The frozen tsunami shattered.
Enormous chunks of ice rained down like hail, falling from a hundred meters above and slamming into the frozen sea with one deafening crash after another.
The impacts sent shattered ice flying, scattering countless tiny, razor-sharp shards.
It was a magnificent sight.
But for Shenhe, who lay on the sea's surface, it was deadly.
The wave had been immense, and when Shenhe had unleashed her power to freeze it, she had been only twenty meters away.
Having collapsed so close to it, even if the falling ice did not crush her to death, it could bury her alive.
Countless enormous chunks of ice plummeted toward her, but just as Shenhe was about to be buried beneath them-
A streak of golden light flew swiftly out of Liyue Harbor.
The golden light broke through the falling ice, swept Shenhe up, and carried her back into Liyue Harbor.
It had appeared far too suddenly. With an Archon descending upon them, people were either fleeing or preparing for battle; no one had the attention to spare to see which powerful figure had saved Shenhe.
Seeing that Shenhe had been rescued, they breathed a sigh of relief, then went back to fleeing or fighting.
Inside Liyue Harbor, atop the lofty Pavilion Tower.
Her strength exhausted, Shenhe lay on a bench in the Pavilion Tower.
Beside her, Zhongli and Azhdaha were drinking tea.
"You intervened after all," Azhdaha said with a smile.
"She protected Liyue Harbor and saved hundreds of thousands of people with a mortal body. Naturally, she deserved to be saved."
Zhongli set down his teacup. "Besides, she is a close friend of Ellin's."
"With both of us here, if we still allowed anything to happen to her, how could we face Ellin when she returned?"
"Indeed."
Azhdaha