While I was in Mondstadt, I never imagined becoming a god.

A dozen days ago, a group of them discovered a hidden cave in the Longji Snow Mountain, which was filled with ancient objects.

"We thought we'd struck it rich," Hans said, his voice still trembling.

"We split the goods into several shipments, but we never expected to run into that guy."

“He didn’t kill us at first, he just locked us up.”

"Later...later I saw with my own eyes that he turned my companions into that kind of thing!"

Hans's tears and snot mingled together, and he was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Their eyes glowed red, and they obeyed him like puppets!"

"I escaped in the chaos and ran all the way. Ice Scammer was chasing me, and then I met you guys."

After he finished speaking, he almost cried and begged, "Please, take me down the mountain! I swear I will never come to Longji Snow Mountain again in my life!"

"I'm changing careers! I'm going to farm! I..."

Xu Chuan shook his head, interrupting him.

“We can take you down the mountain,” he said, “but not now.”

Hans was stunned.

“Take us to that cave.” Xu Chuan’s tone left no room for argument. “After you’ve shown us the way, I’ll naturally send you on your way.”

"No, no!" Hans shook his head frantically. "That's a dead end! Once you go there, you won't come back!"

Yura drew her greatsword and held it to his neck.

"going or not?"

Hans froze.

A moment later, he slumped down like a deflated balloon.

"I...I'll go."

The next day, the snowstorm subsided slightly.

The group of five left the camp and headed deeper into the Starry Cave.

Hans walked at the front, his legs still trembling, but he was able to lead the way with difficulty.

Xu Chuan held the Tvalin teardrop in his hand, constantly sensing the movement around him.

Abedo and Sugar walked on either side, with Yura bringing up the rear.

The Starry Cave is deeper than I imagined.

The further in you go, the dimmer the light and the lower the temperature. The surrounding rock walls are covered with frost, and the path under your feet becomes increasingly slippery.

Occasionally, traces of human intervention can be seen: broken stone steps, collapsed stone pillars, and blurred murals.

A melody unconsciously surfaced in Xu Chuan's mind.

That was the background music from Dragonspine Snow Mountain in the game—desolate, distant, and carrying a kind of long-forgotten sadness.

This place was once an ancient kingdom.

Until the nail of the cold sky descended, the ancient kingdom was submerged in history.

The journey was unusually quiet.

There was no monster attack as expected, no ambush, and we didn't even encounter a single slime.

The entire cave looked as if it had been deliberately cleaned; it was abnormally clean.

"It's too quiet," Yura said in a low voice.

"Indeed, it's a little too quiet."

Xu Chuan clenched his fists, sensing every slight fluctuation around him.

After many twists and turns, we finally arrived at our destination.

This is a huge hollow in the mountain, larger than any cave we had passed before.

There are obvious signs of artificial excavation on the surrounding rock walls, indicating that they were deliberately enlarged.

A strange smell filled the air: alchemical potions, blood, and some kind of putrid odor.

In the corner, many tattered clothes were scattered.

The clothes were stained with dark brown blood, which looked particularly glaring under the frost.

“That is…” Sugar covered her mouth, unable to speak.

Hans was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he leaned against the rock wall, trembling.

Abedo scanned his surroundings, his gaze grave.

“Forbidden alchemy,” he said. “He’s experimenting on living people.”

The voice just fell.

"Watch out above!"

Xu Chuan suddenly looked up, tears trembling violently in his palm.

At the top of the cave, seven or eight ice flowers hung upside down, their petals opening at the same time.

Ice bullets rained down like a storm!

"Rock barrier!"

Abedo reacted extremely quickly, and the Eye of the Rock God instantly lit up.

The combination of rock element and alchemy created a semi-transparent barrier that rose from the ground, enveloping everyone within it.

The ice bullets slammed into the barrier, creating a series of cracking sounds and sending ice shards flying everywhere.

"Ah ah ah ah ah--"

Hans crouched on the ground, clutching his head, wailing and howling, "I shouldn't have led the way! I knew this would happen! It's all over, all over..."

"Shut up!" Yura kicked him in the butt. "If you howl again, I'll throw you out!"

Xu Chuan ignored the noise, closed his eyes, and focused intently on his senses.

