Qiu Bai gazed down indifferently at Osial, the Vortex God, whose divine power had been completely drained.
"ROOOAAARR!!!"
Unwilling to accept its defeat, Osial thrashed wildly, its massive heads slamming into the sea.
Tsunamis erupted in all directions, sending towering waves crashing toward the horizon.
Qiu Bai frowned slightly at the sight. Raising his sword high above his head, he spoke a single word—his voice calm yet resonant, carrying across all of Liyue Harbor.
"Slash."
…
As his blade descended, the world itself seemed to tremble.
The sky turned white. The earth turned black.
For an instant, it felt as if reality was on the brink of collapse, teetering toward chaos.
Time itself seemed to freeze the moment the sword struck.
A terrifying arc of sword energy surged forward, its form shifting between black and white, its power so immense that even space itself threatened to be torn apart.
In an instant, the devastating slash tore through Osial's massive form.
The ocean split apart along the path of the blade, revealing the seafloor beneath.
The storm clouds overhead, once suffocatingly dense, were cleaved open, leaving behind a massive rift in the sky.
Through that breach, sunlight poured down, casting golden light upon the sundered sea.
Qiu Bai's attack continued, carving across the horizon, slicing through countless uninhabited islands before finally coming to a halt.
Everything in its path—everything—had been split in two.
…
Up on the Jade Chamber, Paimon hovered in midair, staring slack-jawed at the distant figure.
"T-The sky…"
"The sky has been split open!!!"
Her pupils contracted as she stammered in disbelief.
Lumine stood frozen beside her, unable to look away. A shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps prickled her skin.
For the first time, she truly understood… this was the power of a god.
…
"Immortal Lord…"
Keqing's gaze never wavered from the divine figure above.
"To live in this era…"
"I've never witnessed a god wield their power like this before."
Ningguang's voice trembled ever so slightly, unable to mask her shock.
The other Adepti were just as speechless.
…
"The last time I saw such a sight… was when the Geo Archon himself sealed away a god."
"And now, it has happened again."
Moon Carver's voice held both awe and disbelief.
…
"The Vortex God has been slain."
"But what of the lingering resentment that follows?"
Mountain Shaper glanced at the other Adepti, voicing his concern.
Cloud Retainer scoffed, twisting her crane-like head to look at him as if he were a fool.
"You old coot, do you really think the Immortal Lord is ignorant of such things?"
"Of course he knows that a slain god's resentment lingers."
Ganyu stepped forward, addressing the Adepti with unwavering certainty.
"If the Immortal Lord was willing to strike Osial down…"
"Then he must already have a way to deal with its lingering wrath."
…
Down in Liyue Harbor, the people stood frozen in the streets, staring up at the sky in stunned silence.
For the first time in their lives, they had witnessed the power of a god.
…
Hu Tao's eyes widened into massive orbs as she gawked at the figure above.
"Holy smokes!!!"
"He—he split the sky in half!!!"
Her mouth hung open, her brain struggling to process what she had just seen.
She quickly turned to look at Zhongli.
Surely he would be shocked by this… right?
…
But to her disappointment, Zhongli stood with his arms crossed, his expression calm and unchanged.
His golden eyes remained fixed on Qiu Bai, but there wasn't a hint of surprise on his face.
As if… the god-slaying strike had not impressed him in the slightest.
Hu Tao blinked.
Then sighed.
"I really should've known better than to expect a reaction from him."
"Zhongli, is there anything in this world that can actually shock you?"
Hu Tao stared at him, her mouth twitching in frustration. She turned her gaze back to the sky, unable to take her eyes off the divine figure above.
Yet, as she turned away, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed Zhongli's lips.
Beside him, Qiu Yue stood in silent awe, her gaze fixed on the same figure.
"Brother…"
She murmured the word softly, almost as if in disbelief.
…
The streets of Liyue Harbor were packed. People had emerged from their homes, filling the roads and alleys, gazing up in astonishment.
A mother held her child's hand as they stepped outside.
"Mom! The Immortal Lord is incredible!"
"Yes, he is. He is Liyue's god, after all."
The woman lifted her head, eyes shining with admiration. In that moment, she looked no different from the child beside her—awestruck, filled with reverence.
"It's the Immortal Lord! He's here!"
"Everything is alright! Everyone, come out!"
One by one, the people of Liyue emerged, their expressions shifting from fear to overwhelming relief.
They knew—they were safe now.
Excited murmurs rippled through the crowd as they watched the figure standing above them.
…
Meanwhile, at the site of Osial's defeat, the colossal sea creature lay in ruin.
Its five heads—its entire body—had been severed by Qiu Bai's sword energy.
"Roar…!"
Osial's agonized cries grew weaker, fading into the howling winds.
Then, as its massive corpse collapsed, a thunderous explosion tore through the air.
With that final detonation, an ancient god had fallen.
…
Qiu Bai narrowed his eyes, focusing on the site of Osial's demise.
Something was stirring beneath the waves.
From the depths of the sea, countless remnants of the fallen god erupted, tainted by an overwhelming hatred.
The very essence of Osial's lingering resentment spilled into the ocean, corrupting everything in its path.
The fish in the water died instantly, unable to withstand the malevolent energy.
Everything in proximity to Osial's corpse—the land, the sea, even the air itself—began to erode, dissolving into seawater.
…
"The resentment of a slain god…"
"And the corruption that follows their death."
Qiu Bai muttered to himself, standing above the scene.
Without hesitation, he descended.
The closer he got, the more devastation he saw—land crumbling into the sea, fragments of Osial's remains still pulsing with dark energy.
Closing his eyes, Qiu Bai took a deep breath.
Then, his body split into two.
One figure dressed in pure white.
The other in pitch black.
Both bore his exact likeness.
The embodiment of Yang—dressed in white—carried warmth in his gaze, radiating a gentle aura.
The embodiment of Yin—cloaked in black—had eyes as cold as the void, exuding a chilling presence.
The two figures exchanged a brief nod before the white-clad Qiu Bai stepped forward.
Descending to Osial's resting place, he brought his hands together—and light burst forth.
A dazzling radiance, blinding yet soothing, erupted from his palms.
It spread across the land, reaching every corrupted remnant, purifying Osial's lingering hatred and sealing the divine contamination.
…
The light washed over Liyue Harbor and the vast ocean beyond.
In the sea, lifeless fish suddenly stirred.
Those tainted by Osial's malice had their blackened auras cleansed, returning to their natural state.
All around, trees, grass, and flowers flourished, their colors deepening, their vitality renewed.
It was as if a second sun had risen—one that did not burn, but instead nurtured all it touched.
…
In Liyue Harbor, the people felt it.
A warmth spread through their bodies, filling them with newfound strength.
Even the fallen Millelith soldiers—those who had perished in battle—began to stir.
Slowly, they rose to their feet.
And to everyone's shock—even the Fatui soldiers, who had been slain, began moving.
But before they could react, the Millelith swiftly surrounded them, weapons raised.
The battle wasn't over just yet.
…
From the Jade Chamber, Lumine stared at her hands.
A familiar warmth pulsed through her skin.
She looked up, her gaze locking onto the radiant energy in the distance.
"Why… does that light feel just like Qiu Bai's?"
She flexed her fingers, watching as the wounds on her hands—wounds she hadn't even realized she had—began to heal.
A hushed murmur escaped her lips.
"What… is this power?"