Damn it, something's wrong with the gacha I got.

In addition, Istar, the embodiment of a thousand winds and time, also looks like she hasn't woken up yet.

She felt that Teyvat's future was doomed!

Does this heavy burden have to be borne by Ruona alone?

This will kill you from overwork!

“Qianfeng told me…they initially appeared near Wuwang Slope in Liyue.”

As if just remembering, Ishtar added slowly.

"Morax's territory?" Jonawa frowned. "Then why is he not reacting at all?"

She even began to suspect that the rock god, known for his caution, was also becoming increasingly suspicious, or perhaps preparing to flee.

They had recently focused their efforts on keeping an eye on the blond traveler who was traveling around the world and monitoring areas where abyssal forces were active, such as the Dark Sea, but they never expected that someone would smuggle them in so easily.

"He probably knows that too, but given Morax's personality, he'll probably test the waters. They probably don't have any ill intentions towards Teyvat, so relax, Jonawa, let's keep watching. Right now, the Abyss is what we should be focusing on."

As she spoke, Ishtar yawned.

“That’s not what I meant!” A vein throbbed faintly on Jonawa’s forehead. “The key is those two gray-haired outsiders! The level of power they possess… if it gets out of control, it’s enough to repeatedly destroy Teyvat! That’s terrifying energy that even Nibelungen at its peak couldn’t match!”

She could clearly sense that the two little gray creatures possessed the power to destroy Teyvat multiple times.

That kind of power is probably unmatched even by Nibelungen when it was empowered by the Abyss.

"Hmm? Ronawa, don't be anxious yet."

Rhinedot suddenly focused his gaze on another spot, his tone filled with inquisitive interest, "Look, that outsider who resonates with the Nail of Frost... the power he possesses is quite interesting."

Upon hearing this, Ronawa also focused her gaze.

Beneath the towering cliffs, a clear radiance flowed around Chen Bai, resonating with the purifying power of the nails.

"Resonating with the power of the Heavenly Nail? How is that possible... Wait, what's that?!"

She keenly sensed a powerful life energy surging within Chen Bai's body.

Its essence seems to transcend the limitations of the Teyvat world, yet it is incredibly pure, almost a manifestation of the concept of "life" itself.

"Yes, I noticed that too."

The light in Rhinedot's eyes intensified; that intensely rich life force held a fatal attraction for her.

“Not only that,” Ishtar’s languid voice took on a hint of clarity, “there is another power intertwined within him… chaotic and emotional, even more unpredictable than the life force.”

"What should we do now?"

Jonawa interrupted their analysis, stating that direct confrontation was clearly the worst option.

"I think there's some truth to what Istaru said; let's observe for now."

Rhinedot put away some of his playfulness and said seriously, "Let's see what kind of changes they will bring to this world. As long as they don't endanger the foundation of the world, perhaps... it will be an unexpected turning point."

“I agree.” Istaru nodded, a rare occurrence. “My wind sprite seems to have also developed a subtle connection with them. Since Thousand Wind and Rock Rock have tacitly accepted their existence, we don’t need to be too nervous.”

"...So be it." Ronawa was silent for a moment, then finally sighed.

This is indeed the safest option at the moment.

"But we must remain vigilant at all times. If they do anything that threatens the very foundations of this world..."

"Okay, okay." Ishtar waved her hand dismissively, but her gaze had already turned back to the continent. "Well then... let's take a good look."

So, the three... no, the four of them turned their attention from Inazuma to Liyue.

However, Chen Bai was unaware that his group had already attracted the attention of the Four Shadows on Sky Island.

At this moment, Chen Bai had already climbed down from the Cold Sky Nail.

"Where did Xiao go?"

At this moment, he realized that Xiao was nowhere to be seen, and even Dain was gone.

How come these two appear and disappear so mysteriously?

"I don't know. When I came back, I found that they were no longer here. I guess they went to explore somewhere else."

Dan Heng shook his head.

"Fine, since that's the case, let's just ignore them. By the way, where are the March people?"

Chen Bai noticed that the team seemed to be missing one person, March 7th.

“She’s over there,” Ye Lan pointed in a direction.

Chen Bai and the others looked over and saw a conspicuous pink-haired woman squatting down. Next to her, there seemed to be a person who had fainted and was wearing a green outfit.

"Let's go take a look!"

Chen Bai led a few people over, and then they heard March 7th hurriedly shouting:

"Ah Bai, Miss Ye Lan, I just found someone here. She seems to have fainted."

"Let me see."

Chen Bai crouched down to check on the unconscious woman lying on the ground; she seemed to be affected by the power of the abyss.

However, as the Nail of Cold Heaven returned to its original form, the abyssal aura emanating from it had faded considerably.

Chen Bai infused some of the "Abundant" energy into her, and soon after, the woman awoke.

Hello, I am...

"We are adventurers commissioned by Seven Stars to explore the Stratigraphic Abyss. Miss, what are you doing here?"

Chen Bai asked in confusion.

"Oh? So it was you who saved me. I'm so grateful. I'm Zhiqiong, just an ordinary adventurer."

Zhiqiong stood up and thanked her.

"So you're Zhiqiong? Miss Jinwu has been looking for you like crazy, and now she's finally found you."

