Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [523]

The battlefield continued to roar with chaos.

At this point, the battle had reached a level where no ordinary person could hope to intervene.

The fight between the cultivation world’s finest and Gu Sanqiu had entered its most intense phase.

Nearly every combatant bore numerous wounds, their bodies marred by battle.

Of course, Gu Sanqiu’s injuries were far worse.

The power of the curse was still weighing him down, limiting his movements, while the enemies surrounding him fought with coordinated precision, treating this as a true life-or-death struggle.

Some outsiders might have misunderstood what the [Battle of the Golden Bell] entailed—perhaps assuming it was some honorable, one-on-one competition.

But ascending through battle had never been that simple.

There were no rules. No fairness. No honor.

This was a trial of dominance, and they had no intention of going easy on him.

Another brutal punch landed squarely on Gu Sanqiu’s chest.

The combined pain—both internal and external—made his heart stall for a few seconds.

His vision wavered, a rare moment of disorientation overtaking him.

The others seized the opportunity immediately, their fists and weapons striking at his vital points, sending him crashing deep underground once again.

"Keep going! Don’t stop until he can’t stand anymore!"

The fighters understood the command instantly.

This time, they didn’t wait for Gu Sanqiu to leap out of the pit.

Instead, they expanded the crater, using their abilities to ensure the hole was large enough to prevent any one-on-one ambushes.

They weren’t stupid—if they let him isolate and eliminate them one by one, they’d be in serious trouble.

And Gu Sanqiu knew that, too.

As he moved through the tunnels beneath the battlefield, he was looking for an opportunity to turn the tables—to become the hunter instead of the prey.

Because as fun as it was to be part of a group beating someone down…

It was absolute hell to be on the receiving end.

Hearing the relentless blasts above, he cursed under his breath.

These old men weren’t leaving him a single opening. Their combination of overwhelming force and methodical strategy was a nightmare to deal with.

But my target isn’t just them.

The underground pursuit continued.

Watching from above, even the Mountain Lord of Mount Canglong couldn't help but clutch his chest—

As if he, too, were feeling the effects of the curse.

"At this rate, is Mount Canglong going to get reduced to rubble?"

But the fighters in the thick of battle couldn’t afford to think about that.

One of the elder cultivators suddenly paled as he sensed Gu Sanqiu’s trajectory.

"Stop him! He’s going for the curse formation’s source!"

The moment those words left his mouth, everyone realized the danger—

And threw everything they had at forcing Gu Sanqiu back to the surface.

"Too late!"

Gu Sanqiu burst from the ground, launching himself toward the sky.

His target—

The concealed curse formation hidden in the air.

"[Seal of the Demon-Slayer—A Thousand Rocks to Crush Evil]!"

Four ancient seals emerged behind him, their inscriptions glowing with power.

From them, phantom dragons and tigers roared to life—

Before solidifying into a rain of Geo spears, all aimed directly at the formation's core.

BOOM!

In a split second, two body cultivators threw themselves into the path of the attack.

Their vital energy exploded outward, forming a barrier of sheer willpower to block the devastating strike.

They succeeded.

But the impact shattered the air around them, sending waves of elemental force rippling outward.

Their allies immediately reacted, channeling elemental healing into them—

While keeping a close watch on the swirling smoke, wary of a stealth attack from Gu Sanqiu.

"Kill him!"

Gu Sanqiu had expected this outcome.

His goal had never been to destroy the formation in one hit—

Only to force them to defend it and weaken their combat strength.

Now, with spear in hand, he transformed into a shadowy dragon, surging forward.

His next strike would end this cursed formation.

"ROAR!!"

A deafening bellow echoed across the battlefield.

At the edge of the formation, a massive golden claw descended from the sky—

Slamming down toward Gu Sanqiu’s head.

A colossal, golden-armored bear had entered the battle.

And it wasn’t alone.

Behind the bear, a white lion let out a low growl, its mane rippling like an ocean tide.

Suddenly, nine ethereal lion heads materialized around it—

And together, they unleashed a sonic roar powerful enough to rip through a hurricane.

On the other side—

A towering golden elephant emerged from the formation, carrying a staff-wielding monkey on its back.

The monkey monk locked onto Gu Sanqiu’s movements—

Then swung its staff with the force of a landslide, aiming for his ribs.

These were the guardian spirit beasts of the sects.

Legends spoke of creatures born with a deep affinity for elemental energy—

Or of ancient beasts from forgotten eras.

The world had long coveted such creatures.

Their bones, hides, and teeth were often harvested to make luxurious artifacts—

Much like the fur cloaks worn by elite warriors.

Gu Sanqiu had seen Yelan once before but hadn't paid much attention—

Though now that he thought about it, the fur lining of her coat might have been made from such a beast.

But in the cultivation world, things were different.

If a sect encountered a rare and talented beast—

They didn’t hunt it.

They raised it.

For many sects, these creatures weren’t pets or tools—

They were family.

Many of these beasts had already taken their first steps toward becoming true immortal beings.

And the bond they shared with their human caretakers was irreplaceable.

They didn’t fight because they were commanded to.

They fought because they wanted to.

Gu Sanqiu had no time to dodge.

A tidal wave of elemental fury and raw power crashed down upon him.

His body was instantly obliterated—

Leaving behind only a few scattered fragments of paper floating in the air.

The surrounding cultivators went pale.

They hit the wrong target.

That wasn’t Gu Sanqiu’s real body.

It was a paper talisman decoy.

His real weapon fell to the ground.

And in that instant, everyone realized—

The decoy’s spear was real.

BOOM!

A massive explosion erupted inside the curse formation.

The spellcasters within scrambled to escape—

Their only hope of survival was using the spirit beasts as living shields against the blast.

"RAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Gu Sanqiu let out a thunderous battle cry.

Freed from the curse’s effects, his eyes gleamed with dark, ruthless determination.

He blinked forward in an instant—

And with a single punch, sent a cultivator flying out of the battlefield.

The golden bear struck again, palms slamming down with enough force to crush mountains.

The air itself became sluggish, his movements constrained.

"[Fourfold Demon-Slaying Spires]!"

Four towering Geo pillars erupted from the ground—

Trapping the bear and weighing it down with immense gravitational force.

In a single move, Gu Sanqiu shattered its restraint, breaking free.

Just as he tore through another group of cultivators—

A long spear came hurtling through the air, faster than lightning.

It pierced through his abdomen, grazing his spine.

Blood spilled down his robes as his expression twisted in pain.

Three figures stepped forward.

Their presence alone sent a chilling warning through his soul.

Gu Sanqiu wiped the blood from his lips and smiled.

"So, you’ve finally arrived."

His instincts screamed in alarm.

These three—

They were the true embodiment of his calamity.

---

T/N: I WANNA CLIFF SO BAD

This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!