"This is way too cool!"
Xuehua stared at Zhongli's back, completely speechless from how awe-inspiring he looked.
[This is what you call security]
[Smoke clears, no one's hurt]
[That Zhongli is at least C2, shielding teammates]
[At least? This is way beyond that (facepalm)]
"Just as Guixu said—"
"The one before us is merely a fragment of him."
After speaking, Zhongli's eyes glowed faintly with golden light.
He raised his hand slightly—
And with a gentle motion—
A massive, radiant meteor descended from the heavens.
"Morax!"
"Do you truly intend to destroy me?!"
Azhdaha roared in fury, staring up at the falling star.
The blinding light forced Lumine and Paimon to shut their eyes tightly.
The background music swelled to a climax.
With a flash of brilliance—
And a thunderous impact—
Azhdaha's pained roar echoed.
The Dragon-Queller Tree trembled violently.
Even the Millelith stationed outside the Chasm felt the tremor.
"W-what just happened?"
Two soldiers muttered in shock.
As the light faded—
The entire underground space had been blasted into a massive crater.
At the center—
Azhdaha, having taken the full force of the meteor—
Shook his enormous head—
And slowly stood back up.
"Ugh…!"
"You betrayed me… and now you betray me again?!"
He glared at Zhongli, standing at the edge of the crater.
"If that is how you see it… then so be it."
"The one who bears memory must also bear the weight of truth."
"That is only natural."
Zhongli closed his eyes briefly and sighed.
"G-good heavens…"
Paimon stood at the crater's edge, her scalp tingling from shock.
"That attack just now…"
"Was that really just a casual strike from Zhongli?"
Lumine stared at his back, her mouth slightly open.
Goosebumps covered her skin.
The impact of that moment—
Was no less than Qiu Nian's battle against the Blindfolded God.
Yet Qiu Nian remained calm—
His expression unchanged.
Xuehua sat frozen, mouth agape.
The livestream chat exploded with reactions.
[HOLY—Rex Lapis is insane!]
[A casual wave of his hand made THAT crater?!]
[That meteor was huge! Why can't my Zhongli do that?!]
[Isn't he supposed to be a shield support, miHoYo?!]
[He just casually knocked Azhdaha down (facepalm)]
[The budget is BACK!]
[99% of Teyvat wouldn't survive that hit (facepalm)]
[Survive? They'd be dust (laughing)]
[And 99% couldn't survive Qiu Nian's kick either]
[Facts (laughing)]
[This is one of the Seven Archons—the Geo Archon!]
[Think about Guyun Stone Forest—he held back]
[Betrayal? Is there some hidden history here? (smirk)]
[Even the Millelith outside felt that shockwave?!]
[He's just too damn cool!]
[Anyone who said Zhongli is weak without his Gnosis—come out!]
[And Venti got his Gnosis stolen just like that? Seriously?]
"…Though no longer at his peak…"
"His power now still surpasses that of the Archon War era."
Kun Jun murmured internally as he looked at Zhongli.
Qiu Nian glanced at Azhdaha below—
Then at Zhongli.
Still holding back, huh?
If not for the risk of collapsing the entire underground space—
And affecting the true seal—
That strike alone would have been enough to completely erase this fragment.
Of course—
There was also the bond between Morax and Azhdaha.
"He is already weakened."
"Morax—if you cannot bring yourself to finish this…"
"Then allow me."
Qiu Nian said calmly, turning toward Zhongli.
Zhongli sighed, his expression complicated.
But he said nothing—
As if silently agreeing.
"Oh my god, I ship them so hard!"
"Even injured, Qiu Nian is stepping in for Rex Lapis!"
Xuehua was nearly in tears.
[This is peak!]
[The Zhongli x Qiu Nian fans are FEASTING (crying)]
[What kind of divine friendship is this?!]
Qiu Nian raised one hand.
White-and-crimson divine power surged around him.
At the same time—
The same aura began to appear on Azhdaha's body.
"Guixu—you?!"
Azhdaha's voice filled with disbelief.
"Why…"
"Why do all of you… betray me…"
He looked at Zhongli and Qiu Nian, his tone heavy with pain.
Qiu Nian said nothing.
His expression remained calm.
He turned his palm—
And gently clenched it.
In an instant—
Azhdaha's massive body shattered—
Into countless fragments of pale golden light.
[WHAT?! One-shot?! And you call this injured?!]
[Guys, here's a joke: "severely injured" (laughing)]
[To be fair, Azhdaha was already weakened]
[He may be injured, but that doesn't mean he's weak (facepalm)]
["I got weaker—but that doesn't mean you got stronger"]
[Is it just me, or does Azhdaha sound… wronged?]
[Wait… are they really killing him?!]
[Wasn't this just a fragment?]
Zhongli raised his hand.
Massive stone pillars surged upward—
Forming a circular barrier within the crater.
The pillars connected—
Creating a vast golden seal.
Ancient runes and symbols shimmered across it—
Trapping the fragments inside.
The fragments gathered—
And took the form of the blue-haired girl once more.
Dark energy still surrounded her.
"Go… see him."
Qiu Nian said softly.
He and Zhongli descended together—
Approaching the barrier.
Lumine and Paimon followed.
At the same time—
White energy began to rise from Kun Jun's body.
"…Mm."
He looked at his own hand—
Then walked forward as well.
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