Surrounded?!
Liuyun Borrowing the Wind True Monarch snapped her head around in shock.
A settlement of tens of thousands—large, yet not vast.
Its borders marked the edge of Morax's dominion.
To better protect and govern humanity, all mortals within hundreds of li had migrated here, under his divine gaze.
Sweeping her divine sense across the land, Liuyun Borrowing the Wind felt dreadful, violent auras creeping in from all directions.
The beings behind those auras were all immensely powerful—each one radiating malice thick enough to choke on.
A bitter, unavoidable battle loomed.
"Seems there's no choice but to fight," she muttered helplessly.
"Indeed," Gu Chen replied with a cold chuckle. "Who would've thought that the moment the Rock King left, these fiends would creep so close?"
When Morax was still here, no demon or twisted god dared to even approach this place.
But now that he had departed, they were like sharks catching the scent of blood—like wolves spotting a wounded hare—rushing in with ravenous hunger.
A mere reflection of the chaos of this primitive age.
The entire world was like this now.
"If it were only monsters and no gods among them," Liuyun Borrowing the Wind sighed, "we immortals might still manage to shield the mortals. But now..."
Her tone grew heavy with dread.
A god—one bearing divinity, wielding authority. How could even the mightiest immortal stand against that?
Even the weakest among them could not be underestimated… unless they held no desire for battle.
"Alas."
The True Monarch exhaled, eyes hardening with resolve.
Gu Chen said nothing.
He simply reached behind his back and drew forth a long sword wrapped in cloth.
As he unraveled it, intricate patterns appeared on the hilt for a firm grip.
One side of the scabbard was carved with the prosperity of the mortal realm, the other with the vastness of rivers and mountains.
The blade had yet to be drawn, yet Liuyun Borrowing the Wind could already feel the air grow colder, as if the mere presence of the sword had sharpened the very wind.
The black tide in the distance crept ever closer, its ominous aura pressing against every heart.
Human soldiers had all climbed onto the city walls—faces tense yet unflinching.
[Furina]: Morax and Azhdaha are both gone, and there's no strong power left here. Why do I feel something terrible's about to happen? (Paimon: shocked)
[Paimon]: Everyone knows Archons are powerful! Except for the God of Salt who was... uh, killed by her own people—but she didn't resist. If a god really wants to fight, I'm kinda worried for Big Bro Gu... (Paimon shocked face)
[Kaeya]: You're all worrying too much. I believe in Gu Bro—his strength's no issue. (Zhongli smirking)
[Zhongli]: By reason alone, though the Master's power in this episode is less than before, the outcome remains uncertain.
[Raiden Ei]: My brother-in-law will win. (nods firmly)
[Nilou]: He'll be fine! (Sucrose cheering)
[Gu Chen]: Watch closely. I have a feeling this is going to look really cool. (Zhongli smirk)
[Paimon]: Are you sure? (Venti starry eyes)
[Gu Chen]: ...Or maybe I'll get slapped into the ground by a god and never come out. (sarcastic emoji)
[Kaeya]: (same emoji)
The air grew heavy.
The horde approached—among them, a hidden god.
Weapons were clenched tight. No one dared blink.
Soon, the black flood came into sight—monsters like smoke and water, surging in madly.
"What thick miasma…"
"To move among such creatures, that god must be..."
Gu Chen chuckled softly and shook his head.
Liuyun Borrowing the Wind caught his meaning, smiled faintly, and said seriously, "Don't underestimate them. Even gods must be treated with respect."
"I know," Gu Chen nodded. "They're still gods, after all."
Boom!
Before the horde reached the walls, a massive figure descended, landing hundreds of meters away.
Its body was formed of stone—humanoid in shape, yet towering a hundred meters tall.
A creature of earth and rock, but without question—a god.
The oppressive aura it emitted could not be faked.
Gu Chen studied him, and the god studied them in return.
"Surrender to me, and you shall be spared the wrath of the fiends," the god boomed, his voice shaking the earth.
"Impossible!" Liuyun Borrowing the Wind snapped. "You're taking advantage of our weakness—extorting us at our lowest!"
"So what if I am?"
"Without Morax, how long do you think you can last against this horde? Hahaha! The fiends are eager to rend you apart! Only by bowing to me will you survive this day!"
He raised his arms high—every word a threat.
"Is that so?"
Gu Chen gripped his sword, thumb pushing the guard.
Shiiing—!
The clear ring of metal sliding free filled the air.
The blade gleamed with golden light, and in the next instant, a sword aura spanning a thousand meters carved into the earth before the god.
Boom!
A massive ravine—kilometers long, tens of meters deep, several meters wide—split the ground.
"Cross this line," Gu Chen said coldly, "and there will be no peace between us."
Sword light flickered in his eyes, robes fluttering as his aura surged—like a sword immortal descending from the heavens.
For a moment, even the god hesitated.
Fast.
The sword was too fast.
Even as a god, he had nearly failed to react.
But the words... those insolent words!
"Arrogant insect! You dare threaten a god?!"
"Very well! Let all life here be buried because of your defiance!"
The god's laughter thundered across the field as the black tide surged forward.
"Damn it! This immortal is no coward either!"
Liuyun Borrowing the Wind True Monarch unfurled her wings, summoning a storm of blades—winds sharp as steel that shredded swathes of monsters into dust.
