The emotions of the character stans on Weibo Supertopics were even more intense.
Under the "Yunqin Protection Association" hashtag, a fan had created a side-by-side comparison image of Yunqin's "Crimson Eyes vs. Original Clear Eyes."
The caption read, "Begging Mihoyo to be a human being, make her wake up soon." The reposts quickly surpassed ten thousand.
Bilibili's fan content section was even more fully prepped. Two hours after the plot was released, the first "Yunqin Corruption Compilation" video had already trended.
Themed "Former Guardian, Now Destroyer" and set to an exhilarating BGM, its views broke one million in half an hour.
In the comments section, players had already begun predicting the subsequent plot developments.
The heat of the discussion on various platforms had not subsided even late into the night.
In live streams, streamers repeatedly played back plot details, searching for foreshadowing frame by frame with the viewers. In communities, the lore enthusiasts and plot theorists debated fiercely, spawning over a dozen different plot predictions. In player groups, some had already begun writing "Yunqin's Redemption" themed fanfiction.
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Meanwhile, on the continent of Teyvat, Cloud Retainer hovered in mid-air, her eyes fixed on Hydra's constantly writhing necks, the Anemo power around her body trembling slightly.
The feathers on her wings were stained by the poisonous mist; a few feathers with a faint blue glow slowly drifted down, melting the moment they hit the sea's surface.
She turned to look at Moon Carver beside her, her voice filled with urgency: "The Hydra, a monster from myth, Yunqin actually created it..."
"This Hydra 'regrows two heads for every one cut,' ordinary attacks are useless!" Moon Carver nodded, condensing his power into a heavy shield: "I will restrain its heads, you two find a chance to attack its torso!"
Mountain Shaper added, "I will purify the poisonous mist and create an opening for you!"
The three reached an agreement. Cloud Retainer spread her wings and charged at the Hydra, wind blades slashing down like a rainstorm toward the leftmost head: "You wretched creature! Take this!"
The wind blades struck the scales, letting out a series of sharp "clangs." Though they caused no fatal damage, they successfully drew the Hydra's attention.
Moon Carver took the opportunity to rush to the side of the Hydra's torso, smashing down hard against its scales.
With a "Bang," a thin crack appeared on the scales.
Meanwhile, Mountain Shaper condensed pure Hydro Element, forming curtains of water to dispel the surrounding poisonous mist and provide cover for the other two.
Ganyu and Shenhe stood on the shore, exchanging a simple glance without a word, their roles clearly divided.
Shenhe charged forward with Calamity Queller, its spearhead slicing through a Seaborn's body and leaving a wound that emitted white steam: "These Seaborn are too deeply controlled by the Abyss. Only complete destruction can stop them!"
Xiao stood on the rocks at the pier, his eyes narrowing beneath his Mask, the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear trembling slightly in his palm.
The seawater below the rocks had turned ink-green, with poisonous bubbles constantly rising from the surface, releasing a pungent stench as they burst.
He gazed at the crescent moon high in the sky, then at the adepti fighting fiercely, and murmured to himself, "Yunqin..."
Before he could finish, he gripped the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear tight, turned, and transformed into a dark figure, darting toward the Hydra.
Dodging the poisonous mist sprayed by the Hydra along the way, the Yaksha's instincts allowed him to pinpoint the weakest gap in the monster's aura. He leaped into the air, thrusting the Primordial Jade Winged-Spear toward the Abyssal Rune on the Hydra's forehead: "Monster! Die!"
In an instant, only Tartaglia and Lumine remained on the battlefield.
The lightning of Tartaglia's Foul Legacy form intensified, Electro energy condensing into a sharp blade in his palm as purple electricity crackled. He said to Lumine, "Traveler, it looks like we'll have to work together."
Lumine gripped Festering Desire tightly, her brow furrowed. "But Yunqin is under the Abyss's control now. Getting close to her is too dangerous!"
Tartaglia shook his head, a flash of resolve in his eyes. "I've sparred with her many times, and I know her weaknesses. Besides, I believe she hasn't been completely consumed by the Abyss yet."
Just then, Yunqin seemed to notice their conversation. She lowered her head to look at them, her lips curling into a cold smile, her crimson eyes devoid of all warmth.
The Moonlight Strings on her fingertips plucked once more, sending several silver threads shooting toward Lumine and Tartaglia at several times their previous speed.
Lumine gripped Festering Desire and gritted her teeth as she rushed forward to meet the attack. "Tartaglia, be careful!"
The dark energy on the sword clashed with the silver threads, letting out a sizzling sound as sparks flew in all directions.
Tartaglia took the opportunity to circle to the side, swinging his Electro blade toward the source of the silver threads. At the same time, he shouted to Yunqin, "Yunqin! Wake up! Do you remember when we used to spar, and you said we would get stronger together to protect Liyue?"
Yunqin's movements paused for a moment, and a flicker of faint clarity crossed her eyes, but it was soon covered by dark energy.
She plucked the Moonlight Strings again, sending more silver threads shooting toward the two of them. "I am no longer the Yunqin of the past. You... will all be buried with Liyue's destruction!"
Tartaglia refused to give up, continuing to shout, "You're lying! Do you remember how happy you were when you carved the statue of Rex Lapis?"
Yunqin's body trembled slightly, and the Moonlight Strings on her fingertips shook with her, but the Hydra's roar from the deep sea instantly snapped her back to clarity, and the faint light in her eyes completely vanished.
The Hydra's consciousness was tightly entwined with Yunqin's like vines, and the Abyssal Rune on the forehead of the central head glowed with an eerie light, echoing Yunqin's crimson eyes on the crescent moon from afar.
Including Yunqin's eyes, the ten lines of sight from the person and beast wove together into an airtight net, bringing every inch of the battlefield under surveillance.
The flawless defense made the attacks of the adepti, Lumine, and Tartaglia increasingly difficult. Every swing of a sword, every gathering of elemental energy, felt like fighting against shackles in the air.
Just as Cloud Retainer's wind blade slashed toward the Hydra's left head, two newly sprouted heads on the right side violently swung over.
Dark green venom sprayed all over her pristine white wings, leaving them scarred and ravaged. Her feathers, corroded black, still bubbled with tiny toxic blisters as they drifted away in the wind.
She endured the stinging pain in her wings, flapping them to dodge the subsequent attacks, her phoenix-like eyes filled with indignation.
The monster's regenerative ability was even more terrifying than expected.
Moon Carver's shield held back the bites from Hydra's thickest head, its surface already covered in a spiderweb of cracks, and even the lightning on his antlers had grown weak from excessive consumption.
Mountain Shaper attempted to purify the Poisonous Bog with adeptal energy, but he was struck squarely in the chest by Hydra's massive tail fin.
He let out a muffled groan, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the feathers on his chest red.
The moment he fell into the sea, the Poisonous Bog actually began corroding his adeptal energy.
On the ground, the lightning around Tartaglia's Foul Legacy grew faint, and the cracks on his purple armor became more dense, each breath bringing a sharp sting.
The price of overusing the Delusion began to manifest as a strand of silver hair emerged from his hairline, especially striking in the wind.