The spear tip shattered the twin blades in the Herald's hands. The Abyss Herald's aura instantly weakened.
Jun Bai reached out and gripped the Abyss Herald's throat. Crimson flames coiled around the Abyss Herald's body. The flaming wings behind him flapped, turning into a blazing comet that plummeted from several hundred meters in the air toward the ground.
Boom!
A deep crater appeared on Starsnatch Cliff.
"Even if my strength is less than one percent, you still don't qualify to stand before me."
Jun Bai half-crouched in the crater. Beneath him lay the Hydro Abyss Herald, burned by raging flames and breathing faintly. Jun Bai's hand was already gripping the throat that controlled his life and death.
"Go to hell… No, using the terminology of your Abyss Order, it should be…"
"Return to the embrace of the Abyss."
Jun Bai raised his white-tasseled spear, about to pierce the Hydro Abyss Herald's throat.
Boom——
A purple bolt of lightning suddenly appeared and struck straight toward Jun Bai.
Jun Bai instinctively flapped his flaming wings and dodged the lightning's attack.
The Abyss rift opened once more. A purple arm stretched out from within and took away the heavily injured Hydro Abyss Herald.
"As expected." Jun Bai thought to himself.
Jun Bai had never intended to finish off the Hydro Abyss Herald at this moment. First, it was unrealistic the Abyss Order would never stand by and watch him deliver the killing blow. Second, the Hydro Abyss Herald held an important role in the anti-main storyline.
Killing the Hydro Abyss Herald was a major story node.
Rewriting major story nodes was a system function. Only by using popularity value to apply for modification could Jun Bai truly alter important plot points.
Although Jun Bai had participated along the way and the entire main storyline had changed, the final outcome of the main storyline had still not changed.
This was because what Jun Bai had rewritten were non-critical plot nodes, so he could change them freely. No matter how he altered them, this segment would ultimately still lead to summoning Dvalin at Starsnatch Cliff.
Major plot nodes, however, were events destined to happen.
For example, when Dvalin caused the dragon disaster, Dvalin being repelled was destined to occur. Even if Lumine had not been there, the rampaging Dvalin would still have been pacified by Venti.
At such major plot nodes, Jun Bai could participate but could not rewrite them.
Once Jun Bai attempted to rewrite them, irresistible forces would appear.
For instance, when Dvalin appeared in Mondstadt City, if Jun Bai had chosen to kill rather than repel him jokingly speaking if Jun Bai had shown even the slightest intention of that, Venti would have dared to directly take him away from Mondstadt City.
Killing the Hydro Abyss Herald was a major plot node. Jun Bai could only participate but could not rewrite it unless he used popularity value to eliminate the irresistible force.
Although the intense battle just now had been broadcast live by the system in real time and Jun Bai's popularity value had become abundant again, after thinking it over repeatedly, Jun Bai still decided to let the Hydro Abyss Herald go.
That was why the Abyss Lector: Violet Lightning could successfully rescue the Abyss Herald.
Watching the gradually disappearing rift, Jun Bai frowned and finally showed an unwilling expression before putting away his white-tasseled spear.
The panting Lumine walked over to Jun Bai, her expression hesitant.
Jun Bai looked at her and said, "That's right. The two who appeared just now are both subordinates of your brother."
"Your brother is the [Prince] of the Abyss Order. This is a fact I have repeatedly confirmed over these five hundred years. Both Abyss Heralds and Abyss Lectors belong to the Abyss Order and are also your brother's trusted confidants."
Lumine's expression was complicated. She didn't know what to say.
Diluc dragged the Cryo Abyss Mage over. "Liyue guy, I need you to give me an explanation."
Jun Bai turned his head slightly and smiled faintly. "I wonder what matters Mr. Diluc needs me to explain?"
"Quite a few." Diluc placed the Cryo Abyss Mage down in the middle of the three. "For example, that Abyss Herald said you are a god, and that drunkard poet can summon and even communicate with the Stormterror."
Jun Bai looked toward Venti.
At this moment, Venti was checking on Dvalin's condition, so he only responded with a glance.
Jun Bai understood and looked again at Diluc, Lumine, and Paimon who had come to Lumine's side.
After pondering for a moment, Jun Bai said, "Then let me introduce myself again. I come from the Millelith of Liyue. Jun Bai is my human name."
"My other name is Phemix, the Nirvana God of Liyue."
A look of sudden realization appeared on Diluc's face. Paimon's expression was filled with unstoppable shock.
Only Lumine, the outsider, looked completely at a loss. She really didn't know anything about Teyvat's people.
Paimon flew in front of Jun Bai, looking him up and down as she asked, "You are the Nirvana God? The Nirvana God from my impression?"
"Yes, that Nirvana God." Jun Bai nodded.
"I thought the Marshal of the Millelith would be a very rigid, stern-looking middle-aged uncle. I didn't expect you to look quite young."
"Little Paimon, judging people with stereotypes is not a good habit." Jun Bai crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes playful. "And are you sure it's normal to criticize the person in question right in front of them?"
"Ah? Ah! Sorry! I didn't mean it!" Paimon finally realized she seemed to have done something very rude to a god and immediately hid behind Lumine.
Seeing Lumine's bewildered look, Paimon immediately remembered that she didn't know about Teyvat matters, so she began explaining information about Jun Bai beside her ear.
Diluc, however, looked at Jun Bai. "But if you really are the Nirvana God, how did those two Abyss Heralds manage to leave safely?"
"I understand why you're asking this question. After all, according to the history you know, the Nirvana God Phemix is a powerhouse who could fight the tyrant of the tower and stand shoulder to shoulder with the Seven Archons."
"However, the world is not unchanging. I did once possess strength comparable to the Seven Archons. But the current me has just been reborn from Nirvana and no longer has the strength from a thousand years ago."
Jun Bai gave an explanation based on his own background setting and conveniently planted a few knives.
"As for Venti… Mr. Diluc, haven't you already guessed it?"
"Closely related to the Dragon of the East Wind, one of the Four Winds guardians, familiar with Mondstadt's history, able to use and repair the God of Wind's most treasured possession, and also friends with the Nirvana God..." Diluc's gaze toward Venti was filled with complexity.
All the signs pointed to one possibility.
"That's right. The one standing before you right now is none other than the God of Wind Barbatos himself."
Venti, who had finished pacifying Dvalin, turned around, placed his hands on his hips, and showed a proud expression.
"..." Diluc covered his face, instantly feeling that Mondstadt's past and future were so bleak.
Paimon and Lumine looked at Venti with very strange expressions.
It was obvious that during this period of time together, the image the God of Wind had shown had greatly disappointed everyone.
Especially Diluc.
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment. Jun Bai, as the person (God) connecting both sides, chose to step forward to smooth things over and asked:
"Venti, how is Dvalin's condition?"