The instant Lin Qingyue burst out of the cave entrance, the Power of Contract she had backhanded inward became the last straw that broke the mountain's back!
Boom—Rumble—!!!
A deafening roar erupted from behind them, as if the heavens themselves had been torn open by a terrifying fissure!
The entire majestic Snow Mountain let out a deathly wail!
The group turned back in horror, their minds collectively blanking at a sight that shattered their understanding of reality.
The Snow Mountain hadn't collapsed as they'd expected.
It was toppling!
As if an unseen divine hand had shoved it violently from the side!
With the cave entrance as the dividing line, the main body of the mountain tilted away from them, crashing down with a thunderous roar!
Trillions of tons of rock, glaciers, and snow merged into a white torrent that devoured heaven and earth, roaring as it surged into the desolate, empty valley on the other side.
"My gods..." Baroque's mouth hung open as he muttered unconsciously.
"The direction of the landslide... This is a miracle!"
Before he could finish, the horror on his face was replaced by a deeper dread, draining all color from his cheeks.
While the main body of the mountain had toppled away, the violent geological upheaval had unleashed a shockwave like a monstrous tidal wave!
Countless house-sized boulders and ice chunks were hurled into the sky, forming a deathly canopy that blotted out the sun and rained down upon the Elf Army!
"Defend! All units, erect defensive barriers!"
The Royal Archmages, already waiting outside, raised their staves at the sight of the meteor-like rain of boulders.
Ice Walls!
Earth Walls!
Arcane Barriers!
Hundreds of magical shields rose in overlapping layers, shimmering with brilliant light.
But against the apocalyptic impact, they seemed terrifyingly fragile.
Queen Ilanier, ignoring her weakness, raised her staff again, forcibly draining the last dregs of power from her body.
Despair, carried on the aftershocks of the landslide, once again enveloped everyone.
Just then, a voice rang out.
The voice was still calm, yet laced with a bone-deep exhaustion and hoarseness that made every listener's heart clench.
"What's there to panic about?"
Lin Qingyue stood at the very front of the formation. Facing the oncoming storm of debris, she raised her hand once more.
Her arm trembled uncontrollably.
"It's just some flying rubble."
"Indomitable!"
Vwoom—!
The immense, translucent Jade Shield materialized again, spreading out from thin air!
Like an inverted, lustrous golden bowl, it enveloped the shivering crowd in the blizzard, holding them securely within.
The next second, the apocalypse descended.
Thud!
Thud!
BOOM—!!!
Countless boulders and ice chunks, each large enough to shatter city walls, bombarded the Jade Shield in a dense barrage.
There was no deafening roar.
Only a continuous series of dull impacts, each one heavy enough to make hearts stop.
Outside the shield: the world tore itself apart, everything shredded to pieces.
Inside the shield: they were completely unharmed, not even a single snowflake touching them.
The Elves stared up at the indestructible golden "tortoise shell" above.
They watched the terrifying spectacle outside—a scene that would have ground them to pulp.
And collectively, they fell silent.
They even forgot to breathe.
When the last piece of rubble slid weakly off the shield, the world returned to silence.
The massive Jade Shield flickered once, then dissolved into countless golden motes of light, slowly fading away.
The instant the shield vanished, Lin Qingyue voluntarily deactivated the "Zhongli Trial Card."
The immense power, originating from the depths of the earth, receded like a tide.
Extreme exhaustion instantly swept through every inch of her flesh and blood.
A muffled groan escaped Lin Qingyue's throat as her vision was swallowed by endless darkness.
She felt as if her bones had turned to mud, no longer able to support her weight.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed forward without a sound.
"Sis!"
Lin Xiyue shrieked, her body blurring into an afterimage.
She caught Lin Qingyue just before she hit the ground, bracing her sister's body firmly with her own.
"Just... a little tired! Cough! I'm fine..."
Leaning against her sister's warm embrace, Lin Qingyue's chest heaved violently as she greedily gasped for the icy air.
Her tone switched from the authoritative Archon Mode back to her own.
She quickly glanced at the System Panel, her face twisting into a relieved smile that looked more pained than crying.
[Zhongli Trial Card (Remaining: 23 hours, 41 minutes)]
Not bad, not bad. I saved some time. When it comes to being thrifty, I'm the best.
Just then, a new system notification popped up.
[Ding! The Host's actions and belief in "upholding the duty of protection with contracts as the core" have earned the high recognition of Rex Lapis.]
[Special Reward Granted: "Adeptus Breathing Method".]
