The Wither Storm rose to its peak, exploding like fireworks.
Heaven and Earth instantly cleared.
A slightly strange, gem-like object fell. Jiang Xuan stepped forward, picked it up, and chuckled,
"A Nether Star… that took quite a bit of effort."
The others also returned to this space, first lighting torches.
They saw clearly now only because they had drunk a Potion of Night Vision.
In reality, what light source could there be in this dark, sunless mine?
If they didn't light torches soon, monsters would start spawning.
"Is this a Nether Star? The base for a Beacon?"
Ningguang asked curiously, and Jiang Xuan nodded slightly.
"That's right, you can craft a Beacon with glass and obsidian."
"But let's talk about the Beacon tomorrow."
Putting away the Beacon, Jiang Xuan turned and smiled at everyone.
"This time, our cooperation was perfect. We killed the Wither Storm before it could evolve to its second stage."
"Ehe!"
Venti spread his hands comically.
"What should I say? Too bad I didn't get to see the Wither Storm evolve?"
Hearing this, Jiang Xuan rolled his eyes.
"You're the least qualified to say that. You were attacked then and got the Wither Effect."
"If we hadn't dealt with it quickly, you would have seen it evolve to its second stage."
Venti's face stiffened, and he pouted,
"That... everyone has careless moments!"
Jiang Xuan shook his head and said nothing more.
In any case, the problem was solved smoothly.
Now that everyone was mentally prepared, dealing with the Wither Storm would be even easier if they maintained this method of cooperation.
As for not seeing the Wither Storm's evolution stages...
It's not a game where you save a file just to see the Wither Storm's final form!
Whoever wants to see that thing can go ahead!
He just thought the first stage Wither was the cutest.
The final stage Wither was practically a giant, evil, octopus-headed tentacle demon.
Even if killing the seventh stage Wither dropped ten Beacons instead of just one, like the first stage, Jiang Xuan wouldn't even spare it a second glance.
Safety first.
"Speaking of which, Jiang Xuan, when did you learn that sword technique?"
Keqing looked at Jiang Xuan with some curiosity.
In Teyvat, her Elemental Burst somewhat resembled Jiang Xuan's attack just now.
However, she achieved extreme speed by activating her physical abilities with Electro energy.
Jiang Xuan, on the other hand, had undeniably used Spatial Power to launch attacks almost simultaneously.
Keqing's words also reminded Jean and the others.
The ornate katana in Jiang Xuan's hand was a weapon they had never seen before.
Even Lumine wondered if this weapon was some advanced composite of this world.
If it truly was an advanced composite, she would want to craft a dozen of them no matter what.
There was no other reason...
Spatial Power, Teleportation!
How much would such a weapon revolutionize Teyvat if brought there?
If they had such a weapon when confronting the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles, why would they have been so easily sealed?
Jiang Xuan chuckled as he swung the Yamato in his hand, and softly said:
"It utilizes the unique feature of the Yamato's Phantom Blade to drive my spatial movement, scattering a large number of Phantom Blades to achieve the effect of rapidly shifting and attacking within an area."
"I call it Flying Thunder God. How about it, isn't it magnificent?"
Ningguang and the others nodded involuntarily.
This was more than just magnificent; any single strike from Jiang Xuan's Yamato just now caused more damage than any of their attacks.
The Wither Storm, which had about a third of its health left, was visibly sliced apart.
Moreover, in comparison, that final Judgement Cut was truly terrifying.
It looked unremarkable, yet it could tear through space to attack.
This reminded Venti of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.
That entity also seemed to possess the authority over space.
And...
That Judgement Cut gave him a sense of inevitable doom.
It was as if, even with all his divine power, facing that one sword strike would mean death.
"This weapon is called Yamato?"
Lumine looked at the Yamato with burning eyes, but before she could ask further,
Cloud Retainer shook her head from the side.
"Don't even think about it. This is Jiang Xuan's exclusive weapon, a top-tier existence from a Mod."
"It can't be made, at least not right now."
Hearing this, Diluc's heart stirred, and he softly said,
"If not now, then later?"
Jiang Xuan nodded with a smile.
"Later, when Mods are fully available, although it can't be mass-produced, many can still be crafted."
Lisa, standing nearby, nodded thoughtfully and then looked at Ganyu.
"And that explosion earlier… I remember, Ganyu shouldn't have that kind of explosive ability, right?"
After all, as a Qixing secretary and a half-Adepti beast, Ganyu had often been active on the front lines.
Mondstadt still had some records of Ganyu's abilities.
"That's right."
Ganyu looked at Jiang Xuan with a hint of happiness and took out her Barrett Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle.
"This is a weapon Jiang Xuan gave me, a Barrett Anti-Materiel Sniper Rifle."
"It's very powerful. In Teyvat, with Elemental Power infused, one shot can shatter a small mountain."
"It's also a weapon from a Mod."
After Ganyu finished speaking, Jiang Xuan added a reminder.
"Unlike my Yamato, Ganyu's Barrett can be mass-produced, but it consumes a lot of resources."
