Under everyone's gaze, Lin Mo raised the elemental longblade in his hand and brought it down toward the sky.
Boom—!
Thunder exploded.
The sea of thunderclouds roared in unison, as if responding to the sweep of his blade.
But… that was only the omen born at the instant he swung.
The moment the brilliant sword aura tore through the air, the black clouds that blanketed the entire continent of Teyvat split apart—starting from Liyue Harbor and ripping open toward Guyun Stone Forest.
The severed clouds rolled back to both sides, forming a vast裂缝 in the heavens. From within it descended a radiant corridor of light—so long that its end could not be seen.
"What kind of sword art… is this?"
Eula lifted her head, shock written across her beautiful eyes.
The aftershock of a single swing had split the firmament itself. If the sky could be cleaved so easily, could the god Osial—who stood in the path of that blade—possibly survive?
But when Eula's gaze returned to the frozen sea, the shock in her eyes instantly turned to terror.
Osial's mountain-sized divine body had already been cut cleanly in two. Before their eyes, it dissolved rapidly into a pool of lifeless sludge upon the ice.
There was no doubt left.
The ancient god whose existence determined Liyue's fate had been slain with a single strike.
Looking out into the distance—from where they stood to the farthest reach of the ocean—there stretched a canyon no less than three hundred meters wide.
It was unfathomably deep, plunging straight down, impossible to measure. The rift extended all the way to the edge of the sea.
Far away, beyond the frozen waters, waves that had not yet been sealed in ice surged wildly, pouring inward—
And yet…
That bottomless canyon was like a colossal maw that devoured everything. Not a single trace of seawater could be seen rising from its depths.
One blade.
Heaven and earth, divided.
Everyone was still trapped in the shock of that world-shaking strike.
Only Lin Mo stood there, staring at the devastation he himself had caused, unable to believe his own eyes.
If the one who took that blade… were the Heavenly Principles…
The thought ignited a quiet flame of battle within him.
And as if answering his thoughts, through the clouds rolling away to the north and south, a sight came into view—
The Sky Island stood revealed.
"The… Sky Island?!"
Lin Mo couldn't believe it.
Since when had the Sky Island appeared above Guyun Stone Forest?
Wasn't the seat of the Heavenly Principles supposed to hover far west of Mondstadt and Liyue?
"Sky Island…"
Xiao also looked up, puzzled.
At the sound of that name, everyone lifted their eyes skyward.
A pillar of light descended from the Sky Island.
In the next instant, a figure stood within it.
Snow-white, fluffy hair cascaded down behind her.
Brilliant golden eyes shone with an unfathomable depth.
Her tall, slender figure was wrapped in a white, form-fitting robe that perfectly outlined her flawless curves.
What shocked Lin Mo the most was what she held in her hand—
Like a pig ready for slaughter, she casually gripped a struggling figure by the collar.
It was Venti.
"Ehe~ I got caught…," Venti said with an awkward grin.
Lin Mo was speechless.
You're being held by the Heavenly Principles herself—how are you still smiling?
The Heavenly Principles simply stared at Lin Mo in silence. She didn't speak a word.
Her focused, piercing gaze seemed intent on seeing straight through him.
The instant Lin Mo met her eyes, he had the urge to strike.
But the terrifying power radiating from her made him understand something clearly—
Even with the strength of both Barbatos and Morax, he still couldn't defeat her.
His only chance would be to unleash that heaven-splitting blade once more.
But at this distance, the Heavenly Principles would never give him the time to borrow his companions' power.
"Uh… you must be the Heavenly Principles, right?"
Lin Mo asked carefully.
"Is there… something you need?"
Before she could answer—
"Huh?!"
Paimon suddenly shouted, belated realization dawning on her. She pointed excitedly at the woman and yelled,
"You're the god who separated the Traveler from her brother! We were just about to come find you and demand answers!"
The Heavenly Principles cast a cold glance at Paimon.
That look—born of absolute authority—made Paimon's heart stumble.
"N-no, not me!"
Paimon hurriedly pointed at the unconscious Lumine and stammered,
"I-it's her! She… she's the one who wants to find you…"
"Oh? So it's her…"
The Heavenly Principles immediately recognized Lumine—the twin whose power she had sealed on the Sky Island long ago.
Looking back at Paimon, she said calmly,
"When she wakes, tell her this: after she has walked every corner of the continent, she will find the answers she seeks."
With that, she turned her gaze to Lin Mo.
"You. Come with me."
"Huh? Where?"
Lin Mo froze.
Before he could react—
The gloved hand of the Heavenly Principles seized his collar.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished.
Moments later, a pillar of light descended upon Mt. Tianheng.
Lin Mo and Barbatos were dropped onto the ground.
"Lady Heavenly Principles…"
Zhongli's pupils contracted slightly when he saw her arrive.
He was Morax—the god who could watch mountains crumble without changing expression.
For him to show such surprise meant his heart was anything but calm.
Venti, just released, hurriedly pulled Lin Mo over to stand beside Zhongli.
The three of them stood together—like subordinates awaiting reprimand.
Lin Mo was utterly baffled.
You two are gods getting scolded—why drag me into this?!
"Morax. Barbatos."
The Heavenly Principles spoke coolly.
"Explain this calamity."
All three of them heard the unmistakable note of accountability in her voice.
Yet none of them spoke.
Her patience thinned.
Her cold gaze shifted to Barbatos.
Feeling that look, Venti immediately panicked.
"I—I sensed danger in Liyue, so I rushed over with the guardian dragon and the remnant soul of the North Wind Wolf to help!"
"Mm."
The Heavenly Principles nodded, seemingly satisfied.
Then she turned to Morax.
"And you? What was the source of this disaster?"
Zhongli remained silent.
Lin Mo desperately wanted to pat his shoulder and say, Brother, I know your intentions.
Testing Liyue.
Retiring in peace.
But how could anyone dare say that out loud in front of the Heavenly Principles?
"My patience is limited," she said flatly.
"Hehe… please calm down, Lady Heavenly Principles."
Venti stepped forward with a wry smile.
"Actually… it's quite simple."
"Morax wanted to test Liyue's ability to withstand disaster."
"He just didn't expect the Abyss to interfere, amplifying Osial's power."
Lin Mo could clearly feel the faint trace of disdain in Zhongli's otherwise calm gaze as it fell on Venti.
After hearing the explanation, the Heavenly Principles turned her eyes back to Zhongli and said coldly,
"Using an ancient god to test Liyue?"
"If a true god invaded Liyue, why should humans be the ones to bear that calamity?"
"If humans could withstand a god on their own, then why did I establish the Seven Archons in the first place?"
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T/N:
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