Genshin Impact, all those behind-the-scenes big shots are me

Su Chen didn't speak, but simply embraced the Flower Goddess, quietly enjoying the tenderness brought by the Lord of Dreams and Flowers.

In the year 150 of the Desert Calendar, you summoned the five Ascended Ones, informing them of their respective duties during your seclusion, to manage all affairs of Shurima. You bestowed upon Nasus the title of High Priest, granting him the authority to govern Shurima during your seclusion, and allowing him to initiate the Ascension Ceremony of the Sun Disc as needed.

You have appointed Captain of the Arctos Court to guard the royal city of Nerimage.

Renekton, Asna, and Sivir will each guard a region, assisting Nasus in managing the internal affairs of Shurima.

After arranging everything, you began to comprehend the forbidden power. With the dual blessing of the runic power and the Sun Disc, in the first three years of your contact, you discovered that the forbidden power seemed unable to corrupt you, so you felt at ease.

[For the next ten years, Shurima prospered, and its people remained unaware of your secluded enlightenment. Now, Shurima rules Mount Meru, and in their hearts, you are the supreme emperor.]

Ten years later, Nasus activated the Sun Disc, helping two outstanding warriors of Shurima become Ascended.

Over the next thirty years, Shurima was periodically harassed by Daedric Lords, but each time it was forcefully repelled by the Ascended.

Two hundred years into the Desert Calendar, the conflict in Liyue ended. Morax ascended to the position of Geo Archon and sensed Liyue's power. Nasus reinforced the military presence along the border with Liyue.

In the year 250 of the Desert Calendar, Shurima held a martial arts selection process. After rigorous screening, the most outstanding individuals were recruited into the royal court to serve Emperor Azir.

In the year 280 of the Desert Calendar, Nasus established the Court Guard, and all the 'heroes' selected through trials joined it. Aatrox appointed the captain of the Court Guard, who was directly under Azir's command.

Three hundred years into the desert calendar, under Nasus's selection, over 180 people were bestowed the title of hero, and 20 ascended to immortality, causing Shurima's military strength to surge. Renekton proposed that Shurima launch an attack while other nations were still embroiled in conflict, initially mentioning Nata, but Nasus rejected the idea. The priest insisted on the emperor's instructions to defend Shurima's territory and not to launch a rash attack.

[In the four hundredth year of the Desert Calendar, the Sun Disc emanated a surge of power, further increasing the strength of the Ascended. Sensing Emperor Azir's great will, they revealed expressions of excitement and even madness. At the same time, the number of Ascended reached as many as thirty, and Shurima's power entered an unprecedented peak.]

In the same year, the strife in Mondstadt ended, and Barbatos seized the title of Aeolus.

In the year 401 of the Desert Calendar, a group of Ascended, led by Renekton, proposed to Nasus that Shurima's territory continue to expand. This time, Nasus hesitated.

"Nasus, we don't have much time left!"

Inside the palace.

Renekton looked at his brother anxiously and said, "The war between Liyue and Mondstadt is over now. The Demon Gods there have seized the positions of the Seven Gods, and their power has increased dramatically. If we don't act now, and the Demon Gods of Nata, Fontaine, Winter, and Inazuma ascend the throne, we'll have no chance!"

Behind Renekton followed several Ascended, all of whom had come to persuade Nasus to issue the order to start the war.

With Azir in seclusion, all power in Shurima was handed over to Nasus. This calm and wise priest's abilities had once earned everyone's trust, but now the Ascended were secretly gossiping, feeling that Nasus was too 'worried' and had missed one excellent opportunity after another for Shurima to grow stronger.

Why does the kingdom, with such formidable power, refrain from taking action?

Once the war between the demon gods and gods in all nations ends, it will be difficult to expand Shurima's territory.

“The Emperor did not give me such an order,” Nasus said in a deep voice. It was clear that he was also hesitant, but he still said, “Even though Shurima is incredibly powerful now, the consequences of rashly conquering other countries are unpredictable.”

Renekton said, “We have the strongest soldiers and a large number of Celestial Warriors. No nation can compare with Shurima. As long as you give the order, the Ironclad Cavalry will immediately trample over the corpses of the enemy, and the glory of Shurima will shine throughout Teyvat!”

"Nasus!"

"Nasus!"

"Nasus!"

The ascendants were all trying to persuade him.

Nasus suddenly felt a strong desire welling up inside him. He longed to give the order. At that moment, he seemed to hear the voices of the Ascended, the voices of the thousands of people of Shurima, and the majestic voice of the supreme emperor—"Soldiers, advance!"

But Nasus knew it was all an illusion, and he gritted his teeth, rejecting the temptation from the bottom of his heart.

