Walking through the churned-up basin.
All around him were materials from Geovishap Hatchlings.
These things could fetch a good price even in Liyue Harbor.
After all, they were excellent materials for forging weapons.
But Tartaglia dared not take them.
This was the result of the Jade Chamber's bombardment, and someone might come to collect them later.
If even a little was missing, the Fatui would be targeted.
Why, you ask...
To Liyue, even if a Liyue Adventurer died on the road exploring Liyue, the Ministry of Civil Affairs could blame it on the Fatui~.
There was nothing for it; they were openly targeting him.
"What is that thing... what on earth is that!"
Tartaglia clenched his fists, walking again and again through the devastated area.
Recalling the cataclysmic explosion, Tartaglia felt a deep sense of dread.
He didn't know how much of the Fatui's fighting force could withstand such an explosion.
Liyue's current strength was finally revealed in part to Tartaglia.
But he would rather not know such profound power.
Liyue was already terrifyingly strong, with Rex Lapis, the Adepti, and the Millelith who had received some unknown blessing.
Now...
Even their technology surpassed the rest of the world?
How was one supposed to play this game?
Everyone else was pursuing the Vision system, pursuing individual combat power.
Now, Liyue had flipped the table, telling them that no matter how much they strengthened themselves, they would still end up as a result of a round of bombardment.
This was a tremendous blow to a battle-maniac like Tartaglia.
His faith was shattered.
"Like a barrel of gunpowder... dropping barrels of gunpowder from the sky?"
Tartaglia clenched his fists and shook his head.
"Impossible. A barrel of gunpowder can barely kill a Mitachurl. This thing... even Geovishap Hatchlings couldn't withstand it!"
"And... why were there so many!"
Tartaglia stood still for a long time, his eyes flickering.
This message needed to be sent back to the Cryo Archon.
Tartaglia, who understood the Cryo Archon's ambition and was willing to sacrifice everything to support her, realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
If Liyue could be brought onto the grand ship of rebellion against Heavenly Principles, their chances of victory would immediately soar several times over.
But Tartaglia wasn't sure if this was a good decision...
The Fatui were not united.
He trusted the Cryo Archon, but not people like Pierro or Dottore.
It was entirely possible that if they learned this information, they would secretly cause trouble.
Snezhnaya couldn't afford to provoke Liyue.
At least, they couldn't afford to provoke Liyue now.
What if that madman Dottore tried to cause trouble in Liyue, just like in Mondstadt?
It was possible the Jade Chamber would sail to Snezhnaya, the Millelith army would be reinforced and deployed, along with the Adepti and Rex Lapis...
At that point, there would be no talk of rebelling against Heavenly Principles.
It would be about surviving Liyue's onslaught first.
Tartaglia punched a towering tree beside him furiously.
"Damn it! What on earth is going on! What has happened in Liyue!"
With one punch, the Dragon-Quelling Tree shed many leaves with a rustle.
This immediately enraged Azhdaha even more, who was already fuming in his sealed space.
Being bombed for no reason was irritating enough.
Now Morax's aura was gone, and a slightly stronger human dared to attack his tail?
Azhdaha slammed the ground, sending out a surge of Divine Power through the cracks in the seal.
"Human! How dare you insult me so!"
The thick, surging Divine Power crashed into Tartaglia.
Caught off guard, Tartaglia was immediately sent flying a hundred meters, landing in a heap and spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Three ribs were broken...
Tartaglia gritted his teeth and painfully looked up at the Dragon-Quelling Tree.
That once ordinary, albeit large, towering tree was now enveloped in four elements.
Its quality...
Was comparable to the Cryo Archon!
"Damn it! Another Archon-level powerhouse! What kind of hellish place is Liyue!"
Tartaglia instantly lost his will to fight.
The opponent seemed not to have intended to kill, merely to vent Divine Power.
But even so, it left him severely wounded.
Tartaglia was not foolish; he could tell that the being here was not someone he could contend with.
Staggering to his feet, Tartaglia said in a low voice:
"My apologies, senior, this junior has offended you. I will leave now!"
Tartaglia dared not hesitate. Regardless of Azhdaha's shouts behind him, he supported himself and quickly fled the area by channeling his Elemental Power.
Only after leaving the Nantianmen area did Tartaglia collapse to the ground.
Gasping for air, Tartaglia recalled the Divine Power he had just experienced.
"Four elements... Nantianmen?"
"Could it be Azhdaha Dragon King?!"
Tartaglia's heart eased, and he shook his head with a bitter smile.
"No wonder I had no ability to resist; it was his sealed place..."
If he had lost so miserably to an unknown strong individual, Tartaglia would have been utterly stifled.
He felt that he was not much inferior to the Three-Eyed and Five-Wielding Adepti.
But if the opponent was Azhdaha Dragon King, then everything made sense.
This one was not as simple as an Adeptus.
A Ley Line lifeform, born from the very land of Teyvat.
Possessing strength comparable to a top Archon.
In the current state of Teyvat, it was one of the foremost existences.
Today, let alone him alone, even if Pierro and Dottore had come, they wouldn't have fared much better after being hit by that Divine Power.
