The people of Liyue had flooded into every street and alley, speaking in a state of extreme panic.
Liyue hadn't faced such an invasion for hundreds—no, thousands—of years.
And now, the Geo Archon was gravely injured and unable to fight.
It was, more or less, a case of a dragon without its head.
But then—suddenly—the high-hanging Jade Chamber began to move, slowly floating toward the harbor to confront the first wave of the approaching storm.
In the silence, that first sign of motion drew every eye.
Yet, the fear in the hearts of Liyue's people had not subsided.
This was a god attacking. No matter how capable the Qixing were, how could they possibly stand against a god?
The people cried out in despair.
Elders urged their grandchildren to flee quickly—
They themselves were too old and unwilling to leave their homeland.
But the youth, sweating nervously, gripped their weapons in preparation.
Liyue Harbor was their home, and no one was willing to give it up so easily.
Just as confusion and panic took over the crowd—
Ningguang, standing atop the Jade Chamber, turned slightly.
Madame Ping smiled as she channeled adeptal energy, activating the communication gem in Ningguang's hand.
> "People of Liyue…"
Ningguang's voice spread calmly across the entire city of Liyue Harbor.
Though many believed the Qixing could do little in such a large-scale conflict, hearing Ningguang's voice gave the people a strange sense of comfort.
> "The sea god Osial has broken free from his seal. The Archon was gravely injured during the Rite of Descension and remains unconscious. I understand your fear."
> "But there is no need for it. Liyue is no longer the same Liyue of a thousand years ago. We now possess the strength to defend ourselves."
> "Citizens of Liyue, look to the high places and witness…"
> "Today, this god shall become the centerpiece of a truly dazzling drama."
> "Today, Liyue shall show all of Teyvat her power!"
> "I know Liyue's recent changes have attracted much attention."
> "But remember—what you've seen so far is only the surface. Our true strength… should be etched into your hearts."
> "Now… watch carefully, and see Liyue for who she really is."
Ningguang's eyes flashed with golden brilliance, her voice becoming more radiant and commanding.
In Liyue Harbor, both the citizens and the foreign merchants stood frozen, confused and uncertain—
Listening to Ningguang's confident declaration.
How could a Liyue without the Geo Archon dare to speak with such conviction in the face of a god?
But before anyone could question it further,
Ningguang spoke again—
> "Millelith Heavy Cavalry—form the First Defensive Line at the harbor!"
> "Yes, ma'am!"
The booming reply echoed across the harbor.
In the next moment, the entire city shook.
Fully armored heavy cavalry stormed out in unison.
For both foreigners and Liyue citizens alike, this was the first time witnessing such a massive formation of heavy cavalry.
Over a thousand strong—
Warhorses clad in full armor, soldiers in enchanted iron suits—
Standing at the harbor's edge, they looked like mobile steel fortresses.
Even the roaring storm seemed to falter in their presence.
> "Millelith Light Infantry—form the Second Defensive Line!"
Another group of soldiers emerged, their bodies glowing with alchemical enchantments and peculiar bubbling effects.
Iron armor enchanted, standardized longswords in hand—
They, too, gleamed with magical light.
Two thousand soldiers lined up behind the heavy cavalry.
Dozens of trained war wolves crouched at their feet.
A strange sense of calm and reassurance swept through the people.
The sheer force of presence seemed enough to disperse even the darkest clouds in the sky.
Everyone had assumed that Liyue's "trump card" was a thousand elite troops—
But no one expected it to be this many.
And suddenly—
The belief that Liyue could still turn the tide became a real possibility.
But Ningguang didn't stop there.
> "Millelith Firearms Division—take position!"
In that moment, everyone saw them—
The soldiers in standard uniforms of the Millelith, previously thought to be ordinary—
Each took a swig from a special alchemical vial.
Then, they pulled out unfamiliar, jet-black weapons from their gear.
With synchronized steps, they marched into formation on the third defensive line.
The dark muzzles of their weapons exuded an aura of pure death.
Ningguang gave a small smile and turned to glance at Ryen behind her.
> "People of Liyue—look closely. The Geo Archon is not your only pillar. Liyue holds countless hidden legacies."
> "Dragon Legion—take flight!"
A thunderous roar of dragons echoed from the base of Mt. Tianheng.
In the next moment, over twenty dragons soared into the sky in unison.
Thanks to Teyvat's unique laws, these dragons had grown larger and more powerful over time—
Each now roughly two-thirds the size of Dvalin.
Flapping their massive wings, they circled the Jade Chamber, casting shadows so vast they seemed to cover the heavens.
Their terrifying pressure left all onlookers breathless.
The stronger the observer, the more they could sense how deadly these dragons were.
At the Northland Bank, both Tartaglia and Rosalyne were dumbfounded.
They looked up at the neatly assembled dragon squadron, mouths agape.
They had assumed Liyue was strong—
They even thought the firearms division was Liyue's ultimate trump card.
Just the sight of those unfamiliar weapons had already made them feel a dangerous chill.
And with over a thousand troops, that power would be devastating…
But now—
Twenty dragons had appeared on top of that?
What in the world was this?
Each of these dragons had already reached the strength of a divine beast—close to the level of a god's envoy.
How had Liyue raised so many of them?
And that wasn't even the end…
Why are there even skeletal dragons?
Elemental dragons of four elements could still be explained—maybe it was a difficult collection effort.
But what about the other four?
What kind of elements were those supposed to be?