The Ascended were deeply disappointed. They turned their attention to Actos, the Ascended who had been directly mentored by Emperor Azir. His voice carried weight, and if Actos were to side with them, things would be much easier.

“The mission the King has entrusted to me is to protect Narimar,” Aatrox said in a deep voice.

Compared to other ascendants, he remained mindful of his responsibilities as always.

Nasus ultimately succeeded in dissuading the Ascended, but his own resolve wavered, and he too succumbed to the temptation of a mysterious voice.

During the 250 years the emperor was in seclusion, Shurima's prosperity more than doubled, its military strength reached its peak, and especially the number and strength of its Ascended were at their zenith; each Ascended possessed the combat power of a Demon God.

[But such power also brought problems. Such strength remained unused, and since most Ascended beings were warlike, this would inevitably lead to rebellion. Nasus arrived at the gates and sought the advice of the great emperor, but received no reply. Therefore, he decided to refrain from presiding over the Ascension ceremony and observe the situation.]

In the year 430 of the Desert Calendar, tensions suddenly escalated within Shurima. Multiple Ascended individuals frequently sparred, their power reaching the level of a Demon God, causing widespread panic until Nasus intervened. However, the situation quickly worsened. Nasus deeply sensed the burning desire for war within the Ascended individuals; not only them, but he himself felt a mysterious force igniting his own thirst for battle.

In the year 450 of the Desert Calendar, witnessed by countless citizens of various kingdoms, Shurima finally embarked on another expedition.

This expedition will be unprecedented in scale. Apart from High Priest Nasus and Captain Actos, all twenty-eight Ascended will be deployed. The number of Ironclad Cavalry will remain at ten thousand, but the number of guards will reach a staggering one million!

The Ascended's morale was higher than ever before. Nasus ordered his troops to split into two groups, attacking Nata and Fontaine, while simultaneously deploying a large force to garrison the vicinity of the Layered Rock Abyss and launch small-scale attacks, primarily for harassment.

Shurima's actions nearly stirred up the entire continent's powers. The demon gods, still embroiled in conflict, were forced to halt their advances and direct their anger at this uninvited guest. They all knew that if Shurima successfully invaded, their chances of becoming one of the Seven Gods would be virtually nonexistent.

Even with the combined efforts of the demons, the ascended beings were like wild beasts breaking free of their cages, tearing apart defense after defense with their claws and fangs. Their savage attacks revealed their inner wildness and pride, while simultaneously crushing all obstacles with unparalleled power. The demons were astonished to discover that these insignificant humans, whom they had looked down upon, actually possessed such terrifying power.

In an instant, the army of ascended beings was invincible.

Narimaj, inside the palace of the Great Tree King.

"They're really winning one battle after another."

The Flower Goddess put down her teacup and said softly.

She and the Great Tree King would occasionally come to the royal city to stay, and naturally they would hear the battle reports coming from the front lines.

After the Ascended army set out, no one could stop them wherever they went. In just three years, Nata had already taken over nearly half of its territory. Fontaine's attack was a little slower due to its vast waters, but it had still taken over one-third of its territory so far.

The expansion of Shurima's territory has further fueled the Ascended's fighting spirit. Moreover, the attention of almost all the people of Shurima is focused on the war. They are excited about the victories at the front and angry about the temporary setbacks.

The Flower Goddess clearly sensed that the atmosphere throughout Shurima was changing.

It's as if the entire population is war-mongering.

The Great Tree King frowned and said, "This can't go on. Shurima is too ostentatious. If it forcibly invades other countries' territories like this, even if it eventually conquers Fontaine and Nata, it will not be able to hold them. Instead, it will bring great trouble."

The War of the Demon Gods is a 'game', and the rules of this game are set by the principles of Heaven. The principles of Heaven will not allow one king to rule over seven kingdoms, because that role belongs to Him.

Therefore, it's better if they don't win the war, but if they do, Shurima will likely cross the line in the game and be punished by the laws of nature.

But what is the point of war if we don't win?

“It’s no use.” Flora shook her head gently. “I went to see Nasus, but he… how should I put it, Nasus was once the wisest priest I’ve ever met. I even thought that as long as he was there, Azir could completely let Shurima go. But the last time I saw him, I found that Nasus had also shown a crazy side. He seemed to be immersed in the crazy expansion of Shurima.”

“‘Let the glory of Shurima shine throughout the world,’ Nasus said, and he insisted that it was Azir’s will, and even I could not persuade him otherwise.”

"Even he..." The Great Compassion Tree King keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Even though the Ascended had gone mad, she still believed that only this priest could maintain his rationality, which was why Su Chen could entrust Shurima to him... and even the right to initiate the Ascension Ceremony.

"No, I have to go find Azir."

Not right.

