He changed Tiwat

It is said that the place was once the training ground for the Liyue immortals, but it was later sealed by the Emperor for some reason. Now only some treasures left by the immortals are sealed there.

At Ningguang's request, Yelan ventured deep into the "Taishan Mansion" secret realm to investigate—and after coming into contact with the petrified ancient tree, she triggered the "Smoldering Flame," along with powerful monsters... To be honest, Yelan almost died inside back then.

"Ah, well, I couldn't help myself...hehe." Han Fulai chuckled innocently and scratched his head. "I was just thinking that this tree has good wood, and it might be suitable for making gun barrels or something. Um...in a previous battle, my weapon broke down..."

"Don't talk nonsense. If you want weapons, go back upstairs and ask Steward Mu Ning for supplies." Ye Lan turned away coldly, ignoring Han Fulai.

Han Fu, having made a fool of himself, could only give an awkward laugh. Jiang Xue, however, stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder, handing him the bladeless sword at her waist: "No need for all that trouble, use mine if you don't mind."

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Jiang Xue... Um, I actually don't know how to use a sword," Han Fulai whispered to Jiang Xue.

“I know,” Jiang Xue replied softly. “Anyway, you’re not very good at using guns… just to put on a show, so women don’t look down on you.”

“I can hear you.” Ye Lan’s voice was even colder.

The two "heroes" awkwardly looked away.

“…Um, if I may, I’d like to touch it too,” Haidif said. As a scholar of the biophysical school, his curiosity about the ancient tree was already irrepressible. Han Fulai touched the ancient tree without any problems, and of course, he wanted to continue his research to add more material to his paper.

"I also……"

"And me..."

Hosseini and even the miners from the exploration team eagerly raised their hands, as if touching this "silver-white ancient tree" would bring them good luck. In fact, the dragon-shaped statues of the Emperors commonly seen in Liyue have been worn smooth by the merchants, since everyone wants to receive the blessing of the "God of Commerce" and share in his wealth.

It's not surprising that they're superstitious; even in modern China, sculptures at tourist attractions usually receive this kind of treatment.

By this time, Zhiqiong had already circled the tree with her camera, taking pictures of the peculiar ancient tree from various angles.

"Sigh..." Ye Lan sighed, suddenly feeling that she was somewhat out of place among these guys who didn't seem to feel any tension.

Since there was no danger, she let the group satisfy their curiosity.

The area around the ancient tree became bustling with activity. Besides Haidif and Husseini, who were conducting research, the miners even asked Zhiqiong to help them take photos with the ancient tree.

Amidst the noise, Jiang Xue quietly asked Han Fulai, "So, do you really want a weapon? With this tree?"

As a martial artist, he had considered that this ancient tree might be the material for divine weapons. His Thousand Rock Ancient Sword was made of divine-forged bedrock, and the Thousand Rock Spear of the same design was made from the rock spear that the Emperor had put into the Lonely Cloud Pavilion. This "silver-white ancient tree" looked very similar to something else, and it should be very suitable as a weapon.

Han Fulai nodded and then shook his head.

"I wanted a new weapon... so when I touched that tree just now, I actually tried it."

He touched the tree to see if it would drop artifact rewards like the ancient trees in the game's secret realms—unfortunately, the "silver-white ancient tree" in front of him didn't have that function.

"Hmm?" Jiang Xue asked, puzzled.

Han Fulai naturally wouldn't say that the artifacts in the game are all obtained from this kind of tree, so he changed his tune and said, "But if we just cut down this tree, it might affect the ley lines, so... I've decided to cut down another tree."

"Which one?" Jiang Xue asked, even more puzzled.

"The one where Old He lived. After the inspection is over, I'll trouble Senior Jiang Xue to accompany me there," Han Fulai said with a smile.

Inside a tent at the camp, Han Fulai was admiring the long spear he had just made.

Of course, he was not a craftsman from a Liyue forging family, nor did he know the art of weapon forging, and what he made was not a divine weapon or a powerful weapon—in fact, it was just a long staff in the shape of a spear, with the dead branches of an ancient tree branch as the shaft and the engraving given to him by Daines Reeb as the spearhead.

