He changed Tiwat

These nuts, also known as "universal directional conductive elements," are precious artifacts from an ancient civilization; each one used is one less available. Using such valuable items for repairs makes the use and maintenance of the "Pulsina Light Nails" extremely costly. If it were only for emergencies, there would clearly be no need to carry so many.

Before Haidifu could speak, Jinwu interrupted, "Well, the miners who stayed with Haidifu in the old mining area told me that this thing is both precious and not durable. They used this 'light nail' to treat Lao He and Qi Ding before, but it suddenly started smoking halfway through..."

"This guy yelled 'It's going to explode again' and rushed out of the tent, running away with his head in his hands, causing chaos in the camp..."

As Jinwu spoke, he glanced at Haidifu, who looked away embarrassedly, muttering, "It's a conditioned reflex..."

She gestured towards Hussein with her lip: "And this guy was kneeling on the ground praying, saying something like, 'Please don't let it explode, or I won't be able to graduate'... Luckily, a bystander miner was quick-witted and went up to shut down the machine, preventing a major accident."

Hussein looked embarrassed and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"Sigh, I'm so grateful to you for curing Old He and Qi Ding..."

Jinwu shook his head, then changed the subject: "But you can't be completely careless about safety when operating the equipment!... Come on, everyone repeat after me, 'Remember safety when mining, don't treat life like a game'..."

The two scholars, who looked to be a hundred years old combined, obediently followed Jinwu in reciting the incantation like children—if they couldn't recite it, Jinwu would really hit them on the head.

In the end, Han Fu came to their rescue: "I believe the two scholars will definitely learn from their failures. Let's get down to business... This 'Pursina Light Nail' really cured Qi Ding and Lao He, right?"

Haidif quickly nodded: "Of course! This is a great invention by Senior Pulshina! Although it does have a few minor flaws, but... precision instruments are always prone to malfunction..."

Hosseini quickly chimed in, "We checked it later. The 'Pursina Light Nail' malfunctioned last time because of a setting error. It has several energy absorption modes, and because it hadn't been used for a long time, we accidentally set it to elemental force absorption mode. The machine running idle caused the components to be damaged..."

"...After that, we set it to absorb 'chaotic power' mode, and the 'Pulshina Light Nail' worked very well! I believe it can completely solve those 'black mud' in the Layered Rock Abyss!" Haidif's goatee twitched again, and he patted the "Pulshina Light Nail" with a rather smug look.

"Hmm..." Han Fulai nodded thoughtfully, "Perhaps we should find an area contaminated by black mud later to conduct an experiment..."

As they were talking, Zhiqiong lifted the tent flap and came in.

"Sorry... I... cough, I'm late..."

As a topographic surveying specialist for the Layered Rock Abyss, Zhiqiong was also notified by Jinwu to attend the meeting. However, she had waited until late last night for Han Fu to arrive, and was clearly sleep-deprived. After being woken up by Jinwu, she thought, "Just five more minutes," but ended up sleeping for several extra five minutes...

Hearing Zhiqiong cough, Han Fulai remembered something else—Zhiqiong's health had not been very good ever since she got involved with the black mud.

“Mr. Hyde, there’s an old saying in Liyue: ‘Seeing is believing.’ Why don’t you let me witness the effects of ‘Pulshina Light Nail’ here with my own eyes?”

"You mean..."

When Haidif saw Zhiqiong, he quickly understood what Han Fulai meant. "Ah, Miss Zhiqiong, you've come at the perfect time! Come, sit here!"

Zhiqiong didn't understand why Haidifu was suddenly being so polite to her, and sat down in the chair somewhat bewildered.

Heidi then called Husseini over to help debug the machine.

Yelan stepped back a few paces, watching with great interest as they operated the "Pulshina Light Nail." She was also eager to see if this machine could dispel the power of the abyss. In fact, she had already noticed the patterns on the nuts; such artifacts from ancient civilizations usually date back to a very ancient period—so ancient that it predates the founding of Liyue.