Something's wrong with the whole of Shurima.

This is definitely not the Shurima they know.

When the Great Tree King and Flora arrived at the palace, Nasus was studying the map of Teyvat.

He marked the places that the army had conquered with golden banners. Nasus's attention fell on a fertile land—Liyue. He frowned, as if deep in thought.

Sensing someone approaching, Nasus looked up and saw the Great Tree King and the Flower Goddess. He immediately bowed and said, "Greetings to the two noble gods."

Regardless of his strength, the Great Compassion Tree King and the Flower Goddess are Su Chen's allies, beings of equal caliber to him, and none of the ascendants can overstep their bounds.

“Nasus, please stop this pointless war,” said the Great Tree King.

Nasus seemed unsurprised by their purpose in coming. He replied, "Your Excellency Tree King, please allow me to refuse your request. The war has begun, and there is no reason to stop until the objective is achieved. Even if I wanted to, the people of Shurima and the Ascended would not agree."

“But this is pointless. The war between the demons is a rule set by the laws of nature. You are breaking the rules now. Once the laws of nature take notice, Shurima will be punished, and even Azir will be implicated.”

"Lord Tree King, please forgive my disagreement. The meaning of war lies in striving for what cannot be obtained through common sense. Shurima cannot live forever under the rules of this world. If anyone can establish the laws of the world, that person must be the noble emperor of Shurima!"

The Great Tree King stared at Nasus in disbelief. Although the priest before him still appeared calm, the madness in his bones had reached a frightening level. Was this still the wise and composed priest?

“Nasus, you’ve changed,” the Great Tree King said, frowning.

Nasus turned to the palace, adopting a respectful posture: "All of this is guided by the will of our Emperor. Soon, he will descend with power that transcends the limitations of this world's laws and regulations, breaking all unreasonable rules and restoring order. Before that, we need to prepare a grand enough ceremony for the Emperor's arrival."

The Great Tree King shook her head in disappointment, realizing that she could no longer communicate normally with Nasus.

"I want to see Azir."

"The Emperor is in seclusion."

Flora signaled to the Great Tree King that there was no need to argue with Nasus anymore. The two went deeper into the palace, and Nasus did not stop them. However, when they reached the entrance to the underground palace, a figure appeared.

"Aatrox?" Upon seeing the other party appear, the Great Tree King felt a sense of foreboding.

If we were to say who among the many ascended beings is the most capable of threatening her and the Flower Goddess, it would undoubtedly be the one standing before her.

The goddess of flowers said, "We want to see Azir."

"The Emperor is in seclusion," Aatrox said succinctly.

"We can't even see them?"

Aatrox was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "The Emperor has given an order that no one may disturb him before he comes out."

The Great Tree King pondered for a moment, "Aatrox, you are one of the most loyal to Azir. Shurima is currently waging a mad war that will lead to the destruction of the entire kingdom, and even Azir will be punished. Even so, do you not care?"

Aatrox's eyes flickered slightly.

“He seems to be normal,” the Flower Goddess said softly.

Of all the Ascended beings he had seen, Aatrox was the only one who seemed to have remained largely unchanged.

But also because Aatrox hadn't changed, although he spoke the least among the Ascended, he was the most resolute. He wouldn't listen to anyone except Azir's orders, and even Nasus had no right to give him orders.

"Go back now. If the Emperor comes out, I will tell you that he was here."

The goddess of flowers was speechless. What would be the point of telling Azir at that time?

“We must first figure out the reason for the changes in Shurima.” The Great Tree King vaguely felt that it was not the Ascended Ones who had changed, but the will of the entire kingdom that had changed.

In the year 460 of the Desert Calendar, Shurima's offensive intensified. Nasus, by activating the power of the Sun Disc, increased the number of Ascended to forty. After successive reports of victories from Nata and Fontaine, Nasus finally turned his attention to Liyue.

The ten newly added Ascended, together with the five Ascended already stationed on the border of Liyue, led the Desert Guard into Liyue territory, officially declaring war on Liyue!

[But as soon as they entered the area of ​​the Layered Rock Abyss, they were suddenly swept into the endless abyss by an earthquake. The sky and the earth seemed to begin to collapse, and many guards died. The ascended beings took action one after another, and after finally stabilizing the situation, a huge figure descended from the sky.]

The dragon, bathed in holy light, roared with earth-shattering fury and disdain for the ascendants' attack—"Mortals, do not presume!"

Rumble~~~

The boulders rolled and roared, creating a tremendous shock!

The enormous Dragon King could shake the earth with a mere sway of his body, and with a single step, he could create trenches hundreds of meters deep in the ground. No matter how many mortals there were, they were utterly powerless against him.

"It is the Dragon King Ruoduo!"