"Are you crazy?!"
"If you release a Archon, do you know how many people will die?!"
"I know."
The Childe's voice, however, was unusually calm.
"But I had no other choice."
"I'm a martial artist; I don't know those convoluted techniques of the Liyue Qixing."
"I will only use the method I am best at."
"To make the situation extremely chaotic."
"The chaos was so great that the god who had been hiding had no choice but to reveal himself."
"Stop!"
Ying drew her sword and prepared to charge.
But the Childe had already made his move.
He threw the entire stack of counterfeit "Sigil of Permission" into the sealing array beneath the Golden House.
At the same time, he raised his hand and poured his power as Harbinger — the Elemental Power of water and lightning intertwined—into the formation without reservation.
"Open!"
The talisman burst into flames the moment it touched the array.
The golden seal patterns left by the Geo Archon lit up one by one under the impact of those imitation talismans, and then shattered one by one.
Click--
It sounded like some kind of ancient chain being snapped.
That was a seal left by the Geo Archon, where two forces converged.
" Little Bai You!"
Varesa hugged her tightly.
Boom!
The entire Golden House began to shake violently.
No, it's not Golden House.
It refers to the entire Liyue Harbor.
At this moment, both the earth beneath their feet and the distant sea emitted a dull, shattering roar.
The Childe withdrew his hand, staggered, and steadied himself against the stone pillar beside him.
His face was deathly pale.
Having activated the Foul Legacy and forcibly unsealed the Harbinger's power, his body had reached its limit.
But he still smiled.
He raised his head and looked out of the Golden House at the sea that was churning wildly.
"Come out."
He murmured.
"Let the Geo Archon see the Liyue he is meant to protect."
Ying rushed to the window of the Golden House and looked outside.
Her face turned deathly pale instantly.
The once calm sea off Liyue Harbor is now swirling and sinking wildly.
A giant whirlpool formed in the middle of the sea.
Then, a huge, indescribable black shadow slowly rose from the seabed.
Bai You stood beside Ying, watching that scene, feeling a chill run through her body.
She knew it would happen.
Even though she saw the dark figure rise from the seabed with her own eyes, her heart was still gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
They've arrived.
Osial, the Archon of the Vortex.
The sky over Liyue has collapsed once again.
Osial's true form rose from the seabed.
That was not a "body" in the ordinary sense.
Those were countless twisted and coiled dark tentacles, each as thick as a person could hug, rising from the sea surface in a way that blotted out the sky.
The surface of the tentacles was covered with slippery, ancient scales, and with each wriggle, it stirred up towering waves.
It has no eyes, no face, yet its earth-shattering power sends shivers down the spines of everyone who sees it.
That was the most primal terror, belonging to the age of Archon.
Seawater overflowed.
Huge waves crashed onto the dock one after another, sweeping stone steps, cargo containers, and ships into the sea.
The docks of Liyue Harbor were instantly submerged by more than half.
"Here it comes!"
"It's Archon! A Archon has emerged from the sea!"
"Run! Run!"
"Run to higher ground!"
The port is in complete chaos.
The sounds of crying, the crashing waves, the commands of the Millelith, and the collapse of houses blended together.
The people dropped what they were carrying and fled to the higher ground inside the harbor, helping the old and carrying the young.
This was the first time the Millelith had faced such an enemy, yet they did not collapse.
Under the command of their officers, they evacuated civilians while forming a defensive line at the dock, their rifles all pointing towards the sea.
But that defensive line was as thin as a sheet of paper in the face of the Archon's oppressive power.
Their spears were still pointed at the sea, yet not a single soldier from the Millelith retreated.
They knew they couldn't stop a Archon.
But behind them were the people fleeing the entire city.
If they back down, the elderly and children will have less time to escape.
So they stayed on the dock, using their flesh and blood to hold up the port to the death.
From the top of the Golden House, Bai You saw this scene clearly.
Beside her, Ying had already gripped her sword tightly.
"I'm going to Jade Chamber."
Ying didn't turn around, but her voice remained steady.
" Ningguang is there; even if the immortal descends the mountain, he will be there."
"The entire power of Liyue, capable of rivaling the Archon, resides in that building."
