"They're moving! Lady Ningguang and the others are moving!"
The moment Ningguang and her group shot into action, every gaze in Liyue Harbor snapped toward them.
The citizens—who had just been sitting on their stools enjoying the martial artists' battles like a leisurely afternoon show—instantly leapt to their feet, eyes burning with excitement as they watched the cultivators streak across the sky toward Osial and Beisht.
Just minutes ago, the martial forces had been the center of attention.
Now?
They were mere decoration for the true main act.
"I knew it! Lady Ningguang would never be afraid of a measly demon god! She was just waiting for Osial's reinforcement—planning to take them both down at once!"
"But—but two demon gods… can they really handle that?"
"What nonsense! They're cultivators! Inner disciples of Mount Shu! How could two demon gods possibly trouble them?"
"Yes! Just look at their expressions—so calm, so unhurried. They didn't even call the Adepti out. Clearly, they don't take demon gods seriously at all!"
"Don't talk—record it! This is the first time we're witnessing a cultivator battle of this scale!"
"Finally… we'll see with our own eyes just how powerful cultivators truly are!"
"Today will become the most magnificent page in Liyue's history! We are the witnesses of a new era!"
"Liyue forever!"
The fear they felt when Osial first appeared?
Gone—completely gone.
Back then they were still panicking over Rex Lapis' abdication.
They had completely forgotten about the existence of cultivators.
Now…
There was nothing to fear.
Osial and Beisht exchanged low, rumbling cries.
Then, as they turned their ferocity toward Liyue—
Just before Osial could gather his divine might—
A cold, ethereal voice rang out.
"Taishang Star, unceasing in change—expel evil and bind demons—let the Dao endure eternally.
Seven-Slay Command—Break!"
A thin thread of light burst from Shenhe's fingertip.
In the blink of an eye—
It expanded into a colossal sword of pure radiance, spanning the heavens—
And pierced straight through one of Osial's heads.
It didn't explode loudly.
Instead—
A ten-mile stretch of the sea simply vanished.
Silently.
Cleanly.
Obliterated.
The ocean buckled inward from the vacuum, surging back chaotically—dragging untold sea creatures into oblivion as the water collapsed.
This was Shenhe's first time using the Divine Ghost Seven-Slay Command since two months of bitter seclusion.
With one strike—
Liyue Harbor fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared upward.
At the lone woman standing beneath torn clouds and harsh stormlight—
Clad in flowing white robes, wreathed in a silent halo—
A single shaft of sunlight piercing the clouds to fall upon her—
As if she were ascending on the spot.
This was the Divine Ghost Seven-Slay Command, famous across the cultivation world for its terror.
Today, the world finally saw why.
Beisht, caught in the shockwave, had already been sent flying.
Osial screamed in agony, one head blown clean off.
The waves he raised—towering hundreds of meters high—crashed toward Liyue.
But Shenhe simply lifted her hand—
And pressed down.
A titanic palm imprint manifested on the sea surface.
The raging tsunami… quietly flattened.
As obedient as a tamed puppy.
Even Ningguang, who had mentally prepared herself, couldn't help but tremble in awe.
"No wonder Master once said…the Divine Ghost Seven-Slay is the most like a demonic art among Daoist methods—its destructive power is simply terrifying."
"And that was just the first technique. If Shenhe used any of the others… we wouldn't even get a chance to fight."
Shenhe turned back, saw Ningguang's intent, and lowered her hand, withdrawing her true essence.
Everyone—even cultivators—needed room to train.
In truth, most late-Essence-Refining cultivators simply couldn't harm Osial so easily.
But Shenhe—
She wasn't "most."
With her innate Pure Yin body, the Su-Nu Technique, and the Seven-Slay Command layered atop each other—
Her actual combat power exceeded most divine-body prodigies.
So much so that even a weaker Essence-Refining peak expert might end up gravely injured fighting her.
To Jiang Yan, Shenhe was effectively the fourth divine-body genius of Mount Shu.
Not a divine body… but stronger than one.
"Shenhe is way too strong! Ningguang, you work on the same peak—did you really not know?"
Keqing whispered in disbelief.
Ningguang gave a helpless smile.
"Shenhe always secludes herself. Unless Master summons her, she hardly leaves her room."
"I knew the commotion during her cultivation was big… but I didn't expect her Seven-Slay Command to be this absurd."
"Anyway, this isn't the time to be stunned. Shenhe will hold back now. Let's make use of this chance to gain some combat experience."
Keqing nodded—still shaken.
There was no doubt—
Shenhe would become one of Mount Shu's pillars in the future.
Silent for years—
A single move, and she shocked the world.
—
Back in Liyue Harbor, the citizens were still petrified.
Eventually, someone whispered:
"Scholar Han… you know the most about the Geo Lord. How would you compare Lady Shenhe's attack to the Emperor's?"
Scholar Han froze, stammered, then said weakly:
"T-This isn't a fair comparison. The Emperor is a cultivator now—and the Head of Dragon-Head Peak! Lady Shenhe is strong, but she definitely can't surpass the Emperor."
At once, Chongyun's mother turned around with a frown.
"How can you say that? Shenhe is the future Peak Master of Xiaozhu Peak—she's only late Essence-Refining!"
"The Emperor is already late Spirit-Refining! They're a whole realm apart. How can you compare them?"
"What people meant was—the pre-cultivation Emperor versus Shenhe."
Scholar Han swallowed hard.
When he saw it was Chongyun's family speaking, he wisely fell silent before sighing:
"…If we're comparing before the Emperor cultivated… then yes.
Based on what I just saw… Lady Shenhe would definitely have the advantage."
Only then did Chongyun's mother smile again.
After all—
Shenhe was her family's only living relative besides Chongyun.
And now?
A future Peak Master of Mount Shu.
No one could slander her.
The families around them watched with envy.
Two geniuses from one family—
And their relative was a monster like Shenhe.
It was impossible not to be jealous.
Meanwhile, everyone's eyes returned to the battlefield.
Shenhe had stopped attacking—
But no one thought she was exhausted.
Considering she had just flattened a tsunami like it was nothing—
If she attacked again, Osial wouldn't last five minutes.
And honestly—
Wouldn't that be a waste?
A demon god was an incredibly rare training dummy.
If Shenhe killed it instantly, the rest would lose their opportunity.
Besides—
Liyue still had someone else watching over them.
High above, seated calmly atop the Spirit-Refining early-stage azure luan—
Was Ganyu.
As long as she was there…
Nothing could overturn Liyue Harbor.
—
Ningguang surveyed the battlefield.
Osial's severed head wasn't regenerating—
The Seven-Slay Command's viciousness was no joke.
But Shenhe had already struck.
Now it was their turn.
She raised her hand; true essence swirled and formed talismans crackling with pale golden lightning.
They scattered across Osial's body like falling petals.
"Five Calamities Heavenly Thunder Talisman—descend!"
Above them, the storm clouds roared—
Countless lightning serpents burst forth, wrapping Osial completely.
The smell of roasted seafood drifted through the harbor on the sea breeze.
For a long moment—
Silence.
Then someone's stomach growled loudly.
A hand timidly went up.
"…Anyone want grilled squid?"
"Give me two skewers!!"
To read 220+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554