Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Gouging out eyes, pulling out tongue, and tearing out heart and blood

The barbed wire pierced through Osel's festering skin; it was a cannonball, a relatively new type of firearm.

It was used as a cannonball to fill iron cannons. Before this thing was invented, iron cannons were loaded with solid iron balls, which were fired directly or thrown to smash open other people's ships. But the caltrop was more ferocious. It was a spherical cannonball with a porcelain shell and a surface covered with densely packed reverse spikes, like a giant sea urchin.

The caltrops were filled with gunpowder, metal fragments, and various gelatinous oils. Upon detonation, they would scatter countless fragments and spikes throughout the enemy ship's hold, while the gelatinous oils, once ignited, would burn fiercely and be difficult to extinguish. This was a deadly weapon in naval warfare; a single well-placed shot could destroy a warship. At this moment, dozens of arquebuses fired in succession, striking Osel. The fragments and spikes churned like a metallic storm, brutally tearing at the flesh and blood within Osel's wounds. Large amounts of thick, white blood gushed out, flowing into the unfathomable sea.

Ausel's enormous white eyes stared at the large ship, then at Shen Liang in the sky. Its nine heads spewed icy dragon breath, yet it could only lie on the shore, helpless to be slaughtered. It could not launch an attack; the iron cannons firing in turn on one side of the treasure ship were simply too powerful, and its injured body was powerless to resist. Every hit was so painful that it wanted to sink to the bottom of the sea.

However, it was unable to move; its neck bones were severely frostbitten, and it had lost the strength to lift itself. Then someone filled the barbed wire with dry ice reagent and continued to fire it. Countless blasts of cold air surrounded Oser, freezing large parts of its body. The entire sea surface where Oser was located was controlled by the Genshin Impacts using their abilities. On the tens of thousands of square meters of ice, the nine-headed dragon finally froze.

Finally, only its eyes, still emitting white light, proved that it was still alive. Its huge white eyes turned slightly, but it did not stare at the treasure ship or Fanan, nor even at Shenliang in the sky. It was just looking at the island that it had never been able to climb.

"How tragic." Vanan silently gazed at the demon frozen on the water's surface. "Thousands of years have passed since the war. Ha, for you and me, it may just be a phase in our lives. But Oser, you couldn't have imagined that human power would advance so quickly, even faster than we immortals could deal with you, could you?"

"But General, this is our three-year dry ice reserve. Originally, this dry ice was intended for the entire navy. It's like we're giving it our all this time. The consumption is almost equivalent to the Yunlai Navy's annual munitions quota."

"To punish a demon god, even ten years of arms quota from Yunlaihai would be worthwhile. Seven Stars will understand and will continue to allocate funds to us," Fanan said sincerely. "Look... even if the heroes who competed in the demon god war are resurrected, they must admit that the world has changed, and the power of humanity is no longer weak. When alchemy, machinery, and courage are stacked together, even Oser, who fought against the emperor for his life, is like a pathetic plate of chilled sashimi."

"The Whirlpool Demon God... I always felt that it didn't have a very strong desire to attack." The sailor said hesitantly, "Except for the one against Shao Zheng, it has hardly used its dragon breath, and that time it even burned itself. To be precise, I feel that it has always fought with its body, and I haven't seen much of its power as a 'god' - is releasing a few water tornadoes and creating tsunamis enough to be considered a power?"

The sailor didn't mention that the entire Lonely Cloud Pavilion archipelago was formed when the Rock King Emperor used his divine power to create rock spears and project them into this sea area. Thousands upon thousands of these rock spears weathered and became the archipelago. This is true "divine power." If Oser's power was only this limited, how could he possibly be worthy of being defeated by the Rock King Emperor using such methods…

Fa Nan frowned slightly. "This...is not without reason."

But there are many more questions. The fact that Oser could be summoned by a group of water bandits is already absurd enough. How did it break through the Emperor's seal? This question is even more serious and worthy of more doubt!

