Chapter 39: Chapter 39
A dragon's head without horns, a belly as large as a sack.
This form was all too familiar to them.
When Keqing had first arrived, she had casually slain two Chi Beasts.
But this one was different. Just its size alone made that clear.
The body of this Chi Beast was like a walking hill. Its dull blue scales hung loosely, exuding an ancient aura. Its limbs were thin, while its belly was bloated.
Its pitiful appearance was like the "Starving Ghost" from Liyue's ancient legends.
Though the creature looked comical now, neither Keqing nor Xiangling let their guard down. They cautiously watched the monster, which moved like a shifting mountain.
Roar!
Luxray immediately stepped in front of Keqing, growling fiercely at the Chi. Arcs of electricity crackled across its body.
The Intimidate ability activated, but it failed. Keqing wasn't surprised by this.
After all, if she wasn't mistaken, this was the real Chi. Unlike the lowly Chi Beasts below, this was the Chi's true form—the being that had once rivaled the Geo Archon. How could such a beast be intimidated by Luxray?
"It's coming toward us!"
Keqing tightened her grip on the Lion's Roar sword, the Electro Vision at her waist glowing faintly.
At the same time, she could clearly sense Luxray's presence, its emotions, its existence, its electricity!
This feeling was incredibly strange. Even with her eyes closed, Keqing could precisely sense Luxray's position.
Simultaneously, arcs of electricity similar to Luxray's began to rise around Keqing. The raindrops falling on her slid off like water on a banana leaf, not soaking her clothes.
"Is this… High Voltage?"
Keqing's eyes widened. As the Yuheng Star of Liyue, she was no fool who only knew how to charge headfirst. On the contrary, she was highly knowledgeable.
High Voltage was something she had read about in an ancient text. Legend had it that when two Electro Vision holders who shared a deep bond fought side by side, this effect could be triggered.
But the ancient text had clearly stated that this required two Electro Vision holders. How had she triggered it with a Pokémon?
Keqing wanted to laugh, but now wasn't the time. She was facing a beast that even the Geo Archon hadn't been able to kill. She had to be on high alert, or she might end up like Kennedy in an open-top car.
This was the most powerful enemy she had ever faced in her life, and it was also a battle to prove herself to the Geo Archon. She had to win decisively, to show Morax that even without him, Liyue could continue to move forward!
"Come! This is the moment to part ways with the gods!"
"With sword in hand, I shall cut through… all impurities!"
Keqing shouted, her petite body transforming into a bolt of lightning as she slashed at the Chi. In an instant, she unleashed countless sword beams.
Boom!
At that moment, thunder roared in the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck down toward Luxray. But Luxray didn't dodge. Instead, it faced the lightning head-on.
Roar!!!
Luxray let out a painful howl as it was engulfed by the lightning, but it endured and absorbed the scattered electricity into its body.
Now, Luxray was like a balloon filled to the brim, ready to burst at any moment.
Charge!
This move increased a Pokémon's Special Defense by one stage, but that wasn't the most important part. The key was that it doubled the power of the next Electric-type move.
Luxray let out a roar, the electricity coursing through its body like a golden cloak.
In the next moment, Luxray's body slammed into the Chi with the force of a thunderbolt.
Spark!
This strike, carrying the might of heaven's thunder and amplified by Charge, was earth-shattering. Luxray's small body actually managed to shake the Chi, which was as large as a hill.
The Chi stumbled, its defenses wide open, nearly falling to the ground.
But Luxray didn't fare well either. After using this move, it collapsed, unable to continue fighting.
This gave Keqing, who had been darting through the air, an opportunity.
Her eyes flashed with cold light as the final step of her Starward Sword dance was completed.
"Slash!"
The Lion's Roar sword, a weapon that had nearly reached the peak of mortal craftsmanship, carried the momentum of her descent as it plunged into the Chi's soft belly, sending sparks flying.
The ear-piercing sound echoed through the rainy night, but it was just that—a sound.
Keqing, who had landed on the ground, stared at the Lion's Roar in her hands, her face filled with disbelief.
This famed sword hadn't even managed to pierce the Chi's scales.
"How… how is this possible?"
Keqing stared blankly at her hands. Since becoming one of the Liyue Qixing, she hadn't trained as rigorously as before, but her foundation was still there. How could she not even break the Chi's scales?
"Keqing, look! That big guy seems to be leaving?"
Xiangling's uncertain voice reached Keqing's ears, and she was startled. She quickly looked up and saw that after being bombarded by Luxray and Keqing, the Chi hadn't counterattacked. Instead, it was heading in another direction.
Its retreat was pitiful, almost as if… it was running away?
But how could that be? This was the Chi, the beast that had once charged headfirst at the Geo Archon. How could it be running away?
"Landorus, this rain is too annoying. Use Sandstorm to replace it."
The next moment, a clear and familiar voice came from the sky.
Keqing recognized it—it was the voice of the shop owner. But while she understood every word he said, the sentence as a whole made no sense.
What did he mean by "use Sandstorm to replace it"?
But soon, Keqing got her answer.
Wind—a boundless gale carrying sand and stones swept across all of Qingce Village.
The wind tore through the dark clouds, and the sunlight that had just begun to fall was once again covered by the sandstorm that blotted out the sky.
The rain that had yet to fall disappeared at a visible rate, replaced by endless sand and stones.
And all this sand and stone was skillfully controlled around the Chi. Neither Keqing nor the Millelith were affected by the sandstorm.
Even so, everyone was stunned.
Keqing could hardly believe her eyes. Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared at the two faint figures in the center of the sandstorm.
It was Li Pan and Landorus.
And just now, Landorus had… changed the weather! With a wave of its hand, it had dispersed the rainstorm the Chi had summoned after who knew how many years, turning it into a sandstorm.
This kind of power… how was it any different from a natural disaster?
At this moment, the young woman finally gained a clearer understanding of what it meant to be a God.
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