Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [337]

"That's easy to say," Gu Sanqiu muttered, "but you have to make it back alive first if you want to propose that kind of policy to the Ministry of Civil Affairs."

Crack.

The faint but distinctly different sound of something breaking made Gu Sanqiu's heart leap with joy. He quickly adjusted his angle and strained his eyes to locate the source of the sound.

"This mark… Both the white flames and black aura work?"

Gu Sanqiu let out a sigh of relief. He still had no idea what these two forces were made of within his body, but as long as they worked, that was enough. He could figure out the details later.

Living on borrowed time, literally.

"Venti! Barbatos! Give me a hand here!" Gu Sanqiu shouted again. "You understand the concept of diversion, right? Keep Dvalin distracted so I can dismantle these things!"

"Roar!"

Dvalin, enraged, let out a deafening roar. Hearing Gu Sanqiu repeatedly calling Barbatos' name was one thing, but openly talking about taking him down? Wasn't the East Wind's guardian dragon entitled to some dignity?

"Steadfast as a boulder!"

Activating his shield once more, Gu Sanqiu braced against the storm Dvalin whipped up and charged forward, briefly empathizing with how frustrating the Abyss Order's mages must have found this situation earlier.

"Ah, in the end, it always takes someone as dazzling as me to save the day."

Venti appeared, holding the Skyward Harp. His eyes were full of sorrow and nostalgia as he gazed at Dvalin.

"It's been a while, my old friend."

"Barbatos!"

Dvalin's furious roar shook the space. He flapped his wings with all his might, trying to rush toward Venti.

It was in this struggle that Gu Sanqiu noticed blood flowing from the points where Dvalin's wings and body were restrained.

So, these things were embedded directly into his body after all.

With his theory confirmed, Gu Sanqiu felt a wave of relief. Knowing what he was dealing with was a world apart from facing the unknown—it turned an adventure into a calculated operation.

Still, he hadn't expected Venti to go to such lengths. His plan had been for Venti to talk Dvalin into a rage, creating an opening. Instead, the bard opted for direct baiting with his physical form.

What a teammate!

Dvalin's attack passed through Venti's figure, revealing it to be a mere projection. The Bard of Freedom clearly hadn't shown up in person.

"My friend, I neither betrayed nor abandoned you. I should have come to see you sooner. That was my mistake," Venti's projection said softly as his form reappeared. "Dvalin, will you trust me once more?"

Boom!

A concentrated burst of wind elemental energy obliterated Venti's image in an instant. Dvalin's response was loud and clear:

No.

Ding-dong!

Venti reappeared, once again holding the Skyward Harp. This time, countless projections of himself materialized throughout the space, each strumming the harp to weave a gentle melody of wind.

"False notes, fake songs—be gone!"

Dvalin's scales shimmered brightly as he unleashed pure elemental energy to blow away Venti's clones.

The music faltered. The singing stopped. Venti looked toward Dvalin with a helpless expression.

"Well? Are you done yet? I'm at my limit here. Dvalin's not even trying to listen to me."

"Almost there. Thanks for the effort."

Dvalin froze, suddenly sensing something amiss. He turned to look at the pesky little bug that had been dodging his attacks this entire time.

Gu Sanqiu's body glowed with a radiant white light, except for a small, ominous cluster of black energy forming at his brow, exuding an unsettling aura.

"Is this… elemental body transformation?"

Venti stared in astonishment at Gu Sanqiu's current state. "No, it's more like he's using power beyond his control."

"But how is he keeping it sealed within himself?"

For Venti—or rather, for Dvalin—this wasn't a question that needed asking. They inherently knew how to handle such forces.

But for someone like Gu Sanqiu, a mere mortal, this was a question worth pondering. Despite his current display of overwhelming power, he remained fundamentally human.

"Dvalin! Your time is up!" Gu Sanqiu smirked. "You think these chains are just to restrict your movements? Think again."

"This space, these chains—they're your execution platform!"

"Your life ends here, by the Abyss Order's hand!"

"Die!"

Gu Sanqiu shot forward like a meteor toward Dvalin. Having listened to everything, Dvalin glanced at Venti before turning his intense dragon gaze back to Gu Sanqiu's meteoric form.

Even if Barbatos was now on the side of this little pest, Dvalin had never wanted to believe his old friend had truly betrayed him.

But now, that small cluster of power, so tiny yet so terrifying, left no room for doubt.

Barbatos could wait. This insignificant insect needed to be squashed first!

Condensing his elemental energy, Dvalin's scales glowed brighter than ever. Though his movements were restricted, he began gathering his strongest attack.

This was his defiance, his unyielding resolve. The East Wind's guardian dragon would not fall to these enemies!

"Roar!"

Flames spewed forth as the concentrated elemental energy accelerated, transforming into wisps of cyan fire—this was the wrath of the Wind Dragon.

"Venti!" Gu Sanqiu roared. "Give me an angle!"

Only a madman would face Dvalin's attack head-on. For the sake of his own life, Gu Sanqiu primarily relied on the white flames within him. The black will, which would drive him to madness, was only sparingly tapped.

His earlier taunts were nothing more than bait to push Dvalin into a blind fury. If the dragon went all out, that would be his opening!

Zing!

Venti plucked the harp strings sharply. Wind elements surged into the space, wrapping around Gu Sanqiu and forcibly lifting him higher, narrowly avoiding Dvalin's burning gale.

Dvalin, my friend, I've never changed.

So, let me show you.

Venti cradled the Skyward Harp to his chest and raised his right hand toward the sky, his eyes resolute.

This is my storm of rebellion!

"Don't miss, nephew!" Venti struck the harp strings again, summoning a colossal wind-element fist from above. The fist smashed into Gu Sanqiu's trajectory, accelerating him toward Dvalin.

The target: the crimson-purple crystal embedded in Dvalin's back.

These two schemers had never intended to focus on the chains.

Gu Sanqiu had figured it out through foreknowledge, while Venti had discerned it using his Archon powers. The chains and collars were surface-level distractions. The core issue lay in the ever-growing crystal.

"Shatter for me!"

It's difficult for humans to swat a fly with precision, much like Dvalin now trying to deal with Gu Sanqiu.

By the time Dvalin realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Boom!