At that moment, in Liyue.
Morax was locked in a fierce battle with twenty or thirty abyss demon gods, wielding his terrifying, unrivaled divine power.
Even though he had drawn away the vast majority of the calamity, the fraction that slipped past him was enough to destroy Liyue as it stood.
Under the attacks of those five demon gods and countless Abyss Monsters, his Protective Barrier could not hold out for long.
Only a small handful of people were capable of fighting.
Before such a terrifying calamity, they were as insignificant as a grain of sand in a desert.
Despair crept through everyone's hearts.
When a calamity that could not be resisted descended, the world fell silent.
Liyue was still brightly lit.
But its usual bustle was gone. Instead, it resembled a dead city, utterly silent.
As more and more cracks spread across the Protective Barrier, a crisp sound rang out.
A young-looking man stood before the five demon gods, dragging his Long Spear behind him.
Looking at those terrifying creatures, each as immense as a mountain, he walked toward them without hesitation.
Everyone instinctively turned their eyes to him.
No one spoke.
Not the Adepti, the Liyue Qixing, the Millelith, or the ordinary citizens of Liyue.
Not a single person said a word. They could only watch.
They all knew the answer with absolute certainty.
That same answer lay not only in their hearts, but in Xiao's as well.
He knew he had no hope of fighting those five demon gods. Going out there would only mean throwing his life away.
But he had to fulfill his duty.
Protecting Liyue was his contract with Rex Lapis.
"You once pulled me out of the abyss."
"Today, for your sake, I will plunge into it."
"My Geo Lord."
"I will protect