds, unlike the Lector, were melee fighters—so their movements slowed in a flash.
[Kamisato Art: Soumetsu]
Lu Chen unleashed a raging blizzard. Anyone caught within would be sliced by the Cryo like razor-sharp blades.
But that still wasn't everything.
[Ballad of the Anemo Archon]
Mimicking Venti, Lu Chen conjured a massive Eye of the Storm.
The effect was immediate. Every Abyss Mage in the ruins hall was pulled in. As Anemo surged, the storm's center became a volatile furnace of elemental reactions. Even the upside-down ruins shook violently, bricks and debris raining from floor to ceiling.
The Heralds had never faced such relentless, overwhelming force. Three were dragged into the storm, clinging desperately to the ground with their weapons.
It was Ei who finished them off.
Lu Chen saw the faintly glowing Hundred-Eyed Wheel of All Desires behind her. She raised Musou Isshin high, then brought it down expressionlessly.
Until those three Heralds were reduced to ash, her gaze remained cold and merciless.
It made Lu Chen wonder: was the cute, slightly clueless Ei who had helped him make fried tofu for Miko in the RV kitchen earlier just an illusion?
But of course not. This was just how Ei was in battle—cold and precise. It was what made enemies fear her.
Still, Lu Chen didn't particularly like this side of her. Beautiful as ever, but distant—like a stunning yet untouchable poppy, alluring and cold, unfamiliar and unapproachable.
He called this aura "divinity."
He had seen it in Zhongli and Venti, too.
Strangely, even though he had once been a being close to a god, he never exuded that same air. He had always kept a youthful, boyish heart.
After wiping out the three Heralds, Ei turned to survey the battlefield. The ruins hall was now several times more damaged than when they first arrived. She withdrew Musou Isshin.
Lu Chen looked at the severely wounded Herald trying to stand up.
"Clean kills... just one half-dead left."
Ei nodded, scanning the aftermath before glancing at Lu Chen.
"So I'm stronger than you, Lu Chen."
"Huh?" Lu Chen blinked at her sudden remark.
Then he remembered—before the fight, they'd been arguing and he had tossed out a "I'm the best" before running off.
He didn't think she'd actually remember—and respond...
What a hopelessly straightforward girl!
Lu Chen let out a helpless chuckle.
"Yeah, yeah! Ei's the strongest."
For the first time, a hint of softness broke through her cold expression. She pursed her lips, almost bashfully.
Lu Chen had a feeling she was trying not to laugh.
"Sigh..."
He couldn't help wondering—maybe back in the day, when he kept winning spars against a younger Ei in the Tenshukaku's courtyard, he gave her a complex. Now she was determined to prove herself...
Back then, Ei was a stubborn martial artist, focused entirely on honing her skills. He always won by cheating or sneaky tricks. Yet she never once tried to fight dirty in return...
"You two really have to flirt even while fighting?"
Miko appeared in the ruins hall, arms crossed.
She stepped on the Abyss Herald's hand with a mocking smile.
The Order had tried to slip away while Lu Chen and Ei were distracted, but Miko caught the movement right away.
"We weren't flirting..."
Lu Chen walked over, summoned Anemo, and firmly pinned the Herald's hands and feet to the ceiling.
He remembered these guys could use Ley Line nodes to open Abyss portals and escape at any time.
"Don't lie—look, you even made my Ei laugh."
Miko tilted her chin toward Ei.
Lu Chen turned and looked—Ei's expression hadn't changed at all, still cold and blank.
What was that speed?!
...
With this stronghold of the Abyss Order dealt with, Lu Chen finally had the chance to examine the strange device that could manipulate Archon remnants.
It floated in midair, with the container holding the remains positioned directly beneath it. A faint, flickering ghostly light shimmered between the two—still active, perhaps.
Lu Chen glanced at the last surviving Herald, then at the beautiful leg pressing down on his hand.
"Miko, you're spoiling him. Let me do it..."
Miko, puzzled, withdrew her leg.
Lu Chen, expressionless, stepped down hard.
"Talk. Where did you get this device? How does it work?"