March 7th said hastily.

Chapter 161 The solitary seeker of the Way possesses his own sublimity.

"So it was Miss Jinwu who asked you to come looking for me... I'm so sorry to have troubled you."

After hearing the explanation, Zhiqiong bowed slightly to the group with an apology.

“Miss Zhiqiong, there’s no need for that.” Chen Bai nodded, his tone softening slightly. “However, you should still leave with us afterward. The depths of the strata and abyss are unpredictable and far too dangerous.”

This place not only contains ancient civilization relics and the Nail of Frost, but also harbors abyssal monsters and even a very special space.

That place can peer into people's consciousness and bring their fears or longings to life.

If one were to slip and fall in, it would be difficult to escape.

These traps that strike at the heart are often harder to defend against than tangible demons.

unless……

Chen Bai suddenly had a thought.

It's not entirely hopeless.

He recalled the power of the destiny of "Joy" that he carried, which could condense into an illusory mask.

Beneath that mask, all prying and mind reading will be obscured and isolated.

After all, Ahab's greatest strengths are disguise and chaos.

The essence of joy is the affirmation and praise of life itself.

Faced with that power that relies on prying into the mind and tempting people to sink into the abyss, pleasure may be the best shield.

If he were to accidentally fall into that strange space, perhaps... he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

“I understand the danger here,” Zhiqiong looked up, her eyes still holding the determination unique to explorers, but also a hint of caution. “I will go with you. But I still have things to do down here.”

Rather than lying in bed waiting for the end, it's better to risk your life.

She was just an ordinary person without the Eye of God.

But she wanted to prove herself, to explore the secrets of the world's essence, and to seek the truth about the gods.

I would gladly sacrifice my life.

"Why? Miss Zhiqiong, do you intend to continue exploring downwards?"

March 7th was very puzzled.

"Although my strength is insignificant, I believe that my progress is not meaningless. My footprints may become a beacon to illuminate those who follow, even if the light of this lamp is dim."

Zhiqiong smiled slightly and then began to explain her identity.

Originally, she came from a mining family and a background as a cartographer in Mingyun Town, but as she grew older and gained more experience, she began to question the standards of divine selection and longed to prove that mortals could also transcend limits and leave their mark.

She only wanted to prove that the power of mortals was not necessarily weaker than that of those who possessed the Eye of God.

Perhaps there's a sense of resentment at not being recognized by the gods involved.

“Your perseverance in exploring is quite similar to that of us ‘nameless travelers’ on our path of exploration,” Chen Bai suddenly said, his tone tinged with appreciation.

"'Nameless Guest'?" This unfamiliar title piqued Zhiqiong's curiosity. She leaned forward and asked, "What's that?"

"By the way, speaking of which, we haven't formally introduced ourselves yet."

Just as Chen Bai remembered this, he said simply, “My name is Chen Bai, and these are my companions—March 7th, Xing, and apart from Miss Ye Lan, we come from the Starry Sky Train. We are a group of nameless travelers who travel among the stars along the path of pioneering.”

"The Starry Sky Train...traveling through the sea of ​​stars, pioneering new paths..."

Zhiqiong repeated the words softly, her eyes gradually brightening. "It sounds...so romantic and amazing."

She never imagined that these uniquely charismatic travelers were actually visitors from beyond the stars.

She had initially guessed that they might be an exploration team from a distant country like Winter or Maple.

After all, their clothing style was quite different from the common attire of the seven kingdoms of Teyvat, but she never expected that the answer would be far more surprising than she had imagined.

Chen Bai really admires people like Zhiqiong.

If Himeko were here, she would say the same thing.

Because there is no need to understand, those who seek the Way in solitude possess their own sublimity.

Some might say that Zhiqiong is being foolish, daring to venture into the lower rock abyss despite not being strong enough, causing his teammates to worry. Wouldn't it be better to explore together with his teammates?

Does it really have to be a solo adventure, leaving the team?

However, from another perspective, Zhiqiong has already mustered up tremendous courage to do this.

An ordinary person would definitely avoid risks, after all, most people are afraid of death and want to avoid misfortune.

However, courage is a hymn to humanity.

When she took that step, she had already surpassed most people.

Does Zhiqiong really not know the risks involved? Or does she not understand why her team would be worried?

Because she understands this, she is even more determined to do it!

“Zhiqiong, even if others don’t understand you, you must persevere on this path. A solitary seeker of the Way has his own unique nobility.”

Chen Bai gave this sentence to Zhiqiong.

As soon as the words were spoken, March 7, Star and Sky, and the others standing to the side all felt a slight tremor in their hearts.

The solitary seeker of the Way possesses his own sublimity...

They may not fully grasp the literal meaning of this sentence, but the firm and solitary will it conveyed seemed to resonate deeply with the pioneering path they were following.

Especially Xing and Qiong, the two looked at each other and seemed to see similar starlight in each other's eyes.

Zhiqiong paused, her eyes gradually welling up with bright tears.

She understood and felt the understanding and respect behind those words.

For a long time, her choice to venture into dangerous places and record the unknown has been met with mostly skepticism and dissuasion.

People say she's reckless, they say she's naive, but few truly understand why she's so determined to keep going.