I, the Geo Archon Morax with 2.1 Billion Mora, Have Joined a Chat Group [233]

For Gold, it was no surprise that Zhongli recognized her name and identity.

As one of the oldest rulers among the Seven Nations—unchanged since the founding of Liyue—Morax was bound to possess extraordinary knowledge and insight.

"Rex Lapis, Morax. Why are you here?"

Though Gold’s face remained indistinct, everyone could sense her frowning.

"Coincidence," Zhongli replied impassively.

"Though I hesitate to say it, by most reasonable standards, I have no particular reason to target either Gold or the Witch."

"Hm?"

The red-haired witch raised an amused brow.

As a member of the Hexenzirkel, and someone who had once held tea parties with Alice—Klee’s mother—she was naturally familiar with Morax.

Alice had traveled across Teyvat, and during her stay in Liyue, Morax had once acted as her guide. The things Alice had said about him during their tea gatherings still lingered in the witch’s mind:

"That guy is the most boring person I’ve ever met. No matter what kind of theory I come up with, he always finds a way to counter it. And it’s always something dull but somehow incredibly practical."

"If he weren’t so ridiculously strong—so strong that I’d have no chance at all—I’d definitely use a massive, dazzling explosion to teach him a lesson: the world doesn’t always bend to logic alone!"

The Witch of Hexenzirkel—though childlike in demeanor—was one of the strongest among them.

If even Alice acknowledged Morax’s strength, the red-haired witch saw no reason to doubt it.

Rhinedottir, the Alchemist of Gold, however, knew none of this. As the sole practitioner of Golden Alchemy, the creator of Durin and the Primordial Human, she had long ceased to care about the affairs of Teyvat.

To her, the Archons were no more than relics of a world she no longer had to acknowledge.

Once, these deities had loomed over her, colossal and untouchable.

But after centuries spent in the depths of the Abyss and despair, they no longer seemed so mighty.

She had subdued Archons. She had destroyed beings once considered invincible.

Even the dragon she created—Durin—would have been a formidable foe for Barbatos himself.

As for Morax, a god from the same era as Barbatos, he likely wasn’t much different.

Of course, she was not arrogant.

She had simply witnessed a greater cosmos—seen the vast expanse of worlds, the towering Tree, and the boundless Sea.

Her definition of power had long since ascended to an entirely different plane.

To her, unless one reached the level of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles—or Him—they could not be considered truly strong.

And if that was the case, then she could fight.

Even if this battle had no clear reason, as an alchemist from a fallen kingdom, it was only natural for her to stand against the gods of Teyvat.

"Hmph—!"

The Alchemist of Gold let out a cold snort. She did not enjoy fighting, but she did not fear it either.

Reaching into her coat, she retrieved several vials and hurled them forcefully to the ground.

Rumble—!

The entire mountain seemed to quake.

Enormous Geovishaps emerged from the ruins, their monstrous roars echoing through the palace. As if heeding the silent command of their creator, their piercing gazes locked onto Zhongli.

"Geo energy," Zhongli murmured.

One arm crossed his chest, the other resting beneath his chin as he studied the towering Geovishaps before him.

"An intriguing design. Such intricate craftsmanship… I had never considered this possibility before."

"I understand it now. Perhaps I shall put this knowledge to use in the future."

"Oh?"

The Alchemist of Gold chuckled, raising a hand.

The Geovishaps immediately plunged their claws into the ground, gathering immense clusters of Geo energy within their talons.

BOOM!

BOOM—!

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!

The Geo projectiles shot forth like cannon fire—no, if one were to compare, they were more akin to the electromagnetic cannons of an interstellar warship.

Their velocity exceeded ten times the speed of sound.

The sheer friction of their movement burned the air itself, leaving behind the scent of ozone.

At such speeds, the short distance between them and Zhongli was inconsequential—less than a second separated impact from release.

The Traveler and her brother barely had time to react.

