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===BREAK===
Inside the entrance of Gate of Zulqarnain, the lighting was dim, but that did nothing to diminish Aether's excitement.
The [Eye of the First Field Tiller]—finally, it was in his hands.
In stark contrast, Shao Yun showed none of the joy of victory.
"Besides this, what else does your plan require?"
Aether was still immersed in the thrill of success. Hearing the question, he responded almost without thinking:
"We… might still need to use the Irminsul for an experiment. The Irminsul is the ley—"
He stopped abruptly.
He realized—too late—that he had said something he absolutely should not have said. His smile froze on his face.
As the saying goes, take too big a step and you'll tear yourself apart.
The Abyss Order needed to advance cautiously, one careful move at a time.
But Shao Yun ignored all of that. The moment he heard that his brother-in-law needed "the Irminsul," he agreed without hesitation.
"Alright. Say no more. I'll go deal with Nahida immediately. After that, you head to the Irminsul and finish what needs to be done!"
To Shao Yun, as long as he could help Aether, no matter how dangerous the road ahead was, he would charge straight forward without looking back.
Seeing Shao Yun about to act on impulse, Aether hurriedly grabbed him and tried to stop him.
"You've already helped me far too much! I can't let you take any more risks!"
"From here on out, leave everything to us! While you're still not too deeply involved!"
But Shao Yun replied with unshakable resolve:
"I'm not backing out halfway. The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles is asleep again. If we don't make our move now, then when?"
"It's like this—bank guards are off duty, the vault's right in front of us, and you're telling me we should retreat? Nonsense!"
Then he shouted six words with uncompromising determination:
"Success or death—There's no retreat!"
Shao Yun pried Aether's hand off his arm and, reversing roles, issued orders instead.
"I'm going to Sumeru City first. You get everything ready. I'll open the Abyssal portal when the time comes—we'll pull off a feint, a 'Trojan Horse' strategy!"
He didn't give Aether any chance to rebut or explain. He used the Abyssal Riftcutter to tear open an Abyssal portal and disappeared instantly.
Leaving Aether staring blankly in place.
"What—? The Order isn't even ready yet!"
Aether was speechless. His brother-in-law was indeed strong, but utterly reckless. Acting first, thinking later—a brute through and through.
At that moment, Caribert's voice drifted forth.
"Your Highness, though we are unprepared, this may be an opportunity to test the Loom of Fate."
Since Shao Yun had already charged in recklessly, Aether had no choice. The arrow had been nocked; it had to be loosed.
"…Fine. Then… farewell, Caribert."
…
When Aether finished activating the Loom of Fate using the Eye of the First Field Tiller, the Abyss Order, though battered from the chase after Dainsleif, could still barely hold themselves together.
But Shao Yun had already gone ahead, leaving Aether no choice.
"All Order members—stand by for my brother-in-law's signal. Once it comes, we take the Irminsul in one decisive strike!"
…
At night, in the Sanctuary of Surasthana, moonlight filtered through the windows, casting a soft silver glow.
Nahida sat in a chair—origin unknown—resting her chin on her palms, eyes unfocused, unsure what to do next.
A faint creaking sound broke the silence.
Nahida snapped to alertness, rising swiftly as she fixed her gaze on the door that had swung open.
A figure emerged from the darkness. With the dim light, Nahida finally saw the intruder's face.
Shao Yun walked in with long, relaxed strides, humming a casual tune.
Upon seeing her, he grinned.
"Hah, it's me!"
Nahida froze, stunned to see him suddenly appear. After a moment, she stammered,
"Shao Yun… why are you here…?"
Shao Yun seemed unconcerned, still smiling as he approached.
"What? Not happy to see me? I risked my life to save you, you know. Is this how you treat your savior?"
Hearing that, Nahida's tense nerves immediately relaxed, and a wave of guilt rose in her heart.
She assumed he had come to reconcile.
She lowered her head and said softly, "You're right… things didn't turn out the way I hoped. And I was too impulsive and said harsh things to you."
"But as Lumine said, without you, I might truly have been in danger… thank you. Really."
She lifted her head, her eyes sincere.
Shao Yun waved dismissively, feigning indifference.
"No need for verbal gratitude. I came to see if I could get a little… compensation."
He blinked at her, expectant.
"Compensation?" Nahida asked, puzzled.
Shao Yun leaned in slightly, putting on an air of shamelessness.
"Yes, compensation. I'm not as easy to please as Lumine. I'm a very practical person—if I put in the work, I expect something in return."
Step by step, he advanced toward her.
His voice deepened.
"So tell me. What can you offer me?"
Nahida, confused and faintly displeased, never imagined he meant to attack her.
After all, there was no deep hatred between them.
So she stayed composed.
"Then what exactly do you want?"
By then, Shao Yun had reached her. He crouched down so their eyes were level.
A strange smile crossed his face.
"My request isn't high at all. I just want you to rest for a bit…"
Before finishing, he drew the Abyssal Riftcutter hidden beneath his cloak—and plunged it toward her abdomen.
Nahida had never expected such a sudden attack. The blade's point was already nearly touching her.
As the God of Wisdom, she instantly summoned her power; green light flashed in her eyes as she tried to drag Shao Yun into a dream.
But she was a heartbeat too late.
Just as she was about to pull him into the dreamscape, the blade pierced her skin first, driving deep into her abdomen.
Blood splattered across the floor.
At once, the Abyssal Riftcutter's dense, viscous Abyssal power surged violently into her small body.
He had chosen this weapon precisely because it was the most suitable for subduing her.
If he had drawn his Cowboy Revolver (Goat's Blessing) or Micah's Revolver, Sumeru might have needed a third Dendro Archon.
Nahida collapsed weakly to the ground, hands pressed tightly against her wound, face twisted in pain.
She could feel the Abyssal corruption ravaging her—skin, nerves, every inch of her body aflame with agony.
Shao Yun watched silently as she lost all resistance.
He rose slowly, eyes flickering with a trace of guilt as he wiped the blood from the blade.
"Forgive me. I shouldn't have harmed someone like you. But things have come this far—I have no choice."
…
A cold system message suddenly rang in his mind:
[Your Honor Value in Sumeru has decreased.]
[Current Sumeru State: Low Honor (-6)]
Even seeing the –6, Shao Yun felt nothing.
He inhaled deeply and swept the Riftcutter through the air.
Space tore open like fragile paper. An Abyssal portal appeared.
Standing before it, he shouted inside:
"Nahida is under my control! Move quickly!"
As Abyss Order members stepped out, Nahida glared at them, eyes filled with fury.
"The Abyss Order… I should have known! So that's why you returned to Sumeru so suddenly!"
"You shameless deceiver—betraying my trust and kindness!"
Guilt flickered briefly in Shao Yun's eyes, but cold resolve smothered it.
"Sorry—but there's no turning back now!"
At that moment, a figure stepped out from the portal—Aether.
When he saw Nahida writhing on the floor in pain, he asked anxiously,
"Did she… did she use her dream-manipulation ability?"
Shao Yun crouched once more, grabbing Nahida's delicate chin and lifting her face.
He studied her emerald eyes—no glow. No signs of her power.
After a moment, he answered calmly:
"Looks like… not yet."
===BREAK===
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