After informing Ganyu that Morax would temporarily handle government affairs in his stead, Jiang Yan departed from Liyue Harbor and headed toward the Minlin.
But Jiang Yan wasn't in any rush.
After all, with Morax taking care of the paperwork for him, why not take the chance to relax and do a little exploring?
Now that he thought about it—he'd barely opened any of the treasure chests scattered across Minlin!
Even though Jiang Yan already possessed tremendous power—enough to dominate during the Archon War—that didn't mean he was capable of taking on Celestia itself.
The Sustainer of Heavenly Principles were beings cloaked in authority beyond comprehension. They weren't opponents even gods could easily defy.
So, after flying a short distance away from Liyue Harbor, Jiang Yan descended back to the ground.
He raised his hand and, with a thought, summoned Little White, who had been lounging comfortably somewhere back in the city.
The moment Little White appeared, the little creature looked around, utterly bewildered.
Speaking of Little White—this little guy had been living quite the life in Liyue Harbor lately, throwing his weight around thanks to Jiang Yan's status.
As the pet of a true Adeptus, and with his own adorable looks, Little White had become something of a public darling.
Whenever he trotted down the street, there would always be kindhearted citizens rushing up to offer him treats.
But just as he was preparing to enjoy his daily adoration—poof!—he vanished into thin air, only for his vision to blur and find himself sitting in Jiang Yan's palm.
"Hey! So you still remember your lord and master, huh, you bastard?!"
Little White huffed angrily.
"Haha, I've just been busy lately."
Jiang Yan laughed and playfully tossed him up and down in his hand.
"I'll say—you've been eating well, haven't you? You feel heavier than before."
"Shut up! You're not allowed to call me fat!"
Little White's fur puffed up in indignation.
"Oho~ so you admit it, huh? Getting defensive means I'm right."
Jiang Yan teased with a smirk.
"..."
Little White was so flustered he couldn't even come up with a comeback.
"Alright, enough of that. You could use some exercise anyway. Come on—let's go treasure hunting!"
Jiang Yan set Little White on his shoulders, grinning broadly.
"Mm. Let's go—there's one at four o'clock,"
Little White said, closing his eyes. As a Treasure-Eating Mink, sensing hidden valuables was second nature to him.
"Got it!"
With Little White navigating, Jiang Yan shot into the air like a fighter jet, soaring toward the indicated direction.
In that direction, a Hilichurl Warlord was overseeing his underlings' training.
A large, ornate chest sat proudly at the center of their encampment.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A barrage of golden fists rained down from the heavens. The ground trembled as a colossal Buddha statue materialized from the sky, slamming into the earth with a thunderous crash.
"Seriously? You need that move just to deal with Hilichurls?"
Little White sighed from Jiang Yan's shoulders.
"Heh, but it's fun, isn't it?"
Jiang Yan chuckled, leaping down from the giant statue.
"Little treasure chest~ your grandpa's here!"
He eagerly pried it open.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host — you've opened a Precious Chest. Rewards obtained: Dragon Ball World – Senzu Beans ×10!]
"Whoa!"
Jiang Yan's eyes lit up.
Senzu beans! Again!
Counting the nine he still had left, that made nineteen total!
Nineteen senzu beans… meant nineteen extra lives!
Grinning like a fool, Jiang Yan handed the empty chest to Little White.
Little White opened his tiny mouth, and the chest began to emit a soft glow. Light gathered toward his maw until, within a Mingbote, the chest had completely dissolved into motes of energy.
"Hmm… still not satisfying enough,"
Little White licked his lips, looking disappointed.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from. Minlin's loaded with treasure—you'll eat your fill."
Jiang Yan laughed, patting Little White's head.
After Little White pointed out the location of the next chest, Jiang Yan pressed his foot lightly against the ground and launched himself into the air, disappearing into the distance.
That day… became known as the darkest day in Minlin's history.
For on that day, a treasure-hunting ferret and a merciless god descended from the sky—
and the monsters of Minlin knew true despair.
A full month passed.
Jiang Yan had practically scoured every inch of Minlin.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten his real objective.
Hanging from his waist were five or six small mechanical spheres, each the size of a clenched fist — artifacts born from the condensed energy of slain gods.
"Quick! Northwest! There's something big there!"
Little White suddenly sat up, eyes glowing with excitement.
He tugged on Jiang Yan's hair furiously.
"Alright, alright! Give me ten Mingbotes to finish up here,"
Jiang Yan replied, focusing on gathering the lingering energy from the most recent fallen god.
Moments later, another glowing core was formed and added to his belt.
"North, you said?"
Jiang Yan looked in that direction.
Little White nodded gravely.
"This one's massive. The energy feels just like that treasure chest I was fighting over the day you caught me!"
Jiang Yan's eyes sparkled.
The same kind of chest from back then?
Could it be…
A Luxurious Chest?!
Holy crap—
Jackpot!
Without hesitation, Jiang Yan followed Little White's lead and shot toward the north.
His eyes scanned every inch of the terrain below, sharp as an eagle's, while Little White kept his own eyes closed, focusing on the faint pulse of treasure energy.
"There! That way!"
Little White suddenly pointed.
Jiang Yan banked midair, turning sharply in the direction indicated.
After flying for a few moments, Little White had him stop.
"It should be somewhere around here…"
He frowned. High-grade chests like this one were hard to pinpoint precisely.
Jiang Yan's gaze swept the area—
and then, his eyes lit up.
"Found it!"
There, half-buried in the undergrowth among the forested hills, the corner of a luxurious chest peeked out.
Damn, that was hidden well!
If he hadn't been paying close attention, he would've missed it entirely.
Grinning from ear to ear, Jiang Yan swooped down and began digging the buried treasure free.
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