"Golden Lock, Eight Gates—Break the illusion, return to truth! Open!"
A powerful shout rang out, immediately drawing the attention of Jiang Yan, Marchosius, and the others.
They turned to see, in a nearby pavilion, Morax standing calmly under Guizhong's astonished gaze. His hands glowed with geo energy as he manipulated the intricate stone lock before him—methodically, precisely—as though unraveling a riddle.
The Rock God might not yet have reached his peak, but his affinity with the element of earth was unmatched.
His fingers danced swiftly over the lock's surface, and within moments, the puzzle that had troubled Guizhong for centuries—snapped open with a click.
"This… it's open?!"
Guizhong stared at the now-unlocked mechanism, unable to believe her eyes.
"But of course," Morax replied with a small smile, lifting his teacup and taking a slow, measured sip.
After a moment, he cleared his throat softly. "Ahem. Since I've solved it, about that contract between us…"
Guizhong blinked, still in disbelief, before snapping back to her senses.
"Of course! You win," she said, though her tone carried a hint of dazed resignation. "We'll follow the terms of the contract."
Even she couldn't quite believe it—this was the same lock that had confounded her for hundreds of years, undone by him in a matter of seconds?
Morax, however, was quietly surprised. He had half expected the playful, unpredictable Dust God to go back on her word.
"Alright!" Guizhong said, folding her arms with a wry grin. "You've earned it. So? What do you want me to do? Whatever conditions you mentioned before, I'll agree to them!"
Jiang Yan and the others had already gathered around by now, listening in with keen interest.
"In that case…"
Morax's golden eyes fixed on Guizhong.
"Anything I ask—without exception?"
"Of course! A contract is a contract," Guizhong said, sighing lightly. "Whoever breaks it shall face the judgment of stone. You know how it goes."
Her tone was casual, but there was a flicker of admiration in her gaze. She had lost, fair and square—and Guizhong was not one to deny defeat.
Morax's lips curved slightly.
"Then I ask this—guard this land, for a thousand years."
Guizhong blinked, then smiled warmly.
"Of course, Lord of Stone."
At that moment, the Dust God—Guizhong—formally became Morax's ally and subordinate.
The two gods thus sealed their alliance, with Morax as its leader.
Jiang Yan, watching from the side, turned to exchange a grin with Marchosius. The mood was bright and full of promise.
The negotiations that followed went smoothly. Having agreed to Morax's terms, Guizhong immediately began reorganizing her domain and preparing her people for the upcoming changes.
Meanwhile, Morax readied himself to return to Mount Tianheng and deliver the good news to his followers.
Because migration was no small matter—and this one involved the unification of two divine realms—Morax decided to leave Jiang Yan and the Dragon King Azhdaha behind in Guizhong's territory to ensure its safety.
After all, though Guizhong possessed great wisdom, her combat strength wasn't exceptional.
Marchosius, the God of the Stove, was stronger in battle than Guizhong—but only slightly. He was, after all, a god of hearth and home, not of war.
With both Jiang Yan and the Dragon King—each wielding the power of a demon god—staying behind, Guizhong's lands would be well-protected.
Jiang Yan, of course, was perfectly fine with this arrangement.
After all, this land was vast—and compared to Mount Tianheng, there were way more treasure chests here!
Migration would take a long time. Since there was no immediate threat, Morax and his people would need time to gather everything worth carrying before the move began.
And during this period, Jiang Yan and Azhdaha spent their days happily scouring the plains for treasure.
There were indeed many chests scattered around—but most of them were ordinary ones, offering only a few scraps of elemental energy or slight boosts to his physical stats.
Still, Jiang Yan wasn't complaining.
He had opened hundreds by now!
What puzzled him, though, was that among all these treasures, there were only a handful of Fine Chests, not a single Precious Chest, and certainly no Luxurious Chest.
Luxurious chests? Ha!
He hadn't seen one since the day he'd arrived in this world—and even that one had been artificially upgraded by the system as a "new player bonus."
That said, it wasn't all disappointment.
From the Fine Chests, Jiang Yan had obtained quite a few "manuals," though they were… eclectic, to say the least:
Golden Bell Shield, Bajiquan, Postpartum Pig Care, Paddy Field Management 101…
A bizarre mix—but at least they had some practical uses.
Once Morax and Guizhong's factions merged, many of these could be put to good use in building the foundation of a future nation.
Of course, that would have to wait—until after the Archon War ended, and Liyue was officially founded.
Standing upon the fertile plains of Guili, Jiang Yan gazed at the smiling people, living peacefully and content under Guizhong's gentle rule.
A strange, unfamiliar feeling welled up within him—warm, and quietly powerful.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard