Chapter 65: The God of Plague

Guizhong and Marchosius, who were watching the game next to Vorthis and Morax, were both stunned as well.

Morax shook his head helplessly.

"Well, you won."

Marchosius looked at Guizhong with confusion, asking for an explanation.

"So, the rules of Go are actually so complex and ever-changing. Could you tell me more about it, Guizhong?" Marchosius asked eagerly.

Guizhong fell into deep thought...

How should she explain this?

"Uh... Marchosius, don't focus too much on the current game. This is Vorthis's unique way of playing Go, and it doesn't follow the traditional Go rules."

"Don't try to learn it from him."

Guizhong looked at Marchosius and said seriously.

If Marchosius was truly interested in Go, she could teach him the traditional rules herself, but she definitely didn't want him to adopt Vorthis's erratic style of playing.

That wasn't really playing Go at all—it was just a chaotic mess.

Such a way of playing could only work in private, but if one were to play with others, it could end with a beating.

Vorthis was probably the one who would get beaten, but Marchosius shouldn't learn from him...

Marchosius nodded thoughtfully.

Having won the game, Vorthis naturally smiled broadly.

After today, the entire Guizoli Plain would enter a state of alert, standing guard at all times!

No one knew if some desperate god would launch an attack on Guizoli City, so they had to remain cautious.

As gods ourselves, we weren't afraid of god invasions.

However, if the invasion of gods affected the citizens of Guizoli due to lack of preparation, that would be a problem.

Fortunately, the celestial decree had just been issued, and the gods were still quiet, with everything remaining calm.

But the silence was terrifying.

Gods weren't foolish. They were all on guard, watching out for possible attacks from other gods.

It felt like being trapped by the Law of the Dark Forest.

The silence was deafening.

But this silence wouldn't last long. Some gods, driven by ambition, had long been preparing to take action.

They began targeting weaker gods in the vicinity.

This spark quickly ignited the whole Archon War, causing a storm across the Teyvat continent, with everyone on edge!

Anyone could become the next target!

In these times, under Morax's direction, the Guizoli Millelith Brigade had been expanded to 30,000 men. After training, they would patrol all of Guizoli.

While protecting the safety of Guizoli, they would also be an important part of defending against god invasions.

It wasn't about having the Millelith Brigade face off against the gods; rather, if any god entered Guizoli territory, the Millelith Brigade would be able to detect it immediately.

The news would then be sent straight to the Liyue Palace.

This would allow Morax to react quickly.

The Guizoli Plain was vast, and as a powerful god, Morax couldn't keep his divine sense over the entire area.

So, these Millelith soldiers were key to maintaining peace and stability in Guizoli.

Since the Archon War had ignited, there had been frequent battles around Guizoli. Gods were highly resilient, otherwise, they wouldn't have been fighting amongst themselves for centuries.

Outside Tianheng Mountain, near the old site of Liyue City, there were over ten gods, constantly battling each other. The area had fallen into endless warfare.

This made the Tianheng Mountain defense line even more important.

The Tianheng Mountain defense line was a natural barrier that blocked the connection between Guizoli Plain and this area, constantly guarding against gods who might escape the battlefield and flee toward Guizoli.

If a large number of demons or monsters flooded into Guizoli, the chaos and consequences would be unimaginable.

Fortunately, when the Archon War started, Guizhong had been overseeing the final construction of the Tianheng Mountain defense line, though it had been interrupted by a message from the skies.

Once the defense line was completed, the first batch of Millelith soldiers was stationed there.

The three fortresses along the Tianheng Mountain defense line, along with six Guizhong Ballistae and other smaller units, could form a powerful firepower barrage to suppress any enemies.

This made the Tianheng Mountain defense line even stronger and more unbreakable.

After completing the coal exploration, Marchosius, having discussed it with Morax and Guizhong, also decided to go to the Tianheng Mountain defense line to guard the area.

If no god was stationed there, others might try to attack the defense line.

Marchosius had also changed his thinking.

He wanted to see the smiles of the people when they sat down to eat.

However, since the start of the Archon War, Guizoli was still safe with four gods protecting it. Other gods had to weigh their strength before provoking them.

But despite the protection of the four gods, news of the ongoing battles still reached Guizoli.

Trade routes were blocked, and the economy of Guizoli had been affected.

The quality of life for the people had declined, but the situation wasn't too dire since Guizoli had achieved self-sufficiency in food.

Moreover, a massive underground grain warehouse had been constructed, ensuring that even if fields were destroyed by war, Guizoli could sustain itself for years.

Thanks to the protection of the four gods and the Millelith Brigade's patrols, the people of Guizoli felt a strong sense of security in this dangerous world.

Vorthis sat in his palace, pondering a matter.

"Sigh, things are really chaotic."

Over at the old site of Liyue City, dozens of gods were locked in intense battle. The scene was chaotic, though no gods had fallen yet.

What about Brother Qingxu? How is his situation?

Though Qingxu lived in a remote area, his territory wasn't too big, and he didn't have any enemies. He wasn't interested in expanding either.

But now that the Archon War had begun, even powerful gods like Morax were still unable to escape the tide.

The war was pushing everyone forward.

"Should I go visit Brother Qingxu?"

Vorthis absentmindedly placed a small night lamp back onto his desk.

Since the Archon War had begun, Vorthis no longer kept his night lamp in the palace but stored it in his god space.

Only a single small night lamp remained on his desk, serving as a toy or a light source.

Vorthis hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should go visit Qingxu. He didn't know if Qingxu would change because of the war.

Deep down, Vorthis wanted to bring Qingxu into Guizoli.

But...

Though they were close friends, they didn't live together.

Vorthis couldn't say he fully understood Qingxu, and he didn't know what kind of person Qingxu truly was.

