Vorthis, Morax, and Guizhong continued their leisurely shopping spree through Guizoli City.
An ancient era—still the ancient era.
In truth, there weren't many items on the streets of Guizoli City that could pique Vorthis' interest.
After observing the marketplace, Vorthis noticed the goods people cared most about were the essentials: food, beverages, and clothing.
This was an age where Guizoli had only recently entered a period of food abundance. While people's material desires were growing, they had yet to reach the level of extravagance seen in later eras.
It all still revolved around basic needs.
The ability to spend Mora on artisanal crafts was likely a luxury only the wealthy of this era could afford.
Heh~!
Take me, Vorthis, for example!
After about half a day and spending thousands of Mora, Vorthis finally managed to walk through the entire street area of Guizoli City.
Guizoli City was vast. It was clear that one would need more time to see everything.
As the chief designer of Guizoli City, Vorthis naturally knew the key landmarks worth visiting.
Just like touring a scenic spot, there were always highlights to explore.
After their casual "disguised inspection," Vorthis and the other two gods arrived at the entrance of Liyue Palace. A red, glazed wall surrounded the entire palace complex.
"Stop! This is sacred ground for the gods. No one may approach!"
The city guards stationed at the gate were highly vigilant, their eyes fixed on the three as they approached. They aimed to prevent any unauthorized individuals from nearing the residence of their gods.
...
Vorthis slowly raised a questioning brow.
He hadn't expected that one day, even trying to return to his own home would result in being stopped by others.
Morax and Guizhong exchanged glances, just about to explain.
Vorthis raised his hand, undoing the spell concealing their identities.
In the eyes of the city guards, an extraordinary scene unfolded.
The three seemingly ordinary individuals at the gate suddenly transformed into the divine figures they were all too familiar with!
Their eyes widened as they rubbed them in disbelief.
Were they seeing things? No... it truly was their gods!
"God of Geo! God of Feather! God of Dust!"
"Your humble servant failed to recognize you just now and acted presumptuously. Please forgive my earlier rudeness!"
The guard who had stopped them quickly bowed and apologized in fear.
The three gods exchanged amused glances.
Vorthis, Morax, and Guizhong were all benevolent deities.
Being so, how could they fuss over such a trivial matter?
Besides, standing guard was the soldier's duty.
Following one's duty—what fault was there in that?
"It's fine. This was a private inspection. You need not worry," Morax reassured.
Hearing the God of Geo's words, the guards finally exhaled in relief.
On their very first day of duty, they had unknowingly stopped their superiors at the gate. It was mortifying...
"This misunderstanding is resolved, so let me guide you on a tour. Allow me, the architect, to show off the new Liyue Palace!" Vorthis offered, turning to Morax and Guizhong.
"Absolutely! I'm already looking forward to it," Guizhong said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
She had always adored the original Liyue Palace in Liyue.
After returning to her own city, she had even remodeled her palace using its furnishings as inspiration.
Morax added with a grin, "Then we'll trouble you, Brother Zennos, to lead the way."
Under Vorthis' guidance, the three entered Liyue Palace. Upon entry, they found themselves in a beautifully arranged courtyard.
This courtyard seemed like the MAX-PULS version of the one in Liyue's Liyue Palace.
For their future residence, the three gods examined every corner with care, appreciating the aesthetics rather than rushing through.
The more they admired it, the more satisfaction grew in their hearts.
Magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!
This palace was truly like a celestial abode!
As the designer, Vorthis naturally had to bask in the praise.
Heh~!
After spending considerable time, the three gods finally finished touring the entire palace, including their individual chambers.
They then sat together in the Cloud Pavilion.
On the table before them were drinks and snacks: cola, tea, and golden shrimp balls.
The cola, of course, belonged to Vorthis. Tea was Morax's preference, and the golden shrimp balls were Guizhong's favorite dish.
"This is wonderful. Now that Guizoli City is fully completed, it shall become the city of the three gods," Guizhong said with a smile.
Morax nodded. "We owe it to Brother Zennos's design. If it had been left to me, I could never have created such a grand city."
"Indeed, there may be no other place like this in the world," he added, a hint of pride in his voice.
From a small settlement to a prosperous city akin to Liyue, and now to the grand creation that was Guizoli City—a culmination of the wisdom of three gods and the prosperity of two territories—this was a monumental achievement.
"It's true. Should we relocate all the remaining citizens from Guizhong City and Liyue to Guizoli City?" Vorthis suggested.
While most citizens had already moved, a few still remained to guard the original territories.
Morax stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"That would be unwise. The farmlands in Liyue still require tending, and Guizoli City has yet to cultivate its own fields. If everyone were relocated now, the farmland would be abandoned."
"And where would Guizoli City's food supply come from in the future?"
Vorthis realized his oversight.
