It must be said that recruiting Azhdaha was indeed a crucial move.
Beyond his formidable strength to safeguard Liyue, his greater value lay in accompanying Morax through his trials.
Right now, Morax's power sat at an awkward plateau. Against other gods, he could end fights in an instant—never finding a true opponent. But when facing Elliot, he was always outclassed, unable to do more than endure. As a result, he rarely had the chance to truly fight with all his strength.
After all, the most important path to growth is battle.
Only by clashing with an evenly matched opponent can one discover flaws and grow rapidly.
With Azhdaha as his sparring partner, Elliot was certain that Morax would progress quickly.
"For now, let Azhdaha train with Morax while Ganyu focuses on losing weight."
"Once Ganyu slims down enough to travel, we'll leave Azhdaha to guard the home. The rest of us should set out to expand Liyue's reach."
...
Back at Tianheng Mountain, Elliot brewed a pot of tea, sipping slowly as he pondered.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
By then, Ganyu had shed her excess weight completely, returning to the form Elliot remembered. Slim and elegant, she once again took on human form. Seeing her own beauty restored, she chose to remain in that form.
Back when she had been round like a ball, Ganyu had once tried transforming into a human—only to be so horrified by the sight that she never dared to attempt it again.
After all, even when plump, a qilin's spherical, furry appearance wasn't too unpleasant. But humans, once they grew too overweight, were far harder to look at.
Now slim once more, Ganyu joined the battles against the gods. Elliot even crafted her a special bow, perfectly suited for long-range support.
With the bow in hand, Ganyu poured all her elemental strength into offense, completely abandoning defense.
The reason, perhaps, was the lingering trauma of her only defensive skill, [Crystal Armor]. The memories it brought her were unbearable. To avoid reliving them, she gave up on defense entirely, devoting herself to pure attack.
...
Over those six months, Morax frequently sparred with Azhdaha. Each battle left him stronger than before.
By now, Morax could hold his own against Azhdaha at a rough sixty-forty split—though of course, Azhdaha held the six while he managed the four.
After all, wielding five elements at once was overwhelming. Morax, with only Geo, had little chance of victory before mastering Planet Befall.
His defense was formidable, yes, but his offense was still lacking.
In their battles, it often ended with both unable to break each other's defenses—or with Azhdaha breaking his, while his own attacks fell short. That was the reality of their sixty-forty balance.
As for Planet Befall, Morax had already comprehended one-tenth of it.
Competition breeds pressure. Without an opponent who could truly challenge him, Morax's progress in mastering such a difficult technique had been painfully slow. Now, with a powerful rival before him, his growth was like a rocket taking flight.
...
"Bro, I don't drink tea," Morax said when Elliot handed him a cup.
"This is light tea—mild in flavor, with a refreshing fragrance," Elliot replied.
"Is that so…" Morax took the cup skeptically, sniffed it, then sipped. True to Elliot's words, it wasn't bitter at all. Instead, it was sweet and soothing.
"How is it?"
"Hmm… this is good." Morax nodded.
After refilling his cup, Elliot spoke again.
"Morax, I believe it's time to expand our territory."
"Expand our territory?" Morax froze mid-sip, momentarily startled.
"Indeed. At the end of the Archon War, only seven gods will be chosen to rule as the Seven Archons. As things stand, Liyue is far too small. It clearly doesn't qualify."
Hearing this, Morax's hand trembled slightly around the teacup.
His worst fears had come true.
Morax was no fool. He knew that Liyue was not yet a true nation—at best, it was only a city. Such a small place could never be chosen to stand among the Seven.
Still, he had held on to a faint hope. Up until now, when gods had invaded Liyue, killing them could be seen as justified self-defense. They were the aggressors, and so striking them down did not weigh too heavily on his conscience.
But expanding territory meant something else entirely. It meant becoming the aggressors, taking land that belonged to others.
Though war has no absolute right or wrong, no simple good or evil, the thought of actively invading others still left Morax uneasy.
...
Holding his cup, Morax stayed silent for a long time. At last, he drained the tea, then slowly donned the mask Elliot had given him.
"It is indeed time to expand our territory," he said, taking a deep breath, his voice calm and steady.
"Morax, expansion doesn't mean slaughter. Head north. There lies a grassland blooming with Glaze Lilies. Perhaps you'll find your answer there."
"North…?" Morax frowned, unable to understand.
To seize land, how could there not be killing?
But Elliot did not answer. He only rose to his feet, gazing silently toward the north.