Osial did not immediately launch an attack on Liyue.
Instead, he roared again and again, waves surging beneath him—
venting thousands of years of suffocating rage.
Thousands of years of sealing.
Thousands of years of erosion.
His mind was long broken.
Even the vow he once made with his beloved—
he had already forgotten.
Now, he wanted only one thing:
To drag Liyue into the same abyss of pain and despair he had suffered.
To complete his revenge.
Osial refused to let Liyue be destroyed instantly.
He wanted the destruction to be slow—
to make Rex Lapis experience long, festering agony, just as he had for millennia.
Even with barely any sanity left—even forgetting whether he still remembered his own wife—
He would never forget Zhongli.
From the marrow of his bones, the hatred was carved in.
He imagined everything already:
Zhongli's helpless rage.
Liyueans screaming in despair.
The land collapsing under endless tsunamis.
Yes… slowly… slowly destroy everything…
But—
Everything changed the moment a tiny black dot shot out from the Jade Chamber.
Riding his flying sword, Tianheng-shushu arrived at the shoreline in an instant.
Even faced with a natural disaster like the massive waves, the Millelith held their ground, walls of shields forming a final line of defense for the citizens.
None of them believed they could survive Osial's wrath.
But—
Every second they bought was another second for Liyue's people to flee.
To die for Liyue—
they accepted that without complaint.
Tianheng-shushu sighed softly.
"…All good children."
"But no one's dying today. A mere sea monster—no need to panic."
Floating in midair with his hands behind his back, the thin elderly figure drew countless gazes instantly.
"Tianshu Star! It's the Tianshu Star!"
"It's our Liyue cultivators!"
"Cultivators have arrived! We're saved!"
"Damn, I even forgot Liyue has cultivators now! We're fine!"
"But… the Qixing only started cultivating recently, and the adepti haven't appeared yet… can they really stop him?"
No answer came from the crowd—
but Tianheng-shushu gave the answer himself.
Facing the towering wall of water rushing toward Liyue Harbor, his expression did not ripple.
His hands formed seals.
"Ten-Thousand-Fathom Cliff Barrier."
True essence surged.
He thrust his palms forward.
Golden light exploded outward, rapidly expanding.
Within a breath—
It covered the entire shoreline of Liyue Harbor.
The raging tsunami crashed into the golden barrier—
And shattered like fragile glass.
Not a single drop splashed onto Liyue's land.
Heaven and earth's natural power was indeed unstoppable—
for mortals.
But unfortunately for Osial—
This was a cultivator.
From the first day of cultivation, a cultivator must understand:
Cultivators exist to command heaven and earth.
This effortless display froze the entire harbor.
A heartbeat later—
Roars of triumph erupted.
People screamed, wept, laughed, hugged one another in overwhelming relief.
"I knew it! Cultivators are invincible!"
"A mere Archon dares invade our Liyue!? Get out!"
"With or without the Geo Archon—with just our cultivators—Liyue is invincible!"
"Long live Liyue!"
No longer fearful, the people surged toward the port, wanting to witness the legendary foe themselves.
Even those from Fontaine stared anxiously.
"He blocked the wave, but the Archon hasn't even acted yet… can they really stop him?"
A Liyue local slapped him on the back.
"What're you scared for?"
"Our Liyue cultivators are never just one person."
"Look up."
People tilted their heads—
And froze.
From every direction, streams of light raced across the sky—
hovering around Tianheng-shushu.
In moments, nearly a thousand cultivators filled the horizon.
Soft jade radiance spilled from their bodies, their presence scattering the storm clouds instantly.
On one side of the barrier:
dark sky, roaring sea, violent magic.
On the other:
clear skies, bright sun, cheers, and hope.
They were Mount Shu's outer disciples and servants—
not even counted among the elites.
Yet here in Teyvat—
They were the brightest stars.
Thousands of blades gleamed in the air.
Most were only at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
But together—
Their combined aura made even the heavens submit.
