"Morax! Show me your true power!" Akira laughed heartily. As expected of Morax, one of the strongest gods, his strength was truly commendable.
"In that case, Akira, let's settle this in one move." Morax nodded, acknowledging that Akira's strength was worthy of his respect.
"Celestial Manifestation!" Morax's calm voice echoed, and the entire sky turned golden. Layers of clouds were blown away, revealing a meteor with a diameter of 100,000 meters slowly emerging from the heavens.
The immense aura startled all the reclusive adepti, who turned their worried gazes toward the distance. The Geo Archon had unleashed his full power! It had been thousands of years since they last witnessed such divine might.
Akira looked at the colossal meteor and smiled with satisfaction. This was the power befitting a god.
"This is the moment of judgment!" Akira's eyes glowed with golden light, and an endless black hole instantly unfolded behind him, blotting out the sky.
The meteor slowly descended, distorting the space around it, while an infinite surge of energy poured out from Akira's black hole, colliding with the meteor.
In an instant, the meteor was reduced to dust. The next moment, the boundless energy enveloped Morax!
As the energy surged, the ocean rose into a tsunami thousands of meters high, reaching even Liyue Harbor, hundreds of kilometers away.
"A tsunami is coming!" Panic spread among the people by the shore as they scrambled to escape.
Just moments ago, the sea had been calm. Why had such a monstrous wave suddenly appeared?
The kilometer-high tsunami loomed like a curtain of doom. If it were to crash into Liyue, the entire city would be obliterated in an instant.
Just as despair gripped the hearts of the people and the tsunami was about to engulf Liyue Harbor, a golden black hole appeared out of nowhere, swallowing the tsunami whole. The sea returned to its calm state.
"What in the world just happened?" The crowd, still in shock, couldn't believe their eyes. Had there really been a tsunami? The towering wave was something they had never seen before.
But in the next moment, it had been swallowed by a strange black hole.
"May the Geo Archon protect us!". All over Liyue Harbor, people began praying to the Geo Archon. The miraculous event must have been the Geo Archon's divine intervention.
Not far away, where Kitsune Saiguu stood, two figures suddenly appeared. Zhongli had returned to his human form, though his hair was still wet, and he looked rather disheveled.
Akira, on the other hand, was spotless, clearly the victor of the battle.
"Your power is formidable," Zhongli said earnestly.
"I acknowledge you as well, Morax! Truly, you are one of the strongest gods." Akira extended his hand.
Zhongli shook it and then produced a contract formed from the power of the Geo Archon.
"Thank you for protecting Liyue earlier," Zhongli said. He had been immobilized by Akira's energy and could only watch as the tsunami nearly destroyed Liyue Harbor.
"Our battle was merely a test of strength. It would be unfortunate if innocent lives were harmed because of it." Akira shook his head. "Any disaster caused by me, I will take responsibility for."
Akira took the contract and glanced over it. It was a simple agreement not to harm Liyue, which he signed without hesitation.
"The contract is sealed. Those who break it shall face the wrath of the rock..." Zhongli paused mid-sentence, realizing he might not be able to enforce it against Akira.
"Don't worry, Morax. I quite like Liyue Harbor and have no intention of harming it." Akira patted Zhongli on the shoulder.
"I am currently in a period of rest, Akira. There's no need to call me Morax. Just call me Zhongli." Zhongli shook his head. "I'm living among mortals now, and calling me Morax might cause unnecessary trouble."
"Alright," Akira nodded. "So, Zhongli, what are you doing in the mortal world these days?"
"I serve as a consultant at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor," Zhongli replied.
"It's getting late. If I don't return to the parlor soon, the director will start nagging me again." Zhongli calculated the time and bid Akira farewell.
"The mighty Geo Archon, afraid of a mortal?" Akira teased.
"It's not fear," Zhongli shook his head. "It's just... that child is a bit hard to handle."
"Then you'd better hurry back." Akio laughed. It seemed Hu Tao was the only one who could keep Zhongli in check.
"Farewell." Zhongli nodded to Kitsune Saiguu and disappeared.
"Akira!" Kitsune Saiguu hugged Akira's arm as they sat on a rock. "You! You just arrived in Liyue and already picked a fight with the Geo Archon!"
"It was just a friendly spar," Akira chuckled awkwardly. He had just gained new power and couldn't resist testing it. Thankfully, Morax's temper had mellowed over the years.
"You're becoming as much of a battle maniac as Ei!" Kitsune Saiguu chided.
"No, no! I'm not fond of fighting!" Akira laughed.
"Hmph!" Kitsune Saiguu didn't believe him and gave him a skeptical look.
"Don't do this again! I was worried you'd get hurt." Kitsune Saiguu buried her head in Akira's chest and whispered softly.
"Don't worry, it won't happen again." Akira nodded. "Even the Geo Archon is no match for me now. Who else could pose a threat?"
The cool autumn breeze was refreshing, but atop the Jade Chamber, Ningguang was restless. She had seen the tsunami earlier, and it didn't seem like a natural disaster.
"Sigh..." Ningguang clenched her fists. Although the tsunami had been swallowed by some mysterious force, if it were to happen again, how would Liyue escape it?
At that moment, a golden figure appeared on the Jade Chamber.
"Geo Archon!" Ningguang recognized him immediately and bowed.
"Tianquan, a distinguished guest has arrived in Liyue. His name is Akira, a powerful deity who came aboard the Crux Fleet." Morax's deep voice resonated. "Ensure he is well received, and do not provoke him."
"Akira?" Ningguang nodded. Beidou had mentioned earlier that a high-ranking official from Inazuma named Akira had arrived.
"That Beidou, why didn't she tell me he was a god?" Ningguang grumbled inwardly, then turned to Morax. "Lord, what about the tsunami earlier?"
"It was a side effect of my spar with Akira. There's no need to worry." Morax explained. "I've already made a contract with him. He will not threaten Liyue's safety."
"I see." Ningguang nodded. Since Akira and the lord had made a contract, such a scene shouldn't happen again.
"You've been informed. Do not neglect him."
Morax repeated before vanishing from the Jade Chamber.
"It's late tonight. I'll handle this tomorrow."
Ningguang checked the time and decided it was too late to disturb Akira.