I, from the Celestial Empire, have parachuted into Teyvat.

The more important task now is to handle the aftermath of the return to Qindao City, Qianhai Base, and the Inazuma Islands.

After completing the teleportation, Ivan didn't even have time to return to Mondstadt to say goodbye to Jean and the others. Shadow took him and rushed back to Inazuma from Mondstadt overnight.

By the time they returned to Inazuma, a joint force consisting of the Tenryo Magistrate and the Chinese Fleet had already been stationed on the three islands of Kaigi.

Fortunately, no trace of monsters was found on the island.

Regarding this, Ivan and the others did not know the reason for it. Logically speaking, large-scale indiscriminate teleportation should also teleport the monsters that landed in the Abyss Sea back together. However, the situation has changed. The only thing Ivan can guess is that it may be related to the erosion of the Abyss by the aura of destruction, which has caused changes in the Abyss. After all, even the Abyss Corridor has disappeared from the Abyss Sea.

The above information regarding the Abyss will be investigated further.

After returning to Inazuma, because it was late and the weather abnormalities caused by the large-scale teleportation had not yet recovered, Ivan rested for a night before taking a ship prepared by the Tenryo Envoy to return to the three islands of Umiji.

After a busy night, the biological warfare unit of the Chinese exploration fleet has conducted a relatively comprehensive biological and bacterial survey of the three islands. They have temporarily confirmed that there are no unknown bacteria, viruses, or other harmful microorganisms brought from the abyss on the three islands. However, as a precaution, the three islands still need to be quarantined for a week, and outsiders going to the islands need to wear full protective suits.

Ivan, wrapped in a protective suit with only his eyes showing, stepped off the ship. Xin Hai and the others stood at a distance on the Haiqi Island pier and waved vigorously at Ivan.

"teacher!"

Ivan greeted everyone, then looked at Xinhai with a somewhat speechless expression and said, "You can recognize me at a glance even dressed like this?"

Xin Hai said, "Because the teacher has a unique temperament."

"You little rascal, it's been a while since I've seen you, and your voice has become even more pleasant to hear."

Xin Hai covered her mouth and chuckled softly, then extended her hands to Ivan.

Ivan quickly moved aside.

"Let's skip the hugs for now. You're in quarantine, and even though I'm wearing protective gear, it's best to avoid contact if possible. I'll treat you to a big meal after seven days."

There was no hug, and Xin Hai didn't show any sign of sadness. She continued to pester Ivan, telling him about everything that had happened on Haiqi Island since he left. In Ivan's presence, Xin Hai seemed to have temporarily shed the heavy burden on her shoulders. The composure she possessed as the leader of Haiqi Island vanished, replaced by the energy of a vibrant young girl.

Besides Shinkai, Ivan was also greeted by Konno Yumeno, Yoshida Ryohiko, and Piske, all of whom were old friends of Ivan's from his time on Haigi Island. Ivan chatted briefly with each of his old friends.

However, besides the people from Haizhi Island, there are actually some "unexpected stranded people" on Haizhi Island - such as Qi Ji in He Guan.

Because the teleportation was carried out on a large scale, the teleportation system was not based on individuals, but on landmasses. Therefore, Qi Ji and the others who remained on He Guan Island were also teleported to Inazuma Island along with He Guan Island. Including the space research team, engineering team, and combatants, there were nearly a hundred people in total. They have been taken to Hai Zhi Island for quarantine. After the quarantine ends, they will travel through Mondstadt and return to Earth via the World Gate.

So strictly speaking, this was Qi Ji and his companions' first time arriving on the Teyvat continent.

Ivan asked Qi Ji, "What was it like coming to Teyvat for the first time?"

Qi Ji's response was a helpless smile.

"It feels good, at least much better than in the abyss."

These words elicited a burst of laughter from the crowd.

The joy of escaping from a desperate situation was released in everyone's hearts at this moment.

After spending the morning on Haiji Island and confirming that there were no other issues there for the time being, Ivan returned to Narukami Island. After that, Shinkai and the others also had to get busy.

Having been trapped in the abyss for nearly a month, Haiqi Island has suffered considerable losses. In addition to the resources consumed, the Haiqi Island defense squad also suffered significant casualties in its efforts to repel the landing monsters. These are all matters that Xin Hai and the others will have to deal with later.

Afterwards, Ivan confirmed through remote communication that the Blue Star China team had also entered Qin Island City and Qianhai Base for docking. The situation was basically the same as that of the three islands of Haiqi Island. No traces of monsters were found, nor were any harmful microorganisms or viruses. The city would also be quarantined for a period of time.

During this period, the Chinese government will compile statistics on the losses caused by this disaster, including resource depletion and casualties, provide material and medical assistance to the citizens of Qindao City, end the wartime policy, and strive to help the citizens return to normal life as soon as possible.