[Klee]: Klee doesn't get it—aren't gods supposed to love people? Why is one attacking Big Brother Gu? (Klee sad face)
[Jean]: They do love humans—but only their humans. The gods are fighting for control over this land. They cherish their own people, but not those under others.
[Zhongli]: Indeed. Even I, in those days, could only protect those within my dominion. (Zhongli sipping tea)
[Venti]: But admit it—the sword just now was amazing!
[Kaeya]: That strike was so fast! What if it had hit the god?
[Venti]: Hard to say. It might have pierced his defenses—but killing a god in one blow? Unlikely. That's not the key point, though!
[Heizou]: Exactly. The real question is whether the Master can purify the god's resentment after death. If not, there'll be a disaster!
[Venti]: Hah! So the Anemo experts see it clearly. (Zhongli smirk)
[Kaeya]: What's that move called, @Gu Chen?
[Gu Chen]: Hard to say. Call it Sword Draw Slash. (Zhongli smirk)
[Kaeya]: Cool. I'm gonna learn it. (sarcastic)
[Venti]: You should ditch your Cryo Vision and embrace Anemo—feel the wind's speed! (sarcastic)
[Kaeya]: I'm already cultivating immortality, what do I need a Vision for? (Zhongli smirk)
"Kill!"
"For our home!"
The Millelith of this era were not yet the mighty army they would one day become—but the spark of greatness already glimmered.
They fought bravely, bolstered by Liuyun Borrowing the Wind's divine blessing.
Their morale soared, and for a time, the black tide could not breach the wall.
"Hmph."
The god's eyes narrowed.
If he didn't act, the immortals might actually hold out.
His gaze fell upon Gu Chen.
"Wise men know when to bow," the god intoned.
"A man who betrays his lord at the first sign of danger—how could such a one be trusted?" Gu Chen replied calmly. "Fight or leave. Those are your only options."
"Foolish mortal!"
The god roared, hurling a colossal stone fist toward him.
Under the crushing pressure, Gu Chen's expression remained utterly calm.
He leapt into the sky—blade raised high—and struck down.
Boom!
The sword cleaved into the god's stone body, leaving a deep gash.
The god bellowed in fury—wounded by a mere human!
He swung a massive hand, but Gu Chen evaded nimbly, his sword flashing again and again.
The god's bulk made him slow and clumsy; he could not catch the nimble swordsman.
Before long, he realized he'd been drawn several kilometers away from the city.
"Hah! Nearly fell for your trick! But what if I destroy the city instead?"
"Then tell me," Gu Chen said coolly, "how will you handle this?"
He thrust his sword forward.
A devastating sword aura tore through the sky, slamming into the god.
The blast blew sand and gravel high into the air.
When the storm cleared, the god's hundred-meter frame was maimed—one arm severed, his shoulder nearly cleaved in two.
"Damnable mortal!" the god shrieked. "You've angered me!"
"Tell me—what do you call that technique?"
"Born from my study of the Nameless Sword Scripture," Gu Chen replied, voice calm. "I named it—Sword One: Severing Rivers."
The god laughed grimly. "Not bad. To wound a god as a mortal—you'll be remembered in history. But this is your limit. Now... die!"
Power surged—his speed spiked, and the world seemed to tremble.
"Be careful!" Liuyun Borrowing the Wind cried.
The other True Monarchs—Mountain-Shaping and Moon-Cutting—wanted to aid him but dared not leave the wall unguarded.
Their anxiety was palpable.
"My limit?"
Gu Chen smiled faintly. "You underestimate me."
A chill ran down the god's spine.
"Before coming to this world," Gu Chen whispered, "I learned... something special."
"This sword—"
He raised the blade.
"I call it Sword Two: Leveling Mountains!"
Shiiing—!
Though the sword was already drawn, the sound of it being unsheathed rang across heaven and earth.
An immeasurable sword intent filled the sky—blades singing in resonance.
Then, a blinding arc of sword light tore across the heavens, flattening all before it.
"Sword Two... Leveling Mountains..." the god murmured.
Life fled from his eyes.
His upper body slid apart at the waist—cleanly severed.
Boom!
The massive form collapsed, shaking the ground.
The horde scattered in panic.
As his life ebbed away, the god's thoughts twisted into regret and rage.
Why had he coveted Morax's land?
Why had he come here?
Had greed not driven him, would he still live?
That regret curdled into hatred. As his divine spark shattered, a dark miasma—the resentment of a fallen god—burst forth.
Gu Chen frowned. "Tch… divine resentment already?"
He raised his sword once more.
A myriad of sword marks carved themselves across the ground.
Each one pulsed with killing intent—approach them, and you'd die.
The web of sword marks shone faintly, suppressing the wrathful miasma at once.
[Kazuha]: Huh?! Even the sword intent left behind can suppress a god's resentment? That's insane! (Kazuha shocked face)
[Keqing]: I can't comprehend that level of swordsmanship... (Paimon shocked)
[Alhaitham]: Incomprehensible.
[Kaveh]: Wait, you can't understand it either? (Kaveh scratching head)
[Alhaitham]: I'm smarter than you—but still human. His swordsmanship has already stepped into the immortal realm.
[Venti]: My goodness... A mortal slaying a god! The stir this'll cause... I can't even imagine! (Venti shocked)
[Tartaglia]: So it is possible! A mortal can slay a god! I'm inspired! I'm gonna train harder, redeem myself, and ascend!
[Paimon]: Let's be honest... that's way beyond mortal now!
[Gu Chen]: Oh? You're revoking my humanity already?
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