Before either could make a move—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion erupted through the ruins. The palace trembled as if struck by an earthquake, dust and rubble cascading from the ceiling, filling the chamber in a suffocating haze.

Amid the swirling dust, Gold did not bother wondering whether her attack had landed.

She reached into her coat again, swiftly retrieving more vials.

And then—she crushed them.

The strange alchemical fluids inside reacted upon contact with the air, absorbing all nearby elemental energy at an alarming rate.

Wind howled.

Lightning crackled.

Water surged.

Frost spread.

Grass flourished.

Flames erupted.

In an instant, elemental forces gathered within the palace.

One after another, enormous elemental beings began to take shape.

Gold waved her hand once more, and the newly formed creatures—far surpassing ordinary elemental constructs in strength—unleashed their devastating attacks toward the dust-filled battlefield.

On one side—

A violent storm tore through the ruins, hurling rocks into the air. Flames rode the wind, transforming the tempest into a scorching inferno. The firestorm spread, igniting the grass that had mysteriously taken root within the palace, intensifying its fury.

On the other side—

A monstrous torrent surged forth, crackling with streaks of violet lightning. Ice coalesced within the rushing waters, weaving through the currents in a chaotic dance of destruction.

At the same time—

The colossal Geovishaps, unwilling to relent, plunged their claws into the ground once more, gathering even more immense Geo energy.

Another volley of Geo projectiles was unleashed.

BOOM!

BOOM—!

BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!

The relentless barrage of explosions roared through the palace, threatening to tear the very world apart.

The once-proud ruins of the Entombed City—Ancient Palace teetered on the brink of total collapse.

Yet amidst the chaos, the Traveler—though her expression was tense—showed no true concern.

Because she knew.

The Geo Archon, Morax, was not so easily defeated.

To be honest, she had seen the supposed strongest being in this world—the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.

And even they did not possess a fraction of Zhongli’s strength.

After all, she could at least comprehend the power of the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles.

But Zhongli…

She had no words to describe him.

That colossal, golden eye of his…

It was no different from the Tree and the Sea beyond this world—things she simply could not fathom or understand.

Then, amidst the destruction, a voice emerged.

A voice so calm, so composed, that it sent a chill down her spine.

"A decent taste of elemental energy."

As expected, amidst the collapsing palace and the roaring storms, Zhongli’s voice emerged—calm and steady as ever, without the slightest hint of urgency or frustration.

"The seven elements cycle endlessly, never ceasing in their flow. The Alchemist of Gold does indeed possess unique insights."

"Now, let us pause. There is much we can still discuss."

As his words fell, a single hand was raised.

In the midst of the raging firestorm, within the turbulent torrents of ice and lightning, a solitary, pale finger stood out starkly against the chaos—a presence impossible to ignore.

"Cease, O storm."

At his command, the howling winds stilled.

"Extinguish, O flames."

The raging inferno flickered and faded.

"Wither, O verdant growth."

The overgrown vegetation that had engulfed the palace lived out their entire lifespans in an instant, crumbling into dry, lifeless husks.

"Recede, O flood."

The surging torrents vanished as if they had never existed, the water level sinking rapidly.

"Be silent, O thunder."

With the retreating waters, the crackling lightning had nothing left to dance upon, and it gradually dissipated.

"Melt, O frost."

The floating shards of ice, suspended within the water’s grasp, softened and dissolved, merging seamlessly into the vanishing currents.

"Return to dust, O stone."

The enormous Geovishaps shuddered, their bodies beginning to crumble from the head down, dissolving into grains of sand that scattered across the palace floor.

When all had settled, Zhongli stood there, completely unscathed.

His expression remained unchanged, serene as though everything that had transpired was nothing more than dust brushed off his sleeve.

Rhinedottir’s pupils contracted sharply. As the Alchemist of Gold, her understanding of elemental forces far surpassed that of mere Archons, who were bound to a single element.

She had expected Zhongli to counter her assault—perhaps even repel it—but she had assumed brute force would be required.

