"Tuoz!" Jiang Yan shouted, standing proudly atop the shoulders of the Dragon King Azhdaha. "Use Mount Tai Crush!"
Perched there like a majestic dragon rider—minus only a billowing cape—Jiang Yan struck quite a heroic pose.
Azhdaha, in his stone dragon form, leapt high into the air. Given Jiang Yan's small frame, the pair together looked… both comical and impressive at the same time.
A moment later, Azhdaha's massive body came crashing down like a mountain, slamming straight into the Rock Hill Churl King below.
BOOM!
Dust and gravel exploded outward. The shockwave from the impact was so strong that even the steam rising from Morax's teacup—some distance away, where he sat beside Guizhong—quivered slightly.
"Whew…"
Morax took a calm sip of his tea, then glanced toward the girl beside him.
At that moment, Guizhong was clapping excitedly, eyes sparkling with joy as she cheered for Jiang Yan and the Dragon King.
"Lady Guizhong," Morax asked evenly, "have you given any more thought to my proposal?"
At his words, Guizhong's eyes flickered with thought.
The young man before her—handsome and composed—spoke with the gravity of an old soul.
Yet after several days of observation, she had come to understand: forming an alliance with the Geo Archon-to-be was indeed the wisest course.
Her own strength was limited. Though she had Marchosius by her side, even he could not shield Guili Plains from every threat.
But… agreeing so easily would be far too generous.
Hmm… perhaps a little test was in order.
Even if she already intended to ally with him, Guizhong decided she ought to put him through a challenge first!
"Say, Morax," she said suddenly, her lips curling into a playful smile, "you really want me to agree to your terms, don't you?"
Morax paused mid-sip, his hand stilling slightly.
"And what," he asked quietly, "might Lady Guizhong mean by that?"
"Wait a sec… let me find it…"
Guizhong began rummaging through her wide sleeves, muttering softly as she searched.
After a few moments, she produced a perfectly square mechanism—a puzzle lock.
Its metallic surface shimmered faintly, proof of its extraordinary craftsmanship.
"Let's make things interesting," she said, smiling mischievously.
Morax raised an eyebrow, examining the object she set before him.
"And this… challenge of yours is?"
"As you can see," Guizhong giggled, "the challenge is to unlock this mechanism."
"I've studied it for hundreds of years," she said proudly, "and haven't managed to open it yet. If you can solve it, I'll agree to all your terms. How about that?"
Morax stared at the lock for a long moment, his face unreadable.
"So… do you accept the challenge or not?"
Propping her chin on one hand, Guizhong smiled teasingly at him.
"Pfft. How hard can it be?" Morax replied, a flash of sharp confidence passing through his golden eyes.
"In that case…" Guizhong leaned forward, her tone suddenly solemn. "Let us make a wager."
Her playful air melted away, replaced by divine authority.
"I, Guizhong, the Dust God, hereby form a contract with thee," she declared. "I wager that you cannot open this lock."
A sly glint danced in her eyes.
"If you do open it, I will agree to your alliance—and place myself at your disposal."
"But if you fail… I'll still accept the alliance, but you must be at my disposal."
It was simple, really.
Guizhong wanted to secure a position of dominance within their partnership.
If she won, she would lead the alliance, and Morax would become her subordinate.
If she lost, she would become his vassal.
But in truth, Guizhong was confident—this mechanism had stumped even her for centuries!
"Then let the contract be sealed," Morax intoned. "Those who break it shall suffer the judgment of stone."
He pressed his fingers together, and faint golden light shimmered briefly as the pact took form.
Nearby, Jiang Yan—busy opening treasure chests—glanced up curiously.
"What are those two doing now?" he muttered.
Probably talking about alliance stuff again.
After all, in Jiang Yan's mind, a Morax–Guizhong alliance was already a done deal.
Kicking open the lid of a finely crafted chest, Jiang Yan grinned.
The three exquisite chests guarded by that Rock Hill Churl King had yielded quite the reward—
Navy Six Styles — Shave.
A high-speed movement technique from the world of pirates.
Jiang Yan's mind began to spin with ideas.
Once Morax and Guizhong united, he planned to form a mortal army—an army of humans trained under his system, strengthened by the Navy Six Styles and the rigorous military methods from his past life.
Just how powerful would Liyue's future forces become?
He chuckled to himself. The possibilities were endless.
Lost in thought, Jiang Yan wandered back toward Morax and Guizhong's table.
But before he could ask what was going on, a savory aroma drifted through the air, instantly catching his attention.
Turning his head, Jiang Yan spotted a bear-like creature busy at the nearby stove, cooking something that smelled divine.
The Dragon King Azhdaha was already there, drooling openly as he watched the creature work.
"Hey! Marchosius, what're you cooking? Smells amazing!" Jiang Yan called, sauntering up and slinging an arm around the being's furry shoulder.
Indeed—this was none other than Marchosius, the God of the Stove.
The two had met soon after Jiang Yan's group first arrived in Guili Plains. As one of the settlement's only two resident gods, Marchosius naturally came to greet the visitors.
And before long, he and Jiang Yan had become fast friends.
After all, Jiang Yan's Master Chef skill made for the perfect icebreaker. They had even held a friendly cooking contest once.
And, to be fair, the God of the Stove's culinary prowess was every bit as legendary as his title implied.
Even with Jiang Yan's master-level skills, he was still just a bit behind.
But Marchosius had taken quite a liking to this talented young mortal.
"You're just in time!" Marchosius said proudly. "Come, try my latest creation—Slime Stew Surprise!"
"Uh…"
A bead of sweat slid down Jiang Yan's temple.
Seriously?
So that's where Xiangling got it from…!
That uncanny slime cuisine philosophy—no wonder that after losing his power, the God of the Stove ended up following her around!
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