"How is Keqing doing now?"
Ningguang withdrew her gaze from Keqing on the sickbed, then looked at Baizhu beside her, asking with concern.
"Lady Yuheng's injuries this time are quite severe. Both her body and mind have been completely drained, cough, cough, cough, cough... Fortunately, her vital organs were not damaged. I have basically healed the injuries on her body, and the rest is to see when her body can recover the fastest."
Baizhu withdrew his power, his face becoming even paler. Compared to Keqing, whose complexion looked relatively good lying on the sickbed, it seemed he was the one who needed treatment more.
"Mr. Baizhu, you've worked hard."
Ningguang nodded gratefully to Baizhu, then waved her hand. The next moment, Baiwen appeared with this time's payment.
At this moment, Ningguang looked at Artoria, who was also lying on the other side. Madame Ping was examining her body, but looking at the expression on Madame Ping's face, the process was clearly not going very smoothly.
This was also natural. Artoria was a [Heroic Spirit], and ordinary methods were simply ineffective. This was also the reason why Baizhu was not asked to help her out. Ningguang just didn't expect that even the effects of Adeptal Energy were not very good.
However, there should be no need to worry too much. As a [Heroic Spirit], Artoria should be able to recover as long as she has enough spiritual power.
After Baizhu accepted the payment, he was about to take his leave. However, the unconscious Keqing suddenly frowned, and painful murmurs escaped her lips. Immediately after, violent Electro energy erupted from her body, directly shattering the sickbed beneath her.
"Keqing!"
"Lady Yuheng!"
This sudden incident startled everyone present, and they hurriedly rushed over to check on Keqing's condition. But the next second, a bloodthirsty and evil aura exploded from her body, and Keqing was completely enveloped in a layer of blackish-red mucous.
Ningguang felt the vicious wind blowing in her face and couldn't help but take several steps back, her expression turning grave.
Madame Ping directly struck Keqing with a wave of Adeptal Energy, but this energy seemed to sink into the sea like a stone, without stirring the slightest ripple.
"Damn it, it must be that monster's hidden trump card!"
At this moment, a towering figure appeared in the sickroom, a figure completely shrouded in a cloak.
"Rex Lapis?!"
Seeing that person, everyone's hearts initially jumped in alarm, their inner vigilance on high alert, but the next second they all froze, letting out a collective gasp.
Zhongli raised his hand and pressed down, and instantly the sounds in the hospital room vanished completely.
Afterward, Zhongli once again looked at the thing lying on the ground that resembled a blackish-red egg, his expression incomparably grave.
He had previously speculated that Aatrox had escaped, but he never expected the other party to actually turn back and run into Keqing's body, preparing to seize her body while she was at her weakest.
One must know that Aatrox's strength had been limited before, largely because that Millelith Captain's strength was not very strong. If the opponent obtained Keqing's body, his strength would likely undergo another terrifying increase.
When that time came, even if Aatrox's strength was still inferior to his, it would be very difficult for him to stop the other from leaving.
Zhongli clenched his fist. In such a short period of time, he had actually suffered setbacks one after another. These inexplicable beings were slaughtering Liyue's people before him one by one and then striding away, while he could only watch helplessly.
Rex Lapis, the Geo Archon who once struck fear into the hearts of countless gods, had now apparently become a minor figure that anyone could provoke.
Zhongli's heart, which had originally settled down, now regained its former vigor once again.
Zhongli raised his hand, and a terrifying power gathered in his palm.
"Rex Lapis, please wait a moment!"
Seeing this scene, Ningguang's heart jolted in alarm, and she hurriedly spoke out to stop him.
"If he's allowed to complete the possession, my current strength will be unable to keep him here."
Zhongli stopped the movement of his hand and explained in a faint voice. Clearly, he was prepared to end all of this before the situation deteriorated completely.
"I believe in Keqing!"
Ningguang spoke to Zhongli seriously, her tone faintly carrying a trace of pleading.
Zhongli's heart remained completely unmoved. He knew that doing this would be too cruel to Keqing, but on the other side were the thousands of common people of Liyue, and he could not afford to gamble.
Making this decision was no less a form of torture for him.
Zhongli found himself missing his former self, back when he was utterly indifferent to all things. In those days, he would never have faced a situation that brought him such anger and pain.
