"Here we go."
The Great Compassion Tree King, Rukkhadevata, stood on a hilltop covered by a barrier, her emerald eyes fixed on the battlefield ahead.
She wore a white dress as gorgeous as a gown, revealing smooth shoulders and delicate collarbones. The back of the dress flowed to her ankles, but the front only reached her knees. Her exposed calves were smooth and glistening, and her bare feet were adorned with anklets woven from flowers and plants.
Her skin was white as jade, and her entire being exuded a sacred, almost untouchable aura.
For her, there were too many unknowns about Yilan, an outsider.
And the unknown was the most fatal temptation for the God of Wisdom — so at this moment, she found herself deeply fascinated by Yilan.
"What's the situation now?"
Inside the seed to avoid detection, Raiden Makoto's soul quietly asked.
"I… don't know how to answer," Rukkhadevata hesitated.
Even though she was the God of Wisdom, the scene before her left her confused.
***
A similar conversation took place elsewhere.
"Morax, what do you think?"
A slightly cold voice sounded behind him.
Morax, arms folded across his chest while standing atop a stone, turned to see a woman with long silver-gray hair.
She was the Tsaritsa, Queen of Snezhnaya, a god who should have embodied great love, yet whose expression now was colder than the icy shawl trailing from her back.
Morax thought that the Khaenri'ah disaster had caused too many tragedies, too many changes in people's lives.
The Tsaritsa, the Great Compassion Tree King, Raiden Makoto… none had been spared.
He held his chin thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully:
"I've never met this Narukami of Inazuma, but I have heard of her deeds. In my opinion, she shouldn't be someone to act this recklessly…"
"It's a suicide move, isn't it?"
The Tsaritsa's silver-gray eyes gazed at the sky. Reflected in her pupils were countless thunderbolts tearing through the heavens, an apocalyptic scene…yet…
"It's all for show."
This level of attack could defeat the weak — but against a true strong enemy? The power was too scattered. Even if focused, based on the Thunder God's current strength, let alone the Celestial, even the Tsaritsa herself could have easily defeated her.
And events unfolded just as they expected.
"I gave you the title of 'Seventh Authority'. Do you think this level of attack could hurt me?"
The purple-black cube floated above Celestial's head, expanding to form a barrier.
Terrifying thunder and lightning crashed down like torrential rain, but against the cube, it was as harmless as a drop falling into the sea.
"No thoughts, no ideas—"
But just then, under the cover of the raging lightning, Yilan's figure disappeared.
In the next instant — with the shattering of space — he appeared behind the Celestial.
At this moment, all the lightning in the sky gathered onto his blade.
The Dream Heart, infused with a thousand-meter-long thunderbolt, let out a sharp cry like a thousand birds, splitting the sky itself.
Wherever the sword passed, even space fractured.
"Will you face my blade head-on?!" Yilan shouted.
"Hmph. You overestimate yourself," The Clestial snorted.
While Yilan's side surged with earth-shaking power, the Celestial remained eerily calm.
She simply extended her hand — a hand untouched by any trace of mortal fireworks — and a purple-black cube formed instantly.
It spread forth and swallowed Yilan just three meters away.
—It was as if the world froze.
Thunder fell silent. The howling winds stopped. Everything became eerily still.
Just like the opening cutscene of Genshin Impact —
Raiden Makoto's body, possessed by Yilan, began being gradually decomposed by the purple-black blocks.
"This is your destiny. Give up your futile struggle," Tianli said coldly, gold-foil eyes peering down as if looking at an ant.
But she saw a smile.
A fearless smile from the "ant."
"Destiny?"
Yilan sneered.
"Then let me trample that destiny underfoot."
He formed a hand seal with what little remained of his movable hands.
There existed among Liyue's alchemists a forbidden secret technique:
When facing inescapable danger, one could inject all physical and spiritual energy into their soul.
A soul strengthened by this method became terrifyingly powerful —
but if attacked in this state, the result would be utter annihilation.
It was a technique one could only use once in a lifetime.
Its name was —
"Soul Weapon Dissolution!"
On his rocky perch, Morax shuddered violently.
Within the barrier, Rukkhadevata's face twisted in disbelief.
"Don't—!!"
The thunder in the sky — sensing something amiss — screamed with heart-wrenching urgency.
But Yilan could no longer hear it.
He knew, and had always known —
Even possessing Raiden Makoto's divine body, he was no match for Tianli.
The gap between them was like the abyss itself.
Against her, he was but a frail insect.
Yet as Blank once said in No Game No Life —
The strong hone their strength. The weak hone their wits.
From the very beginning —
He had used lightning to obscure vision.
He had shattered space to close distance.
He had provoked The Celestial into personally engaging him.
All according to plan.
Because in the end — he held the true conditions for victory.
——!
All physical laws ceased to hinder him.
Yilan's soul advanced silently, burning brightly like a star.
At last, the Celestial faltered —
For the first time, hesitation appeared in her cold gaze.
Instinctively — she took a step back.
"How can the Upholder of Heavenly Principles be forced to step back by an ant like me?"
Yilan sneered.
"Arrogant!!"
She stopped retreating.
One hand still disintegrated Yilan's physical body, but her other hand lashed out —
The purple-black chain pierced Yilan's soul like a cursed lance from the abyss.
——!
But it was too late.
Yilan had never intended to retreat.
Despite the pain of his soul being torn apart
He charged forward, along the trajectory of the "chain," without hesitation.
He fought with all his might
Because there was no one else left to fight with him.
Thunder roared and tore through heaven and earth.
Through the dust-filled battlefield, Yilan's soul brushed past the Celestial's body.
"Swoosh!!"
The simplest and purest sword swing —
one that left no mark on the world, for it was struck directly at the spiritual plane —
an ultimate sword no shield could block!
"Aaah——!!!"
The Celestial knelt in the sky, clutching her head and screaming in agony.
Her body remained unscathed —
but her soul had been cracked by Yilan's strike.
It would take at least 500 years to heal.
Behind her, Yilan turned around one last time.
He gazed at the Great Compassion Tree King and Raiden Makoto, safely protected within the barrier.
And then —
his figure disappeared into the heavens.