High above Liyue Harbor, the Jade Chamber slowly moved through the sky, catching the attention of the people below.
"Isn't that Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber?" "Is Lady Ningguang going to sacrifice the Jade Chamber again for Liyue?"
"The sacrifices Lady Ningguang makes... surely this time she'll defeat those sky demons!"
The citizens, who had sought shelter, raised their heads, gazing at the Jade Chamber as it glided overhead with a sense of awe and admiration.
The Jade Chamber wasn't just a symbol of Liyue's commercial success; it was a beacon of the nation's prosperity and pride. The last time Ningguang destroyed the Jade Chamber to protect Liyue, it took countless resources and manpower to rebuild. Yet here they were, facing another imminent disaster, their hopes resting on the Chamber once more.
With hopeful eyes, the people watched the grand structure as it flew past Liyue Harbor, aiming directly toward the demon overlord, Bakshe, wreaking havoc at sea.
"This time, we must end this catastrophe," they murmured.
Though the Jade Chamber's movement seemed slow due to its vast size, it was an illusion caused by its grandeur. In reality, it swiftly reached the airspace surrounding Bakshe.
The Adepti were locked in an intense battle with Bakshe, who had been further strengthened by the sinister power of the evil mist. Upon seeing the Jade Chamber approach, one of the Adepti remarked, "Ningguang, are you truly planning to destroy the Jade Chamber again?"
Standing atop the Jade Chamber, Ningguang replied calmly, "Liyue stands at the brink of life and death. If the Jade Chamber can help the true Adepti eliminate this great demon, then it has served its purpose."
The sight of ominous black clouds, with the raging sea demon below, mirrored the events from when they had defeated Osial. Once again, Ningguang was ready to sacrifice her beloved Jade Chamber for Liyue's survival.
As they fought off Bakshe's relentless attacks, the Adepti could not help but sigh with admiration for her determination.
Several Adepti were blocking Baizhu's attacks while Sun Bian said:
"The enhanced power of this evil creature makes this great demon extremely troublesome. If the Jade Chamber can destroy it, I can focus all my strength on holding back the evil force."
"However, with our limited strength, we can't quickly eliminate this demon, forcing Ningguang to sacrifice the Jade Chamber once again."
"The force of evil is already approaching Liyue. We must act quickly."
Although the Adepti were reluctant to see Ningguang sacrifice the Jade Chamber, the current situation was beyond extraordinary. The Black Mist was spreading toward Liyue Harbor, and there was no time for further deliberation.
Ningguang also understood the urgency of the situation. Under the Adepti's cover, she directly controlled the Jade Chamber and maneuvered it above Baizhu's heads.
Baizhu's three heads raised, and upon seeing the Jade Chamber above, it seemed to recognize it as the thing that defeated its spouse, Osial. It began a frenzied assault.
However, the three Adepti True Monarchs stood in a triangular formation, forming a barrier that temporarily suppressed Baizhu.
At that moment, Ningguang formed a hand seal, and the Jade Chamber descended forcefully.
With a thunderous crash, the Jade Chamber struck Baizhu's three heads, causing a violent explosion that blinded everyone.
Ningguang, along with Bai Shi, Bai Xiao, and Bai Wen, were rescued by the Adepti as the Jade Chamber fell. They each rode on the backs of the Adepti, watching the scene below.
They saw the Jade Chamber unleash an explosion comparable to a nuclear blast, sending the entire sea into the sky.
If not for the Adepti's control over the explosion's aftermath, Liyue Harbor would have surely faced catastrophic destruction.
Such a terrifying explosion even dispelled some of the Black Mist lingering over the sea.
On the Alcor, protected by Cloud Retainer, the onlookers, witnessing the explosion up close, were utterly shocked:
"Is this the fall of the Jade Chamber? It's unbelievable!"
"No wonder the Jade Chamber was able to defeat the great demon that invaded Liyue last time."
"With such a terrifying explosion, that demon must have been obliterated, right?"
