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Beisht stirred restlessly within the Guyun Stone Forest. Beidou had already discovered signs of this months ago, so both the North Wing and Ningguang were aware as well.
Beisht was both the final follower and the wife of the Overlord of the Vortex, Osial. As a follower, she naturally could not compare to Osial in strength, but if left unchecked, she was still devastating to mortals—especially now, when her entire being burned with the desire to avenge Osial.
The last time Liyue faced the Overlord of the Vortex, even though they had already lost the Geo Archon, at least the adepti were there to help.
But this time, the Liyue Qixing had resolved to confront the crisis relying fully—and only—on the power of humans.
Work to analyze the Guizhong Ballista had begun the day after the Overlord of the Vortex was re-sealed. The analysis had long been completed, and the adjusted, remodeled ballista units had already entered mass production.
Compared to the original Guizhong Ballista, the new models had slightly weaker rate of fire and power, but their advantage was that they could be mass-produced, assembled, and disassembled easily. As a result, hundreds—if not thousands—of new Guizhong Ballistae had been deployed across Guyun Stone Forest, the Jade Chamber, and the Alcor.
Once preparations were complete, the Jade Chamber ascended into the sky.
The interior of the Jade Chamber was mostly empty. Naturally, Ningguang would never place her treasures in a building that might crash into the sea at any moment. Only those Vision holders capable of escaping safely even if the Jade Chamber fell were present.
Below the Jade Chamber… ever since they obtained the Sunset Vermillionite, the construction of the Jade Chamber's lower section had mainly involved shaping a pointed underside—turning the structure into a spinning top or cone. This way, crashing it into something would cause far more damage. Perhaps when Ningguang built the original Jade Chamber, she had not considered this. But now she had indeed given thought to balancing aesthetics and destructive power.
The Jade Chamber rose from above the Golden House, but the sea remained calm.
As it flew toward the Guyun Stone Forest, the weather abruptly changed. Clear skies darkened in an instant, dense storm clouds forming overhead. Winds howled and rain lashed across the sea, and from the depths emerged a colossal azure creature shaped like a long dragon—Beisht herself. She raised her head and let out a sky-shaking roar, eyes filled with boundless hatred as she glared toward the Jade Chamber.
From afar, Ningguang met Beisht's gaze unflinchingly. "So you have come after all."
Faced with this familiar scene, Paimon cried out, "So this is what you've been busy with?!"
"I chose to rebuild the Jade Chamber at this time precisely so I could use Beisht's hatred for it to lure her out of the sea."
"I see… then Lumine and I will go get the adepti!"
"No need. If Liyue is to enter the 'era of humanity's rule,' then overcoming this crisis through human strength alone is the proof we must provide."
Stopping Paimon, Ningguang closed her eyes to focus. Gems formed around her, then streaked downward toward Beisht the moment she surfaced. That brilliant volley marked the beginning of the assault.
At Guyun Stone Forest, the Guizhong Ballista formation led by Keqing and Ganyu launched their own barrage.
On the sea, Beidou and the Alcor refused to fall behind.
Atop the Jade Chamber, Vision holders—long prepared for this moment—joined the attack with no hesitation.
The coordinated firepower of land, sea, and air was overwhelming. The energy bolts from the Guizhong Ballistae flew so densely they resembled a rain of meteors in reverse. Caught within that storm, Beisht was battered violently. Under an offensive dozens of times stronger than what had been used on Osial, she was heavily wounded within mere breaths.
Roaring through the pain, Beisht forced herself to thrust upward with all her remaining strength, raising an enormous tidal wave.
The wave towered over the Alcor, over Guyun Stone Forest, and surged straight toward the Jade Chamber. For a moment, all attacks were blocked by the wall of water, and the situation flipped completely.
"Everyone brace yourselves— a tsunami is coming!" The Alcor turned sharply, while Beidou stood ready at its prow.
"Wait… just a little longer…" Keqing held back Ganyu as she drew her bow. The massive wave crept ever closer.
The Jade Chamber was closest to the crest. There were a few Cryo Vision users here, but the wave was far too large— even exhausting themselves, how much could they freeze?
Lumine felt helpless. Anemo, Geo, Electro—none could meaningfully affect the sea itself. Even if she created a Geo construct, it would shatter instantly with no foundation on the open water. And pitting elemental constructs against a natural tsunami was… disastrous.
Victor Wang faced the same dilemma. To freeze such a massive wave by swirling Cryo with Anemo would require far more mental strength than he could afford.
Ningguang was already doing everything she could—raising the Jade Chamber higher and trying to activate its shield— but it was futile. Even if the Jade Chamber evaded the wave, once the surge fell upon the sea, Ganyu would be forced to fire an arrow to protect the Millelith and the Crux Fleet beneath…
If only the Jade Chamber were alone here, things would be easier— yet then they wouldn't have managed to injure Beisht so quickly.
If only there were three Jade Chambers… that would be perfect… Underestimating Beisht's final struggle—this was a mistake she must not repeat again.
As Ningguang silently reflected mid-battle, Shenhe moved.
For Ningguang—so she could manage her finances properly.
For those fighting at Guyun Stone Forest and aboard the Alcor, both familiar and unfamiliar.
For the idealized self portrayed in [The Divine Damsel of Devastation], and for the person who nearly trapped himself inside a mountain to avoid hurting the innocent…
Shenhe stepped toward the edge of the Jade Chamber.
"I don't know what mental bottleneck you were talking about. But with my strength… perhaps I can do at least this—"
Releasing all the power she had been suppressing, light overflowed from her pupils. The talismanic arts she learned from the adepti formed around her. A storm of frigid air swept forth toward the colossal wave. That wave—long and wide as a mighty river, enough to swallow Guyun Stone Forest whole—froze solid under Shenhe's power alone.
Drained nearly to exhaustion, Shenhe was clearly struggling, panting heavily. She still turned back toward Victor Wang. "I think… this is the 'river' you described."
Having witnessed the overwhelming sight with his own eyes, Victor Wang nodded seriously. "I believe so. And you're the one who protected everyone."
With the wave no longer blocking their attacks, the forces of land, sea, and air struck again. Beisht could no longer endure and sank back beneath the surface.
"We pursue!"
Shenhe, Lumine, and Victor Wang gave chase. Keqing and Beidou followed. Already grievously wounded and held together only by sheer hatred, Beisht could not withstand their combined assault. She fled—defeated—into the deep sea.
After checking on all three fronts, praising their achievements, and settling the aftermath, Ningguang looked upward. "Adeptus, you've been observing quietly for quite some time. Do you have a verdict?"
"Hmph. You seek this adeptus' opinion? If not for Shenhe, this would not have gone nearly so smoothly."
"I won't deny that… But at most, it only means the process would have been harsher. The final victory would still belong to us. And with the experience from this battle, should Beisht dare return, we are confident we can defeat her even more easily. At worst, I can always drop a few more Jade Chambers."
Ningguang and Cloud Retainer stared at each other in silence for a moment. Finally, Cloud Retainer relented. "By using tools wisely, you have granted ordinary humans extraordinary power. With preparation ahead of time, you ended the crisis beyond Liyue Harbor's borders. I shall consider this a pass— for now. Undoubtedly more trials await you in the future. This adeptus shall continue to watch."