This was the Dragon King whom Rex Lapis himself had enlightened and who had fought alongside him in the Archon War, gaining immense renown.
His strength was only slightly less than that of Rex Lapis.
Back then, Rex Lapis had to summon many Adepti, and all the Three-Eyed and Five-Wielding Adepti had to participate to seal Azhdaha.
At that time, the Adepti of Liyue were not as few as they were now.
He and Azhdaha were simply not on the same level.
Thinking this way, Tartaglia suddenly felt much better.
Strictly speaking, Azhdaha Dragon King was even an elder of the Cryo Archon.
When the Seven Archons first gathered, Azhdaha Dragon King could sit and discuss with them as a non-ruler.
"Guizhong, Marchosius, Havria... and Azhdaha Dragon King..."
"Ha..."
Tartaglia took a deep breath and shook his head helplessly.
"As expected of Morax the Warrior God."
As he was lamenting, some movement suddenly came from the shadows.
Tartaglia glanced carelessly and sneered:
"What... do you think Hilichurls can provoke me now that I'm injured?"
Gathering a blade of extreme sharpness in his hand, Tartaglia stood up cheerfully.
He looked coldly at the dozens of Hilichurls surrounding him.
"I'm not... dead yet!"
As his words fell, water light shone brilliantly, and a Zhan blue glow swept through the Hilichurl crowd.
Tartaglia needed to vent.
To vent the shock he felt from Liyue, and the indignation of being severely wounded by Azhdaha's Divine Power.
And these Hilichurls...
Unfortunately for them, they ran straight into the line of fire.
...
Sumeru.
Sumeru had been in serious turmoil during this period.
The Thirty Militants, and even all the Eremites and soldiers belonging to the Sumeru Akademiya, had been dispatched.
They seemed to be searching for something extensively.
Liyue's commercial ambush also forced the Sumeru Akademiya to tighten its belt.
The Grand Sage, who governed the Sumeru Akademiya, also seemed to have not appeared for a long time.
All of this made many people in the Sumeru Akademiya uneasy.
However, this also gave some people a more convenient opportunity to act.
A dark and windy night.
Below a small hillside outside Sumeru City.
Alhaitham gazed quietly at Sumeru City in the distance.
The nation of wisdom, but in his eyes, it now seemed to be permeated with a decaying aura.
This was not the Sumeru he dreamed of.
Suddenly, a deliberate footstep came from behind him.
Alhaitham collected his thoughts and said calmly:
"You're finally here... If I remember correctly, the Sumeru Akademiya's guard force has been sparse lately. With your strength, you shouldn't have been so slow."
In the darkness, Cyno slowly appeared.
"I went to the Grand Sage's office."
"Oh?"
Alhaitham became slightly interested.
"Did you find anything?"
Cyno shook his head and said in a deep voice:
"He's not absent, he just isn't seeing anyone. Also... I smelled that his condition is very bad, like a piece of rotting flesh."
"I figured."
Alhaitham nodded slightly, his expression unchanged.
"A few days ago, he was constantly having people search Sumeru for antidote medicines. I think there was something wrong with that strange monster that day."
Cyno didn't reply, just remained silent for a while before speaking with a hint of confusion:
"Then do you know... he's been secretly transporting prisoners from the jails recently?"
At this, Alhaitham frowned.
"None of those prisoners have come out after going in..."
Cyno added, and Alhaitham seemed to have thought of a terrible truth.
"He's..."
Unexpectedly, the night wind carried a hint of desolation, making Alhaitham feel a chill.
The two tacitly stopped the topic. After a moment, Cyno said in a deep voice:
"I left there and went to a private archive... There, I found all the detailed information about you."
"Heh... that's their style. Perhaps if you search further, you might find your own files."
Alhaitham didn't seem surprised, but rather uninterested:
"Besides that, what else did you find?"
Cyno fell silent, then slowly spoke.
"It seems many Sages are involved in Azar's plan, but I can't determine the true nature of this plan."
"I just... saw the Divine Knowledge Capsule extraction process..."
Alhaitham's brows furrowed tightly.
"Has it already reached this stage? I understand. Thank you for your trouble..."
Looking at Alhaitham's back, Cyno opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
Turning to return to Sumeru City, Alhaitham suddenly said softly:
"Be prepared, Cyno. Just like I told you that day..."
"When you one day discover what the Sumeru Akademiya is doing, and you can no longer tolerate it... you will become an enemy hunted by the Sumeru Akademiya."
"At that time... I hope to see you in the desert."
Cyno paused, then continued walking into the darkness.
"I don't need your reminder. I will find the answers myself..."
"Also, be careful. A Sage is targeting you."
The two parted ways. Alhaitham stood alone, gazing at everything here.
Perhaps in remembrance, or perhaps in anticipation...
After a long while, Alhaitham resolutely turned and left.
While the Sumeru Akademiya was in chaos, he had to make some arrangements.
The first thing...
Was to go to Caravan Ribat to talk with that Forest Ranger about justice.
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/Flokixy to access 400+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).