Chapter 156
"Lord Lesser Kusanali, please save us!"
"Dendro Archon, please save us!"
"Lord Lesser Kusanali!"
Whether they were desert dwellers or rainforest dwellers, at this moment, they placed all their hopes on Nahida.
Nahida immediately felt the immense faith.
"Everyone, I will do my best to protect you."
Is this what it feels like to be trusted? Although it's not quite what I expected, it's a wonderful feeling.
"It's interesting that you, whom they despise and have forgotten, would choose to stand up at a time like this."
In the sky, Aizen looked down at Nahida with disdain and asked a question.
"Do you want to go back to this country that rejects you and doesn't need you?"
"What?!"
The people of Sumeru looked at Nahida in astonishment, wanting to know what was going on.
"Lord Dendro Archon God, is what he said true?"
Nahida's expression was somewhat unpleasant. She did not answer, but Aizen in the sky provided the answer for her.
"That's right, this country has abandoned its gods."
"And the ones who did all of this are you humans!"
"What!?"
The Sumeru people all gaped open.
"What, you can't believe it?"
"Then let me tell you."
Aizen pushed up his glasses.
"In the past, Sumeru was ruled by three gods. Among them, the King Deshret was the most powerful, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata was the wisest, and the God of Flowers... well, she was just so-so."
What do you mean God of Flowers is just like that?! What do you mean by that?!
The desert tribes who worshipped the God of Flowers glared at Aizen with great displeasure, but they dared not speak, fearing that speaking would provoke Aizen's Wrath and attack.
"The God of Flowers and the King Deshret ruled the desert, but unfortunately, the God of Flowers died soon after, leaving only the King Deshret to rule the desert. However, the King Deshret became obsessed with Forbidden Knowledge from outside the world. He used this Forbidden Knowledge to create a brilliant civilization, but it also caused the desert's inhabitants to suffer from its Forbidden Knowledge, leading to widespread disasters."
"In order to save the desert people, the Red Royal Selection to ask the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata for help. After the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata arrived in the desert, she found that she was also powerless to save them, because the King Deshret had brought back too much Forbidden Knowledge. So, in order to protect the desert, the Red Royal Selection to sacrifice himself, taking the Forbidden Knowledge with him and perishing together. The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, on the other hand, consumed most of his own power to save the desert."
"The price was that the desert people believed that the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata had killed the King Deshret, and from then on they hated the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata who had saved them, and even now they still hate the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's successor, the Lesser Kusanali."
Aizen looked at the desert mercenaries with a mocking expression.
"At this point, both the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and the Lesser Kusanali are the only gods of Sumeru, but you desert people strongly reject them."
The desert people fell silent; they had never imagined that the King Deshret would have such an experience.
"And the Rainforest people, the Sages of the Akademiya who follow the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, are even more interesting."
"500 years ago, Abyss catastrophe swept through Teyvat. The Greater Lord Rukkhadevata sacrificed herself to protect Teyvat. Afterwards, to protect Sumeru, she left behind the Lesser Kusanali. However, the Sages of the Akademiya who followed her believed that the newborn god did not have the wisdom of the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, so they imprisoned the Lesser Kusanali for 500 years until recently when the Dendro Archon left Sumeru and went to Liyue."
"What!!"
The fact that the Akademiya imprisoned the Dendro Archon was something that enraged the Sumeru people.
"How dare the Akademiya do such a thing!"
"Why wouldn't you dare? Because you rainforest people are stupid. You believe whatever the Akademiya says. In the past 500 years, you don't even know if you still believe in the Dendro Archon. You yourselves have driven the Dendro Archon out of this country."
Aizen's words successfully silenced both the desert people and the rainforest people.
"And now, you, a god who has been ostracized and is not needed by this country, have returned to this country to save these humans who do not need you?"
"Yes!"
In response to Aizen's question, Nahida nodded affirmatively.
"Although they have misunderstood me due to certain circumstances, as the deity of Sumeru, I must protect my people!"
264. You don't need to face an enemy you can't win against!
A few minutes ago.
"How could such a thing be possible?"
"He actually intends to use everyone in the entire Sumeru City as test subjects! How could there be such a terrifying person!"
When Aizen suddenly began to suppress everyone in Sumeru City, Tighnari and Collei were also within the suppression range. The master and apprentice were both pinned to the ground. Not only them, but also the forest rangers they brought with them were all suppressed.
Then they saw Aizen announce from the sky that they were all experimental subjects and immediately began the experiment.
A crimson light spread and covered the entire Sumeru City, rendering everyone unable to move and awaiting death.
The only one capable of movement is the Dendro Archon.
"Lesser Kusanali, are you alright?"
Tighnari looked at Nahida, who was still able to move, and couldn't help but be surprised, but after a brief moment of surprise, she realized it was only natural.
"By the way, you are a deity, so it's normal for you to be able to move. Lord Lesser Kusanali, you should leave quickly while you can still move."
"No, I can't leave. I brought you here, and I have to protect you."
Nahida shook her head in refusal, and with her hands clasped together, branches sprouted from the ground.
Tighnari and Collei were overjoyed to see the branches, because Nahida had previously summoned trees to stop the flood, and now they wondered if they could use the trees to help them.
Unfortunately, the branches couldn't help them escape their situation; Tighnari and Collei remained pinned to the ground, unable to move.
"How so?"
Nahida was utterly astonished to see that her branches were completely useless.
"It didn't work..."
The hope that had been ignited in Tighnari was extinguished once again.
"I'm sorry, my abilities are too weak."
Nahida lowered her head, looking utterly helpless.
