Life is full of things you can only understand by failing at them yourself.
Huff… huff…Gu Baizhou clawed at the rain-slick rock, hauling himself upward through the downpour.His arms burned as he scrambled onto another ledge, then angled across the cliff, running upward where the stone formed crude steps—broken, treacherous, and just as slow as the long trail around the mountain.
Wrong path, he realized grimly. If I survive this, I'm training in real martial arts.
He hadn't expected those two "observers" to be the ritual's masterminds.That was why he'd stayed with Chongyun instead of splitting up—and why they were racing the clock now.
A lightning bolt split the clouds with blinding light.On the summit, a flash of gold flared skyward, faint runes falling like a soft rain.Then a comet-bright beam lanced into the sea.
Within the pale golden glow he glimpsed a talisman—identical to the one he'd found in the ancient Yaksha ruins.
The same charm…
Runes spiraled around him, drawn to the talisman in his pocket, tugging with a heat like fireworks.He clenched it tight, the pull almost negligible but the sting sharp in his palm.
If a single charm could break a god's seal, Liyue would have fallen to chaos long ago. This plot was doomed from the start.
Rain sluicing over him, Gu pressed on, fingers digging into cracks, edging toward the summit.
From above came a man's deep voice through the storm:"Those merchants think their prayers matter. Fools. It's the charms and reagents that do the work."
Another voice chuckled. "Their coins are real enough. Your trick made them devout—and fooled that dim child besides."
"Hmph. The charm is cast. Next the waves will—"
Thunk!A stone smashed into his flank. "Who's there?!"
The tall black-robed man spun, a twisted azure demon mask hiding his face.More stones whistled through the rain—Gu's improvised weapons, gathered while circling the peak.
"Freeze!"Chongyun leapt high, fingers forming a quick seal. Rain became a flurry of razor ice, crashing down like a supercharged hailstorm.
Two cultists rallied, swords flashing as they charged.Their leader raised a palm and fire roared—only to hiss into steam under the pounding rain.
A Pyro Vision? Gu thought, staying hidden, hurling stones with lethal precision.
+1 Eagle Eye EXP+1 Biology EXP+1 Composite Physique EXP+1 Rain-Screen Vision EXP
Chongyun's greatsword swept arcs of icy wind, holding three foes at bay.Gu darted from cover, driving a rock into a kidney, a brutal "stone versus egg" strike.
Rain fell harder, smothering every flame.One black-robe collapsed; the remaining two wavered.
The masked leader scattered dark-blue powder and barked, "Retreat!"
Steel rang as he withdrew, vanishing into the storm with his last companion.Chongyun lowered his sword, breath ragged.
"You alright?" Gu asked. "Luckily they had only one talisman—not enough to break the seal."
"We need to clear the powder before it summons sea beasts," Chongyun replied, voice clear against the rain. He lifted his gaze."I just saw… Adeptus Xiao."
Down the slope, the masked man stumbled through the deluge.A lone Fire Slime struggled in the mud—flame guttering under rain, flaring again, only to be quenched.
"Mocking me too?" he thought bitterly. Why didn't the Vortex God awaken?
He was a descendant of a long-dead Archon's kin, heir to forgotten glory yet condemned to a common life.Rejecting Liyue, he'd joined the cult, awakened a Pyro Vision, seized the talisman—and failed.
"Damn it!"
His furious cry vanished into the endless hiss of rain.
Author's note: Gu's deductions aren't necessarily the absolute truth.