"What kind of treasure is this..."
Hidden within the surging sea of blood, Youquan was struck by a wave of primal fear. Merely activating the blade produced such a holy resonance; if they truly clashed, could he even survive?
No! He couldn't give the opponent an opening.
Ninety-nine thousand Blood Spirits were unleashed at once. The entire Shu Mountain region turned a nauseating shade of crimson as Youquan's power blotted out the very firmament. In an instant, the world was drowned in an infinite sea of gore.
"I don't care what kind of scrap metal you're holding! Under my power, everything shall be devoured!"
Youquan knew the terror of the Haotian Mirror—the number one artifact of the mortal realm—yet even that had been swallowed into his maw. Within the infinite blood sea, a massive, corrupted solar corona slowly emerged. It was the defiled Haotian Mirror itself.
Manipulating the artifact, Youquan's clone aimed directly at Zhongli and the others below.
"Die!"
Bolstered by the infinite Blood Spring, a colossal beam of sanguine light erupted, sweeping toward the group. This former artifact of the righteous path, now refined into a demonic treasure, lost none of its power. Where the light passed, the earth groaned and the very air turned to a mist of blood.
Li Yingqi stared at the approaching light, her soul nearly lost to the madness until the radiance of the Xuanyuan Sword flared, snapping her back to reality.
"This blood-light has the power to bewitch the mind. Miss Li, remain cautious," Zhongli's calm voice drifted through the air.
He raised the Xuanyuan Sword, looking at the symbols of the sun, moon, and mountains etched upon the blade. He spoke softly: "The rest is up to you."
He flipped his palm and delivered a light, effortless horizontal slash.
OM—
The oncoming sanguine beam was instantly shattered by a blinding golden sword qi.
SHING! Like the first light of dawn piercing through the eternal night, the radiance spread from beneath Zhongli's feet. Every trace of filth for miles was purged in an instant. The blood-light pillar was utterly destroyed.
Before Youquan could even react, a sharp CRACK echoed from the Haotian Mirror in his hand.
"What?!" Youquan looked down at the supreme artifact, his eyes bulging. A visible fracture had appeared on the surface of the mirror.
Even the Haotian Mirror was no match?
Dammit! Youquan spun around to launch a second strike, only to find the man who had been standing far below was now standing directly in front of him. In that darkened world, a pair of cold, golden eyes stared back at him with absolute indifference.
For a moment, Youquan found himself completely suppressed by the sheer weight of the man's presence.
[On the World Tree – The Live Broadcast]
The members watching the stream from Teyvat cheered as Zhongli displayed his divine might. Raiden Ei and Venti shared a subtle, knowing smile.
Now they understand the terror of the old man. Those golden eyes were the very thing the gods feared most.
Ningguang marveled, "As expected of the most ancient Adeptus. Such poise is unmatched. Perhaps only the Lord of Geo could have recruited such a figure."
"Of course! The Lord's power is supreme," Ganyu, the resident fangirl, giggled. She had no idea that "Zhongli the Adeptus" was actually her beloved Rex Lapis.
Rosalyne glanced at her and bit back a laugh. Silly little coconut goat... Can't you see it yet? There are no "ancient Adepti" in Liyue that you, a half-qilin, wouldn't have heard legends of.
Su Han smiled. "The battle is coming to an end. Bringing the Xuanyuan Sword was the right call; otherwise, dealing with those ten thousand Blood Spirits would have been a tedious chore."
Hu Tao watched the Twin Sword Merge with sparkling eyes. "Those two swords are too cool! Su Han, we should practice that when you get back, okay?"
Paimon chimed in, looking at Lumine, "You should try it with Su Han too! It looks so stylish!"
"It's not that simple," Lumine laughed bitterly. She could see the harsh requirements. To merge like that, both parties had to have perfectly synchronized power levels. If Su Han practiced with her, he'd have to suppress his strength so much that it would actually make him weaker.
Lisa hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps you don't need a man and a woman to practice it? Li Yingqi said it requires Yin and Yang... but in Teyvat, perhaps Water and Fire could achieve the same harmonic resonance?"
The Librarian's analysis was spot on, making everyone realize that while the rules of worlds differ, the essence of elemental fusion remains the same.
[Back in the Shu World]
Youquan broke free from the mental suppression, his face twisting with rage. "You dare mock me?! DIE!"
As a grand ancestor of the demonic path, being suppressed by a "human" was a humiliation he couldn't endure. The sea of blood transformed into thousands of giant hands, clawing toward Zhongli.
But before they could touch him, sixteen massive stone pillars descended from the sky, slamming into the blood sea with the weight of stars and pinning the demonic limbs to the earth.
Youquan finally realized something was wrong. In this world, people fought with artifacts. But this man wasn't using a "tool"—he was wielding a fundamental, primordial force. The blood sea, once pinned by the stone, found it impossible to reform.
"Surrender," Zhongli said. "Your fate was sealed the moment I arrived."
"Don't make me laugh! To me, you are nothing but food!" Driven by desperation, Youquan caused the blood beneath Zhongli's feet to erupt into a geyser of vengeful souls.
HUM—
The Xuanyuan Sword flared. The souls were vaporized instantly. Zhongli had stopped playing. He poured his divinity into the blade, and the phantom landscape of Liyue's peaks and the World Tree manifested behind him.
"This is the Saintly Weapon of Humanity, forged to slay the wicked. You have devoured countless souls; did you truly think there would be no day of judgment?"
"No..."
As Zhongli unleashed his divine power, Youquan finally felt the gap. He turned, attempting to flee within the blood sea. But golden spears of rock rained from the heavens, locking down the earth like a celestial cage. No matter where he struck, he could not break free.
The Xuanyuan Sword descended.
BOOM!
The true power of the Saintly Weapon was revealed. Su Han had used it to slice through Enkanomiya, but in Zhongli's hands, it was a cataclysm. One strike shattered the heavens. The Chiyou Blood Spring was cleaved in two. The sword qi disintegrated the earth, evaporating two-thirds of the Blood Spirits before they could even scream.
[Hundreds of Miles Away]
A sanguine figure flickered within the mountains. It was the Blood Demon—Youquan's "brother."
"Tch... I'm no idiot," the Blood Demon muttered, sprinting away. "The moment that sword appeared, I knew it was over. Only that moron Youquan would think his clones could stop that."
He had fled while Youquan was busy attacking. He had a unique ability to see the "true nature" of things. When he looked at Zhongli, he didn't see a human. He saw a Dragon.
How does a man fight a dragon? He's not even using his real power yet! To stay was to die. He didn't look back, hoping he could outrun the inevitable.
[Back at the Spring]
As the Xuanyuan Sword struck, the mountain itself collapsed into the void.
"NO!!!"
Youquan unleashed everything—the Haotian Mirror and his natal treasure, the Blood Lotus—to block the blow.
CRACK.
The Haotian Mirror held for less than three seconds before shattering into dust. The Blood Lotus lasted only two breaths more. Then, the golden blade pierced through everything, striking Youquan directly.
BOOM!
An unimaginable shockwave leveled the landscape. The entire world was swallowed by a blinding, holy white light.
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