Chapter 82: The Young Morax, Guardian of Liyue, the Rock King

Ye Xuan took from his space ring a stone statue as tall as himself, its surface dull gray, yet shimmering with heavy luster under the sunlight.

It was a young man seated upon a divine throne, his face handsome and detached, brows radiating an innate arrogance; he made no effort to display power, legs crossed, appearing utterly languid, yet exuding an oppressive aura that towered over all things.

As if all under heaven meant nothing to him.

“As for Zhong Lao, forget it—since he didn’t intervene in the beast tide last night, I knew he’s Zhongli now; steady, restrained, prioritizing the greater good, never interfering in Great Xia’s development unless it concerns a contract.”

“Even if I went to the imperial capital to challenge him, given the Emperor’s nature back then, even if he agreed, he wouldn’t give his all—more likely, he wouldn’t fight at all.”

“But you are different.”

Ye Xuan looked at the statue before him, a faint smile curling at his lips.

The young Morax—what an utterly supreme, peerless being he was?

He presided over Liyue, subduing the eight directions; a single rock spear could anchor mountains and rivers, a single word was cosmic law, and merely a glance could make all beings bow.

Arrogant? Conceited?

That was absolute confidence in one’s own strength.

After learning of Zhong Lao’s existence, Ye Xuan had once imagined fighting him—but Zhong Lao’s choice after the Qi Tide confirmed he was “Zhongli,” not “Morax,” and his battle lust faded.

Zhongli is a god, yet also a man; but Morax is different—he is a god! The god who protects Liyue!

Perhaps the Rock King Emperor of that time was not at his peak, but that Rock King Emperor was the true “Martial God!”

“So I choose—”

Ye Xuan pressed the Rat Talisman onto the young Emperor’s statue; as light flowed, he whispered:

“You… in your youth.”

“Hum—”

The Rat Talisman’s power fully sank into the statue; the entire Kunlun Mountain Range suddenly shook violently; the peaks resonated, the rock element erupted, and the whole mountain seemed to awaken with life.

Snow on the ridges began to tumble down, exposed rock layers glowed with metallic luster, countless tiny stones defied gravity, hovering in midair to form strange circular arrays.

Layers of rock peeled away from the statue’s surface, revealing a slender figure within.

Morax opened his eyes.

“Boom!!!”

In that instant, gravity across the heavens and earth seemed rewritten; a terrifying pressure surged like a tidal wave, and rocks within a kilometer radius all levitated, shattered, and reformed, bowing like subjects to their monarch.

Ye Xuan’s own aura erupted in a torrent, the Wang Quan Sword Intent piercing the sky, cleaving a crack through the incoming pressure; the air between them twisted, the ground cracking beneath dual pressure like a spiderweb.

Just as tension reached its peak—

Morax’s gaze suddenly passed over Ye Xuan, fixed on the distant void; he furrowed his brow, revealing a rare hint of confusion.

Ye Xuan sensed something, turned, and looked behind him.

"Zhong Lao, since you've come, why hide your identity?"

Space rippled like water; a figure stepped forward slowly.

His dark gold robe flapped in the mountain wind, rock patterns flickering faintly along the hem; his face, identical to Morax’s, bore a starkly different composure and weariness. He stood with hands behind his back, his gaze lingering long on Morax, yet finally settling on Ye Xuan.

“What kind of ability is this?”

Zhong Lao’s voice remained steady, yet carried a tone of inquiry.

In truth, since the five-rank energy fluctuations appeared on Kunlun Mountain, he had been secretly observing this place—even during the Qi Tide’s arrival, when mutated creatures ravaged the land, he never left this region.

Though the Qi Tide’s mutations were violent, the low-rank mutated creatures posed no threat to Great Xia; he trusted Great Xia could handle this crisis, so he did not interfere.

Until Ye Xuan appeared.

He watched this young man take from his space ring that statue—the one representing the Rock God Morax among the Seven Divine Statues.

What startled him more was what followed.

Ye Xuan pulled out a strange stone slab engraved with a rat motif, pressed it gently against the statue—and instantly, light flowed; the cold statue began to radiate life.

A living, youthful Morax stood before him.

Zhong Lao’s fingertips trembled slightly.

Even with his decades of experience, even with his heart grown calmer through prolonged alignment with the Rock King Emperor’s template, he could not remain unmoved by this scene.

He had never seen such a miraculous power—it surpassed ordinary abilities, bordering on creation itself.

So the two five-rank warriors who fought on Kunlun Mountain last time—besides Ye Xuan, the other must have been a life manifested by this talisman.

“It’s merely a celestial artifact with a limit.”

“From the world of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: one of the Twelve Talismans—the Rat Talisman.”

“If you’re interested, Zhong Lao, after this is over, you might look into this work.”

Zhong Lao’s gaze flickered slightly, absorbing Ye Xuan’s words.

His expression showed little surprise; rather, it seemed to confirm a suspicion.

Ye Xuan was not surprised by Zhong Lao’s reaction; with the experience of this Rock King Emperor template inheritor, even if he’d never seen the Rat Talisman, a little reasoning would reveal its essence—checking it later would merely be a matter of time.

Besides, he never intended to hide it.

The Rat Talisman’s power, though strong, was nearing its upper limit for him.

Yet—

Ye Xuan silently marveled: Zhong Lao had hidden here all along, and he hadn’t sensed a thing; this ability to conceal his aura was truly unfathomable.

Zhong Lao did not press further on the Rat Talisman; instead, he slowly turned his gaze to Morax, his golden-brown eyes revealing a rare complexity.

“Someone once posed a question.”

“If your opponent were your former self, would you be confident you could win?”

Ye Xuan spoke calmly, interjecting at the right moment, his gaze shifting between the two Rock Gods with interest.

“Zhong Lao, facing the young Morax.”

“Can you win?”

His battle could resume at any moment—but a fight between Morax and Zhongli? Such a scene was not something one saw every day.

Morax did not refuse. Though he had some suspicions about Zhong Lao’s identity, he preferred direct action over verbal confirmation.

A rock spear coalesced in his hand, its tip pointed straight at Zhong Lao:

“Under the weight of time, your aura has changed too much.”

Zhong Lao remained calm, his sleeve brushing lightly; a simple, ancient rock spear materialized in his palm. He did not answer immediately, but looked at Ye Xuan and said softly:

“Young friend, you’ve planned this well.”

Ye Xuan spread his hands with a smile, stepping back several paces into a spectator’s stance:

“Please.”

(End of Chapter)