Currently, 70% of Liyue's land was farmland, providing food for Guizoli City.
But this wasn't a major issue. By next spring, new farmland could be cultivated around Guizoli Plains, making the city self-sufficient.
"Yes, I overlooked that. However, by next spring, we can organize a campaign to open up the fields in Guizoli Plains. At that point, we can relocate everyone from Liyue," Vorthis said.
"After all, the distance between Liyue and Guizoli City is significant. If danger arises, we might not be able to respond in time."
"In the future, we could convert the old Liyue territory into a defensive outpost. What do you think, Brother Morax?" Vorthis proposed.
His considerations stemmed from preparations for the eventual Archon War.
In the future, on the ruins of Liyue's territory, atop Tianheng Mountain, a military fortress could be built. With the addition of some mechanical constructs, it could form an indestructible Maginot Line unique to Guizoli.
Morax nodded after hearing Vorthis' proposal, acknowledging its logic.
"From a rational perspective, Brother Zennos' words are quite reasonable," Morax said.
"When Guizoli achieves self-sufficiency, all remaining citizens within Liyue's territory should be relocated into Guizoli.
"As for constructing defensive fortifications… it doesn't seem necessary at the moment. However, that doesn't guarantee perpetual peace, so preparing for potential threats is indeed prudent."
Morax's words made Guizhong's eyes light up. She had been researching powerful defensive weapons recently.
After dismantling the intelligent chessboard Vorthis had given her, though unable to fully comprehend its design and principles, she had gleaned some insights and applied them to weapon development.
"Defensive fortifications? If it's about defenses, then we must include weapons for protection," Guizhong said with a confident smile. "I'm currently researching a powerful defensive weapon. When used in combination, multiple units could even repel a minor God."
Although the weapon was still incomplete and untested, everything remained theoretical.
Yet Guizhong had unwavering faith in it, believing in the culmination of years of effort.
Hearing Guizhong mention weapons, Vorthis was reminded of a future weapon known as the Guizhong Machine.
It was a creation designed and upgraded after Guizhong's passing to honor her memory and continue her vision.
"Guizhong, you've even designed weapons? I'm excited to see them. When can we have a look?" Vorthis asked.
Guizhong paused for thought and, after about three seconds, estimated the time needed.
"Hmm… around two or three years. It's coming along quickly," she replied.
Two or three years—an insignificant amount of time from a God's perspective.
Amid laughter, the gathering of the three gods in Cloud Pavilion came to an end.
Vorthis returned to his Feather Temple and sat at the desk in the grand hall, where several scrolls about Guizoli lay. The essential writing tools were all in place, along with a small night lamp emitting a faint orange-red glow.
Vorthis glanced at the night lamp, feeling content, and then entered a meditative state.
Manifesting Power +1
Manifesting Power +1
Manifesting Power +1
While increasing his strength through training, Vorthis pondered a question: how could he reverse the process of manifestation? Could he convert manifested objects back into manifesting power?
His instincts told him this idea was feasible, but he lacked the ability to reverse manifested objects into manifesting power.
What was obstructing his vision? What technique was required to achieve this?
During his training sessions, reversing manifestation became his central focus.
Once he mastered this ability, Vorthis planned to create multiple night lamps. In future battles, this would give him alternative strategies:
Direct Attack: Simply throw the lamps, one after another, to suppress enemy Gods with sheer firepower.
Energy Source: Use the lamps as "batteries" to manifest objects far beyond his natural abilities, delivering devastating blows to the enemy.
Regardless of the method, mastering reverse manifestation was the foundation and key.
Vorthis resolved to master this ability.
Six months later, Vorthis had made no progress.
One year later, still nothing.
One and a half years later, he seemed to find some clues.
Manifestation involves envisioning the object's appearance and properties, followed by using manifesting power to bring it into reality.
Then, what about reversing this process?
What if the process were reversed? The object would disintegrate into particles and transform back into manifesting power.
Doesn't that sound reasonable?
It does.
Vorthis' eyes snapped open, now clear on the concept.
With clarity in mind, it was time to test it.
"Manifest!"
A square iron block appeared in Vorthis' hand.
Now, Vorthis' task was to reverse the manifestation process and transform the iron block back into manifesting power.
Using principles from quantum mechanics, the law of conservation of energy, relativity, and the lever principle, Vorthis began his experiment.
"Reverse!"
He imagined the iron block disintegrating into particles and transforming into manifesting power.
To his amazement, the iron block in his hand began to change. It dissolved into particles and vanished, replaced by a surge of energy equal to what was used to manifest it.
"NICE! It worked!"
A smile spread across Vorthis' face. His theory had proven correct.
Now, with mastery over both manifestation and reversal, Vorthis felt more powerful than ever.
At his desk, he planned his next moves while the faint orange-red glow of the small night lamp illuminated his work.