"Morax!"
"It was you who sealed me beneath the earth in the past… and now, a thousand years later, it is you again…!"
Azhdaha lowered his head, his voice weak yet filled with resentment.
"You may call it fate, Azhdaha."
Zhongli sighed softly, arms folded across his chest.
"Fate? Fate…!"
"FATE?! Hahaha!!"
Azhdaha raised his head and burst into laughter.
"So this is the will of the gods?"
"You destroy what you deem unnecessary—like butchers trampling across the wilds!"
He glared at Zhongli, fury burning in his eyes.
"When you tried to destroy me just now—"
"Did you feel even the slightest hesitation?!"
"As expected… you and Morax are no different!"
Azhdaha turned toward Qiu Nian, clenching his fists tightly.
"…Hm."
Qiu Nian frowned slightly.
"No. It is you who has forgotten."
At that moment—
Kun Jun's voice came from behind them.
"That voice…"
Paimon turned around, confused.
"Azhdaha…"
Zhongli lowered his head slightly, murmuring.
"K-Kun Jun?!"
Paimon and Lumine stared in shock at Kun Jun, whose body was now surrounded by a gentle white aura.
Kun Jun stepped forward—
Standing between Zhongli and Qiu Nian.
"Just what are you…?"
Azhdaha looked at him, utterly perplexed.
"As you can see, Azhdaha."
Kun Jun folded his arms calmly.
"In the battle just now…"
"You exhausted your power upon us."
Zhongli spoke, his expression complicated.
"Haha… it couldn't be helped."
"That's all I had left."
Azhdaha let out a faint chuckle.
"Then… who is the real Azhdaha?"
"Aren't you Kun Jun?"
Lumine asked, confused.
"My apologies for not revealing the truth sooner, Traveler."
"Some things… I only understood after arriving beneath this tree."
Kun Jun explained gently.
"To be precise…"
"I am not the complete Azhdaha."
"I am but a fragment."
"Heaven and earth, yin and yang—two opposing aspects."
"You may regard me and the dragon over there as such."
"We are both manifestations of Azhdaha's will."
"There are two Azhdahas?!"
Paimon's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked back and forth between them.
"So that's the truth—Kun Jun is also Azhdaha!"
Xuehua finally understood.
[A split consciousness?]
[Yeah, basically]
[Good and evil are only a line apart]
[No wonder Qiu Nian said that sealed one is just a fragment]
[Even a fragment is this strong (facepalm)]
[Both of them are just parts—Azhdaha's true body is the Dragon-Queller Tree above]
[That's insane]
[The real Azhdaha must be hundreds of times bigger—probably larger than Osial]
[Kun Jun's voice sounds so good now]
"It has been a long time, Guixu."
"When did you return to Liyue?"
Kun Jun turned to Qiu Nian.
"It has indeed been long, my friend."
"I returned only a few months ago."
Qiu Nian replied.
"My apologies… you had only just returned, and yet I have caused such trouble."
Kun Jun said apologetically.
"Morax told me that a thousand years ago, you were sealed due to erosion."
"Three thousand years have passed… Liyue has changed beyond recognition."
"And even you… have come to this point."
Qiu Nian said, rare emotion in his tone.
"…Mm."
"It couldn't be helped…"
Kun Jun smiled bitterly.
"No… impossible!"
"Then you must be—?!"
Azhdaha stared at Kun Jun in disbelief.
"When the seal weakened…"
"Your power manifested outside as a child."
"You used that form to tell humans of your resentment—yet none believed you."
Kun Jun looked toward the sealed Azhdaha.
"Then you realized…"
"With the seal weakening, you had an opportunity."
"You abducted miners to dig toward the seal—"
"Planning to break it from both inside and outside."
"How dare you speak such nonsense!"
"If you are truly a part of me—"
"Why do you stand with these two traitors?!"
Azhdaha roared.
"And I…"
"Am the other force awakened when the seal weakened."
"So weak that I could not form a body of my own…"
"I could only attach myself to a human."
"My consciousness was muddled…"
"I could not even remember who I was…"
"I only reacted to things connected to the past…"
"My sole purpose—"
"Was to find Morax…"
"And have him stop you."
Kun Jun turned toward Zhongli.
"If your strength had been greater…"
"I would have recognized you sooner."
"Rather than only realizing something was wrong when you mentioned the Dragon-Quelling Stone."
Zhongli said with a faint smile.
"I do not blame you."
"I had already become unrecognizable."
"It was only after touching that ancient stone tablet…"
"That I remembered everything."
Kun Jun smiled.
"…Why do I feel like I'm completely unnecessary here?"
Xuehua stared at Qiu Nian, Zhongli, and Kun Jun.
Lumine and Paimon suddenly felt like background characters.
[Yeah, totally unnecessary hahaha]
[No way to even join the conversation]
[New ship?]
[What new ship? Zhongli x Qiu Nian is the real one!]
[Why not Qiu Nian x Azhdaha? (smirk)]
[No, my friend—that's cursed (facepalm)]
"It has been far too long…"
"Secrets unknown to both young humans and ancient dragons…"
Kun Jun lifted his head, filled with emotion.
Then he looked at Zhongli.
"Morax—shall you tell it, or shall I?"
"It matters not. The choice is yours."
Zhongli replied calmly.
"Haha… you haven't changed at all."
"Very well, I will speak."
Kun Jun chuckled lightly.
Enjoyed these chapters? Access advanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?