Yet, the technique she had just witnessed… something so effortless, so utterly detached from conventional alchemy or magic, was completely beyond her comprehension.

Unconsciously, she tensed. Golden sigils shimmered to life across her arms, glowing faintly in anticipation of an imminent attack.

"From the black earth, all things are born. From the black earth, chalk emerges." Zhongli’s voice remained composed as he continued, showing no inclination toward hostility.

"And from chalk, one may seek gold."

"The very foundation of Teyvat’s existence is that which covers all—black earth. From black earth rises the Chalk Prince, the Primordial Man."

"And from chalk, if one searches deeper, one finds the essence that can be transmuted into all things—Gold."

"You, as the Alchemist of Gold, stand only a step away from achieving the Red of the world’s origin."

"An extraordinary accomplishment. In this age, even Chalk could not reach such heights—let alone Gold. Truly fitting for the most brilliant alchemist of the fallen Khaenri'ah beneath Teyvat."

His words carried no mockery, only a quiet sincerity, as though he were merely stating a well-deserved fact.

And yet, it was precisely this tone of praise that unsettled Reinhardt the most.

A woman forsaken by the world, she did not hesitate to reveal her resentment.

"A mere earthly Archon—a pawn shackled to the will of Celestia—dares to look down upon me with such arrogance?"

The golden light surrounding her arms blazed even brighter, radiating pure, untarnished brilliance, illuminating the entire palace in its incandescent glow.

"Oi, oi, oi—Gold, what do you think you’re doing?!"

The Scarlet Witch was the first to notice the shift. She hastily pulled up her hood, voice laced with panic.

"Are you seriously going to use Golden Transmutation here? Oi, oi, oi! What about the prince?!"

"I leave him to you, Witch."

Rhinedottir’s voice was cold, her golden eyes locked onto Zhongli’s with unshakable determination.

Annoyance laced her every word.

"Such arrogance. Such unchecked pride. The so-called Seven Sovereigns—they are nothing more than slightly stronger gods. And yet they claim dominion over us?"

"We sought the truth hidden beneath the ley lines. We never depended on gods. We protected our own people!"

"So tell me—what was our sin?!"

"Why were we cast down?!"

"The Kingdom of Snow suffered the same fate. The Khaenri'ah fell just the same. Who gave these self-proclaimed divinities the right to rule over our lives?!"

Despite her fury, Zhongli’s voice remained measured, his tone unwavering.

"Hm…"

"I cannot speak for who is right or wrong. But I do know this—the fall of the Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago was not by the hand of the Seven. If that were the case, then the God of Grass and the God of Ice…"

"Even Celestia cannot be called entirely unjust. Once, I did not understand the reason behind their actions. But recently, I have come to comprehend Celestia’s true intentions—why she sought to annihilate so many civilizations."

"As for what happened to the Khaenri'ah, I offer my condolences. I was… preoccupied. Ever since my companion vanished two thousand years ago, my attention has not been on the affairs of Teyvat."

"Lies and excuses!"

Rhinedottir’s rage erupted. She could no longer stand to listen to another word.

The golden light surrounding her arms flared outward, engulfing the palace, stretching across the vast expanse of Dragonspine.

"Come forth—my Golden Art!"

"This mountain… contains the perfect materials. Though my past creations were still in their infancy, today they shall be reborn anew!"

As her voice rang out—

A deep, rhythmic sound pulsed through the air.

The mountain trembled. The snow-covered peaks shuddered, sending avalanches cascading down the slopes.

Thump-thump—

Thump-thump-thump—

Thump-thump-thump-thump—

The pounding heartbeat grew louder and faster.

Within mere seconds, it had resonated across the entire mountain.

[Festering Desire] pulsed with deep violet light, reacting violently to the overwhelming energy.

And then—

A deafening roar erupted, drowning out all other sounds.

The Dragon had awakened!

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This is a fan translation of 我，21亿岩王帝君加入聊天群 by 大一统. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!