Suddenly, the earth trembled violently.
A colossal dragon, as massive as a mountain range, crawled out from the depths of The Chasm. Its four towering legs stood like celestial pillars, casting an overwhelming presence over the land.
This was Azhdaha, the Dragon King—a being born from elemental creation, an existence as ancient as the mountains and seas themselves.
Yet, even such a powerful dragon was not immune to the erosion of time.
"W-What is that?! Run for your lives!"
"An earthquake! Get to higher ground!"
"Mom, I'm scared!"
The people of The Chasm cried out in terror, their frantic voices echoing from below.
Then—
"ROAAAAAAAAAR!!"
Azhdaha let out a deafening roar, shaking the entire Chasm with his fury.
Qiu Bai expression turned serious.
"This is bad! The people below won't survive the shockwaves of that roar."
Without hesitation, he activated his Avatars two ethereal projections of himself, each one instantly teleporting to different parts of the Chasm.
In mere moments, they began evacuating the citizens, carrying them one by one to safety.
Soon, the entire population of The Chasm had been safely relocated.
"Oh my god, did you see that?! The Immortal Lord carried me in his arms!"
"He's so handsome!"
A young girl, her eyes filled with admiration, boasted to those around her.
Meanwhile, Qiu Bai let out a deep breath, exhausted.
"Whew... Moving tens of thousands of people is no joke."
Morax, standing before the towering dragon, spoke solemnly.
"Thank you, my friend. From here on, this is between me and him."
His golden eyes locked onto Azhdaha, his gaze heavy.
"Azhdaha, you have broken our contract."
"According to the terms we agreed upon, you shall once again be sealed in darkness."
Morax divine voice echoed across The Chasm, carrying the full weight of his authority.
Azhdaha burning eyes fixated on Morax as he bellowed in rage.
"MORAX!!"
"It was HUMANS who destroyed the leylines I depend on for survival!"
Morax expression softened slightly.
"Azhdaha..."
"If you still remember our contract, if you still remember the eyes I granted you, then stop this now."
There was a trace of sorrow in his voice as he gazed upon the once-proud dragon.
But Azhdaha fury did not subside.
"Morax! They are nothing more than insects!"
"I am a being born from elemental creation, an existence as ancient as the mountains and seas!"
His voice shook the land as his rage flared.
Morax expression darkened.
"They are not insects."
"They are my people."
His grip tightened around his spear.
"If that is your answer, then so be it."
"Those who break their contracts shall face the judgment of stone."
A golden spear materialized in Morax hand, glowing with divine power as he fixed his gaze upon the Dragon King.
Azhdaha roared in defiance.
"MORAX!!!"
From below, Qiu Bai watched with excitement.
"It's starting, it's really starting!"
A battle between a god and a dragon—one that would shake the very foundations of Liyue.
But then, his sharp eyes caught something unusual.
"Wait a second, something's wrong with Azhdaha body!"
"That black mist… Could it be that Azhdaha the Dragon King has been corrupted?"
Qiu Bai expression turned grim as he observed Azhdaha carefully. As the Yin-Yang God, he could see things that others could not.
"Wait... if he truly is corrupted, then maybe my Yang Energy can purify him!"
"System, can you scan Azhdaha current condition?"
A familiar sound rang in his mind.
[Ding!]
[If the host wishes to view Azhdaha the Dragon King information, it will cost you ten years of your origin power. You will need ten years to recover.]
Qiu Bai scoffed internally.
"Scan him! It's just ten years of my origin power. There's still over a thousand years before the real plot begins, so what's there to fear?"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Azhdaha the Dragon King
Identity: Elemental Creation of Teyvat
Status: Corrupted by the "Black Calamity" beneath The Chasm.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So he really has been corrupted... System, if I purify him, how long will I need to sleep?"
Qiu Bai asked in his mind.
[If the host purifies Azhdaha, you will enter slumber for approximately one thousand years.]
Qiu Bai narrowed his eyes.
"A thousand years, huh? That would be right around the time when the Traveler first arrives in Mondstadt."
As Qiu Bai was still lost in thought, the battle between Azhdaha and Morax had already begun.
Azhdaha soared into the sky, clashing violently with Morax. Blinding white light engulfed the land, turning the entire battlefield into a sea of radiance.
From The Chasm to Jueyun Karst, the two titanic beings fought at unimaginable speeds, leaving the Adepti with no choice but to watch from a distance.
