Shortly after the fall of Khaenri'ah, the situations appearing in the various nations of Teyvat significantly decreased.
However, the cost was heavy.
Snezhnaya has already seen the emergence of a new Tsaritsa, who has implemented policies and established the Fatui, an organization spanning six nations.
Natlan, due to a transaction between the first Pyro Archon and the God of Death, developed its own rule, the 'Soul-Returning Ode', which saved Natlan's 'Six Great Tribes' at the time, preserving the embers to continue contending with the Abyss.
Fontaine, even knowing the outcome, Focalors was still somewhat afraid, but now the people of Fontaine needed her.
To absolve the people of Fontaine of their inherent identity as Sinners, she devised a plan, a plan to deceive the Heavenly Principles.
Inazuma, the Electro Archon's Gnosis glowed in Ei's hand.
She then embraced Makoto in her arms and wept bitterly. At that time, she was still worried about her older sister going alone, so she secretly followed her the day after her sister departed.
But when she tried to follow them in, she was blocked outside. When she saw the cave appear again, only Barbatos and the God of Geo emerged.
She then saw her sister's corpse. Barbatos and the God of Geo said nothing more and left in a hurry. Ei also saw the injuries on them.
When Ei brought her sister back to Inazuma, Inazuma was in chaos. Ei heard that her friend had died in battle, and the 'Great Serpent' Orobashi had invaded Inazuma.
After settling her sister, an enraged Ei transformed into lightning and arrived at the battlefield. Under the dual impact of her sister's death and Inazuma being threatened, Ei unleashed the 'Musou no Hitotachi', leaving no trace of Orobashi.
That deep chasm forever radiates lightning.
Sumeru, an endless Desert, a small figure lay in the Desert. When she woke up, a group of people surrounded her.
Finally, she heard, "We've found you at last, our God."
Liyue, the Chasm erupted with an unprecedented power of the Abyss. This was the power Qixuan felt. She had promised Zhongli to protect Liyue before he returned.
At this moment, the Millelith were almost completely wiped out. The depths of the Chasm were still emitting wisps of black smoke, and the monsters had been strengthened once again. Bosacius had even lost both of his arms.
Just as Bosacius was preparing to enter the Chasm to seal it at the cost of his life, Qixuan arrived.
She was a little puzzled. What was going on with the Heavenly Principles? Shouldn't it have dropped a 'Skyfrost Nail' to suppress this? What should she do now that it wasn't there?
I can't just destroy this place, can I? Oh right! Aichan!
Qixuan immediately asked Aichan if there was a 'Skyfrost Nail' in the system's shop. After searching, she only found a 'Nail of Condemnation', but the effect was the same.
Qixuan then directly bought two. There was no other way; she was outrageously wealthy. After resolving the monsters outside with a single sword strike, she told Bosacius and the others to retreat, then extended her hand.
A giant deep blue 'nail' floated above the Chasm.
“Fall!”
With Qixuan's command, the giant 'nail' directly fell into the Chasm, and then a burst of blue light erupted, dispelling the surrounding Abyssal power.
Not long after Zhongli returned to Liyue to recover from his injuries, Qixuan suggested going to Mondstadt, saying she wanted to travel. Guizhong also wanted to go, but Zhongli rejected her, as he didn't want anything else to happen to Guizhong.
Mondstadt had just finished a battle and was recuperating. Zhongli naturally didn't believe Qixuan's reason, but out of trust for his old friend, he didn't ask too many questions.
He simply informed Venti, "I have a friend who wants to 'travel' to your place. Please take good care of them."
The implied meaning: I have a friend who wants to visit your place. Please take good care of them, but if anything happens...
At this time, Venti had just returned to Mondstadt to recuperate, but his divine power was greatly diminished. Upon hearing the message from this 'old man', he expressed that it was perfectly fine.
However, his current condition might not be ideal, making it inconvenient to welcome them. After this battle, the Boreas Wolf King was infected by the Abyss and went into seclusion.
Dvalin, one of the Four Winds, also suffered significant injuries. At this moment, a powerful Abyssal force erupted on the snowy mountains of Mondstadt, and then a dragon's roar echoed throughout Mondstadt City.
The Grand Master, who had just rested, was startled by the roar again. Vennessa asked what was happening outside.
A Knight of Favonius said, "Grand Master, there was a sudden roar from the snowy mountains just now, seemingly like a 'dragon'. Then residents said they saw a giant figure fly down from the snowy mountains directly towards Mondstadt City."
Vennessa then received a message from Venti.
“Lord Barbatos?”
Vennessa, that roar came from a demonic dragon. I am going to confront it now. You stay and guard Mondstadt City.
Grand Master! This is bad. Something fell off that dragon's body, and now the outskirts of Mondstadt City are full of monsters. The city gates are about to give way.
Vennessa: Even if they can't hold, they must! So, all members of the Knights of Favonius, go forth! Now that Lord Barbatos is going to deal with that demonic dragon, we will defend Mondstadt City.