Now that Ausel is too weak to fight, the matter is settled. The Thousand Rock Army did not allow Ausel to set foot on land, and single-handedly resolved this major problem that would have threatened Liyue Harbor! Fa Nan turned to his comrades, raised his right hand, and proclaimed in a joyful and encouraging voice, "This is a great victory! We have no casualties, and we have defeated the Demon God without much effort! Fa Nan will report this feat to the Seven Stars, and everyone present will at least be rewarded with the double merit of defeating the Demon God and protecting Princess Inazuma! Fa Nan hereby guarantees that your reward will be at least a 100-square-meter property in Liyue Harbor!"

"Long live!"

"The cliffs are firm as a thousand rocks! The mountains are unyielding as a hundred peaks!"

Cheers echoed along the coast, and the sailors shouted various slogans, hugging each other and jumping on the beach in excitement. This was the benefit of following Fanan. Although Fanan was a weak woman, she knew what her brothers wanted. When it was time to be decisive, she was more decisive than any general. The promised rewards and honors were always real and tangible, and she never made empty promises.

On the coffin box floating in the sky, Shen Liang and the general leaned against each other, gazing at the cheering people on the shore.

"Is that all?" the general asked calmly, sitting in his lap.

"I'm just here to see if anything goes wrong." Shen Liang wrapped his arms around his sister's slender waist, savoring the fresh scent of bellflowers on the general's body, and suddenly licked the doll girl's clean and soft cheek.

The general looked up and glanced at him with a puzzled expression, while Shen Liang clicked his tongue nonchalantly.

“Not sweet.”

"This body is formed from the essence of Lei Ying's blood. If this body tastes sweet, then your sister Ying will also taste sweet," the general said calmly. "Haven't you tasted it?"

"Although I don't understand why Oser's fighting spirit is so weak, as long as nothing unexpected happens, that's enough. It's good that nothing unexpected happens." Shen Liang didn't respond and naturally changed the subject.

"What would you do if something unexpected happened, brother?"

"Keep it up!"

"Me...do my best?" The general tilted his head and said coldly, "No, I will not intervene."

"Hey, hey, hey, you're the bodyguard Mom and Sister Ying appointed for me! This is clearly a high-risk moment. Shouldn't you step in and protect your weak, pitiful, and helpless brother? Isn't it only natural for a sister to protect her brother?"

“Protecting my brother doesn’t require me to take action,” the general said blankly. “I can just drag you away. In any case, this is Liyue’s war, and we Inazuma people don’t need to get involved in politics.”

"Hey you!" Shen Liang tightened his arms around her with ill intent, whispering in her ear, "I don't like hearing that. I don't understand politics, but look, isn't Sister Fanan our friend? How about she helps you out? Besides... what if I insist you take action? Can you disobey me, the Second Prince of Ruoriming God?"

"If my brother tries to act in the name of the master, then I will certainly not refuse."

Shen Liang angrily rubbed the general's tender little face, pinching it into the shape of a fox and a pig.

The sailors continued pouring dry ice, while news seemed to have reached Liyue Harbor; a series of faint lights could be seen moving towards them on the horizon. That must be the main force of the Yunlai Navy, bringing ship-borne cranes and cutting machines, as well as enough explosives to severely damage the Demon God.

Demons are difficult to kill, but if they are severely injured, they can be sealed back using magical techniques. The Lonely Cloud Pavilion Islands were originally the sealing grounds for suppressing Oser, and the specific immortal techniques used for sealing them have not been lost.

Everything seemed to be progressing steadily, and the sailors were preparing to enter the stronghold to drag out the bandits' leader, the Ba family.

Just as they were about to set off, a group of panicked pirates staggered out of the darkness from the shore. There were old and young, men and women, about thirty or fifty of them. The leader was carrying a banner and pulling a long rope.

The rope had everyone's feet tied to it, and these pirates, in a daze, simply followed their leader, swaying and staggering towards the sea.

The scene was bizarre. The sailors threw a torch at the feet of the crowd, illuminating the face of the leader—a fierce-looking old man. The sailors recognized him; he was the old chieftain of the Ba family.