[Adeptus Breathing Method: A foundational cultivation technique taught by the Adepti of Liyue to their disciples. It gradually improves physical constitution and lays the groundwork for further cultivation of adeptal arts.]
Lin Qingyue froze for a moment, then chuckled.
Heh, my own god is the best! Look at Lord Rex—so reliable! He just hands out cultivation techniques! Truly the Ancestor of the Adepti!
And what did that drunkard from Mondstadt give me? "Melody Beyond the Strings"!
It's useful when there's danger, but when there isn't, it's the biggest danger of all! It makes me paranoid every time I use a skill! The difference is night and day!
"Sis! How can you still be laughing?! Are you okay?!"
Lin Xiyue gave her an annoyed smack on the back, her voice thick with lingering fear and heart-wrenching worry, on the verge of tears. "I almost crushed my life-saving talisman just now!"
"Cough, cough... Calm down. Just standard procedure."
Lin Qingyue patted her sister's hand, trying to appear composed, but her rapid breathing triggered a violent coughing fit.
"You... How dare you say that!"
Lin Xiyue's eyes reddened with anger and distress. Suddenly, she grasped the crucial point.
"Wait! That landslide just now... was that you?! You controlled the mountain's collapse, even calculating the trajectory of the flying rocks to block them with your shield?!"
"What do you mean, 'was that me'?"
Lin Qingyue retorted with righteous indignation. "That was a precision-guided demolition! It's science! Understand? Professional work requires a professional."
"Science my ass!" Lin Xiyue roared back, though her voice softened. "Couldn't you have given me a heads-up?! Were you trying to scare me so badly my legs would give out?!"
"Qingyue!"
Su Wan and Xia Lian rushed over as well.
Su Wan, who was always composed, lost her composure for the first time.
She frantically fumbled out a bottle shimmering with iridescent light—clearly a priceless recovery potion—and clumsily brought it to Lin Qingyue's lips.
"Qingyue! Quick, drink this!"
Xia Lian, meanwhile, silently knelt down, her small, cool hand resting on Lin Qingyue's forehead, her eyes overflowing with worry.
Surrounded by the three of them—one forcing a potion on her, another checking her temperature—Lin Qingyue felt a warmth spread through her heart.
Sigh, I'm exhausted as a dog, but being cared for like this feels pretty damn good.
She glanced into the distance.
The equally disheveled elves were helping each other up.
Ilanier's wine-red eyes were locked onto her, churning with shock, lingering fear, concern, and... a hint of fervent, almost religious devotion that Lin Qingyue couldn't quite decipher.
Aeldara, on the other hand, wore a grave expression, her brow furrowed as if she were still tactically analyzing the cataclysmic yet precisely controlled scene from moments ago.
Lin Qingyue withdrew her gaze, her heart soaring as she mentally tallied her newly acquired cultivation technique.
The Venti Trial Card is like a slacker employee. It gets the job done, but it absolutely refuses to put in any real effort.
This Zhongli Trial Card, on the other hand, is a total workhorse! From smashing the BOSS and propping up the mountain to directional blasting and post-disaster protection—it's a complete, all-in-one service! So thorough, I feel like giving it a five-star review and a commemorative banner!
As expected, Lord Rex really takes care of his own!
She sighed with satisfaction. The battle had been perilous, but the rewards were immense.
Just then, the long-delayed system notifications finally flooded her mind like a waterfall.
[Ding! Your team has slain the Dungeon's Final Core: 'Greed Aggregate'!]
[Ding! You have successfully purified the Large-Scale Dungeon: 'Shattered Alliance'!]
[Ding! You have gained 1000 EXP!]
A faint warmth flowed into her body, slightly easing her exhaustion.
The next notification jolted her spirits.
[Ding! Detected Host has perfectly resolved the core crisis of the Large-Scale Dungeon 'Shattered Alliance' with overwhelming dominance. Using textbook-perfect directional blasting techniques, you triggered a breathtaking miraculous spectacle, inflicting intense mental shock on all present story characters. Elation Value +6666!]
Lin Qingyue nearly burst out laughing.
Nice, nice! 6666! This System really gets it!
Before she could finish celebrating, the main event arrived!
[Ding! You have perfectly purified a Large-Scale Dungeon on Hard Mode in an extremely headstrong manner, earning the hidden achievement: A Single... Strike. Drawing special reward...]
The rainbow light she had seen only once before reappeared!
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Sub-Weapon: As I've Written (Quality: ???)!]