In that era, humanity could receive divine revelation directly from the heavens, and all sorts of miracles were possible.

The "Mokosh device" used by the Fools to combat the "Dark Calamity" may also be a product of the same origin.

Jinwu looked at Haidifu and the others with a worried expression, and couldn't help but repeat, "Gentlemen, please be sure to pay attention to safety during operation!"

This machine has a history of malfunctions, and Haidif and Hussein, those two bookworms, are clearly not considered reliable in her eyes.

“This time there will definitely be no problem!” Haidif and Hussein responded in unison. As scholars of the Order of the Church, they also had the academic pride of scholars—although under Jinwu’s authority and iron fist, their pride seemed rather vulnerable.

Actually, operating the "Pulshina Light Nail" is quite simple. The base of the light nail is the control panel. Just set the operating mode and press the switch to start it. However, out of caution, they still checked the machine settings repeatedly to ensure everything was in perfect working order, especially since they were doing this right under Jinwu's nose.

Seeing the tense expressions on everyone's faces, Zhiqiong felt uneasy instead. Although she had heard that Haidifu had cured Qi Ding and Lao He with the instruments brought from Xumi, she didn't know the specific treatment process, only that it was a technique from an ancient civilization.

The strange machine in front of her always reminded her of the terrifying mechanisms in adventure stories—and those who recklessly tamper with the mechanisms in ruins usually don't have a good ending.

Besides, in her eyes, Haidifu, this "sucker," wasn't exactly a reliable person...

"I...I'm okay...really..." she said, standing up as if she wanted to slip away.

Han Fulai pressed her shoulders and pushed her back into the chair. "Don't worry, I'm here, everything will be fine."

Even if the device really explodes, with him present, the Jade Shield can easily protect Zhiqiong with its activation.

“…Hmm.” Zhiqiong felt the touch of those hands on her shoulders and somehow felt at ease.

With a buzzing sound similar to a computer starting up, the "Pulsina Light Nail" began to operate.

In the center of the square mechanical pedestal, the purple columnar crystal glowed faintly, emitting an indigo light. The purple crystal slowly rose from the cylindrical container, hovering about half a meter above the pedestal.

Only then did Han Fulai see the full appearance of the purple crystal. It turned out that the purple crystal was shaped like an iron pestle, pointed at both ends and thick in the middle. When it was activated, the runes engraved on it were also lit up, resembling the kind of unknown script he had seen in the ruins of ancient civilizations.

Next, the purple crystal began to rotate in mid-air, its speed increasing. The three triangular devices seemed to play a balancing role, allowing the light nail to rotate smoothly in the air.

The indigo light grew stronger and brighter, gradually shifting towards a deep blue. Han Fulai felt as if he had seen a similar color somewhere before...

Bathed in this light, Zhiqiong's expression gradually relaxed, and she squinted her eyes as if she were quite comfortable.

"Zhiqiong, how are you feeling now?" Han Fulai asked softly.

"Hmm... how should I put it?" Zhiqiong tilted her head, searching for the right adjective, "It's that kind of, very peaceful feeling, you just feel lazy and don't want to move..."

This description… Han Fulai finally remembered where that sense of déjà vu came from—an upside-down pool!

The blue light resembles the shimmering light in a pool, and its indigo color is formed by the mixture of the blue light and the purple outer layer of the crystal.

The tranquility that Zhiqiong described was very similar to the sensation Dainesreb had described to him, the so-called "feeling of the curse being suppressed." The Hilichurls who were originally the remnants of Kanria also enjoyed this tranquility, just like Zhiqiong, and were unwilling to move at all.

In other words, does this "Pursina Light Nail" contain the power of the heavens? Is it related to the pool in the ancient civilization ruins and possesses "purifying power"?

How could Sumeru possess such technology? And who was the scholar Pursina who created this instrument?

