He changed Tiwat

“Miss Yelan came down a day earlier than us, and obviously did not expect that the ‘Wishing Stone’ would create a new path. So this backpack was actually buried in the location that would be most easily discovered under normal circumstances.”

"This black mist barrier has existed for a long time, at least before the Fatui discovered this place. According to the records in the logbook, the Fatui fought with the forces of the Abyss and then retreated. This should not have happened recently, otherwise we should have been able to find some footprints and signs of battle."

"If this backpack was accidentally dropped during their retreat, why is it so well preserved? And why is there nothing else in this backpack besides this journal? Logically speaking, it should have contained food, water, tools, and other such things... Isn't this a rather basic mistake, Miss Yelan?"

There has still been no response.

Jiang Xue had already activated her elemental vision, but within the range that the "Lumen Stone" catalyst could illuminate, she did not see any human figures.

If the Miss Ye Lan that Han Fulai mentioned was really watching them nearby, she would probably be hiding in the darkness quite far away—that's why this kid is speaking so loudly.

Of course, there is another possibility: that Han Fulai's actions were just a smokescreen, and that Ye Lan was not even nearby.

However, Jiang Xue was very interested to hear what else he wanted to say.

“Let’s talk about this ‘tactical manual’ again.” Han Fulai took the logbook from Jiang Xue and held it up high. “The contents inside are incredibly useful—but also too little. It records exactly what we need to know, without a single unnecessary word. It’s as if a kind person from the Fools’ Clan compiled intelligence for us and even knew we were coming… Isn’t that a bit too unbelievable?”

"Moreover, apart from the information needed to dispel this black fog, all other information, such as the location of their stronghold, personnel configuration, and even the name of the owner of this 'tactical manual,' is missing. It's obvious that it was torn out. Because you don't want us to know any more information."

“And this simple map…” he said, waving the map he took out of the logbook. “The owner of this ‘tactical manual’ has no reason to leave this map behind. Just from the way this Fool soldier used words, you can tell that he was not of high rank. He even had to use an honorific title when referring to a sergeant, which means that this Sergeant Anton was one of his superiors.”

"Military maps are usually kept by commanders of a certain rank. How could they be entrusted to such low-ranking soldiers for safekeeping? And how could they be so easily discarded? I see that the markings on the map were drawn by you, Miss Yelan. You are so thoughtful."

"Let me guess, the reason you told us how to dispel the black fog is that you can't ring both bells at the same time by yourself, but there happen to be two of us. There's a time limit for ringing these two bells to dispel the black fog, and the effect will probably stop when the bells stop ringing. The Fools also sent two people to ring the bells back then."

“If Senior Jiang Xue and I each ring a bell to dispel the black mist, you can take the opportunity to go in and get ahead of us, right? We run the errands, and you reap the benefits. What a clever scheme.”

"You're still not answering because you think that even if I see through it, I'll have to do it this way to dispel the black mist, right? Let me tell you, I'm not going to ring the bell!"

Han Fulai plopped down on the ground with an air of nonchalance, "Miss Yelan, if you don't come out to see me, I'm quitting!"

"You also discovered that the 'Abyss Order' has intervened in the anomalies of the Layered Rock Abyss, and you know the situation is serious. And you even want to solve this problem and take credit for it, right? Let me tell you, I'm not one to take credit. I'll go back right now and send a team of immortals to Mount Aozang to flatten the Layered Rock Abyss, you believe me? Then that smooth-talking True Lord Liuyun will come and chat with Lord Ningguang, saying, 'Ningguang, you're not doing a good job. Let us immortals take charge...'"

A whooshing sound rang out, and an object emitting blue light flew in from the darkness in the distance.

Han Fulai wasn't afraid of what kind of hidden weapon it was, since he was still wearing the Jade Shield.

The object struck the jade shield and rolled to the ground—it was a die, very similar to the one Ye Lan wore around her neck.

Han Fulai picked up the dice, and Ye Lan's cold voice came from them: "We'll each ring one bell, it's fair."

This die is imbued with a secret technique passed down through the Yelan family, allowing it to communicate with people over short distances.

"That's not fair!" Han Fulai shook his head vigorously at the dice. "You blew up the tunnel before, hindering our progress and giving us a day's lead. You cheated! I'll also demand that we go in a day first, while you wait outside biting your fingers. That's what I call fair!"