The teardrops warmed slightly in his palm, resonating with the monsters transformed by the dragon's venomous blood.

“Five on the cave ceiling, still attacking.” He quickly counted, “Two directly in front, three on the right, and the largest one in the back passage—blocking our retreat.”

Yura gripped her greatsword tightly, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Only eleven? That's all?"

She stepped out of the barrier, her ice-blue greatsword slicing through the air, heading straight for the giant ice-deceptive flower that pounced from behind.

That ice-flower was at least five meters tall, and its petals unfolded like a giant ice flower. People who didn't know it might have thought it was a frozen tree that had come to life.

It roared and pounced, unleashing a deluge of ice bullets.

Yura cleaved the ice bullet in two with a single sword strike, her momentum undiminished, aiming straight for the core!

"boom!"

The greatsword struck the petals, sending ice shards flying, and the giant ice flower let out a scream.

Sugar was not to be outdone.

Wind elements gathered around her, and howling gales raged through the cave, blowing the icy flowers that rushed towards her all over the place.

Her fighting style was completely different from her usual self, and she showed no trace of shyness.

"Sugar, to the left!" Xu Chuan shouted.

"understand!"

A whirlwind precisely swept the three ice flowers together and slammed them hard against the rock wall.

Abedo and Xu Chuan stood side by side, dealing with the enemy in front of them while keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

The counterfeit product hasn't shown up yet.

The ice-cold flowers charged forward fearlessly; as one fell, another took its place.

What's more troublesome is that they cooperated exceptionally well, advancing and retreating with perfect timing, as if someone were manipulating them from behind.

“These guys…” Yura severed a petal from an Ice Lizard Flower with her sword, her brow furrowing. “Something’s not right!”

Xu Chuan also noticed it.

Ordinary monsters wouldn't use this kind of tactical coordination.

They seem to have been endowed with some kind of intelligence.

Just then, a familiar figure emerged from the shadows deep within the cave.

Golden hair, and a face exactly like Abelardo's.

The fake Aberdo clapped his hands, a smug smile on his face.

"Not bad, not bad, just as I expected, you still came."

His voice was exactly the same as Aberdo's, but his tone was completely different.

He was flamboyant, smug, and tinged with a kind of morbid excitement.

"Boom!"

A loud bang interrupted his entrance.

The giant ice flower crashed to the ground, its head almost cleaved open by the icy blue greatsword.

Yura drew her sword, took a breath, and stared coldly at the fake.

“A fake is a fake,” she scoffed. “Even its smile is so irritating.”

The fake Aberdo's smile froze for a moment.

Aberdo did not say a word.

He took action immediately.

Rock element surged around him, and the previously lifeless rock formations seemed to come alive, rushing towards the surrounding ice flowers as if they possessed life.

The three Ice Liars were instantly locked to the rock wall, unable to move.

The pupils of the pseudo-Abedo contracted slightly.

The next moment, Abedo had already rushed in front of him.

Two figures clashed fiercely in the cave.

Sword light flashed, ice shards flew, and the collision of Geo and Ice elements produced a piercing explosion.

But their temperaments are completely different.

One is as calm as ice, the other as passionate as fire.

Xu Chuan did not rush forward.

He gripped the silver sword tightly, and ice elements condensed on the blade to form sharp ice blades.

With Sugar's help, the wind element will attempt to ambush Abedo's Ice Trick Flower Roll.

"Don't rush." ​​Xu Chuan stared at the two intertwined figures and muttered to himself, "This time I won't let you get away again."

Yura also joined the battle, but instead of rashly interfering in the fight between Abedo and the fake, she cleared away the surrounding ice-deceiving flowers to create space for Abedo to fight one-on-one.

Inside the cave, a fierce battle raged.

The fake was laughing all the while fending off Aberdo's fierce attacks.

He laughed wildly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please don't be impatient. I have prepared many gifts, and I believe you will like them."

His gaze swept over Xu Chuan, a glint of greed flashing in his eyes.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Trapped in a Desperate Situation

Those greedy eyes made Xu Chuan feel extremely uncomfortable.

Like being stalked by a venomous snake, a cold, sticky feeling lingers in my mind.