Han Fulai looked at the "Pulsina Light Nail" with a complicated expression.

After a while, Zhiqiong's body suddenly trembled and she coughed loudly. A black aura was coughed out and drifted towards the "Pulshina Light Nail".

The rotating "Pulsina Light Nail" absorbed the black energy, gradually slowing down until it finally stopped rotating completely, descended slowly, and the indigo light also gradually faded away, eventually returning to its initial state.

"Xiaoqiong, how are you feeling now?" Jinwu ran to Zhiqiong's side, his face full of concern.

Zhiqiong smiled and said, "I feel much lighter, like all my energy has come back!"

As she spoke, she deliberately bent her arm and struck a pose like miners showing off their muscles—but there was no muscle definition to be found on her forearm.

"Pfft, don't forget the pain once the wound has healed."

Jinwu tapped Zhiqiong on the head, then pulled her into his arms, making Zhiqiong blush and beg for forgiveness.

Hydif stroked his goatee, a sight that brought him considerable satisfaction. Curing Zhiqiong was secondary; the main point was proving the miraculous effects of the "Pulsina Light Nails." If they could successfully address the anomalies in the Layered Rock Abyss, the "Kapilavastu Prize" would be within reach.

At this moment, Han Fulai took out the "Rubik's Cube": "Mr. Haidif, Mr. Husseini, could you please take a look at this?"

Chapter 245 The Abyss of Layered Rocks is a "Ghost Place" [4k]

Heidif took the Rubik's Cube and placed it on the workbench. Hosseini also adjusted his glasses and leaned over to examine it closely. The two discussed it in hushed tones for a while and finally seemed to reach a consensus.

“This is a mechanism used to unlock the door,” Haidif concluded.

Han Fulai glanced at Ye Lan, who nodded. The same question arose in both of their minds.

"How did you determine the purpose of this thing?" Han Fulai asked.

Judging from its appearance alone, it's hard to associate this thing with a "door lock".

Han Fulai discovered the purpose of the "Rubik's Cube" after seeing the "Gate of the Rock Hall," which had a square hole that could fit the cube inside. He had initially thought it was used to remove the "Black Mist Barrier."

Of course, his guess wasn't entirely wrong; this "Rubik's Cube" did indeed have a similar function in the hands of the Abyss Singer, otherwise Egil and Onnar wouldn't have carried it with them. However, its true purpose remained to open the "Gate of the Rock Hall."

Yelan, having ventured deep into the abyss, was familiar with the inscriptions on the "Rubik's Cube." Through deciphering the inscriptions, she recognized the true purpose of the "Rubik's Cube."

Hydif had clearly never seen the "Gate of the Rock Hall." The fact that he could determine the purpose of this "Cube" just by looking at it suggests that either he also knew the writing in the Abyss, or that there were related records in the Church of Sumeru—either way, it indicates that the Church of Sumeru is quite extraordinary.

“Hmm… because I’ve seen this before. I’ve also studied similar constructs before, and coincidentally, the mechanism you gave me is exactly the same as the one in my lab.”

Haidif said something outrageous with an air of self-righteousness.

"Huh?" Even the well-informed Ye Lan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Sumeru is also available?"

"Of course, our Sumeru also has many ancient civilization relics. Senior Pursina's collection of papers records many similar things! Especially that one in the desert..."

Hussein is particularly eager to share academic matters, and his "basic" school of thought has studied these kinds of archaeological structures in great depth.

"Ahem." Haidif coughed lightly and quietly tugged at the hem of Husseini's clothes.

Hosseini finally realized that he seemed to be violating the decree of the Holy See and quickly shut up.

“Well… although we have studied similar things, unfortunately, neither alchemy nor basic mechanics can explain the energy contained within, nor the principles upon which the unlocking mechanism relies… all I know is that this peculiar mechanism is indeed used to unlock doors,” Heidif said.