With the Senate in the rear of China, Ivan doesn't need to worry.

On Inazuma's side, during the quarantine period, the shogunate continuously mobilized a large amount of supplies to send to Umijima Island. Ivan was not idle either, and he kept in touch with the rear of China on Blue Star. He would occasionally go to Umijima Island to check on the recovery of Umijima Island, but he spent most of his time running around on Narukami Island.

Now that the three islands of Haizhi Island and Qin Island City have been rescued from the abyss, and other personnel are taking care of the follow-up work, Ivan's main focus has shifted from the rescue operation to other aspects.

The main matters concerned Inazuma joining the Pan-China Xiatiwat organization, as well as the preliminary intention documents for future cooperation between China and Inazuma.

Several more days passed after all these events unfolded, until Haiqi Island was unsealed.

As agreed, Ivan treated all his old friends to a meal at the Utopia Pavilion in Inazuma City, spending a considerable sum.

At this point, everything has basically come to an end.

Of course, the rescue operation was not perfect, and many mysteries remain. For example, when Ivan first arrived in Inazuma to investigate, the fishermen told him that before the transfer anomaly occurred, a large number of fish in the sea were being eaten. Ivan initially judged that the fish being eaten by a monster called a deep-sea dragon lizard. To this day, Ivan still cannot determine whether this is related to the transfer anomaly.

However, Ivan could ask one person to investigate this matter—Xin Hai.

Chapter 424 A Different Taste of Searching

During the gathering, Ivan called Xin Hai aside and explained the situation regarding the deep-sea dragon lizard.

"Deep-sea dragon lizard?"

Xin Hai showed a shocked expression.

"How is that possible? Deep-sea dragon lizards should never appear in the Inazuma Sea..."

Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"Could it be that something's wrong with Yuanxia Palace?"

Yuanxia Palace—a mysterious underground kingdom from a distant era, the origin of the deep-sea dragon lizard is related to it, and this mysterious kingdom is located underground on Haiqi Island, with its only entrance in the deep pool directly below the main hall of the Coral Palace on Haiqi Island.

The history of Fukushita Palace is directly related to that of Umijima Island.

The ancestors of Haiqi Island came from the ancient kingdom of Yuanxia Palace. For some reason, the people of Yuanxia Palace returned to the surface from underground and gradually multiplied into the modern people of Haiqi Island. As for the ancient kingdom of Yuanxia Palace, it has long been abandoned and only ruins remain.

The deep-sea dragon lizard is a creature from the Abyss Palace, which is why Ivan went to the Heart Sea to investigate the deep-sea dragon lizard.

Deep-sea dragon lizards live in darkness year-round and are afraid of light, so rationally speaking, it is highly unlikely that they would leave the Abyss Palace and come to the surface.

If the phenomenon of fish being eaten off the coast of Inazuma is indeed the work of deep-sea dragons, then it can only mean that something happened in Fuchishita-no-Miya.

In short, the specific situation of Yuanxia Palace cannot be easily explained in a few words. This matter still needs to be considered in the long run. Ivan found Xinhai today mainly to give Xinhai a reminder.

As for hearing the name Yuanxia Palace from Ivan, Xin Hai didn't find it strange at all. Most people on Haiqi Island had some understanding of Yuanxia Palace, their "homeland," and Ivan had lived on Haiqi Island for a long time. In Xin Hai's opinion, it was perfectly normal for Ivan to know about Yuanxia Palace.

"Indeed, ever since they were teleported to the Abyss Sea, the island has been focused on defending against monsters landing and searching for a way to escape. No one has paid attention to the situation at the Abyss Palace..."

Xin Hai frowned slightly and nodded.

"I understand, teacher. I will select someone to investigate this situation when I get back. However, entering Yuanxia Palace is a very troublesome matter, and this investigation may not yield any results in the short term."

Ivan said, "Take it slow. This matter isn't urgent right now. As for whether this matter is related to the fact that Haiqi, Qinglai, and Heguan Islands were teleported to the Abyss, I'm still just speculating."

Because the party was still going on, the two chatted about the matter for a few more minutes before returning to the banquet.

Just as Ivan said, there's no rush to investigate this matter; we can just wait patiently. Xin Hai's efficiency is absolutely reassuring.

After the gathering, Ivan stayed in Inazuma for a while longer. During this time, in addition to continuing to discuss the cooperation plan between China and Inazuma, Ivan also did some things that he had already decided when he was still in Inazuma.

When Ivan led the Umijima rebels to attack the scattered troops, he seized control of the energy device—the Mikage Furnace—at the forge on Kannazuka, one of the three main islands of Inazuma. This energy device, originating from Fontaine, contained some interesting technical details and had considerable research value. However, due to the ongoing war, it could not be moved, so Ivan left it in Kannazuka. After Inazuma returned to peace, the shogunate preserved the device for future research purposes.

