In the dark wilderness, the rock-yellow and hydro elements illuminated the surroundings.
Suddenly, the hydro element slowly turned purple, and electro energy violently Swirled outwards from Tartaglia, as he began to use the power of his Delusion.
Mu Qingge plunged her Cloud Retainer's Retainer into the ground, and a profound yellow shield rose, enveloping her completely.
"Lord Mu, catch!"
Tartaglia, wielding twin blades, charged forward fiercely, his powerful attacks striking the profound shield, only causing ripples.
Mu Qingge maintained her stance with the spear plunged into the ground, watching Tartaglia attack her shield from all directions.
The shield she had conjured was not so easily broken, but to save time and for a more exhilarating fight, Mu Qingge voluntarily dismissed the shield and re-engaged Tartaglia.
Tartaglia also connected his twin blades to form a long spear, unleashing his strongest level in this state.
Bang ~
Mu Qingge struck Tartaglia with force, sending him flying, and he took the opportunity to create distance.
"Whew ~ As expected of Lord Mu, it seems I'll have to show some real skill to truly enjoy this!"
As Tartaglia spoke, an even more massive purplish-black energy shroud enveloped him, and violent energy was condensing at the center of the shroud.
Mu Qingge frowned, gripping her long spear tightly.
Over there, Tartaglia had finished his transformation and charged fiercely towards Mu Qingge: "Come on!"
Mu Qingge's entire body surged with elemental power, her aura skyrocketing, and the vortex vanquisher also gathered surging elemental energy.
Ten-plus minutes later...
Mu Qingge and Tartaglia were in a grassy area; Mu Qingge stood leaning against a large tree, while Tartaglia lay sprawled on the ground, completely without grace.
The victor was self-evident.
"My, my respects ~"
Tartaglia stubbornly raised his right hand, extending his thumb.
There weren't many people Tartaglia admired, and Kaiyang Star was one of them.
Her personality and strength both suited his taste, and she was even a peerless beauty; during his time in Liyue, Tartaglia had sparred with her no less than three times, and he had never won...
Tartaglia had also realized that she was like him, someone who craved battle and desired to grow stronger; if not for their differing stances, they might have become very good friends.
Perhaps more than just friends...
However, thinking about what he was about to do to Liyue, he wondered if he would still be able to invite her to battle like this after that event.
"The Fatui's activities have been increasing lately; I must remind you to rein it in a bit, otherwise, if you fall into the hands of the Millelith, I won't let it go easily."
Mu Qingge had no idea what Tartaglia was thinking; she simply reminded him.
Tartaglia flipped over, changing from crawling to lying down.
"Haha, Lord Mu, don't worry, I will definitely keep my subordinates in line."
"It had better be so."
Mu Qingge looked at the night sky: "It's getting late; I must leave. Farewell."
Tartaglia struggled to prop himself up with his hands, watching Mu Qingge's retreating figure.
"Hiss ~ That one, she doesn't know her own strength."
...
The day before the Rite of Descension officially began.
By this day, Mu Qingge had finally finished most of her tasks, and the remaining minor matters were handed over to the Millelith general she had chosen, Fengyan.
As for Mu Qingge ~
The most skilled craftsman in all of Liyue had brought quite a few Lord Rock clay figurines today, to set the mood before the Rite of Descension!
The moment she heard the news, Mu Qingge handed all her current work to Fengyan and rushed to that stall at top speed!
It was well-known that all of Liyue were Lord Rock fans.
There were ordinary Lord Rock fans, hidden Lord Rock fans like Keqing, twisted Lord Rock fans like Regrator, 'anti-fan' Lord Rock fans like Hanxue, and of course, rational yet ardent Lord Rock fans like Mu Qingge!
Mu Qingge had a deep connection with Lord Rock; she had been noticed by Lord Rock when she was very young, and she was one of the most devout believers in Lord Rock.
In Liyue Harbor, this was almost common knowledge.
"Good day, Lord Mu!"
"Morning, Lord Mu!"
"Good day, everyone!" Mu Qingge smiled and greeted everyone, her pace not slowing at all.
After she left, the people who had greeted her discussed among themselves:
"Lord Mu looks very rushed."
"Don't you know? Old Yang brought a bunch of Lord Rock clay figurines to sell today; the craftsmanship is exquisite, each one of them. I wanted to join the fun and buy one, but there were simply too many people..."
"No wonder. Old Yang's craftsmanship is indeed beyond reproach. He hasn't been here for years; this time, he probably brought all his stock."
"Only matters concerning Lord Rock can make Lord Mu so attentive. I just wonder if Lord Mu will be able to buy one."
"Why wouldn't she? If you saw Lord Mu go to queue, would you not let her go first?"
"Haha, I guess so!"
As they chatted, they saw a cloaked figure flash past at an even faster speed.
...
At the same time, at craftsman Old Yang's stall.
Many people had gathered here, but most were just looking; very few were buying.
The reason was simple: they were too expensive. One cost five hundred thousand Mora!
The larger ones in the middle even cost one million Mora!
How could ordinary people afford this?
However, expensive as they were, each one was a masterpiece, which was evident from everyone's comments.
"Even if I don't buy it because it's too expensive, I still think it's worth the price; I just can't bring myself to spend the money."
But this was Liyue Harbor, so there was no shortage of wealthy people.
During the time everyone was observing, the shop owner, Old Yang, had already sold several.
Just then, a handsome, elegant young man in luxurious black and yellow attire walked up to the stall, picked up a small clay figurine, and examined it carefully:
"Clever use of materials, unique craftsmanship, and meticulous attention to detail; it shows the artisan's dedication and captures much of Lord Rock's divine charm. Whether for display or for play, it's worth buying."
Old Yang also knew Zhongli, and seeing him praise his work so highly, he immediately smiled:
"Mr. Zhongli, if you would like one, I can give you a ten percent discount."
Each of these works was meticulously crafted by him over a considerable amount of time, so the price was actually quite reasonable.
Zhongli shook his head: "This item is quite rare, and the price is a bit low. In my opinion, six hundred thousand would be just right."
"Haha, Mr. Zhongli speaks frankly, but I have already set the price and cannot change it at will. Otherwise, wouldn't that go against the spirit of contract that Lord Rock values?"
"You have a point; I was not thorough in my consideration."
"So, Mr. Zhongli, do you still want it?"
"Yes, no need for a discount; I'll go with the owner's price. As for the bill... just send it to Northland Bank."
Just as Zhongli was making the transaction with the owner, an exclamation came from behind.
Zhongli listened closely and instantly understood.
So, she had arrived.