At the peak of Mt. Tianheng in Liyue Harbor, a lone figure watched the fading golden light and muttered to himself, "So the anomaly of the sacred artifact was all because of this? It seems I have finally found the answer."
It was Halfdan, the leader of the Black Serpent Knights.
He had originally been standing guard in The Chasm, but not long ago, the "sacred artifact" had suddenly begun to vibrate, and the divine power it emitted had grown even stronger.
Halfdan had not known why the artifact was behaving this way, but after praying to it, the artifact had conveyed a single intention to him: he must go to a certain place.
And so, Halfdan, carrying the sacred artifact, had left The Chasm.
At this moment, he finally understood. The sacred artifact had sensed that Liyue was about to suffer a disaster, and that was why it had chosen to intervene.
All living beings at this moment were captivated by the light in the sky.
And Su Han also noticed that the turbid power in the air was weakening. He turned his head and saw a ray of light drifting towards him.
"Is that… the Dragon Veins?" Su Han was incomparably shocked. Why are the Dragon Veins here?
In a moment, the Dragon Veins had stopped in front of him.
The Conqueror of Demons looked at the glowing object, feeling the baleful energy in his own body weakening, and asked in surprise, "Is this the thing that was suppressing The Chasm?"
"Mm. I just didn't expect it to come here," Su Han said, looking at the Dragon Veins with a puzzled expression. Who sent the Dragon Veins here?
At this moment, a strange feeling entered his heart. The Dragon Veins can suppress that Archon.
"Is this real?" Su Han found it hard to believe. The Dragon Veins hadn't made a sound, yet he had truly heard its intent.
But things had already come to this. Su Han had no other choice, because if he didn't make a decision, the Jade Chamber would be shattered.
He grabbed the Dragon Veins, and a strange power surged into his heart.
At the same time, a scroll seemed to unfurl in the sky, showing a map of Liyue. The Guili Plains, The Chasm, the Wangshu Inn… one scene after another, the people of Liyue, everything in Liyue flashed within that scroll.
"I see. Bearing the fortune of the people of Liyue… so this is your power?" Su Han finally understood.
If Liyue was harmed, then the Dragon Veins would also be harmed. Conversely, if Liyue was strong, the Dragon Veins would also be strong.
The moment he grasped the Dragon Veins, the artifact, which had been in the form of a spine, transformed into a longsword. A power similar to flames burned upon it.
Su Han looked at the distant Vortex Archon and said faintly, "This is the consequence of you provoking Liyue. Get back to the bottom of the sea."
One slash fell, and the world trembled.
The clear, bright sword energy landed on the Vortex Archon's body.
BOOM!
The entire sea surface shook violently. Then, countless golden sigils appeared on the Vortex Archon's body, forming a tapestry of strange, powerful runes.
"No! I just got out! Why?!"
"No!"
"I am an Archon!"
"Morax! Why is this happening?!"
Its voice gradually weakened. The Vortex Archon could feel a sacred power continuously repairing the seal at the bottom of the sea. It was being pulled back.
The Chains of Heaven shattered one by one.
The Vortex Archon gave one last, unwilling look at the prosperous city in the distance and then fell back into the depths of the sea.
Until the very end, he had not even seen Morax's face. How ironic.
The battle was finally over. The skies above Liyue returned to normal.
This battle had been one in which the entire nation had participated. Aside from the surprising absence of Rex Lapis, one could say that everyone had been mobilized.
Su Han was carried back to the Jade Chamber by Xiao. After suppressing the Vortex Archon, Su Han had fainted from the over-exertion of using the Chains of Heaven.
As for the others, they were not in much better shape.
Ningguang watched Hu Tao carry Su Han inside and began to take up the task of command. Liyue's coast needed to be repaired, and the destroyed items salvaged. At the same time, all those who had performed with excellence in this battle were given commendations and promotions.
On the streets of Liyue, Wanmin Restaurant's Chef Mao stood in the street and announced, "For the next three days, food will be provided free of charge to the soldiers of the Millelith! As long as you come here to eat, you will not be charged a single Mora!"
Other places also followed suit, and some even lit firecrackers to celebrate this hard-won victory.
The entire city was discussing the events of the battle. And, of course, the hearts of the people were more united than ever.
When Su Han woke up, it was already the next morning.
He opened his eyes, and Shenhe's face appeared before him.
"You're awake."
"Mm. What time is it?"
"It's already the next morning. How is your body feeling?"
"A little weak, but I've recovered well."
With her help, Su Han slowly sat up. At this moment, Xiangling walked in from outside, carrying a fragrant pot of meat congee.
"Brother Su Han, come and eat something. I've added some special medicinal herbs to it; the taste isn't bitter."
"Thank you."
"Not at all! All I know how to do is cook," Xiangling said with a giggle.
