"The Seaborn you personally control are devouring Liyue's life force; the Abyssal Moon Power you rely on is slowly consuming your consciousness."
"Wake up, child. Liyue has never abandoned you."
"Wake up?" Yunqin's gaze instantly turned icy, as if doused with ice water. The Moonlight Strings at her fingertips tightened, and countless silver threads laced with dark energy shot toward the three like venomous snakes. "Every time I wake up, I'm betrayed!"
"Why did you follow me before I went to the Golden House? Why did Master happen to appear at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's entrance just as I was trying to ease Xiao's pain? Why, when I needed you most, did you, the culprits, arrive a step too late?!"
"This time, I will never wake up again! Rex Lapis, Venti, Lumine... you will all die with me!"
Beisht, witnessing this, let out a piercing shriek.
The Hydra's nine heads reared up simultaneously. Dark green venom dripped from its fangs, hitting the sea surface and causing black bubbles to erupt. A foul, fishy stench spread with the sea breeze, making even the air smell sour and rotten.
Nourished by the Abyssal aura resonating between Beisht and Yunqin, its scales grew darker and duller, and on its thickest head, even Abyssal Moon patterns of the same origin as Yunqin's emerged.
The patterns glowed with an eerie red light. The massive body suddenly accelerated, charging straight at Venti like a moving black mountain, radiating an aura of world-ending destruction.
"Just in time!" Venti's eyes sharpened, a glint of keen light flashing in his pupils.
His fingertips swept across his lyre, and as the strings vibrated, two hurricanes swirling with thunderstorms instantly formed.
The fine wind blades spiraling within the wind columns glinted coldly, streaking across the night sky like two green lightning bolts before crashing violently into the Hydra's body.
A deafening "BOOM" sent ripples across the sea. The hurricanes were slightly deflected by the Hydra's heads but still clung tightly to its necks.
The wind blades continuously sliced at its thick scales. Dark green blood seeped from the wounds and dripped into the sea, where it instantly coagulated under the nourishment of the Abyssal aura and healed rapidly, as if never injured.
Venti's brow furrowed. His fingertips plucked the strings again, and more wind blades emerged from the tornadoes, precisely piercing the Hydra's wounds: "This beast's healing ability is actually this strong..."
He balanced on the wind vortex, forced to retreat continuously. His divine attire shimmered faintly in the night, but it couldn't hide the gravity in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Beisht's serpentine tail slammed the sea, raising a colossal wave high enough to engulf the Jade Chamber. The wave carried several black water blades, which shot toward Zhongli like sharp arrows.
Corrupted by the Abyss, the muscles beneath her blue scales tensed like iron blocks. Her serpentine claws glinted coldly, tearing through the air with a sharp hiss as they lunged for Zhongli's chest.
The Geo element around Zhongli surged abruptly, instantly forming a thick Geo Shield. The ancient runes on the shield glowed golden, but under Beisht's impact, they cracked with a sharp "kacha" sound.
His pupils constricted. His black robes billowed without wind as he sidestepped the serpentine claws, instantly materializing a Stone Spear in his hand. The spear's tip, imbued with the essence of millennia-old stone, collided with Beisht's claws.
"CLANG—!"
The clash of weapons shook heaven and earth, even causing the Blood Moon's light to tremble faintly.
After just a few exchanges, a water blade slashed through Zhongli's black robes, revealing the inner lining.
His expression grew slightly grave. Geo element flowed through his fingertips as he raised his hand, summoning several Stone Stele to draw the battle line toward the deep sea, far from Liyue Harbor.
He couldn't let the battle endanger the sleeping populace.
The Stone Stele rose from the sea, thrusting toward Beisht like sharp swords, but she shattered them one by one with her agile serpentine tail. Black sea spray mingled with the Abyssal aura, forming a suffocating barrier.
Yunqin, meanwhile, descended slowly, hovering just above the sea's surface and stirring fine ripples. The Abyssal Moon patterns on her skirt shimmered with an eerie light as she moved.
Her crimson eyes locked onto Lumine, her lips curling into a cold smirk, as if observing a cornered beast.
The Festering Desire in Lumine's hand suddenly began to stir. The black blade pulsed with a faint red glow, its Abyssal runes resonating with the dark energy surrounding Yunqin.
The hilt grew slightly hot, as if alive and trying to break free from Lumine's grasp.
Lumine's hand, gripping the hilt, trembled slightly. She could clearly feel a force within the sword clamoring to rush toward Yunqin.
"Looks like you don't really know how to use this 'toy'," Yunqin chuckled lightly, her voice laced with undisguised mockery, like a needle gently piercing Lumine's heart.
She raised her hand, and the Moonlight Strings transformed into a slender bow. The bow shimmered with an eerie blue light, its tip as sharp as a blade, clearly meant to be wielded like a sword.
Lumine froze, her grip on the hilt tightening, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? This isn't a toy!"
She didn't understand why Yunqin would describe the Festering Desire this way.
This sword was Lydia's legacy, her most important weapon.
"A weapon forged from the Abyss's corrupting power, no matter how you look at it, shouldn't be reduced to acting like an ordinary sword," Yunqin advanced slowly, her steps as light as if she were treading on clouds, each one sending faint ripples across the sea's surface. "Think back. Did anything unusual happen when its previous master wielded it?"
The question struck Lumine like a thunderclap, instantly flashing an image from Mondstadt into her mind: Lydia, gripping the Festering Desire, facing the Poison Dragon Knight in a desperate situation. Black tentacles had suddenly erupted from the hilt, tightly coiling around Lydia's arm.
The tentacles were icy cold, yet they erupted with power far beyond normal, and the red glow on the sword flared violently, forcefully pushing back the Poison Dragon Knight.
Lumine's pupils contracted sharply.
"I don't know who gave you this interesting little thing," Yunqin's bow skimmed across the water, creating an eerie blue ripple that spread across the sea, repelling the Anemo energy around Lumine. "Since you can't control it, why don't I teach you how to use it?"
Her tone was seductive, as if luring Lumine into darkness.
Lumine gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening with anger and desperation.
She knew that further words were useless now; Yunqin was already consumed by her obsession with the Abyss and wouldn't listen to any explanation.
The Anemo and Geo elements around her surged simultaneously, and her Wind Glider unfurled behind her, its tips trembling from the rush of power.
Lumine took a deep breath and transformed into a streak of light, charging toward Yunqin. The Festering Desire sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, aimed straight at Yunqin's chest.
She had to force Yunqin to her senses!
She had to show her that she had never given up on her!
But Yunqin now possessed the power of a god; Lumine's attack seemed like slow motion in her eyes.
She sidestepped effortlessly, her hair swaying gently with the movement, and with a light flick of her bow, she parried Lumine's sword strike.
The eerie blue light blade on the bow clashed with the Festering Desire, producing a sharp "clang" that sent a numbing shock through Lumine's arm.
Immediately after, Yunqin struck back with a reverse slash. The light blade on her bow grazed Lumine's arm, leaving a wound so deep the bone was visible.