"Are they going to surrender?" That was everyone's first reaction, including Fanan's.

But the sailors soon realized something was wrong.

The old chieftain's eyes were bloodshot as he glared venomously at the sailors. Then he turned and whispered something to the dazed crowd. The next moment, everyone raised their hands, and a flash of silver light appeared in their hands—a small knife.

Fanan quickly waved to signal the sailors who were about to rush over to stop, but she was still a little stunned. This kind of knife... it's simply a joke. What use is such a thin knife less than ten centimeters long on the battlefield? The combat efficiency is too low. It's used to slice fish!

"Start the altar—" the old chieftain's shrill voice suddenly rang out.

He suddenly pulled out the knife and stabbed it into his own eye! Then, with a twist of the handle, he gouged out his eyeball!

Then the second eye!

All thirty-odd pirates on the beach did the same thing, gouging out their own eyes, then kneeling on the ground in agony, letting out screams that sent chills down the spines of the sailors.

"Eek—" The silent Oser also let out a sharp howl. In an instant, tens of thousands of square meters of ice cracked like a biscuit that had been suddenly smashed, as Oser twisted and turned!

Spiderweb-like cracks stretched across the sea surface. As if stimulated by something, the demon god seemed to swell with flesh and blood, and stubbornly endured the freezing cold to get up again!

The old chieftain stared intently at Ausel, his hands trembling with a mixture of ecstasy and resentment, muttering, "Yes! That's it, that's it! God, our totem, our guardian spirit, that's it! Take our blood and bodies as you please. They want to kill the Ba family, fine, let's see who kills whom first! At least... at least we should all die together!"

The voice turned into a vicious roar as the ancestor shouted, "Second Master!"

He plunged the knife into his jaw and severed his tongue from the bottom! Even though the pain was so intense that he could only lie on the ground, he still pulled out his bloodied tongue and threw it into the sea!

Everyone else did the same!

The Thousand Rock Army soldiers on the island were all stunned. Even Fanan subconsciously took a few steps back. She saw that Ausel's struggles became stronger and she even roared furiously. Finally, she reacted!

"It's mind control magic! We can't let them continue sacrificing!"

"Too late!" the old chieftain roared. "Three offerings!"

With a "sizzle," the knife pierced his heart, and the so-called "heart blood" trickled out along the blood groove on the knife.

The bandits stumbled forward and fell into the sea, their thick, almost black blood quickly turning the small beach crimson. Strong bandits in their twenties and thirties, children as young as seven or eight, and burly women dressed in burlap clothes—one by one, the Ba people followed their old chieftain into the sea!

Offering sacrifices to the gods will result in a death without a proper burial!

"babble----------"

The shrill, furious, and even despairing howl was so powerful that it nearly shattered the minds of the sailors on the shore.

There was no ecstatic joy of gaining power in Oser's howl; instead, amidst its ferocious sound, one could feel a profound, suffocating sorrow...

"Shh!"

Finally, it was no longer without fighting spirit.

A white light, hotter than a furnace, condensed in its mouth and swept across the broken ice! The dragon's breath was like a knife, evaporating and slicing the sea surface, revealing a scorched seabed stretching for several kilometers, before the dragon's breath cut directly in half from the treasure ship of Fanan!

The sailors were stunned, and Fanan's face turned pale.

It's back! This is the true power of the Demon God's suppression, the terror of the Demon God! That inexplicable sacrificial ritual seems to have truly given Oser power; its divine power has been unleashed, and a single dragon's breath can obliterate a road several miles long!

Dry ice? Cannons? These things can subdue a god? Vanan realized she was too optimistic. How could she be so foolish as to think the demon god could be so weak? Even if Oser is weakened, he's still a demon god. A fleet would have a hard time dealing with him, and one ship thinks it's a sure thing?!

Enraged, Oser roared to the sky, dark clouds completely obscured the moon, and then an unconditional storm descended, covering the entire sea! The gale caused a tsunami! Waves over ten meters high instantly destroyed the treasure ship that had been cleaved in two! Fortunately, the surviving sailors had already abandoned the treasure ship and climbed onto the island.

