The Corrupted Azhdaha

Suddenly, the earth shook, and a mountain-sized dragon crawled out of the chasm, his four legs like pillars holding up the heavens.

He towered over The Chasm. This was Azhdaha, a being born of the elements, whose lifespan rivaled the mountains and seas. Yet even a dragon this powerful could suffer erosion over the endless ages.

"What is that? Run!"

"An earthquake! An earthquake! Get up to the surface!!!"

"Mommy, I'm scared!"

Cries of every kind rose from the people below in The Chasm.

"Aaaaaaaah!"

Azhdaha's furious roar resounded throughout The Chasm!

"This is bad! The humans below won't be able to withstand that sound wave."

Qiu Bai's expression grew grave.

He immediately summoned his avatars, and the two of them teleported straight to the people of Liyue.

They carried the people of Liyue to safety one after another. Before long, everyone in The Chasm had been evacuated.

"Oh my gosh, did you see that? The Immortal Lord just held me!"

"The Immortal Lord is so handsome!"

A young girl showed off to the people around her, her eyes brimming with hearts.

"Moving tens of thousands of people really takes it out of you."

Qiu Bai spoke between breaths.

"Thank you, my friend. Now, this is a matter between him and me."

Morax looked at Azhdaha with a grave expression.

"Azhdaha, you have broken our contract. Under the terms we agreed upon, you shall once again be sealed in darkness!"

Morax spoke with divine power, his voice echoing throughout The Chasm.

"Morax!"

"It was the humans who damaged the ley lines I depend on to survive!"

Azhdaha roared furiously at Morax.

"Azhdaha..."

"If you still remember our contract, and how I gave you sight, then stop here."

Morax addressed the enormous dragon before him with a conflicted expression.

"Morax, they are nothing but ants!"

"I am a being born of the elements, as enduring as the mountains and seas!!!"

Azhdaha roared in fury.

"They are not ants. They are my people."

"Then let us settle this in battle. Those who break their word shall suffer the wrath of rock."

Morax's expression shifted slightly. A stone spear formed in his hand as he fixed his gaze on Azhdaha.

"Morax!!!"

"It's starting! It's starting!"

Our protagonist, Qiu Bai, watched excitedly from below as the battle between a god and a dragon was about to begin.

"Wait, something seems off about Azhdaha!"

"That's... pitch-black gas. Has Azhdaha been 'corrupted'?"

Qiu Bai looked at Azhdaha gravely. As the Yin-and-Yang Archon, he could see things others could not.

"Wait, if he really has been corrupted, could my Power of Yang purify Azhdaha?"

System, can you scan Azhdaha's current condition?

Qiu Bai asked the system inwardly.

Ding!

"To view Azhdaha's information, Host, you must expend ten years' worth of your essence. It will take ten years to recover!"

Do it! It's only ten years' worth of essence! There are still over a thousand years until the actual story begins. What the hell am I afraid of?

Qiu Bai thought dismissively.

Azhdaha

Identity: a being born of Teyvat's elements

Status: corrupted by the "pitch-black calamity" beneath The Chasm.

So he really has been corrupted? System, if I purify Azhdaha, how long will I be asleep?

Qiu Bai asked inwardly.

"Purifying Azhdaha will leave you asleep for approximately one thousand years, Host."

A thousand years? That should be around the time the Traveler first enters Mondstadt.

While Qiu Bai was still lost in thought, the battle between Azhdaha and Morax had already begun.

Azhdaha flew into the sky and collided with Morax. In an instant, dazzling white light washed the earth white.

The god and the dragon fought their way from The Chasm to Jueyun Karst at incredible speed, while the other adepti could only watch.

"No, I have to go take a look!"

Qiu Bai also flew toward the place where Morax and Azhdaha were fighting.

With that, Qiu Bai flew toward the battlefield where Azhdaha and Morax were clashing.

Seeing the land left devastated by the shock waves of their battle, Qiu Bai's heart sank, and he flew even faster.

"Finally here!"

Qiu Bai watched the enormous creature clash with Rex Lapis again and again. Every collision shattered mountains and split the earth.

"Luckily, there aren't many mortals here."

Qiu Bai rubbed his chin.

"Adeptus of Yin-Yang and the Two Principles!"

Qiu Bai looked down in puzzlement.

"Adeptus of Yin-Yang and the Two Principles, it's me, Ganyu! Please go help Rex Lapis!"

Ganyu called out anxiously.

"This concerns the contract between Morax and Azhdaha. It isn't appropriate for me to interfere."

Qiu Bai spoke with some helplessness.

"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let them keep fighting like this?"

Cloud Retainer also looked at Qiu Bai and asked in confusion.

After all, the Adeptus of Yin-Yang and the Two Principles was the only one here who could fight on the same level as Azhdaha and Rex Lapis.

"I do have a way, but I might have to sleep for a thousand years or so."

Qiu Bai gave a bitter smile.

"What do you mean by that, Adeptus of Yin-Yang and the Two Principles?"

The adepti looked at Qiu Bai in confusion.

Qiu Bai offered no explanation and continued.

"The Azhdaha you see before you has been corrupted by the 'pitch-black calamity' beneath The Chasm."

Qiu Bai looked toward Azhdaha with a complicated gaze.

"Even Morax hasn't noticed it. But I am the Yin-and-Yang Archon, and I'm very sensitive to this sort of thing."

"If I use all my strength, I can purify Azhdaha."

After saying this, Qiu Bai seemed to make up his mind about something.

Qiu Bai gritted his teeth.

"Damn it, it's only a thousand years! Let's just do this!"

"Cloud Retainer, after I fall asleep, seal my body inside my Cave Abode. Remember, make sure I'm in a cool pose!"

Qiu Bai was just about to charge forward and stop the battle when he suddenly remembered something and looked back at Cloud Retainer.

"I put a seal on my Cave Abode. The password is 114514."

Before Cloud Retainer could react, Qiu Bai had already teleported between the dragon and the god.

Morax was about to strike, but stopped when he saw Qiu Bai suddenly appear.

"Morax!!!"

But Azhdaha's attack had already arrived.

Qiu Bai threw a punch with all his strength as well. He was sent flying hundreds of meters, while Azhdaha's mountain-sized body smashed through the mountain behind him!

"Tch, that really hurt."

With that, Qiu Bai hurriedly got up and teleported to Morax's side.

"My friend, why have you done this?"

Morax asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Morax, Azhdaha's condition isn't caused by erosion. He's been corrupted by the 'pitch-black calamity' beneath The Chasm."

Qiu Bai looked at Morax and continued.

"I'm the Yin-and-Yang Archon. There are some things I can see."

"Morax, hold him off for a few breaths. I'm going to purify Azhdaha!"

Morax's expression grew increasingly grave as he listened. Something had managed to corrupt Azhdaha at the height of his power. Where exactly did this corruption originate?

"My friend, even Azhdaha in his prime could be corrupted. If you purify the black gas inside him, will there truly be no price to pay?"

Ever meticulous, Morax turned to look at Qiu Bai.

Qiu Bai smiled at Morax.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

Azhdaha: "Please, watch me closely."

"My friend, thank you."

After hearing his reply, Morax's expression darkened, and he gathered an immense amount of elemental power.

"Planet Befall!"

A scene fit for the end of the world unfolded in the sky. An enormous meteor plummeted toward Azhdaha, its dazzling light illuminating the entire land.