Liben exaggeratedly shouted into the microphone, spinning it dramatically in his hand. This also piqued the curiosity of the audience, who were eager to see how a paintbrush and palette, tools meant for painting, could be used in combat.
"The world within the painting is beautiful. I hope you like it," Griseo said as she waved her paintbrush. In the next moment, countless streams of ink splashed from the tip of her brush, soaring into the sky.
Hum—
A vibrant rainbow of colors painted a brilliant arc across the sky. In an instant, a colorful canvas unfolded around the rainbow, enveloping the entire arena.
"Wow, so beautiful!" A woman gazed dreamily at the stunning painting before her, reaching out to touch it. However, no matter how hard she tried, the painting remained like a lotus flower emerging from water—admirable from afar but untouchable.
"This is truly an incredible miracle. Could this little girl also be an adeptus? What do you think, Millelith brother?" a middle-aged man exclaimed, nudging the Millelith soldier beside him.
"Hmph, this lady is no ordinary adeptus," the Millelith soldier snorted coldly, then continued to gaze at the blue-haired girl on the stage with reverence.
The Millelith soldier's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet arena, it rang out like thunder. The audience turned their curious eyes toward him, eager to learn the true identity of the girl.
Seeing all eyes on him, the Millelith soldier stood tall and proud, his voice filled with pride. "This contestant, Griseo, is no ordinary adeptus. She is the younger sister of the Divine Sovereign, the princess who once slew the Vortex God Osial with a single strike!"
"What?!" "Is this for real?!" "Millelith brother, are you joking?"
"Oh my god, it's really her? The princess?"
"Princess, bless me so I can strike it rich next year!"
The arena erupted into chaos as the audience was stunned by Griseo's true identity. Who would have thought that the younger sister of the Divine Sovereign would participate in the Crux Clash? This ticket was worth every penny!
"Griseo is that princess?!" Among the crowd, Beidou was the most shocked. After all, she was the only one present who had felt Griseo's overwhelming aura before. She had thought the little girl was extraordinary, but she never imagined she was the Divine Sovereign's sister, the princess who had slain a god.
The Vortex God Osial was a powerful deity from the Archon War era, far beyond the sea beast Beidou had once slain.
"Truly, appearances can be deceiving. Who would have thought such a cute, harmless-looking girl could be a top-tier powerhouse capable of slaying a god? Huh, Captain, why are you holding your head? Are you feeling unwell?" Kaedehara Kazuha crossed his arms, marveling at the revelation. But when he turned to Beidou, he saw her clutching her head in distress.
"Nothing, just a bit of a headache," Beidou forced a smile, then said to Kazuha, "You might not know this, but I spoke with Griseo that day. She told me she was going to Inazuma to find her brother."
"Her brother?" Kazuha was stunned for a moment, then his expression turned incredulous. The princess's brother was none other than the Divine Sovereign of Liyue. Was he not in Liyue but in Inazuma?
Back on the stage, Lumine was using the Sword of Dawn to support herself, resisting the oppressive force emanating from Griseo's painting.
The moment the painting unfolded, an overwhelming pressure descended upon her. The sudden force left her breathless and dizzy, her legs feeling weak.
How is this possible? Is the gap really this big? Lumine thought in shock. She had believed she could at least exchange a few blows with Griseo before losing.
But now, just the pressure from Griseo was suffocating her, and the flow of elemental energy within her had nearly come to a halt.
Hum—
Just as Lumine was at a loss, the Fenghuang Down feather in her consciousness lit up. A faint purple energy flowed through her, gradually neutralizing Griseo's pressure.
"Is that Brother Yun Fan's power?" Griseo naturally noticed the change in Lumine. To her, the faint trace of Honkai energy was like a beacon in the dark night, impossible to miss.
Huff, huff, huff…
Lumine gasped for air, greedily sucking in oxygen. She planted her sword on the ground, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead, clearly shaken.
"Is this the power of the strongest in Teyvat? But I can't give up yet!"
Lumine muttered to herself, then pulled the Sword of Dawn from the ground. Wind elemental energy surged beneath her feet, enhancing her speed.
"Ha—!" With the boost from the wind element, Lumine's speed increased dramatically. The audience only saw a blur as she darted behind Griseo and swung her sword.
Clang—
A grating metallic sound rang out, forcing the audience to cover their ears to block the noise.
"Ugh—" Lumine felt as if her sword had struck a block of iron. Her arm went numb, and she nearly lost her grip on the weapon. When she landed and steadied herself, she finally saw what she had struck.
A body covered in steel, a massive knight's sword, a towering figure like a fortress wall… This was the "Knight Sir" summoned by Griseo!
Gulp! Lumine swallowed hard. The sheer presence of this colossal being was no less oppressive than a god.
"Stellaris!" Knowing that wind elemental energy would be ineffective against this metal behemoth, Lumine decisively switched to geo energy.
As she spoke, several massive meteorites materialized and crashed toward the steel knight like falling stars.
Griseo, however, remained unfazed. She raised her paintbrush, and the "Knight Sir" mirrored her movement.
The meteorites shattered into rubble upon contact with the massive sword, dispersing into pure elemental energy.
"Quake!" Lumine unleashed another burst of elemental energy, causing countless stone spikes to erupt from the ground, piercing toward the steel knight.