He changed Tiwat

Therefore, Han Fulai devised a plan to "feint to the east while attacking in the west".

With Jiang Xue as the vanguard, he used the "Lumen Stone" catalyst and the "Pulsina Light Nail" as bait, pretending to have Jiang Xue protect him as he attacked the main fragment, while Ye Lan used her family's secret technique to stealthily follow up and find a suitable sniping position to strike the main fragment.

As long as they can draw the attention of the "Abyss Order" and create a suitable opportunity for Yelan to shoot, Yelan is absolutely confident in completing the mission.

In terms of archery skills, Yelan is a top-tier archer in Liyue, ranking second to none.

Currently, Han Fulai is temporarily acting as the leader of this team, and their actions are all centered around Han Fulai's plan—after all, he is an investigator from the Layered Rock Abyss dispatched by the Shenglu Hall with official documents, while Jiang Xue is the "bodyguard" and Ye Lan is the "chance encounter." Neither of their names will appear in official documents afterward.

But Ye Lan and Jiang Xue are both unparalleled strongmen among humans, and strongmen always have their own pride. It is already good enough that they can cooperate sincerely—at least Ye Lan would never bow down to Han Fulai.

Han Fulai sighed helplessly and reiterated, "Our disadvantage is our numbers, but our advantage is timing. The timing of the attack is in our hands; a surprise attack is the best chance of success in executing this plan. Also, we're not here to fight to the death. If the plan fails, we will retreat immediately. Please remember this..."

"Oh? Did you really think I would risk my life to protect you?" Ye Lan asked with a smile.

"Alright, alright." Jiang Xue patted Han Fulai on the shoulder. "Brother Fulai, I know you're worried about our safety, but you should have more faith in us. I can't guarantee that we'll wipe out the 'Abyss Cult' inside, but I can definitely get out unscathed after the raid. Even if you don't have faith in us, you should have faith in your own plan."

Han Fulai forced a smile, thinking to himself, "I kept emphasizing to you guys that we need to run fast because I knew this plan would most likely fail."

This "feint to the east while attacking the west" plan was only the first step in Han Fulai's overall battle plan.

Striking the main fragment, also known as the "Layer Rock Nail," to activate its light energy and allow it to resist the forces of the abyss is indeed a very effective method, as proven by the "Lumenite" catalyst and the past experiences of the Ninth Company—but this is only a temporary solution, not a permanent one.

If doing this could quell the anomalies in the Layered Rock Abyss, then the Ninth Company would have already completed its mission and there would be no need for them to participate.

Simply halting the progress of the "Layered Rock Nail" being eroded by the power of the abyss is not very significant. According to the records of the Ninth Company, temporarily dispelling the abyssal energy is not very useful, and the effect lasts for a short period of time at most—that is before the "Abyssal Order" arrives.

The "Abyss Cult" is currently continuously infusing Abyss energy into the "Layered Rock Nails," and whether striking the "Layered Rock Nails" will actually be effective remains to be seen.

Therefore, this was not Han Fulai's primary objective.

Han Fulai has not yet told Jiang Xue and Ye Lan that he had communicated with the "Wishing Stone" and heard its countdown.

The "Wishing Stone" is a product of Sky Island and was clearly brought to the Abyss of Laminaria with a mission.

Through his experiments in the ancient ruins, Han Fulai has discovered that he possesses the identity of an "absentee civil servant of Sky Island" and the power to use "willpower"—his real plan lies in "authority".

There should still be several hours left in the countdown, enough time for him to finish what he needs to do.

If he is not mistaken, all of this was already decided.

—Just like how he would come to the Abyss of Laminaria, and how he would encounter so many “coincidences” and “dig out” so many people in the Abyss of Laminaria.

Everything is inevitable.

He himself is the key to guiding everything toward "inevitability".

The Rubik's Cube was inserted into the groove of the "Rock Hall Gate".

A faint blue light flickered, illuminating the intricate patterns on the stone door layer by layer, like a state-of-the-art electronic lock checking its key.

As the patterns on the stone door fully lit up, the "Door to the Rock Hall" finally opened before the three of them.

Surprisingly, this door didn't open to the sides in a typical way. Instead, like a high-tech hatch in a science fiction movie, it disassembled into several modules, each retracting into the rock wall. The entire process was completely silent, as if it had never existed at all.

Of course, now is not the time to study the high technology from Sky Island.

Jiang Xue had already grasped the Thousand Rocks Ancient Sword in her hand and charged into the tunnel behind the door.

Han Fulai followed closely behind, ready to activate the Jade Shield at any moment.

Yelan's figure had completely blended into the darkness of the layered rocks.

The tunnel behind the door was still long; even for three people, it took several minutes to run.

During their hasty retreat, the three even glimpsed several dilapidated tents in the tunnel, bearing the four-leaf clover symbol of the Fools, clearly relics left behind by the soldiers of the Ninth Company. Their hasty retreat had left many things behind; Han Fulai even saw the remains of a funnel-shaped mechanical device in one of the tents, likely the "Babushka device" the captain had mentioned—a sound-detecting instrument.

Thanks to the fact that the "Gate of the Rock Hall" was far enough away from the "Layered Rock Nail" that the "Order of the Abyss" did not send anyone to guard such a distant place, the three of them were able to reach the Rock Hall where the "Layered Rock Nail" was located without being discovered by anyone.

—In fact, until yesterday, there were still “Dark Shells” patrolling this passage, but today Ye Mingxiang has withdrawn all the guards.