The crew members anxiously searched for Baizhu's figure, watching the waves that had been thrown into the sky by the explosion.
They all hoped that the Jade Chamber's strike had successfully annihilated the great demon.
Beidou also kept her eyes fixed on the center of the explosion, asking aloud:
"Did Ningguang succeed?"
Shenhe, standing silently beside her, was deep in thought as her gaze swept across the sea.
The Adepti and Ningguang in the sky, too, were tensely watching the scene below.
"Is it over? With such a powerful explosion, the demon shouldn't have survived."
"Even Osial couldn't withstand the Jade Chamber's explosion, let alone Baizhu."
"If that's the case, I'll go to Liyue Harbor to fend off the evil force encroaching on the city."
Seeing that the aftermath of the explosion was gradually subsiding, and unable to spot Baizhu on the sea, the Adepti were ready to hurry to Liyue Harbor to deal with the Black Mist.
However, at that moment, a towering wave rose from the turbulent waters, surging toward the Adepti.
They were immediately startled.
"What? The demon still isn't dead?"
"With such resilience, how can we possibly defeat Baizhu?"
"The evil force is already nearing Liyue Harbor. We must find a way to get there immediately."
The Adepti were shocked. The power of the Jade Chamber's explosion was no less than a full strike from a god.
Even so, the re-emergence of the tsunami proved that Baizhu hadn't perished in the blast.
The Adepti looked down and saw that the waters were twisting and reforming into Baizhu's body, with tendrils of Black Mist swirling within.
"This is trouble. Baizhu's life force has been strengthened by the evil force, making it almost impossible to kill."
"Unless we reduce him to ashes, he'll keep regenerating in the ocean."
"How can we possibly destroy such a great demon?" The voices of the Adepti became increasingly grave.
Having absorbed the Black Mist, Baizhu, now in the sea, was an opponent even the Adepti were uncertain they could defeat.
Ningguang, sitting on the back of an Adeptus, was filled with despair.
Even her last resort, destroying the Jade Chamber, had no effect on this great demon. Was Liyue truly going to be destroyed before her eyes?
At that moment, Cloud Retainer, who was carrying Ningguang, said solemnly:
"The evil force has already reached Liyue Harbor. We must go and stop it."
Indeed, the Black Mist had already crept into the harbor, threatening the merchants docked at the shore.
If the Adepti didn't stop it, there would be no need for Baizhu to act. The Black Mist alone would be enough to drain the life force of every Liyue resident, killing them all.
After Cloud Retainer finished speaking, she urgently flew toward Liyue Harbor.
However, a powerful torrent, strong enough to split mountains, shot through the air, forcing her to stop.
Baizhu, who had now fully regenerated, was glaring menacingly at the Adepti from the sea, its three heads tightly focused on their movements.
Moon Carver spoke heavily:
"If we don't kill Baizhu, it won't let us leave."
Baizhu was cunning. It was deliberately stalling them, preventing them from going to block the Black Mist.
Moreover, with Baizhu's power boosted by the evil force, even if the three Adepti fought with all their might, they wouldn't be able to resolve the battle quickly.
Mountain Shaper, in frustration, roared:
"This fiend is so vile! If the Black Mist is allowed to corrupt the people of Liyue, how could we ever face the Geo Archon?"
Cloud Retainer, equally anxious, found herself trapped as Baizhu's three heads kept a close watch on them, giving no opportunity for escape.
The three Adepti struggled to fend off Baizhu's relentless attacks, watching helplessly as the Black Mist crept closer and closer to Liyue Harbor. Their hearts grew heavier by the second.
Was Liyue really going to be destroyed before their very eyes?
Ningguang also looked on in despair at the Black Mist about to engulf Liyue. Even after sacrificing another Jade Chamber, she still couldn't save the city...
As Baizhu regenerated, the crew aboard the Alcor, which had been chasing the Black Mist, also fell into despair.
The once brave and fearless sailors seemed to lose their resolve, their spirits crumbling.
