Genshin Impact: The God Incarnate

After giving Marchosius a full tour of the Liyue Palace, the next issue was figuring out where he would stay.

From its initial design, the palace didn't account for Marchosius's presence. The grand halls within Liyue Palace—namely the Mora Palace, the Feather Deity Palace, and the Terminal Palace—were the only structures built to divine specifications.

However, this wasn't a major issue for Vorthis.

The Liyue Palace, situated in the heart of Guizoli, was already complete, with its layout and area firmly established. Constructing an additional divine-level palace would disrupt the current arrangement, akin to pulling on a single thread and unraveling the entire tapestry.

Since Vorthis had no desire to deal with such complications, Marchosius would have to make do with a temporary solution.

Vorthis led Marchosius to a smaller, unused palace. Though unfinished and devoid of furnishings, this blank canvas made it perfect for a quick renovation into Marchosius's new residence.

With a wave of Vorthis's hand, white light began to flash—his divine power of Manifestation at work. One by one, antique-style furnishings materialized, each placed precisely where it belonged, as though Vorthis had an innate understanding of interior design.

Thanks to the experience gained from previous constructions, Vorthis had become an unparalleled expert in building Chinese-style palaces in Teyvat.

Though Marchosius had been amazed by Vorthis's Manifestation powers in the past, he was starting to grow accustomed to these feats. Slowly, he was integrating into Vorthis's extraordinary world.

"Marchosius, I must apologize," Vorthis began, a hint of guilt in his tone. "The facilities here are limited. Unfortunately, I can't offer you a palace of the same caliber as the others. This space might fall short of your expectations, but if there's anything you need or find unsatisfactory, let me know. As your host, I'll do everything I can to address your concerns."

Marchosius blinked, caught off guard.

What did Vorthis mean by "fall short"? Was he referring to this sprawling palace, complete with all the modern conveniences and even a massive custom kitchen?

"Uh… Brother Zennos," Marchosius stammered, "this place is more than satisfactory. I couldn't ask for anything better. Thank you for your kindness."

"Ah, that's good to hear," Vorthis replied, relieved.

If building a new palace wouldn't have been so disruptive, Vorthis would have gladly constructed a luxurious estate for Marchosius. But since this wasn't feasible, his guilt lasted only a fleeting moment before vanishing completely.

After hanging a plaque labeled "Palace of Culinary Mastery" on the door, Vorthis returned to his own quarters and resumed his cultivation.

For over half a month, Vorthis focused on enhancing his spiritual power. However, his meditation was interrupted by a knock at his door.

Surprised, he opened the door to find Marchosius standing there.

"Brother Zennos, I hope I'm not disturbing you," Marchosius said sheepishly.

"Not at all," Vorthis replied with a smile. "What brings you here?"

"Well…" Marchosius hesitated, his eyes alight with anticipation. "You mentioned teaching me how to prepare the 108 dishes. I was wondering if you might have some time to start?"

Ah, yes. Vorthis had indeed promised that. Why, oh why, had he volunteered to create such a spectacle back then?

Still, Vorthis wasn't about to back out. He recalled his words and sighed internally.

"Oh, so it's about that," Vorthis said with a smile. "It's not that I don't want to teach you, Marchosius, but my recipes require very specific ingredients—many of which are currently unavailable here in Guizoli. You, as the God of the Stove, must understand that without the right ingredients, the results would be less than ideal."

Hearing this, Marchosius visibly deflated, like a balloon losing air. His excitement faded into disappointment.

Without the ingredients, learning the techniques would be meaningless. How could he share these recipes with the people of Guizoli if he couldn't even make them himself?

"Don't lose heart just yet," Vorthis said, his tone brightening. "I, Zennos, gave my word to teach you, and I always honor my promises. Breaking a vow would invite the wrath of the God of Geo himself, wouldn't it?"

Marchosius perked up immediately, his eyes brimming with renewed hope.

"Every great endeavor begins with a single step," Vorthis continued. "Tell me, Marchosius, are you prepared to embark on this culinary journey, no matter how challenging?"

"Of course!" Marchosius declared with unwavering determination.

Seeing his resolute expression, Vorthis smiled. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Marchosius giving up halfway.

And so, with Marchosius's eager gaze fixed on him, Vorthis began the next chapter of their shared adventure.

In the spacious hall of the palace, bag after bag of items materialized, piling up in front of Marchosius until they formed a small mountain.

Only when the pile nearly reached the ceiling did Vorthis finally stop his materialization with a satisfied expression.

