The Bright Moon slowly shattered, transforming into dozens of Crescent Blades radiating silvery-white moonlight, which hovered behind Yunxuan.
The edges of the blades gleamed with a piercingly cold light, each one producing a "whoosh" as it tore through the air. They were so sharp they seemed capable of slicing through time and space, clearly indicating a complete switch to a long-range attack stance.
"Just what I wanted!" A sharp glint flashed in Lydia's eyes.
The bow in Yunxuan's hand slid rapidly across the violin strings.
The originally crisp melody instantly became as urgent as war drums, like thunder rolling before a rainstorm, carrying an explosiveness suppressed to the extreme.
A pale blue sound wave suddenly erupted from the strings, carrying the heaviness of the Hydro Element, and shot toward Lydia like an ice-tempered arrow.
Wherever it passed, the air itself was shaken into a slight distortion.
The Crescent Blades behind her also moved in unison, falling like a dense rain of arrows, their silvery-white light illuminating Wangshu Inn with a blinding brilliance.
Lydia's gaze sharpened, her aura instantly sinking. Her snow-white hair fluttered slightly in the airflow.
Her wrist turned rapidly, and the dark purple tentacles on the Festering Desire suddenly lengthened and intertwined, weaving a dense, impenetrable defensive net in front of her like countless agile venomous snakes.
"Clang, clang, clang—"
A dense series of sharp clangs echoed as the sound wave, striking the tentacles, was instantly neutralized, transforming into a sky full of fine elemental light particles.
The Crescent Blades that had shot forward were also precisely entangled by the tentacles, their edges cutting into the tentacles with an extremely ear-piercing "sizzle."
Faint sparks even flickered on the dark purple tentacles, yet they still locked the silvery-white blades deadly tight.
The tentacles' tenacity was astonishing, preventing them from moving forward a single inch.
"Interesting!" Lydia called out with a laugh, the fighting spirit in her eyes burning even brighter, like two dancing flames.
The hand wielding the Anemo Hilt whipped out suddenly, a green wind blade carrying the whistle of breaking air, like lightning cleaving the night sky, splitting the remaining Crescent Blades in two.
The light particles fell on the wooden floor, instantly scorching small burn marks before quickly vanishing without a trace, leaving only a faint elemental aura behind.
With a movement of her feet, Lydia's figure lunged toward Yunxuan like a ghost, her snow-white skirt tearing through the air, leaving only a blurred afterimage.
The dark purple tentacles carried the Festering Desire sword to pierce Yunxuan's heart, the dark purple runes on the sword's tip flickering unsteadily, carrying a piercing killing intent yet still holding back with measure.
The Anemo Hilt circled around from the side, its green wind blade slicing toward Yunxuan's wrist.
The two attacks, one primary and one secondary, struck from cunning angles, forming a tight pincer attack that forced Yunxuan to confront them head-on.
The music grew so urgent it nearly burst her eardrums, yet Yunxuan, though fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, remained completely focused.
The Hydro Element condensed into a swirling vortex in front of her.
The vortex spun faster and faster, its powerful suction firmly gripping the tip of the Festering Desire sword, preventing Lydia from advancing a single inch no matter how hard she tried.
At the same time, the Crescent Blades materialized behind her again, this time not as a chaotic rain of arrows, but as three massive silvery-white crescents!
Their trajectories were cunningly aimed at Lydia's vital limbs: one shot straight for her throat, one swept across her waist and abdomen, and one sliced downward at her calves, sealing off all her escape routes.
Lydia's brow twitched slightly. She was forced to withdraw her attack, her feet tapping rapidly as she retreated like a drifting willow catkin, narrowly dodging the three Crescent Blades.
The wind from the blades grazed the hem of her dress, slicing a small tear into the snow-white fabric.
"Trying to dodge? Not that easy!" Yunxuan growled softly, a determined glint flashing in her eyes.
She plucked the strings violently, releasing a more powerful soundwave that exploded into an invisible barrier and pressed down on the retreating Lydia.
The vortex moved with it, clinging to the Festering Desire sword like a parasite. The pale blue current even crept up the tentacles, carrying a faint chill as it tried to erode Lydia.
Lydia's gaze sharpened. The dark purple tentacles suddenly vibrated violently, shaking off the water clinging to them and splashing fine droplets.
At the same time, the Anemo Hilt swept a semicircle in front of her. The green wind blade condensed into a circular barrier, blocking the soundwave while simultaneously pushing it back toward Yunxuan.
With a loud thud, the wind blade barrier collided with the vortex, kicking up a dense mist that shrouded both their figures.
The wooden floor trembled under the impact, groaning with a creak. The crisp sound of bells and the elemental collisions intertwined, growing more heart-stopping.
Taking advantage of the billowing mist, a cunning smile played on Lydia's lips. Her figure flashed, and she vanished like a ghost to reappear at Yunxuan's side.
The dark purple tentacles suddenly split into several strands. One part entangled the Crescent Blades as they struck again, while the other slithered like a venomous snake toward the violin.
The Festering Desire sword, wreathed in dark purple sword qi, thrust straight at Yunxuan's flank, while the Anemo Hilt swung out a horizontal wind blade, sealing off her retreat and leaving her no room to breathe.
Yunxuan reacted with lightning speed, twisting her waist sharply to narrowly evade the side attack, the sword qi slashing a gash into her clothing.
At the same time, she plucked the strings forcefully, a sharp soundwave shaking off the entangling tentacles, which trembled slightly from the impact but refused to retreat.
The crescent moon behind her instantly shifted direction, blocking in front of her like a shield.
With a loud clang, it stopped the wind blade, sending sparks flying.
She tapped her feet lightly, drifting backward to create distance from Lydia.
The violin's music suddenly soared, carrying a power that could pierce through anything.
The Crescent Blades behind her all scattered, transforming into hundreds of tiny silver-white blade fragments that rained down on Lydia like a sky full of starlight.
Each fragment gleamed with a lethal chill, their sheer numbers leaving no room to escape.
"Bring it on!" Lydia shouted.
The girl's eyes were filled with excitement and resolve. She swung the Festering Desire sword and the Anemo Hilt simultaneously, the dark purple sword qi and green wind blades intertwining into a massive Elemental Storm that swept toward the silver-white blade fragments.
Where the storm passed, the air was torn apart, roaring with a thunderous whoosh as it swept up gravel and wood splinters from the ground.
Boom!
The moment the two forces collided, a massive explosion erupted. Three-colored light intertwined, enveloping the entire Wangshu Inn in a glare so piercing it forced everyone to shut their eyes.
The powerful shockwave sent tremors through the surrounding air, forming an invisible wave of pressure that rippled outward.
Lumine and Paimon instinctively stumbled back several steps. Paimon even clung tightly to Lumine's arm, her small body trembling slightly.
Even Venti raised a hand to block the incoming gust of wind, his emerald eyes wide with astonishment.
Zhongli also nodded slightly, the admiration in his gaze deepening.
"So amazing! Are they going to tear Wangshu Inn apart?" Paimon's round eyes widened, her voice filled with awe and tension, tinged with a barely perceptible tremor. "If they keep fighting, I feel like Wangshu Inn is going to collapse!"
Lumine clenched her fists tightly, her palms slick with a fine sweat.
She could clearly feel the power of both women continuously rising, each clash more violent than the last.
This sparring match had long since transcended the bounds of an ordinary contest; it was more like a clash of destiny, with every move and every strike delivered with all their might.