"So, Andrius just sent these humans here?"
Morax frowned. For a mighty Archon of his level, that seemed… beneath him.
At that moment, Jiang Yan spoke up.
"Your Excellency."
Since there were outsiders present, Jiang Yan's tone toward Morax was far more formal than usual.
"What is it?" Morax turned his gaze toward him.
"You should return first. There's something I need to handle here."
Jiang Yan flexed his arms and shoulders, his knuckles cracking audibly.
He was still brimming with anger—and hadn't yet found a way to vent it.
Seeing that expression, Morax instantly knew what was on Jiang Yan's mind.
"You're sure? You don't need me to accompany you?"
Morax still felt a twinge of concern.
"Relax. You know my strength better than anyone."
Jiang Yan flashed him a confident grin.
Morax gave a helpless chuckle. "Then be careful. I'll return to Liyue first."
With that, two colossal stone hands formed beneath him, lifting his body and carrying him away.
Watching the Geo Archon disappear into the distance, Jiang Yan turned toward the Liyue Millelith soldiers and the group of refugees.
"Liu Xian, come here."
He called out to the Liyue Millelith captain, gesturing him forward.
"Lord Adeptus!"
Liu Xian stepped up, saluting respectfully.
"No need for formality. Take a few of your men and see that these refugees are settled properly."
Jiang Yan instructed, then addressed the weary crowd:
"Go with them. They'll make sure you're taken care of."
"Yes, sir! We'll carry out your orders!"
Liu Xian thumped his spear against the ground, standing straight as an arrow.
Jiang Yan nodded, then stamped his foot against the ground.
With a sharp crack, his figure blurred, shooting off like a streak of light toward the Mondstadt.
Mondstadt – The Cider Lake Highlands.
Amidst a blizzard of biting wind and snow, a massive snow-white wolf led its pack forward through the storm.
Under Andrius's protection, none of the wolves felt the sting of the cold.
"Wow, Mond's environment really has gone to hell."
"No wonder that lazy bard, Barbatos, always tries to blow the snow away."
Jiang Yan muttered to himself.
As he flew, the howling wind curved around him unnaturally—unable to touch him.
"Let's see…" His eyes flashed.
"Found you."
After a few moments of flight, Jiang Yan spotted his target.
"Heh. Finally."
He raised his right hand.
Winds gathered, swirling wildly around his palm.
A fiery glow burst forth from his hand, growing brighter, hotter, larger.
Andrius instantly sensed the shift in the air.
A heavy sense of danger pressed down upon him.
He raised his head—
Up above, Jiang Yan hovered in the sky, his palm glowing like a miniature sun.
"Lord of the Wood Spirits! Do you intend to fight me?" Andrius's voice echoed across the frozen plains.
"Don't take it so personally."
Jiang Yan's tone was calm.
"I've got no interest in this frozen wasteland of yours."
He lowered his hand slightly, eyes narrowing.
"But…"
"I am pissed off about the little stunt you pulled—trying to intimidate my subordinates."
His words turned to ice.
Then, with a flick of his wrist—
the blazing fireball shot downward like a falling star.
"Awooo!"
Andrius roared. He could feel the danger radiating from that sphere of flame.
"North Wind's Domain!"
A tempest howled to life, freezing the air itself.
A surge of arctic energy condensed into a brilliant blue shockwave that collided head-on with the descending fireball.
BOOM!
Blue frost and crimson fire clashed violently.
Steam burst outward, filling the sky with glittering shards that fell like icy rain.
Jiang Yan clenched his fists. Pale light pulsed around them, forming concentric rings of force.
"Vector Manipulation — Great Cataclysm!"
Crack!Crack!
The air fractured before him, spiderweb fissures spreading rapidly.
BOOM!
As Jiang Yan drove his fist forward, the sky itself shattered.
The very earth trembled; mountains quaked, and the snowy plains split apart.
The violent shockwave rolled forward like a tidal wave, slamming into Andrius.
The wolf god howled, the winds around him surging to a frenzy.
His fur gleamed with an icy blue radiance as he stood firm against the onslaught.
BOOM!
The impact forced Andrius back several steps, claws digging furrows in the frozen ground—but he wasn't injured.
"Not bad," Jiang Yan murmured from above, his expression unreadable.
"As expected of a peak-class Archon… even my shock force can't break your defense."
Suspended amid the swirling storm, Jiang Yan's eyes gleamed like twin stars.
The battle between two powers of legend had only just begun.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard