In the real world—
Liyue, beneath Guyun Stone Forest.
After being pinned beneath the sea for thousands of years by Morax's stone spears,
the ancient god Vortex God once again felt a long-lost surge of joy rise from deep within his chest.
Morax is dead!
The self he saw in the video had already broken free of the seal—
even if only briefly, that was enough.
To Vortex God, conquering a Liyue bereft of its god would be a trivial matter.
A Liyue without Morax—what right had it to stand before a true demon god?!
"Hahahahaha! Morax! Prepare to taste the flames of my vengeance!"
In the video—
Lumine and Paimon saw the Jade Chamber moving through the skies and immediately rushed toward it.
Upon boarding, they quickly began asking questions.
From the heights of the Jade Chamber, the terrifying scene in the distance could finally be seen clearly:
rolling black clouds, raging winds—
it was as though the end of the world was descending upon them, shaking even the bravest hearts.
A deep tremor echoed from beneath Guyun Stone Forest,
and soon, a colossal shadow began to stir beneath the waves.
Boom!
The sea exploded upward, and the long-imprisoned god of ancient calamity emerged once more before the eyes of mortals.
Five serpentine heads, dragon-like in form, each glowing a cold, watery blue.
Vortex God threw back all five heads and howled in exultation—celebrating his freedom after millennia of imprisonment.
"You two… came as well?"
The Vigilant Yaksha race, Xiao, turned, surprised to see Lumine and Paimon panting for breath.
"Huh? It's you! The adepti are in the Jade Chamber too?" Paimon asked in surprise.
Ningguang nodded.
"The adepti and the Qixing have agreed that, in this time of crisis, we must set aside our differences and stand together against our common enemy."
"I see… then what's the current plan?" Lumine asked.
"Th-that whirlpool demon god…" Paimon gulped. "Just looking at it from here makes it hard to breathe!"
The pressure radiating from Vortex God was immense—his massive form alone inspired dread.
"Some of the new Millelith soldiers can't even stand properly," a crisp voice declared.
"The aura of an ancient god is overwhelming for ordinary humans.
But precisely because of that—we cannot, must not, allow that monster to approach Liyue Harbor!"
The speaker, a young woman in violet, strode forward with sword in hand—
Her every movement is sharp and decisive.
Paimon blinked. "Who's she?"
"I am Keqing, Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing."
She gave a short introduction, then continued briskly,
"I've heard quite a bit about you two already. An honor to finally meet you.
Though… where is Mr. Gu Chen? Isn't he with you?"
"Oh, so you're the Yuheng Star!" Paimon realized, then shook her head enthusiastically.
"Gu Chen wanted Lumine to get some real combat experience, so he didn't come.
But don't worry—when the crucial moment comes, he'll show up for sure!
There's no way he'd let Lumine get hurt!"
Lumine's cheeks flushed. "He'll be fine. You don't have to worry about him."
"I see…" Keqing nodded, giving Lumine a brief, knowing smile before her expression turned solemn.
"The adepti have already discussed it.
This battle… may not be one we can win. Please, prepare yourselves."
"What?! Even with the adepti, the Qixing, and the Millelith combined, we still can't beat that thing?"
Paimon's voice wavered with anxiety.
"So scary… no wonder the Archon War two thousand years ago was so brutal…"
The adepti exchanged heavy looks.
They were immortals, masters of countless arts, their strength far beyond that of mortals.
Even Vision bearers were mere children before them.
And yet—
before a true demon god, they were powerless.
The words "demon god" themselves marked a chasm that could not be crossed.
Unless that god chose to die,
no army, no matter how vast, could hope to slay it.
[Vortex God]:@[Ningguang]@[Keqing] Now you see the difference in our strength, don't you?
Submit to me now—when I take control of Liyue, I'll even let you keep your current positions. How about that?
[Ningguang]:Keep dreaming!
[Keqing]:Tch! I'd rather follow our Emperor to the grave than bow to a monster like you!
[Vortex God]:Sigh… do you mortals not understand what it means to know your place? (disappointed)
[Tartaglia]:I do. That's why I'm staying put in jail. (Qiqi·lying down)
[Vortex God]:So useless… @[Gu Chen] Help me out instead. Offer still stands. You're not a Liyue native, after all!
[Gu Chen]:Well, since you put it that way…
[Ningguang]:Mr. Gu Chen!!
[Paimon]:Wait—Gu Chen, you're not seriously thinking of helping Vortex God, are you?! (Paimon·shocked)
[Vortex God]:Hahaha! Come now! (Hu Tao·blows a kiss)
[Gu Chen]:After careful analysis, I'd say Vortex God has the upper hand.
But even if he wins, he'll be badly weakened.
That's when I swoop in, finish him off, and declare myself Emperor of Liyue. (Hu Tao·evil grin)
[Kaeya]:Vortex God does the work, Gu Chen takes the throne—perfectly reasonable! (applause)
[Ningguang]:...
[Azhdaha]:Hah! Ambitious youth! Liyue is but a small corner of the world—join me, and together we can carve up all seven nations! (Azhdaha·roar)
[Gu Chen]:I hereby proclaim the dawn of the Two Saints Era! (mischievous grin)
[Azhdaha]:(Klee·hooray)
[Paimon]:You're joking at a time like this?! The Guizhong Ballista can't even scratch Vortex God!!
In the video, the battle had begun.
Ballistae across the skies rained down bolts like storms of arrows.
But Vortex God's divine power formed an invisible barrier before him—
The barrage struck it like ripples on a pond, with only a few bolts breaking through to hit his true body.
The damage was minimal, but the irritation was great.
The more the mortals resisted, the angrier Vortex God became.
He let out a deafening roar, summoning titanic waves that churned the sea and twisted the air.
From above, one could see whirlpools the size of cities forming on the ocean's surface.
"ROAAAR!!"
One of his heads rose high, gathering godly energy—
then unleashed it in a devastating beam.
Boom!
The Guizhong Ballistae on the Jade Chamber were obliterated instantly,
and the entire floating palace trembled violently, swaying in the air like a fragile leaf.
[Paimon]:Thank goodness for the adepti! Otherwise, the Jade Chamber would've fallen for sure! (Paimon·shocked)
[Ayaka]:Even sealed away for millennia, an ancient demon god remains this powerful…
[Dvalin]:Exactly. Imagine how strong Vortex God must've been at his peak!
[Vortex God]:@[Ningguang]@[Keqing] Well? Impressive, isn't your big brother Vortex God? There's still time to surrender!
[Beidou]:Don't celebrate too soon!
[Hu Tao]:This Hall Master's here too!
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