I'm in the Teyvat running group

"This is it!" Yunxiu made a quick decision and immediately used the Dragon Scale Staff and his [All Laws Return to Origin] to upgrade two rings in succession and cast an automatic counter-spell. Because he always had the habit of maximizing his Arcane Protection, this series of operations had already pushed his actual health bar to over 200,000.

"No need to worry." Zhongli casually pushed himself up, and [Jade Star of Heaven - Eternal Protection] descended directly. In terms of skill effect alone, it was not much different from the one he had when he dined with the Emperor before.

It still has the base value of 45D6, but the upgrade spell has raised the skill level by four levels, increasing the modifier of this spell to the level of 13 levels, which is as high as 1482, and the bonus is also 28 points.

Although she knew that it was only at this level in terms of numerical value and did not have the terrifying effect of a truly high-level spell, Yunxiu's eyelids still twitched.

This shows that Zhongli last time was just an incarnation, but Yunxiu dared not judge whether the Emperor was going all out this time.

After all, Yunxiu only saw two terrifying status effects besides these, but Yueji had already activated six status effects...

[Refined Rock]: Your shield value is boosted by your pure Geo energy, granting you an additional five times the Geo shield amount of Elemental Mastery (currently: 39862760 points).

[Eternal Rocks]: Your shield value can buff any friendly unit within your awareness range, but the shield amount is evenly distributed based on the number of units buffed, with a minimum decay of 1% (current friendly unit shield value: 17619485 points).

Just as the shield was fully released, a strange blue-haired little girl and the miners charged forward, wielding their weapons. The blue-haired little girl, in particular, suddenly dispersed into a cloud of black mist, unleashing a peculiar shockwave that struck the shield, creating a crackling burst of spiritual light. Even Yue Ji, a powerful figure on the verge of becoming a legend, was so shocked that her eyelids twitched!

"-227151! -239771! -235564!..."

A barrage of damage caused the shield value to plummet rapidly, dropping by a third in less than 10 seconds!

"I'll do it!" Yunxiu immediately cast a level 7 Sleep spell. A strange ripple swept from his body, causing all the miners in the mine to instantly fall to the ground unconscious. As the miners collapsed one after another, Yunxiu and the others saw that although the seal was intact, the bedrock beneath it had been chipped away for tens of meters.

Zhongli smiled approvingly at Yunxiu, then led the group carefully, avoiding the miners' bodies, to the seal.

He reached out and touched it lightly, and the seal opened a sealed gate that could only allow one person to pass through. As soon as they stepped into the sealed gate, the entire cave trembled, a large chunk of the surrounding rock wall broke off, and rocks were smashed down on them.

Ying and Yue Ji drew their swords and leaped into the air, slicing through the rocks with a few sword flourishes!

Ying seems to have also grasped the power of "true self". When she erupts, she easily finds the weak point of the rock and breaks it easily. Her combat power is far stronger than in the original story!

After everything settled down, the group finally looked at the very center of the seal. Eight strange rock pillars ran through the entire cave, each one seemingly growing directly from the ground, reaching thousands of meters in height and piercing the top of the cave. On the surface of the rock pillars flowed a strange light composed of pure rock elemental aura.

The rock pillars are connected by light walls filled with rock elemental runes, forming a beautiful yet majestic array.

The aura emanating from the rock pillar and the Dragon King of Ruoduo created a peculiar state, and in addition to the rock element inscription on the pillar, there was also a "soul-suppressing" rune.

The Soul-Suppressing Talisman and the distinct black aura emanating from the Dragon King Ruotu resonated with each other, creating a peculiar atmosphere. Meanwhile, between the rock pillars, the spiritual light of the rock element was densely woven into a barrier, completely isolating all auras!

Just then, the enormous dragon-shaped creature lowered its head and looked down. Its eyes, as bright as the sun and moon, revealed a twisted, ferocious light. With a roar, a huge amount of energy, accompanied by a whirlwind, swept over!

