Time quickly moved into the afternoon as Jiang Yan brought Ganyu to Mt. Aocang.
The reason for coming here was simple: Morax had sought out Jiang Yan and told him that Guizhong, Cloud Retainer, and the other adepti were all waiting for them at Mt. Aocang.
Originally, Jiang Yan had planned to take Ganyu out for some leisure and fun.
After all, he had specifically requested leave for her—his whole intention was to spend time traveling and relaxing together.
Unfortunately, he had nearly forgotten about Cloud Retainer and Guizhong.
At the foot of Mt. Aocang, ever since gaining Twin Stars—no, to be precise, Vector Manipulation—Jiang Yan had grown increasingly lazy.
If he could fly, he absolutely would not walk.
Especially after obtaining the Rooster Talisman.
With a single thought, he could float into the air.
Climbing mountains was naturally no exception.
So Jiang Yan took Ganyu's hand, and as the Rooster Talisman lit up, the two of them rose into the air together.
Ganyu curiously observed herself floating.
Although her true qilin form allowed her short bursts of flight, flying in human form was a first.
Then Jiang Yan used telekinesis to carry Ganyu with him as they flew toward the summit of Mt. Aocang.
At the peak of Mt. Aocang.
Guizhong was still locked in a heated discussion with Cloud Retainer about mechanisms and engineering.
The two were arguing intensely over whether airships should be equipped with ship-mounted Guizhong Ballistae, similar to naval warships.
"Ship-mounted Guizhong Ballistae are too heavy. Equipping them will only slow the airships down!"
In Cloud Retainer's view, as an aerial combat unit, an airship's mobility had to come first.
"Even if the speed is reduced, the airship's overall combat power would increase significantly!"
Guizhong showed no intention of backing down. Her concern was how to enhance the airship's combat effectiveness.
"You two, stop arguing already… You're giving me a headache…"
Streetward Rambler rubbed her temples, looking helplessly at the two who refused to yield.
"Hmph! If it comes to it, we'll ask the Geo Archon and see whose proposal is better."
Cloud Retainer snorted coldly, convinced her idea was sound.
"I have a better candidate," Guizhong said, folding her arms. "Isn't Jiang Yan back? Since the airship blueprints came from him, let him be the judge."
"Eh? Who's calling me?"
A clear voice rang out from the sky.
Jiang Yan descended from above with Ganyu at his side.
Well now—speak of the devil.
They had just suggested calling Jiang Yan, and here he was.
Streetward Rambler cast a sympathetic glance at him.
Guizhong and Cloud Retainer both turned their attention toward Jiang Yan.
"Yo! Sister Cloud Retainer, Sister Guizhong, Sister Ping."
"Long time no see!"
"Did you miss me?"
Jiang Yan grinned and casually took a seat.
"Heh heh, we've missed you terribly. Though some people, it seems, didn't miss us at all…"
Cloud Retainer huffed in mock annoyance, her gaze darting back and forth between Jiang Yan and Ganyu.
"Cough, cough… misunderstanding, Sister Cloud Retainer. I missed you all very much."
Seeing Ganyu's face growing redder by the second under that scrutiny, Jiang Yan coughed lightly and spoke awkwardly.
Streetward Rambler and Guizhong both smiled knowingly, teasing them with their expressions.
Jiang Yan's skin was thick enough to ignore such looks entirely.
But Ganyu was already so embarrassed she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Patting Ganyu gently on the head, Jiang Yan changed the subject.
"I heard you arguing just now. What's going on?"
As soon as he asked, Guizhong's eyes lit up. She stepped forward and pulled out two blueprints.
"Here! Take a look at these two proposals."
"Since you're here, you can judge which one's more suitable."
Jiang Yan looked at the blueprints with interest.
Cloud Retainer's plan was detailed and thorough: it treated the airship as a highly mobile aerial unit, emphasizing speed and reconnaissance.
No ship-mounted Guizhong Ballistae, no Guizhong Energy Cannons—purely light and agile.
Jiang Yan frowned slightly.
This didn't match his vision of an air force at all.
Then there was Guizhong's proposal.
In contrast to Cloud Retainer's focus on agility and speed, Guizhong believed that firepower decided everything.
Speed? Mobility?
In the face of overwhelming firepower, they were nothing but trash!
Each airship would be standard-equipped with twenty ship-mounted Guizhong Ballistae—ten beneath the hull for ground bombardment, and ten on the deck.
Additionally, two Guizhong Energy Cannons would be mounted: one for direct fire, the other for ground suppression.
The entire airship was armed to the teeth.
It was practically a flying fortress!
The downside, of course, was obvious: with so much weaponry, the airship's movement speed would be painfully slow.
In short, Jiang Yan wasn't satisfied with either proposal.
After carefully reviewing both plans, he set them down on the table. Looking at the expectant faces of the three adepti, Jiang Yan let out a soft sigh.
"I'm not satisfied with either of these."
The moment he said that, Guizhong, Cloud Retainer, and even Streetward Rambler froze.
"First, you don't understand why I want to establish an air force."
Jiang Yan spoke calmly, clearly intending to explain his vision in detail.
"An air force refers to units capable of aerial combat."
"Against ground forces—unless they possess long-range firepower—like the other six nations that can only fight on land with blades and firearms, the air force must maintain absolute dominance."
"That's the first point. But Cloud Retainer's plan can't achieve this."
"Because your proposal doesn't carry any offensive firepower—it only prioritizes lightness."
"Second is aerial combat itself."
"Never underestimate the pace of development in other nations."
What Jiang Yan was referring to wasn't the current Six Nations—
But the kingdom of a thousand years later.
Khaenri'ah.
And the Abyss.
"Air combat isn't just about having overwhelming firepower."
"If an aircraft is too bulky, then in the open skies—where there's nowhere to hide—it becomes nothing more than a living target."
"So what I want is this:"
"An airship that possesses both mobility and sufficient firepower to dominate the skies!"
Jiang Yan's words plunged Guizhong and Cloud Retainer into deep contemplation.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard