"This is a true large-scale battlefield treasure, unlike alchemy potions which only offer temporary buffs."
"With the beacon paired with the Jade Chamber, the whole of Liyue will receive unprecedented enhancements!"
"Our soldiers will all become powerful warriors capable of fighting a hundred enemies on their own!"
Keqing pumped her fist with excitement, already envisioning the scene of Liyue clashing head-on with Celestia.
Their enemies arrive in full force—only for the Jade Chamber to mobilize. Below, countless Millelith are instantly empowered to the level of Vision holders. Above, the strengthened Geo Archon and the adepti descend upon the battlefield...
From the very beginning, Celestia would stand no chance!
The beacon!
A true treasure capable of shifting the tides in large-scale warfare.
Jean and the others looked on at Ningguang and her group with a bit of envy—after all, the Jade Chamber could move the beacon around, while Mondstadt had no such thing...
Noticing Jean's hopeful gaze, Ningguang gave a gentle smile and nodded slightly.
"It's merely a matter of floating stones. With the alliance between us, we will support you."
After all, Mondstadt would be an important ally for Liyue in resisting Celestia!
As for why Celestia was always treated as a hypothetical enemy...
Because once they find out what Liyue is doing, they'll surely restart what they did to Khaenri'ah back then.
That goes without saying.
Though they had confidence that Ryen's power could wipe out Celestia with a single punch, matters of Liyue should still be handled by Liyue itself.
There's no reason to believe that after developing this far, they still wouldn't be able to defeat Celestia.
"We'll purchase floating stones from Liyue at market price, but to build a flying fortress like the Jade Chamber, we'll need Miss Ningguang to send people to help guide the construction."
Diluc let out a breath of relief and nodded toward Ningguang.
Everyone's mood noticeably relaxed.
"For the sake of the mod, and for the beacon—Wither is worth the risk!"
Ningguang looked seriously at Ryen and said softly:
"Ryen, go ahead and make the arrangements. What are the main things we need to pay attention to?"
Seeing this, Ryen chuckled softly, feeling a bit emotional inside.
At the end of the day, no matter how powerful the enemy, they were not unbeatable.
The key was—what could be gained by defeating them.
At first, Endermen were immune to ranged attacks and could teleport. Everyone thought it was best to avoid them altogether.
Then, when they heard that Ender Pearls could be used for teleportation…
Ningguang and the others immediately insisted on hunting Endermen.
Now Wither was the same.
Killing a Wither was extremely difficult and could come at a great cost, but in return…
Whether it was the mod unlocked from defeating it, or the beacon it dropped—
It was absolutely worth the price.
The reward was too great—a gamble well worth making!
If they succeeded, the beacon could instantly boost their nation's overall power by several tiers.
Why wouldn't they fight for it?
"Do you need me to mobilize the Millelith?"
Keqing asked Ryen seriously. He came back to himself and shook his head.
"No need. The Wither is special—remember what I said? When it kills something, it regenerates its health."
"With too many people, it actually becomes a disadvantage for us."
"Let's just call Xiao and Cloud Retainer back in a bit, then we'll head to the mine and take it down together~."
Jean's eyes lit up as she asked softly:
"Ryen, can we come along too?"
Ryen paused, then frowned slightly before answering gently:
"Are you sure? You just arrived today, and you're already facing an enemy like this…"
"If it's for the beacon, there's no rush. We still have to deal with many more Wither Storms later—I'll save some for you."
Jean shook her head, replying firmly:
"Since we signed a mutual alliance with Liyue, we can't just follow behind you forever."
"Only when both sides support each other does it become a true alliance. We'll contribute our own strength as well."
"We're all experienced fighters. As long as we follow your commands, there shouldn't be a problem."
Both Ryen and Ningguang understood Jean's point.
Since Mondstadt was now stationed here and had signed a mutual support treaty—
There was no reason for Liyue to always be the one supporting Mondstadt.
They were allies—equals, not subordinates.
Mondstadt had its pride too.
"In that case…"
Receiving a glance of approval from Ningguang, Ryen nodded.
"Alright. We'll handle the Wither together later. I have no doubts about your combat skills—just remember to follow my instructions carefully."
If they brought too many people, like the Millelith, Ryen wouldn't be able to coordinate effectively, and things could go wrong.
But Jean and the others were different.
They were already powerful Genshin characters.
Whether as the Acting Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius, or as Diluc—a high-ranking member of an underground intelligence network who'd traveled all across Teyvat—
They were all battle-hardened veterans.
Though he did worry a bit about Lisa…
"Worried about me?"
Lisa seemed to have noticed Ryen's concern. She smiled softly and shook her head.
"While your worry is sweet, don't underestimate me."
"Besides my studies in Sumeru, I have ties to the Hexenzirkel, you know?"
Jean chimed in to support her.
"Lisa is very powerful. In all of Mondstadt, even if the Grand Master hadn't gone on an expedition, she would still be one of the strongest."
"Now that the curse is lifted, Lisa will be a great help to us."
Upon hearing that, Ryen waved his hand.
