[Transcendent Chat Group]
Barbara:
Maybe those gods simply didn't know how strong the Geo Archon was, and thought Liyue would be easy prey?
Jean:
Terrain likely played a role as well. Mondstadt back then wasn't nearly as pleasant as it is now—it was buried under ice and snow.
Keqing:
Exactly. Liyue borders the sea to the east, allowing passage to Inazuma. To the north lies Mondstadt; to the west, Sumeru; and through Chenyu Vale in the northwest, Fontaine. The region is extremely accessible.
Ganyu:
And there are countless mountain ranges, which naturally give rise to different factions.
Cloud Retainer:
Indeed. When Ganyu was young, she often accidentally rolled down mountains.
Ganyu:
…
Kamisato Ayaka:
That makes sense. Inazuma is isolated overseas, far from the mainland—so naturally, there were fewer gods.
Yoimiya:
Yeah, even Orobashi fled there from Liyue.
Nilou:
Sumeru's rainforest is fine, but the desert…
Furina:
Fontaine is basically all water. Not exactly appealing for most gods, I'd imagine.
Tartaglia:
Natlan has volcanoes everywhere, and Snezhnaya is frozen solid.
Alice:
Alright, let me summarize!
Alice:
Two thousand years ago, during the Archon War, the nations of Teyvat looked like this—
Alice:
A frozen Mondstadt, an isolated Inazuma bordering the Dark Sea, Sumeru's mix of desert and rainforest, water-covered Fontaine, volcano-ridden Natlan, icebound Snezhnaya…
Alice:
And then—Liyue.
Alice:
Convenient transportation. Mild climate. Fertile land.
Alice:
If you were a god preparing to compete in the Archon War—where would you choose?
Alice:
Most would pick Liyue, wouldn't they?
Seeing this, everyone silently nodded.
It made perfect sense.
Any god confident enough to join the Archon War would naturally aim for the best territory.
And back then, Liyue was unquestionably superior to most other regions.
The only thing those gods hadn't anticipated—
Was that Morax already stood there.
In the end, their only contribution was helping him earn the title—
God of War.
The Villa
Luo Chen glanced at the highlighted comments and nodded slightly.
That was exactly it.
Liyue's geography, climate, and connectivity far surpassed most other regions.
Only post-Archon-War Mondstadt could compare—and even then, its transportation still fell short.
Liyue was the obvious prize.
Had Morax not been powerful enough to suppress all challengers—
Liyue's fate might have been very different.
After a moment's reflection, Luo Chen continued.
"By now, everyone should have a clear understanding of Morax as a God of War."
"Next, we move on to the second serious evaluation—"
"Tragedy."
"Yes. Tragedy again."
"We mentioned this when discussing Navia."
"But gods carry even more of it."
"They live longer. They witness more."
"And so—
their tragedies run deeper."
"Let's begin with Morax's losses."
The Dust God & the Stove God
"The first are Guizhong, the God of Dust,
and Marchosius, the Stove God."
"They were Morax's closest allies."
"In many ways, they were a strategic alliance."
"Guizhong was a gentle god."
"She excelled in mechanical arts—
the Guizhong Ballista still standing today is Cloud Retainer's improved version of her design."
"She loved music."
"Often exchanging ideas with Streetward Rambler—
Ah Ping… now known as Granny Ping."
"She was wise."
"But she lacked overwhelming strength."
"In the end, Guizhong died protecting her people."
"Morax, Cloud Retainer, and Ah Ping lost a dear friend."
"After witnessing Guizhong's death, Ah Ping grew weary—both in body and spirit."
"When the Archon War ended, she left the adepti and disappeared into Liyue Harbor's crowds."
"Morax relocated Guizhong's people south of Mt. Tianheng."
"And the once-prosperous Guili Plains faded into ruin."
As Luo Chen spoke, Guizhong's image appeared on the screen.
She really was fascinating.
Gentle like Greater Lord Rukkhadevata,
yet lively in her own way.
A pity she didn't live longer.
As for romantic ties—
If Mihoyo wanted it canon, they would've made it explicit.