"Morax, it's time...to settle everything!"

Chapter 76 A Keen Eye for Discerning Loyalty and Treachery (Sixth Update Today)

A colossal dragon, as large as a mountain range, was firmly locked within the formation. Completely different from the streamlined body of Dvalin, the body of the Rota Dragon King was peculiar and full of power, with short, thick, huge legs and strange dragon scales that looked like crystals of rock elements. The entire dragon body shone with a jade-colored light.

But when he walked, it didn't seem like the walking of a living being. Instead, it was as if the ground was responding to him, with rocks and ground undulating with his steps, resounding like the pulse of the earth.

Coupled with its truly mountain-like body, it exudes an even more majestic aura.

In other words, the Naga King Rota is less a living being and more like a living, walking mountain!

On its head, which was not particularly large compared to its body, two enormous curved horns pointed straight into the sky. Its huge eyes were a twisted, crazed golden-red, and its enormous gaze seemed to want to devour the people in front of it!

"Mora...x..." The Dragon King's massive maw spewed out a burst of rock elemental light, which actually broke through the barrier and rushed straight towards Zhongli!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

A series of explosions rang out as the elemental shield that the Emperor had solidified withstood the impact of the destructive spiritual light. The enormous energy quickly shattered the Emperor's elemental shield, but Zhongli simply raised his hand and easily condensed dozens of elemental shields, completely protecting himself!

"Morax, you're still such a coward!" A little blue-haired girl suddenly reappeared, black energy surging from her body. A strange expression flashed across her face as she roared at Zhongli, "You were the one who sealed me underground before, and now, a thousand years later, it's you again who's making your move..."

“You should call it destiny.” Zhongli smiled slightly. “And I’m not here to seal you away.”

"Do you think you can defeat me! You treacherous bastard!" the blue-haired girl roared angrily. Even the Dragon King Ruotu behind her roared and shook the ground, creating a sweeping elemental light that knocked away a third of everyone's shields!

It's indeed very strong, but something seems off...

Yunxiu suddenly realized that Ruotuo Dragon King's strength seemed a bit off. It wasn't that he was too weak, but relatively speaking, he wasn't that strong.

Whether it's the perception of mortals or the understanding of immortals, the power of a ruling god is at the level of breaking rocks to form mountains and throwing stones to form seas. Now that the seal has gradually loosened, the Dragon King Ruo Tuo's angry attacks, which seem powerful, have actually not even broken the shield that Zhong Li casually opened.

With such damage intensity, even though Yunxiu is only a sixth-ring cultivator, despite having a divine artifact and the skill to upgrade his ring, he is confident that he can assess the situation and then escape...

Is this combat power at least one level above legendary?

Even considering that it's sealed, this is far too weak.

"Wait!" Thinking of this, and combining it with some previous conjectures, Yunxiu had a bold idea. He looked up at Zhongli and said, "Your Majesty, may I have a word with him?"

"Oh?" Zhongli looked at Yunxiu and suddenly seemed to realize something, revealing a meaningful smile: "It seems you already know."

Seeing Zhongli give up his seat and move the elemental shield to his side, he stood in front of everyone, staring into those inhuman eyes, and asked the earth-shattering question: "Are you... the Dragon King Ruotu?"

! ! ! ! !

Everyone present, except Zhongli, looked shocked. Even the restless rock element in the air calmed down in an instant.

The blue-haired little girl, or rather "Azhen," who was accusing Morax, abruptly stopped. Her face, filled with resentment and grief, froze for a second, her eyes revealing a cold, empty light. She turned to Yunxiu, clenched her fists, and unleashed a mental attack!

"-76243!"

"As expected, you are too weak." Yunxiu said confidently, "Even without the Emperor's power, I am confident that I can escape from your hands."

"You...you say I'm weak?" The golden-red eyes that belonged to the Dragon King faded from Ah Zhen's eyes, replaced by an ominous, dark purple light. She made a sound like tearing cloth, and the entire space seemed to distort under her words!

“Yes, you are too weak.” Yunxiu pointed to Yueji standing next to her and said seriously, “Even someone whose status is far inferior to yours could pose a greater threat to me. For us mages, as long as we cannot kill you in one hit, we have the ability to escape the attack range of a super monster like you that has already been controlled.”

"and……"

"And what?"

“I’ve fought against the Dragon Kings and know information about more than one.” Yunxiu tapped his head and said, “The Dragon King Ruoduo, who made a pact with Morax, fought alongside him, and protected Liyue for thousands of years—does his wear and tear really exist?”

"It was Morax who broke their promise!"

"This leads to the second question: the wear and tear brings wear and tear to the spirit and will. Can it really be twisted so precisely, and can such a way be designed to help oneself break free from the seal?"

As Yunxiu walked, she watched Kunjun, whose body was beginning to emit various colored spiritual lights, and knew that her guess was probably correct.

Then he continued, "What you're showing doesn't resemble 'wear and tear resentment' at all, and it doesn't exude this eerie black aura. King Ruo Tuo is one of the Seven Dragon Kings, the pinnacle of elemental beings, so how could he be worn down to this extent? Moreover, he and Tian Li are not even from the same system of life."

Seeing Ah Zhen's eyes grow increasingly distorted and the light emanating from her body darken, Yun Xiu loudly proclaimed his guess:

"So, you are not the Dragon King Ruotu, you are the Black Tide, you are the Abyss! You are the black mud seeping from the Abyss of Layered Rocks, polluting the ley lines of the Abyss of Layered Rocks, and further corrupting the Dragon King Ruotu who lives within the ley lines!" Seeing Azhen beginning to act like a madwoman, manipulating the Dragon King Ruotu to repeatedly attack the seal, Yunxiu uttered his last words:

"You are the consciousness of the Abyss! You have corrupted Mondstadt, corrupted Liyue, and perhaps even other nations. You used the ley lines to control the Dragon King Rota, but because of his power, you could not completely transform into the Abyss. You are not the Dragon King Rota at all!"

roar!!!!!

A massive amount of abyssal power and a strange black aura emanated from Azhen and Ruotu Dragon King, rushing straight towards Yunxiu!

Just as Yunxiu was about to step back, he suddenly saw a figure flash in front of him. It was not Zhongli, nor Yueji, but Kunjun, who had been silently enduring pain!

The scholarly humility and confusion on his face had completely disappeared. He formed a series of strange hand seals with his ten fingers, and the eight pillars burst forth with earth-shattering spiritual light, once again forcibly suppressing the abyss consciousness and the Dragon King Ruoduo!

"Ughhhhhh—!"

Ah Zhen's small figure let out a shrill, inhuman scream!

The rock elemental aura around him surged and tore apart, bursting out viscous blackish-purple energy, which made the suppression of the eight rock pillars even more terrifying, and the intensity of the light was so great that it almost solidified!

However, the spiritual light emanating from the eight rock pillars almost solidified into a jade barrier of rock element color, sealing all the filth inside!

"Kun Jun!" Looking at the young man who suddenly burst out with powerful strength, Yun Xiu was very surprised, even though she had expected it. In the original work, this should only be the consciousness of the possessing body, right?

“Young friend, you are right. I am the true Dragon King Ruo Tuo.” Kun Jun, or rather the real Dragon King Ruo Tuo, said to Yun Xiu and the others while continuously reinforcing and strengthening the seal: “A thousand years ago, I was corrupted by the abyss, my consciousness was manipulated, and I was forced to fight the Emperor under temptation. In the end, I chose to seal myself and let the Emperor seal me underground.”

"So now you..."

“I thought I could wear down his power with time and control over the elements, but I didn’t expect that even with the help of the ley lines, it would only get worse. He has started to corrupt the ley lines!” Kunjun said helplessly. “So I could only send out my last bit of pure consciousness to find someone to possess and go to Liyue Harbor to find the Emperor. Fortunately, I still found you.”