Time returns to the snowy mountains...
Rhinedottir, who escaped from Khaenri'ah, also known as the Witch R, had been stationed in the snowy mountains of Mondstadt for several days. During these days, he had been researching what would be born from the fusion of the Abyss and the primordial embryo. This was different from 'artificial life'. Albedo was undoubtedly a successful 'Primordial Project'.
After experimentation, Rhinedottir obtained an egg. After incubation in a culture dish, a 'demonic dragon' was born. However, this demonic dragon's nature was not evil; it was even a blank slate. Rhinedottir named it Durin.
It seemed to joyfully call out, "Mama."
But due to the influence of the Abyss, its body would occasionally shed 'rotten' things, causing its body to be unwell.
After observing for several months, Rhinedottir knew it was a failure. Before leaving, he said to it, "The outside world is wonderful. You should go find friends and play with them."
Durin asked, "Mama, what are friends?"
Rhinedottir: "They are friends who look very much like you."
Durin excitedly left the snowy mountains, unaware that he himself was a 'calamity'.
Rhinedottir: "Barbatos, how will you deal with this?"
After saying this, he left the spot.
At this time, Mondstadt, due to the influence brought by that 'demonic dragon', the already unrecovered Mondstadt City could only barely resist. Many people were still fighting with injuries.
As the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt City, Rustam naturally had to charge at the forefront, but as more and more monsters appeared, he gradually couldn't hold on.
He used his last ounce of strength to cut down a monster. In the second before he fell, he seemed to see Rosalyne before his eyes. Was it a dream...?
It's not a dream, Rustam! Wake up! Didn't you still want to hear me sing? Wake up!
At this moment, Rosalyne's face was already covered in tears. As early as when she was studying in Sumeru, she received news that her hometown, Mondstadt, was suffering an invasion from the Abyss. She worried that Rustam would disregard himself to protect Mondstadt, so she rushed back without stopping.
Upon seeing Mondstadt City engulfed in flames and Rustam's corpse, she collapsed.
She roared in her heart again and again: "Where is the Anemo God of Mondstadt? Why doesn't he appear? He doesn't deserve to be a god at all!"
Her tears had long dried up. Many monsters were approaching her. A flash of light appeared, and a Pyro Vision appeared before Rosalyne.
She did not accept the Vision; instead, she externalized the Vision's elemental power, enduring the pain of the Pyro element filling her body. Compared to this pain, she had lost her beloved, lost everything she cherished, and that god was still nowhere to be found.
At this moment, she had no attachment to the world. She used her life force to ignite the 'World-Cleansing' flames. She wanted to cleanse the world's distortions.
At this moment, the 'Crimson Witch' was born. All the surrounding monsters were incinerated by her flames. Before Rosalyne's heart was completely consumed by the raging fire, the Tsaritsa's blessing descended.
All of it was to cleanse this world. She willingly followed the Tsaritsa. Under the pure Tsaritsa, she would cleanse the world's 'filth'.
From then on, there was no Rosalyne in the world, only the Witch who burned away all the filth in the world, the Fatui's Eighth Harbinger, 'La Signora'.
When Venti and Dvalin greeted Durin, they discovered that he was an Abyssal creation, and then they realized that his mind was like a child's.
Upon seeing Dvalin, he excitedly said, "Friend! You are my friend! Let's play together!" He then excitedly flew towards Dvalin.
Dvalin did not think this was making friends. Durin's body was full of 'filth' and was badly decayed.
Dvalin roared and charged forward. After embracing, Dvalin directly gave Durin a claw strike.
Durin felt pain but didn't think much of it, only believing it was a way of greeting in the outside world, and returned a claw strike to Dvalin.
This claw strike was not easy to bear. Because Durin was entirely 'toxic', Dvalin immediately began to totter.
Upon seeing this situation, Venti also realized it wouldn't work and directly summoned his divine weapon, the 'Elegy for the End', and shot it towards Durin.
Durin, feeling pain again, realized something was wrong. He looked at his body and the other's condition, as well as the 'filth' falling from his body onto the ground, instantly causing a patch of grass to wither.
Even a foolish Durin understood that he was a monster, that he would bring DMG to others.
He then said to Venti, "I don't want to hurt friends. I know I'm a monster, but I can't hurt you anymore. Please, end me."
Saying this, he extended his arms in an embracing posture.
Venti listened to Durin's words, deep in thought... Was it just for making friends? No matter what, Venti had to eliminate him.
He then used all his divine power, and after eliminating him with one arrow, he suppressed Durin's heart within the snowy mountains.
Since his divine power was insufficient, he also left his own weapon in the snowy mountains.
He then fell into a deep slumber.
Meanwhile, Qixuan was still on her way to Mondstadt. She planned to stay in Mondstadt for a while, waiting for the protagonist's arrival. Now, even if she called out to the Heavenly Principles, it wouldn't respond, and she didn't know if it was asleep or not.
So she was more looking forward to Lumine than Aether, hoping it wouldn't be twisted.