"It's all my fault for putting you in such a dangerous situation."
"It's alright, Lord Dendro Archon God. You were trying to save Sumeru, but you didn't expect the enemy's power to be so strong."
Tighnari did not blame Nahida; in his view, it was because the enemy was too powerful.
"No, it's my mistake. I brought you here, and I will take responsibility and bring you all back."
Nahida looked up at Takemikazuchi in the sky.
"My power is insufficient to resolve this, but if I eliminate him, I can definitely break free from this control!"
"Lord Dendro Archon God, are you going to find that guy?"
Tighnari looked at Nahida in surprise.
"That's right, I have to stop him to protect you."
"I know that the Dendro Archon God wants to protect us, but you don't have to make a useless Dendro Archon."
In Tighnari's view, Takemikazuchi is far stronger than the Dendro Archon. Nahida also revealed some of her abilities during her time in Gandharva Ville, such as dream powers and the ability to summon trees. However, in Tighnari's view, summoning some trees is already the Dendro Archon's limit. At least he, the holder of the Dendro element Vision, cannot summon trees. The Dendro Archon, who has not yet grown up, can only do so much.
This Dendro Archon, with its limited abilities, was utterly incapable of confronting the terrifying deity above, and in Tighnari's eyes, it was simply unbeatable.
In this situation, rather than going up and making a futile sacrifice, it would be better to preserve the Dendro Archon. At least preserving the Dendro Archon is equivalent to preserving the hope of Sumeru.
"Dendro Archon, you don't need to face an enemy you can't win against for our sake."
"There's no way we can win. I don't understand."
Nahida shook her head, clenching her small fist.
"Things have come to this point, there are some things I must do! I've been running away for 500 years, I can't keep running away any longer!"
Nahida glanced at Tighnari and Collei, a smile spreading across her face.
"Tighnari, Collei, don't worry, I will make sure you are safe."
"Lord Lesser Lord Kusanali!"
Amidst the shouts of Collei and Tighnari, Nahida resolutely stepped out of the shadows into the sunlight. She immediately summoned the Book of Books to destroy the alchemical array. Although it couldn't make anyone stand up, it at least interrupted this terrifying alchemy.
Then, Nahida came to Aizen's side.
Let's rewind to a few minutes now.
"No matter what, as the deity of Sumeru, I must protect my people!"
Having made up her mind, Nahida looked up at Aizen.
Aizen was also very polite.
"Is that so? It seems you have made your decision. In that case, then challenge me as a god, challenge me, defeat me, and take Sumeru back from my hands."
"To prevent any problems with my important test subjects, let's choose the battlefield outside Sumeru City."
Aizen generously frightened the people outside the city so that the residents inside Sumeru City would not be affected.
Thank you.
Nahida thanked them and then walked out of Sumeru City under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Aizen controlled the giant Takemikazuchi to slowly descend, and then landed in the river Sumeru City. After the giant Takemikazuchi's legs were submerged in the water, most of its body was still outside. This huge body symbolized its powerful combat power!
Faced with such a massive enemy, Nahida's petite frame looked as weak as an ant facing an elephant.
"How are we supposed to fight this? How can the Dendro Archon face such a massive enemy?"
The Sumeru people all looked at Nahida with great concern, completely unable to imagine how Nahida would deal with such a behemoth.
"Let me see your power, little Dendro Archon."
Aizen stood within Takemikazuchi's lightning armor, smiling as he looked at the tiny Nahida.
Despite being so scorned by Aizen, Nahida was not angered; she simply looked at Aizen with utmost seriousness.
"Indeed, I am not a god skilled in battle, but to protect my people of Sumeru, I will fight with all my might!"
Nahida raised her hands.
"Especially now, I am being looked up to by everyone in Sumeru! I am filled with power because everyone places their hopes on me!"
Snap—
Nahida clasped her hands together, and the ground instantly began to tremble. Countless trees around Sumeru City began to gather together, intertwine and grow, and soon they became a giant Wood Person. The giant Wood Person lifted Nahida up and then grew all the way upwards, eventually becoming a giant Wood Person almost as tall as Takemikazuchi.
"This!!!"
The Sumeru people were all astonished when they saw the giant Wood Person rising up. Even the Doctor was shocked. He never expected that a god like the Dendro Archon, who was not good at fighting, could create such a huge Wood Person!
"Interesting. You've become stronger after being given hope by humans who have always hated, rejected, and even forgotten you."
Aizen calmly pushed up his glasses.
"Then let me witness the power of the Dendro Archon!"
265. Goodbye, my cowardice!
The sight of a giant Wood Person battling a giant lightning armor was unprecedented for the humans of Teyvat. But if this were placed in another world, such as the Ninja World in Li Yue's Chat Group, it would be a truly iconic scene.
The classic duel between the Uchiha and Senju clans, featuring the villainous Susanoo and the righteous Wood Person Technique: Wood Release.
This time, however, this classic showdown didn't take place in the ninja world, but on the Teyvat continent!
The massive Blade of Lightning was grasped by Takemikazuchi with both hands, and then slashed down at the Wood Person. The Wood Person doll forcefully collided with its hands, directly pressing the Blade of Lightning down with its own hands, thus disarming the opponent with its bare hands!
"Oh? Catching a blade barehanded? To be able to risk it and catch my blade so precisely, that's quite a skill."
Aizen smiled.
"But what if that's the case?"
Takemikazuchi has four arms. Although the front two arms are used to wield swords, the remaining two arms can still be used for attacks!
He clasped his remaining two hands together, and a new Blade of Lightning appeared in his hands. He gripped the long sword with both hands and slashed down at the Wood Person again.