Youquan never imagined he would fall in such a manner. The moment the golden Saintly Blade pierced his chest, he was completely paralyzed. His body began to dissolve, the weapon acting as a natural bane to his very existence. Every dark art, every blood-soaked secret he possessed, flickered and died within that holy radiance.
As his primordial spirit withered into nothingness, the Great Demon Lord of the Blood Spring finally perished, never understanding how a master of this caliber existed in the mortal realm.
Zhongli sheathed the golden blade and drifted back to the mountain peak. Li Yingqi rushed forward, her eyes wide. "Senior... is the enemy dead?"
"One is," Zhongli replied calmly. "But another has fled. You should return to the ruins of Emei and regroup. I shall hunt down the straggler."
Li Yingqi was stunned. "The Blood Demon? He escaped? When?"
"Just now. While I was dealing with Youquan."
Dan Chenzi, standing nearby, looked confused. "If Senior knew he was fleeing, why let him go?"
"Dealing with them while they were fused would have required... more elaborate measures," Zhongli explained, his voice like grinding stone. "Separated, they are trivial."
In truth, Zhongli had sensed the Blood Demon's small movements from the start. He simply preferred to dismantle them one by one. With a nod, he transformed into a golden streak of light, surging toward the south at a speed that put the Twin Swords to shame.
[The Owl and the Dragon]
Hundreds of miles away, the Blood Demon was frantically weaving through a dense forest. He had transformed his physical presence into a blur of crimson light, but his primordial spirit was hiding inside a common owl perched on a branch.
"Youquan, you useless fool! You couldn't even buy me five minutes? Now I'm the one being hunted!" the demon cursed inwardly.
Suddenly, his thoughts froze. A man was standing on the branch directly across from him. An owl and a man, staring at each other in the moonlight.
"Hmm," Zhongli mused, a hint of mischief in his golden eyes. "This owl is quite strange. I recall owls go 'Hoo-hoo,' yet you seem to be holding your breath."
Extremely tense, the Blood Demon instinctively let out a cry. "Coo... coo..."
The silence that followed was deafening. The demon wanted to slap himself. Cooing? That's a pigeon!
Zhongli chuckled. Spending so much time around Su Han had clearly rubbed off on him; he found he quite enjoyed a bit of irony.
"You're playing with me!" The Blood Demon's spirit erupted from the owl, lunging toward Zhongli to possess him. But he hadn't even closed the distance before a golden barrier sent him reeling back.
"Do not bother. With the Xuanyuan Sword here, your efforts are meaningless. Accept your contract with fate."
"Cough... it's our bad luck to meet you," the demon hissed. "I never thought this world hid a real—"
Before the word "Dragon" could leave his lips, the Xuanyuan Sword transfixed his soul.
[Ding! Special Mission Complete. Reward: 1,000,000 Points.]
[Prompt: You may return immediately or stay for two hours.]
Zhongli chose to stay. He looked at the surrounding mountains—the former site of the Kunlun Sect—and noticed the lingering spiritual energy. It would be a waste to leave this behind, he thought. Using his divine authority, he literally "plucked" the spiritual heart of the mountain range to bring back as a souvenir.
[The Invitation]
When Zhongli returned to the base of Mt. Emei, he found the survivors in despair.
"Senior... Emei has collapsed," Li Yingqi said, her voice hollow. "The battle destroyed the peaks and drained the ley lines. My junior brothers believe it is better to enter the mundane world than to seek a path that no longer exists. Even the spiritual energy is gone."
Dan Chenzi intended to stay as a guardian of the ruins, but Li Yingqi and Lian Xing were left adrift.
Zhongli looked at the young pair. They were powerful, disciplined, and possessed a strength that rivaled the Yakshas. "Would you care to follow me? My world is rich with elemental energy. You could become masters of your own domains there. You may even re-establish your sect—provided you follow our laws."
Lian Xing, ever the restless soul, grinned immediately. "I'm in! Anything is better than staying in this graveyard!"
Li Yingqi hesitated, then nodded. She would carry the spark of Emei to a new world. As a parting gift, Dan Chenzi handed them a flickering flame he'd found in the rubble: the Nanming Primordial Fire.
[Return to Teyvat]
Back on the World Tree, Zhongli released the two newcomers and returned the Xuanyuan Sword to Su Han.
"Returned to its rightful owner," Zhongli said with a nod. "I'll be taking my leave now."
Su Han felt the sword hum happily in his hand. It had missed its master. "Rest now," he whispered to the blade, sending it flying back toward its pedestal in Liyue Harbor.
Su Han then turned to the guests. "Welcome. Rest here for now while we arrange a permanent residence for you."
Once they were alone, the core members began sorting the "loot." Aside from the million points, Zhongli had brought back an entire mountain of ancient flying swords and the complete archives of the Emei Sect.
"This 'Sword Peak' can be our new training ground," Su Han suggested. "A place where aspiring warriors must earn the recognition of a blade to join our elite ranks."
"Where should we put it?" Rosalyne asked. "Liyue's mountains are already crowded."
"It needs to be accessible to all three nations," Yae Miko added.
Ningguang pointed to a spot on the map: Sal Terrae (The Salt Lands). "Since the God of Salt is long gone, that area is largely abandoned. We can drop the Sword Peak there. It's central, easy to defend, and the military can oversee the recruitment trials directly."
The plan was set. Teyvat had just gained its first true "Sect," and Liyue's strength was about to reach heights that even the heavens would fear.
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