Chapter 68: Two More
With everyone's combined efforts, the Jade Chamber soared high above the skies, directly above the Overlord of the Vortex—Osial.
"Hmph!"
"Boring!"
"Useless!"
"Worthless!"
"Lament!"
Xiao, wearing his yaksha mask, blinked rapidly through the air, shattering each incoming water orb with precise strikes.
"Traveler, we're counting on you!"
Hearing Ningguang's voice, Lumine instantly understood.
She raised her Dull Blade, pointing the tip at the very center of the Jade Chamber.
"Shatter!"
With her furious shout, Geo energy surged and wrapped around the Dull Blade as she plunged it straight into the platform.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the Wonder Core, the core that sustained the Jade Chamber's flight, was obliterated.
The Jade Chamber lost all propulsion and began plummeting.
With a single flap of Mountain Shaper wings, a powerful and mysterious immortal art instantly enveloped everyone.
In the blink of an eye, they were teleported to the shattered coastline of Liyue Harbor's destroyed docks.
At that moment, Osial seemed to sense the looming danger. All five of its heads roared upward, unleashing torrents of water with crushing pressure.
But it was too late. The sheer mass of the Jade Chamber, combined with the force of its descent from such heights, rendered Osial's resistance utterly meaningless.
Furious at the unexpected turn of events, Osial let out a deafening roar. Its five draconic heads trembled violently, and the jets of water it spewed only intensified.
It was as If five colossal dragons were roaring in unison—or five flaming beasts thrashing madly—radiating overwhelming majesty and power.
On the shore, everyone stared unblinking. They knew this was the decisive moment. The Jade Chamber was about to crash down. Victory or defeat—everything hinged on this strike!
But naturally, something had to go wrong.
Just then, a second torrent of water and a beam of deep violet light came out of nowhere, intercepting the descent.
The three forces collided—and canceled out the devastating blow of the Jade Chamber?!
Everyone was dumbfounded by this sudden turn.
…
General Affairs Office.
"Hehehe…" Shajin chuckled with a sickly excitement, his laughter eerily reminiscent of a night owl's screech.
"Unbelievable… truly unbelievable…" he murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming with madness.
"Morax, you've really put on one hell of a show for me~" His voice dripped with sarcasm and mockery.
…
Everyone was stunned by the unexpected interference. They widened their eyes, trying to see the source of the attacks.
Far off in the sea, an enormous beast—shaped like a whale, but several times larger—raced toward them with terrifying speed.
It tore through the stormy waves like a feral shark.
Cloud Retainer's expression darkened; she clearly recognized the creature.
"The Overlord of the Abyss—Baqiu?! Its seal was broken too!?"
"My, what a lively gathering~ Tell me, is that Morax fellow truly dead this time?"
A spectral voice echoed through the air, as if from a ghost high in the heavens.
Xiao stared, his face filled with disbelief, eyes locked onto the source of the voice—like he was ready to tear them apart.
"Oh? Xiao, my great general—have you already forgotten your master?"
The voice of Harpas was like a devil's whisper from the depths of hell, sending chills down every spine.
Xiao gripped his Primordial Jade Winged-Spear tightly, spitting out each word through clenched teeth.
"God of Dreams—Harpas"
"Why? Why are you still alive?!"
Harpas twirled a lock of his hair, mocking Xiao's ignorance.
"And why shouldn't I be?"
"I still have…"
He smiled cruelly.
"…a debt of vengeance to settle with Morax. How could I possibly die so easily?"
…
Zhongli—
No.
The Geo Archon, God of Commerce, God of Contracts—Morax.
Set his teacup down.
His eyes, radiant like the midday sun, met Shajin's dreamlike pupils.
Morax spoke slowly.
"You're not going?"
Shajin scoffed.
"So you're that confident in me?"
Morax shook his head.
"I can't even see through you. How could I possibly be confident in you?"
Shajin remained silent and said nothing.
Morax continued.
"But I can feel it—you're under immense pressure right now. I don't know what it is, but…"
"Two Gods and a beast that rivals one. Not at full strength, sure, but enough to let you vent your frustrations."
Shajin crossed his arms.
"So I should be thanking you?"
Morax chuckled softly. "There's no need."
Shajin laughed and shook his head.
"You're just exploiting the fact that the Imaginary energy can completely purge a god's resentment, dressing it up like some noble cause."
"But this is Liyue's trial, isn't it? Wouldn't it be inappropriate for me to step in?"
"Aren't you a part of Liyue too?"
"I'm a sinner in exile, remember~"
"Not anymore~"
"Pfft."
Shajin was amused.
"Hahaha… fine. In that case, wagering the Exuvia alone clearly isn't enough. I don't play games with such cheap stakes~"
"Then what do you want?"
"Hmm…"
Shajin thought for a moment. It seemed he didn't have anything in particular he desired.
"Alright, then—how about this: You, Morax, owe me a favor. How's that?"
Morax considered it. As far as he was concerned, Shajin was still trustworthy enough.
He figured…
It should be fine…
Probably…
Maybe…
Hopefully…
He wouldn't ask for anything too unreasonable from a god… right?
"Very well. I agree."
"Then don't forget—you, the Geo Archon, owe me a favor."
"I will remember it."
"Excellent~"
Shajin snapped his fingers.
At the same time, he and Morax spoke in unison:
"The pact is sealed. Any who break it shall suffer the Wrath of The Rock."
But Shajin didn't get up. Instead, he stretched, lounging lazily in his chair.
Seeing this, Morax frowned.
"You're still not going?"
Shajin waved a hand nonchalantly.
"No rush. It's best to save your trump card for the finale, right?"
Morax: "…"
Morax sighed.
"Your temperament remains as troublesome as ever… I'm starting to regret making this deal with you."
Shajin yawned and grinned.
"Thanks for the compliment~"
_
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