Witnessing Osial's desperate move, Su Bai was somewhat baffled. This massive god didn't seem to follow any logic. Knowing he was about to be sealed, he still chose to sacrifice part of his power. Had centuries of imprisonment addled his mind?
Wait. That sacrificed power seemed to be getting absorbed by the monsters. Sensing that the monsters in Liyue Harbor had broken through his formation, Su Bai drew in a sharp breath. He finally understood what this giant octopus was planning.
The creature had given up on breaking free and was instead determined to drag the entire city of Liyue down with him. Such cruelty. Feeling the overwhelming divine energy surging through Liyue Harbor, Su Bai's heart sank. His remaining adeptal energy was nowhere near enough.
"Rex Lapis, couldn't you have created a seal that couldn't be broken? Now look what's happened. If we can't fix this, Liyue is heading straight for disaster."
Standing in front of Wangsheng, Zhongli's expression had also darkened. As Liyue's god, he was furious at Osial's intent to destroy the city. A thousand years of imprisonment had clearly taught Osial nothing.
"Perhaps I should have a proper conversation with Osial when this is over."
...
On the beach near Liyue Harbor, the constant sounds of roaring and clashing weapons made Su Bai's hands falter for a moment, nearly causing him to make a mistake.
Sensing life after life fading in Liyue Harbor, Su Bai's heart was in agony. But he felt helpless. As an eighteen-year-old adeptus, he was still too inexperienced.
After searching his mind for a solution and finding only one, Su Bai let out a resigned sigh. Truly, you never know what you need until it's gone. The next time he took human form, he would have to read more.
"I hope this leaves me with at least some of my foundation. I don't want to spend years asleep, dazed and confused."
Despite his complaints, specks of white light began to emerge from his body. From a distance, they looked like countless fireflies dancing around him.
Scaramouche frowned. His instincts told him these white specks weren't the power of a Delusion. He sensed something gentle yet commanding within them.
"Heh, it seems little Bai has some hidden tricks after all."
These two seemingly incompatible qualities intertwined in a way that intrigued Scaramouche. This power appeared far stronger than the Delusions.
Still, strong as it was, Scaramouche doubted it could match the power of a god. Having witnessed divine power firsthand, his expectations had been raised. Now, nothing short of a Gnosis could satisfy him.
Thinking of that world-destroying power and its limitless potential, a flicker of greed passed through Scaramouche's eyes. That was the power he truly craved.
If Su Bai knew what Scaramouche was thinking, he would have shown him exactly what an "adeptal energy explosion" looked like. Right now, however, the specks of light around Su Bai were growing in number.
Under his control, the scattered lights drifted toward Liyue Harbor. From a distance, it looked like a white bridge stretching from the beach to the city.
"Old Wang, why do you have a glowing tail behind you?"
"Huh?"
The Millelith soldier called Old Wang turned to look. The white specks floating in the air had gathered behind him, forming a tail.
"Wait, Old Zhang, you've got one too! Old Zhang, don't you feel full of energy?"
Old Wang thrust his White Tassel and burst a Slime. The arm that had been aching moments ago now felt fine, and even his wounds were slowly healing.
This change wasn't limited to just them. Nearly every Millelith soldier on the battlefield had grown a glowing tail. Even those using Delusions felt their bodies grow lighter.
With this sudden buff, many soldiers stopped using their Delusions. With this boost alone, they were confident they could crush the monsters.
Xingqiu and Chongyun, healed by the light, rose to their feet once more. Empowered, they had no doubt they could pin that Frostarm Lawachurl to the ground and grind it into dust.
On other fronts, Xiangling, now empowered, picked up a spear and spun out two fiery wheels. These blazing rings turned into meat grinders on the battlefield, leaving nothing but monster screams and elemental reactions in their wake.
Yun Jin swung her spear so fast it became a blur. Under Su Bai's enhancement, she felt no stamina drain. Since her Geo abilities lacked powerful offensive moves, she abandoned elemental attacks altogether and went full physical damage.
It was during this battle that Yun Jin saw the potential of a physical-based fighting style. Later, she would go on to develop techniques that enhanced attack speed.
As for Mona, she quickly realized her Hydro attacks did little more than tickle the monsters. So she simply grabbed her Wandering Evenstar and started smacking them on the head. To her surprise, it was much simpler than Hydro manipulation. Quite a few monsters were turned into alchemical materials under her assault.
Near Yujing Terrace, Yanfei was feeling frustrated. She still couldn't leave her post. Though most of the monsters here had been dealt with, stragglers could still appear at any moment.
"Yanfei, what are you doing here? Do you know where I can find some monsters?"
"Hu Tao, you're just in time! Watch Yujing Terrace for me. I'm going to help the Millelith with the monsters. I'll leave this to you!"
"Hey, hey! I haven't agreed to—"
Watching Yanfei run off, Hu Tao stomped her foot in frustration. She had finally gotten a taste of the buff and was eager to try it out, only to be saddled with guard duty.
Despite her complaints, Hu Tao understood the importance of Yujing Terrace. She didn't let her guard down. But the monsters didn't care about importance. Though Yanfei had eliminated many, the creatures drawn by Osial's power wouldn't give up so easily.
When she saw the flood of monsters pouring into the path, Hu Tao was overjoyed. This was far more convenient than hunting them down herself! With a flourish of her Staff of Homa, she charged straight into the horde. With the buff on her side, she felt confident enough to fight her way in and out seven times over.
On the remaining fronts, counterattacks began in earnest. Empowered, the Millelith matched the monsters in both strength and speed. The creatures stood no chance. With their superior combat skills, the soldiers could easily take on three at a time.