A few days later…
"This is getting a bit boring!" Yun Han sighed, flying high in the sky and watching Zhongli, whose fighting spirit seemed to grow stronger the more they fought.
Because he was holding back, his attacks, while effective, weren't doing much damage. The shield would break, and Zhongli would immediately put up another one, an endless cycle.
As for stamina, Zhongli seemed to be absorbing the elemental energy of the ocean without much trouble.
"Let's make this more interesting," Yun Han took a deep breath.
"Star River Sword Array!"
As Yun Han formed the hand seals, a massive tsunami erupted from the endless sea. Countless whirlpools appeared on the surface, resembling bottomless black holes.
These whirlpools connected, forming an enormous sword array that blotted out the sun, inspiring awe and dread.
In the center of this massive sword array, enormous sword shadows relentlessly descended, each one exuding the aura of world-destroying power, directly aimed at Zhongli. These sword shadows fell like a torrential downpour, showing no signs of stopping, as if they intended to pierce through everything.
"I didn't expect this move to have such a surprising effect at sea?" Yun Han was somewhat surprised. The power of the sword array had been significantly amplified this time. If Dvalin were caught in this array, he would likely be chopped into pieces instantly.
"Bang! Bang!"
Even Zhongli's shield couldn't withstand the continuous rain of water swords, and his face showed a grave expression.
These sword shadows were relentless; his shield would shatter immediately after it was erected, forcing him to constantly cast new shields, completely unable to use any other skills.
"The big one's coming." Yun Han closed his eyes and formed a hand seal.
As the incantation formed, the entire sky suddenly darkened.
Suddenly, a snowflake drifted past Zhongli. Zhongli's heart skipped a beat, sensing something amiss. He looked up, and a trace of shock flashed in his eyes.
"Heaven and Earth." Yun Han spread his arms, embracing the sky. He took slow steps in the air, slowly opening his eyes. "I Alone am Honored!"
"Ice Seal of Heaven and Earth!" As Yun Han's words fell, the surging immortal energy within him erupted instantly.
The sky was filled with fierce winds, and the cold air howled like sharp blades, causing the surrounding waves to surge into hundred-meter-high giants.
At the same time, snowflakes drifted down, as if draping a layer of white gauze over the entire world.
However, this was only the beginning. Following this, an extremely cold and violent power surged from Yun Han's body, spreading outwards at an astonishing speed.
Wherever it reached, whether it was the sea surface or the water elements in the air, they were all frozen by this powerful force. In the blink of an eye, the originally surging sea area had completely turned into an ice-sealed kingdom.
This terrifying freezing power even spread to places visible to mortals around the continent. Fortunately, under Yun Han's control, it did not continue to spread. Otherwise, it was estimated that the Teyvat continent would become a frozen continent...
In this ice-sealed Heaven and Earth, everything was frozen, and time seemed to have stopped flowing.
Only Yun Han stood there, enjoying the icy storm, like a sovereign of ice and snow, radiating endless majesty and power.
"Crack!" The sword array above Zhongli's head was frozen and shattered, and the Geo shield on his body also broke.
He instinctively tried to mobilize Geo elements to re-summon a shield, but found that both he and the surrounding Geo elements were affected by the extreme cold. As a result, mobilizing them was extremely slow, and he was completely frozen except for his face.
Looking at Yun Han, who was slowly walking down from the sky, Zhongli was somewhat helpless at this moment. He could only open his mouth and say, "Island Master Yun, it seems you have won."
"You're right, it seems I'm slightly superior." A smile appeared on Yun Han's lips.
Slightly superior? No, no, no, I was just playing with you. I suppressed my strength and still have a hidden ultimate move that I haven't used yet.
However, Yun Han also knew that Zhongli was not in his prime. The erosion of time had eventually caused him to fade, otherwise, his strength could probably still be improved a bit.
"Island Master Yun, can you release me now?" Zhongli looked at his frozen body with a helpless expression.
Yun Han chuckled and snapped his fingers. The ice on Zhongli's body melted away, and the flow of elemental energy within him returned to normal.
Everything around them that had been frozen also returned to its original state.
"Morax, I want to make a contract with you. This should be your final contract," Yun Han said.
He then explained his plan for mortals to cultivate immortality.
After listening, Zhongli didn't immediately agree, but instead fell into deep thought.
"I know you plan to retire, and it wouldn't be convenient for you to appear before the public after that, right? The Liyue Qixing might be governing well now, but what about after many years when a new group of them takes over?"
"Mortals have limited lifespans, and their hearts are all different. If one day the Heavenly Principles awaken and decide to reshuffle everything, will Liyue still be safe?"
Yun Han said.
After much consideration, Zhongli also recalled that Yun Yan had asked him for a promise or assistance. Could it be for this moment?
In the end, Zhongli agreed. Yun Han smiled slightly and said, "Then, for the specific plan, you can ask the god in Mondstadt. He is also involved."
"Barbatos?" Zhongli was taken aback, not expecting that the drunkard had already agreed. It seemed that Yun Han's arrangements were truly significant.
"Then farewell. We will meet again." Yun Han opened a portal for him.
Zhongli glanced at him one last time, said nothing more, and stepped into the portal.
Watching the portal disappear, Yun Han looked in one direction and slowly said, "The other plan can also begin."
That direction was Inazuma.
Liyue.
Zhongli emerged from the portal. After it vanished, several Liyue Adepti, including Xiao, approached.
"How did it go, Rex Lapis?" Xiao asked.
"It's nothing, but I wasn't his match," Zhongli sighed, admitting defeat. He knew Yun Han likely hadn't even used his full strength. Otherwise, probably no one in Teyvat could stand against him.
Defeating Rex Lapis... it seemed the Island Master Yun was indeed very strong.
The Adepti were secretly shocked. They all knew how powerful Morax was.
"Go back, all of you. Liyue is safe from now on." With that, Zhongli headed towards Liyue Harbor.
He was somewhat bewildered. Was he, in the end, experiencing erosion?
Upon hearing this, the various Adepti departed, each going their separate ways. No one questioned Zhongli about the specifics. Since the Geo Archon didn't offer an explanation, there was undoubtedly a deeper meaning behind his actions.
On the other side, Yun Han returned to Li Chen Island and found that Yun Yan had already awakened. She was sitting on the jade bed, recuperating.
"Awake? How do you feel?" Yun Han appeared before her, asking.
"My body feels a bit strange, but I can't quite put my finger on it," Yun Yan opened her eyes and, seeing Yun Han, showed no surprise. She shook her head.
"It's nothing serious. You've also gained something from this misfortune. Your soul has completely merged with your physical body. From now on, you are a whole person, and you are no longer my shadow," Yun Han said.
Then, he tapped her forehead with his finger, transmitting the Tai Yuan Ling Xu Technique to her.
"This cultivation technique is a perfect match for you right now. After practicing it, you'll be free from restrictions when using soul magic," Yun Han said with a smile.
"Thank you, Master." Yun Yan quickly expressed her gratitude.
"Alright, from now on you can just call me Island Lord. That goes for the girl as well, even though she's my disciple, you're the one who taught her, after all." Yun Han shook his head.
"Island Lord," Yun Yan nodded.
Yun Han told her to rest well and was about to leave when she called out to him.
"How is Yue Yue doing?" Yun Yan seemed worried.
"That girl was the starting point of this whole affair. Although she didn't make any major mistakes, carelessness is not a good thing. As punishment, I've had her go into closed-door cultivation to reflect until you wake up."
After Yun Han finished speaking, he tossed her a jade talisman and a spatial ring, then turned and left.