"Also... not everyone can wield or use this weapon."
"Anyone without a strong physique would have their bones shattered by the recoil of a single shot."
"But Ganyu and the Barrett are a perfect match."
Hearing this, Ganyu pouted reluctantly,
"No! Jiang Xuan and I are the perfect match!"
Jiang Xuan was startled, then chuckled softly as he rubbed Ganyu's horns.
Their occasional displays of affection were something everyone had grown accustomed to.
Lisa, however, remembered what Jiang Xuan had said earlier at the villa.
He could only activate new Mods after killing the Wither Storm.
She suddenly realized:
"So... you had to kill the Wither Storm for the Mods..."
"Compared to the Mods, the Beacon seems insignificant now."
Jiang Xuan nodded noncommittally.
"Mods are the true mystery of this world."
"What you saw before, the Lucky Blocks, and Xiao's wide area excavation with a single swing of his pickaxe, that's Vein Miner."
"These two are already activated Mods."
"I can only say that once Mods are activated, the potential of this world will be stretched infinitely."
Watching Jean and the others with expressions of shock, even though they had seen it many times today, Ningguang and her companions still found it amusing.
After a pause, Ningguang continued.
"What you saw earlier—Enchanted Armor, Heavy Cavalry, Alchemy Potions, Light Infantry, and so on—these are merely our current plans."
"In the future, all our focus will be on the exploration of Mods and technology. Resources, for us, will not be something that requires special attention."
Ningguang looked at Jiang Xuan with soft eyes, then, after a brief pause, said softly:
"During this time, Jiang Xuan has told us a lot about the features of Mods, and I've been dreaming."
"In my dreams, Liyue already floats high in the sky."
"The Millelith each wield Battōjutsu Swords and Scepters of Vampirism..."
"On the battlefield, the Millelith charge with Tanks, the navy sails across the seas with Warships, and facing monsters, they first call for Fighter Jets to launch carpet bombing."
"Then, a steel flood of firearms advances with the army."
"Liyue will gain overwhelming power. As Jiang Xuan puts it, it will be a Dimensionality Reduction Attack on Teyvat."
"By then, whether it's the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles or anything else, Liyue will be able to rely on itself to completely wipe out all these enemies."
"We will continue to work hard until we achieve our dream."
Jiang Xuan smiled and nodded.
"I will help you."
"I am also looking forward to personally building a transcendent Nation."
Listening to Ningguang's description, Jean and the others also fantasized about such a future.
But unfortunately, they had only just arrived today and did not yet understand many details of this world.
Simply put, their imaginations were too limited.
But this did not prevent them from fantasizing about a better future for Mondstadt.
Even without mentioning the so-called firearms and Battōjutsu Swords,
if Mondstadt could, like Liyue, massively dump cheap resources,
it would guarantee Mondstadt's rapid economic development.
Not seeking to be like Liyue, just half of Liyue's current prosperity would greatly improve the lives of Mondstadt's people.
If Mondstadt could achieve Liyue's current basic military strength, never mind the Fatui.
They could even counterattack the Fatui.
Perhaps Ningguang and the others, accustomed to Jiang Xuan's Battōjutsu Sword and Ganyu's firearms, felt that only Mods held truly terrifying power.
But for Jean and the others, who had just witnessed the wonders of Alchemy Potions and Enchantments,
weren't these things utterly outrageous?
With a thousand Knights of Favonius members achieving Liyue's current Light Infantry standard,
Diluc could gallop into the Fatui's Mondstadt branch.
He could slap their leader away, then tell them that to do business in Mondstadt, they had to pay protection fees first.
And then, he could casually kill all the modified soldiers stationed in Mondstadt.
Mondstadt's hatred for the Fatui had a long history.
Or, simply put, Mondstadt's hatred for the Executive Dottore had a long history.
Diluc would never forget his father, who was ambushed by Dottore and died under the claws of the Dragon Ursa.
Nor would he forget how Dottore deceived Mondstadt City and took away so many children...
In his travels across Teyvat, he saw those children in many of Dottore's bases.
Boys and girls who should have blossomed like flowers were inhumanely modified and subjected to human experimentation by Dottore, becoming cold corpses.
Some even became war machines with their blades pointed at Mondstadt.
From that moment on, Diluc swore.
Family vendetta and national hatred rested on his shoulders.
Even if it cost him his life, he would make Dottore kneel in Mondstadt City, for a thousand, ten thousand years, forever apologizing to those he harmed.
Thinking again of the children he saw in Dottore's base,
Diluc's eyes became bloodshot, and he clenched his fists tightly.
He solemnly bowed to Jiang Xuan.
"Mr. Jiang Xuan, perhaps you don't know how important this is to Mondstadt, and to me."
"You've shown me hope for revenge, and an opportunity to fulfill my dream."
"From now on, whatever your needs, the Underground Intelligence Organization and Dawn Winery will help you at all costs."
"Even if it means losing everything... Thank you..."
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