The massive gate, however, had been opened at some point, and the iron cage of imagination was no more. A colossal, spherical object floated in the air, clearly visible.
"How is this possible? How could anyone break the Emperor's seal? It's impossible!"
Though he couldn't believe it, he still trembled as he stepped inside. This was, after all, the place where the Demon God was sealed. While he alone could hold the line, what would happen after he died? Not far behind lay Qingce Village, home to many humans.
But the scene he had imagined did not materialize. There was no giant serpentine creature, nothing at all.
Suddenly, he noticed a trail on the ground. Could it be... that it had escaped? But these marks looked like signs of a struggle. This was wrong... very wrong...
A figure suddenly appeared behind him. Xiao whirled around, and a young man with golden hair, holding a golden holy sword, looked at him with a smile.
"Hello there, Conqueror of Demons of Liyue, Xiao... This is our first meeting, isn't it? But I fear it will also be our last, for you have seen what you shouldn't have... so I must ask you to go somewhere and sit for a while."
Xiao immediately drew his green polearm, watching him warily, ready to attack at any moment.
"It's no use. With your strength, you cannot defeat me. If it were the Geo Archon, I might fear you a little, but a mere adeptus like yourself has no chance of winning."
Even so, Xiao did not give up. Even without a sliver of hope, he would make a last stand.
"Fall beneath my sword, obediently."
Meanwhile, Zhongli, who was enjoying tea at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, suddenly sensed something. He frowned, crushing the teacup in his hand, and his mood soured.
A flicker of anger appeared on his face. "My last Yaksha, and you still want to take him away? Do you think I, as his father, would agree?"
A yellowish-brown shield instantly appeared around Xiao. Zhongli had provided remote assistance, giving the passively beaten Xiao the right to resist.
"Hmm? I didn't expect the Geo Archon to value you so much that he left a mark on you. It seems I must retreat for now. Consider yourself lucky, Conqueror of Demons."
However, Zhongli did not agree. He appeared directly behind Kong, his arms crossed, his gaze cold as he looked at him.
"You dare to strike my subordinate and then try to leave? Do you think I'll allow it? As the God of War, I must at least leave you with one arm for this insult!"
"I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly, Geo Archon... Our contract, it should still be honored, correct?"
"If you hadn't broken the agreement first, I doubt I would have broken the contract. I told you that you cannot harm any of Liyue's gods, but your hands probably couldn't resist, could they? Then leave behind a price! All-Devouring Elemental Burst!"
A giant star appeared and smashed down heavily where Kong was. But as the thick smoke and dust dispersed, Kong's figure had vanished somewhere.
"Hmph, let you escape... Next time, it won't be like this..."
Xiao quickly rushed to the Archon's side and knelt on one knee, saying,
"Thank you, Archon, for saving my life. It was my carelessness this time. I beg for your punishment."
Hearing this, Zhongli shook his head and said softly, "This is not your fault. One can only say that Kong's strength has increased significantly. I met him back then, when he was just a traveler. After so many years, I never expected him to change so much."
Meanwhile, Kong appeared in the shattered void, clutching his chest with his right hand. Drops of blood dripped onto the floor beneath his feet.
"Who would have thought I'd be outmaneuvered like this? However, my masterpiece is about to be unleashed. This will soon become my greatest power to overturn the Seven Nations."
He looked at the colossal demon beast chained by countless chains in the void. In addition to the original form, it now had deer antlers, dragon scales, and various strange things. All these fragments of the gods were found in Guyun Stone Forest.
After all, it was once a gathering place for gods. Although it was sealed by the countless Geo spears above the Geo Archon's head.
But that was just a polite way of putting it. Those gods had died alive under the rain of Geo spears back then. Who knew how insane Morax had been?
To this day, no one knows why he was so mad back then. Among those gods, only the Vortex God, Osial, survived, but he was successfully sealed.
But none of that matters. What matters is that his creation is nearing completion. In a day or two, even the former God of War will not be its match! It's time for me to take the seat of Heavenly Principles.
In Qingce Village, Lu Ze was leisurely enjoying his instant noodles. The ingredients here were simply too good. Imagine eating a proper bowl of beef noodles! Beef noodles with actual beef, and not just any beef, but a large piece of it.
"Eat slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you. Brother Lu Ze, don't choke."
Xier looked at Lu Ze with a hint of helplessness, as if they hadn't given him enough meat. Honestly...
"It's alright, it's just that this is the first time I've had such delicious beef noodles, so eating quickly is normal. By the way, that aura just now, did you feel it? It seemed to come from the back of the mountain."
Xier nodded. How could she not sense such a powerful aura? However, that aura was similar to her own strength. If she added the power of Dark Xier, they might be able to fight to a draw.
"It seems something has happened in the back mountain. But it might be too late to go now. Let's be careful tomorrow, just in case of danger."
Lu Ze also reminded the two ladies beside him, suggesting they bring more people tomorrow for the investigation, as the culprit might return to the scene.
"I understand. I'll bring more people tomorrow. But do you guys have any extra blankets?"
Keqing looked at them with some suspicion, given what had happened last night. Did they carry several extra blankets when they went out?
"You don't need to worry about that. We have enough extra blankets. If there's nothing else, we'll go for a walk. A stroll after dinner to aid digestion."
Lu Ze waved his hand, cleaned up the instant noodle trash, then set up a tent nearby and covered it with a new blanket.
Time passed quickly. Lu Ze looked at the zipper of the tent with some apprehension, silently praying that nothing would happen tonight. If it happened again, he might not be able to take it.
But this was not something he could decide. Tonight, it would still be a battle of attrition...