Morax and his companions stayed in the Guili Plains for nearly a month.
Since they had come all this way, Jiang Yan naturally made the most of their presence.
With Cloud Retainer and the other adept lending their aid, Ganyu's handling of state affairs became far more efficient.
If not for Guizhong constantly sending word for them to return, Morax and his group might have stayed even longer.
"Well then, we'll be off," Morax said with a gentle smile, glancing at Jiang Yan and Ganyu. "This place is in your hands now."
"Don't worry about it," Jiang Yan replied easily.
Beside him, Ganyu gazed at Cloud Retainer with clear reluctance in her eyes.
"Master…"
"What's this? You can't bear to part with your teacher?" Cloud Retainer chuckled softly, brushing her disciple's hair with a fond hand.
"You've done wonderfully here. With you overseeing Guili Plains's administration, I'm quite at ease."
Then she sniffed lightly, adding in her usual proud tone, "Of course, you've still got a little ways to go before you surpass me."
After a few more words of farewell, Morax and his party finally departed.
Jiang Yan and Ganyu stood quietly, watching until the group disappeared beyond the horizon.
"It's alright," Jiang Yan said gently when he saw the faint sorrow in Ganyu's eyes. "If we ever miss them, we can just visit Guili Plains sometime."
"Mm." Ganyu murmured softly, resting her head on his shoulder.
The two stood there in silence for a long time.
A Hundred Years Later
To Jiang Yan's surprise, the peace that followed lasted for more than a century.
Across the land of Liyue, the Archon War still raged fiercely—battles between gods breaking out with terrifying frequency.
Yet strangely enough, within the territories ruled by Morax, no god dared to stir up trouble.
Jiang Yan and Morax were, of course, more than happy with this outcome.
With Guili Plains's population booming explosively, Jiang Yan began a grand military recruitment campaign.
The original garrison of two thousand Thousand Rock Army stationed there was expanded into a full-fledged army—the Thousand Rock Qingce Corps.
The army was organized into twenty regiments, each consisting of roughly two thousand soldiers, bringing the total to around forty thousand.
This massive force brought devastation upon the monsters that plagued the land—
massive purges were carried out regularly, eradicating the creatures that once haunted Qingce's borders.
Of course, such activity could hardly escape the notice of nearby Archons.
They watched Guili Plains warily—especially after Jiang Yan, in his usual mischievous fashion, would occasionally lead the Thousand Rock Qingce Corps, summon his "Great Buddha," and take a "leisurely stroll" near their territories just to frighten them.
At that point, even the slightest disturbance from Qingce would send ripples of anxiety among the neighboring gods.
Compared to Qingce's aggressive military expansion, Guili Plains, now the political heart of Morax's domain, was relatively calm.
With the armies managed by Jiang Yan, Morax and Guizhong focused their attention on developing the economy.
Externally, Guili's people mined ore and traded in salt and other essential goods.
Internally, they implemented a land cultivation system, stockpiling grain and resources to sustain their armies.
After establishing the Thousand Rock Qingce Corps, Jiang Yan returned to Guili Plains and went on to create two more divisions:
the Thousand Rock Guili Corps and the Thousand Rock Tianheng Corps.
The Guili Corps were elite soldiers—only ten thousand in number—tasked with protecting the heartland and its people.
The Tianheng Corps, led by the Five Yakshas, numbered thirty thousand and guarded the region between Dunyu Ruins and Mount Tianheng.
Among them, Bosacius oversaw Tianheng itself, keeping watch over threats from the sea around Guyun Stone Forest.
As Guili Plains flourished further, more and more humans joined Morax's domain.
This prosperity drew the greedy eyes of countless gods.
Yet, under the shadow of Jiang Yan and Morax's power, none dared to make a move.
When the century-long chaos in Tianqiu Valley finally ended, the balance of power across Liyue shifted into a new, delicate state.
To the south, in Guyun Stone Forest, Osial had united numerous sea gods into an alliance, standing in opposition to the northern forces of Guili.
In the west, the victorious god of Tianqiu Valley began rallying nearby deities, establishing dominance over the Minlin region—their territories now bordering Guili's lands, their intent unmistakable.
Southwest, in Lisha, the God of Dreams had perished, leaving Dunyu Ruins under Morax's control. The remaining gods occupied Lingju Pass and Qingxu Pool, forming a small coalition of their own.
And to the northwest, Chenyu Vale, though adjacent to Guili Plains, remained strangely quiet.
Guili Plains' might and prosperity had grown to the point where every god across Liyue watched it with a mix of envy and fear.
As for Jiang Yan—he had spent the century tirelessly hunting treasure chests.
After opening nearly a thousand common chests, his physique and elemental capacity had reached an entirely new level.
Among the twenty or so rare chests he'd found, one item in particular made him ecstatic:
Senzu Beans.
Yes—those Senzu Beans, straight from the world of Dragon Ball.
A single bean that could restore all health and stamina instantly!
Jiang Yan had managed to find over a dozen of them.
The discovery left him thrilled for days—
and from that day on, he carried them with the same reverence one might give divine relics.
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