"Alright, alright—let's save the catching up for later."
Morax's calm voice cut through the lively atmosphere.
He turned toward Jiang Yan, who had just returned, and asked,
"What's your take on Chi?"
"What else can I think?" Jiang Yan replied with a smirk. "He wants a fight—then let him have one! It's not like we're afraid of him."
Grabbing a Sunsettia from the table, he took a big bite—
and immediately grimaced.
"Ugh… so sour!"
Morax's lips twitched, but he said evenly,
"If you have confidence, that's enough."
Jiang Yan waved dismissively and walked toward the window,
casually tossing the half-eaten fruit outside.
"Actually, Morax… this time, you shouldn't go."
The words stunned everyone present.
Even Morax's golden eyes flickered in surprise.
"What do you mean by that?"
Not only he, but every Adeptus and Archon in the room turned to stare.
"A-Yan…"
Ganyu stepped forward anxiously, tugging lightly at his sleeve.
Jiang Yan smiled and shook his head.
"Come on, Morax—haven't you realized yet?"
His tone softened into helpless seriousness as he gestured at those gathered.
"You are Morax, the Geo Lord, the Rock King Emperor."
"You're the leader—the protector of the Guili Plains."
"And look at us—we're hardly lacking in Archon-level combat power."
"To be honest, I could lead the army alone and crush them without issue."
He paused, his expression turning cold.
"But Guili Plains is our heartland. Chi isn't the only threat nearby."
"There's the God of Dreams, the Vortex God, and dozens of other minor Archons scattered across the region."
"They're all watching. Every single one of them."
He looked each immortal in the eye.
"Don't you see what this battle means?"
The room fell silent. Even Morax's brows furrowed in thought.
"You mean…"
"Exactly." Jiang Yan nodded. His gaze drifted toward the window, where the light of the plains filtered in.
"This battle must end in absolute domination—
a victory so overwhelming that every watching Archon will tremble."
"Then why not all go together, to ensure that outcome?"
It wasn't Morax who asked this time, but his ever-wise ally Guizhong, who had already grasped Jiang Yan's intent.
"What he means," she said softly, "is that this war demands two things:
first, a decisive, one-sided victory over Chi;
and second, vigilance against any opportunists among the surrounding gods."
"Am I right, Jiang Yan?"
He nodded.
"Precisely. You all stay here and guard against any outside interference.
I'll handle Chi."
"After twenty years, he's bound to have made preparations—but so have I."
Then, with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, he said,
"This battle… leave it to me."
Morax studied him closely.
"Are you confident?"
Jiang Yan grinned.
"Solid as stone."
Just then, startled exclamations echoed from outside the council hall.
Jiang Yan glanced toward the sound and said,
"The Thousand Rock Army has arrived. Shall we take a look?"
Curiosity sparked among the adept.
Both Cloud Retainer and Guizhong had wondered for years what kind of force Jiang Yan had forged.
For five years, the army's consumption of food and steel had been astronomical—
a bottomless pit of resources that even the immortals found difficult to justify.
Yet the moment they laid eyes upon the assembled army,
every trace of doubt vanished.
Thud. Thud. Thud…
Outside the city walls of Guili, the ground trembled beneath the synchronized march of fifteen thousand soldiers.
Like a black-gold river, the Thousand Rock Army advanced in perfect formation.
Each man bore a long cross-spear, his face resolute beneath the sun.
Their dark armor gleamed with a muted golden sheen,
their aura sharp and restrained—
a tide of disciplined menace that made the watching townsfolk pale.
"W-wow… what a terrifying army…"
Whispers rippled through the crowd,
until one sharp-eyed villager gasped.
"Wait! Isn't that Erwa? Aunt Kang, that's your boy, isn't it?
He joined the Immortal Lord's army five years ago!"
The murmurs grew into excited chatter.
"I thought he looked familiar!"
"So this is the army the Immortal Lord trained? Amazing!"
"Look—there's my son! Doesn't he look dashing in that armor?"
The streets filled with cheers and proud laughter—
yet the soldiers did not move.
Even as they spotted family among the crowd,
not one man broke rank, not one uttered a word.
Their discipline was absolute.
Their spears rested upright by their sides,
their posture unshaken,
their silent presence radiating the raw might of a waking lion—
tinged faintly with the metallic scent of blood.
They had earned that aura through years of relentless combat training—
for the monsters of Mount Tianheng had been culled again and again
to temper the men's killing spirit.
"Incredible…" murmured Moon Carver, gazing in awe.
"In just five years, he's forged such a force? The potential of humankind truly defies imagination."
Beside him, Guizhong nodded slowly.
"Indeed. The resources required for even ten thousand men of this caliber would cripple most nations.
And yet—it is precisely because of that sacrifice
that the Thousand Rock Army has reached such heights."
Morax, too, nodded, eyes glinting with pride.
"A fine army indeed."
From the crowd came a joyful cry—
"Look! It's the Immortal Lord!"
"Lord Jiang Yan has returned!"
"Immortal Lord, is this truly the army you trained?!"
"Are you still recruiting? My son's ready to enlist!"
Laughter and reverence spread among the people.
And walking at the head of the gathered host,
with his silver hair and pointed ears gleaming in the sun,
Jiang Yan, the Wood Spirit Adeptus, smiled faintly.
Every soul in Guili knew him—
the gentle, ever-wandering immortal
who tended their fields and shared tea with their elders.
But today, as they looked upon him again,
they saw not a playful godling—
but a commander whose presence alone
could make the heavens quake.
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