The "One-Eyed King" engraving that Daines Reeb gave him was shaped like an arrowhead, so from a distance, the spear still looked somewhat decent.

—And this was the result of assistance from the heir of the Star Clan, the earliest forging family in Liyue. There are no blacksmith shops at the bottom of the Rocky Abyss; being able to turn tree branches and carvings into something resembling a spear is already a testament to Jiang Xue's skill.

Jiang Xue himself felt somewhat ashamed, admitting that compared to his family's forging techniques, he had learned more about martial arts, and the things he had made the most were not weapons but fishing rods.

According to Jiang Xue, this thing is more like a staff than a spear—but since Han Fulai is going for a melee mage build, a staff would be just as suitable.

Han Fulai's decision to specially acquire such a staff was not a sudden whim, but rather had a reason.

When making the staff, Han Fulai explained to Jiang Xue the parts that he could say.

Simply put, this is the best weapon Han Fulai could get in the Layered Rock Abyss, or rather, the best weapon at the bottom of the Layered Rock Abyss.

—To use a game analogy, this staff has a 200% elemental charge effect, even though it's a limited edition from the Abyss of the Rocks.

Han Fulai had already tried it before. Holding the staff and entering a meditative state, the energy he had lost after activating the power of the pool began to recover rapidly.

What would normally take a day to recover his strength, he only needed to meditate for an hour like Shen He to feel fully refreshed and full of energy.

In other words, by holding this staff disguised as a spear, he can increase the frequency and number of spells he casts, and he won't be exhausted after casting just two spells like before.

This is undoubtedly very important preparation for the upcoming battle after the "Gate of the Rock Hall".

But more importantly, there were the things he learned after his trip to the ancient ruins today:

Ancient ruins predating Kanria, possibly inherited from the pool of the "Ruling of Life," the "Silver Ancient Tree," fossils of ancient marine life...

This information finally formed a complete historical record in Han Fulai's mind.

If he were a scholar of Mount Sumeru, he might win the "Kapilavastu Prize" for writing a paper on the chronology of the ancient civilization of the Layered Rock Abyss—of course, he would more likely be censored by the Order of the Church for violating the "Six Root Sins".

Although it cannot be confirmed, Han Fulai speculates that history might have gone like this:

Long, long before the founding of Liyue, there was a prosperous ancient kingdom in what is now the Lava Abyss region.

Like the Kingdom of Fendnir, this ancient kingdom also had divine guidance—the pool should be evidence of the divine protection they received.

At the same time, like most ancient civilizations, this ancient country also has a "silver-white ancient tree" that regulates the earth's energy and creates a livable environment.

At that time, the rocky abyss area was still a plain suitable for human cultivation and habitation.

Humans living under the guidance of the heavens should rightfully worship the heavens. While still on Earth, the structures of this ancient civilization must have been normal.

Unlike the Kingdom of Fendnir, this ancient civilization was unlucky; they were not destroyed for abandoning Sky Island—but were caught in the crossfire of that great war.

During the war between the First Throne and the Second Throne, that is, between the forces of nature and the outsiders, the outer shell that encased Teyvat was torn apart, and the outside forces poured into Teyvat. The continent of Teyvat itself was also devastated, and the part west of Liyue was transformed from fertile land into the sea and was tragically submerged by floods.

Fortunately, the protection of the "silver-white ancient tree" still exists, and relying on the root system of the ancient tree, the people of the ancient civilization moved into underground life.

But this ancient country was incredibly unlucky; they were soon struck by a second natural disaster.

According to the "Records of Jueyun," in ancient times beyond our memory, when even the Geo Archon was still young, a celestial star fell into the wasteland west of Liyue. As the star struck the earth, the wasteland directly impacted it, transforming into a vast and deep abyss from which precious stones and minerals grew inexhaustibly, thus giving rise to Liyue's mining industry for the next thousand years.

The impact of the tsunami dried up the seawater, altered the topography, and formed the abyssal basin we see today. The fossils of those ancient marine creatures were left from that time.

Clearly, even the "silver-white ancient tree" could not survive such a disaster, so the once ancient tree broke.

