Over the next month, Aether often went out to look for fierce beasts to fight. In addition to experimenting with manifesting and applying various elemental powers,
[World-Weary Novel Relay Station 1948324092]
He also tried tossing a five-megaton "small nuke" into a Geovishap's burrow, collapsing the entire tunnel in a single blast.
As for what happened inside—whether the Geovishap died or not—he had no idea.
But that wasn't important.
Aether also learned a new move.
"Myriad Swords Return to the Sect!"
Behind him, tens of thousands of razor-sharp longswords condensed into existence. Under Aether's control, they moved like a cold, merciless harvesting machine.
Within a five-kilometer radius… around Liyue's territory, living creatures were practically wiped out by him.
Afterward, Morax scolded him.
He said that if Aether killed off all the wildlife nearby, how were Liyue's people supposed to hunt and live in the future?
Uh…
Not a big problem.
Aether manifested a mountain of salt, then taught the people how to use salt to make cured jerky.
That way, all that meat could be preserved.
Ahem. In ancient times, wild creatures were extremely active.
He was sure it wouldn't take long for new beasts to move into the vacant region and fill the gap.
"Morax, where are you going?" Aether asked.
After spending over a month together, Aether and Morax had grown much closer.
At the moment, Aether was lounging in the pavilion, a wine glass in hand, gently swirling an '82 red wine inside.
He happened to spot Morax preparing to head out, so he asked casually.
"To visit the adepti in Jueyun Karst. Why?" Morax replied.
The adepti in Jueyun Karst?
At this point, Morax hadn't signed any contracts with them yet, but the two sides were in contact—more like the back-and-forth of friends.
"I'm going too, I'm going too!" Aether said immediately.
Morax frowned. "No. If both of us leave, who will protect the territory?"
"If another demon god or ferocious beast intrudes, how will the people respond?"
"But when you found me last time, didn't you also leave without anyone guarding the place and go straight out?" Aether protested.
Back then, was he supposed to have had a clone?
Morax fell silent.
This guy…
"Alright—like this. Now I can go, right?" Aether said.
Above the entirety of Liyue's territory, Aether used his Authority of Manifestation to maintain a pale-white barrier of light.
The barrier could withstand attacks at the demon-god level—though doing so mainly consumed Aether's own power.
At the same time, if the barrier was struck, Aether could judge the intensity of the attack and decide whether to return for assistance.
Morax looked at Aether.
Such a wide-area shield—if Morax wanted to set it up, he would need to rely on formations.
Was this the difference in authority?
Morax sighed and looked at Aether.
"Very well. Then let us go."
"Woohoo!"
Morax rose into the sky above Liyue. The moment the people saw their god appear, they set down what they were doing and gathered around.
"Zennos and I will be traveling to visit the adepti for a time."
"During this period, Zennos has set a barrier over Liyue that will protect the territory from external threats."
Morax gave a few brief instructions.
"Understood, Lord of Geo! Please go visit the adepti without worry—we'll be fine!"
"Thank you for your protection, Lord Zennos!"
In an instant, many mortals were moved to tears.
Whether it was the Lord of Geo or the Lord of Manifestation, both treated them with care.
They had heard that under other demon gods, some mortals even had to offer living sacrifices just to earn a god's attention.
They would remember this kindness from the Lord of Geo and the Lord of Manifestation for all their lives—and pass it down to the next generation.
With a sharp whoosh,
a streak of gold and a streak of white burst from the territory known as Liyue, one after the other, and flew toward Jueyun Karst.
Not long after, Aether and Morax arrived.
It really was… familiar.
Even after thousands of years, you could still recognize the shape and spirit of Jueyun Karst.
This place…
Was this the abode of that "eloquent" Adeptus?
Before anyone appeared, a voice rang out from within the cave.
"Who has come to this Adeptus's abode—oh, it's the Lord of Geo!"
"What? It's been so long since we last met, and now you finally remembered me again?"
"Perfect timing. My mechanisms have improved as of late—Lord of Geo, would you care to evaluate them?"
Then Aether saw it—
Cloud Retainer, already in human form, walked out from within her cave.
He had to admit: aside from being terrible at conversation, Cloud Retainer's figure and features were top-tier.
But then again, she'd never suffered the hardships of the mortal world—who would deliberately choose to transform into an ugly form?
"Oh? Lord of Geo, and who might this be at your side? Could you introduce him to me?"
Cloud Retainer looked toward Aether beside Morax.
"Certainly."
"He is my friend—Zennos, the Demon God of Manifestation," Morax introduced.
The Demon God of Manifestation?
Zennos?
To be able to travel with Morax as a friend, his strength surely couldn't be weak.
"Hi! Just call me Aether—this is the name I use while walking the world~"
Aether greeted her with a smile.
"Aether? I do not understand why a demon god would choose a name so mortal."
"I am the master of this abode. Simply call me Cloud Retainer."
Cloud Retainer smiled back.
Why would a demon god give himself a mortal name?
I mean… have you considered that Aether might be my real name?!
"Oh, right. Recently, this Adeptus has used the arts of mechanisms to create a few crude works. Would the Lord of Geo care to appraise them?"
"Certainly," Morax replied.
The reason the two of them knew each other in the first place was because, on that day, Morax had trespassed into Cloud Retainer's territory.
Seeing an existence that was clearly a demon god, Cloud Retainer naturally didn't dare act rashly.
Fortunately, Morax was fairly amicable.
They talked and talked, and eventually the conversation turned toward mechanisms. Through their exchange on the art, the two gradually became familiar.
"Mechanisms? Can I see them too?" Aether asked.
"Hm? Does the Demon God of Manifestation also understand the arts of mechanisms? Wonderful—then the three of us must exchange pointers properly," Cloud Retainer said with a smile.
The corner of Morax's mouth lifted slightly.
By now, he basically knew Aether's background inside and out. Whether Aether knew mechanisms or not—did Morax really need to guess?
Uh…
Aether scratched his head. "I… don't know anything about mechanisms. Not a thing."
"I see?"
"However, mechanisms are not truly difficult. Many find them hard only because they lack the resolve to study."
"If the Demon God of Manifestation wishes to try, then for the Lord of Geo's sake, I may teach you."
Cloud Retainer smiled at Aether.
Morax cut in, "Zennos likely does not need mechanisms. The power he wields is far simpler than mechanisms."
"What? Lord of Geo, do you mean the Demon God of Manifestation can accomplish what mechanisms do without learning mechanisms at all?"
Cloud Retainer looked at Aether in shock.
Heh~
For Aether, using the Authority of Manifestation to reach the same end result was still reaching the end result.
So mechanisms really were… optional for him.
"My authority is called Manifestation—the ability to manifest imagined things into reality."
"So… do you understand now?"
"Heh~"
Aether smiled at Cloud Retainer.
Cloud Retainer fell into deep thought…
As expected of a demon god—this authority was downright unfair!
But it didn't discourage her.
For Cloud Retainer, she immersed herself in mechanisms because of the joy she felt while researching them.
If she simply obtained the result directly, without the process…
wouldn't the joy disappear along with it?
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