"Die! I'll kill every last one of you!!!!"
Morax was consumed entirely by bloodlust.
A storm of razor-sharp rocks rained down around the Guyun Stone Forest. Alongside the rocky downpour, tens of thousands of arrows fell from the sky like a deadly rain.
Morax unleashed power surpassing even his peak, taking on eighteen Ancient Gods alone and cutting down ten through sheer force.
Just as he prepared to finish the rest, countless monsters surged from the depths of the ocean, gathering toward him. Their strength exceeded even his expectations. By his estimation, the strongest among them possessed the might of mid- to lower-tier Ancient Gods.
Beyond those few dozen elites, the vast number of ordinary monsters was overwhelming, spreading across nearly half the sea. To prevent them from invading Liyue, Morax drew them all toward the Guyun Stone Forest.
After struggling bitterly to slay ten Ancient Gods, he now faced a dozen Abyssal Fiends with power to rival them. Gone was the dignified and composed figure of Morax. His hair was disheveled, his clothes torn, though his body remained uninjured.
The fading auras of the five Yakshas brought him agony that pierced to the bone and drained his very soul. Even now, he did not understand the source of this strange power—nor how it had brought such a terrible calamity.
Even if Azhdaha had not been sealed—unharmed and uncorrupted—they still might not have been able to withstand this threat. There were simply too many. Their numbers alone inspired despair.
"Emperor Rex Lapis… you must hold on!"
"Believe in our Emperor! He can do it!"
"But… there are just too many! They're piling up like mountains across the sea!"
"It's fine! We'll get through this somehow!"
The people of Liyue stared anxiously toward the distant ocean, their hearts heavy with fear. In the past, Morax would have already ended such a battle. Yet now, he seemed trapped, unable to bring it to a close.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From behind Tianheng Mountain came the thunderous sound of footsteps, each one pounding like a hammer upon their hearts.
Boom!
Crack…
A violent crash echoed out as fractures spread rapidly across the protective barrier. Panic swept through the crowd. They turned and rushed toward the back of Tianheng Mountain.
When they saw the scene before them, their eyes widened in horror, their pupils trembling as disbelief froze them in place. A colossal Ancient God was ramming the barrier protecting Liyue again and again.
"That monster… it's back. That means…" a man muttered, stumbling back a step, his eyes filled with despair.
The massive explosion they'd heard earlier—they had thought it came from the Adepti battling the monsters. They never realized that blast was the Yakshas' final act of self-sacrifice.
They had seen with their own eyes how the five Yakshas drove away twelve Ancient Gods, believing the Adepti to possess such endless might. They had no idea how much power the Yakshas had burned away to make that miracle happen.
Even so, their sacrifice had only destroyed eleven of the Ancient Gods. One remained—and it now struck relentlessly at the barrier, intent on crushing Liyue beneath its rage.
Crack…
Crack…
More fractures spread across the protective shield.
"Keqing! Gather everyone defending around Liyue Harbor and bring them here—along with the Guizhong Machines!"
At once, Ningguang, the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing, issued her command. Only one Ancient God remained. If they gave everything they had, they might still stand a chance. It was better than waiting to die.
Only those who possessed Visions could operate the Guizhong Machines—but even they could not wield their full power. Only the Adepti and Guizhong herself could unleash their complete potential. The others could manage at most half.
Within the barrier, those who could operate the Guizhong Machines fired relentlessly at the monsters swarming from every direction. At Ningguang's call, all fifty operators gathered behind Tianheng Mountain and stabilized the machines into firing position.
"Fire!"
At her command, fifty Guizhong Machines unleashed an overwhelming barrage of energy, striking the colossal Ancient God square in the torso. A massive hole burst open in its abdomen, and purple fluid poured down its monstrous body.
Though it wasn't a fatal wound, it proved their attack could harm it. Yet even with its belly torn open, the Ancient God didn't react. It felt no pain—only continued hammering at the barrier.
"Keep firing! Don't stop! Bring it down!"
A storm of firepower rained down upon it like a torrential downpour. They might not have been using the machines' full might, but they still had a chance.
BOOM!!!!
Moments later, an ear-splitting explosion shook the air. The Ancient God staggered under the sheer force of fifty Guizhong Machines, then finally collapsed, crashing heavily into the ground.
Everyone froze in disbelief, their wide eyes slowly filling with joy.
"We did it!!!"
They never imagined that the towering monster, as tall as a mountain, could actually be slain.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Then, from not far away, the same heavy footsteps echoed again. Under the dark night sky, enormous silhouettes loomed in the distance.
The smiles on their faces instantly froze. Staring at the barrier riddled with cracks, everyone felt as though they had fallen into an icy abyss.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Huge, indistinct figures stomped across the ground, slowly advancing. No one could tell how many there were, but from the rhythm of the tremors and the size of the shadows, it was clear—at least three more Ancient Gods were approaching.
The barrier would not hold much longer. Even at full power, they had no way to destroy so many enemies so quickly.
Just as despair threatened to consume them, several figures stepped out from among the crowd.
"Stone and steel, unyielding and strong! Armored walls to drive out demons and evil!"
"The Lithic Spear pierces through even rock itself!"
"With a thousand more standing together, we shall advance without fear!"
"All Millelith—heed my command!"
"Form ranks!!!!"
At that moment, thousands of mortals clad in armor and gripping spears stood tall like a great wall—unyielding, unbreakable, as if divine power itself stood among them.