At this moment, the Dragon King Ruoduo actually relied on his powerful strength to break free from the rock pillar. The consciousness dominated by the abyss launched a final counterattack, and the entire underground seemed to be about to collapse, with even the rock pillar beginning to sway.

"Stubborn to the end!"

But Zhongli took a step forward, and with a movement, a huge aura of rock elemental light came from the outside and poured into his body. A golden-brown robe with a strange and luxurious hood appeared in his hand, and a magnificent and awe-inspiring spear appeared directly in his hand. His clothes moved without wind, and in an instant, they almost sealed off the space!

He raised his spear and casually thrust it into the ground, directly penetrating the core of the sealing formation. Then, he clasped his hands together and chanted a series of incantations. The eight rock pillars split into eight, creating a total of sixty-four rock pillars that combined to form an incomparably majestic and complex three-dimensional rune array, once again suppressing the Dragon King Ruotu.

The Dragon King's immense dragon might and the power of the abyss were once again sealed away, and the absolute power of the Rock God was revealed in its entirety!

"I will completely suppress that part of the Dragon King Ruoduo." The Emperor turned to look at them and said, "We had no other choice before, but now, a turning point has arrived."

"Your Majesty..."

"With your wisdom and this young friend Ying's purification abilities, we should be able to completely solve the problem."

“Morax…” Kunjun also looked at his old friend: “You are still as powerful as you were back then. After this matter is settled, how about we go to Mount Aozang for a few drinks?”

"Then I'll accept it without hesitation."

"Hahaha, as expected of Morax!" Kunjun laughed loudly, "When I return, I will drink your cellar full of aged wine!"

Chapter 77 Lightning and Fireflies Purify the Turbid Stream (First Update on the Second Day)

"Let's go." After glancing at the others, Yunxiu took the lead and stepped into the seal.

Ruo Tuo Dragon King has been completely suppressed by the Emperor's powerful force. In reality, only the dense abyssal aura and A Zhen remain in the entire space. Yun Xiu has also begun to carefully consider a solution.

In fact, reversing and purifying is not difficult; Ying can do it. After Yunxiu obtained the Destiny Seat [Dongxuan], which is incredibly powerful in terms of spell development, although he cannot develop a powerful spell array in a short period of time, the spell array he developed with Abedo is firmly in his mind, and he can reproduce it in a short time.

"Kun...Dragon King?"

Just call me Kunjun.

“Alright, Kunjun.” Yunxiu asked seriously, “Under the Emperor’s suppression, can you expel most of the abyssal pollution from your body?”

"It's possible... but it can't be completely eliminated; they'll infiltrate back soon."

"It's alright." Yunxiu waved her hand and looked at Ying: "Ying, it seems I'll have to ask you for help again this time."

Ying nodded. Kunjun seemed to realize something and began to form a series of hand seals to cooperate with the Emperor outside, forcibly pushing the abyss within the formation towards a certain place, gradually forming a distorted shadow.

Yunxiu took out a pile of newly collected amber from her backpack, upgraded her ring twice in a row, and used the eighth-ring spell slot to cast Thousand Wind Hands, suddenly conjuring 192 Thousand Wind Hands. Half of them held the amber and began to carve, while the other half began to carve a series of magic arrays around Ying.

Just as the distorted shadow of the abyss was about to solidify, Yunxiu looked at Yueji and shouted an unsurprising command with a smile: "Beat him to death!"

"That's exactly what I was waiting for!" Yue Ji chuckled and drew her long sword. In an instant, lightning elemental power filled the entire space, and the powerful lightning crackled particles in the air.

The shadow of the abyss coalesced into a strange monster that combined the appearances of Ruotu and the Emperor. It resembled the Emperor more, but had the long horns of the Ruotu Dragon King on its head, and the weapon it carried was a peculiar bow and arrow.

As it was fully formed, he drew his bow and aimed at Yunxiu, who was inscribing the magic array, and fired fifteen arrows imbued with the power of the abyss!