The magnificent treasure chest was gone.
In its place, a sword about one meter long stood quietly embedded in the stone—its hilt a deep, radiant blue.
"…This is…"
Jiang Yan's eyes widened sharply.
Wait—why did it look so familiar?!
[This weapon was chosen by your heart demon as your reward from the Luxurious Chest.]
[From the Fate series: Noble Phantasm—Excalibur, the Sword of Promised Victory.]
[Claim it, host.]
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
Jiang Yan's jaw dropped.
"…Ca—Curry Stick?!"
The dumbfounding realization hit him like lightning.
The Dumb King's holy sword—Excalibur?!
He trembled as his mind flashed with images from anime—the blinding golden light, the triumphant cry that shook the heavens.
With trembling fingers, Jiang Yan reached out and grasped the hilt.
The moment his hand touched it, the Heart Demon Stone shattered beneath it—exploding into gray dust that scattered into the wind.
The blade trembled, resonating as if joyfully welcoming its new master.
Jiang Yan's eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement.
"System, how do I use it?"
[When you have gathered sufficient Faith Energy, recite its True Name—Excalibur!]
[That will trigger its Noble Phantasm Release.]
"Faith energy?"
Jiang Yan scratched his head. "Do I have any right now?"
[You do, host. The people of Guili Plains worship Morax—but as one who bears the title of Immortal Lord, their faith also flows to you.]
[However, Guili Plains alone does not provide enough faith to fully unlock the Noble Phantasm Release.]
"I see!"
Jiang Yan nodded in understanding.
Even if he couldn't unleash it yet, that would soon change.
After all, Morax's territory no longer consisted of just Guili Plains.
Having defeated two rival gods, their forces now stretched—
south to Mount Tianheng,
north to Guili Plains,
west to Dunyu Vale,
and east to theDomain of Salt.
He already controlled half of Liyue.
Once the remaining demons and lesser gods were purged, and Morax's rule firmly established, the faith of all those people would flow into him.
By then, unlocking Excalibur would be a simple matter.
"The treasure's been claimed… time to head back!"
Jiang Yan stood, and the Sword of Promised Victory dissolved into golden starlight, merging into his body.
The system had told him—whenever he wished to summon it, a single thought would be enough.
In Guili Plains, Jiang Yan sat to the side, watching Ganyu as she bent over her desk, carefully editing his notes.
"I really think it's already perfect..." he muttered helplessly.
The stack of papers he'd given her was a patchwork of ideas from his fragmented memories—governance principles cobbled together from various systems he remembered.
"The ideas are sound," Ganyu said gently, furrowing her brows, "but some of them are... too far ahead of their time."
She pointed at one line with her quill.
"For example, this one—'People-Oriented Governance under the Rule of Law.' It's excellent in theory, but right now, it's too advanced. In an era when gods are at war and the land is ravaged, such a system simply can't be enforced."
"Then we'll keep it on file," Jiang Yan replied, plucking out that page and setting it aside. "When peace comes, we'll use it then."
"For now," he continued, "let's go with the Tuntian System you mentioned. It's the most practical option."
"Guili Plains doesn't have many survivors, and most of the fields are barren. Having the Thousand Rock Army farm in their spare time is a good start."
"When the population grows, they can return to full military duties."
Ganyu nodded, writing notes as she spoke.
Indeed—the Tuntian System had its flaws, but in wartime, it was an effective way to restore food production quickly.
Once peace and prosperity returned, reforms could come later.
"Next…" she murmured, flipping through the pages as the two of them discussed the remaining policies in detail.
By the end, they had finalized Guili Plains's new administrative framework:
First, the Tuntian System would be officially implemented, with Ganyu overseeing logistics and resource management.
Second, nearby monster nests would be eradicated by the Thousand Rock Army.
Even if they had to farm, soldiers were still soldiers—combat training and discipline would never be neglected.
Finally, and most difficult of all—the surrounding demon god tribes.
According to Ganyu's count, there were ten minor demon tribes near Qingce alone.
Fortunately, they were weak. None could rival even the two minor gods Jiang Yan had already defeated.
With him present, they wouldn't dare invade Guili Plains.
But Jiang Yan had no intention of merely defending.
If they wouldn't attack—he would hunt them down.
It looked like he'd be very busy in the days ahead.
Rising from his chair, Jiang Yan stretched, his eyes softening as he looked at the girl still bent over her work.
"My little Ganyu's really been working hard~"
"You—what are you doing?"
"Relax~" Jiang Yan said, grinning as he stepped behind her. "Just giving you a shoulder massage~"
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