The gazes of several Adepti turned toward the ink-white aura emanating from Lumine.
"This… This is the power of the Lord of the Adepti!"
Ganyu's pupils shrank.
"B-Big brother's aura…"
Qiqi pressed a finger to her lips, looking at Lumine in surprise.
Behind her, the Adepti—except for Madame Ping—stared at the Traveler in shock.
Lumine found their reactions strange but didn't dwell on it. She charged forward, swiftly taking down the Fatui.
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai stood atop a distant peak, gazing calmly toward the Jade Chamber. He had granted the Traveler only a fraction of divine power, fearing she wouldn't be able to withstand too much.
…
Jade Chamber
"It's too fast!!!"
"The Traveler is way too strong!!!"
Paimon's voice trembled in disbelief—she had never seen the Traveler like this before.
Lumine dashed through the Fatui, her movements imperceptible. The next instant, they collapsed onto the platform, unable to react.
"My child, your body is remarkably resilient."
"Perhaps… you can withstand five different Adeptal energies at once…"
Suddenly, a sharp pain coursed through Lumine's body!
Her aura shifted to a blood-red hue as Madame Ping fused the Adeptal energies within her.
At that moment, the dark aura within Lumine surged outward, transforming into intertwining streams of black and white that spiraled around her.
The previously violent Adeptal power within her abruptly calmed, as if it had fallen into slumber. The black and white energies then flowed back into her body.
"Immortal Lord…"
Ganyu had been about to say, "It'll hurt a little, please endure it," but stopped short upon witnessing how the dual-colored aura effortlessly subdued Lumine's chaotic energy.
Cloud Retainer narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
It seemed this Traveler, Lumine, was a close acquaintance of the Lord of the Adepti.
Madame Ping smiled at Lumine.
"Once you've adjusted, try to harness this power."
From the side, Xiao's voice cut through the air.
…
Lumine continued fighting.
"The number of Fatui invading the Jade Chamber is dwindling!"
Keqing noticed that Lumine had almost single-handedly wiped them out.
"Everyone, press on! Once we finish off these enemies, the Adepti can focus on the Archon!"
As Lumine struck down the final Fatui, she turned to see the Adepti standing behind her.
"The distractions are gone. We can finally fight without holding back."
The True Lord of Water and Mountains spoke calmly.
At that moment, Cloud Retainer, Water and Mountain Shaper, and Sun and Moon Cutter, along with the gathered Adepti, concentrated their divine energy.
With a surge of power, the three True Lords unleashed their combined might from the Guizhong Ballista, sending forth a devastating shockwave.
The immense force struck the Vortex God, Osial, head-on!
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out!
Osial roared in pain, all five of its colossal heads writhing wildly.
"Roooaaaar!!!"
…
"It's working!"
"If we keep this up—"
Ningguang, maintaining the formation, focused on Osial in the distance. Her eyes suddenly widened in alarm.
The five heads of Osial pulsed with overwhelming divine energy, condensing it into a massive sphere.
A blinding beam of energy erupted from the sphere, piercing through the sky!
Keqing stared in stunned silence, her pupils contracting.
Countless blue energy spheres rained down like a torrential storm.
The moment they struck the platform, it shattered into pieces. The Guizhong Ballista was obliterated.
Lumine plummeted from the sky amidst the wreckage.
In that instant, a shadow flickered between the falling debris.
A pair of arms caught Lumine.
It was Xiao. Without hesitation, he teleported, carrying Lumine safely back to the Jade Chamber.
Water and Mountain Shaper guided Qiqi and a group of Millelith soldiers to safety, while Cloud Retainer carried several more on her back.
Sun and Moon Cutter supported Keqing, bringing her back to the Jade Chamber as well.
…
"The Guizhong Ballista has been destroyed! Without its suppression, we have no way to counterattack!"
Cloud Retainer's voice held a rare trace of urgency.
"But the Jade Chamber is our final stronghold. No matter what, we cannot take another step back!"
Ganyu stepped forward, her gaze resolute.
A golden light flickered as Ningguang appeared among them, about to speak—
"ROOOAAARR!!!"
In the distance, Osial's power surged once more, its roar carrying an unmistakable note of triumph.
On a distant mountaintop, Qiu Bai observed the unfolding scene.
"…Doctor, it's time."
…
Not far from Osial, on a desolate shoreline, a lone figure stood.
Dark energy coiled around him, and countless Delusions floated ominously in the air.
The Doctor stepped forward, spreading his arms wide as he gazed at the monstrous deity.
A twisted grin stretched across his face.
"Hahaha… What a magnificent experiment!"
"Let the banquet of chaos begin!"
Laughing maniacally, he hurled the Delusions deep into the sea.
At that moment, an enormous stone spear radiated a powerful suppressive force!
It had pinned Osial deep in the sea, its surface covered with countless Evil Eye talismans.
But after thousands of years of erosion, the spear's power had waned.
Osial, now fully awakened, continuously struggled against it, causing fractures to spread across the weapon.
With a final, thunderous crack, the stone spear shattered completely—Osial had broken free!
The colossal Vortex God rose from the depths, its massive body moving like a sea serpent, slowly advancing toward Liyue Harbor.
"ROOOOAAARR!!!"
Osial lifted all five of its heads, piercing through the stormy clouds above, and unleashed a furious roar toward the city.
The sheer force of its voice sent tremors through the land, leaving the citizens of Liyue Harbor disoriented and weak at the knees.
"No… The spear's suppressive power is completely gone!"
The Adepti watched in horror as Osial inched closer. Even they, for all their power, could do nothing against this now.
Despair began to seep into their hearts.
Ningguang, who had been prepared to sacrifice the Jade Chamber, inhaled sharply.
For the first time in her life, true fear took hold of her.
Lumine stared at the monstrous deity, frozen in place.
Is this the end of my journey?
Helplessness washed over her.
"Traveler, Paimon is still your best companion!"
Lumine turned to see Paimon smiling at her, radiating warmth and reassurance.
Just being with the Traveler seemed to bring her happiness.
Lumine was momentarily stunned. Then, tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled back.
She gently placed a hand on Paimon's face, locking eyes with her.
…
Meanwhile, Osial neared the harbor, its five heads gathering the strongest attack yet—one powerful enough to reduce Liyue to ruins.
A lone figure stood at the entrance of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, arms crossed as he watched the apocalyptic scene unfold.
Beside him, Qiu Yue silently observed Osial's approach.
"My old friend…"
Zhongli murmured as he gazed at the monstrous deity charging its attack.
"Immortal Lord…"
Madame Ping whispered, her expression unreadable as she, too, watched Osial.
"Mom, I'm scared…"
"Don't be afraid, child. We still have the Immortal Lord and the Geo Archon."
"But… didn't they both pass away?"
"You silly child, what are you saying?"
"They… will come to save us."
A mother held her child close, whispering words of comfort.
Yet, as she gazed at the monstrous figure beyond the window, doubt flickered in her eyes.
Immortal Lord… Geo Archon… Have you truly… left us?
She clenched her child tightly, as if shielding them from the inevitable.
Osial had finished gathering its divine power.
A massive beam of energy surged forth from all five of its heads, descending upon Liyue Harbor with catastrophic force!
"You…"
"…have done well."
A calm, steady voice resonated through the sky—one that echoed across all of Liyue Harbor.
At the source of the voice, a lone figure stood in midair, directly in the path of the attack.
He was clad in ink-white robes, the fabric rippling lightly in the breeze.
His long black hair cascaded freely down his back, and at his waist, a luminous Yin-Yang symbol shone brilliantly.
…