Chapter 189 I, Han Fulai, have always treated people with sincerity [4k5]

"Heh." Upon hearing Han Fulai's suggestion, Ye Lan sneered from the other end of the dice, without replying.

“Miss Yelan, think about it carefully. This condition is actually quite advantageous to you.” Han Fulai smiled and said, “There are people from the ‘Abyss Order’ in this nameless ruin. Their combat strength is unknown, and we may not be able to defeat them. Maybe when you come back a day later, you will find that we have been kicked out in disgrace and are coming to you for help?”

"There's another thing, Miss Yelan, you might not know, but we were ambushed up there by an Abyss Apostle leading 'empty shells'."

"What do you mean by 'empty shell'?" Yelan asked from the side of the dice.

"A monster that wears knight's armor, has a sun emblem on its banner, emerges from black mud, and turns back into black mud after death." Han Fulai described the characteristics of the "Dark Shell" to Ye Lan in detail. "I believe that after hearing my description, you should know that I am telling the truth."

Ye Lan remained silent for a while.

Based on the information she already possessed, she could certainly tell that Han Fulai was telling the truth. She had never seen this kind of monster anywhere else, but there were related records in the Fatui's "tactical manual." This monster had also caused enormous losses to the Fatui; ​​although the names were different, they referred to the same thing.

The fact that the Abyss Order specifically went to ambush Han Fulai means that there is a conflict between Han Fulai and the Abyss Order that she is unaware of. Therefore, the "favorable conditions" that Han Fulai mentioned are not unfounded—the Abyss Order is clearly targeting Han Fulai more.

Furthermore, as the "magician of the Rock Tea House," Ye Lan knows one thing well: cheating without getting caught isn't cheating. She's not the kind of person who will obediently abide by the agreement.

Having considered everything, Ye Lan replied, "I agree. The clock in the southeast corner is mine."

“Then we’ll take charge of the northwest corner,” Han Fulai said. “Judging from the distance on the map, those two ruins are several kilometers away from here, and we’re not familiar with the route… Let’s agree on an hour. After an hour, the two of us will ring the two bells at the same time.”

“Okay.” Ye Lan agreed without hesitation.

People like them have a far superior ability to calculate time by touch than miners who rely on magpies for timekeeping. Moreover, Yelan herself carries a pocket watch made in Fontaine, so timing the bell strike is a piece of cake for her.

"Well... I hope we have a pleasant working relationship," Han Fulai said with a smile.

"Don't try anything funny, or no one will be allowed in," Ye Lan warned coldly.

“Miss Yelan, what you say is… I, Han Fulai, have always treated people with sincerity.”

Han Fulai put the dice on the ground and stood up.

"To show our sincerity, Senior Jiang Xue and I will take our leave first. Please let Miss Ye Lan take back this magical artifact herself."

After saying this, Han Fulai and Jiang Xue turned their backs and entered the side path leading to the ruins of the large bell in the northwest corner.

After rounding a corner, Han Fulai gestured to stop and extinguished the "Luminite" catalyst in his hand. Jiang Xue understood and activated her elemental vision to monitor the movements at the previous location.

The two waited quietly for more than five minutes when the blue-haired beauty suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Ye Lan's stealth skills were indeed superb. Even with her elemental vision activated and her full vigilance on guard, Jiang Xue could only see a blurry blue humanoid figure before Ye Lan appeared, elusive and ghostly. Her ability to track the two of them for so long without being detected was truly remarkable.

Ye Lan bent down to pick up the dice from the ground, her movements revealing her ample bosom. Jiang Xue glanced at Han Fulai, who pretended not to notice, his eyes downcast.

Ye Lan turned her back to them, casually tossing the dice in her hand, seemingly contemplating her next move.

Two minutes later, Ye Lan hung the die back around her neck, stretched out her hands, and shimmering light covered her graceful body. Her figure vanished into thin air once more. In the elemental vision, the ghostly blue humanoid had already headed southeast.

"She's gone," Jiang Xue said softly.

"Monitor for another five minutes to make sure she doesn't come back," Han Fulai replied in a similarly low voice.

Five minutes later, Yelan still hadn't appeared in the elemental vision.

