Feeling the tremor beneath his feet, Pantalone's expression lit up with joy, thinking it was Morax's wrath descending in divine punishment.
But he quickly realized that wasn't the case.
The source of the shaking came from Mt. Tianheng behind him.
The wind and rain raged, the earth quaked and the mountains shook. The bedrock entrenched on Mt. Tianheng fell away today. Shattered stones tumbled from the mountain, revealing the secret hidden within Mt. Tianheng for thousands of years.
Pantalone's eyes gradually widened as the rubble fell from Mt. Tianheng, a look of shock and fear appearing on his face:
"Ziwei! You actually dare—"
"Aren't you afraid of inviting divine retribution!"
The ever-elegant Pantalone, in this moment, rarely lost his composure.
Because even though he dared to bargain with gods, he never imagined someone would dare commit such an act of defiance against divinity.
The peak of Mt. Tianheng gradually peeled away, finally exposing a pitch-black palace.
Its design was ancient and simple, yet filled with a sense of advanced technology.
Its scale was immense—nearly half the volume of Mt. Tianheng itself.
Lightning struck nearby. In the flash of thunder, the entire palace gleamed with a cold light.
This was a magnificent creation. Perhaps the super-large farming machine that appeared in Sumeru during the cataclysm of Khaenri'ah was larger in size, but it was far inferior in refinement.
This palace was like an artwork meant to be displayed in an exhibition hall—grand and majestic, yet extraordinarily exquisite.
What truly filled Pantalone with dread, however, was not the palace's splendor, but the aura emanating from it—one identical to Rex Lapis's.
Legend said Rex Lapis was born from a celestial star. And the main material of the palace before him... was also celestial star.
Pantalone could hardly imagine that in Liyue, someone dared commit such an act of supreme transgression—forging a creation from the same source as a god.
Inside the palace.
Xuanjian walked alone through the deep, long corridor.
The palace appeared grand and imposing from the outside, but its interior was unexpectedly plain—or rather... empty.
No lavish decorations like those in the Jade Chamber, no long historical accumulation like Fengdeng Lou, no spiritual energy like an adeptus abode. The palace was utterly devoid of anything.
Only murals lined the walls, narrating the story of this palace.
"Did the predecessors who walked this path feel the same as I do now?"
Xuanjian reached the end and looked up at the mural before him: "Everything began with the first Ziwei Star, who prayed for human governance."
The first mural recorded the story of a plainly dressed commoner blocking the path of the Sky Phoenix Marshal under everyone's gaze, beseeching the god for human governance.
The outcome was divine mandate of rulership. The position of Ziwei Star was established, and the first Ziwei Star was none other than that commoner.
Below the mural was the name of the first: You Meng.
"Who would believe that the one bold enough to demand power from a god would be a woman." Xuanjian chuckled lightly.
He gently stroked the name on the mural and vowed: "Your long-cherished wish will be fulfilled today."
"This Ziwei Star Palace began with you and will end with me."
"The foundation of Guili will shock everyone."
Xuanjian turned and walked toward the very center of the palace.
Murals continued to flash past him—one after another depicting the stories of successive Ziwei Stars.
Some obtained celestial star remnants in deep mountains; some tinkered with adeptal mechanisms beneath the Dust God's throne; some traveled thousands of miles to the nation of Dendro to acquire knowledge; some smelted and forged in primitive tribes...
All of it seemed unrelated, yet there appeared to be countless threads connecting them.
Finally, Xuanjian passed the last mural—the only one without a Ziwei Star's name marked on it.
On that mural was a pitch-black giant. It held a war axe and carried all living beings on its back, facing a true phoenix and a strange being that was half dragon, half qilin.
Xuanjian arrived at the grand hall at the very center of the Ziwei Star Palace. In the hall stood only a platform and a throne.
Xuanjian approached the throne, summoned that warblade, and said: "Now is the moment for history to turn to its next chapter."
With that, his tone resolute, he thrust the blade into the platform before him.
This was the symbol passed down through generations of Ziwei Star—both a divine artifact blessed by a god and the key to activating the Ziwei Star Palace.
As the warblade was inserted, the entire Ziwei Star Palace began to shake violently.
Countless gears started spinning at high speed, producing continuous sounds.
Xuanjian stood silently before the throne, gazing forward without a word.
...
Jade Chamber.
"Sorry, we're late." Yunshang helped Keqing to her feet and said.
Soldiers clad in armor followed closely behind Yunshang as they boarded the Jade Chamber, taking over from Keqing to face the Fatui.
These were the Millelith who had just finished their battle against the Red-Eyed Sea Dragons and achieved complete victory.
The Millelith bore wounds of varying degrees from their bloody fight with the Red-Eyed Sea Dragons, but their gazes were firm. They raised their weapons and engaged the Fatui in fierce combat. Swords clashed, sparks flew, and battle cries echoed across the Jade Chamber.
"Not too late yet."
Keqing, looking exhausted, gave a light chuckle.
"Physical injuries can be recovered with the adepti blessings, but the depletion of spirit is not something the adepti can restore."
Yunshang supported Keqing and walked her behind the Millelith line. "You did very well. Leave the rest to us."
Lumine subconsciously turned at the sound of battle cries not far away.
Thousands upon thousands of Millelith boarded the Jade Chamber. Even wounded, they still raised their weapons with resolute eyes and fought against the Fatui and Abyss monsters.
"It's you? The Marshal's friend."
The familiar old veteran approached Lumine with a friendly smile.
"Ah, it's you, grandpa!" Paimon also recognized the veteran.
"It's really impressive that the two of you still remember me." The veteran laughed. "Unfortunately, now isn't the right time for catching up."
"You two have worked hard to hold on until now. From here on, leave it to the Millelith."
The veteran smiled, then swung his Millelith spear to knock a hidden Pyro Agent back into the portal.
One couldn't be such a veteran without some real strength.
Then the veteran led his squad to take over Lumine's section of the battlefield.
She had been going all out, and suddenly she was idle. The sudden shift left Lumine feeling quite unaccustomed.
Watching the Millelith fight fiercely, even though her own strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Millelith soldier, Lumine still felt a wave of security.
"Traveler, I'm going to join the fight too. Could I trouble you to look after Miss Yuheng?"
Yunshang approached Lumine, drawing her longbow as she spoke.
"Of course. We'll take care of Keqing—no problem." Lumine and Paimon agreed.
Lumine sat down beside Keqing and let out a long breath.
Even she herself hadn't noticed how greatly her own spirit had been depleted.
"As expected of soldiers under the predecessor's command—they really are reliable." Ganyu supported Ningguang as she walked over and said.
Like Keqing, Ningguang was an ordinary human. The burden she bore was no less than Keqing's—her current state was only slightly better than Keqing's.
Ganyu, as a half-adeptus, was now in the best condition among the four—second only to Lumine.
"They truly are reliable soldiers." Ningguang chuckled lightly. "After this matter is over, I won't let a single one of the Fatui Harbingers escape."
"Count me in." Keqing awoke from her half-dreaming state, softly agreed, and then fell back asleep.
Guizhong watched the scene with a knowing smile, then issued the order: "Everyone, the time for counterattack has come! Concentrate all your strength and pour everything into the array!"
The adepti looked at the "frail" mortals who had firmly protected them. Their gazes gradually deepened. Only the five Yakshas burst into loud laughter at the sight.
Then the adepti withdrew all their power and devoted themselves entirely to the array beneath them.