บท 143: Chapter 143

Under the god-level attack, a mountain several thousand meters in diameter instantly collapsed. Smoke, dust, and rocks were violently thrown in all directions like fireworks, as if they were giant waves formed by earth and rocks. The towering trees in the rainforest were violently shattered, exposing the soil beneath the ground.

After half of the mountain collapsed, a base made of special metal components hidden within the mountain was revealed. Under the power of the gods, the structure of the metal base twisted and bent, and flames burst out from the destroyed areas.

In the flames, five figures wearing thick cloaks slowly walked through the wall of fire, their footsteps echoing with the distorted sound of the air.

Arlecchino's X-shaped pupils looked at the five familiar figures walking out of the experimental base. Every figure was almost exactly the same, but the differences in age and personality could still be clearly sensed.

"Ha! Dottore, I thought you would try to escape like a rat in the sewer, but I didn't expect you to face us like this," she scoffed.

Pantalone spread his hands, a fake smile on his face. "It's hard to imagine that the second Harbinger, the 'Doctor,' who often asked me for funds from 'Northland Bank' in the name of the Queen, would become the target of our hunt. To borrow an old Liyue saying, it's fate that plays tricks on people."

Sandrone, supported by her massive puppet, said indifferently, "This base has many machines, but they are no match for me."

Rosalyne twisted her waist, an ice spike floating in her palm. "Why waste so many words on the sinner the Queen wants to eliminate? Let's end this," she said with disdain.

Tartaglia nodded. "That's right, the slices I've killed before weren't very strong—the strongest was just about equal to me in my old form."

The faces of the five Dottore clones twisted, and their usual calmness had completely disappeared. In the past, if a clone was killed, it didn't matter much—it didn't impact the original. But now, he truly felt like he was nearing death.

The original Dottore threw his arms wide and laughed maniacally, his expression twisted in madness. "Ha! So this is karma—something the people of Liyue often talk about! I thought I could use the power of gods, study the divine, study the power of Celestia, and even transcend the rules laid down by the heavens." He took a deep breath, his voice quieting. "Turns out there is a price to pay for everything I've uncovered. Is it time to settle that debt now?"

He paused, his face strangely calm. "Once, I was granted authority by the Tsaritsa. I know both the advantages and limitations of such power. Although I may not escape today, I can still take down two or three of you." He smirked darkly. "So, who will it be?"

Pantalone clapped his hands slowly. "As expected of 'The Doctor'—not only are your strength and knowledge impressive, but so is your understanding of the human heart. It's a pity…" He trailed off as Tartaglia dashed forward.

"Enough talk! Let's finish this!" Tartaglia shouted, eager to engage. The thunder element from his Delusion, the water element from his Vision, and the divine ice power granted by the Tsaritsa condensed into a pair of blades. He struck at one of the Dottore clones.

A god-level aura erupted instantly. The Dottore clone's face twisted like an evil specter. He sneered, "I created the Delusions." The Delusion on his waist glowed before shattering, and the pent-up resentment within surged into his body. His power suddenly exploded, reaching the level of a god.

**Rumble!**

A fierce battle erupted between the two god-level beings, and the experimental base was destroyed from the inside. The half-collapsed mountain continued to disintegrate, turning into a torrent of gravel. Earthquakes rippled throughout the rainforest, affecting the surrounding environment and the lives of the people nearby.

While Tartaglia fought against the god-level clone of Dottore, the rest of the Harbingers were engaged with the remaining clones. The sky over that part of the Sumeru rainforest darkened, and the clouds began to spin due to the power emanating from the battling demons. The leyline energy beneath the ground surged wildly, causing tides of elemental power. Elemental creatures caught up in the surge roared like drunken madmen.

Just when the elemental creatures in the rainforest were on the verge of chaos, gentle green branches grew from the ground. A soothing light calmed all the affected creatures, and the raging leylines slowly settled.

Nahida, the Dendro Archon, walked quietly through the rainforest, her divine magic continuously calming the raging forces. She had known of everything since the moment the Heavenly Principle descended upon Snezhnaya. Thus, when she noticed the Harbingers arrive in Sumeru, she monitored the situation closely. The god-level strength unleashed in her rainforest was simply too destructive, and she had to be ready to intervene.

**Rumble!**

The battle continued for so long that dark clouds gathered densely overhead. Lightning crackled, forming cyclonic storm clouds. Outside the collapsed mountain, glowing branches spread throughout the surrounding rainforest, absorbing all the residual energy.

Nahida observed the battle and couldn't help but think of the Archon War from two thousand years ago. Though they weren't true demon gods, the Harbingers and Dottore still showed a glimpse of what the Archon War had once been like. Gigantic water-made whales leapt from the ground and crashed back down, flattening entire mountains and turning them into lakes. Golden beams of energy dozens of meters wide shot into the sky, while ice spread across the land like a new ice age, freezing everything within thousands of meters.

In the center of the glacier, explosions continued to resonate.

The original Dottore clone was being pursued relentlessly by Arlecchino and Sandrone. Arlecchino used her newfound god-like ice powers to deliver powerful punches, keeping Dottore airborne. Meanwhile, Sandrone commanded her attack puppet, which fired dozens of golden energy beams at him.

Dottore's body was already a bloody mess, but his red eyes were filled with madness. Despite being beaten down, he had a weapon—two "nails" capable of piercing even a god's body—just inches away from Arlecchino and Sandrone's hearts.

That was why he was confident he could kill them.

"Hehehe... Ahahahaha... Come with me to hell!"