Jiang Xue turned to look at Han Fulai, "She really hasn't come back. Shouldn't we set off too?"

"No rush. She's a very suspicious person, and she might still be watching us nearby. Let's just stay here, chat, and rest. No matter how patient she is or how fast she walks, another fifteen minutes is her limit. By then, she'll have to consider that we've really gone to ring the bell and are heading to the ruins in the southeast corner."

Han Fulai leaned against the rock wall with his hands behind his head, looking relaxed, as if he really intended to rest.

"You mean... you never intended to go and ring the bell in the first place?" Jiang Xue asked, puzzled.

"Only a fool would ring the bell," Han Fulai replied nonchalantly.

"Ahem." Jiang Xue coughed lightly.

"Ah... I'm sorry, I didn't mean you, senior..." Han Fulai quickly apologized, "I meant, I really never intended to ring the bell in the first place."

"Is this your 'treating people with sincerity'?" Jiang Xue glanced sideways, though Han Fulai couldn't see her disdainful look in the darkness.

"Anyway, Miss Yelan and I never intended to abide by this 'agreement' from the beginning. It's obvious we were just deceiving each other." Han Fulai curled his lips. "I said I would deceive her, and then I actually deceived her. Of course, that's 'treating people with sincerity'."

Jiang Xue reaffirmed her judgment—this kid really has a thick skin.

"So what do you plan to do?" Jiang Xue asked.

“In a quarter of an hour, we’ll go in ourselves. Once Miss Ye Lan realizes she’s been tricked, hehe, it’ll be too late.” Han Fulai’s smile had a rather villainous air about it.

"Tell me your plans."

Hearing Han Fulai's words, Jiang Xue knew he had another way to break the black mist barrier. He simply sat cross-legged on the ground and even took out a piece of dry rations to slowly nibble on. He knew very well that it would be his turn to exert himself soon, and resting and replenishing his strength during the march was an instinct for him.

"Actually, I started planning this scheme as soon as I realized that the backpack was information that Miss Yelan deliberately leaked to us. Simply put, my goal is to get rid of Miss Yelan completely. And the black mist barrier is the way to completely block Miss Yelan. If the black mist barrier still exists after we go in, Miss Yelan will only be able to stand outside biting her fingers and staring blankly."

Han Fulai looked up at the sky, imagining Ye Lan's helpless appearance outside... Although this would probably offend Ye Lan again, well, what's the worst that could happen?

“Miss Ye Lan’s tracking skills are very advanced. I believe Senior Jiang Xue has already experienced this. Under normal circumstances, it would be very difficult for us to shake her off.”

Jiang Xue hummed in agreement.

“Let’s put ourselves in her shoes. Suppose I were Miss Ye Lan, I have professional tracking skills, I’m fast on foot, and I also have superb stealth techniques—then letting you in first and overtaking you would be a piece of cake. Miss Ye Lan has had this in mind from the very beginning,” Han Fulai said.

“Oh, so you were saying that neither of you intended to abide by the ‘agreement’.” Jiang Xue nodded.

"Hmm. It's like gambling. My offer to 'give me a one-day head start' is the 'bet'. Winning or losing the bet doesn't really matter. The key question is, even if I win, what will I use to collect the 'bet'?" Han Fulai smiled. "It's a bit ridiculous to be trustworthy with a habitual cheat, isn't it?"

Jiang Xue clicked her tongue. "This 'agreement' was invalid from the start because its contents cannot be fulfilled."

“And Miss Yelan is well aware of this, so our conversation just now was actually a series of tests between us.” Han Fulai continued to explain, “When I called out to Miss Yelan, I had only one purpose: to trick her into showing herself. I kept provoking her with my words, saying things she didn’t want to hear… If she could just come out and beat me up, that would be great, then we could take her down.”

"To get rid of the stalker, killing him... beating him up and tying him up is the most efficient way." Jiang Xue and Han Fulai had the same idea.

"Alas, it's a pity Miss Yelan isn't falling for that... otherwise things would be much simpler." Han Fulai sighed. "Even when she came out to take that die just now, she was pretending to be unsuspecting and testing us. Moreover, I suspect that the die is equipped with a positioning spell. If I take that die with me, she can use it to control our actions."

