Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [438]

"Damn riddler," Gu Sanqiu muttered as he withdrew the power from his Vajra staves, compressing their energy to hover protectively around him.

"So, all it takes is a single thought, and I can join the Abyss?"

He tilted his head. Then tilted it again.

...

"Who are you kidding, you old liar? I've had two 'thoughts' already, and no one's shown up to welcome me!"

It was, of course, a joke—or perhaps just a passing whimsy.

Gu Sanqiu took a moment to stabilize his energy, recovering his strength. If things were truly as absurd as his imagination suggested—that a single thought could summon Abyssal VIPs to grovel and offer him a warm welcome—he'd gladly introduce them to what a real Liyue Adeptus-level nightmare dungeon looked like.

At least, for now, it seemed the Abyss's higher-ups—or their version of HR trying to recruit him—weren't foolish enough to show up uninvited.

Most likely, those underground were playing the long game, waiting for the right "despairing moment" to extend a helping hand. The oldest trick in the book. It was how villains in action stories often built their ranks, after all.

And since the Abyss Lector had so openly called his family "lunatics," it was safe to assume they'd encountered a few too many underhanded tactics courtesy of his ancestors. Probably to the point of paranoia, where anyone with a trace of the Gu family's signature scent now looked like a threat.

Tsk. Our ancestors must've really done a number on them. But isn't showing too many cards a liability?

Gu Sanqiu shrugged. The Abyss's repeated mention of him as a "descendant of the Gu Sage" suggested they were still haunted by his ancestor's strategies.

Snake-bitten once, forever fearful of ropes, he mused, watching the remains of the altar.

"But what exactly is this thing?"

He opened his palm, allowing a miniaturized Vajra staff to float above it. At its tip, a swirling mass of crimson energy pulsated ominously, as though something was gestating inside.

"Well, whatever you are, let me give you a proper introduction."

With a casual motion, he connected the Vajra staff to the nearby ley lines, letting Geo resonance ripple outward. The once-dull golden light of the staff brightened, becoming brilliant as it drew energy from the land.

With a puff of breath, Gu Sanqiu launched the staves directly into the crimson mass.

"Boom—huh?"

He'd added a little flair to his throw, even imitating the sound of an explosion for dramatic effect. Yet there was no explosion, no reaction at all. The blood-red sphere remained as still as ever, swallowing the energy as though it were no more than a passing breeze.

Boom!

In the distance, a massive fireball hurtled toward the crimson light. Rosalyne, standing atop her fiery moth, hurled wave after wave of intense flames at the mass.

She could feel it in her core—this blood-red monstrosity was their greatest enemy.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Gu Sanqiu called out. "You can see your attacks aren't working, yet you're wasting all that elemental energy?"

Rosalyne turned sharply, her fiery whip in hand. But the moment she recognized the voice, her hand trembled, and the whip fizzled out.

"You? What are you doing here?"

"Sanqiu!"

Another voice called out—Tartaglia. His legs were clad in black armor, adorned with dark blue-gray gems at the knees, glinting faintly under the red light.

"Don't attack! We're all on the same side!"

Rushing forward, Tartaglia explained why he and Rosalyne were present, but Gu Sanqiu's gaze lingered on his armored legs.

"Ahem," Tartaglia coughed, pretending not to notice the scrutiny. He dispelled the armor with a casual gesture and resumed his explanation, maintaining a dignified demeanor.

"We're reinforcements. This has nothing to do with the Fatui."

"I figured," Gu Sanqiu replied dryly. "This scale of trouble is way beyond your pay grade."

He glanced at Rosalyne. "Flying in like that, huh? And you—nice armor. You sure you won't sell it?"

"Not a chance. It's a family heirloom," Tartaglia replied immediately. "If I sold it, my father would kill me. Our family is counting on me to use this relic to secure glory for Snezhnaya."

Family heirloom? What's next, the ultimate boss was your ancestor?

"Fine, I'll take your word for it."

Gu Sanqiu pointed upward. "You've seen plenty of battlefields. Recognize that thing?"

Tartaglia's expression grew grave. "If it had appeared before, I'd know it. But this seems like one of the Abyss Order's newer projects. Have you encountered anything like it?"

"No," Gu Sanqiu admitted. "I tried hitting it, but it didn't do much. It seems my attacks can't reach its core."

After a moment's pause, his expression hardened. "Whatever it is, we can't leave it unchecked. Step back, both of you."

Gu Sanqiu pulled out a stack of gleaming jade talismans, each inscribed with symbols glowing with elemental force.

"Wait, are you seriously going to use those?" Tartaglia broke into a cold sweat. "Those are divine talismans from the Archon War! They're meant for desperate measures—detonating one could destroy this entire valley!"

"So what?" Gu Sanqiu said, unfazed. "This place is a no-man's-land. If it's destroyed, it's destroyed. Weather and geography are the Archons' problem, not mine."

Before Tartaglia could protest further, Rosalyne's voice rang out.

"I know what it is!" she said sharply. "It's a blood cocoon—a monster cultivated from countless sacrifices. It'll be strong—unbelievably so."

"You could've led with that!"

Without hesitation, Gu Sanqiu flung the talismans. They shot toward the blood cocoon like razor-sharp projectiles, embedding themselves into its surface.

"Stay close to me!"

Gu Sanqiu rapidly erected a shield around them. He'd initially thought the cocoon might be some plague-ridden calamity best contained. But if it housed an abomination, the priority was clear: cripple it before it could emerge.

Boom!

The resulting explosion of overloaded Electro and Pyro elements shook the earth. Ethereal images of weapons—blades, spears, and axes—appeared in the air, clashing with something within the cocoon.

"ROAR!"

A deafening, rage-filled cry erupted from the cocoon, shaking the air and disorienting the three nearby. Their elemental shields flared as they fought off the soul-piercing sound wave.

Meanwhile, far above, a teal eagle circling the battlefield let out a piercing screech. Its aura sharpened, radiating power.

Gu Sanqiu shook off the dizziness and turned toward the distant cave where Durin's heart lay.

"That sound… was that a dragon's roar?"