Unlike his relationship with Morax, where he had already learned everything about him from the original game, he wouldn't have agreed to Morax's proposal if he didn't understand him.

Vorthis was deeply torn.

Eventually, he decided to tell Morax about his thoughts, seeking advice from his older brother.

"That's the plan. I wonder what Morax thinks—should I go or not?"

Vorthis entered Morax's palace, sharing his inner thoughts and seeking advice from him.

"Since we are close friends, I should still make a visit, no matter what. If things have already changed because of this, I will also be able to clearly see the true face of Qingxu."

"As for the invitation to join Guizoli, I believe Brother Zennos has his own judgment on the matter."

"I will explain this matter to Guizhong and Marchosius."

Morax spoke.

He fully entrusted the decision of whether the God of Sword Qingxu would join Guizoli to Vorthis.

However, Morax personally leaned towards the idea that Qingxu, the God of Sword, would not agree with Vorthis's decision.

Although Qingxu and Vorthis were close friends, it was not the same between him and Guizhong or Marchosius. Could he truly make the decision to follow Vorthis to Guizoli and live in the same place with the three other gods?

Vorthis nodded. "I understand."

So Vorthis's final decision was to still go to Qingxu's territory, Qingxu Pool, to see Qingxu.

Under Morax's watch, Vorthis turned into a streak of white light and rushed toward Qingxu Pool.

He passed over the Tianheng Mountain defense line, flew past the ruins of Liyue City, and was about to reach Qingxu's territory, Qingxu Pool.

As Vorthis approached Qingxu Pool, he felt a strong surge of magical power.

One source of power was from Qingxu, which Vorthis was very familiar with.

The other power, Vorthis did not recognize.

"Not good!"

Such a strong magical fluctuation could only mean that Qingxu was currently battling another god.

Vorthis increased his speed and entered the realm of Qingxu Pool.

He saw Qingxu, dressed in green robes, wielding the Qingxu Sword, fighting a ball of ominous energy in the sky.

The forces collided in the sky, creating enormous ripples.

All the humans in Qingxu Pool wore expressions of panic, looking for reliable places to hide.

"Sword, come!"

"Brother Qingxu, I'm here to help!"

Vorthis drew his Broken Void Sword and joined the battle, fighting alongside Qingxu against the ominous energy.

"Zennos? What are you doing here?"

"This god who has invaded Qingxu Pool, he is the God of Plague, Kart."

"Zennos, be careful not to be corrupted by Kart's plague aura. If this plague gets entangled in our origin, even we, as gods, will be infected and die just like mortals!"

Seeing that Zennos had come to help after a long time, Qingxu quickly explained the situation regarding the God of Plague.

The God of Plague, Kart, held the authority over plague, and the plague aura could affect even gods if it penetrated their origins.

In the end, it would lead to sickness and death.

So it was indeed the God of Plague, Kart?

The authority over plague was so potent that it could even cause gods to die!

That was terrifying!

Vorthis stared seriously at the creature inside the mist. It was hard to describe; it resembled a monster that could only appear in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas." Its most prominent feature was its extreme ugliness.

No wonder it was the God of Plague. Its appearance matched its identity perfectly.

Vorthis nodded. "I understand, Brother Qingxu, I'll be careful."

Seeing Vorthis appear, the God of Plague Kart was momentarily stunned. Hadn't he been slightly gaining the upper hand earlier? How did it turn into a two-on-one now?

"You, the God of Sword Qingxu! You despicable, shameless!!" the God of Plague Kart grumbled in frustration.

In plotting against Qingxu, the God of Plague had put in a lot of effort, making sure that other gods wouldn't interfere. This involved exchanging quite a few interests.

He never expected that a god would suddenly show up!

"Zennos? You're the manifested god of Guizoli?"

"Since the start of the Archon War, the gods of Guizoli severed their ties with the outside world. I thought you had all turned into complete turtles, too afraid to face the cruel Archon War!"

"But now, here you are, intervening in the affairs of the God of Plague."

"Do you think the God of Plague is easy to bully?"

The God of Plague Kart said, reasoning with anger.

Vorthis was a bit speechless.

"The God of Sword Qingxu is my close friend. Now that my friend is in trouble, I'm here to help. How is that bullying the God of Plague? Truly childish."

"Why don't you go cry to your mother about it?"

"Oh, wait, as a god, you don't have a mother."

Vorthis smiled provocatively at the God of Plague Kart.

"You!"

Although the God of Plague Kart didn't fully understand Vorthis's words, he knew they weren't anything good.

Still, despite his anger, the God of Plague could sense that Vorthis's strength was not weak.

He could still test him in a one-on-one battle.

But now Qingxu and Vorthis were teaming up against him, making him the one at a disadvantage.

If he wasn't careful, he could even fall.

The God of Plague Kart wasn't that stupid.

"Wait for me!"

The God of Plague Kart gritted his teeth and quickly flew away in a certain direction outside Qingxu Pool.

Vorthis watched as the God of Plague Kart fled.

Holding his Broken Void Sword, Vorthis swung it.

"One sword."

"Open the heavens!"

A white sword beam hundreds of meters long was unleashed.

The God of Plague Kart sensed the danger, trying to dodge, but the sword beam struck him.

Had he not shifted his position, the sword would have struck his origin, and his power would have been weakened, potentially making him a target for other gods after returning.

"Zennos! Zennos!"

"I will not spare you!!!"

The God of Plague Kart, full of resentment, muttered as he fled.

But he still didn't have the courage to fight two gods at once. He turned into a streak of black light and sped away as fast as he could.

Afraid of another strike from behind.

Eliminating the root was not Vorthis's style, but for now, there were more important matters, so he spared the God of Plague Kart for the time being.

However, the God of Plague Kart had now been added to Vorthis's list.

This was a death list!