Jiang Xue chuckled softly, "Heh, you're quite cunning yourself."

"I didn't want to either. You know I'm all for the public good. It's too much trouble to scheme like this..." Han Fulai looked very tired. "After all, she's that Ye Lan. She's very good at finding other people's weaknesses... so I deliberately exposed some weaknesses to her."

"Actually, the flaw I exposed is quite obvious. If I really could invite an immortal to flatten the Abyss of Layered Rocks, I would have done so long ago, right? Miss Yelan knows my personality quite well, so the more I say that I don't have to go in, the more certain Miss Yelan is that I have a reason to enter this ancient civilization ruins—of course, in fact, we do have to go."

“By revealing this, Miss Yelan knew that I also wanted to dispel the black mist barrier, and that I couldn’t dispel it alone. All my words were just bluffing to bargain with her. As the saying goes, ‘only those who complain about the goods are the buyers.’ If there’s a willingness to bargain, there’s room for negotiation, so she threw a magical artifact at me to bargain.”

"Her willingness to bargain with you means that she also wants to enter the ancient ruins, and at the same time, she needs our help to break the black mist barrier."

Jiang Xue immediately understood and took another bite of the bacon strip in her hand.

“Yes. It’s like Miss Yelan and I are holding the exact same trump card. After testing each other for a while, Miss Yelan thinks that continuing the stalemate is inefficient, so it’s better to cooperate to solve this black mist barrier, and then each rely on their own abilities. Miss Yelan has a much greater advantage than us in this regard. If we really ring the bell as agreed, given Miss Yelan’s speed, she can even ring the bell and return to the ruins before us.”

Han Fulai straightened up and took a few steps away from Jiang Xue, moving a little further away from her—Jiang Xue was eating quite heartily, and he could smell the aroma.

"Moreover, the sound of the bell breaking the black mist barrier will be quite loud, and the 'Abyss Order' cannot be unprepared. In addition, I told Miss Yelan that I was being targeted by the 'Abyss Order,' and I was telling the truth. Even if we go in first, we can only be her vanguard, clearing obstacles in her path."

"Because she is so confident in her advantages, she doesn't mind revealing her hand. After all, when the cards are equal, the dealer wins. As long as we actually ring the bell, it will be to her advantage no matter what. Her goal is simply to dispel the black mist barrier."

“But the trump card you showed her was a lie—you actually didn’t need to ring the bell to dispel the black mist barrier at all; that’s your real trump card. Brother Fulai, you’ve been hiding it well; even I was fooled.” Jiang Xue finished her dry rations and stood up.

Han Fulai scratched his cheek somewhat embarrassedly.

"To deceive your opponent, you must first deceive your own people. The reason I bargained with Miss Yelan was to convince her that I had no other way but to ring the bell. Otherwise, how could I create this one-hour time difference?"

Jiang Xue now understood Han Fulai's entire plan, but there was still one thing he didn't understand: "Aren't you worried about the Fools? I still remember when you asked me to help you find the Fools. That Ye Lan already has something about the Fools."

“I’m not worried.” Han Fulai shook his head. “I think she found her intelligence and maps on the corpses of the Fools. Those Fool soldiers who made the deal with the treasure-hunting group have probably met with some accident and are dead. If there were survivors, she wouldn’t need to cooperate with us. She could just threaten a few Fool soldiers to ring the bell for her.”

"Moreover, the deaths of these Fools are likely related to the 'Abyss Order,' which has caused a change in priorities, making Miss Yelan believe that resolving this black mist barrier is more important... Otherwise, Miss Yelan would not have provided us with any information at all."

"I see." Jiang Xue glanced at the black mist barrier in the distance. "It's about time. Tell me, what do we need to do?"

Han Fulai activated the "Luminous Stone" catalyst and simultaneously pulled out his spear from the Eye of the Blank God, drawing a simple barrier diagram on the ground with the spear tip.

“We tested the black mist barrier separately before, and I discovered several of its characteristics—'blocking, erosion, and self-repair.' Like black mud, the black mist has the power to erode other energies, which is the barrier's defense mechanism. I walked in for more than ten meters, and the further I went in, the stronger the repulsive force became. I think this is because the black mist barrier has a range; its 'thickness' is at most no more than twenty meters.”

