The fight between Xiao and Venti went exactly as everyone expected.
Throughout the entire bout, Venti didn't even bother activating his divine form. In his current uncrowned state, he effortlessly and leisurely evaded Xiao's attacks.
Every now and then, he'd casually fling out a gust of wind that would leave Xiao stuck in place for a long time.
It wasn't even a battle on the same level.
And that was perfectly reasonable.
Even Zhongli thought this was how it should be.
That fellow Venti—always grinning and laughing like a fool—anyone who underestimated him would quickly discover he could just as easily pin them to the ground with a single arrow, still smiling all the while.
His origins were extremely mysterious. From the issues Zhongli had uncovered, Venti should be connected in some way to a former Archon of Time.
Converted to cultivation terms, Venti's strength was at least at the late Nascent Soul stage.
Only a notch weaker than Zhongli himself.
If Xiao had already successfully broken through to the early Nascent Soul stage, mastered the Flying Cloud Tyrant Spear to the Minor Achievement level, and then added a proper artifact into the mix…
Even Venti, if careless, would likely get beaten into the ground by Xiao.
But unfortunately…
Zhongli shook his head. Even with his eyes, the flaw was obvious.
The Flying Cloud Tyrant Spear was indeed a battle art that grew fiercer the longer one fought.
The problem was…
Xiao was actually treating it as a mere martial technique!
Completely absurd.
A cultivator was said to control heaven and earth with their own will, commanding the powers of creation with their heart.
Yet Zhongli couldn't see the slightest trace of heaven-and-earth might in Xiao's technique.
A perfectly fine immortal art—Xiao had no idea how to wield it properly.
In the end, the problem was that his time cultivating was too short. Everyone called themselves cultivators, but they hadn't yet grown used to the true way a cultivator should fight.
Other disciplines relied on brute force.
But a cultivator's strength lay in will—
To move through will, to command heaven with spirit.
"My thoughts are heaven's decree."
This domineering stance was what a cultivator's battle style ought to be.
In a cultivator's eyes, he himself was the world, and everything must move according to his will.
Whereas martial artists, Archons, and Teyvat's Adepti…
They were merely borrowing heaven and earth's strength.
How could that compare to being heaven and earth itself?
But for now, Xiao lacked such a mindset.
When his strike once again fell empty and he was strung along by Venti, Zhongli sighed softly.
"That's enough, Xiao."
Xiao immediately stopped his assault, withdrew from the arena, and lowered his head guiltily.
"Apologies, Sect Master, First Seat. I've shamed Mount Shu."
Jiang Yan smiled gently.
"It's fine. You've only cultivated two days—you haven't yet grasped the essence of a cultivator's battle.
"In time, as you train diligently and fight countless beasts beyond the mountains, you'll naturally come to understand."
With that said, he turned toward Zhongli and said softly:
"Your turn, First Seat Zhongli."
Zhongli inclined his head, spear of Vortex Vanquisher in hand, and strode onto the stage.
Now, the fight was truly entering its peak.
Seeing Zhongli's entire aura restrained, utterly unlike Xiao's, Venti swallowed hard.
Analyzing with every power at his disposal, he came to one conclusion:
Right now, Zhongli could kill him with a single thrust.
"Old man… you'll hold back, right?"
Venti forced a grin. Zhongli didn't answer—he merely looked toward Alice in the distance.
"You two, together."
"Hah! Bold enough—I like it!"
Alice giggled and leapt lightly onto the arena, landing at Venti's side.
Sensing the raging power coursing through Alice, Venti felt a little more at ease.
At least now…
They might survive two strikes.
In the past, if he and Alice joined forces, even Zhongli would struggle to win.
Both of them were top-tier, second only to him.
But now…
The surging true essence within his body, and the heavens and earth bending to his will, told Zhongli—
Defeat was not possible.
Not among billions of possibilities did "losing" exist.
"Barbatos, give it your all."
Zhongli didn't rush to fight, merely offered a quiet reminder.
"Of course," Venti chuckled weakly, "I've no thought of holding back against you, old man."
As he spoke, an illusory crown appeared upon his head.
Behind him unfurled a pair of massive seraphic wings.
The winds themselves bowed in submission.
Alice too brandished a wand.
She was indeed good with explosives—but bombs weren't her true power.
Most enemies simply weren't worthy of her full strength.
Now, though, she could cut loose.
Zhongli nodded slightly.
"Now you look the part."
"I won't be giving you time to buff yourself, old man!"
Venti spread his wings and shot forward like a spiraling hurricane.
Alice ignited a fiery phoenix that screeched as it dove toward Zhongli.
Zhongli calmly raised his spear to block. Storms scattered instantly.
Venti's pupils shrank, his heart trembling.
Two days.
How could he have grown this strong in just two days?
And even so, Zhongli clearly wasn't using full strength.
"There's no need for probing between us. Go all out."
His quiet words left Venti and Alice exchanging glances. They nodded.
The next moment, their figures overlapped slightly, a flaming hurricane arrow whistling forth.
Zhongli's lips curved upward.
Now it was interesting.
With the same gentle thrust as before, the arrow collapsed instantly.
But Alice followed up ruthlessly, slamming her staff into the ground.
A pillar of fire spiraled up from beneath Zhongli's feet, engulfing him entirely.
