When they arrived at the small island southeast of the city, Lu Chen immediately noticed the chaotic surge of Anemo energy.
Violent winds howled, towering waves crashed ashore. Several fishing boats at the dock had already been overturned, and some smaller vessels were cracking apart from the pressure. The coastline was in complete disarray.
"This is really Anemo Hypostasis?" Lu Chen stared at Venti in disbelief, wondering if he had misidentified it.
This scene was so catastrophic that Lu Chen would've believed it if someone told him Stormterror was behind it.
Venti, too, was uncertain. He frowned deeply, eyes fixed ahead.
"I've got a really bad feeling about this..."
They picked up their pace, heading toward the source of the elemental disturbance.
As they moved through the island, they saw that every house had its doors and windows shut tightly. The narrow streets were completely deserted.
Lu Chen had checked the map earlier—this place was called Bangzui Island, home to several hundred fishermen. It wasn't exactly small.
Now, though, disaster had struck. The damage to the local fishermen would be massive. Lu Chen saw drying fishing nets tangled into chaotic knots, other gear torn to pieces, and shredded canvas flapping in the wind.
They hurried forward in silence. As the wind grew stronger, it became harder and harder to walk.
Venti softly began to chant, and the wind around them gradually eased, allowing them to move more easily.
After a difficult trek, they finally reached a plaza on the eastern side of Bangzui Island.
Here, the environment began to shift. Reality blurred, growing hazy and translucent—until Lu Chen could see a different world beyond it.
They had entered a domain.
On Teyvat's side, the chaos continued. What had once been lush fields was now a barren, wind-ravaged plain. Streams had dried up, and even the sky was a dull gray.
With the land in this state, gathering any useful ingredients here would be nearly impossible.
But Lu Chen didn't have time to worry about that.
His and Venti's gazes were locked on the air above the plaza's center.
The source of the elemental anomaly—a massive cube of pure Anemo—was floating there, sending out endless gales in every direction.
But this Anemo Hypostasis was completely different from the one Lu Chen knew. It was over ten times larger, hovering above like a giant floating villa. Worse, it was surrounded by ominous black sludge, swirling like a dark fog.
It looked monstrous and twisted. The black substance clinging to it gave off a sense of deep unease—an aura both vile and unnatural.
"It's the Abyss..." Venti said cautiously.
Lu Chen nodded. The moment he laid eyes on it, he too felt the taint of chaotic Abyssal energy.
But why?
Why would Abyssal power corrupt an elemental being like Anemo Hypostasis?
Why was it even here?
Was there something else going on?
There was no time to think. The moment they were spotted, Anemo Hypostasis reacted. Its cubic form shifted into two enormous wings, and with one powerful flap, a violent hurricane tore toward them.
Lu Chen reacted instantly. As soon as it transformed, he began absorbing Anemo energy from the air and used it to lift off, riding the wind high above the square and away from the blast zone.
Now that he had recovered half his former strength, he could freely manipulate ambient elemental forces. This domain was saturated with Anemo, making it ideal for him.
Even so, the storm's range was massive. Lu Chen barely dodged in time.
The spot where he had just been standing was obliterated. Looking down, he saw the buildings along the plaza's edge reduced to rubble, a cloud of dust rising into the air.
He quickly looked around—Venti had vanished the moment the attack launched.
Scanning the area, Lu Chen soon spotted a swirl of emerald wind circling the Anemo Hypostasis. As it neared, the wind condensed into human form—Venti, now facing the Hypostasis head-on.
"O wind of Mondstadt, why are you so restless?"
His ethereal voice carried a divine tone, as the Anemo Archon tried to speak with the creature.
"Tell me—maybe I can help ease your pain."
Venti's voice was calm and soothing, but the Hypostasis only grew more agitated.
Lu Chen watched as it shifted again, gathering massive amounts of Anemo and firing them like cannonballs in every direction.
The sheer scope of the attack made him tense up. Venti was too close—he shouted,
"Watch out!!"
From above came a faint sigh, and Venti's human form dissolved into wind once more.
Lu Chen saw the wind projectiles immediately wrapped in emerald gusts, their force dispersed into nothing by the gentle breeze.
Thank goodness...
He breathed a silent sigh of relief. Of course the Anemo Archon wouldn't be harmed by Mondstadt's wind.
But now he had his own problem—several wind blasts were headed straight for him.
Looking at the shattered tiles beneath him and the dust swirling in the air, Lu Chen called out calmly,
"Steady as stone!"
Geo energy wrapped around him, forming a golden barrier of jade.
The wind blasts struck the shield and sent Lu Chen flying through the air.
The impact was immense. It took him a long time to stabilize himself using the wind, but the jade shield held—only flickering slightly under the pressure.
Still intact.
And there was plenty of Geo energy in this domain. That thought reassured Lu Chen.
Old Zhongli's abilities really were the most dependable.
He steadied himself again and rode the wind back toward Anemo Hypostasis.
Venti still hadn't attacked. In his human form, he only looked at the Hypostasis with sorrow in his eyes.
Lu Chen saw him take out the wooden lyre he always carried—Windsong Lyre—and begin to play.
Soft, melodic notes drifted through the air, weaving through the raging storm, reaching straight to the heart.
But Lu Chen didn't intend to stand by.
It was clear that Venti's efforts weren't working. The storm hadn't calmed one bit.
"It's no use. This thing's gone berserk!" Lu Chen drew his sword and flew in.
Now, force was the only language it would understand.
Anemo, Pyro, Cryo, and Geo elements gathered and fused onto the edge of his blade.
The Dragonspine longsword gleamed with radiant light.