Readers immediately understood—this tree was sealing an "evil dragon" beneath it!
"This is just 'Dragonfall,'" Cyno remarked.
Tighnari had no rebuttal, because whether or not the stone tablet was made of "Dragonfall," it could indeed be called that.
[Traveler: "Found anything?"]
[Kun Jun: "Not yet... Hmm, nothing for now."]
After touching the stone, Kun Jun seemed a bit off, as if lost in thought.
[Zhongli: "Everyone, over here."]
Zhongli had found a clue—a freshly dug path behind the tree.
Inside this tunnel, three miners were still frantically digging. One had collapsed from exhaustion, another was clawing at the ground with his hands, and only one was digging normally. Behind them was a "door" sealed by glowing talismans.
[Zhongli: "Digging a tunnel toward an ancient seal... If no one had noticed, they would have kept digging indefinitely."]
Kun Jun stood behind Zhongli, his gaze fixed on him, brows slightly furrowed. Then, as if noticing something, he glanced behind the group.
[Paimon: "D-Does that mean there's something inside the seal...?"]
To Paimon's question, readers could only think, 'Paimon, did you even glance at that stone tablet?!'
At that moment, the three miners stopped digging and turned their furious eyes toward the Traveler and the others, slowly advancing with their pickaxes in hand.
A few ordinary miners naturally couldn't harm the Traveler and their companions, but the trouble was that the Traveler couldn't harm these ordinary people either.
Without hesitation, Paimon immediately took a step back, darting behind Zhongli.
As Paimon moved behind him, Zhongli timely raised a barrier, blocking the miners' assault.
The three miners madly attacked Zhongli's barrier, but it was utterly futile.
Zhongli strolled forward leisurely, the barrier pushing the miners back at a slow pace—he didn't want to hurt them.
Lucian included a detailed illustration: Zhongli with one hand raised forward, the perspective from behind and to the side, emphasizing his back figure and his long legs moving with elegant steps.
Previously, the Raiden Shogun's illustration also featured long legs and a leisurely stride, but hers exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Yet now, Zhongli walked with the same unhurried pace but radiated not oppression but an overwhelming sense of security.
Perhaps it was the perspective—the Raiden Shogun was viewed from the front, making her seem like an approaching foe.
Zhongli, viewed from behind, felt like a protective ally.
Had the Shogun's perspective also been from behind, she likely would've inspired the same sense of security.
The people of Liyue couldn't handle it—they wanted more of this!
The back of the Geo Archon—those legs, that waist, the placement of his Vision! Truly befitting an Adeptus!
Many in Liyue went wild over this, while the regulars at the Third-Round Knockout remained comparatively calm.
The Geo Archon? Wasn't he someone they saw every day? Though they rarely witnessed him in action, so this was worth savoring.
Just as everyone was engrossed in reading, an unexpected turn of events unfolded in the next segment.
Behind the Geo Archon, a shadowy mist coalesced into the form of the little girl.
Yet Zhongli seemed "unaware," not even glancing back, as if he didn't notice someone had entered his barrier.
However, few readers were worried. To most, even if the little girl was a bit eerie, she couldn't possibly harm the Geo Archon.
Earlier, when the Geo Archon faked his death, panic had clouded their judgment—after all, a massive dragon had plummeted from the sky. Few in Liyue could stay calm then.
But now, the situation wasn't nearly as dire. Their rational minds had regained control.
The little girl unleashed a dark mist from her hands, striking at Zhongli.
This time, the people of Liyue grew slightly concerned. No matter what, they didn't want their Archon to be injured by a sneak attack.
At that moment, Kun Jun, standing nearby, suddenly acted, his white mist clashing against the girl's dark mist.
We always knew you weren't ordinary, but not this extraordinary!
How many more surprises do you have for us?
Kun Jun himself wanted to ask: How many surprises do I have that even I don't know about? Nobody told me I was this strong!
In the story, Kun Jun blocked the attack for Zhongli. Yet the little girl didn't relent—she slipped into the seal and unleashed a tremendous suction force, pulling everyone inside.
Faced with this terrifying force, the Traveler and Paimon were helpless. Paimon was sucked in immediately, while the Traveler resorted to their ultimate technique, "kitten pawing at the ground," but still couldn't escape being dragged into the seal.
Zhongli glanced back—only to be pulled in as well.
Inside the seal, a chubby dragon... no, the mighty Dragon King of Rock glared at the intruders with crimson eyes.
Lucian naturally included an illustration of Azhdaha, the Dragon King. Unfortunately, few recognized Him.
To most readers, He was just a terrifying "monster," the enemy they'd have to face next.
The Adepti of Liyue, however, recognized Azhdaha and sighed in sorrow.
They had guessed who was behind the disturbances on their way to the Dragonfall site.
But when they saw Lucian's illustration of Azhdaha, they couldn't help but feel grief.
Their old friend no longer remembered them. The way Azhdaha stared at Zhongli held no nostalgia—only hatred.
"Azhdaha..." Guizhong's delicate face clouded with sorrow.
"Azhdaha... Do you still blame the Geo Archon?" Cloud Retainer sighed.
Guizhong knew of Azhdaha's story—Cloud Retainer had told her—but she never imagined Azhdaha would look at Zhongli like this now.
This was Azhdaha and Morax!
In her time, she had never seen Azhdaha gaze at Zhongli with such eyes.
Once closest friends, now staring at each other as enemies—how must Morax feel?
Guizhong didn't know what Zhongli was thinking, but she couldn't help feeling grateful that when Lucian revived her, she hadn't completely lost her memories.
Had she also looked at Zhongli with the eyes of a stranger, even his composed demeanor might've masked inner sorrow.
Zhongli always appeared unshakable, but he was a god who deeply valued bonds.
How could someone who didn't cherish connections pursue enduring "contracts"?
If anything, all the gods were like this.
Venti and Ei had both experienced the pain of being regarded as enemies by those they held dear.
When Dvalin was corrupted, he too had glared at Venti with such eyes. And Ei had faced Kitsune Saiguu and Oni Chiyo.
Back then, Chiyo had momentarily gained the upper hand.
Ei, peerless in martial arts, seemed to have lost her famed skill—even her naginata was shattered. In the end, her blade still swung wide.
Perhaps, in that moment, the girl who once danced the sacred Kagura flashed before Ei's eyes once more.
By comparison, Venti was the luckiest—at least Dvalin could still regain his senses.
Returning to the story, Azhdaha stomped the ground, causing the earth to tremble. The pillars sealing Him shattered, and with a roar, the seal was broken.
[Azhdaha, the Dragon King: "Morax... You've delivered yourself to me. How convenient—now I can repay you for sealing me away!"]
===✧✦✧===
Character Voice Line – Yae Miko: About "Historia Antiqua Chapter, Act II"
"Good thing Ei isn't interested in reading right now... Otherwise, the Plane of Euthymia might've started raining."