Venti didn't let the chance slip. Grasping Skyward Harp, he loosed arrow after arrow—the very arrows that once blew across continents and swept away snow and ice.
Flames and winds fed one another, expanding wildly until they blanketed the whole arena.
Breathing heavily, Venti glanced at Alice—she wasn't doing much better.
Looking at Zhongli swallowed within the fiery vortex, Venti muttered uncertainly:
"It… should have worked?"
"I've already let you take three strikes."
Suddenly Zhongli's calm voice rang out. At once, the flames collapsed and vanished.
He stood motionless where he had been, not even using his famed Jade Shield.
A mere thin layer of true essence around him had nullified everything.
"As expected."
Alice sighed, helpless.
"The books were right. Against a cultivator, it really is a dimensionality reduction strike."
"Hey! You could've told me that earlier!"
Venti wiped sweat from his brow, smiling awkwardly as Zhongli's aura surged.
His newly mastered divine sense quietly spread across the battlefield.
Both Venti and Alice froze. They keenly felt it—every detail about themselves had been laid bare before Zhongli.
"There is nothing here my gaze cannot pierce."
Slowly he lifted his spear. Venti swallowed hard and muttered:
"Hey, Alice… how long do you think we can last?"
Alice gripped her staff tight, her usual playfulness gone.
"If he's serious, not even one strike."
"So… the old man will show me some mercy, right?"
Venti asked hopefully. Alice shrugged.
"Can't you tell? He's clearly using us for practice. Probably wants to test that immortal art he just learned."
"…That somehow sounds even worse."
"No!" Alice shot back.
"What's worse is—he still hasn't forgotten how you altered the contract back then."
Venti's face froze.
"After this battle, that matter will be written off."
Zhongli's voice was quiet, but resolute. One hand gripped his spear, the other slowly raised into a sword-finger seal.
He had no intention of using the Mount Shu Sword-Manipulation Art. Though it would have guaranteed victory, this was too good a chance—two top-tier sparring partners at once.
He had to test the Clear Source Divine Manifestation Mantra he had just learned.
Without hesitation, before all eyes, Zhongli began chanting:
"Fragrant smoke suffuses heaven and earth, rising incense pierces Heaven's gate.
Golden bird soars swift as an arrow, jade hare shines bright as a wheel.
Southern stars, northern Dipper illuminate the sky, five-colored clouds swirl in brilliance.
I beseech the Lord of Clear Source at Guankou, reveal thy might and divide the cosmos!"
"Disciple Zhongli of Mount Shu respectfully petitions the Clear Source True Monarch—manifest swiftly, by the decree of law!"
Forget Venti—even Xiao and the others stared dumbfounded.
Now they finally understood what Zhongli had learned.
This was…
A full-fledged Summoning Incantation!
Even Jiang Yan on the main seat couldn't help but smile faintly.
No matter how many times he saw it, Zhongli reciting a summoning mantra always felt both jarring and yet strangely fitting—
A contradictory sort of magical beauty.
As the chant echoed, a spark of spiritual radiance flared at Zhongli's brow.
The next moment, time seemed to both drag and collapse into an instant.
Clouds swirled around him, a dazzling white light rising to cloak his figure.
Without wind, Zhongli's body slowly lifted into the air.
His black boots shimmered into ornate silver war boots.
That silver glow passed over him like an eraser, revealing a silver battle robe beneath.
Silver armor, silver boots, silver cloak—radiance like a jade-faced god of war.
Finally, the light burst apart into a shower of stardust.
A new Zhongli appeared before them.
Yet aside from his face, nothing about him resembled Zhongli anymore. Not even his aura.
The old Zhongli was calm and reserved.
Now, he radiated a scornful pride that looked down on all things.
His long hair, tied by a silver crown, billowed in the wind.
His eyes reflected Venti and Alice, but burned with a battle lust he had never shown before.
At his brow rested a sealed divine eye, resembling a cloud-mark instead.
And his Vortex Vanquisher had transformed into a glittering trident halberd.
Under the sun, silver brilliance blazed.
This ostentatious, dazzling style was something Zhongli had never shown.
Yet somehow, it felt perfectly natural.
They weren't seeing Zhongli.
They were beholding the war god of Heaven's Court, the one who answered no summons but Heaven's command—
The Erlang Shen.
And pride was his birthright.
That ancient, unyielding battle spirit erupted. Venti felt as if a mountain pressed upon his back, his very breathing strained.
Zhongli gazed down upon them. Even Alice, carefree as she was, could no longer smile.
Gripping her staff tightly, she muttered nervously:
"This is wrong. Way too wrong!
"Morax actually summoned him?!"
Venti instinctively edged closer to her.
"You… know him? Which big shot did the old man bring out? This pressure—it's terrifying!"
"Of course I know!" Alice rolled her eyes, face full of worry.
"He brought out Heaven's War God! Do you even get what that means? Among countless immortals, the one most terrifying in battle.
"Proud enough to reject Heaven's kin, lofty enough to dwell as a god in Guankou!"
"In every myth, the Erlang Shen's combat power is nothing short of monstrous."
Venti pursed his lips.
"…Just tell me—are we in big trouble, or really big trouble?"
Alice went silent for a moment, then gave him a pitying look.
"I'm in big trouble.
"As for you… it's really, really big trouble."
"…".
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