Liyue Harbor.
Over the past few days, the events in Liyue Harbor had been more intense than anything seen in centuries.
Everyone had been eagerly awaiting the Rite of Descension, thinking that this year, the Geo Archon would once again offer some wise commercial guidance.
Many people had their eyes on new resources, alchemy potions, and other opportunities.
But before Morax could say anything at all… disaster struck.
A sudden triple calamity struck him down, leaving him gravely wounded.
The people of Liyue were thrown into panic, barely able to react before a sealed demon god broke free.
Even the most steadfast individuals, when faced with such chaos, thought the end had come for Liyue.
But then—things took a sharp turn.
Liyue Harbor revealed its hidden trump cards.
One after another…
First, the three elite Qianyan Army divisions held the frontlines, stopping the sea beasts in their tracks.
Then, when the signal beacon was activated, every citizen of Liyue fought like they were gods themselves.
Next, the navy deployed—a swarm of dragons, each with strength rivaling that of the adepti, soared into battle. Over twenty dragons tore apart Beisht in under a minute.
And finally, the Jade Chamber unleashed a full saturation bombardment on Osial, blasting him into submission until he could neither rise nor resist.
In the end, Osial was locked away—roasted alive by magma.
No one had seen it coming.
Not a single casualty in Liyue, and the entire demonic invasion was crushed like a joke, like a group of children toying with a helpless rat. Osial—a god—was played to death.
All without summoning the adepti.
All without Morax lifting a finger.
Just with human strength alone, Liyue had fended off a demon god's assault.
To be honest, many in Liyue felt even calling it "playing Osial to death" was putting it lightly.
To put it bluntly—it was a massacre.
Between the TNT bombardment and the brutal beatdown, Osial was utterly humiliated and literally boiled to death in lava.
Not even divine punishment would've been so cruel.
If a saint were watching, they might have wept in pity for poor Osial.
But the people of Liyue?
They felt nothing but satisfaction.
After all that chaos, the only real damage was to the harbor itself.
And as for who exactly destroyed the harbor...
Well, Liyue's citizens just exchanged awkward, knowing smiles.
Because honestly, most of the destruction was self-inflicted.
People had gotten too caught up in the fight, drunk on power, and tore up their own city.
Even worse, when they couldn't find enough monsters to fight, mobs of people stormed past the Qianyan Army's blockade, forcing them to lure the remaining sea beasts onto the harbor—just so more Liyue citizens could get in on the action.
Ridiculous, right?
Yesterday, it wasn't just a couple hundred people doing this.
It was thousands.
Some good swimmers even dove directly into the sea to tangle with the sea beasts by hand.
In the end, the Ministry of Civil Affairs didn't even bother trying to fine anyone.
Strictly speaking, it counted as emergency self-defense.
…Even if it looked more like a horde of Liyue thugs abusing helpless aquatic creatures.
Today, Liyue Harbor was peaceful—yet filled with a festive, celebratory atmosphere.
Few people stayed home. Everyone wandered the streets and alleys, aimless but cheerful.
The elderly, the children—everyone was out and about.
Most common greetings?
"Had lunch yet?"
"Hey, how'd you know I killed over a dozen sea beasts yesterday?"
"???"
"Eh! It's nothing worth mentioning! Just a dozen sea beasts and a few Fatui skirmishers—no real threat at all!"
Conversations like this were happening everywhere.
Those who had managed to squeeze into the frontlines yesterday and received the beacon's blessing now walked around with puffed chests and proud smiles.
After all, that might've been the most glorious moment of their entire lives.
It wouldn't be surprising if they gave themselves a whole new page in the family genealogy.
Those who hadn't participated could only look on enviously as the others boasted, silently praying for Ningguang to activate the beacon again next time.
As for the fact that activating the beacon meant a full-scale war across all of Liyue...
Who cared about that?
As Liyue locals proudly put it:
"We played a Demon God to death! What else could possibly threaten us?!"
Sure, that level of confidence might've been a little over-the-top, but Ningguang needed that confidence to continue building.
At least until governance by humans fully settled into place, that unshakable belief had to persist.
Meanwhile, Liyue's storytellers were making a fortune today.
If you could spin even a few lines about yesterday's battle, guests would flood your stall like a tidal wave.
Especially those storytellers who had actually fought yesterday—like Liu Su and Tian Tiezui.
They were even charging for standing-room-only audiences.
Because they hadn't just heard about the battle—they lived it.
That level of firsthand experience? Unmatched.
Security in Liyue Harbor had also improved dramatically.
No foreign faction dared to stir up trouble anymore.
After all, who knew whether a bunch of terrifying brutes capable of demolishing a house with one hand might jump out at any moment?
And if that happened, no one should expect their home nation to come bail them out.
The Fatui in particular were keeping a very low profile.
Not a single one dared leave their quarters. It was like they were all in self-imposed isolation, reflecting deeply on their mistakes.
Now that Liyue's strength had been fully revealed, no one with half a brain would try anything reckless.
Liyue's alchemy potions had become a red-hot commodity.
Just in the morning alone, over a thousand people had rushed to the Ministry of Civil Affairs asking whether large-scale sales would be possible.
Even ordinary citizens were showing up, hoping to buy some.
As for their reason?
A unified explanation:
"Family heirloom."
It seemed yesterday's overwhelming display of power had left them nostalgic.
If they were lucky enough to get one of those potions, they were ready to pass it down for generations.
Still, healing potions were allowed to be purchased—for 100,000 Mora, as long as the request seemed reasonable.
But potions that boosted strength or power were strictly off-limits.
What if someone used them to cause massive destruction?
However, as per Ningguang's instructions, the Ministry also announced that the next batch of potion sales would increase the quantity to 1,000 units per type, while keeping prices the same.
That news alone was enough to excite the entire city.
And naturally, the sale of raw materials was ramped up as well.
To outsiders, it looked like Liyue was simply entering a huge economic boom.
But those close to Ningguang knew the truth:
"After flexing your muscles, it's time to offer incentives."
Those materials would be sold at reduced prices.
The goal was to use profit to bind other major powers to Liyue's ship—so tightly that they'd never be able to leave.
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