"How could this happen? Even Lady Ningguang's Jade Chamber couldn't destroy the great demon."
"The Adepti are all tied up by the demon. Can we really stop the Black Mist from overwhelming Liyue on our own?"
"It's over. Everything is over. Liyue is doomed."
Earlier, they had fought bravely, unafraid of death, because they believed the Adepti and the Qixing would save Liyue.
But now, seeing that the explosion of the Jade Chamber and the Adepti's attacks had failed to stop Baizhu, and with the Black Mist already seeping into the harbor, even the most courageous among them began to break down.
Hearing the crew's voices filled with despair, Beidou's eyes flashed fiercely as she shouted:
"Get a grip! Until the very last moment, we cannot give up!"
Her harsh command forcibly suppressed the crew's panic, momentarily restoring their composure.
However, at that moment, Shenhe spoke gravely:
"We're surrounded."
Beidou quickly looked toward the sea. Beneath the water's surface around the Alcor, countless dark shadows lurked.
Thousands of sea monsters had somehow followed them unnoticed.
Then, hundreds of sea beasts leaped from the water, passing through Cloud Retainer's protective light and landing directly on the deck of the Alcor.
The moment the sea beasts leaped onto the deck, several crew members fell into pools of blood.
These sailors were already shaken in spirit, and in a moment of inattention, they were torn apart by the beasts, collapsing to the ground.
Beidou's heart trembled. Hundreds of sea beasts had emerged, with thousands more lurking beneath the surface, preparing to attack them.
Perhaps the Alcor would really sink this time.
Just then, Shenhe threw out another ice elemental talisman, summoning a wave of cold air that froze all the sea beasts on the ship once more.
"Shenhe! Tian Sheng!" Beidou exclaimed.
But Shenhe pointed to the countless shadows of sea beasts beneath the surface and said,
"I can no longer freeze the monsters lurking below. You'll have to fend for yourselves."
Beidou nodded solemnly and shouted to the remaining crew:
"Grab your weapons! Prepare to fight these sea beasts to the death!"
"Yes, Captain Beidou!" they responded.
The remaining crew, spurred on by the sight of their fallen comrades, roared with determination.
Beidou took a swig of alcohol and laughed heartily:
"This is what it means to be a crew member of the Alcor!"
A tragic atmosphere enveloped the entire ship.
Everyone knew that they had no chance of escaping the countless sea beasts lurking beneath the waves.
At that moment, a tsunami stirred up by Baizhu swept toward the Alcor.
On one side was an endless horde of sea beasts, and on the other was the towering wave, either of which could claim the lives of everyone aboard.
As the crew faced the overwhelming tsunami, a calm expression appeared on their faces, as if accepting their fate.
Shenhe stepped forward, intending to freeze the tsunami once more, but her legs gave way, and her body swayed unsteadily.
Beside her, Beidou quickly supported Shenhe and said,
"You've done enough already, Shenhe."
It was clear to everyone that after continuously freezing the tsunami and the sea beasts, Shenhe was now completely exhausted.
A ripple of emotion flashed in Shenhe's rainbow-like pupils as she sensed a familiar aura of death.
Just as everyone on the Alcor braced themselves to welcome death, an arrow imbued with frost shot through the air, striking the towering wave.
The frost on the arrow instantly unleashed an astonishing force of ice elemental energy, causing the massive wave to freeze in place, just like Shenhe had done earlier.
Shenhe and Beidou immediately turned to look in the direction from which the arrow had come.
They saw Ganyu on a nearby island, lowering her bow and nodding toward them.
"It's... Ganyu," Shenhe said emotionlessly.
Beidou was about to say something when she felt another group of sea beasts leap onto the ship, quickly raising her weapon.
Shenhe also stood behind Beidou, on guard against the other side where the sea beasts were approaching.
Even though she had dispelled the tsunami crisis, it seemed they were still destined to perish amidst countless sea beasts.