"I'm useless here."
She drew her sword, turned around, and transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards the direction of the Jade Chamber.
Only three people remained in the Golden House.
Bai You, Varesa, and the pale-faced Childe leaning against a stone pillar.
Osial has risen from the seabed, its countless tentacles churning the surface of the ocean, and the entire Liyue Harbor is trembling with a roar.
Bai You stood by the window, looking at the surging sea and the dark shadow that blotted out the sky.
She suddenly spoke, her voice very soft.
Varesa."
"Hmm?"
"I want to try it."
What should we try?
"Let's see just how strong I really am."
Varesa looked at her but didn't speak immediately.
Bai You's gaze fell on Osial, carrying a hint of eager anticipation that she herself was unaware of.
"I feel very strong."
"I've never truly let go and tried it even once."
" The Archon is right before my eyes. I want to know if I can suppress it."
Varesa looked at her and nodded slowly.
"Okay."
"I'll keep an eye on it for you."
"Don't push yourself. If you can't hold on, just stop. I'm right here with you."
"Hmm."
Bai You turned around and faced the sea outside the window.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, she raised her hand.
Power surged from within her.
She didn't use all of them.
She only put in about half of it.
Half of the Primordial Power of the Light Realm emanated from her palm and pressed down on Osial.
As soon as that force appeared, the sea surface suddenly sank.
Osial, who was stirring up trouble, suddenly froze.
Its countless tentacles that were stirring up huge waves were forcefully pressed down by an invisible, powerful force.
The seawater was flattened, the waves were pushed back into the deep sea, and even the world-destroying Archon pressure shrank inch by inch in the face of this power.
Osial is struggling.
It roared, its tentacles thrashing wildly, trying to withstand the pressure.
But it couldn't withstand it.
That is a power that is older and closer to the origin of the world.
It was like a child being held down by an adult in the face of that force.
Bai You, still holding that hand, stared at the scene, momentarily stunned.
She only used half.
She was even prepared for the possibility that she might not be able to handle it.
But Osial was pinned down by her and couldn't move.
Her heart skipped a beat.
It's not fear.
It is a confirmation.
She suddenly realized that she wasn't actually weak.
No, it's not that it's not weak.
It is very strong.
She was stronger than she had ever imagined.
"This..."
The Childe's voice came from behind.
He leaned against the stone pillar, his deep blue eyes wide open, his face filled with disbelief.
He was one of the people who lifted the lockdown.
He knew better than anyone what kind of Archon Osial was—a being that even the Geo Archon had to seal away himself.
He had expected that what followed would be an epic and arduous battle.
But what he saw was Bai You raising her hand and seemingly using very little force to press the demon Archon into the sea.
His breathing stopped.
He had always known Bai You Youqiang.
In the Snezhnaya, he was sent flying by her single move and crashed into a snow pit, and he knew that she had defeated the Doctor's slice.
At the time, he thought it was his carelessness, and that he could at least win a few rounds.
Only now did he understand.
It wasn't because he was careless.
It's this woman... child, unfathomable, ridiculously strong.
As he watched Bai You's retreating figure, his martial arts-like competitive spirit felt, for the first time, like something he could never hope to achieve.
"So... you're this strong."
Bai You didn't turn around.
Her attention was still on Osial.
She could feel the Archon struggling beneath her grasp, but it couldn't stir up any trouble.
That thought resurfaced in her mind.
If it can be suppressed, then can it be completely resolved?
She slightly lowered her wrist, preparing to apply more force to press Osial back into the seal.
Just then--
A sudden change occurred.
A force struck her from the side without warning.
The power was extremely fast, carrying a heavy, rock-like aura.
The Bai You didn't even have time to react.
Bang--!
The power that had been pressing down on Osial was shattered by this attack.
The suppressive force formed by the Power of the Light Realm shattered like a mirror struck by a heavy hammer.
Bai You let out a muffled groan, jolted back several steps.
Osial was freed, its tentacles rose again, and the sea exploded once more.
Bai You steadied herself, turned her head sharply, and looked in the direction from which the force had come.
"Who?!"
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows of the Golden House.
He wore a dark robe, his eyes were lowered, and his expression was calm.
