Zhongli's brow furrowed tightly. He had already detected Beisht's aura, and not just hers, but also those sea monsters belonging to Osial's former legions. Why were these creatures here?
Ever since Osial was sealed, they had been driven into the distant seas.
Even if scouts had remained in the near-coastal region and detected signs of Osial breaking free, notifying the main force at top speed, it should have been impossible for them to arrive here in such a short time.
Someone must have informed Beisht, telling her that Osial would break the seal today.
And the most likely suspect capable of such a thing currently was the Fatui... What were they planning? Did they want to test whether Morax was truly dead? Did they want to know if the edge of this Archon's spear, largely unused for millennia, was still sharp?
Xin Yu sensed the presence beside him – Zhongli, no, at this moment, he should be called Morax. His aura was leaking out. The majesty cultivated over thousands of years as a ruler, combined with the sheer weight of his power, was enough to make anyone with a weak will collapse to their knees on the spot.
Without a doubt, someone had angered this old gentleman.
"This time, I must trouble you, little friend. Osial's wife, Beisht, has arrived on the battlefield with his former subordinates. This has already exceeded the scope of the current test."
"Alright. Coincidentally, I also want to test just how strong I am now when I go all out."
Xin Yu gripped the sheathed long blade in his left hand, a flicker of excitement unavoidable in his expression. The last time he went all out, he had consumed his remaining lifespan in exchange for power, reaching a state capable of instantly annihilating the Herrscher of Thunder. He wondered, how did his current self compare to that life-burning state – stronger or weaker?
Xin Yu stomped heavily on the sea surface before him. After creating a massive crater in the water, his entire figure vanished like an arrow loosed from a bowstring.
After he departed, the crater he had stomped into existence slowly calmed down in a manner that defied the laws of physics. Even the surrounding, previously turbulent waters gradually settled.
Instantly, two strange phenomena appeared on the sea. The stretch of water closer to the coastline became as calm as a mirror, without a single ripple, while the area further out remained tumultuous. Yet, no matter how the restless waves surged forward, the calm sea remained utterly still, as if suppressed.
Zhongli gazed at the suppressed sea surface, feeling the assimilation, erosion, distortion, and twisting nature contained within the power suffusing it, along with a suffocating feeling capable of engulfing everything.
This power was far more terrifying than the corruption brought by the Abyss.
Anything tainted by this power would be eroded, transformed, and assimilated into utter stillness. Even life itself could not exist – a world even more extreme than the Abyss.
A few moments earlier...
"I intend to sacrifice the Jade Chamber."
Time rewound slightly. The Tianquan, Ningguang, proposed to everyone present to use her Jade Chamber as a vessel for their power, launching a direct, top-down attack on the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial. This way, everyone's strength would be concentrated at a single point, and the resulting burst of power would be sufficient to send the ancient god back into its seal.
Just as the assembled Adepti expressed their surprise at this suggestion and praised Ningguang's self-sacrificing gesture, they suddenly detected an overwhelming number of ominous auras approaching rapidly from the distance.
"Beisht! How is this possible? How could they have learned of Osial breaking the seal so quickly and brought so many sea monsters over?!" exclaimed an Adeptus in the form of a crane, her voice filled with utter shock.
"It seems those bastards who interfered earlier were already prepared. They must have notified Beisht beforehand! Damn it! If the Lord were still here, we wouldn't need to worry about Osial at all. But in this situation..."
"I will risk my life to hold back the Vortex's remnants as much as possible. Use this remaining time, Liyue Qixing, immediately organize the people to evacuate Liyue Harbor!"
A jade-green spear materialized in the hands of a youthful-looking Adeptus.
"How could this happen?!" Paimon cried out in disbelief. Liyue had suddenly plunged into an even greater life-or-death crisis. Was there truly no way out?
"...I..."
As the Yuheng, Keqing knew this was no time for hesitation. She was just about to step forward to organize the manpower and lead the evacuation of Liyue's citizens.
"Look! There's someone in the sky!"
Paimon suddenly shouted loudly at that moment, interrupting everyone's thoughts and plans. Following the direction Paimon pointed, the crowd looked up and saw a figure standing high in the heavens.
Xin Yu stood suspended in the sky. Osial, who had been roaring moments before as if responding to the approaching Beisht, abruptly ceased all movement. Every eye on its multiple giant sea-serpent heads stared intently at the seemingly minuscule human, who appeared to pose no threat whatsoever.
It sensed true mortal danger from this individual.
"As long as the soul, spirit, and will remain intact, a body composed of Hydro elements can regenerate no matter how many times it's destroyed... What a coincidence. Setting aside Honkai for a moment, the Void itself is quite damaging to will and spirit."
Xin Yu slowly exhaled, placing his right hand on the hilt of the sheathed long blade held in his left.
The moment he completed this action, the sense of crisis in Osial's heart reached its peak. Without hesitation, blue light brewed within the mouths of its several serpent heads. All the light converged into spheres, merging into a single, thick beam that blasted towards Xin Yu.
Yet, as this attack formed of pure energy approached within one meter of Xin Yu, it simply vanished as if plunging into some invisible fissure.
Before Osial could launch another attack, Xin Yu had already drawn his blade.
"Sever."
Xin Yu poured all his understanding of the blade cultivated over these past days, converting all the mana within his body into this single strike.
A translucent long blade, dark purple laced with grey mist, appeared in the sky.
This colossal blade was easily ten thousand meters long.
The ten-thousand-meter blade slowly descended from the heavens. Its speed appeared incredibly slow, yet every being who directly witnessed it found themselves unable to even conceive of dodging or resisting. Like condemned prisoners on the execution block, they could only wait for the blade, symbolizing death itself, to fall.
The blade passed effortlessly through Osial's body. Just as it was about to touch the sea surface, it vanished without a trace, almost like a hologram. It stirred no waves, caused no change in the surroundings. Could it be an illusion?
But then, an exceedingly crisp sound of a long blade being sheathed echoed. The clouds in the sky slowly dispersed, allowing the vanished sunlight to shine down once more. The previously turbulent sea was now utterly devoid of waves.
A single slash stilled the wind and rain.
Osial, having been sliced by the blade, dissolved into incredibly fine raindrops, falling from the sky onto the placid sea surface, creating tiny, spreading ripples.
Amidst that rain, only a solitary figure stood poised against the sky, strikingly prominent, utterly outstanding.
A lone shadow calmed the sea.
Xin Yu slowly let out another breath. This strike actually involved little technique, just pure stats... with a touch of the inherent mechanics of his energy added in.
"The wind-up is too obvious. In a truly intense battle, I'd never be given this much time to charge up. Still needs improvement."