Qingge, who had previously spoken with a halting voice, suddenly spoke with perfect fluency.
At the same moment, Lumine noticed her longsword emitting a faint golden glow. The soul of Qingge within the blade seemed to be responding to the zombie Qingge.
Perhaps this was why Qingge's speech had suddenly become so smooth.
Everyone watched in astonishment at the scene unfolding before them, unable to understand Qingge's actions.
Qingxu was especially shaken. When her sister pointed the spear at her, she couldn't even grip her weapon properly, and it clattered to the ground.
Qingxu retreated, shaking her head violently.
Blood was thicker than water. She recognized the death wish in her sister's words.
Her sister didn't just want her to defeat her—she wanted her to kill her?!
"No, I can't! Sister, there must be another way! There has to be! Geo Archon, you must have a solution, right?"
We've come this far. You've finally regained your senses...
Bubu Pharmacy has a little zombie named Qiqi. Can't you live like her?
Qingge took a step forward, and Qingxu retreated a step back.
Qingge didn't want to force her sister like this, but ultimately, people must grow.
Qingge knew her departure had left a deep psychological scar on her sister. Qingxu had to confront this trauma directly. Her situation was fundamentally different from Qiqi's, and even her own consciousness was now incomplete.
Not only could she not live like Qiqi, even if she could, she wouldn't want to.
Once, the Kaiyang of Liyue had possessed her own pride, refusing to spend her life as something neither human nor ghost.
Qingge picked up the Vortex Spear that Qingxu had dropped. When she touched it again, its spiritual essence had already vanished. The Vortex Spear's spiritual essence had permanently vanished the moment Qingge fell in battle.
She tossed the Vortex Spear to Qingxu, who caught it with a start.
"My name is Mu Qingge... the Kaiyang of Liyue... Marshal of the Millelith. My mission is complete... Qingxu, come forward... defeat me and grant me the end I deserve!"
Seeing Qingxu still resisting, Qingge continued, "To be reduced to a monster, surviving only by drinking blood, is an insult to me. Come, Qingxu, let your elder sister give you one last lesson."
Tears blurred Qingxu's vision as she raised her spear, sobbing.
Paimon watched anxiously from behind, urging Zhongli and Venti to intervene. But the two gods remained silent, unmoving.
If they could help, why wouldn't they?
Hu Tao and the others silently retreated, clearing a space for the two sisters.
Qingxu wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes and gripped her spear tightly with her right hand.
"Sister, please instruct me!"
Although she had trained under Xianyun for a considerable time, Qingxu still wasn't confident she could defeat her sister, who was now fighting with only one hand and in a severely weakened state.
Her sister's talent defied description; Qingxu would need to unleash her full strength just to stand a chance.
Hydro Elemental Power gathered at the tip of Qingxu's spear as she thrust directly at Qingge's head. Qingge tilted her head slightly to evade the strike, and the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear, wielding immense force, swept toward Qingxu's waist.
Qingxu dodged backward, but Qingge swiftly transitioned from a sweeping strike to a thrust aimed straight for her heart.
Qingxu parried with Vortex, but in an instant, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear swung down from another angle.
Each of Qingge's attacks grew stronger and faster, leaving Qingxu scrambling to keep up.
Qingge didn't use Elemental Energy—she couldn't anyway—relying solely on her physical strength.
Since becoming a zombie, Qingge's strength had increased dramatically. Though her speed and agility had diminished somewhat, it didn't hinder her combat effectiveness.
After all, a master assassin adapting to a tank role was bound to excel.
Besides, against Qingxu, it was more than enough—absolutely sufficient.
Qingge possessed the ability to decisively defeat Qingxu, but such a victory would be meaningless. Her true goal was to unlock Qingxu's potential, the final act she could perform for her sister.
Well, the final act for now.
The sisters' battle was devoid of flashy techniques, yet the force behind each weapon clash was immense, making the spectacle both dangerous and awe-inspiring.
Qingge relentlessly pressed her attack, her expression cold and seemingly merciless, yet she subtly held back with each strike.
"You hesitate too much when using your spear, lacking the determination to kill with a single blow. At this rate, you'll never defeat me."
Qingxu struggled to defend herself. Her sister's skill far surpassed her own; even with only one hand, Qingge could overwhelm her with ease. Were it not for the support of Elemental Energy, Qingxu would have lost long ago.
"You're still clinging to false hope. Since you've made your decision, you must carry it out with unwavering determination."
Qingge disarmed Qingxu, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear now pointed at her sister's throat.
Paimon cried out in distress. Watching her two dear friends fight, knowing one would lose, pained her deeply.
Qingge glared at Qingxu sternly. "Now that you're disarmed, how do you plan to win?"
Qingge shook her head helplessly. She saw the look in her sister's eyes—as if losing to her were the most natural thing in the world.
"Qingxu..."
Qingge's voice suddenly lost its aggressive edge. It was precisely this change in tone that startled Qingxu.
"Don't... disappoint your sister."
Upon hearing these words, Qingxu's expression immediately shifted.
More than anything, she dreaded disappointing her sister. All her efforts had been aimed at earning her sister's approval and admiration. How could she possibly... let her sister down?!
"Sis..."
Qingxu's voice trembled as she spoke. Qingge retracted the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear and watched Qingxu.
She watched as Qingxu walked step by step toward Vortex, then picked it up.
"Sis, let's go again!"
Qingge forced a strained smile. "This... is... my sister!"
The battle erupted anew. This time, Qingxu no longer remained solely on the defensive. Her movements were agile, her attacks came from unexpected angles, and she was beginning to hold her own against her sister.
She poured forth all the fruits of her recent training, determined to show Qingge that she had not disappointed her!
There was never an opportunity before, there isn't one now, and there never will be in the future!
The two fought fiercely for a full quarter of an hour before Qingge finally ceased her movements.
Seeing her sister stop, Qingxu also retreated.
Qingge scanned the crowd of onlookers, her gaze eventually settling on Lumine.
"I never had the opportunity before, but now I want to try. Lumine, I don't have much time left. I want to spar with you and Qingxu one last time. Before leaving this world, I want to take something with me. So let me indulge myself one last time."
Beyond her persona as a general, Qingge had another lesser-known facet: a martial arts fanatic.
A fair and square duel with Lumine had always been her heart's desire, but circumstances had never been right before.
For these final ten minutes, let her be selfish. She trusted the Geo Archon wouldn't interfere.
Bringing Qingxu along served two purposes. Firstly, to continue guiding her disciple. Secondly, and more importantly, to introduce Qingxu to the game stage.
Replacing Qingge's 5-star Kaiyang character, Qingxu's popularity would surely skyrocket.