He drew a line segment horizontally with his spear and labeled it with numbers.

"Its simultaneous function of erosion and obstruction explains a lot of things... If the black mist permeates the entire interior of the ruins, it doesn't need to block others from entering at all, because those who cannot resist the black mist will certainly die in such an environment. It blocks others from entering precisely because once a certain range is exceeded, the black mist ceases to exist and thus fails to deter intruders."

"The fact that it has a self-repairing function means that this barrier can be destroyed by external forces. Senior Jiang Xue, your sword energy can break through this barrier—I observed the phenomenon after your sword energy entered the black mist, and the sword energy could indeed break through the black mist, but it was quickly repaired..."

As Han Fulai spoke, he drew a hole-shaped circle on the barrier diagram with the tip of his spear.

"You mean you want me to break through the black mist barrier with all my might? As long as we can outpace the speed at which the black mist repairs itself, we can rush in before the barrier recovers... That's not impossible." Jiang Xue hesitated.

Han Fulai also knew the reason for his hesitation.

“No, you are a valuable asset and shouldn’t be wasted on this.” Han Fulai smiled. “So, I’ll break the barrier—I’m confident I can create a gap of several tens of meters in diameter in this barrier. And after I open the gap, I’ll trouble you… to take care of me.”

"No problem." Jiang Xue nodded calmly. "Let's get started."

Chapter 190 Wherever Tianquan thought, a recluse would wander.

Han Fulai had never undergone systematic training, and the immortal power and demonic power were all given to him by Zhongli. Although he had grasped many methods of application through his own comprehension, the most powerful move was still Zhongli's "Heavenly Movement".

To break through the black mist barrier in a short time while ensuring that the barrier's self-repair speed cannot keep up with the speed of destruction, this was indeed the only move Han Fulai could think of.

However, this move requires a great deal of energy. With Han Fulai's current abilities, he can only use it once, and he will be in a weak state of depleted immortal power for a period of time afterward. Therefore, he has been thinking of saving this move for the most critical moment.

Although he had considered using "Heavenly Movement" to deal with the enemies when he encountered "Bleeding Dog" and "Empty Shell" before, he ultimately did not use it.

In order to save time, he has no choice but to take some risks.

In fact, Han Fulai's entire plan was based on the time difference with his opponent.

He and Jiang Xue had clashed with the Abyss Apostles near the Wishing Stone just over half an hour ago. Even if the Abyss Apostles had immediately begun making preparations against them after their retreat, it certainly wouldn't be enough time to implement them now—and the Wishing Stone disappearing after creating a passage was probably something the Abyss Order hadn't anticipated. The Abyss Order also needed to allocate manpower to deal with this unexpected situation.

In other words, the Abyss forces shouldn't have time to deal with him in the short term, as evidenced by the fact that he and Jiang Xue didn't encounter any resistance from the Abyss forces after they came down.

Ye Lan was unaware of Han Fulai's recent improvement in strength, and of course she couldn't imagine that he, as the "successor of the Emperor," was actually genuine in some way. Naturally, she wouldn't consider that Han Fulai had the ability to dispel the black mist barrier on his own.

Furthermore, Han Fulai's previous pretense during the negotiations also played a certain role in deceiving the other party, allowing him to gain this valuable time difference.

Han Fulai stood before the black mist barrier, his body radiating immortal power, his eyes flashing with golden light.

He raised his right hand high, striking a pose that seemed to reach for the heavens and stand tall, and chanted: "The rock is the backbone of the universe; the stone is the jade hidden within the eight directions, shining brightly; the jade tablet remains undiminished even in darkness; the yellow jade tube remains unbroken even when broken; the blue jade disc is used to forever illuminate the principles of heaven; gold and jade are bestowed upon the four directions of heaven and earth!"

As he finished reciting the last sentence, a golden "celestial star" appeared above his head.

Even with her extensive knowledge and experience, Jiang Xue was still shocked when she saw this "celestial star"—as one of the seven stars qualified to meet the Rock King Emperor at the Immortal Invitation Ceremony, Jiang Xue immediately recognized the origin of this "celestial star".

The golden light of immortal energy emanating from Han Fulai's body at this moment further convinced Jiang Xue of one thing—the "successor of the Emperor" that Uncle Tian had told him was true.