He changed Tiwat

The "True Meaning of Kagura" is shaped like a three-tiered round tower, made of cherry blossom branches, with several bells wrapped in petals hanging on each tier.

Originally, all the bells were dyed black by the power of "Evil Sun," but now, the bell at the very top of "Kagura's True Meaning" has been restored to its original cherry blossom color.

This must be the guidance left to him by the divine child.

—Once he completes the "Great Purification of the Divine Cherry Blossoms", this Kagura Bell will return to its original form, right?

...At the same time, it also means that Yae no Miko is completely dead.

Han Fulai squatted down, picked up the Kagura bell, and gently shook it.

The ringtone was muffled.

Han Fulai recalled the last words of the divine child.

Although she didn't have time to finish speaking, Han Fulai understood her lips.

She said, "The fox... will repay the favor."

“I told you, you don’t understand me…” Han Fulai smiled bitterly at the Kagura Bell in his hand. “I hate being lied to the most, especially by women.”

But in this world, the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie.

A cherry blossom petal suddenly drifted down onto the back of his hand—at some point, new buds had sprouted on the divine cherry tree, and petals fell like raindrops, each petal seemingly reflecting the sly smile of the divine child.

Meanwhile, on the other side of time, the battle between the two Thunder Generals continued.

The crimson moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the deadly battle between the gods below.

The one who wields the Narukami Shikon in the name of "Makutsu-Mitsutake Narukami no Mikoto" and strikes down the Naginata blade is the "Eternal Guardian," Raiden General.

Her opponent is Inazuma's "Seven Rulers of the Mortal World," the "Eternal God" who has already deviated from the path of eternity.

Also, there's Ying, the "descender" from another world who challenged her to a "duel before the emperor."

"Thunder Shadow Sword!"

"Sever the Pure Land!"

The bladeless sword trembled, dragging out three layers of lightning marks, which intertwined with the shadow's blade light in the void, forming broken cracks.

"Slay the blade of divine thunder!"

The puppet general's skirt armor billowed like the wings of a soaring crane, and the thunderstorm brought about by the hand seals of his eight arms tore the space into tattered pieces of satin.

The combined attack by Ying and Ying once again failed.

Paimon was trembling in the distance—although she had desperately tried to stay away from the battlefield, the aftershocks of their clash were like a storm, making people tremble from the depths of their hearts no matter how far away they were.

If Paimon were alone here, she would definitely run away... but Luminous is still fighting in the eye of the storm.

Even if I can't help, at least... at least I should witness her battle.

"Don't lose, Ying! And Shadow too!" Paimon clenched his little fists, cheering them on in his heart.

As for why she didn't shout, it was because she was afraid the puppet general would hear her and cut her too... This can't be blamed on her being timid; the puppet general's sword was incredibly long and terrifying, and it almost touched her several times...

The battle had been going on for an unknown amount of time, but the situation remained one of advance and retreat—the puppet general pressed forward step by step, while Shadow and Fire continued to retreat.

The puppet general's expressionless face gradually began to show some emotion.

It seems to be disappointment.

"Have you been 'worn down' to this extent...?"

She stared at the "Dream One Heart" in Ying's hand, then raised her right arm.

Along with her right arm, the giant hand representing the valiant "Wild Soul" was also raised, along with the katana held in that hand.

"The proud and awe-inspiring demon girl, in the end, had her fangs and claws severed... Even though the blood and filth have been cleansed, your sword will never shine as brightly as before."

"Dreamscape Divine Light Blade!"

The katana swung down, leaving a purple lightning-like mark.

Ying dodged the general's blade, but then heard Ying's alarmed cry: "Watch out!"

—The general's sword flashed not just once, but nine times.

The sword flashes in four vertical and five horizontal directions represent the nine-character mantra for exorcising evil spirits: "Lin Bing Dou Zhe, Jie Zhen Lie Qian Xing".

It is hard for ordinary people to imagine how such a huge arm could wield a sword that is tens of meters long and create nine sword lights in such a short time.

Ying's vision was instantly stained dark purple, and her skin felt a needle-like burning pain.

The sword that clashed head-on with the general's blade was the jade shield left behind by Han Fulai. But the rock patterns on the jade shield were fading at a visible rate, like a mural corroded by acid rain... Clearly, this shield wouldn't last much longer.

