Even while protecting the mortals of Guili, even while looking after his soft spot, he could still kill Osial here?
Such overwhelming dominance!
But where in the world did this man's confidence come from?!
Osial's mood darkened.
[Group Chat]
[Kaeya]: Holy crap, that line is dripping with dominance. Another one for the Gu Chen Pretentious Quotes Collection. Good, good—keep going! (Charlotte: please continue)
[Venti]: Osial actually used Ganyu to threaten Gu Chen—wow. @Osial You really have chosen the road to death! (mischief)
[Osial]: It wasn't me! I didn't! Stop looking at me! What does my past life have to do with me now? Nothing at all! (Diona: irritated)
[Furina]: Then why do you call yourself the Supreme Vortex Sovereign of Taixuan Ocean's Tides? (Furina: amused)
[Venti]: (mischief)
[Osial]: It's just a meme! I was just going with the meme!! (Yaoyao: giving up)
[Azhdaha]: Since you don't acknowledge the video version of yourself, don't acknowledge any version. Based solely on your actions in the present era, I suggest sentencing Osial to death. (Hu Tao: evil grin)
[Furina]: When is the trial?! Save me a VIP seat!! (Venti: starry-eyed jealousy)
[Osial]: If you put it like that—should I claim the past me or should I not?! (losing hair)
If he acknowledged the past-life video as himself, he could claim the "Taixuan Vortex Sovereign" title—
but also inherit the guilt of destroying Guili.
One good, one bad—a very abstract Osial.
Add the current Osial into the mix, and the death sentence becomes unavoidable!
[Paimon]: Is Big Brother Gu about to use his ultimate move? (Nahida: curious)
[Keqing]: Feels like it.
[Raiden Shogun]: Finish him with Musou no Hitotachi! (threatening)
"Arrogance!"
Osial felt utterly provoked.
And by whom?
By a human.
Even if this human had battle strength equal to his own, the offense was intolerable.
How dared he say he could kill a demon god?!
Osial forced himself to calm down. He needed to end Gu Chen quickly.
The true enemy—Morax—must have received news by now.
If Osial did not kill Gu Chen and destroy Guili before Morax returned, he would have to face Morax head-on.
Even Osial had to admit—he was no match for Morax.
Today's ambush only succeeded because Morax was absent.
At this thought, Osial no longer held back.
Every attack became powerful enough to make even other demon gods tremble.
Gu Chen wrapped an arm around Ganyu, drawing her into his embrace.
She was too weak.
If he didn't keep her beside him at every moment, he couldn't rest easy.
Just as he had said—
even while protecting Guili's mortals and dividing his attention to guard Ganyu,
he could still fight Osial evenly.
This truth made Osial feel chills.
Too strong.
Was this really a human?!
"Sword-Extreme True Lord's strength is…" Cloud-Retainer felt her scalp prickle.
Makosh's face was full of shock. "This strong? He must have been modest when he said he was average, right?"
"Or perhaps he was sparing our feelings…" Mountain-Shaper sighed.
The Ocean-Treader exhaled helplessly. "Don't compare yourself to him. A human becoming an immortal is already shocking. And he's a sword-obsessed cultivator with pure offense and no defense. If not for a weakness, he might've already driven Osial back."
"So we really are dragging him down…"
The immortals felt ashamed.
At the boundary where land met sea—
everything was devastated.
Sword marks carved across the earth, huge craters gouged out by elemental torrents—
all proof of how fierce the battle had been.
Ganyu, held in Gu Chen's arms, was extremely tense.
She dared not move.
She feared slowing her master down and causing him injury.
And she blamed herself—
If only she were stronger.
If only she could break free from Osial's control.
If only she could avoid being a threat used against her master.
Osial had called her her master's soft spot.
…A person with a soft spot was easily defeated, wasn't he?
Her heart was in turmoil.
She liked being held by her master—being close to him gave her an overwhelming sense of safety and warmth.
But now she doesn't dare to enjoy it.
She didn't want her master hurt because of her.
She had to train harder.
Even if she could never catch up to him, she must never be his burden.
BOOM!
A torrent brushed past.
Ganyu snapped back to her senses and stared at the torrent that had grazed them—
it smashed a mountain behind them.
