Chapter 47: Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue. [47]
A simple example? Guys fighting in a dormitory. If "compatibility" were a real thing, those two would probably end up as the best of friends afterward.
"You need to warm up or anything?" Gu Sanqiu asked, loosening his wrists.
"No need. A true warrior is always in peak condition before battle." Tartaglia rolled his shoulders and summoned his weapon. "Do you need any equipment?"
Gu Sanqiu glanced at Tartaglia's bow, which was clearly different from what he remembered.
Wait a minute—didn't he say the bow was his worst weapon? How many specialized weapons does this guy have?
The absurdity of it all made Gu Sanqiu feel another sudden urge to rob the Northland Bank.
"No, this is fine," he replied, deciding to stick with his own abilities.
Around them, the Fatui soldiers wisely retreated from the training grounds, even the giggling Electro Cicin Mages moved far back, sensing the seriousness in the air.
"Before we start, mind if I ask something?" Gu Sanqiu asked, casually rotating his shoulders. "You leave these girls here on purpose, don't you? Just to fire up the guys' training motivation?"
Tartaglia smirked. "Sharp observation. Yes, if they have the desire for it, males tend to show off their strength in front of females. It helps them push themselves harder."
"In Liyue, we have a saying for that. It's less about impressing the ladies and more about ren qian xian sheng—showing off to the crowd."
Gu Sanqiu's hands began to glow with a yellowish hue, signaling his readiness. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
Tartaglia's gaze sharpened, and without hesitation, he drew his bow and fired an arrow aimed straight for Gu Sanqiu's chest.
Heh, let's see if hitting you triggers a crystallize reaction, Gu Sanqiu thought as he swiftly sidestepped the arrow, then charged toward Tartaglia in long strides.
That first arrow wasn't meant to hit—it was to force Gu Sanqiu to react and widen the gap between them.
Typical archer tactics, Gu Sanqiu noted. Still, given Tartaglia's reputation for using weapons outside his comfort zone, it was clear—this guy was a born warrior.
"Closing in on me won't be that easy!" Tartaglia sneered. The first arrow had done its job—Gu Sanqiu's dodge had put him right where Tartaglia wanted.
Now, at this critical distance, Tartaglia had the advantage!
Swish!
Three rapid water-infused arrows shot out, aimed at Gu Sanqiu's head, chest, and legs. Unless he stopped dead in his tracks and went full defense, there was no way he could avoid all three while continuing his charge.
"Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about how the Geo Vision works?" Gu Sanqiu's eyes narrowed. His earlier dodge wasn't out of fear; he had been testing Tartaglia as much as Tartaglia had been testing him.
Buzz!
A heavy sound reverberated through the air as a golden shield of Geo energy encased Gu Sanqiu's body. The water arrows shattered harmlessly against the shield, exploding into droplets that sprayed into the air, but they didn't slow him down one bit.
Boom!
Gu Sanqiu's punch shot forward like a cannonball, the force behind it so overwhelming that even the nearby Fatui soldiers were stunned. The sheer noise of it reverberated around the training ground, leaving a few soldiers staring, dumbfounded.
There's no way that was the sound of flesh and bone hitting—it's like a boulder was launched!
Tartaglia's pupils contracted. The sheer force of the punch, coupled with the Geo energy swirling around it, made it feel as if a massive rock was about to smash into him. And this was just an initial strike—if it landed cleanly, even Tartaglia couldn't predict what kind of damage it would do to him.
"Not bad! Not bad at all!" Tartaglia shouted excitedly. A wave of water gathered beneath him, carrying him gracefully backward like a child playing in a stream. As he slid away, he lowered his stance and fired another arrow—this one loaded with elemental energy, aimed straight at Gu Sanqiu's heart.
This time, it wasn't a mere probing shot. The power contained in this arrow made Gu Sanqiu frown. If it hit, even with his shield, he wouldn't come out of it unscathed.
No choice but to meet it head-on!
The distance was too short to dodge, and with the speed of the arrow, there was no time to hesitate. Gu Sanqiu brought his fist forward, meeting the arrow with a direct punch.
Boom!
Water and rock clashed, sending a shockwave through the training grounds. Shards of blue crystal scattered through the air, reflecting the sunlight in brilliant, sharp flashes.
His shield shattered.
A faint blue mark appeared on Gu Sanqiu's right fist, but his expression remained unchanged. In fact, he only accelerated, his fists launching a series of Geo-infused punches toward Tartaglia, each one solidifying into stone mid-flight.
Tartaglia's smile widened, licking his lips with excitement. Behind him, a jagged rock spike shot out of the ground, catching his foot and destabilizing his "surfboard" of water.
Gu Sanqiu had noticed Tartaglia's elemental flow earlier—and now he used his own Geo powers to break Tartaglia's rhythm.
You like to play with the battlefield, huh? Two can play that game.
As Tartaglia stumbled slightly, Gu Sanqiu pressed forward, his barrage of punches nearly overwhelming.
"I like a cornered fight. Perfect!" Tartaglia roared with excitement, throwing aside his archer's tactics and swinging his bow like a club toward the oncoming blows.
Is this guy even an archer?! Gu Sanqiu's mind raced. Tartaglia was fighting more like a berserker, swinging his weapon as if it were an axe.
Real archers: fire volleys from the back, looking for critical hits.
Fake archers: go toe-to-toe with brawlers, fully committed to melee combat!
Crack!
The sound of something shattering echoed through the training grounds. Tartaglia, veins bulging with exertion, swung his bow with enough force to smash through the stone punches. Using the momentum from the water beneath him, he slid out of the attack's range.
Even so, he wasn't unscathed. His hair was disheveled, and a small trickle of blood ran from his mouth. But the gleam in his eyes only grew fiercer.
"Looks like you're not making this easy, huh?" Tartaglia grinned, wiping the blood from his mouth. "But if I keep retreating, I'm just giving you more chances to overwhelm me. Time to get up close!"
With a wild yell, Tartaglia flipped his bow into the air. It dissolved into shimmering water before reforming into two short blades—sleek, deadly, and humming with elemental power.
The hum of energy from the blades made Gu Sanqiu tense up.
I can't block those head-on!
A flash of light at Gu Sanqiu's waist, and suddenly a massive shield bearing the head of a beast appeared in his hands, just in time to catch Tartaglia's incoming blades.
Shhhhk!
The beast shield shattered upon impact, the cut so clean that it almost sparkled in the sunlight.
Gu Sanqiu's thoughts raced. Those blades aren't just sharp. The edge carries some kind of oscillation—a cutting force that amplifies their power.
Tartaglia's momentum carried him past, but the quick exchange had bought him enough space to reset his stance. Both men stared each other down, neither willing to let up their guard.
"I thought I'd finally forced you to show your real weapon," Gu Sanqiu said, narrowing his eyes at Tartaglia. "But I guess that was just a standard issue blade, huh?"
Tartaglia's eyes gleamed with something primal, his battle lust tangible in the air. "Come on, Gu Xiangjun. Show me your strongest weapon. Fight me with everything you've got!"
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