"The fox-shaped cherry blossoms that fluttered in the sky eventually turned into black rain... As long as the earth's veins continue to flow, the torment of time will never end."

The puppet general raised his left hand high, guiding the "strange soul" holding the vajra to summon heavenly thunder.

"Evil Star Tri-Cobalt!"

Following the puppet general's command, "Qi Hun" hurled the vajra in his hand into the sky, where it split into three pieces upon landing.

The three vajras resonated simultaneously, like the chirping of a thousand birds.

Dark lightning surged forth like a tide, rippling outwards in concentric circles, carving scorched grooves into the ground.

Even if one has passed the "Anti-Lightning General Special Training", it is absolutely impossible to dodge this density of lightning surges by relying solely on reflexes.

Ying acted decisively, plunging her bladeless sword into the ground and activating "Rock Tide Overlapping Peaks - Majestic Azure Rocks". A shield composed of rock elements instantly enveloped her, blocking the incoming lightning tide.

The thunder surged layer upon layer, crashing against the low rocks, but the rocks remained unmoved—thanks to Shadow for giving her the "Wish Seal," which made her elemental energy incredibly abundant; otherwise, her protective shield would probably have collapsed long ago.

However, the thunderous surges triggered by the vajra are endless, just as the general said, "As long as the earth's veins continue to flow, the torment of time will never end."

Ying didn't know how long she could hold on.

Just then, a purple figure soared through the air and blocked Ying's path.

The shadow's sleeves billowed like clouds hanging from the sky, and the dream, with its heart hanging upside down, pointed to the heavens, drawing out unparalleled light: "No thought... severance!"

Chapter 235 Endless Battles [4k]

During her travels in Liyue, Ying once heard Xingqiu tell a fable:

"In Liyue, there was a man who sold shields and spears. He praised his shields, saying, 'My shields are so strong that nothing can pierce them.' He also praised his spears, saying, 'My spears are so sharp that they can pierce anything.' Someone asked, 'What if you use your spear to pierce your shield?' The man could not answer."

Legend has it that the Thunder General's "Musou no Hitsuji" is the sharpest "spear" in the world, and the existence of "Musou no Hitsuji" is the best proof of this.

Ying once witnessed the general's "Unthinking One Slash" at close range, and even tried to imitate it, turning it into her own martial arts technique... It can be said that she is the human who understands "Unthinking One Slash" the most in the world.

The demons of the Teyvat continent left behind various war relics during the "Demon Wars," and countless legends circulate among the people, many of which describe the demons' feats of moving mountains and overturning seas—but in terms of the power of their moves, at least in the eyes of the specters, none can surpass "The One-Slash of No Thought."

That's a celestial light that can even shatter space itself!

When she challenged Raiden General to a "duel before the emperor" at the castle tower and used her simulated "Musou no Ichisho" (a powerful, unrestrained sword strike) to strike him, it was because, in her heart, this was the strongest strike in the world.

Just like in the story, she used the enemy's own weapon against him—using the Thunder General's "unthinking slash" to defeat him.

Unfortunately, she didn't succeed at that time.

Today, I had the honor of continuing my "battle before the emperor" with General Raiden. Ying also used all her strength... but to her regret, the power of her "unthinking slash" was still not as good as General Raiden's original version.

In that brief confrontation of "a single, thoughtless strike," the general was unharmed, while she suffered a hidden injury.

Clearly, she is no match for General Thunder at this moment.

But she couldn't help but imagine—what would have happened if it had been Lei Yingdong, the very same Lei who created "The Unthinking Blade," instead of her who used it to fight the general?

...She has now witnessed this result with her own eyes.

The sunlight, like a waterfall, broke through the thunderous surge summoned by the vajra, leaving a long crack on the distant horizon.

Whether it's "one spirit and four souls" or "possessing all in this world," it crumbles like thin ice before this pure and ultimate light of destruction.

"Snap—"

With a crisp snapping sound, the puppet general's body split diagonally from his left shoulder to his right waist.

The "most powerful amethyst" scattered like rain, hitting the scorched earth and bursting into sparks.

Those crystals seem to be the blood of the puppet general.