Tartaglia stood there utterly dumbfounded.
> "Back when you were in Mondstadt… did you ever see so many dragons?"
At those words, Rosalyne fell silent and shook her head.
If Mondstadt had had this many dragons—each as powerful as a god's favored creature—how could there have been so many casualties back then?
> "This has to be all of them, right?"
Tartaglia looked up at the Jade Chamber and sighed.
> "Why does Liyue have so many strange and terrifying things now... No wonder Zhongli said the difficulty of this test had to be increased."
> "If it were just Osial, he'd be sealed again with ease…"
Rosalyne pressed her lips together, unease creeping into her expression.
> "They're… not done yet."
The next moment, Ningguang's voice echoed again.
> "Liyue Fleet, set sail! Redstone Cannons, prepare to fire!"
Far across the sea, five massive ironclad warships broke through the towering waves and positioned themselves in formation far out from the port.
Forged entirely from indestructible metal, every movement of the ships resounded with the distinct mechanical sounds of redstone technology.
Each warship was over 100 meters long.
All five lined up across the sea, standing like floating fortresses—utterly unshakable, no matter how violent the storm.
These were crafted after Ningguang and Ryen studied redstone technology and had Liyue's Forging Division reengineer it for use in Teyvat.
Though not as agile as normal vessels, they could still move laterally, or even turn around.
But for ironclad ships with an indestructible frame and Minecraft-like properties…
This was true dimensional superiority—a terrifying trump card.
> "Jade Chamber—Redstone Automated Cannons, activate! Target: the sea!"
Baiwen and the others, already prepared, inserted their levers, and the Jade Chamber slowly descended to about 200 meters above sea level.
Finally, the people of Liyue Harbor could see clearly.
All around the Jade Chamber's edges were dense clusters of strange cube-shaped structures. Behind each one stood a person gripping a lever.
> "Now comes the final step…"
Ningguang took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Ganyu and the others. Each took out a beacon crystal and stepped onto its activation base.
> "Beacons, activate! Prepare to strike!"
In the next instant, five blinding pillars of light burst from the Jade Chamber, piercing the oppressive black clouds above.
Brilliant white beams ignited the sky, as if five suns had taken root in midair.
The clouds had been so thick they'd darkened Liyue Harbor—
But once the beacons were lit, daylight returned, and clarity with it.
A stunned Liyue citizen cried out, staring in disbelief at their own hand:
> "I… why do I feel so powerful?!"
That shout snapped everyone out of their shock.
They looked at themselves in awe.
With a single leap, some soared over ten meters, landing effortlessly on rooftops.
A few steps covered a hundred meters.
One accidental punch against a wall sent it crumbling down in a cloud of dust.
Seeing this, Ningguang chuckled wryly.
Liyue hadn't even been damaged by monsters yet, and it was already being torn apart by its own people.
Hurriedly, she raised her voice:
> "Calm down! This is the power of the beacons!"
> "People of Liyue, you've temporarily received a boost equal to a second-tier Millelith alchemical enhancement."
> "You now have the strength to stand alongside anyone to protect Liyue!"
> "Pick up your weapons—and defend our home together!"
The sea monsters were already drawing near.
But the fear was gone. Entirely gone.
The people of Liyue now understood—
Why the Millelith had looked excited at the prospect of war.
They couldn't blame them.
With this kind of power coursing through them, anyone would need to let it out—or risk going mad.
Monsters?
What monsters?
Right now, more than ten thousand people—Millelith and citizens alike—had gathered near the Jade Chamber.
And each one now had strength comparable to the powerful beings of Teyvat.
Even the foreign visitors stopped running.
Seeing the once-average Liyue people now casually punching through walls—
They whooped and sprinted toward the harbor, eager to join the fight.
Monster invasion? Sea beasts?
Who cared!
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to feel the power of a Genshin character!
Unfortunately for them, the beacon's effects only worked on those from Liyue Harbor.
The others could only sigh and retreat in envy.
As for complaints?
No one dared.
The people of Liyue were so fired up, they looked ready to brawl anyone on sight.
Even the skinny little kids were yanking iron gates off their hinges and swinging them like clubs.
One solid punch from one of these 5'8"-tall "kids," and you'd be vaporized.
Tartaglia and Rosalyne had left the Northland Bank and were watching the situation unfold from a short distance away.
Seeing every Liyue citizen able to split stone with their bare hands, Tartaglia's lips twitched.
> "I knew Liyue would be strong… but how did it reach this level?!"
He truly believed that even if he activated his Foul Legacy's final phase, he still wouldn't escape alive from this.
> "This is terrifying…"
Rosalyne's fists clenched, fear clearly written across her face.
> "But doesn't this prove that cooperating with Liyue is the only way to give our Queen a real chance?"
> "Cooperation! We must cooperate!"
Tartaglia's gaze locked onto the Jade Chamber above—
Once merely a symbolic structure of political power.
Now, it had become an indestructible fortress.
So it was possible…
People really could reach this level!
Back on the Jade Chamber, Ningguang turned to everyone with a radiant smile.
She waved her hand and seated herself grandly in the highest seat.
> "Everyone, shall we enjoy the moment Liyue finally reveals her edge to the world?"
The Adepti exchanged glances—and burst into laughter.
> "It would be our honor!"
Ningguang raised the gem in her hand, issuing one final command:
> "All Millelith, all citizens of Liyue! As long as your lives are protected—"
> "Commence unrestricted assault!"
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