"I have to get a closer look!"
Qiu Bai shot into the air, flying toward the battlefield.
The sight that greeted him made his heart sink, the land was devastated, the aftermath of the battle leaving the ground in ruins.
Qiu Bai clenched his fists and increased his speed.
"I made it in time!"
In front of him, the colossal Dragon King and the Geo Archon continued to collide, each clash causing mountains to crumble and earth to quake.
Qiu Bai exhaled in relief.
"Good thing there aren't many mortals in this area."
As he stroked his chin in thought, a voice called out to him.
"Yin-Yang Immortal!"
Qiu Bai looked down in confusion.
There, standing with urgency in her eyes, was Ganyu.
"Yin-Yang Immortal, it's me, Ganyu! Please, help the Lord of Geo!"
Ganyu expression was filled with desperation.
Qiu Bai let out a sigh.
"This is a contract between Morax and Azhdaha. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to interfere."
"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let them keep fighting like this?"
Cloud Retainer, also turned to Qiu Bai, seeking an answer.
Among everyone present, only the Yin-Yang Immortal had the power to match Azhdaha and Morax.
"Well, I do have a solution."
His expression turned serious.
"But if I use it, I might end up sleeping for a thousand years."
Qiu Bai let out a bitter laugh.
"What do you mean by that, Yin-Yang Immortal?"
The gathered Adepti looked at Qiu Bai in confusion.
Without explaining, Qiu Bai continued.
"Azhdaha the Dragon King you see before you has been corrupted by the 'Black Calamity' beneath The Chasm."
His gaze shifted toward Azhdaha, eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions.
"Even Morax has yet to notice this corruption. But as the Yin-Yang God, I am highly sensitive to such things.If I go all out, I can purify Azhdaha."
As Qiu Bai spoke those words, he felt himself making a firm decision deep within.
Clenching his teeth, he muttered under his breath
"Tch, what's a mere thousand years? Let's do this!"
He turned toward Cloud Retainer.
"Cloud Retainer, once I fall into slumber, seal my body within my dwelling. And remember, make sure I look stylish!"
Just as Qiu Bai was about to charge forward and stop the battle, he suddenly remembered something and turned back toward her.
"Ah, right. My dwelling is sealed with a barrier. The passcode is 42069" (T/N : The passcode was blank, can't help myself teehee)
Before Cloud Retainer could even react, Qiu Bai had already teleported into the battlefield, right between the Dragon King and the God of Geo.
Morax was just about to strike when Qiu Bai suddenly appeared. He hesitated, pausing his attack.
"Morax!!!"
At the same time, Azhdaha massive attack was already descending upon Qiu Bai.
Without hesitation, Qiu Bai unleashed a full-power punch to meet the blow head-on.
The impact sent him hurtling back hundreds of meters, while Azhdaha mountain-sized form crashed into the distant peaks, shattering an entire mountain range behind him.
Qiu Bai coughed, shaking off the pain.
"Damn, That actually hurt."
He quickly got back on his feet and teleported to Morax side.
Morax furrowed his brows.
"Friend… Why are you doing this?"
Qiu Bai took a deep breath.
"Morax, Azhdaha madness is not due to wear and tear. He has been corrupted by the 'Black Calamity' lurking beneath The Chasm."
Meeting Morax gaze, Qiu Bai continued.
"As the Yin-Yang God, I can see things others cannot."
He then turned to Morax with a serious expression.
"Hold him off for just a few breaths. I'm going to purify him!"
Morax face darkened.
Even at full power, Azhdaha had been corrupted?
Just what was the true source of this Black Calamity?
His eyes sharpened as he looked at Qiu Bai.
"Friend, even a being as strong as Azhdaha was corrupted. If you attempt to purge the darkness from within him, are you certain there will be no consequences?"
Qiu Bai grinned at him.
"Relax. I'll be fine."
Azhdaha, now regaining some clarity, let out a low growl.
"Then, Watch me closely."
Morax expression turned grave.
Without hesitation, he gathered an immense amount of elemental energy.
"Thank you, my friend."
Raising his hand, Morax unleashed his full might.
"Heavenly Dominion: Planet Befall"
The sky darkened, as if the world itself was ending.
A colossal meteor descended from above, its blinding radiance illuminating the entire battlefield.