"Morax, have you ever worried about… being killed by mortals?"
Sumor didn't answer Zhongli's question.
Instead, he posed one of his own.
"This question…" Zhongli paused.
"I have considered it.
But the answer is obvious."
Of course he understood what the Heavenly Principle was implying.
After all, even the God of Salt had died to mortal hands.
Archons were not truly immortal.
"Since it's obvious," Sumor said lightly,
"then show me your full strength."
Behind him, countless spatial rifts opened—
and more than a dozen Void Lances slowly emerged.
Such things… cannot be blocked with simple shields.
The moment Zhongli saw those strange, translucent spears,
a warning instinctively flared in his mind.
It was as if those lances could pierce through any barrier,
ignoring all forms of defense.
A strange ability… but I'll test it myself.
With a thought, the ground around Zhongli rose and crystallized—
forming dozens of stone spears, large and small,
hovering behind him like a silent army.
Go.
At his gesture, they shot forward with a deafening whistle,
tearing through the air toward Sumor.
But—
Illusions? No…
Zhongli's eyes narrowed.
The Void Lances did not clash with his Geo spears—
they simply passed through them, as though through mist.
His suspicion was confirmed.
The lances were neither wholly real nor wholly unreal.
Their nature could shift—
illusion one moment, lethal the next.
Zhongli had fought thousands of battles across millennia.
He had seen abilities so bizarre that even gods could scarcely comprehend them—
and he had nearly died to several.
This was not something to take lightly.
Strong beings never used meaningless attacks.
"Not bad," Sumor said approvingly.
"But I don't recall anyone telling you what my ability actually is.
Never mind.
You'll experience it yourself."
As the Void Lances multiplied, Sumor opened a chain of space-gates before him—
each one crackling with the same power that launched the lances earlier.
Spatial ability… teleporta—no, redirecting.
Zhongli already knew the Heavenly Principle controlled space.
And seeing the gates aligned with the path of his own spears,
he immediately understood what would come next:
His own stone spears would be returned to him—
but from where?
Typically… from behind.
Void Lances ahead.
Reflected Geo spears behind.
A double kill.
But Zhongli merely raised his palm.
Rise.
The ground convulsed—
and a massive stone pillar erupted beneath him, pushing him skyward.
The incoming barrage passed harmlessly below.
"Tch."
Sumor clicked his tongue.
To be outmaneuvered by such a simple, almost crude method…
It was annoying.
But understandable.
Morax was a veteran of countless ancient wars—
his battle instincts made Barbatos look like a child.
"Tian Dong Wan Xiang! — Heaven Falls, Earth Rends!"
Having evaded the strike, Zhongli raised both arms.
Clouds gathered instantly,
plunging the land into darkness—
only for the sky to erupt with molten gold an instant later.
A colossal meteor tore through the heavens.
Don't think you're the only one who can break techniques.
I can do it too…
Sumor felt something stir in him—
not fear, but something like competitiveness.
Morax was throwing planets at him?
Fine.
Let him throw.
Sumor didn't dodge.
Nor did he open a space-gate.
He simply extended a hand—
a shimmering Imaginary Barrier unfolding before him.
He's not even trying to avoid it…?
From above, Zhongli realized something was wrong.
A being who refused to evade his meteor—
meant one thing:
It would not harm them.
BOOM!!!
The meteor struck, carving a crater into Jueyun Karst that split the land.
Dust and debris swallowed the sky.
But Zhongli could still sense it—
the Heavenly Principle's aura remained untouched,
undiminished.
Is she… testing my strength?
If so—
Zhongli clenched his fists.
Then let her see it.
"Tian Dong Wan Xiang!!"
Again.
And again.
Meteor after meteor rained down like the world's end.
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
BOOM—!
The Jade Chamber, still approaching, shook slightly.
"That… that is the Lord of Geo's technique…"
Someone whispered in awe.
The sky flipped between darkness and golden brilliance—
every flash illuminating the faces aboard the Jade Chamber.
It felt like witnessing the apocalypse.
"Conqueror of Demons, follow me—"
"Wait."
Ningguang raised a hand.
"If you rush in now, you may interfere with the Archon."
"Hmph! We have fought alongside the Lord of Geo for millennia—
how could a mortal tell me—"
"Do not approach.
Leave this to me."
Rex Lapis's voice echoed across the mountains,
halting the Adepti instantly.
"Look—what is that?!"
Kaeya pointed at the sun.
No—
at the massive objects blotting it out.
Several titanic meteors floated in the sky—
held in place by an unseen force.
And beside them—
a white-haired silhouette hovered, motionless.
Then—
"Morax," Sumor's cold voice drifted across the sky,
"are you done throwing rocks yet?
It's my turn."
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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