Mr. Zhongli, we can't slack off anymore!

Liyue Harbor has never been waiting for anyone to save it.

The Thousand Rock Army had already entered the battlefield, using their mortal bodies to resist the attack of the demon god.

Despite the sudden attack by the demon god, Liyue Harbor remained orderly, with the Thousand Rock Army evacuating unarmed civilians house by house on the battlefield.

The demon's body twisted the stone slabs on the ground, and the surrounding buildings turned into fragments in the dust.

"Hurry up!" A soldier from Qianyan grabbed a crying child and threw him to the child's terrified parents.

"Thank you..." they said repeatedly.

"Survival is the priority, you guys catch up with the others and hurry up!" Two Thousand Rock Army soldiers emerged from the dust, guns in hand, constantly watching the Demon God's movements, using their mortal bodies as the last shield to protect the people.

Suddenly, the demon's body surged from the ground and approached the evacuating residents.

"Hold on!" Three Qianyan soldiers stood guard, spears in hand, facing the approaching danger.

Their weapons were like weeds and rotten wood before the demon god; they broke without even scratching the demon god's body.

"We, the Thousand Rock Army, have lived up to the expectations of the people of Liyue. Even if we perish here, it will have been worth it!"

"Fight it!"

"Count me in, bro!"

The demon's tail lashed out from the ground, sweeping across the group and destroying any buildings within its reach.

The demon didn't even glance at these creatures that were insignificant to it; a mere movement of its body was enough to take away lives that could not be counted.

"Huh? It doesn't hurt..."

"We're not dead?"

The three sat up from the sunken ground, looking at each other in bewilderment. Their bodies were covered with a layer of golden rock element particles.

"Who saved us..."

"Are you alright!" The hero was right in front of them. Because of the backlighting, they couldn't see her face clearly, but they judged from her figure and voice that she was a woman.

The dark brown robe was made from the finest fabric of Liyue, and the hem with its auspicious cloud pattern swayed in the wind. A layer of dust covered the black mid-heel boots.

“It’s from the Hall of Rebirth…” One of the Chiyan soldiers recognized that the style of the clothing resembled that of people from the Hall of Rebirth.

"Where is the evacuation of Liyue Harbor progressing?" The young man next to the hero was a familiar face; he was Mr. Zhongli from the Hall of Rebirth.

"Most of them have been evacuated, but there are still a few scattered households that haven't been found. Yuhengxing and a few people with the Divine Eye are searching for them with our Qianyan Army," Qianyan Army replied.

"Hmm, well done." Zhongli nodded in approval after hearing this.

The old man's professional habit must have kicked in.

The traveler was unsure whether he should remind him to watch his words.

"Further in, you'll reach the main battlefield where we're fighting the Demon Gods." The Thousand Rock Army soldier pointed to the area with the thickest smoke and dust—the commercial center of Liyue Harbor.

The giant insect poked its head out of the mist, and a bolt of lightning struck it.

After a piercing roar, it swooped back down to the ground.

The earthquakes, large and small, continued incessantly, making people dizzy.

A deafening roar filled the entire Liyue Harbor.

"I'd like to go to the Hall of Rebirth first."

"it is good."

*

"Master, let's go," Old Meng urged from behind Hu Tao.

"..." Hu Tao did not reply.

She had her head down, and directly in front of her was a pile of ruins.

The plaque with the three characters "Wang Sheng Tang" (Hall of Rebirth) on the ground was buried under rubble and broken wood.

"Hu Tao!" The traveler and Zhong Li rushed over.

"Ha...you're all back!" Hu Tao turned to the traveler with a smile: "It's alright, it's alright! Everyone's here. The house is gone, so be it. In the future, the Master will build an even bigger one!"

“Hu Tao…” The traveler felt sad as she looked at the place where she used to work and live, which had been razed to the ground. Hu Tao was even more saddened than her.

"Oh, it's okay. I've been wanting to change locations for a while anyway."

"All those years of paying into home insurance are finally coming in handy. Lu Ren, let me tell you, we're located in the most bustling part of Liyue. Foreigners who come to Liyue will see my Hall of Rebirth first thing!"

Hu Tao was already used to pretending to be strong, and it wasn't time for her to be sad. She would never stand idly by when Li Yue was in danger.

The traveler came up to her, pressed her head on his shoulder, and patted her back lightly: "Hmm! It'll be built right at the port! If anyone has a problem with it, the deputy leader will beat him up for the leader."

"Okay! It's settled then!" Hu Tao buried her head between her shoulders and neck.

The embrace lasted less than twenty seconds. When Hu Tao looked up, the traveler knew she was ready and released her.

The unsettling sound of stones rubbing and clattering grew louder as it approached.

“It’s Xingqiu!” Hu Tao recognized her friend Xingqiu.

Xingqiu led the residents who hadn't had time to evacuate towards the location of the Hall of Rebirth.

Behind them was a moving pile of stones, beneath which lay the giant worm's milky-white body.

The impatient demon emerged from the ground and attacked the crowd.

Several transparent lines appeared out of nowhere, blocking the way for the crowd.

They barely managed to withstand the demon god's sudden attack, buying themselves a precious few seconds.

After the silk thread was torn by the demon god, an arrow pierced the sky and struck the soft spot inside the demon god's mouth.

The archer was Ye Lan.

"Let's go help too!" The traveler and Walnut exchanged a glance and went to lend a hand.

The demon roared in agony as its entire body surged out of the ruins, its nearly kilometer-long form enveloping everyone present before rapidly closing in.

At the critical moment, the traveler gathered rock elements to create a rock wall that protected everyone inside.

"Damn it, we've fallen into this guy's trap." Sweat slid down Xingqiu's face.

"Mom, I'm scared!"

Among the residents escorted by Xingqiu was a little girl who, with a pale face, rushed into her mother's arms.

"Don't be afraid...we'll be alright..." the girl's mother said, but the fear on her face was undisguised.

"I haven't been back to Liyue for ten years. Why did I have to come back at this time?" A businessman-looking man was filled with regret.

"Please, Lord Rock King, protect us!" An elderly couple knelt on the ground, clasping their hands together in prayer to the heavens.

The interior of the rock face was filled with an atmosphere of despair.

The traveler glanced at Zhongli beside him, but he simply shook his head.

There was nothing he could do.

Even more frightening was the sound of the rock wall cracking and the cracks spreading.

“The demon god’s exterior is extremely hard; I alone cannot pierce its skin. Perhaps there are other methods. Do you have any ideas?” Ye Lan remained calm, her face still bearing a relaxed smile.

“Even if we can reach the safe zone with the help of this friend, the demon god is hot on our heels, so we will still bring it to the safe zone.” Xingqiu rejected his own idea.

"If it doesn't work, we'll fight it. I'll hold it off while you guys take the people and leave." Hu Tao had prepared for the worst; although it was reckless, it was a last resort.

"Splitting the troops into two groups will allow at least half of the people to evacuate safely," Zhong Li suggested.

After everyone had finished speaking, they looked at the silent traveler.

The traveler wasn't thinking about how to escape, but rather about seeing a team that had been a Tier 0 team for several versions.

Hu Xingzhong at night.