Zhongli moved. Seeing this, Ningguang gathered all her power in her hands, her face flashing with extreme anxiety.
"I believe in Keqing too."
Suddenly, Hu Tao, who had been watching Zhongli's back from the side, spoke softly.
Zhongli's movements halted. He sighed silently in his heart, then vanished directly.
Of course, he hadn't completely left, but had simply hidden in the shadows. If the situation reached an irreversible point, he would definitely intervene.
Ningguang dispersed the power in her hands and breathed a sigh of relief.
On one hand, it was because Keqing's life was temporarily spared. On the other, it was because she had felt the pressure of facing Zhongli directly.
Ningguang found it a bit strange that Hu Tao's words were so effective, but she quickly stopped dwelling on it and refocused her attention on the dark red egg.
-
At this moment, Keqing stared blankly at the Demon Sword floating before her, the screams and pleas for help of others still echoing in her ears.
Was she to accept this Demon Sword, and then save everyone?
When Keqing asked this question, she seemed to already have the answer within her heart.
Keqing raised her hand and slowly reached out to grab the Demon Sword. As she drew closer, the sword began to tremble more and more violently.
However, at the very last moment, Keqing snapped back to her senses. Her right hand clenched into a fist, and she struck out at the sword with all her might.
"Don't you dare tempt me!"
Keqing roared. Yet, when her fist struck the Demon Sword, it remained completely motionless.
"Poor worm."
"Your struggle is the most beautiful music I have ever heard."
"You cannot refuse me at all!"
The moment the words fell, the Demon Sword shot toward Keqing.
Keqing's expression changed. She cursed the sword in her heart for its lack of honor. At the same time, her body turned into a flash of purple lightning as she dodged with all her strength.
However, the speed that had always been her greatest advantage now seemed to have failed her. No matter how fast she dodged, the Demon Sword remained right behind her, and the distance between them was constantly closing.
"Ha... ha... ha... ha!"
"Keep struggling, keep amusing me!"
"And then, I will personally bring you to your end!"
"And then, I will take you with me to slay a god!"
Hearing that the enemy not only coveted her body but even dared to threaten Rex Lapis, Keqing found it even more impossible to let the sword succeed. Her speed suddenly surged.
But it was still useless. In the end, under Keqing's terrified gaze, the Demon Sword plunged into her body.
So cold!
Keqing immediately felt a chill that seeped into her very soul. She couldn't help but curl up, yet the coldness did not weaken in the slightest.
At this moment, the world Keqing saw was stained a deep crimson. The monsters and residents within Liyue Harbor had all turned into twisted creatures, their ferocious claws and fangs bared as they charged toward her.
A sharp pain pierced Keqing's brain, followed by an endless surge of murderous intent flooding her chest. And in her hand, a dark red, serrated blade had appeared without her even noticing.
An impulse to destroy everything surged within Keqing's heart. She raised the Demon Sword high in her hand, but the next second she snapped back to her senses, immediately unleashing all her strength. Astonishing lightning radiated from her body, and the surrounding houses were continuously pierced by thousands of purple lights before finally collapsing completely.
"No, you will never succeed!"
Keqing roared stubbornly, struggling to control her body. Her once-agile form now felt as if she were trapped in a mire, every movement incredibly difficult.
"Give up."
"I told you, you cannot refuse me."
"Let us listen to the silent, dead stillness of extinction together!"
"Let us drag all those disgusting gods down from their pedestals!"
"Sever their filthy bodies! Slice them open! Chop them to pieces!"
Aatrox's words were laced with such intense emotion that Keqing's mind nearly faltered several times, yet she managed to hold onto her sense of self at the very last moment.
"...I don't know what you've been through to hate the gods so much."
"But this world is not the same as the one you were in before. You need to stop this!"
"The gods of this world all love their people!"
"Ha... ha... ha... ha!"
Upon hearing Keqing's words, Aatrox burst into a series of mocking and contemptuous laughs.
"Poor little worm, you actually still harbor a shred of delusion about gods even now."
After Aatrox spoke, an image appeared before Keqing.
It was a scene of Zhongli about to take action, and from the perspective, the target he intended to purge was self-evident.
"Look, even if you have sacrificed so much for this place, what have you received in the end?"
