Over the next several years, Morax never once saw Zayn step out of his room.
Only then did he truly believe—
Zenos was genuinely cultivating, wholeheartedly strengthening his power.
If even Brother Zenos was striving so diligently, how could Morax allow himself to slacken?
Thus, he began traveling frequently between Jueyun and Guizhong's territory, absorbing wisdom wherever he could.
Combat experience alone could no longer improve his strength—
but the knowledge held by the adepti of Jueyun, and by Guizhong herself, was also a form of power.
Only… it was simply more subtle than brute force.
Could Morax go seek out other powerful gods to spar with?
Of course not.
He had no relationship with them, and appearing at their doorstep asking for a fight would be practically a declaration of war—
which wasn't his style at all.
Time flowed like running water.
Ten years passed.
For a god, ten years meant very little.
For mortals, however, ten years could change everything.
Today's Liyue was vastly different from the past.
After summarizing Guizhong's teachings, Morax established formal administrative institutions—each with its own responsibilities to maintain the city's operations.
The first generation of laws had also spread throughout Liyue, greatly reducing conflict between people.
On the main street, vendors shouted energetically.
Crowds flowed like rivers, and noise filled the air.
Anything one could want, one could buy with Mora here.
Liyue's current prosperity came from its solid foundation:
every inch of land within the ring of mountains had long been converted into farmland, feeding the entire population.
Without grain, even the most prosperous city was nothing more than a fragile mirage—one collapsed away from ruin.
Thus, securing Liyue's food supply was the highest priority.
But even so…
A deep-rooted problem finally surfaced—
The terrain was restricting Liyue's growth.
The city could no longer expand.
The farmlands could no longer expand.
Ten years of rapid development had pushed Liyue to the very limits of its enclosed valley.
For now, the existing farmland still produced enough food.
But what about the future?
Liyue's reputation spread far and wide.
Refugees continued seeking sanctuary.
The population rose.
Food consumption soared—
Yet farmland remained fixed.
Eventually, shortages would come.
Then famine.
Then death.
Morax quickly noticed the danger, and stopped accepting new refugees.
But he knew too well—
this wasn't a real solution.
He could simply break open the surrounding mountains and open a passage to the outside world.
But doing so meant tearing down the natural shield protecting Liyue.
The fierce beasts outside saw Liyue's prosperity like a feast served on a platter.
Although Morax could easily eliminate them, such creatures appeared unpredictably—
the people would live in constant fear.
Farmlands would require guards.
Peace would vanish.
Worse still, the wilderness outside was a buffer zone between gods.
If Liyue expanded, Morax would become neighbors with rival gods, and territorial conflict would inevitably follow.
And Morax was not a god who sought dominion or conquest.
So—even after years of contemplation—
He still had no perfect solution.
In Zayn's room, ten years finally passed.
At last, he opened his eyes, ending his meditation with great satisfaction.
To him, it felt like… a good night's sleep.
From dusk to dawn.
He couldn't feel the passage of ten years at all.
"…Whew. It's already been ten years?" he murmured.
He glanced at the timing device he prepared beforehand.
Indeed—the reading displayed a little over ten years.
Standing up, he stretched comfortably.
No stiffness, no discomfort—
just the feeling of having slept soundly.
He raised his palm.
A soft glow of manifested authority rose from the center.
He compared it to his past strength.
In ten years, his power had increased by at least one-fourth.
Just ten years.
If Liyue prospered for millennia…
How terrifying would his strength be then?
Who said cheap products from Pinduoduo were scams?
It seemed he had bought a priceless treasure…
Cough.
He dispelled the barrier in his room and stepped outside for the first time in a decade.
The layout hadn't changed much—
only the surrounding plants had grown taller and fuller.
"Morax?"
Right as he stepped out, Morax approached him.
"Brother Zenos, you're out of seclusion? How is your cultivation? Was everything smooth?"
Morax asked.
He had sensed movement from Zayn's room and immediately rushed over, arriving just in time to see him walk out.
Zayn spent ten years cultivating peacefully—
but Morax…
had been drowning in Liyue's endless administrative affairs.
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