Her heart trembled.
She couldn't imagine what would've happened if it hit.
She looked at her master—
then at the enraged, cornered Osial.
They had fought for so long.
Her master showed signs of fatigue.
Osial's aura was nowhere near as fierce as before.
Both sides were exhausting their strength—
a stalemate.
But Osial had support.
His wife, Baqie—though not a demon god—was nearly as strong as one.
With her joining the fight, Gu Chen fell into disadvantage.
Guizhong, Makosh, and the immortals were too busy holding back Osial's authority and endless beasts to help.
At this rate…
[Group Chat]
[Lyney]: This fight is getting sticky. Mr. Gu is starting to fall behind.
[Kaeya]: Osial does have some skill—splitting part of his authority to stall two demon gods and a host of immortals while still fighting Gu to this degree. Not bad.
[Osial]: Now you see my greatness? (Zhongli: dragon-smirk)
[Ganyu]: But don't forget—Mr. Gu is holding me in his arms. If not, he wouldn't be pushed back at all!
[Cloud-Retainer]: Wait! Who is defending Gu Chen for him? I can't see clearly!! (Hu Tao: wicked grin)
[Shenhe]: It's Senior Sister. (nod)
[Nilou]: Ehehe~ the heroine is defending the male lead. (Collei: admiring)
[Collei]: Is the real-world Ganyu nervous too? (Shenhe: staring)
[Ganyu]: I'm just stating facts! (Ganyu: don't pat me!)
Ganyu felt strange.
It wasn't resistance toward Gu Chen—
it was just… a strange feeling.
She didn't know how to deal with it.
Especially after the video had exposed her embarrassing childhood memories—
she was mortified.
But as she immersed herself in the events, she couldn't deny that Gu Chen was… a very good person.
But he was her master!
"Senior Sister, what's wrong?" Shenhe asked calmly.
"N-nothing."
Ganyu shook her head repeatedly.
"Oh." Shenhe didn't pry.
Ganyu tried to hypnotize herself.
She was only nervous that her master might lose and Guili be destroyed.
That was all.
Definitely that!
[Azhdaha]: The Sect Master is about to use his ultimate! (Venti: celebration)
[Kaeya]: Here it comes! @Osial Are you ready?
[Osial]: You should ask the video-version of me, not the current me. But if I must answer—then let us all chant the Sect Master's divine might!!
[Dvalin]: Bro, that's some serious bootlicking. (Zhongli: resigned)
Gu Chen realized that if this continued, the chance of defeat would grow.
Seizing a brief opening, he repelled Baqie with a sword strike, flashed forward, and placed Ganyu on a cliffside.
"Stay here."
As his voice fell, sword lights appeared in the air around her.
Countless sword marks carved into ground and void alike, forming a flawless barrier.
"Master…"
Gu Chen didn't reply.
He swung one sword to drive off Baqie who tried to chase—
another to interrupt Osial's power gathering.
Then—
His aura began to rise.
Higher.
Higher.
"You still have strength left?!" Osial was stunned.
Even he felt drained—yet Gu Chen had a reserve?!
Was this man really human?!
Gu Chen's aura surged to its peak—surpassing even his initial state.
Across heaven and earth, a sound echoed—
the sound of a blade leaving its sheath.
And Gu Chen himself was that blade.
Osial was horrified.
Even the seawater began to sting him—
as if his submerged body lay within countless hidden blades.
Impossible!
How could a mortal be this strong?!
"I don't believe it!!"
Osial roared, raising a hundred-meter wave.
The last of his power surged toward him.
Death brushed against him—
and he launched his final, desperate attack.
He refused to believe a demon god could fall to a human sword.
It was impossible—
Shiiiing—
A rapid draw—
the metal whisper of blade against scabbard, beautiful and terrifying.
Gu Chen stood with sword in hand, white robes soaked by seawater, fluttering violently in the storm.
The blade pointed at Osial.
Sword-light flickered at its tip, sharp enough to split space—
even the air itself avoided it.
Suddenly—
Osial noticed the winds slowed.
The massive inverted vortex in the sky slowed.
The waves thickened like dough.
No—
not everything.
