Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [440]

Gu Sanqiu and Albedo landed swiftly after their coordinated attack, but the blood dragon wasted no time. Its massive claws descended toward them, tearing through the air with terrifying precision.

"Hmm, no effect," Gu Sanqiu muttered.

Albedo nodded in agreement. "Indeed, it didn't work."

Their combined assault had landed perfectly—striking one eye each with devastating precision. Yet the dragon barreled toward them as if nothing had happened. Its movements showed no signs of injury despite the crushing blows to its jaw and head.

"A construct of pure elemental energy and willpower," Albedo analyzed. "Vital spots like the eyes or brain no longer matter."

The four fighters split into two pairs, Albedo conjuring a miniature Geo construct in front of him to gather data on the dragon's movements and energy flow.

"So, any particularly brilliant ideas for dealing with this thing?" Gu Sanqiu asked while dodging another swipe. "I tried hitting it with my Vajra staves earlier, but it didn't even flinch. Surely, you've got something up your sleeve?"

"Unfortunately, no," Albedo replied, unleashing a barrage of Geo beams from his alchemy array onto the dragon. "I have little experience handling enemies of this scale. Trial and error will have to suffice."

"Well, at least we've got its attention," Albedo added, watching the dragon's gaze remain locked on the two of them. "That should keep it from fleeing into the wider world. A silver lining, I suppose."

"Of course!" Gu Sanqiu grinned. "My aggro-pulling skills are top-tier. The brainless ones are always the easiest to bait."

"Let's keep at it, then," Albedo said, sidestepping the dragon's tail as it swept past.

Both of them responded by channeling Geo energy into their palms and striking the dragon's tail simultaneously.

Sizzle.

A familiar sound of corrosion filled the air, and Gu Sanqiu resisted the urge to grab the tail and pit his strength against the dragon.

Too dangerous, he thought. Weapons with high durability can handle this, but relying solely on elemental shielding to wrestle with that thing? No thanks.

"Hey, you two! A little help over here!" Gu Sanqiu shouted toward Rosalyne and Tartaglia.

"And what exactly do you expect us to do?" Tartaglia snapped back, ducking as a stray fireball from Rosalyne scorched the ground beside him.

If Gu Sanqiu and Albedo were the main tanks, Rosalyne had appointed herself as the off-tank, constantly attacking in an effort to boost her own damage numbers. This left Tartaglia juggling the dual responsibilities of avoiding collateral damage and keeping an eye on his erratic teammate.

I thought I'd get a chance to test myself against a foe of this caliber, Tartaglia lamented. But my best attacks didn't even make it flinch. Now I'm stuck babysitting this lunatic!

"Sanqiu!" Tartaglia called out. "You've got more of those divine talismans, don't you? Use them already! If this thing escapes Dragonspine, it could head straight for Liyue!"

"Liyue? Not a chance," Gu Sanqiu said with a chuckle. "If this thing set foot there, It'd be reduced to a detox tea immediately. And why would it head to Liyue anyway? It's bound to wreak havoc on Mondstadt instead."

"Oh, and by the way," Gu Sanqiu added, "I'm out of talismans. Those few earlier were all I had. From now on, it's up to us."

"While you two debate the destruction of nations, consider the feelings of this Mondstadt native," Albedo interjected, his tone dry.

Despite his quip, Albedo remained focused on analyzing the dragon's structure, using his attacks to probe for vulnerabilities. Yet even his considerable expertise couldn't unravel the Abyss Order's creation in such a short time.

To maintain the dragon's aggression, Albedo periodically coordinated strikes with Gu Sanqiu, targeting its head and eyes.

"Caw!"

A piercing screech interrupted the chaos. The emerald eagle descended, its wings slicing through the air as it slammed into the blood dragon's head. The force of the impact knocked the dragon's head aside, and the eagle's beak tore into its throat, ripping away chunks of crimson energy.

Gu Sanqiu's eye twitched.

He had heard Tartaglia mention the eagle before, likening it to some battle spirit of wrath and bloodlust. But seeing it now, the scene felt oddly familiar.

That maneuver... Gu Sanqiu thought, his gaze narrowing. Could it be...

He began to suspect that the so-called emerald eagle might be more than it seemed—perhaps even a proxy for Dvalin, piloted remotely by Venti. Maybe the Archon himself was perched in some dimensional space, joystick in hand, shouting drunken commands like, "Go for the throat! Now kick him in the face!"

"ROAR!"

The blood dragon's fury erupted as its already tenuous consciousness dissolved entirely. A flicker of memory surfaced in its shattered mind:

That turquoise dragon tore me apart once before...

The Abyss Order's directives—to wreak havoc on Mondstadt and obliterate humanity—faded into irrelevance. The blood dragon's sole focus now was the ancient predator above it. With a roar, it charged the emerald eagle, the two colossal beings clashing in primal combat.

"Well, that's convenient," Gu Sanqiu muttered, letting out a long sigh of relief as the eagle took over.

This is how it should be—warriors matched by strength.

It was clear to him now: this battle wasn't meant for mortals like them. The dragon, a construct of pure energy and corrosion, was designed as a weapon of devastation—an apocalyptic force tailored to challenge Mondstadt's hidden protectors.

The Abyss Order likely knew the blood dragon couldn't achieve complete destruction. Instead, they had aimed for long-term devastation through the lingering effects of corrosion on Mondstadt's people and environment.

But for now, the dragon was pinned to Dragonspine. The Abyss Lector, with all his cryptic arrogance, probably hadn't anticipated this outcome.

He underestimated one crucial factor: Durin's origins.

Gu Sanqiu's suspicions about Dvalin's involvement only deepened. The way the eagle attacked—tearing into the dragon's throat at Dragonspine, of all places—was far too reminiscent of history.

This single act seemed to pierce straight through the Abyss Order's meticulous design. Even the dragon's lingering will couldn't ignore such a visceral reminder of its death.

In a cultivation novel, Dragonspine would be like an ancient powerhouse's grave, Gu Sanqiu mused. The air thick with their will and power. And if someone barged into your tomb, recounting how you died in excruciating detail... well, a bit of chaos is to be expected.

He glanced around. Honestly, we're lucky this whole mountain hasn't erupted into madness yet.