All preparations complete, the main force marched towards the city gates in perfect formation. The thunderous footsteps exuded an oppressive aura.
Apart from a few high-ranking officials, only three horses led the way: Tian Quan Xing Ning Guang, Yu Heng Xing Keqing, and a monster, ah, no, a hero.
Soon, the army arrived outside the city gates. All movements within were observed by the Abyss Order members stationed on the mountaintop.
"Quickly send someone back to inform the Prince. This is a crucial stage of the experiment and the Prince absolutely cannot be disturbed. Deploy heavy troops to guard all major roads. Stall for time, but don't engage in suicidal battles; use your brains."
A hydro-elemental Abyss Herald swiftly issued orders. He was indeed quite intelligent, suggesting the Abyss Order wasn't entirely useless.
"Yes, I will attend to it immediately."
On the other side, Lu Ze pulled on the reins, gazing into the distance, one hand carefully supporting the waist of the girl in his arms, preventing her from falling due to the horse's jolts.
"Are you uncomfortable?"
Xi'er shook her head, feeling no discomfort, though the current posture was rather embarrassing.
"That's good. I was afraid you wouldn't be used to it. The wind is strong outside, let me put my jacket on you."
Watching the interaction between the two beside him, Ning Guang gnashed her teeth, feeling an inexplicable surge of anger.
Keqing, seeing her rival flustered, was quite pleased.
Suddenly, a dozen Hilichurls sprang from the bushes, followed by several elite Lawachurls and shamans wielding pyro and anemo elements respectively.
These were common monsters, usually found in groups. Their sudden appearance and attack on the army seemed suspicious.
However, it was a good opportunity for the soldiers behind them to hone their skills.
The clash of weapons soon echoed across the small area. Lu Ze remained seated on his horse, allowing the soldiers to handle any monsters that didn't pose a direct threat to him.
"Ning Guang, you don't need to intervene. Let these soldiers get some good practice. Training in the field is one thing, but only real combat... can truly improve one's combat power."
Hearing Lu Ze's words, Ning Guang silently sheathed her weapon, exclaiming dramatically,
"Oh, my little ancestor, you're finally speaking to me! I'm so touched I could cry!"
Lu Ze's lips twitched. What was this crazy woman on about now? It seemed she was beyond normal conversation, and he feared catching her "illness."
"Alright, Ning Guang. Stop talking. If you continue, you two will likely start fighting again."
Keqing could only play the role of the mediator, as this was a critical moment and they couldn't afford any mistakes.
The monsters were cleared quickly, gone within moments.
The soldiers suffered no significant injuries, at most a few scrapes or shallow wounds, which had little impact on the army's overall combat effectiveness.
"Continue moving forward. We can rest once we reach Guili Plains."
The journey was monotonous, and Xi'er was nearly falling asleep.
"Lu Ze, why don't you tell me what happened back then? It's really boring otherwise."
Lu Ze glanced at the two beside him. What she wanted to know was permissible, as only a few details were truly significant.
"Alright, then I'll help you recall what happened back then?"
Keqing, always eager for gossip, perked up her ears, intending to eavesdrop. This was a juicy story about their "shop owner."
Ning Guang, while maintaining a neutral expression, was fully attentive.
In a cave in Qingce Village.
A blonde-haired figure gazed at the magnificent creation before him, his eyes filled with boundless desire.
"That's right, that's right! This is what I want! A demon god! With this, what is overturning the Sky Island? I will destroy the nations of the Seven Gods one by one! I will become the god of this world!"
The colossal entity before him possessed the tentacles of the vortex-minded Osial, the fangs of the Wolf of the North Andrius, the characteristics of the anemo-archon Decarabian, the legs of the geo-dragon Dvalin, and the wings of the dragon Dvalin.
Even its tail was the body of the ancient demon god Chi. Most importantly, on the beast's chest was a human head, a female head – the head of the dust-eating demon god Guizhong.
This chimera, possessing partial power and complex authorities of its original masters, had long surpassed most demon gods, rivaling Morax, the strongest of the Seven Gods.
With this one entity alone, they could conquer the Seven Nations, even altering the map of Teyvat.
"What a perfect creation, but not enough! Not enough of this corrupted power! O inverted statues! Grant me more and more corrupted power! By the way, where is the core of the first tillage machine? Why haven't you found it yet! What are you doing?"
As Aether roared, the Abyss Heralds standing nearby prostrated themselves, daring not to incur the wrath of the Prince.
"We have news. The location is in the ruins of the Four Winds. A comprehensive search has begun, and I believe we will obtain the core of the first tillage machine soon."
Hearing this, Aether's expression gradually relaxed. He gently lowered his hand, and numerous purple chains bound the chimera.
"This is not enough. Go... find more items with the aura of demon god remnants, even parts of their bodies! Find them all! Liyue, as the biggest battlefield of the Archon War, how could it not have any clues about demon gods!"
The Abyss Heralds nodded quickly and retreated.
Aether sat on a nearby stool with a touch of indulgence, muttering to himself,
"With more demon god power, I can... achieve my wish. Sister... Teyvat will soon become our home. The Heavenly Principles will cease to exist, and we will be the new gods!"
Saying so, he took out an item from a nearby jar. The contents were exceptionally active, even radiating a powerful aura.
"Lu Ze? I should thank you. If you hadn't defeated Chiyou, I wouldn't have gotten such a good experimental subject. Chiyou's eyes... should elevate my creation. By the way... if I combine it with the eyes of the Corrosive Dragon, then what might happen..."
He decided to act immediately. The Corrosive Dragon's body had long rotted, let alone its eyes. But there were always ways to obtain them, after all... if there's no physical body, we can use the soul.