On the center island.
Seeing that the commotion on Mondstadt's side had noticeably quieted down, and noting the streams of water flowing off the edges of their Sky Island, Zhongli understood immediately. Jean had found a good solution to the bombardment.
By flooding the island, Jean had not only mitigated the explosive damage but had also created a significant obstacle for any landing party. The rugged terrain of the main island meant the water currents would be quite turbulent. The reason it wasn't obvious right now was because Jean had likely ordered her troops to build barriers along the edges of the island. If Zhongli's forces tore down those barriers to land, the rushing water would sweep them away. They wouldn't even be able to set foot on the island; they'd be pushed straight off into the void.
Zhongli didn't know if this was a tactic Jean had planned in advance or a happy accident born of desperation. He figured it was likely the latter. Faced with a bombardment threatening to blow a hole straight through their main island, she wouldn't have had time for complex schemes.
Furthermore, strictly speaking, this tactic was a double-edged sword. Water currents did not discriminate between friend and foe. Fighting in rushing water was unfavorable to both sides, and it made it incredibly easy to be swept off the edge. Additionally, the water coverage definitely hadn't reached the bed. If water washed over the bed, it would break it. This presented an opportunity.
As for how to safely land and fight... it was simply a matter of extending a platform for Liyue to stand on. He was going to land on that island today, no matter what!
Suddenly, Cloud Retainer's voice crackled over the communicator. "My Lord, we're almost out of TNT. Only five blocks remain. What is the next course of action? Should we bring the integrated resources over as reinforcements?"
Zhongli gave a slight shake of his head. "Unnecessary. We must seize every second. Mondstadt has just endured a bombardment; they haven't had a moment to integrate their resources. Strike while they are vulnerable. It is time to end this match."
"You and Beidou guard our base. Have Beidou build a platform beneath the main island and keep watch; beware of anyone attempting to back-cap our bed. In addition, modify the Redstone Cannon exactly as I instructed earlier. Have Xiao use it when the time comes."
Cloud Retainer acknowledged the order firmly: "Understood, My Lord."
Although Cloud Retainer's overall Redstone technological prowess wasn't on par with Guizhong's, she was still a master when it came to offensive applications like Redstone Cannons. Zhongli's modifications weren't complex. She grasped his intent in seconds and soon reported back that the modifications were complete.
A slight smile played on Zhongli's lips. He took a quick tally of his troops and opened a channel to Xiao. "Xiao, stand by. When I give the word, activate it!"
Standing inside a bizarre contraption, Xiao gave a heavy nod. "Yes, My Lord!"
Zhongli didn't hesitate. He had been multitasking: instructing Cloud Retainer on the modifications, briefing Xiao on his role, and directing the Millelith to build a platform outside Mondstadt's defensive wall. Everything was ready. All he needed now was the "eastern wind," and he intended to borrow it from Venti.
The uneasy calm lasted only a moment longer before Zhongli gave a slight wave of his hand.
"Break the wall! Launch the general offensive!"
"Yes, My Lord!"
A deafening cheer erupted as several Millelith surged forward. In minutes, they had dug straight through the wall surrounding Mondstadt's main island. After a long stalemate, Liyue and Mondstadt were finally face-to-face for the deciding battle.
On the observation deck, Ryen naturally didn't mind giving this final clash a little special attention. He queued up an intense, high-energy music disc and blasted it across the entire Sky Island via the speaker system. The music instantly fueled the fighting spirit of both armies.
The wall breached, Zhongli found himself face-to-face with a deeply tense Venti and his team. Staring at them across the short divide, Zhongli chuckled lightly. "We finally meet... it is time this war reached its conclusion."
"Ehe!" Venti grinned playfully, drawing his bow. "Old man, you started this war. Shouldn't I be the one to fire the final shot?"
Before Zhongli could respond, Venti loosed an arrow wreathed in a cyan storm, aiming straight for him. Venti knew perfectly well that an attack like this would do nothing to Zhongli. But as he said, this was the clarion call to battle.
Zhongli naturally hadn't ordered his men to breach the wall from only one direction. Almost simultaneously, the walls on the other sides of the island were shattered as well. Turbulent water poured out through the gaps.
For a moment, the Millelith found it difficult to charge inward. However, the Mondstadt soldiers were equally hindered by the rushing water, constantly having to adjust their footing. As Zhongli had anticipated, they hadn't allowed the water to reach the bed, and they hadn't stationed their main force there either. Fighting near the bed was too risky; a stray enemy could easily back-cap it.
Though the bombardment had ended, Jean clearly had no intention of removing the water. Fighting while standing in water negated some of the advantages in resources and equipment. The outcome would now rely entirely on individual skill.
Unfortunately, Zhongli had no intention of playing fair. He casually swatted away Venti's arrow and spread his arms.
"Solidify!"
Visible to the naked eye, a brilliant golden shield glowing with Adeptal runes materialized around every single Liyue soldier.
Jean and the others fell silent. Venti had been about to complain about Zhongli playing dirty, but he reconsidered. This was the Geo Lord's signature ability. Using it in war was entirely justified. After a moment of silence, Venti's eyes narrowed into a smile.
"Since you made the first move, old man, I won't hold back either!" Venti brought his hands together, an expression of pure holiness gracing his features. He murmured softly: "O restless winds, answer my call."
A flowing cyan light wrapped around every Knight of Favonius. In an instant, the Knights felt their bodies become incredibly light and agile, as if they could take flight with a single leap.
Diluc was astonished. "You know a move like that? A large-scale area buff? I've never seen you use that before!"
