After resolving the issue with the World Tree, Jiang Yan and the Great Lord Rukkhadevata returned to the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
Because Jiang Yan had erased King Deshret from the world,
the conflict between the people of the Sumeru desert and rainforest ceased to exist.
From beginning to end, they had always been the Great Lord Rukkhadevata's people—one family.
Where would hostility come from?
This greatly lightened the workload of both the Dendro Archon and the Grand Sage.
As for Jiang Yan, once he finished handling the trade matters at the General Affairs Bureau, he prepared to lead them through the desert toward the land of the Pyro Archon—Natlan.
Natlan was a nation of war, so in order to guarantee the safety of the General Affairs Bureau's staff, Jiang Yan, after discussion, decided to request five thousand Millelith troops from Liyue's Minlin.
To a nation that revered war, Jiang Yan believed the best method was to fight your way through.
In fact, Jiang Yan originally wanted to mobilize all fifty thousand Millelith Minlin troops.
Upon hearing this, not only the Great Lord Rukkhadevata but even the members of the General Affairs Bureau tried to dissuade him.
They were visiting a nation—marching in with an army was basically an invasion!
Besides, moving fifty thousand troops across Sumeru… even if the Great Lord Rukkhadevata agreed, the Grand Sage absolutely would not allow such a massive foreign army to enter Sumeru.
After discussion, Jiang Yan agreed to request only five thousand Millelith soldiers to protect the General Affairs Bureau in Natlan.
But before entering Natlan, Jiang Yan planned to visit the deeper regions of the desert on his own.
He still remembered Apep, the Dragon King of the Dendro element.
And so, on that day—
"Jiang Yan, are you really planning to go look for Apep?"
The Great Lord Rukkhadevata gazed at him helplessly.
This boy… a new idea every single day.
He had just saved the World Tree, yet couldn't rest even for a moment.
"Come on! Having a Dragon King as a mount would be insanely cool!"
Jiang Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement.
He had only ridden on Azhdaha's head before—he had never ridden any other dragon's head!
If he had a Dragon King as his mount…
Just imagining it made him feel…
Absolutely sick! (In the good way!)
"Apep is very powerful. Even I would not provoke it lightly,"
the Great Lord Rukkhadevata reminded him.
If not for the World Tree's existence and Celestia's instantaneous transformation of Sumeru's center into a desert, Apep might indeed have fought her during the Archon War.
"It's fine. As long as he can't beat Celestia, I can beat him."
Jiang Yan waved it off.
Please—when he entered his Twin-Star Mode, handling Apep would be child's play.
A dragon who used power from beyond this world yet still failed to defeat Celestia? Nothing to be afraid of.
"…Then be careful."
Knowing she couldn't persuade him, the Great Lord Rukkhadevata sighed helplessly.
Before long, atop the Akademiya, a streak of light tore through the sky, shooting toward the desert.
The Scorched Badlands
A streak of light sped rapidly toward Apep's location.
Before he even approached, Jiang Yan saw a gigantic form as massive as a mountain.
"Who goes there?!"
"Who dares trespass upon this place?!"
A thunderous roar erupted from the swirling sands.
Seven-colored radiance burst from Jiang Yan's body. He closed his eyes.
White Hole Link!
Twin-Star Mode—activate!
His eyes snapped open—starlight swirling within them—while brilliant light flared around him.
He placed his hands before him and clapped sharply.
A burst of radiance like an exploding star swept outward.
"Come, Apep!"
"Today, either I cripple you…"
"Or I make you submit!"
Jiang Yan grinned fiercely and charged in without further words.
"INSOLENCE!"
With the Dendro Dragon King's furious roar, the battle officially began.
"BOOM!!!"
Wind and sand howled. Starry brilliance flashed intermittently, accompanied by Apep's enraged howls.
"Impossible! How can you possess such terrifying power?!"
Barely into the fight, the heavily wounded Apep stared at the completely unscathed Jiang Yan in horror.
"There's nothing impossible about it."
Jiang Yan smiled, rising into the sky.
His right fist clenched as he assumed a striking pose.
"Fist That Shatters the Galaxy!"
A roar echoed from the heavens.
A terrifying aura erupted from Jiang Yan.
As his fist swung, the fist-light seemed capable of pulverizing the stars themselves.
The shockwave instantly swept across the entire Scorched Badlands.
"NO!!!"
"This cannot be!!!"
"You insignificant insect—how dare you?!"
Apep's voice was devoured by the shockwave.
The resulting tremor shook the entire desert. Even far-off Sumeru's rainforest felt the violent quaking.
High in the distant sky of the badlands, the Great Lord Rukkhadevata hovered, staring blankly at the battle between Jiang Yan and Apep.
Was… that really the same shameless Jiang Yan?
Watching a single punch that could reshape the entire Scorched Badlands, she swallowed involuntarily.
Terrifying.
Jiang Yan had never shown his true strength in Sumeru.
Even when erasing forbidden knowledge alongside her, he had mainly used Vector Manipulation.
She knew he was strong—
But not this strong.
Apep was a Dragon King who had survived since ancient times!
Its power was far beyond simple comparisons.
If she knew that even now Jiang Yan wasn't fighting at full strength, she wouldn't know what to think.
He had used only forty percent of his power.
This was simply the name Jiang Yan had given to the force he unleashed.
It sounded cool!
At least, that's what Jiang Yan thought.
He hadn't even used the Ox Talisman to amplify his strength.
And the Ox Talisman amplified one's power based on the user's original strength.
If you could originally punch hard enough to shatter Earth, with the Ox Talisman you could punch hard enough to shatter the Sun.
That was the Ox Talisman.
One could imagine what Jiang Yan's full-power punch—amplified by the Ox Talisman—would be like.
The shockwave lasted only a brief moment before dissipating.
And now, the full view of the Scorched Badlands unfolded before the Great Lord Rukkhadevata…
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