When the murmurs from below quieted, Li Mo turned slightly to look at Xiao sitting in the corner, his expression full of sympathy. Even he had not expected to be reincarnated twice in a row as Xiao's elder brother. It was all the fault of that meddlesome system. Li Mo even suspected that the reason every life ended badly, with him dying unnaturally, was because the system was working against him.
Fortunately, only one life remained in his storytelling mission. Once all the stories were told and everyone had been moved to tears, the mission would be complete.
The next moment, Li Mo cleared his throat softly, and the entire inn fell silent. He began to speak again.
As he spoke, the Electro energy above the inn slowly coalesced into vivid projections. The images showed the Archon War era.
In the images, the Archon War in Liyue had reached its most intense stage. Gods were being erased one by one, their territories devoured. Gradually, the land of Liyue was carved into multiple spheres of influence.
Under these circumstances, for the sake of Liyue's people, Rex Lapis joined forces with the neighboring Goddess of Dust, Guizhong, creating an even stronger nation. But with just the power of Morax and Guizhong, it was extremely difficult to defend their existing territory from other gods, let alone achieve ultimate victory in the Archon War.
So Morax traveled alone to Jueyun Karst. In the name of the God of Contracts, he formed contracts with the many adepti there, incorporating Jueyun Karst into Liyue's territory. Not only that, he descended beneath the South Gate and found a slumbering rock creature that had slept for a thousand years. Using Geo power, he carved eyes for it, formed a contract with it, and bestowed upon it the name Azhdaha.
Through Morax's efforts, the land of Liyue gained the support of adepti, yakshas, Azhdaha, and countless citizens. Liyue's territory expanded, becoming one of the largest and most powerful nations. Countless gods were defeated.
In the end, Morax, leading the adepti, yakshas, and his many followers, swept across the land, crossed the seas, slew countless brutal gods, and achieved final victory in the Archon War. The hardships of that journey need not be elaborated here.
Now, to the story of Bosacius.
After the Archon War ended, Rex Lapis—Morax—as the victor, naturally ascended to the position of Geo Archon, becoming one of the Seven Archons under the Heavenly Principles. He became the sovereign of all of Liyue.
Though they had defeated all other gods and won the war, the battles on the land of Liyue did not end with the Archon War. They continued for a thousand years.
In the process of defeating the other gods, countless deities had fallen and been sealed beneath solid rock. Though these gods were dead, their souls, filled with hatred and unwilling to submit to Morax, did not enter the underworld to rest. Instead, they lingered on the land of Liyue.
Over the long years of their imprisonment, these souls coalesced into terrifying monsters that wreaked havoc across Liyue—destroying crops and smashing fishing boats. The people of Liyue suffered greatly.
So Rex Lapis once again selected powerful warriors to eliminate these monsters. The yaksha race, led by the five foremost yakshas, naturally took on the task of slaying demons and cleansing the land.
Among the five foremost yakshas, aside from the eldest, the Electro Yaksha Bosacius, the other four were:
Menogias, the Geo Yaksha.
Indarias, the Pyro Yaksha.
Bonanus, the Hydro Yaksha.
And the most junior, the Anemo Yaksha Alatus—or as he was now known, Xiao.
Every one of these yakshas was a seasoned warrior who had rendered outstanding service in the Archon War. In times of peace, they deserved to live happy and stable lives. But when danger arose again, they threw themselves back into battle without hesitation. For each of their wishes was the same as Xiao's: to protect the yaksha race, to protect the land of Liyue, and to create a safe, happy life for every citizen living there.
So, after accepting the task of exterminating monsters, the five yakshas threw themselves into battle one after another, slaying countless vengeful spirits of dead gods and eradicating countless demons. The plagues and miasma that had been rampant across the land diminished as a result.
But the power of the gods was too great. Even dead gods could not be underestimated. The hatred and resentment they left behind could still kill without a trace. In their battles, every yaksha was affected, involuntarily absorbing the evil energy of the dead gods.
Though yakshas were powerful, born warriors, their souls were fragile compared to the gods. They were too easily influenced by the vengeful spirits. Having absorbed these resentments and evil energies, the yakshas, who had once been loyal to Morax and sworn to protect this land, underwent a dramatic transformation.
Some yakshas, influenced by the evil energy, became exceptionally brutal, indistinguishable from the demons they fought. Others were driven directly into the demonic path, completely losing themselves. Sometimes, even the yakshas who were as close as siblings would, when hunting demons, lose themselves and mistake their comrades for enemies, slaughtering one another.
Gradually, yaksha after yaksha died, unable to bear the karmic debt they had accumulated.
Menogias, the Geo Yaksha, who had once been a mighty slayer of demons, lost his mind completely to the erosion of karmic debt. He and Bonanus, the equally lost Hydro Yaksha, killed each other.
Then there was Indarias, the Pyro Yaksha. Driven mad by the torment of karmic debt, and to avoid bringing disaster to Liyue, she burned herself with scorching flames.
Not only these three, but the remaining two—Bosacius, the Electro Yaksha, and Xiao, the Anemo Yaksha—were also deeply tormented by karmic debt. However, as long as they retained any shred of self-awareness, as long as they were not completely consumed, they would fight demons until their last breath, protecting this land and its people.
Gradually, the day came when even Bosacius could no longer resist the erosion of karmic debt. He often forgot himself, forgot his missions, and sometimes even forgot his comrades.