"Tsk…" Tian Tiezui's voice trembled with awe.
"Look at that… without their permission, not even cloudy weather can enter Liyue. Let alone a demon god."
A boy suddenly began bouncing excitedly, pointing to the sky.
"Look! Look! That's my dad! My dad's a cultivator! He's an outer disciple of Mount Shu!"
"My dad is super strong—he's Foundation Establishment stage!"
The crowd didn't find him annoying.
Instead, they smiled with envy.
His shouts sparked an uproar.
One by one, people recognized loved ones in the sky—
parents, siblings, friends—
all standing guard over Liyue.
A shy girl clutched her mother's hand, gazing up at a young man floating overhead.
"Ah-Su…"
Sensing her gaze, the young man looked down, his eyes full of reassurance.
"I'm here. Don't worry."
The girl blushed.
Her mother chuckled and rubbed her head.
"Don't worry, Li'er. Ah-Su will be fine. He's a cultivator—one of Liyue's protectors."
"M-Mother!"
"What's there to be shy about? You two are getting married soon."
Her mother's eyes softened as she glanced at another figure in the sky.
"You must work hard. Next time Mount Shu opens its gates, we'll join them. Our whole family will cultivate together."
"Mm! We'll all work hard! We'll all cultivate together!"
Many looked over, astonished—
A whole family? Two cultivators?
How enviable.
Longevity and mortality…
This was a problem many began to understand only now.
"Everyone,"
Tianheng-shushu called from above,
"lend me your strength."
These outer disciples and servants couldn't defeat Osial—
but letting them contribute was meaningful.
Protecting Liyue wasn't his duty alone.
Even if—
strictly speaking—
Liyue didn't need protection here.
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
True essence gathered, colorful and vast, reinforcing the golden barrier until it became impenetrable.
Moments later—
More figures arrived from the Jade Chamber.
Beidou scanned the harbor, confirming her ships were unharmed, then exhaled.
"Good. If my ship broke, I'd skin Osial alive."
Everyone laughed.
She stretched lazily.
"Heh, Tianshu—sure stole the spotlight this time."
"Haha, not trying to,"
he chuckled.
"With everyone here, the barrier's easy to maintain."
"What's the plan now?"
Xingqiu cracked his knuckles, excitement gleaming.
"Quick victory? Or use him for spell practice? Personally, wasting such a big sandbag would be a shame."
Not a shred of respect toward the god of the vortex.
Ningguang smiled.
"You don't need to fight Osial. Even weakened, he's still a top-tier demon god—and he's in the sea."
"Most of you are early Essence-Refining stage. You haven't cultivated long. It's still risky."
"Beisht will arrive shortly. She's your sparring partner."
Beidou whistled.
"Beisht, huh? Works for me. So you're taking Osial?"
Ningguang and Keqing exchanged a confident glance.
"Myself, Keqing, Hu Tao, Shenhe, Baizhu—dealing with Osial will be enough."
"All of us have our own trump cards and artifacts."
"And if worst comes to worst, we still have Ganyu."
Ningguang looked toward a certain blue-haired half-qilin, who had been watching the waves with absolute boredom.
"Osial is just a demon god. Ganyu is late Essence-Refining with a spiritual artifact. One move would be enough."
Everyone nodded. It was true.
Osial should be honored to die at their hands.
If he somehow forced them to ask Ganyu for help—
Then they would be embarrassed.
"And those lesser sea beasts?"
Beidou pointed at the approaching horde.
Ningguang arched a brow.
"Those weaklings? Let's not bother."
Her voice suddenly amplified by true essence, echoing across all of Liyue Harbor:
"All martial artists of Liyue—
slaughter every sea beast.
Do not let a single monster set foot upon our land!"
"YES, MA'AM!!"
And just like that—
The entire harbor trembled as Liyue's mortal martial artists surged forth—
Ready to carve open a new chapter in Liyue's legend.
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