In the video, atop Yujing Terrace,
the lifeless creature that had fallen before all of Liyue's eyes…
was none other than the Geo Archon, Morax himself.
Gasps and chaos erupted as Tianquan Xing Ningguang swiftly ordered the site sealed.
The Geo Archon, slain during the Rite of Descension?!
Thousands of Qianyan soldiers flooded in, questioning every onlooker.
Meanwhile, in the Transcendents Group chat,
Both Azhdaha and Vortex God were practically ecstatic.
[Azhdaha]:Well dead! Brilliant! That sly Morax deserved to perish long ago! When exactly does this Rite of Descension take place? Once that old lizard dies, I shall break free and reclaim Liyue! (Azhdaha·roar)
[Vortex God]:Hahahaha! Morax, you've finally fallen! Though it wasn't by my own hands, vengeance is vengeance—bless the hidden assassin! (Hu Tao·grinning)
[Zhongli]:…
Is there perhaps a chance… he's not actually dead?
Vortex God, do you really want to thank me that badly?
Zhongli's lips twitched slightly.
His emotions were… complicated.
[Ningguang]:How could this happen?!
[Keqing]:The Rite of Descension is soon upon us—Is the Archon actually in this chat group?! We must watch the video! (anxious)
[Cloud Retainer]:Hmph! Who could possibly harm the Geo Archon? Ridiculous!
[Mountain Shaper]:Unthinkable, yet we still have time before the Rite begins. We must prepare accordingly. @[Cloud Retainer]@[Moon Carver]@[Conqueror of Demons]
Aside from searching for the Archon, we must also suppress Azhdaha—lest he break free and endanger Liyue!
[Xiao]:Understood.
[Moon Carver]:At such a critical moment, why can't we reach the Archon? Could it be… something has happened to him?
[Cloud Retainer]:Nonsense! This immortal refuses to believe that any petty schemer could ever threaten the Geo Archon!
Indeed—Morax's strength stood at the very pinnacle of Teyvat's power.
Who could possibly ambush him, silently, and succeed?
Cloud Retainer refused to believe it.
[Raiden Ei]:It's difficult to accept. Such news is… staggering.
[Yae Miko]:Indeed. Even the oldest god in the mortal world can fall? Yet there are so many oddities.
Why during the Rite of Descension, of all times? Perhaps the assassin deliberately chose the moment—but how could the Geo Archon die without a sound?
He is one of the oldest gods! Even ambushed, there should've been some disturbance.
[Heizou]:I think… I have an idea! (Xingqiu·lightbulb)
Zhongli's expression subtly shifted.
This detective again.
Among all the clever people in this group, Shikanoin Heizou was one of the sharpest—his reasoning was often so on point that even Zhongli himself found it impressive.
And now this boy had spoken up again.
Please don't figure it out. Please.
The teacup in Zhongli's hand trembled slightly. His jaw began to ache.
[Hu Tao]:So the Geo Archon's passed on, huh? Can the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor take this commission? (Klee·begging)
[Kaeya]:Miss Hu Tao, with statements like that, people might think you arranged the assassination. (smirk)
[Hu Tao]:???
[Zhongli]:Our Hall Master may be eager for business, but she would never commit such blasphemy. Please, rest assured. (Zhongli·sipping tea)
[Hu Tao]:I just want clients, not death flags! (Hu Tao·spooked)
[Ningguang]:The priority now is contacting the Archon. I've already messaged all the Qixing—none can reach him. We can only rely on the adepti.
[Xiao]:I can't reach him either.
[Cloud Retainer]:The same here…
[Heizou]:Seeing how none of Liyue's adepti can contact him, the hypothesis that the Geo Archon has fallen seems valid.
However, analyzing recent events—the only major disturbance in Teyvat was Mondstadt's dragon crisis.
The other nations have been relatively peaceful. So what could cause the Archon's death?
[Heizou]:@[Tartaglia], as a warrior, let me ask—what kind of person could ambush you so cleanly that you'd die without even realizing it? Oh, and it must be quiet—no large commotion allowed.
[Tartaglia]:Hah, there are plenty who could kill me. But for Morax? That's another story.
Everyone knows how powerful he is—one of the oldest gods.
If I were him, only a handful in all of Teyvat could slay me without a fight. Not even a full hand's worth.
[Azhdaha]:Hmph! I could! Killing Morax is nothing to me. Perhaps I broke my seal before the Rite and struck him down! (Azhdaha·roar)
[Ganyu]:Please, Elder Azhdaha, don't exaggerate. You're strong, yes, perhaps evenly matched with the Archon—but you couldn't kill him silently, not unless he chose not to resist! (Ganyu·don't pat)
[Azhdaha]:You dare question my strength?!
[Furina]:This is getting mysterious—but I must admit, it's very entertaining! (Yun Jin·excited)
[Ningguang]:Then, everyone—any theories?
[Neuvillette]:No leads yet.
[Kaeya]:Hard to imagine things at that level, honestly.
[Venti]:Hey, has anyone considered… maybe Morax isn't actually dead? (wink)
[Ningguang]:What do you mean, Mr. Venti?
Everyone knew Venti and Morax were close friends.
Was the wind god hinting at something?
In the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Zhongli stared at the glowing screen.
Please, just behave like a normal person for once…
[Venti]:Come on, who could really sneak up on Morax? Obviously, he either wanted to die—or he's faking it! (Kokomi·thinking)
[Venti]:Everyone knows my way of handing over my Gnosis was a little… embarrassing. But divine politics are complicated! Maybe Morax made a deal with the Cryo Archon, and this was how he chose to hand his over! (wink)
[Keqing]:That's impossible! Why would the Archon give up his Gnosis? Even if he did, why fake his death—especially at the Rite of Descension?!
If what you say is true, then his "death" is way too sloppy! If he wanted to fake it, shouldn't there at least be signs of illness—or maybe a dramatic battle with Vortex God?
A cunning god like him wouldn't die in such a cheap, sudden way. I don't believe it!
[Zhongli]:…
Excuse me? Are you dissatisfied with the way I died?
He rubbed his temples.
"So, if I had Vortex God break free and kill me—that'd be better?"
He fell into deep thought… then grimaced.
I once sealed Vortex God with a single spear. Now I'd have him break out and beat me to death?
Maybe he could fake an illness first,
grow weak, then let Vortex God finish him off?
That sounded slightly more reasonable.
But as he looked back to the video, Zhongli realized—
there was no point trying to "plan" anything.
Every secret, every plan, every little lie… will all be exposed anyway.
So what's even the point?
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