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Chapter 3 - The Wood Dragon Technique — Overpowering the Archons

Jiang Yan ran a hand through his silver hair, sighing helplessly.

"Whatever… it's not like I'm a god or anything."

"They can fight their war, and I'll keep opening my chests."

Muttering those words to comfort himself, Jiang Yan once again set off on his journey.

The terrain around him was unfamiliar. After all, the version of Teyvat he knew—the one in the game—was a world already reshaped by the Seven Archons. Mondstadt's mountains had been sliced smooth by Barbatos's winds, its valleys cleared of snow by divine gales. The current world, however, was wild, raw, and untamed.

Which meant one thing—he had no idea where the treasure chests were anymore.

"Well, guess I'll just figure it out as I go."

After another day and night of travel—and after opening four or five Common and Fine Chests, and even one Precious Chest—Jiang Yan had finally started to understand the drop patterns.

Common Chests only enhanced his physique and elemental energy, no extra rewards.

Fine Chests could yield all sorts of random items or skills from other worlds—like cooking or tea brewing.

Precious Chests dropped rare treasures from the multiverse.

Luxurious Chests, well… those were top-tier. His Wood Release had come from one of those.

As for the Precious Chest he'd opened earlier, it had granted him Observation Haki from the world of One Piece.

"Still too weak though…" Jiang Yan sighed.

Even with Wood Release—a power that ranked among the mightiest of all worlds—his elemental reserves were pitifully small. Forget summoning the True Several Thousand Hands; he couldn't even manage a full Wood Golem Technique.

Observing Haki was nice, sure. But if this really was the era of the Archon War, even foresight wouldn't save him—he wasn't strong enough to make use of it yet.

"If only a chest could drop something like a Tailed Beast's chakra… hehehe."

He laughed at the thought, fantasizing as he climbed over another ridge.

Halfway up the mountainside, he spotted it—a Fine Chest, neatly tucked into a cliff crevice.

"Oh ho! Another chest!"

Jiang Yan clapped his hands excitedly, and two vines sprouted from the ground beneath his feet, coiling around his waist and lifting him into the air.

Carefully maneuvering the vines, he floated toward the chest, controlling his movement with practiced precision. After so many successful chest raids, his Wood Release control had improved considerably.

But just as his hand reached out—

The ground rumbled violently.

"Oh, crap!"

He gripped the vines tightly as the entire cliff face shook.

Then, with a deafening roar, two massive beings crashed overhead—giant, godlike silhouettes tearing through the sky, their battle cries shaking the very heavens as they smashed entire mountain ranges apart.

"Shit, shit, shit—!"

Cold sweat poured down Jiang Yan's forehead.

There was no mistaking it.

This was the Archon War!

Only an idiot wouldn't recognize those towering figures as gods. If this had been the age of the Seven Archons, Morax would've long since crushed both of them with his twin stone spears.

"Damn it, damn it…"

As the two gods tore into each other, Jiang Yan quickly directed his vines downward.

Head can be broken! Blood can be shed!

But the chest must be opened!

That was the noble creed of every true adventurer!

[Congratulations, Host! You have opened a Fine Chest! Reward: Elite Jōnin-level Chakra (Naruto World)!]

[Converting Chakra into Elemental Energy…]

"Yes!"

Jiang Yan grinned wide as he felt the surge of power flooding his body.

His elemental reserves swelled dramatically—enough to finally perform the Wood Dragon Technique!

For the first time since arriving in Teyvat, Jiang Yan felt like he could actually throw hands with a god.

Maybe not win, but definitely make them notice him!

If he kept collecting chests and stockpiling strength, he might even be able to unleash the Wood Golem Technique someday—and when that happened, he'd be unstoppable!

On the other side of the battlefield, the two warring gods were locked in fierce combat, their blows reducing entire mountains to rubble.

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

A colossal stone spear fell from the heavens, piercing the earth between them.

"ROAR! Morax! You dare interfere?!"

One of the gods bellowed in fury, glaring at the young man standing calmly atop a distant peak, arms crossed, his golden eyes glinting with divine authority.

"This land is mine," Morax said coldly. "Leave—or be crushed."

"Then die!"

Blinded by rage, both gods lunged at him simultaneously.

As their clash sent shockwaves across the land, Jiang Yan—watching from the mountainside—stared wide-eyed.

"Lord Morax…!"

The Geo Archon, the one and only Dragon King Azhdaha, the most dependable man in all of Teyvat!

He had actually run into him!

But Jiang Yan had no intention of joining that divine brawl. He just wanted to keep looting chests peacefully—preferably under Morax's protection.

Sure, he had some self-defense ability now, but he wasn't about to pick fights with literal gods.

All around, Morax's contracted adept battled the minions of the other two gods, their elemental arts lighting up the dusk.

After watching for a while, Jiang Yan grew bored and was about to leave when—

His Observation Haki flared violently.

His expression turned cold.

"Wood Release — Substitution!"

BOOM!!!

A massive shockwave tore through the area, shattering the mountain where Jiang Yan had stood.

His wooden clone exploded into splinters, while the real Jiang Yan reappeared high in the air, having barely dodged the blast.

The three battling gods immediately noticed the sudden newcomer—a small silver-haired elf floating above the battlefield—but none cared enough to stop.

Jiang Yan pressed his palms together, channeling every ounce of elemental energy in his body.

"Wood Release — Wood Dragon Technique!"

Crack! Crack!

A deafening roar split the sky as a colossal Wood Dragon burst from the ground, its roar shaking the heavens.

It swept through the battlefield in a storm of splinters and dust, its mighty tail smashing one of the gods aside like a toy.

In an instant—

The entire battlefield froze.

Even the gods' followers and Morax's adept halted, staring in shock at the enormous dragon that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Atop its head, Jiang Yan sat cross-legged, panting heavily, his hands still clasped in a seal.

"Holy crap… if I hadn't reacted fast enough, I'd be pasted right now…"

He scowled, glaring down at the chaos below.

"I was just trying to grab a chest, you bastards! Why'd you have to drag me into this?!"

The near-death fear in his chest turned to pure rage.

With a furious roar, Jiang Yan commanded the Wood Dragon forward.

The dragon twisted violently and lunged at one of the gods, its massive jaws snapping shut.

The god roared in defiance, unleashing torrents of elemental energy—but Jiang Yan's Wood Dragon absorbed it effortlessly, feeding on the power to strengthen itself.

The more the god struggled, the weaker it became.

In the end, it could only wail as the dragon pummeled it mercilessly.

Meanwhile, Morax focused his attacks on the other god, his twin stone spears glowing with golden light.

He had no idea who—or what—this silver-haired boy riding a Wood Dragon was. But since the stranger was targeting the enemy, Morax saw no reason to interfere.

With the addition of Jiang Yan's Wood Dragon, the battle turned decisively in Morax's favor.

Amid the chaos, the Geo Archon glanced up at the furious young elf perched on the dragon's head. His sharp golden eyes caught the shape of Jiang Yan's pointed ears.

"…Not a god," he murmured. "A child of the elves?"

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