The ancient kingdom, which had been struck twice by natural disasters, abandoned Sky Island for some reason, perhaps because it lost the protection of the heavens, or perhaps because it was a case of "if you can't beat them, join them," and instead embraced the power of the abyss, establishing an upside-down city.

—Then they were met with a "nail of judgment." Civilization perished.

But there's something strange about this history.

This "punishment nail," which is the combination of the "wishing stone" and the "master fragment," did not end up in the ancient civilization ruins.

If we were to draw a parallel with the Kingdom of Fendnir, this nail should also be placed in the main city of the ruins.

But the nail landed behind the "Gate of the Rock Hall," in the southwest corner of the Rock Abyss, a long distance from this ancient civilization's ruins—located much deeper underground, requiring passage through a "fluorescent passage" that was clearly not carved by human hands.

While it could be explained that the nails were used to sever the earth's veins, or that the "Gate of the Rock Hall" might also belong to an ancient civilization, this explanation did not satisfy Han Fulai.

Perhaps this "punishment nail" wasn't intended for this unfortunate ancient civilization, but rather served another purpose? Was this the third time this ancient kingdom had been affected?

If only he had another chance to communicate with the "Wishing Stone." Han Fulai believed that after meeting the "Wishing Stone" again, he would be able to get the answer from it—because he would now have the "authority."

After successfully conducting his experiment on "wishes," Han Fulai became certain of one thing—everything he encountered in the Layered Rock Abyss, starting from meeting "Qi Nan," the "incarnation of the wishing stone," was not a coincidence.

His boast to Katarina that "there is no one I cannot find in the Abyss of Laminaria" was not an exaggeration; he had already sensed that something was amiss.

Don't be fooled by the fact that he dug out a bunch of people from the bottom of the giant abyss like an excavator. Except for Qi Ding, whose location was found by Han Fulai through intelligence and deduction, all the others were "coincidences" or "chance encounters".

If it's understandable that Ye Lan ran into him because she had been following him and Jiang Xue—what about the others?

His search for Lao He began because Zhiqiong, with her impatient nature, had gone to the underground swamp on her own. Logically speaking, it wouldn't be surprising if Zhiqiong had died quietly at the hands of monsters and black mud, but he found her quite easily.

The underground water area was very large. He was able to find Lao He so quickly because Lao He just happened to jump out in front of them like a wild man.

The new mining area of ​​Blackrock Factory is also very large. He was able to encounter the treasure-hunting group and rescue Kritov because "Second Brother" happened to be there teaching Kritov a lesson and waiting to make a deal with the Fools.

If Ye Mingxiang wanted to hide, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack for Han Fulai and Jiang Xue to find her in this giant abyss of rock. But he just happened to have designs on Daines Reeb and appeared in that ancient civilization ruins.

Dainesreb's whereabouts were elusive, but the Abyss Order just happened to be plotting to kill him at this time, luring him to the Abyss of Laminaria.

The Fools' Ninth Company was hidden very deep in the Abyss of Lava, and even Nightlan couldn't find their location. It's possible that they didn't hear the bell, or that they heard it but didn't send anyone, or that the distance was too great and it would take a long time. But Timor just happened to run out like that.

Katarina had been away from the team for over a week, and no one knew where she was, but she happened to arrive near the "Fluorescent Pass" around that time;

Corporal Nikolai could very well have been killed... but he was found by Han Fulai just when he was on his last breath...

Everything was just right, so coincidentally, he ran into everyone—it was almost like "destiny," "divine arrangement."

But is this really the case?

Once might be a coincidence, twice might be a chance encounter, but if it happens every time, Han Fulai, who has studied probability theory, absolutely does not believe that such a probability exists in the world.

And it all started when he met "Qi Nan" and the "incarnation of the wishing stone".

He went to find these people with a purpose—and the "wishing stone" answered his wish.

If there is any decisive factor, it is the bouquet of Intiwat that he still cherishes.

Through the national flower of Kanriah, he saw the "Memory of Intevatar," and witnessed the conversation between the "Prince of the Abyss" and the Abyss Apostle.

