This was the inheritance of culture.
With the successful completion of the first new-style house, the people of Liyue became even more motivated. In the days that followed, several new houses were completed every single day.
The old thatched huts were gradually torn down.
Large quantities of felled timber were not only used for construction but also burned into charcoal to help everyone endure the cold winter.
The collected stone was equally valuable. Besides being used for housing construction, it could be fashioned into various tools. More importantly, under Aether's guidance, the roads were widened, and stones were crushed into gravel to pave over what had once been muddy paths.
Two months later, not a single thatched hut remained in Liyue. All residences had been rebuilt according to Aether's reference design, becoming traditional-style houses—sturdier, more durable, and vastly more comfortable.
The roads throughout Liyue had all become gray-white gravel paths. No longer did anyone need to worry about the entire roadway turning into sludge whenever it rained.
If the old Liyue, despite having a population exceeding ten thousand, still looked like nothing more than a large village—
Then now, under Aether's guidance, it finally carried the appearance of a true township.
Yes. Liyue was thriving.
The entire region had undergone sweeping reform, shedding its old skin and emerging anew.
And yet, Morax and Aether themselves were still living in cold stone buildings.
What did Morax know about aesthetics?
Such a fine location had been completely wasted.
Since all of Liyue had been transformed, there was no way their own living quarters could lag behind. Thus, Aether immediately decided to carry out a grand renovation as well.
And right in front of Morax, he flattened the entire building to the ground.
...
Morax stared as a massive structure vanished before his eyes, falling into deep contemplation.
He wanted to ask—
Was this what you meant by "renovation"?
Wasn't this simply demolition and reconstruction?
"Don't worry. I'm a master architect of this generation. I'll definitely build you an even more beautiful palace!"
"Just leave it to me!"
Aether laughed as he patted Morax on the shoulder.
At this point, with the house already reduced to rubble, Morax could hardly say anything more. All he could do was place his trust in Aether.
Morax hovered in the air beside him, watching as Aether set about constructing a palace that would satisfy them both.
For the Demon God of Manifestation, building a new palace was hardly anything difficult at all.
The moment he decided to do it, Aether had already fully designed the palace in his mind.
It would be a purely traditional-style complex.
In this architectural style, the buildings themselves were never the true centerpiece—the real emphasis lay in courtyard layout. Aether had invested considerable thought into this, eventually shaping a design that felt both elegant and relaxing.
Mountains, water features, bridges, pavilions, bamboo—every classic element of traditional layout was incorporated.
If he actually understood geomancy, he might have even arranged everything according to yin-yang and the Five Elements.
But on second thought, he decided against it. Achieving simple harmony had already burned through plenty of brainpower.
Besides, they would eventually relocate to Guili Assembly anyway.
So—
Manifest.
A surge of white light swept across the site, outlining the structure as its form gradually solidified layer by layer.
Soon, a magnificent traditional-style complex stood before them.
As its creator, Aether naturally bestowed a name upon it.
He called it the Liyu Palace.
Aether then turned toward Morax.
"Well? From now on, this Liyu Palace will be our new home. Not bad, right?"
Morax had been admiring the palace all along, especially the courtyard. He was particularly fond of the pavilion.
He nodded. "Mm. A pleasing and elegant palace. Far better than the previous one."
"Haha, of course it is. Take a look at whose handiwork it is—I'm a master architect," Aether said proudly.
Ahem. In this era, calling himself a master architect wasn't exactly an exaggeration.
With the palace completed, Aether naturally led Morax on a full tour.
Before he knew it, Aether felt like a tour guide, explaining every corner in meticulous detail.
Morax, for his part, was remarkably cooperative. Whether something was truly excellent or not, he praised it first regardless.
He had already fully grasped Aether's temperament.
After the tour, Aether transformed into a streak of white light and flew toward Qingxu Pool.
The Sword Demon God's instruction was not yet finished.
According to Qingxu, Aether's Duankong Sword was simply too sharp. Many conventional sword techniques were completely unworthy of it.
As such, many of the techniques had been personally tailored by Qingxu specifically for the Duankong Sword before being taught to Aether.
In exchange, Aether provided Qingxu with an unlimited supply of fine liquor.
But deep down, Aether knew that Qingxu was no longer teaching him merely for the sake of alcohol.
He was sincerely hoping that Aether would master those techniques.
On a rare moment of leisure, Aether and Morax sat together in the newly built pavilion.
Ever since Aether once experimented with beverages on a whim and manifested tea leaves, Morax had effectively entered an "elderly phase" early in life.
After only a single sip, Morax had completely fallen in love with this drink called tea.
Aether had even specially manifested a tea set for him.
Now, the two sat in the pavilion—Morax drinking tea, Aether sipping Coca-Cola—each enjoying their own beverage in peaceful harmony.
At some point, a light rain began falling outside the pavilion.
Rain?
Wasn't it usually snow at this time?
Only then did Aether realize—this must be spring rain. Spring was approaching.
That meant he should begin preparations soon, guiding the people to plant wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Earlier, in order to gather building materials, large areas of land had already been cleared—perfect for cultivation.
Besides seeds, there was one more thing Aether needed to prepare.
The curved-blade plow.
With it, reclaiming farmland would be far more efficient than relying solely on hoes.
"What's wrong?" Morax asked when he noticed Aether spacing out.
Aether smiled. "It's spring rain outside. Once this passes, spring officially arrives. The planting I mentioned before should finally be put on the agenda."
"When autumn comes, Liyue's people won't have to worry about food for the entire year."
Planting?
Had the crops already been decided?
However, by common rationality, as the Demon God of Manifestation, Aether manifesting crops capable of sustaining humanity was perfectly reasonable.
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