Time seemed to freeze.
All of Liyue—its people, the Adepti, the Qixing, Lumine, and Paimon—stood in stunned silence, their gazes locked on the figure in the sky.
The one standing above them was none other than Liyue's deity—the Lord of Yin and Yang.
Qiu Bai, hands clasped behind his back, extended one hand forward.
With a gentle push, black and white energy swirled into a massive Taiji symbol.
Then, with a flick of his finger, an enormous white barrier materialized over the seaward side of Liyue Harbor.
The two divine forces collided!
BOOM!!!!
The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the ocean, splitting the water apart and revealing the seabed beneath.
Osial's painstakingly gathered divine power—energy accumulated over a great span of time—was effortlessly blocked.
Towering tidal waves rose in every direction, threatening to crash upon Liyue Harbor.
But just before they reached the shore, they slammed into an invisible wall, held at bay by the barrier.
"ROOOOAAARR!!!"
Osial bellowed furiously, its five heads roaring at the small figure before it.
"I-It's the Immortal Lord!!!"
Ganyu, overcome with emotion, nearly burst into tears.
"The Immortal Lord…"
Keqing's pupils shrank as she gazed in awe at the commanding presence in the sky.
"Traveler, look! Look, it's the Immortal Lord!!!"
Paimon wiped her eyes, stomped her foot, and excitedly pointed toward Qiu Bai.
"So that's the god of Liyue?"
Lumine's breath hitched as she stared at the celestial figure.
Behind her, Madame Ping nodded knowingly, a soft smile on her lips.
"Big… brother."
Qiqi's face lit up with a rare smile as she watched the sky.
Xiao, leaning against a pillar, also let a small smile cross his face as he gazed at Qiu Bai.
Behind him, Mountain Shaper, Cloud Retainer, and Moon Carver stood frozen, their eyes locked onto the divine figure above.
…
Meanwhile, at the distant shoreline, the Doctor staggered to his feet, his clothes drenched and tattered from the tsunami's force.
Despite his disheveled state, a twisted grin spread across his face.
"Hahahaha! The Archon War has returned!"
"Such… magnificent results!"
He slowly raised his arms toward the sky, his manic laughter blending with Osial's guttural growls.
…
Qiu Bai, hands still behind his back, conjured the Yin-Yang Chaos Sword into his grasp.
He regarded Osial with an impassive gaze, standing firm with one hand resting behind him and the other gripping his sword.
"Osial, Vortex God of the Depths."
"Had you broken free only to flee, perhaps I would have let you go."
"But the first thing you did after breaking your seal… was to destroy Liyue Harbor."
Qiu Bai's voice was calm yet steady, carrying a weight that pressed upon all who heard it.
"For that, I will not let you leave."
His words, though spoken softly, resonated across Liyue.
The citizens, the Adepti, the Qixing, and even Lumine and Paimon all heard them loud and clear.
On the Jade Chamber, Keqing crossed her arms, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at the divine figure above.
A rare smile graced Ningguang's lips.
"Brother… you look incredible."
At the entrance of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Qiu Yue's beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
Hu Tao popped out from behind her, staring up at the sky with wide, curious eyes.
"Hehe, well, from a rational perspective, he is indeed quite dashing."
Zhongli chuckled, glancing at Qiu Yue as he spoke.
…
Qiu Bai's divine power surged, pouring forth in waves of black and white energy.
The skies outside the barrier darkened, twisting into an ominous storm.
Lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.
The world beyond the barrier was painted in eerie shades of gray and white—completely engulfed by Qiu Bai's presence.
And yet, within Liyue Harbor, the sun shone brightly. The winds remained calm.
The Yin-Yang Chaos Sword in Qiu Bai's hand pulsed wildly, absorbing even more divine power.
"ROOOAAAR!!!"
Osial roared twice, its five heads writhing as it glared at the Adeptal God of Yin and Yang.
For the first time since breaking free, Osial felt something it had only ever known in the presence of the Geo Archon.
Fear.
Desperation ignited within the beast.
All five of its heads gathered divine energy, frantically condensing it into a brilliant blue sphere.
With an ear-splitting shriek, Osial launched the attack straight at Qiu Bai!
The sheer force of the blast sent shockwaves rippling through the sea, forcing even Osial itself to recoil from the impact.
Qiu Bai watched the incoming attack.
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"Heh."
Qiu Bai looked at the massive pale blue energy sphere hurtling toward him and let out a soft chuckle of disdain.
Extending his hand, an eerie black aura surged up his arm, twisting and coiling like living shadows.
The moment Osial's condensed divine energy made contact with his palm, it instantly dissolved into scattered flecks of black light, vanishing without a trace.
"So strong!"
Lumine stared at the figure in the sky, eyes wide with shock.
Beside her, Paimon could only nod dumbly, completely stunned.
"Hmph. The strength of the Immortal Lord…"
"What could you possibly understand about it?"
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings and turned her head away with a haughty expression. Though she still harbored resentment over the Immortal Lord's sudden disappearance, she couldn't help but acknowledge his power—albeit with some prideful stubbornness.
…
On the battlefield, Osial hesitated for the first time.
The monstrous god's five heads reeled back in disbelief, its furious gaze locked onto Qiu Bai.
"ROOOAAARR!!!"
Osial's anger exploded into a deafening roar.
Determined to crush his foe, he gathered every last ounce of divine power within his massive form.
All five heads turned skyward, unleashing a surge of raw energy.
Dark clouds churned above, corrupted by Osial's power until they glowed with an ominous pale blue hue.
Lightning crackled within the unnatural storm, striking a distant mountain and shattering its rocky surface—sending boulders tumbling down in a violent cascade.
The sheer force of Osial's divine energy distorted the heavens.
This was a desperate struggle for survival.
A final, reckless bid for freedom.
…
Osial's power reached its peak.
With a final, enraged roar, the Vortex God unleashed an attack countless times stronger than any before.
The devastating wave of energy tore through the sky, streaking toward Qiu Bai like the wrath of the sea itself.
…
Qiu Bai exhaled lightly, unfazed.
"It seems you still don't understand the difference between us, Osial."
"But I must admit… it has been a long time since I fought like this."
A smirk tugged at his lips as he raised his hand, divine power surging within him.
Since Osial had mustered a final, desperate strike, it was only fair to give him a proper response.
Qiu Bai extended his arm, releasing twin streams of black and white energy.
The two forces spiraled around each other, gaining speed, growing larger, expanding into a massive, spinning Taiji disk.
The disk's surface shimmered, black and white auras continuously twisting in an endless cycle.
…
Osial's attack met the spinning disk head-on.
Like a crashing tidal wave striking an immovable barrier, the Vortex God's energy shattered upon impact.
Divine power scattered in all directions, splintering into beams of light that shot across the battlefield.
The resulting explosions rocked the land, obliterating entire mountaintops.
Still, Osial refused to surrender.
Desperation drove him to push harder, draining every last fragment of divine energy from his colossal body.
But no matter how much power he poured into the attack, it failed to so much as scratch Qiu Bai.
…
At last, Qiu Bai's Yin-Yang Chaos Sword finished condensing.
With a single, fluid motion, he cast aside the Taiji disk, swiping it to the side and effortlessly dispersing Osial's attack.
The once-unstoppable force of destruction vanished into nothing.
Qiu Bai lowered his sword.
His voice was calm.
"It's over, Osial."
…