Under Ivan's impetus, China and Inazuma signed a relevant research agreement, after which China would send relevant technical personnel to Inazuma to conduct research on it.

After most matters were settled, the Chinese fleet prepared to temporarily leave Inazuma and return to China. Ivan would also return with the fleet. Ivan would return again when the specific matters concerning China, Inazuma, and Inazuma's joining the Pan-Chinese Teyvat Organization were finalized.

The return to China will involve a major overhaul and resupply of the exploration fleet, but that's not the main purpose. During the month that Qindao City unexpectedly disappeared, Earth has been anything but peaceful...

After bidding a temporary farewell to Inazuma and the others at the island's dock, the Chinese fleet returned to Mondstadt in two days. Without lingering in Mondstadt, they passed directly through the World Gate that same day.

At 2 p.m. that day, the exploration fleet passed through the thick fog of the World Gate and returned to the long-lost Blue Star.

However, there was a difference. This time, after passing through the Gate of the World, the fleet immediately received orders from the military to not stop in Qindao City, but instead changed course and went to Qingshan City, which is separated from Qindao City by a bay.

Ivan deduced that the specific reason might be related to Qindao City's recent return from the abyss and its ongoing reconstruction and renovation, but he guessed that this was probably not the main reason.

The entire reinforced aircraft carrier fleet is quite large. As soon as the exploration fleet led by the Jingu ship appeared in the waters near Qingshan City, it immediately attracted a large number of citizens to watch along the coast.

When the Senate initially decided to conduct a large-scale exploration of Teyvat, considering the need for secrecy and geographical requirements, Qindao City was selected as the main port of call for the exploration fleet to return to China for rest and resupply. Therefore, Qindao City has taken very strict secrecy measures for the exploration fleet, from the initial arrest of spies to the later designation of part of the naval port as a military restricted area, and the construction of a huge forward base in the waters near Qindao City. In addition, the frequent activities of the East China Sea Fleet in the East China Sea and Bohai Bay in the past six months are all efforts made for secrecy.

The exploration fleet returned to China from Teyvat several times. Thanks to these security measures, it was almost impossible for ordinary citizens to witness it. Even if someone did see it, they would only assume it was a routine activity of the East China Sea Fleet, so it did not attract much attention from any party.

However, Aoyama City is different. Aoyama City has not specified a complete secrecy plan. Therefore, choosing Aoyama City as the port of call for the exploration fleet will definitely attract a lot of attention. It can even be considered a semi-exposed state. This made Ivan smell something unusual. This is why Ivan guessed that there was probably another reason for not choosing to call Qindao City, in addition to the fact that Qindao City needs to be rebuilt and repaired.

Qingshan City is an important trading city on the eastern coast of China and a customs port for the Bohai Bay. The main permanent naval port of the East China Sea Fleet is located here.

The exploration fleet docked at the permanent naval port, and Ivan had just stepped off the Shingu ship when he found that someone was already waiting there.

Ivan looked at the middle-aged man in sportswear walking towards him and asked with some curiosity, "Excuse me, who are you?"

The middle-aged man introduced himself with a serious expression: "Commander Yi, my name is Zong Jianbang. The Grand Elder sent me to escort you back to the capital in an emergency."

Upon hearing this, Ivan raised an eyebrow slightly.

"I understand. When do we set off?"

Zong Jianbang said in a low voice.

"Now."

Chapter 425 What are our chances of winning?

In the outskirts of Beijing, a black sedan with a red hoodie is driving quickly and steadily on the ring expressway.

Sitting in the back seat, Ivan thought of the car that the Senate had specially granted him. He had been very busy lately, and it had been parked in the garage of the Chinese Embassy in Mondstadt for some time. He would definitely take it out for a spin when he had time.

Thinking this, Ivan looked up at Zong Jianbang, who was driving in the front seat, and asked, "Uncle Zong, are you the Grand Elder's assistant secretary?"

Zong Jianbang's voice came through.

"Ah."

"Uncle Zong, how long have you been serving the Grand Elder?"

"Six years."

"Uncle Zong, are you a retired special forces soldier?"

"No."

"Forehead......"

Ivan touched his nose, somewhat helplessly. Through the rearview mirror of the car in front, Ivan could see that Zong Jianbang still had that expressionless face.

Several hours had passed since they boarded the bus in Qingshan City to return to Beijing. During these hours, Ivan had been trying to find topics to chat with Zong Jianbang to avoid awkwardness and boredom on the journey, but Zong Jianbang's replies were always concise and to the point that he didn't say a word more than necessary, and he just kept driving.

"Uncle Zong, where are we going? To the Senate?"

"No, we're going to the Grand Elder's residence. The Grand Elder wants to see you."

"Uncle Zong, you don't need to address me with such formality. You're so much older than me; it just feels a little strange to me..."

"Age is not a measure of whether or not one respects another person."