It had to be said, the little chef's skills were getting better and better. Although it was a medicinal meal, it didn't have the slightest bitter taste, only a clear fragrance, which, combined with the aroma of the shredded meat, was simply a delicacy of the mortal world.
After enjoying his breakfast, Su Han asked Shenhe, "After I fainted, what happened to the Fatui?"
"Ningguang has already sent people to hunt them down. This time, the adepti were also angered. In short, many of the Fatui died yesterday. It's a pity that those two Harbingers escaped. We couldn't find any trace of them."
"Mm. To be able to clean out the Fatui is not bad," Su Han nodded. He hadn't expected the adepti to intervene.
Then he asked, "And the Dragon Veins?"
"After the Dragon Veins sealed the Vortex Archon, they flew off in the direction of Mt. Tianheng. It was only this morning that we received a report from the soldiers and understood: it was the Black Serpent Knights who brought it. And it was after Liyue Harbor was threatened that the anomaly at The Chasm occurred. Halfdan brought the Dragon Veins here, and it was with everyone's permission."
"I see." Su Han finally understood the whole course of events.
Although the Dragon Veins were meant to suppress the ley lines, they were also, in turn, supported by the "fortune" of the Liyue people. They complemented each other.
Since waking up, Su Han had recovered very quickly, and by noon, he was already able to jump around.
But there was one thing that made him very embarrassed: after he had sealed the Vortex Archon, his popularity had exploded.
Everywhere he went, people would come up to thank him, and even give him gifts. It got to the point where Su Han couldn't even go for a walk and could only return to the Jade Chamber to space out.
"Sigh, I don't even dare to go out anymore."
"You. You don't know how good you have it. That's the people's love for you," Ningguang said, covering her mouth to hide a smile as she looked at all the gifts hanging off Su Han.
This guy was so infuriating. Even Keqing wasn't this popular, and he was actually complaining about it.
Su Han was speechless. "The problem isn't the admiration, it's that now when I go out, a crowd of people just comes up to offer me flowers."
"Who wouldn't love the person who sealed an Archon? By the way, today, many citizens came to Yuehai Pavilion to petition, hoping to record the names of all the deities who have contributed to Liyue. What do you think?"
"I suggest we build a large temple near Mt. Tianheng and prepare a special festival to be used exclusively for worshiping these deities."
He had truly not expected Guoba's intervention yesterday. Since willpower was useful, then they naturally needed to publicize it more. This could also draw the relationship between the deities and the people closer.
Ningguang nodded. "Alright. Then we'll do as you say. By the way, after yesterday's incident, although the adepti have returned to Jueyun Karst, they left a message."
"What?"
"If there are any suitable candidates, they can take them in and train them."
"What? There's such a good thing?" Su Han's face lit up. To have the adepti train disciples was a great opportunity.
Ningguang smiled. "Yes, and not only that, but the adepti's secret realms in Jueyun Karst have also been opened to us. If we feel our cultivation is insufficient, we can go to those realms to train. This is a privilege that belongs only to us."
"Mm, that's really great. This way, our high-end power can become even stronger." It seemed yesterday's incident had really changed the adepti a lot.
"By the way, there's one more thing. The Conqueror of Demons has left the Wangshu Inn and headed for The Chasm."
"It seems the Dragon Veins have an effect on him. This is a good thing. In the future, we won't have to worry about the problems in The Chasm."
"Indeed."
After the two of them had chatted for a while, Su Han left on his sword. He wanted to see how his manor was coming along. After two days, it should have a basic form.
At this time, inside a Fatui stronghold in Mondstadt, La Signora looked at the two disheveled men and sneered. "You two are really something. Now Liyue is completely lost to us. A hundred years of operations, all gone in one day."
"You can't blame us for that. That guy even sealed an Archon. Do you want us to be hunted down by the adepti?"
"Heh. Before you talk about others, take a look at yourself. Weren't you supposed to be getting the Anemo Gnosis? Why has there been no progress for so long?" Scaramouche retorted. He was naturally not afraid of La Signora, as his own strength was greater than hers, so he immediately exposed her shortcomings.
Rosalyne said angrily, "How can you blame me for that? Wasn't it the Abyss's people who ordered Stormterror to attack the Stone Gate canyon, which is what ruined my plan?"
"I couldn't care less about your affairs. Let me just give you a piece of advice, Rosalyne. If you have a plan, you'd better carry it out soon. I've heard that that guy has always had ambitions for Mondstadt. The Falcon Coast project is his handiwork."
"Hmph. Go back to your Inazuma. I don't need you to tell me what to do."
Looking at the two of them at each other's throats, Tartaglia scratched his head. "This has all happened, and it's my fault too. Let's not argue."
But neither of them paid any attention to him.