Only within a 10-kilometer radius centered on him was time distorted.
"Impossible!!"
Osial fired his gathered power desperately.
In the next instant—
the world locked down around him.
Like an invisible cage dropping from the heavens.
A chill colder than snow-capped mountains pierced his bones.
Death seeped into his mind.
A bright flash—
Slice!
A sword light tore across one of his necks, leaving a wound tens of meters long.
Another flash—
another head split open, flesh spraying.
These two sword lights were only the prelude.
Then—
countless lights bloomed.
Too many to count.
They filled heaven and earth.
In an instant, a thousand sword lights carved through Osial's body and five heads.
His massive form collapsed.
In his eyes lingered deep disbelief.
He did not believe a human could reach such power.
He was not a weak demon god.
Yet he died within that sword light.
Baqie screamed in terror.
As she lunged toward Gu Chen, he raised his sword—
A vertical slash.
Sword Technique: River-Severing Strike.
A sword light capable of cutting anything flashed—
And Baqie was cleaved in two.
Osial died within the sword-formed cage.
His wife, Baqie, died beneath Gu Chen's blade.
"W—we won!!"
Cloud-Retainer laughed with exhilaration.
"Hahaha! That despicable Osial finally fell!" Makosh rejoiced.
"Be careful—his authority is collapsing!" Guizhong warned.
Countless vortexes shattered across the world, turning into wild energy storms.
Osial's corpse surged with a power that spread in all directions—
Within the cage, thousands of sword lights rose again and neutralized the force.
Until—
Crack.
A crisp shattering sound.
"Pff—!"
Gu Chen's face went pale.
He vomited blood—bright, thick red.
His aura plummeted.
His strength rapidly withered.
"MASTER!!"
Ganyu cried out.
She watched her master fall from the air and ran toward him.
"Not good!"
Cloud-Retainer beat her wings once, caught Gu Chen by the collar, and carried him to shore.
"Master!"
Ganyu knelt beside him, tears in her eyes, pushing at him anxiously.
"You can't die!!"
"?"
Gu Chen let out a helpless chuckle.
"I'm just exhausted. I'm not dying."
He coughed twice—dark blood staining his lips.
Cloud-Retainer frowned. "You damaged your foundation?"
There were no external wounds, yet she sensed something severely wrong.
Had he used some forbidden technique?
She grew worried.
"Quickly—we must take him to safety!" Guizhong urged.
"I'll be fine. I just need a moment."
Gu Chen waved a hand, sat up, inhaled deeply—
and color slowly returned to his face.
"Master, are you sure you're all right?" Ganyu asked anxiously.
Nobody who vomited blood looked "fine"!
"Truly. I'm fine." Gu Chen shook his head and looked into the distance.
Osial's fall sent countless sea beasts fleeing in terror.
Guili was now free of monsters—
only devastation remained, the land drowned by the sea.
Countless people would be displaced.
"Guili is destroyed. What now?" Gu Chen asked.
Guizhong massaged her brow. "We can no longer live here. We must relocate… and rebuild somewhere safer."
Osial's death and the beasts' corpses polluted the land.
Mortals sleeping here would have nightmares of monsters.
"Then we move." Gu Chen nodded.
"But where?" Guizhong fretted.
"We will discuss it when the Emperor returns," Gu Chen said.
"Enough—stop talking. You must rest." Cloud-Retainer ordered.
"Fine, fine. Handle everything." Gu Chen leaned back.
Guizhong and the immortals went to aid the mortals.
Ganyu stayed to care for Gu Chen.
She seemed distracted.
Gu Chen chuckled. "What are you thinking about?"
Ganyu snapped back.
Thinking of how she had held her master back, how powerless she felt watching him fight, she clenched her fists.
"Master, I… want to become strong!"
"Oh? Growing up?" Gu Chen raised a brow.
"Mm!"
After witnessing the battle, Ganyu understood her weakness deeply.
If she could become strong—
she could help her master.
"What do you want to learn?" Gu Chen smiled.
"The strongest!" Ganyu said firmly.
"The strongest?" Gu Chen paused. "The strongest is also the hardest to learn."
"I can learn it!" Ganyu said urgently.
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