But the tsunami was still rising, and towering waves were surging across the entire sea! Oser's intention was clear: it wanted to destroy Lone Cloud Pavilion and drown all the people of Liyue!

Even reinforcements from Liyue Harbor are unlikely to arrive now. What ship can handle such a tsunami? Even immortals might not be able to fly over! This is the ocean, Oser's home ground. Here, it even fought the Geo Archon for forty-nine days!

Fa Nan glanced at the troops, which had been reduced by more than half in an instant...

She knew she probably wouldn't die; she was a water demon, a sage, with extremely strong individual combat power. If she really wanted to run, Oser probably wouldn't be able to capture her, and probably wouldn't pursue her, since she didn't really pose much of a threat to Oser's fighting strength.

But on the island, whether it's the Thousand Rock Army or the 100,000 Lonely Cloud Pavilion pirates... they all have to die. They'll probably all die in front of the enraged Oser.

Fa Nan took a deep breath and finally decided to step onto the battlefield.

Chapter Thirty: A Manifestation of Divinity Before Humanity! Ten Thousand Times More Exciting!

(This chapter requires a second refresh)

She was different from the other Yakshas; she was primarily a general rather than a warrior, because water was the weakest element in combat... and besides, she was utterly useless against Oser, who wielded the power of water. But at this moment, she was the only one who could attract Oser's attention.

"Everyone... run away." Fanan finally made a decision she had never made before. "Ausel is still gathering strength to destroy Lonely Cloud Pavilion. I'm going to stop it. If you run now, they won't chase you too far. Escape from the other side of the island. There will be plenty of local boats. Oh, and take Princess Inazuma with you."

The sailors gritted their teeth; they saw Fanan's resolve, but there was no time to hesitate. Faced with a cataclysmic disaster of this magnitude, ordinary people were useless to stay. Wasting time would only betray Fanan's hard work!

"Should we try to take as many pirates as possible off the island?"

“Although they don’t admit it, they are still Liyue people. Take as many as you can. Oser is already prepared to destroy everything. It’s meaningless to consider the difference between the water bandits and us now.” Fa Nan stared blankly at the demon god that was stirring up a huge whirlpool in the middle of the sea, preparing to condense a hundred-meter tsunami to swallow up Guyun Pavilion. Oser gained the power of freedom from the sacrifice. Nothing can restrain it. It was like playing an apocalyptic elegy in the sea.

The sailors retreated one after another, and soon only Vanan remained on the beach. She had already resolved to die, so she was no longer afraid, and could even appreciate Osel's world-ending tidal wave.

Dark claws emerged from her body, and Fanan's clothes tore apart inch by inch. Fine, dark blue scales, resembling dragon scales or fish skin, covered her skin. Her fair, jade-like legs also shed their tight-fitting bodysuits, transforming into dark fish tails.

Yaksha markings appeared on her delicate and pretty face, and her body was covered in ferocious scales and horns. This was her true form. Her usual gentle and beautiful appearance was just to make it easier to get close to humans. Once she revealed her true form as a yaksha, she could not be called "gentle and beautiful" at all. She was clearly a ferocious demon... But yakshas are inherently warlike and ferocious species.

Fanan has always tried to cultivate her image as a refined "literary girl," but if someone were to see this scene now, all her beauty and gentleness would probably be shattered.

She looked up and saw that Shen Liang had disappeared sometime earlier, and she breathed a sigh of relief. The previous Oser was weak, so she could be a little more at ease, but this level of Oser couldn't possibly let Shen Liang stay. Fortunately, Oser's charge-up time was long, so Shen Liang should have had time to escape. Whether he escaped or not was no longer her concern. If Shen Liang couldn't escape and caused a disaster for Inazuma and Liyue… then Fanan would be dead anyway.

It's not exactly a regret.

Before I died... by sheer coincidence, I gave away my first kiss, so at least I didn't die as an emotional idiot.