Khaenri'ah was one of the very few nations in Teyvat that trusted no Archons. For that very reason, during the Archon War, its people had suffered terribly without any God's protection, barely clinging to life underground beneath Sumeru.
As the saying went, fortune lurked within misfortune, and misfortune within fortune. Through a "chance coincidence," the people of Khaenri'ah obtained Forbidden Knowledge and a series of research materials left by their predecessors, which they immediately treasured.
Under the Death Ruler's cover, Khaenri'ah conducted research into Forbidden Knowledge underground without incurring the divine punishment of a Skyfrost Nail.
Forbidden Knowledge was extremely dangerous, and the people of Khaenri'ah were no fools. The prevailing practice at the time was to refine the chaotic, uncontrollable Forbidden Knowledge into the more controllable power of the Abyss, using it as an energy source to drive machinery. It was safe, long-lasting, and efficient. Even today, Khaenri'ahn machines capable of operating independently remained scattered throughout Teyvat.
For that very reason, Khaenri'ah's mechanical technology advanced by leaps and bounds, producing an endless succession of powerful machines of every kind. From Ruin Guards to their larger and gigantic counterparts, from Ruin Hunters to Aeonblight Drakes, and even Ruin Serpents designed specifically to burrow underground, Khaenri'ah's national strength reached unprecedented heights. It could even be called the most powerful nation in Teyvat.
Even so, Khaenri'ah did not choose to relocate to the surface despite its great national strength. The reasons were actually quite simple.
First, the Archon War had already ended. The seven victorious Gods had been granted Gnoses by the Heavenly Principles, and all the land on the surface already belonged to the Seven Archons. The Seven Archons would not intervene in conflicts between humans within their territories, but an invasion by another nation was a different matter.
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