Genshin Impact's Incense Burner Of Liyue [539]

"The final trial?"

Gu Sanqiu blinked.

"So the battles after this are over?"

The flame-wreathed figure simply gestured to the seat across from them, indicating for Gu Sanqiu to sit down.

"Chess is also a battle."

Gu Sanqiu obediently took his seat. His gaze, however, instinctively drifted toward the cup of fire placed beside him.

…More hot water?

There was no way even molten lava could compare to whatever was in that cup.

"Let’s begin."

"Then I won’t hold back."

Gu Sanqiu picked up a piece and placed it on the board.

The moment the piece touched the board, a powerful suction force surged from within, draining a portion of his elemental energy.

At the same time, the chessboard expanded to an immense size, and the piece he had just placed transformed—now standing before him was an entire cavalry unit, their armor gleaming, their warhorses snorting impatiently, eager to charge forward at a moment’s notice.

"A war game?"

Gu Sanqiu wasn’t particularly surprised.

Old-timers loved using chess as a metaphor for grand strategies and the rise and fall of nations. He had already braced himself for something like this.

Focusing his elemental-enhanced vision, he looked toward the container holding his remaining pieces.

They had all changed.

Infantry, cavalry, mixed units, even war elephants, a rare troop type seen only in certain regions…

With just a single glance, Gu Sanqiu could tell—this board held nearly every known type of soldier.

"As expected of the God of War."

He sighed in admiration but didn’t bother waiting for a response from the flame-wreathed entity across from him. Instead, he simply continued placing his pieces.

This wasn’t a game of turn-based strategy where each side took careful, calculated moves.

No—this Pyro Archon wanted him to play a full-scale war simulation.

From a technical standpoint, this was a special type of chess endgame.

In theory, an "endgame" suggested that neither side had yet secured victory.

However, both armies were fully intact—meaning the "endgame" designation only applied in a broader strategic sense.

As he placed another piece, his elemental energy drained further.

Gu Sanqiu instinctively reached for the cup beside him and took a sip.

It was a habitual motion, something he often did when playing Liyue Millennium with Ningguang—after all, she always made sure to have fine tea and exquisite snacks available.

…Wait.

Gu Sanqiu’s other hand immediately flew to his throat.

Did he just do something incredibly reckless?!

But instead of the expected "burning from the inside out" scenario, a soothing warmth spread through his body.

It felt almost like soaking in a hot spring.

His elemental energy was rapidly recovering.

Glancing at the cup, he noticed the flames within had risen again, filling it back to the brim.

So that’s how it works.

This chessboard was unique—every strategic move required elemental energy to fuel it.

Without a way to replenish his energy, he’d be at a massive disadvantage.

Considering the gap in strength between him and the Pyro Archon, if she spammed wave after wave of troops, she could simply grind him down.

The Pyro Archon finally made her move.

Rather than placing her pieces carefully, she grabbed an entire handful and scattered them across the board—her army was assembled in an instant.

Gu Sanqiu’s eye twitched.

Did she just flex on him?

Was this the sheer power of an expert?

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows pierced the sky, while the thunderous roar of cavalry shook the earth—the Pyro Archon’s forces had already begun their charge!

"Hah. No formal battle declaration? Well, I guess that’s true to real warfare."

Gu Sanqiu swiftly directed his pieces.

Rows of spiked barricades rose from the ground, blocking the enemy cavalry’s advance.

"Not that I ever planned on fighting fair."

Behind the barricades, a pre-positioned artillery unit awakened—ballistae were wheeled into place, their massive bolts taking aim at the advancing heavy cavalry.

With a simple command—they fired.

The Pyro Archon casually waved her hand.

From within her infantry ranks, mages emerged—Hydro and Cryo elements intertwined, freezing the incoming projectiles in midair.

Gu Sanqiu’s eyelid twitched.

Excuse me, ma’am—aren’t you the Pyro Archon?

What the hell did you just cast?!

Everything had happened simultaneously.

Which meant the moment she sent out her heavy cavalry, she had already accounted for potential countermeasures—and had pre-positioned a squad of Vision users to intercept them.

From the flanks, Gu Sanqiu’s light cavalry emerged.

The scarlet dust clouds trailing behind them resembled raging flames, as they surged toward the enemy’s rear guard, aiming to cut off the advancing reinforcements.

"If you have broken tactics, so do I."

A squad of Geo Vision users and spellcasters stepped forward, chanting incantations.

New terrain obstacles rose from the battlefield.

The heavy cavalry, already struggling against the frozen ground, now had to contend with treacherous footing—their momentum completely neutralized.

He had foreseen this.

From his battle with Narshuss, Gu Sanqiu had reached an important conclusion—these so-called "cultured strategists" were just well-read brutes.

If battle tactics scaled up to the level of full-scale war, the Pyro Archon would almost certainly resort to a direct cavalry charge.

And this, dear Archon, is what we call a "backstab from your own subordinates."

His light cavalry had successfully flanked the Pyro Archon’s army, striking at its exposed sides—rapidly expanding their battlefield advantage!

"The center holds. The flanks push forward."

Gu Sanqiu tapped the board.

From within his defensive formation, archers emerged—loosing volley after volley into the Pyro Archon’s lines.

"I won’t go easy on you."

The Pyro Archon suddenly spoke.

Then, as if her entire army had come to life, a towering inferno erupted from her ranks.

"All forces—advance."

Gu Sanqiu frowned but didn’t falter.

Instead, he calmly adjusted his formations, pushing forward his next wave of troops.

"Deploy the war chariots."

The heavy siege engines rolled forward, their barrels glowing red-hot as elemental cores powered up within.

They took direct aim at the Pyro Archon’s command tent—

And fired.

Strike where the enemy must defend.

The bombardment obliterated the command tent and toppled the command flag.

Yet—

Her army did not waver.

They continued pressing forward, undaunted.

"Full assault!"

Gu Sanqiu knew this was it.

The final clash.

Infantry. Cavalry. Mages. Vision wielders.

He sent everything he had.

"Do you know why that won’t work?"

The Pyro Archon smiled at him.

"The rules of war are written into our very being."

"The defeated become fuel for the flames of conquest."

"And the victors… reignite the fire."

"This is my way of battle.

"And this is the truth my people live by."

"Once war begins, no matter what happens—whether on the level of armies or individuals—there is only one goal."

"Victory, child."

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This is a fan translation of 原神之璃月奉香人 by 淡白蛋清. 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!