Chapter 32

At this moment, the livestream chat was not as lively as one might have imagined.

Perhaps it was because Aether's single line—"Strength must surpass the Seven Gods"—had震慑ed everyone into silence.

It was also possible that everyone was staring intently at the battle between Su Bai and Aether, eager to know what would happen next.

No one in the livestream deliberately spoke up.

And as the Seven Rulers of the mortal world, they understood all too well what kind of terrifying power it was to fuse seven elements into one.

Naturally, they were even less likely to casually comment on Aether's arrogance, or on Su Bai, who had challenged him.

【Boom!】

【The battle between Su Bai and Aether ignited in an instant.】

【Su Bai constantly transformed weapons using the seven elemental forces, holding his ground against Aether.】

【But, without a doubt.】

【No matter what form the weapon in his hand transformed into, it was easily sliced apart by the light sword in Aether's hand.】

【Thunder rumbled in the sky, swift winds swept past.】

【Freezing, flooding—none of it could inflict actual damage on Aether, who had fused the seven elements.】

【Only vines woven from the Dendro element could force Aether to keep cutting them apart.】

【The rocks he launched flying likewise failed to achieve any real offensive purpose against Aether's high-speed movement.】

【Boom!】

【A bolt of extreme lightning streaked across the sky.】

【Suddenly, a fine rain began to fall from the heavens.】

【"Whoa! It's raining."】

【"No good, no good, I need to find somewhere to take shelter."】

【Yuanshang, who had been hiding nearby secretly watching the battle, immediately ducked under a rock.】

【Yet the shock in his heart could not be dispelled for a long time.】

【"As expected of His Highness the Prince taking the field personally."】

【"That guy was someone who easily defeated Dvalin, yet he still has no power to fight back."】

【"Sigh, although he can also wield the seven elemental forces, facing His Highness who has already fused those elemental forces into light, Su Bai truly has no chance of winning."】

Paimon: "Hey, I say, why are you still here?"

Yuanshang: "I... how would I know..."

Yuanshang: "His Highness the Prince goes out, having an attendant follow along is perfectly reasonable, isn't it? Not having one would be unreasonable."

Jean: "I never expected that Mr. Su Bai, who easily suppressed Dvalin, would have no way to deal with Aether. Lumine's brother is truly this powerful."

Lumine: "Stop fighting, ugh, so annoying."

Yae Miko: "So this is the power that stands above the Seven Gods? I don't see how it's all that impressive. At the very least, it's not as strong as our General's Musou no Hitotachi."

Tianquan Ningguang: "Speaking of which, if the battle between Aether and Su Bai can't even alter the terrain, does that prove the so-called power above the Seven Gods is inferior to the Geo Archon's Falling Spear?"

Dvalin: "Could it be that in my past life, the corruption of the Abyss's power was more severe than in this life, which is why I was so easily defeated by Su Bai?"

Zhong Li: "The strength of combat power does not necessarily have to be measured by altering the terrain. The most direct way is to look at the upper limit of force the opponent can withstand. For example, when Aether strikes with his sword, all the force is borne by Su Bai. If he can endure it, then the impact on the surrounding environment won't be great. If he can't endure it and the force spreads outward, that's another matter entirely."

Osial: "Hehehe, are you mocking me for being weak?"

A certain historical researcher: "Hey, how is it you again, young man? You look like a promising youth, yet you always spout nonsense. Back then you discussed with me the very first Mora in history—the first Mora forged by Rex Lapis. I said it contained tremendous power, but this kid insisted it was only for trade. And now here you are again, holding forth."

Paimon: "Ah! I remember you now. You're that Liyue scholar who researches Rex Lapis. No one understands Rex Lapis better than you."

【The dark clouds in the sky grew ever thicker.】

【The rain also intensified along with them.】

【Boom!】

【A sudden gust of swift wind let out a roar.】

【Su Bai's entire body was instantly blown slamming into the rock face.】

【Immediately after, Aether, light sword in hand, strode forward and swung down.】

【Seeing this, Su Bai transformed the purple extreme lightning in his palm into a blade.】

【The instant the two swords met, a gale kicked up beneath Su Bai's feet.】

【The next second, the rock face behind him exploded instantly, the entire massive boulder vanishing into nothingness.】

【Su Bai's body was also sent flying backward over ten meters by this forceful strike.】

【Boom!】

【At this very moment, a flash of thunder streaked across the high sky.】

【The brightness of the lightning even dyed the dark night into daylight.】

【Aether, who had just been about to step forward, seemed startled by the scene before his eyes.】

【He couldn't help but look up toward the sky.】

【That single glance was met with a thunderous roar like a waterfall, pouring down from the high heavens.】

【Boom!】

【Just after that single thunderous crash.】

【The mountain where the two stood completely collapsed.】

【Yuanshang: "....."】

【No good, hiding here isn't very safe, I need to find another place to take shelter.】

【Damn it, rainy days are simply awful for me, a performer of fire.】

Arataki Itto: "Huh?"

Tartaglia: "What terrifying combat power."

Signora: "Hiss, these two guys..."

Lei Dianying: "So that casual sword strike from Aether actually reduced the mountain stream cliff behind Su Bai to nothing."

Yae Miko: "And that thunder that came down from the sky—if that struck me, wouldn't I have been done for on the spot?"

Lisa: "Even someone with a Electro God Eye would be reduced to scorched earth."

Lumine: "No, the issue right now isn't discussing the strength of those two—Su Bai seems to already be unable to withstand Aether's attack."

Aether: "Lumine, I was also swallowed by that waterfall-like pillar of lightning..."

Lumine: "This... brother... to be fair, you should be well aware that you're fine, right?"

Aether: "Huh?"

【Zzzzzt...】

【Countless flashes of lightning spark amid the abandoned pile of rocks on the ground.】

【Crash...】

【As the pile of stones collapses.】

【Aether, his whole body crackling with purple electricity, rises to his feet.】

【His twisting neck goes "crack crack."】

【"Sigh..."】

【He lets out a long breath.】

【He looks with regret at Su Bai, lying on the ground not far away.】

【"I acknowledge your courage, and I recognize your strength."】

【"If you hadn't met Lumine beforehand, and instead we had been able to meet one step earlier, perhaps we could have become decent friends."】

【Lightning still crackling over his body, Aether walks step by step toward Su Bai, who lies in the rain.】

【"No..."】

【"Fate is laid out before us—however things go, perhaps we are Perhaps unable to become companions standing on the same side."】

【"Just like that guy."】

【Aether falls silent for several seconds.】

【He slowly raises the longsword in his hand.】

【"Thank you for letting Mondstadt's Anemo Archon take Lumine away."】

【"I don't think he'll talk nonsense."】

Lumine: "Brother, stop it."