Chapter 12

The violent explosion from the orbital cannon almost engulfed the entire platform with its heat wave.

In the energy torrent, the Doomsday Beast could no longer resist, letting out a wail before it was about to collapse. But one second before it lost consciousness, the purple sphere atop its head suddenly burst forth with a fierce strong light; the light, as if uncontrolled, shot straight toward the farthest San Yue Qi Xiaojie from it.

"San Yue!"

Facing Dan Heng and Qiqiao's exclamations, San Yue Qi Xiaojie, kneeling on one knee, blankly lifted her head, but faced with the sudden killing intent, it was already too late to dodge!

Ahhhh San Yue Qi Xiaojie!

Almost at the same moment, viewers on different screens had their hearts leapt to their throats.

Please please please! San Yue Qi Xiaojie is so adorable, she absolutely must not come to harm!

"Boom!"

"At the critical moment, Xing stepped forward without hesitation to shield San Yue Qi Xiaojie."

"The blinding light instantly engulfed her, leaving only a snowy white expanse in the light curtain."

"Strange, is this what the afterlife looks like?"

"Waaah, Miss Xing is dead already? Damn it! I just fell for her, and our romance is already over?"

"Setting aside other things, her bravery and willingness to step forward deserve praise; rest in peace, Miss Xing."

"Hey, what nonsense are you spouting? Don't curse her death yet—quickly look up at the sky!"

Amidst the commotion, everyone turned their gaze back to the light curtain, surprised to see something faintly emerging within the white light.

"A golden wound, like flowing magma, had countless specks of light descending, like a trickling stream, continually converging."

"It's time to set off."

"A gentle female voice echoed from the void; Xing drifted in the pitch‑black emptiness, accompanied by a continual shower of light."

"—falling toward the owner of the wound."

"What… is this…" Xing slowly opened her eyes, also startled by the sight before her; in the distant void stood a towering figure, its features indistinct, only a scar on its chest hinting at the source of the wound.

"As if catching a glimpse of a deity, the spectators outside the light curtain instantly felt goosebumps rise all over their bodies."

"Go reach that endpoint."

"... Who are they?" Xing found herself surrounded by light beams, straining against them to no avail; she continued to drift slowly toward the wound.

"Reach that ending with your own will."

"Countless fragments flashed through Xing's mind, memories surging in like a tide; for a moment she felt pain about to split her apart, but the next second a pair of golden eyes snapped open, gazing not only at Xing before her but, as if shining through the light curtain, at everyone across all realms."

"He has already noticed you."

"As the words fell, the figure's posture finally became visible."

"It was a man with dark skin, his stern face devoid of expression, his eyes revealing only indifference and contempt. Like molten lava, light slowly flowed from his hand; his ferocious wound resembled a river spanning countless star rivers, with countless rays converging before him."

"Is this the Star God?" Miyamoto Musashi slammed the table, stood up with a clatter, completely unaware that the stone table before him had been shattered into several pieces by his palm.

He trembled uncontrollably all over.

This damned sense of threat… is absolutely awesome!

Although people say Miyamoto Musashi is peerless under heaven, what about above? He had never seen or considered it.

But today he not only witnessed Dan Heng's superb spear technique and Kafka's eye‑opening sword technique, but also felt this chilling sense of threat.

It seemed that they, who outsiders see as having exhausted the martial path, were merely a speck in the vast sea.

Like the insignificant dust beneath their feet.

Let alone being opponents, they probably wouldn't even glance at them.

"Yujiro, what do you think of this sense of threat?"

Having come to his senses from the excitement, Miyamoto Musashi patted Yujiro's shoulder, only to find his muscles tensed like stone, cold sweat seeping through his body, soaking his clothes, and slowly dripping down the muscles of his arm.

In Fontaine on the Teyvat continent, having barely adapted to the pressure of the Doomsday Beast, Furina, who was about to enjoy a small cake, was frightened so her heart almost skipped a beat; the hand holding her tea cup trembled like a sieve, almost shaking out the tea leaves.

Only when the bystanders withdrew their gaze and refocused on her, this "big star", did she forcefully suppress her inner fear, putting on a calm expression as she took a sip of black tea.

"What… what was that just now?"

"Why did goosebumps break out all over my body?"

"Don't panic, Furina, this is just a small scene!"

Fufu took a few deep breaths, which steadied her voice.

Although she had relinquished the Hydro Archon's position, in the eyes of Fontaine's people she had served as the Hydro Archon for 500 years, having seen all kinds of storms; this level of stress resistance is necessary.

The Fontaine spectators were all panicking; the pressure from a single Doomsday Beast was already strong, yet before long an even more terrifying one appeared— their hearts could barely take it.

"Lady Furina, who is that dark‑skinned man?" a reporter‑type man asked, struggling to keep his trembling voice steady.

"Hmm… perhaps he is a god from another world? Although I only glanced at him briefly, I can still sense the power in his eyes." Furina speared a small piece of cake with her fork and casually placed it in her mouth.

"I see! As expected of Lady Furina! Even facing a god from another world, she remains so calm and composed." Everyone believed this explanation, let out a relieved sigh, and began to applaud.

Having relinquished her divine seat, Lady Furina still handles things with ease; surely that Star God can't be that fearsome, right?

... Probably, just that his gaze is a bit frightening.

"It's natural; although I have scattered my divine power, I was once a god after all."

"But Lady Furina, why are your shoulders trembling slightly?" Someone noticed a detail on Furina.

Although she was doing her best to suppress it, as the nearby spectators grew more numerous, recalling those golden eyes made her inevitably nervous and give herself away.

"Um… this… is just an expression of excitement."

Faced with the fans' follow‑up questions, Furina adjusted quickly; she elegantly placed her fork on the plate, her jade‑white legs crossed, the white‑gloved fingers lifted the tea cup again, and with a lady's perfect poise silently conveyed her composure to those present.

"Indeed, if Lady Furina still had her divine power, should a god from another world invade, she would surely be the first to challenge him to a duel."

Furina wore a sweaty‑bean expression when a sudden boom from the sky timely relieved her predicament.

"The scene in the light curtain returned to the space station; Xing stood before San Yue Qi Xiaojie with a pained expression, the intense pain making it hard for her to stand, yet something within her body was emanating a powerful force that helped her resist the Doomsday Beast's attack."