"The gods will only completely exploit your value, and even death cannot free you from them. They are nothing more than a bunch of disgusting vermin!"
"Damn it!"
"Even killing them a thousand times will not be enough!"
This scene caused a slight tremor in Keqing's heart, but she quickly calmed down.
"Rex Lapis's choice was right."
At this moment, Keqing's struggles were no longer as fierce, because she saw the guarantee: Rex Lapis would ensure everyone in Liyue was safe.
"You are right, it will indeed be very difficult for me to drive you out of my body, but this is also the end for you."
"Something you said earlier was very right: let's go to hell together."
After saying this, Keqing not only stopped resisting Aatrox, but she even exerted all her strength to fuse herself with him.
Keqing knew that Aatrox's ability to escape from Zhongli before must have been due to some extraordinary escape method. To completely eliminate the threat he posed, she was already prepared to sacrifice herself.
"You are going to die!"
Aatrox clearly realized Keqing's intention as well and began to struggle violently. At this moment, even the world itself started to tremble because of it.
Keqing felt something inside her body about to be ripped out. She immediately gritted her teeth to keep it there. At the same time, the Electro Elemental Power in her body began to surge, even attempting to devour Aatrox in return.
This was truly an act of defying the natural order!
"I will not let you have another chance to harm everyone!"
Aatrox was completely enraged by Keqing's actions. An overwhelming Demonic Energy continuously erupted, making Keqing feel even colder than before.
However, faced with the piercing cold, Keqing more urgently accepted everything Aatrox was, using all her strength to devour him. At this moment, the lightning flashing from her body carried a trace of crimson, and her aura was gradually changing.
Desperate to leave but held firmly by Keqing, Aatrox grew frantic. The mental strength Keqing was now exerting was almost twice what it had been before. He did not know why Keqing was bursting with such immense power, and she was also continuously devouring him. Even though this process was extremely slow, it still made him feel her madness.
As if infected by Keqing's emotions, Aatrox also went mad.
"Come, plunge into destruction with me!"
"My heart harbors a darkness deeper than any shadow!"
"Overconfident worm, I will make your kin wail beneath my feet with you!"
Keqing first felt a blood-red mist fill the sky, nearly destroying her sanity in an instant, followed by a darkness so profound it made her heart ache, instantly swallowing her whole.
At this moment, time and space had already lost all meaning. The lightning on Keqing's body grew weaker and weaker, just like her flickering flame of life, while images of the past flashed one by one before her eyes.
The gap in strength was too great. Even though she had given her all, even unleashing mental power far beyond her limits, she still completely succumbed under Aatrox's full-force counterattack.
But even so, she would make him pay a terrible price, letting him know that even a small worm can bite painfully.
At this moment, the image in Keqing's eyes froze on the dazzling sword strike Artoria had unleashed. Her hands slowly gripped the air, her body completely replicating all of the other's movements.
Keqing thought of the corpses that lay fallen by the enemy's side, and of the figures who had held their ground even in the face of such an immense gap in strength. At this moment, although Keqing had clearly been on the verge of losing everything, she felt a sense of fulfillment like never before.
No, she had not lost everything yet. She still possessed her tenacious and unyielding will!
Keqing poured all of her will and faith into this single sword strike. Suddenly, a longsword identical to the one in Artoria's hand truly materialized in her empty-gripping hands, bursting with a dazzling radiance.
However, this sword strike was still far from what it had been back then, even appearing somewhat illusory. Keqing felt a slight pang of regret in her heart. It seemed this was all she could achieve.
But in the next second, Artoria's figure appeared by her side. Their bodies overlapped, and Artoria's hands gripped Keqing's wrists. Instantly, the sword strike became incomparably solid, and the light it emitted shone with ever greater brilliance.
With a single swing of the sword, chaos was split asunder.
Aatrox's furious curses roared in her ears, and Keqing slowly opened her eyes.
What appeared before her now was Artoria's beautiful and exquisite smiling face.
"Welcome back, Keqing."
Keqing stared at her blankly, still feeling a sense of unreality in her heart. She then looked at the people gathered around them, and everyone returned smiles to Keqing one by one.
"Keqing, how are you feeling?"
Ningguang stepped forward and asked gently.
Keqing clenched her fist, then slowly released it, her face revealing a tired yet joyful smile.
"I won!"