"As expected of Mr. Haidifu, who holds the title of 'Tasata,' you are truly learned and knowledgeable. This must be the research you did for the 'Kapikushi Prize,' right?" Han Fulai smiled and deliberately flattered him.

"Ayesha Chaos Probe," "Pulshina Light Nail," and Haidif's understanding of this "Cube"... Sumeru's research on the power of the Abyss may already be very in-depth. If possible, he hoped to entice Haidif to reveal more secrets of the Order of the Church.

Haidif was clearly pleased with this, puffing out his chest in smug satisfaction.

“It’s a ‘trainee’ Tasata, for now… You know, we scholars of life theory at Amrita Academy don’t welcome people who work in isolation. On many projects, we have to work with those incompetent scholars at Hipantama Academy…”

"Hmm?" Husseini of the Hibantama Academy seemed to have heard an adjective that could not be ignored.

"...Ahem, I mean, to engage in friendly and in-depth academic exchanges and cooperation with scholars of the Sulun School." Haidif accidentally let slip his true feelings and quickly changed the subject, "Vice Minister Han, where did you obtain this organization from?"

"It's a long story... Mr. Haidif, have you ever heard of the 'Abyss Order'?"

Han Fulai began to recount in detail what happened between him and Jiang Xue in that ancient civilization site.

He shared all the details with Hydif and the others, including "the black mist barrier," "the upside-down city," "the statues and murals in the ruins," "the Abyss Order and the Black Serpent Knights," "the remnants of Kanria," and "the inverted pool," but he omitted information about Jiang Xue's relationship with Ye Mingxiang and the relevant information about Daines Reeb.

The expressions on Haidif and Hosseini's faces were quite fascinating, ranging from amazement to excitement, regret, and fear. Many things in this ruin overlapped with the research areas of the Council of the Church, some even being the material needed for their research papers, while others touched on "forbidden territory."

Haidif had originally planned to explore this ancient civilization's ruins, and his "Ayexia Chaos Probe" was prepared for this purpose. However, after hearing Han Fulai's description, he was somewhat glad that he had handed the probe over to Han Fulai—if he had gone to explore it himself, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.

Upon hearing Han Fulai's description of the "Abyss Order," Hussein slammed his fist into his thigh: "So it was them! The ones who destroyed the 'Energy Conduit Disc' and stole the 'Fruit of the Earth' were actually from the 'Abyss Order'! How despicable!"

Jinwu, on the other hand, was very concerned about the information related to the "Black Serpent Knight," since the monster that had chased the Layered Rock Abyss exploration team was the "Black Serpent Knight."

"The remnants of Kanria..." Upon hearing that the "Black Serpent Knights" were once the cursed royal guards of Kanria, Jinwu couldn't help but sigh deeply.

She wasn't just staying in the exploration team to make a living. With her professional skills and past experience, it wouldn't be difficult for her to switch careers during the two years that the strata rock abyss was closed off. She could work as a researcher in an office in Huishan Hall, where the salary would actually be much higher than what she earned staying in the exploration team.

But she couldn't let go of the miners' families, the children, or the people who had died. Many of the victims in the exploration team were Jinwu's colleagues or friends, and over the years, she had always wanted to avenge her former partners in the exploration team.

After the Seven Stars set up the sealing array, the research project on "Luminite" was suspended, and Jinwu, the "Associate Researcher," lost funding and resources, so theoretically he shouldn't have been able to continue the research. However, Jinwu tirelessly continued the research alone, even using his own money and contacting a treasure-hunting gang to smuggle the raw ore...

She did all this because she believed that the power of Lumenite might help her achieve her revenge.

And now...

"Sigh... So those demons were nothing more than tormented walking corpses."

Jinwu sighed again, feeling a sudden emptiness in her heart. She knew she should let go of this obsession.

The object of her revenge had perished five hundred years ago and had been tormented by a curse for centuries; hating a group of walking corpses was utterly pointless. Perhaps the only solace was that her enemy was still suffering.