Like King Deshret and the Goddess of Flowers.
So Guizhong, Marchosius, and Morax were likely comrades—
One handled wisdom and logistics,
one governed hearth and livelihood,
one fought the wars.
Together, they protected their people.
Liyue — Somewhere Quiet
Yao Yao looked up curiously.
"Granny Ping… did you really discuss music with Guizhong a lot?"
"Yes," Granny Ping said warmly.
"It feels like yesterday."
She gazed at Guizhong's image, eyes filled with nostalgia.
It's been so long…
Yao Yao suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Granny Ping! With the light screen, Guizhong will definitely come back someday!"
"I want to hear you play music together."
"Not as Granny Ping—
but as Ah Ping!"
Granny Ping froze.
Then smiled, gently patting Yao Yao's head.
"Alright."
"If that day truly comes…"
The Stove God
"Next—Marchosius, the Stove God."
"During the Archon War, he often manifested avatars in mortal homes—
bringing cooked food and teaching cooking techniques."
"His ending was similar to Andrius of Mondstadt."
"To heal the land devastated by the Archon War,
he poured his divine power into Liyue's soil."
"His wisdom faded."
"His body shrank to less than human height."
"And he entered a deep slumber within Liyue's hidden mountains."
"Morax lost another friend."
"But unlike Guizhong—
Marchosius survived."
"And later, after meeting a young girl named Xiangling,
he found a carefree, joyful life."
"With a new name—"
"Guoba."
Guoba's image appeared.
Liyue Reacts
Liyue… exploded.
The Stove God—alive?
And living as Guoba?!
Iron Tongue Tian:
The Stove God… Guoba?! (shocked.jpg)
Ying'er:
Guoba served me food once… I'm so honored!
Uncle Tian:
Since the Stove God lives peacefully now, no one is to disturb him.
Wanmin Restaurant
Chef Mao was ecstatic.
His daughter was a culinary genius.
The Geo Archon dined here.
And now—
The Stove God lived with them.
Life complete.
Xiangling stared at Guoba, stunned.
"Guoba… is a god…?"
Guoba blinked.
"Lulu~"
Chef Mao laughed.
"Hu Tao has the Geo Archon at her place."
"So why can't we have the Stove God?"
Xiangling paused.
…True.
Knowing that helped.
But still—
Letting a god stoke fires and carry dishes felt strange.
She really was too kind.
The Villa
Luo Chen continued.
"Next is Morax's companion—Azhdaha."
"Driven mad by erosion, he was ultimately sealed by Morax himself."
"We'll cover him in detail later."
"Now—his subordinates."
The Sacrifice of an Adeptus
"One adeptus—Moon Carver's peer, the Illuminated Beast who guided heaven."
"During the Archon War, an enemy's strike nearly collapsed Mt. Tianheng."
"Rocks tumbled. Civilians were in danger."
"He severed his own antlers—
a gift from Morax—and placed them beneath the mountain."
"They held."
"Wounded, he returned to battle—
and died from exhaustion."
"Morax lost another subordinate."
Mt. Aocang
Cloud Retainer sighed.
So many memories resurfaced.
Shenhe watched anxiously.
"I'm fine," Cloud Retainer said gently.
"Just remembering old friends."
Shenhe finally relaxed.
Yet Cloud Retainer sighed inwardly.
This child… carries tragedy too.
The Yakshas
"Morax commanded many Yakshas."
"The most famous five—"
"Bosacius, Electro Yaksha."
"Xiao, Anemo Yaksha."
"Menogias, Geo Yaksha."
"Bonanus, Hydro Yaksha."
"Indarias, Pyro Yaksha."
"They served as vanguards."
"After the war, they continued purging karmic remnants."
"And paid the price."
"Bonanus killed Menogias—then died herself."
"Indarias fell to madness."
"Bosacius lost his memories and wandered away."
"Xiao nearly succumbed as well—"
"But at the final moment…"
"A flute pulled him back."
Luo Chen smiled.
"Looks like someone finally did something right."
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