It's Zhongli.
Bai You was taken aback when she saw the face clearly.
She never expected to see him again at this time, or in this way.
Varesa recognized her too.
She took a half step forward and stood beside Bai You, her gaze falling on Zhongli.
Mr. Zhongli.
Zhongli's gaze first fell on Bai You, then swept over Osial, who was struggling again behind her.
"So it was you guys."
"Stop for now."
He said.
"You cannot suppress this demon Archon for Liyue."
The Childe recognized the person who had arrived, and his expression changed several times.
He also recognized Zhongli; this guest elder of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was someone he had personally introduced to Ying.
But he had never seen Zhongli like this before.
That blow that shattered Bai You's power was as heavy as a mountain; it was definitely not a skill that an ordinary guest retainer could possess.
His mind was filled with doubts, but he couldn't find a way to get a word in edgewise.
Bai You pressed her hand against the churning sensation in her chest and looked at Zhongli.
Why?
Her voice was filled with only confusion.
"I can suppress it."
"I know you can."
Zhongli looked at her and spoke slowly.
"That night I sent you both a blessing, which fell upon you, but didn't even cause a ripple."
"From that moment on, I knew you were no ordinary person."
"I'm not surprised you overpowered Osial with just a little force."
"But it's precisely because you can that I have to take action."
Zhongli walked to the window, looked out at the sea, and at the Jade Chamber suspended between the sea and the sky.
"Osial is my test for Liyue."
He finally spoke, his voice calm, yet each word clear.
"I have ruled Liyue for 3,700 years, so long that I can no longer tell whether Liyue is walking on its own or relying on me as a crutch."
"I want to know, if I'm gone one day, will Liyue be able to stand on its own?"
"That's why I Rite of Descension to fake his death, and that's why I tacitly allowed someone to release Osial."
"I will make the immortals, the Liyue Qixing, and the mortals of Liyue face this Archon themselves."
"I want to see if they can protect their country with their own hands."
He turned around and looked at Bai You.
"This is a hurdle they must overcome themselves."
"If you intervene and suppress Osial for them, this whole test will have been for nothing."
"They will never know if they truly possess that power."
Varesa listened thoughtfully.
She remembered what Zhongli had said that night: Liyue's opera is about the land beneath their feet.
She suddenly understood.
"The master wants Liyue to finish singing this play herself."
She spoke.
Zhongli glanced at her, a hint of approval flashing in his golden-brown eyes.
"Varesa, you're still so insightful."
Bai You was stunned.
She recalled her earlier thought of testing her strength.
She was only thinking about how strong she was, and seemed to have forgotten what this chaos of Archon meant to Liyue.
This is the only chance for the people of Liyue to prove that they have grown up.
She looked at Zhongli and slowly withdrew her hand.
"I understand."
"I will not intervene again."
Zhongli nodded slightly.
"Thank you."
He glanced at Bai You one last time, but didn't ask her about the origin of that power.
He chose not to point it out.
"I advise you that there are some things you shouldn't interfere with, no matter how powerful you are."
"This world is very special... I advise you not to get too entangled in karma because of it."
"The greater the strength, the more it becomes a limitation."
Bai You recalled the plot of Genshin Impact; it seemed that Teyvat's fate was predetermined, and she realized that she had indeed acted rashly. She then nodded slightly.
"I've got it."
The Childe beside him witnessed this scene, and his shock deepened even further.
He looked at Zhongli, then at Bai You, and suddenly realized that he couldn't join the conversation between the two of them at all.
One is an unfathomable guest elder of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and the other is an absurdly powerful twelfth seat holder.
He even had a vague feeling that Zhongli's identity was far more than just that of a guest advisor; no, it was definitely not simple.
He just mentioned faking his death or something... Could he be the Rex Lapis?!
Bai You's gaze returned to the window.
The lights have already illuminated the direction of the Jade Chamber.
Zhongli followed her gaze.
"It's started."
He said softly.
" Liyue will have to take on this challenge herself."
Bai You walked to his side, and Varesa followed, taking her hand.
The four people looked through the window of the Golden House at the pavilion suspended between the sea and the sky, about to make a decision.