Zhiqiong, on the other hand, was like a curious child. Exploring ancient ruins like this wasn't something everyone could do; it sounded like a legendary adventurer's tale. She was never one to stay still, and now that she was better, her mind was even more active. She had already started asking how to get to that ancient ruin.

Then Jinwu knocked her on the head again.

Han Fulai finally mentioned the existence of the "Gate of the Rock Hall" to Haidif and the others, and that the "Rubik's Cube" was likely the key to opening the "Gate of the Rock Hall".

After Han Fulai finished his story, Haidif hesitated before speaking: "According to you, those monsters emerged from the black mud, and after being defeated, they turned back into black mud and disappeared... And that inverted pool of water has the power to 'purify' those, uh, 'Black Serpent Knights'?"

“Yes, Mr. Haidif, what are you thinking about?” Han Fulai asked.

"What you've encountered... sounds very similar to the strange events that the famous adventurer Luminous witnessed in Dragonspine. Miss Estelle, the geographer from Mondstadt, also shared some interesting observations in her academic correspondence with the Council of the Order..."

The adventures of the honorary knight of Mondstadt, Ying, in the Dragonspine Mountains were widely circulated throughout Teyvat through word of mouth from the Adventurers' Guild, and Hydif naturally knew about them as well.

Estelle is a geographer in Mondstadt, specializing in "Environment and Geography." She had been investigating the connection between the springs in Springvale, Mondstadt, and the melting snow of Dragonridge. After hearing about Luminous's adventures, she realized that the climate of Dragonridge might be related to some anomaly, so she went to the mountain to investigate.

"She mentioned in the communications that the leyline energy in Dragonspine Mountain is actually quite chaotic, and this chaos may be one of the reasons for the special geographical environment. In addition, it is said that there was once a 'Frost Spike' in the snow mountain... Estelle speculated that the anomalies of the geographical environment may have some common characteristics on the Teyvat continent. Dragonspine Mountain in Mondstadt, the Lava Pit in Liyue, and Tsuruga Island in Inazuma may all have something similar to the 'Frost Spike'."

Heidi paused, seemingly considering his words.

"The source of the anomaly does not belong to the world we know... It is a battle between two forces. For ordinary people like us who lack the Eye of God and are powerless to manipulate elemental forces, this anomaly is harmful and even fatal. Those who get close to the source of the anomaly will either slowly lose their perception of the normal world, or they will rapidly weaken and even die..."

Although Haidif spoke cryptically, Han Fulai understood his meaning. Haidif was referring to the struggle between the power of the heavens and the power of the abyss; the inverted pool represented the power of the heavens, while the black mud represented the power of the abyss. If ordinary people were to come into contact with the black mud, which is the power of the abyss, they would either go mad and mutate, or weaken and die.

Dainsreb had said something similar to him in the ruins. Of course, Dainsreb used allegories and metaphors to describe it to him. However, according to Dainsreb, there were not just two, but three powers within the Abyss of Layered Rocks.

Dain had actually already hinted at that third power to him. Han Fulai still carried the small statue that Dain had given him.

The geographer Estelle's speculation wasn't without merit. Han Fulai had also considered that the "main fragment" and the "wishing stone" deep within the Layered Rock Abyss, combined, might very well be something similar to the "Frost Nail" of the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain. Of course, we'd only know for sure once we actually saw it.

“But… there’s something strange.” Haidif frowned. “I think those ‘Black Serpent Riders’ might not just be the so-called ‘walking dead’…”

"What do you mean?" Jinwu asked, having just used the term "walking corpse."

Heidi shook his head. "What I mean is... they have no corpses and no flesh. You know, they come from the black mud and disappear into the black mud, so maybe they never had a physical body to begin with... like, how do the Liyue people call this phenomenon again..."

Haidif thought for a moment, and finally remembered the word—"'Damn it'?"

Han Fulai was suddenly taken aback; Haidifu's words touched upon a blind spot in his thinking.