On the other side, Ganyu and the Qianyan Army on the small island were also surrounded by the sea beasts.
The creatures continued to crawl up from the sea, engaging in fierce battles with the Qianyan soldiers.
As Ganyu defended the island from the encroaching Black Mist, she kept drawing her bow and shooting arrows. By now, she had no idea how many sea beasts she had already defeated since the Black Mist had appeared.
The entire perimeter of the small island was piled high with the corpses of sea beasts.
Even with her semi-divine bloodline, Ganyu was beginning to feel exhausted from the ongoing battle.
However, she had no idea how many more sea beasts, entangled in the Black Mist, lurked beneath the water.
Suddenly, Ganyu had a feeling and looked toward the direction of Liyue Harbor. She saw that the thick black mist had already spread onto the land of Liyue Harbor, and soon it would engulf the harbor, eroding the safety of the people taking refuge there.
Ganyu's heart trembled. Was Liyue going to perish?
Just then, a beam of golden light broke through the layers of black clouds and illuminated Liyue Harbor.
As the golden light shone, the dense, murky black mist instantly melted away.
In the next moment, above the clouds, an unparalleled dragon's might surged forth, sweeping across the entire Liyue Harbor!
At that moment, everyone looked up at the sky.
Ganyu's eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed in disbelief,
"Is this the aura of the Little Dragon True Monarch? How can it possess such powerful dragon might?"
The other Adeptus in the distance were equally astonished as they said,
"What terrifying dragon might! This is not the Emperor's dragon might!"
"It's the Little Dragon True Monarch's! Its dragon might is even stronger than the Emperor's?"
"This is impossible! The Little Dragon True Monarch is just a young dragon; how could it have such heavenly might?"
The celestial beings were stunned as they sensed Lin Yuan's aura, unable to believe that this was the dragon might emitted by him.
After all, in their minds, Lin Yuan was still just a young dragon.
On the back of Liuyun, Ningguang also looked at the golden light breaking through the clouds in shock, murmuring,
"The Little Dragon True Monarch? That little guy has returned?"
Shenhe had an expressionless face, but a hint of shock flashed in her eyes as she said,
"Is this unparalleled dragon might the arrival of the Little Dragon True Monarch that the masters spoke of?"
Although Shenhe had grown up in the immortal family's cave dwelling, she had recently heard several celestial beings frequently discussing the Little Dragon True Monarch.
That Little Dragon True Monarch, though a young dragon, was regarded highly by all the celestial beings.
Some even believed it would surpass the Geo Archon in the future.
However, this powerful dragon might was far beyond what the celestial beings had described the Little Dragon as.
Beidou had also heard about Lin Yuan from Ningguang and exclaimed in surprise,
"I heard that the Little Dragon True Monarch is just a young dragon; how could it have such formidable dragon might?"
Just as everyone was in shock and confusion, the black clouds in the sky suddenly surged.
Then, beams of golden light broke through the dark clouds, signaling that an unparalleled presence was about to descend.
As the wind and clouds converged, the heavens and earth bowed in submission.
In the next moment, the endless black clouds parted to the sides, revealing a massive divine dragon amidst the glimmers of gold, slowly lowering its head from the clouds.
The dragon's immense body appeared in the golden light, graceful yet domineering, like the blazing sun hanging in the sky.
At that instant, everyone felt as though they were witnessing the most noble existence in the world, overwhelmed by an impulse to bow down.
The Adeptis were even more shocked, falling into a state of trance.
The divine dragon extended its head from the clouds, taking in everything happening in Liyue Harbor, and then its unparalleled dragon might swept over the sea.
In that moment, countless sea beasts lurking beneath the water were all turned to ashes.
As the dragon's might swept over , all the sea beasts on the ship instantly turned to dust.
On the small island where Ganyu and the Qinyan army were holding their ground, all the sea beasts were also reduced to ash by the dragon's might.
Everyone witnessing this was utterly stunned.
With just a single blow, countless sea beasts were exterminated!
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T/N:
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