Ying's pupils contracted slightly as she saw that the fallen amethyst crystals were covered with dark patterns, resembling specks of blue seeping from rotten wood.

"Yay! We defeated the puppet general!"

Little Paimon flew over with a big smile, but before he could finish speaking, he was choked by the smell of scorched earth and started coughing repeatedly.

Ying staggered to the ground, "Dream One Heart" plunged into the earth, the blade reflecting her face—her face was bloodless, as pale as a porcelain doll.

That last strike was the full force she could muster, even surpassing the strike that killed Orobas back then.

To unleash such a strike requires enough power to hollow out even a demon god.

Even Shadow can only lean on his sword to regulate his breathing and try to regain his mobility in a short time.

Her eyes remained fixed on the figure ahead—the puppet general she had severed in two.

Ying's grip on the bladeless sword remained firm, her eyes fixed on the remains of the puppet general.

"Ying, and Ying, why aren't you saying anything?"

Paimon really couldn't understand why everyone looked unhappy when they had won.

Just then, a voice echoed softly: "The divine lightning that enveloped Inazuma has finally vanished silently in the clouds... There will never be a second one, never a second one..."

To Paimon's astonishment, the doll, which had been split in two, spontaneously reassembled itself into a whole.

Her armor still bore the marks left by the "Unthinking Slash," but the exposed skin beneath the armor showed no signs of injury.

The puppet general calmly gazed at Lei Yingdian, his voice sounding somewhat gratified: "It seems your martial arts skills haven't declined."

"But how long can your will last?"

"H-How could this be..." Paimon was so frightened that he flew backward a great distance. "Is the Puppet General invincible?"

In response to Paimon's question, Shadow gave an affirmative answer: "This is the space of consciousness, and her existence is indeed very difficult to shake."

"She was created to fight against wear and tear. In terms of will, she surpasses all living beings, including you and me."

"As long as her will remains unshaken, she will revive no matter how many times she is killed."

Paimon's eyes widened: "Then...then this battle has no end?"

"Perhaps." Ying's voice was filled with deep weariness, but her eyes remained resolute.

"Even if it's an endless battle, I must prove to her that my will at this moment is not a product of wear and tear. The future I will forge will be a great achievement that can withstand the test of time."

“Without doing this, the general’s laws cannot be changed, and Inazuma will have no way to ‘advance’.”

She turned her head slightly to look at Ying and Paimon: "This is my responsibility. No matter how long this battle lasts, months, years, decades or centuries... no matter how many times, I will defeat her."

"Hoshino, Paimon, go back. As my 'side servants,' convey my orders to the retainers of the shogunate—Inazuma is in their care while I am away."

Five hundred years ago, humanity proved its strength through struggle. Now, they are eliminating old evils with their 'wishes,' just as an ancient cherry tree can grow new branches.

"I should learn to trust them."

Ying silently patted her shoulder.

The "wish-granting mark" on her shoulder no longer transmits power to her.

...This means that Shadow currently has no extra power to share with her.

Although Shadow said, "No matter how many times, I will defeat her," the truth is incredibly cruel—Shadow may not even have the strength to swing her sword again.

Shadow is letting them go back now... isn't he actually protecting them?

After all, even if she were here, she couldn't defeat the puppet general; instead, she would only be a burden on the shadow clone protecting them...

She looked back at the figure, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Although she didn't speak, Ying understood the unspoken question she had:

"The newborn Inazuma has only just begun; how can you bear to let your people go on alone?"

For 2,600 years, the wind god of Mondstadt had not ruled, and the people of Mondstadt had long been accustomed to life without a god in charge. For the people of Mondstadt, as long as the west winds of Mondstadt still blow and the songs of the lyre still resound in the city, the protection of Barbatos will be with them.

The Geo Archon of Liyue abdicated by feigning death, returning power to the people—but before that, he had already allowed the "Seven Stars Council" to govern Liyue for over three thousand years. Even after his abdication, he made every effort to ensure a smooth transfer of power…

For over two thousand years, Inazuma has been directly ruled by General Raiden.

Even though for nearly five hundred years, the "Thunder General" in the castle tower was just a puppet acting as general, at least the position of general still belonged to the Thunder God and was never vacant for even a day.

Even the recent civil war between Umijima and the shogunate was only ended because the shogun issued the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War.