Seeing the massive amount of items, Marchosius couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Could Vorthis's solution to the problem be simply providing him with an abundance of materials?

If so, Marchosius thought, he could learn to cook these exquisite dishes himself.

But how could he teach this skill to the people of Guizoli afterward?

After all, it was unlikely the people would have access to such abundant materials in their homes.

Without the ingredients, how could they even begin to learn?

Cooking is a skill that requires practice, and chefs cannot be afraid of failure—they must embrace it repeatedly to grasp the essence of the craft.

And all of this demands a significant amount of ingredients.

Depending solely on Vorthis's materialization... would be rather impractical...

"Zennos, what is this?"

Marchosius looked at Vorthis with a puzzled expression, seeking an explanation.

Vorthis, of course, understood the principle of teaching a man to fish rather than giving him one.

If people needed to pray to the great God of Feather every time they wanted ingredients, only for him to materialize the necessary food for them...

Well, Vorthis thought, they might as well just kill me outright and spare me the torture.

"Inside these bags are seeds of ingredients," Vorthis explained with a smile.

"Before learning how to make delicious dishes, you must first gather the necessary ingredients.

"So, Marchosius, the first step to learning how to make my dishes is to plant these ingredient seeds. Spread them widely among the people of Guizoli, so they understand the value of these ingredients.

"As more people grow these ingredients, the issue of availability will naturally be solved. When it's time to teach them, they won't lack the necessary materials."

Marchosius nodded earnestly.

Indeed, before making delicious dishes, gathering the right ingredients was essential.

And to gather ingredients, planting their seeds in fields and spreading them among the people was the best approach.

Only by doing so could he achieve his dream of bringing delicious food to every household without the limitation of ingredients.

"I understand now. Thank you for your guidance, Zennos."

"But... as the God of the Stoves, I have no knowledge of how to plant these ingredients. Where should I begin?"

Marchosius admitted, not out of laziness but genuine ignorance.

Vorthis had anticipated this.

The first batch of ingredients he provided included plants that were simple to grow—things like chili peppers, cabbage, garlic, pumpkins, tomatoes, spinach, onions, cucumbers, carrots, and so on.

Moreover, Vorthis had enhanced these crops with special traits to thrive even in harsh environments.

Even without meticulous care, they would still bear fruit, though their yields might be lower.

"Don't worry, Marchosius," Vorthis said reassuringly.

"The planting methods for this batch of seeds are similar to those for wheat, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

"You just need to consult a few experienced farmers in Guizoli, and they'll know how to handle them.

"I believe this won't pose much of a challenge for you."

Marchosius's doubts eased. "I see. I understand now!"

Still... this is just the first batch?

Looking at the mountain of bags, Marchosius fell into deep thought.

But as Zennos said, the beginning is always the hardest.

To fulfill his dream of spreading gourmet dishes far and wide, Marchosius, the God of the Stoves, would not shy away from such small hurdles.

If he couldn't handle even this, how could he have the face to ask Zennos for the secrets of those 108 dishes?

"Alright, I understand, Zennos. Without delay, I'll get started immediately!"

With a determined expression, Marchosius used his divine power to move the mountain of bags out of Vorthis's palace.

Watching the motivated Marchosius leave, Vorthis opened his mouth as if to say something. But before he could, Marchosius had already left with his supplies.

Actually, Vorthis wanted to mention... it was late autumn, almost winter—not an ideal time for planting.

Still, Vorthis thought, no big deal. He trusted that Marchosius would learn the proper timing for planting from experienced farmers.

With a helpless smile, Vorthis waved his hand, closing the palace gates.

He then resumed his cultivation to strengthen his powers.

Manifestation Power +1

Manifestation Power +1

Manifestation Power +1

Meanwhile, Marchosius carefully stored the seeds like treasures before eagerly heading to the fields outside Guizoli.

He found an experienced farmer and learned that the current season wasn't suitable for planting. Hearing this, Marchosius felt a tinge of disappointment.

When one eagerly anticipates something, time seems to slow to a crawl, becoming increasingly unbearable.

Even for a god, this principle held true.

Marchosius, however, was undeterred. He dug deeper to understand why planting was unsuitable in winter.

After thorough investigation, he identified three key reasons:

The low temperatures—most plants were not frost-resistant.

Insufficient sunlight—shorter daylight hours in winter hindered plant growth.

Frozen soil—tied closely to the first issue of low temperatures.

Marchosius then had an idea: if he could address these issues, could planting in winter become feasible?

Thus, through his experimentation, the Divine Stove God's Greenhouse was born...