"I'm not doubting Lisa's strength. But you all need to remember—your elemental powers are still heavily restricted here."
"When the Wither's health drops below half, ranged attacks will no longer work..."
After a moment of contemplation, Ryen spoke softly:
"Let's do it this way. In the first phase, Lisa will participate in the attack. But the moment the Wither's health drops to half, you'll immediately retreat."
Lisa didn't insist.
Her strength came from her mastery of elemental energy.
In Teyvat, now that she was free from the curse, she could summon massive thunderclouds to unleash storm after storm of lightning with ease.
But sadly…
Not to mention the Wither's passive ability when its health is low, Lisa's elemental powers were greatly suppressed in this world. At most, she could zap a few zombies.
"To kill the Wither, we'll have to head into a deep section of the mine."
Ryen paused and waited until Ningguang and the others had taken out their notebooks to jot things down before he continued.
"First, we split into pairs. Each pair takes a narrow mining tunnel."
"Eventually, in a well-structured open area, we summon the Wither."
"Everyone should stay far away during the summoning to avoid the explosion's blast radius."
"Once the Wither appears—Ganyu, Lisa—you two will attack using bows infused with my enchantment and shock force."
"The rest of us will take turns going in close with swords."
"When its HP drops below half, stop all ranged attacks. Everyone switches to diamond swords."
"We'll rotate—each person lands one strike, then immediately retreats, letting the next person in the tunnel attack."
"The Wither will target tunnels and try to blow up blocks, so keep your distance."
"Also, always keep your HP full. Carry a few buckets of milk. If you get hit by the Wither's effect, drink the milk to cleanse it."
"If we follow this process, we can kill the Wither while it's still in the first phase."
Ryen spoke slowly, so that Ningguang and the others could take thorough notes.
After all, just the Beacon alone was enough proof that this wouldn't be the last Wither they had to fight.
The room fell quiet, with only the sound of pens scratching paper.
After a while, Ningguang looked up at Ryen and asked softly:
"Ryen, this entire strategy is based on the assumption that we only face the first phase. What if it reaches the second, third, or even fourth phase?"
"The second and third phases can still be handled using this method. The key to defeating the Wither is racing against time."
"But if it evolves into the fourth phase... at that point, you'll all need to retreat."
"Because the Wither at that stage isn't something any of you can handle."
The group fell silent.
After a long pause, Zhongli pursed his lips and asked quietly:
"What if… we summon the Wither over the seas of Teyvat, and have the Anemo Archon and the Geo Archon deal with it using divine power?"
Ryen looked at Zhongli in surprise.
This guy had always been opposed to bringing undead into Teyvat, yet now he was actually suggesting they summon the Wither there?
Clearly, the massive enhancement potential of the Beacon had tempted even him.
But...
Ryen shook his head.
"Even if you ignore the fact that the Wither cannot be summoned in Teyvat and can't pass through any portals..."
"Even if, just hypothetically, it could go there…"
"With its nature, it could evolve to the sixth or even seventh stage within minutes."
"By that point, forget the Geo Archon—even Celestia wouldn't stand a chance against it."
"Don't forget, Teyvat's abundance of living beings would serve as the perfect catalyst for the Wither's growth."
"And once it reaches stage six, I estimate it could wipe out all of Liyue in a single day."
"Even if all the Archons from the Archon War returned, they might still fall to it."
"Trying to rely on divine power or Teyvat's forces to kill the Wither would be near impossible."
By then, its entire body would be clad in obsidian armor, impervious to attacks. How could you possibly fight that?
"So in the end, the best method is to kill the Wither as quickly as possible, right?"
Zhongli sighed.
He hadn't considered avoiding the Wither Storm. As long as the Beacon existed...
Even if a calamity like Khaenri'ah were to happen again, Liyue would have the power to respond with overwhelming force.
And to him, that mattered most.
Celestia still loomed like a mountain above the Seven Nations.
It wasn't some merciful god—it would strike without hesitation.
Seeing Zhongli's worried expression, Ryen spoke gently:
"Don't worry. Follow my plan, and the success rate is very high. Once we succeed once, we'll be able to do it a second, even a third time."
If anyone else had said this, people would still be uneasy.
But this was Ryen.
No one knew better than him how to survive in this world.
With his cautious nature, if he wasn't completely sure, he wouldn't even try.
"Do we need Wither Skeleton Skulls to summon the Wither Storm?" Ningguang asked softly.
Ryen nodded.
"Three Wither Skeleton Skulls and Soul Sand—arranged just like summoning an Iron Golem."
Ningguang's expression turned serious as she furrowed her brow.
"If that's the case, then the skulls and soul sand must not be stored carelessly. They should all be kept safely within your estate."
"If someone accidentally summons the Wither Storm and fails to deal with it in time, it could be disastrous."
That kind of thing could literally destroy the world—Ningguang wasn't willing to take any chances.
Naturally, Ryen agreed.
If someone did accidentally unleash a seventh-stage Wither...
He might actually consider killing them himself.
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