He remembered clearly that he was holding that bouquet of Intiwat in his hands, muttering to himself, "If we knew what happened when he came here, perhaps many questions could be answered."

His ability to thwart the Abyss Order's plot was clearly largely due to this "Memory of Inteward."

Clearly, all of this is related to the "wishing stone".

When he met "Qi Nan", he did not yet have "authority", but he did have an identity. He possessed the power of a demon god and the immortal power of an emperor, and had the ability to use "willpower" - the identity of an unregistered "Sky Island civil servant".

Civil servants should help each other; we're all part of the system—"Wishing Stone" is clearly very sensible.

Then... going a step further, what if Zhongli gave him the remnants of the Salt God because he had foreseen this situation?

Chapter 257 Nobody Wants to Be Locked in a Cage [4k]

If everything that happened beneath the abyss was guided by the "Wishing Stone," what was its purpose?

Zhongli has left the strange occurrences in the Layered Rock Abyss unresolved for several years. Could it also be related to the "Wishing Stone," or perhaps Sky Island?

The most important question is... why him?

He came to the Abyss of Layered Rocks entirely by his own will... that should be it. But why is the timing so coincidental, that so many things happened right after he entered the Abyss of Layered Rocks?

Han Fulai now deeply understands a maxim spoken by the scholars of Sumeru: "The more you know, the less you know."

When you sit in a well and look at the sky, the world is only as big as the well opening. But when you jump out of that well and the infinite world is revealed before your eyes, you will realize how insignificant you are.

The more Han Fulai learned about "the realm of thought of the seven ruling powers in the mortal world" and "the path to godhood," the more he felt the heavy pressure on his shoulders.

The throne of the Emperor is not for everyone. Can he really deserve the title of Emperor's successor?

He even wondered if it would have been better for him if he hadn't boarded the Pearl-Inlaid Boat that day and hadn't gone with Zhong Li to open the Salt God Ruins.

A memory he had been deliberately suppressing suddenly surfaced in his mind.

On the night of their date, by the Luhua Pond, while Ningguang was sharing grilled fish with him, she said the following:

“My childhood memories have had a profound impact on me, and I have a special feeling for fish. They are confined by water, yet free, swimming around and never stopping. When I was a child, I thought that humans and fish seem to be no different. In this world, we seem free, yet we are confined by this world, and ultimately... we are still ‘finite things,’ trapped in ‘limitations’.”

No one wants to be locked in a cage. The question is, if you were given a boundless sky, would you really dare to take it?

Han Fulai asked himself silently.

He once again tried to sit cross-legged on the small bed with his eyes closed, just like Shen He, attempting to enter a meditative state. However, his thoughts were churning and he was unable to calm his mind.

Just then, a creak came from the cot opposite him.

He opened his eyes and saw that Jiang Xue, who had been lying on her side with her back to him, had sat up and was looking at him.

"Ah, did I disturb Senior Jiang Xue's rest?" Han Fulai asked somewhat embarrassedly.

He was fiddling with his staff and meditating, which probably made a lot of noise and disturbed Jiang Xue, his roommate.

"No, it's just that I can't sleep." Jiang Xue leaned lazily against the headboard, but his eyes showed absolutely no sign of sleepiness.

Having traveled with Jiang Xue for so long, Han Fulai had a general understanding of Jiang Xue's temperament. As a martial artist and a soldier, Jiang Xue always knew how to allocate his physical strength and time, and he never hesitated to rest when it was time to rest.

According to the plan, they should set off for the deepest part of the Layered Rock Abyss early tomorrow morning to open the "Gate of the Rock Hall," and they should get a good rest tonight.

So it's strange that Jiang Xue can't sleep.

If Jiang Xue's reason for not being able to sleep is similar to the reason he can't calm down right now...

Han Fulai smiled and asked, "Senior Jiang Xue, is there something you want to say to me?"

"Actually, there are some issues I haven't figured out and I want to talk to someone about them... It just so happens that you're still awake, Brother Fulai, why don't you help me figure them out?" Jiang Xue said this in a nonchalant tone, but Han Fulai could tell that the topic he wanted to talk about was very important.

If it weren't important, Jiang Xue wouldn't be so hesitant.