"Ehe!" Venti shrugged and didn't answer.
Diluc's face darkened as he grumbled, "You really are a piece of work. You'll use it in a game, but you'd never use it in a real fight!"
"This isn't just a game! This is a war for honor!" Venti protested indignantly.
In the next moment, a chilling sensation pierced Venti's heart. He instinctively dodged to the side, only to be launched into the air by Zhongli's rapid follow-up strike.
"I agree with that sentiment. This is a war for honor! Therefore..." Zhongli grew serious. A suffocating, overwhelming aura of martial intent unique to the God of Martial Arts washed over the arena, pressing down heavily on everyone. "Let us begin. The final battle! Millelith, charge!"
With Zhongli firing the opening salvo, an earth-shattering battle cry echoed across the Mondstadt Sky Island. The clash between these two nations was no less intense than the engagements involving multiple forces.
Standing in the rushing water, the Liyue forces, bolstered by the Jade Shields, were as immovable as bedrock, their formations tight and disciplined. The Mondstadt forces, on the other hand, were as nimble as birds, moving freely despite the current. This was the result of buffs provided by the two strongest entities among the current Seven Archons. Even in the MC World, their inherent power offered unique advantages.
The collision of wind and geo, the clash between the golden and cyan legions: it was a breathtakingly beautiful sight.
In the blink of an eye, Zhongli was surrounded by Diluc, Jean, and Eula, with Venti harassing him with arrows from a distance. He was facing off against Mondstadt's four top-tier combatants single-handedly.
Zhongli glanced around and gave a slight nod. "Decapitating the commander before the battle truly begins is an excellent strategy. If I die, Liyue's morale will plummet, while you still have Jean and Venti to command. It seems I am at a disadvantage."
Despite his words, Zhongli showed no signs of nervousness. If this were Teyvat, even without using his divine power, he could suppress these four in minutes. Even in this world, where everyone's physical strength was equalized, he wasn't afraid of them. Frankly speaking... four people still weren't enough!
At this moment, Zhongli exuded an aura of a solitary warrior holding a pass against ten thousand enemies.
Hearing Zhongli's praise, the four did not relax their guard. The deafening battle cries around them didn't waver their focus in the slightest. The broader battle would be handled by the soldiers. Their task was the most critical. They had to seize the moment to defeat Zhongli. Otherwise, once Xiao and the others landed, Mondstadt would undoubtedly lose.
The man standing before them wasn't just the Lord of Geo; he was the God of Martial Arts. The thought weighed heavily on Jean and the others, their palms beginning to sweat.
"Ehe! Old man, you don't blame us for ganging up on you, do you?" Venti grinned at Zhongli. "We have no choice! You're the God of Martial Arts. If we fought you one-on-one, you'd crush us in seconds. We don't want to lose, and it's not like this is against the rules."
Zhongli shook his head slightly. "By general principles, your choice is wise. In war, there is no place for morality. However... are you certain the four of you are enough to defeat me?"
Zhongli remained entirely unbothered, looking with amusement at the tense quartet opposing him. Although he was the one surrounded, Jean and her companions were clearly far more anxious than he was. As for who was actually surrounding whom, that was debatable. Back in the day, when faced with five top-tier demon gods, Zhongli had boldly declared that they were the ones surrounded by him.
"I have always heard that the title 'God of Martial Arts' is even more deeply rooted in people's hearts than 'Lord of Geo.' Now, I finally get to test the gap between myself and the God of Martial Arts." Diluc's fighting spirit blazed, filling him with a sense of exhilaration. A spar with the God of Martial Arts, and on relatively even footing within the MC World, no less! Who wouldn't be excited by such an opportunity?
On the observation deck, Childe was so anxious he was practically jumping out of his seat. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to fight Zhongli like this? He would regret missing it for the rest of his life!
"Very well. Come." The corners of Zhongli's mouth lifted into an appreciative smile. Even if Mondstadt brought twice as many people to gang up on him, he would only praise them. This wasn't an immoral lack of martial virtue; it was a perfectly logical arrangement. Bringing too few people against him offered zero advantage. If they didn't hold him down here, he could suppress their entire army single-handedly in moments. This was the most optimal arrangement.
On the observation deck, seeing Zhongli's long-absent battle intent ignite, Ryen nodded with delight. He had witnessed Zhongli's martial prowess before; it defied description. It was the absolute zenith of the martial path. Truthfully, even in the pure way of the sword, the Shogun couldn't compare to Zhongli. In the Dark Sea, Ryen had watched Zhongli completely overwhelm four high-level demon gods using pure martial skill, toying with them like children.
However, it was clear the others didn't truly grasp the weight of the title "God of Martial Arts." Ryen chuckled softly and asked: "Do you know why the God of Martial Arts is called the God of Martial Arts?"
"Huh?" Ayaka and the others tilted their heads in confusion, but Ei and the other martial combatants immediately perked up, their eyes glued to the screen. After hundreds of years, the God of Martial Arts was finally going to display the martial path that suppressed all others. This was a rare opportunity for them to further their own skills.
"Keep watching. You will understand soon enough," Ryen said with a smile, offering no further explanation.
On the screen, after a long standoff, Diluc made a subtle movement, intending to strike first. But that microscopic twitch was entirely transparent to Zhongli.
In the next instant, silver light flashed like a dragon as Zhongli's Trident thrust toward Diluc.
Diluc's soul practically left his body. This strike... he could see it, he could feel it.
But... he couldn't dodge it!