To grow closer to Ganyu, Jiang Yan would always drag her along whenever he went treasure hunting.
At first, Ganyu shyly refused.
But after enough coaxing and persistence, she finally agreed.
It was during one such outing that Jiang Yan once again witnessed a legendary scene.
He saw, with his own eyes, how Ganyu rolled down a mountainside like a fluffy blue dumpling—
and directly into the yawning mouth of a dozing Archon below.
The poor Archon's face turned red, then purple, then a ghastly white.
Ganyu, with her soft and round body, had literally choked a god to death.
The incident mortified her so much that upon returning, she swore she'd start dieting immediately.
Morax regarded the elegant young woman before him now and nodded approvingly.
Yes, though the post-diet Ganyu no longer had her former round, cheerful look,
she exuded a graceful charm of her own—
rather like a daughter who'd grown up beautifully under his care.
"Don't panic. Speak slowly," Morax said calmly.
"Urgent report from the Thousand Rock Guard scouts—Lord Chi's army is marching south from Guili Plains!"
Ganyu's anxious voice trembled slightly as she spoke.
Morax's hand paused midair.
"I understand. Summon the adept."
He rose to his feet, voice low but commanding.
"Yes, my lord!"
As Ganyu turned to leave, Morax added,
"After you've notified the others, go find Jiang Yan. He's been training the Thousand Rock Army on Mount Tianheng long enough—
it's time they had their moment to shine."
A sharp glint flashed in Morax's eyes.
Ever since his alliance with Guizhong, Chi had been stirring constantly in the shadows—
and lately, he'd begun amassing hordes of monsters, his intentions clear as day.
That was, in truth, one of the reasons Morax had agreed to Jiang Yan's proposal to form a human army.
"And besides," he said with a faint smile, "you two haven't seen each other in ages.
That boy hasn't even come home once since he went off to train the troops, has he?"
His teasing words instantly flushed Ganyu's cheeks a bright pink.
"I–I'm going to inform Master and the others now!"
She fled in a flurry of embarrassment, her hooves clicking against the stone floor.
Morax chuckled softly and sighed, his thoughts briefly drifting to a certain gentle figure.
Indeed, Jiang Yan and Ganyu's bond had grown before the eyes of Morax and all the adept.
Cloud Retainer, as their master, never missed an opportunity to pinch Jiang Yan's cheeks and tease him mercilessly for it.
The news that Chi's army was marching south toward Guili Plains spread through Liyue like wildfire.
Countless Archons turned their gaze toward the region—
some observing, others scheming, all sharpening their blades.
This battle would span two great territories.
Whichever side prevailed could very well decide the fate of Liyue's balance of power.
For most Archons, the ideal outcome was simple—
both sides perish,
leaving behind spoils ripe for the taking.
Mount Tianheng.
A silver-haired youth sat cross-legged at its summit, eyes closed, utterly still.
Around him stood countless stone statues frozen in the same meditative pose—
a hauntingly surreal sight.
Suddenly, a tremendous surge of energy erupted from the youth's body.
Red and blue markings appeared around his eyes, extending all the way to his ears.
Moments later, the energy stabilized, though the markings remained.
Exhaling a long, steady breath, Jiang Yan opened his eyes and smiled.
Five years…
Five whole years!
At last, he had mastered Sage Mode.
The so-called Sage Mode was something Jiang Yan had obtained from one of his "treasure chest openings" over the past two decades.
However, the system hadn't granted him instant mastery—
it had merely provided the method to cultivate the same Sage Mode used by Hashirama Senju.
As compensation, once he achieved full mastery, his body would evolve into a Perfect Sage Physique—
capable of drawing in natural energy on its own, allowing him to enter Sage Mode seamlessly and without delay.
For five years, Jiang Yan had done nothing but train his troops and cultivate atop Mount Tianheng.
And now—he had finally succeeded.
He could at last unleash the power he had longed for—
his Buddha's Top Transformation.
"A-Yan!"
A familiar, melodious voice rang out behind him.
Jiang Yan dispelled the visible traces of Sage Mode and turned, smiling.
"Ganyu? What brings you here?"
As she approached, he gently pulled a handkerchief from his robes and wiped the sweat from her brow with quiet tenderness.
"What's the matter? Take your time."
Ganyu's cheeks turned rosy at his intimate gesture,
but she quickly remembered why she had come.
"The northern Chi has led his army south. Lord Morax has summoned all the adept.
He ordered you to gather the Thousand Rock Army—he said it's time they showed their strength!"
Jiang Yan nodded, face calm as still water.
"Just Chi, huh? That's nothing to worry about."
Then his lips curved into a small grin.
"But before that…"
He slid an arm around Ganyu's slender waist and drew her close, resting his head gently against her azure hair.
"It's been five years, hasn't it…?"
"Did you miss me?"
Ganyu's face turned scarlet. She squirmed lightly but couldn't break free from his embrace.
"I… I did…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Hmm? What was that? I didn't hear you," Jiang Yan teased, laughing.
That earned him a flurry of light punches from her small fists.
"Hahaha—alright, alright! I'm going!"
"Don't run!"
Their laughter echoed through the peaks of Mount Tianheng,
carried far by the mountain winds like the gentle chime of bells.
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