As they emerged from the tunnel, the three were greeted by the "Layered Rock Nail".

It was a giant blue crystal, just as the captain described in his notes, resembling an inverted nail from a distance. Surrounding the nail were many broken rocks of varying sizes and shapes, likely fragments that had crumbled when the nail struck the Layered Rock Abyss. These fragments formed several aerial passages, which the Fools had used to strike the "Layered Rock Nail."

The "Wishing Stone" that Han Fulai and his group had seen before had merged with the "Layer Rock Nail" to form the head of the long nail—and it was also bound by black abyssal energy, only struggling to flicker a little light intermittently.

Unlike the original "Wishing Stone," there are now five stone platforms, not three, that are inlaid with red crystals and transmitting abyssal energy to the "Layered Rock Nail." Moreover, each of these five stone platforms is guarded by an abyssal mage.

Around the perimeter of the "Layered Rock Nail," several groups of "Dark Shells" can be seen patrolling and guarding the area. The guards are still relatively far away, and their presence seems to have remained undetected for the time being.

This also gave them the opportunity to take a good look at the terrain.

The entire rock hall is shaped like a scaled-down version of a giant abyss of layered rock. If viewed from above, it should be located directly below the spiral-shaped cavity of the giant abyss of layered rock.

This space doesn't look like a naturally formed cave; rather, it resembles the result of being carved out by heavy machinery… or rather, some enormous creature once wreaked havoc here, as the surrounding rock walls bear the marks of something hitting them. If Han Fu were to use an analogy, it would be something like—the Dragon King Ruoduo rolled around here.

The next question is how to get close to the "Layered Rock Nail".

Their current location is far from the "Layered Rock Nail" and is obstructed by floating rocks, making it unsuitable for Yelan to fire at long range.

Yelan should have already begun to stealthily search for a suitable sniping location, but when she gathers her strength to fire the arrow, her "Hidden Form" state will be canceled, making her vulnerable to attack.

In order to cover for Ye Lan, Han Fulai and Jiang Xue should now draw the guards' attention.

To prevent any leaks, Jiang Xue remained silent, only pointing to the "Layered Rock Nail," indicating that they were heading straight for it.

To attract the enemy's attention, the more conspicuous you are, the better.

Han Fulai nodded slightly, clasped his hands together, and chanted, "The rock is drawn together by the six directions to form its bones," before opening the jade shield.

At that very moment, a strange feeling enveloped his consciousness.

Everything around him suddenly disappeared, leaving only a void of consciousness.

This wasn't the first time Han Fulai had entered this state.

He knew that the "wishing stone" was contacting him.

"Thirty-one thousand three hundred and twenty-seven."

Thirty-one thousand three hundred and twenty-six.

Han Fulai heard the countdown again.

Based on the numbers, there are approximately nine hours left until the countdown ends. Following an eight-hour workday, one workday should be sufficient for Han Fu to handle this issue.

“Wishing Stone, here I come,” Han Fulai said in his mind.

Although he didn't make a sound, he knew the other person could hear him.

However, the other party did not respond.

The countdown continues: "Thirty-one thousand three hundred and twenty-four..."

"...Could you please turn off the countdown and talk properly?"

The countdown sound really stopped.

Han Fu was delighted to see how obedient the "wishing stone" was.

“Very well. Tell me, what do you need my help with? As a fellow civil servant, I'll do my best to help you. For example, expelling the forces of the abyss, driving away the ‘Abyss Cult’... But you'll also need to put in some effort yourself. I hope you can…”

"What do you want me to do?" a slightly deep voice suddenly rang out.

Han Fulai was shocked. This was not the voice of the "Wishing Stone" he had heard before. The voice of the "Wishing Stone" was more like an electronic synthesized voice, and it was a female voice. The question he heard was a male voice.

Moreover, he remembered that voice.

Almost the instant he realized the source of the sound, this space of consciousness, which should have been empty, suddenly became physical!

The consciousness space transformed into a royal palace hall, but the hall was in ruins, with only a stone throne remaining.

Ye Mingxiang, dressed in jet-black armor, sat upright on the throne.

At the same time, Han Fulai found himself with a physical form, his feet resting on the floor of the empty hall.

This place... is very similar to the "master's sect" that Jiang Xue told him about.

Han Fulai looked around, but Jiang Xue was not in this space.

"No need to look anymore, it's just you and me here," Ye Mingxiang said calmly.

"How did you get into this space?" Han Fulai asked.

“Just like you, I can hear the countdown too,” Ye Mingxiang replied simply.

...Could he do that too? Han Fulai's mind was filled with doubt.

Ye Mingxiang didn't seem interested in continuing the discussion on this issue.

He lightly patted the armrest of the stone throne.

"You're too early. Now is not the right time." His voice was filled with deep disappointment.

But Han Fulai remained unmoved, merely raising an eyebrow: "No, for me, it's just the right time."

Chapter 267 Cooperation Based on Mutual Distrust [4k]

Han Fulai's statement, "I came at just the right time," is 100% true.

He launched the attack several hours earlier to allow ample time to communicate with the "Wishing Stone".

In Han Fulai's plan, making contact with the "Wishing Stone" is a crucial step.

Simply put, he had to arrive before the Wishing Stone still possessed "self-awareness." If the Abyss Order used the power of the Black Mud to completely corrupt the Lapis Lazuli, the Wishing Stone's system would likely cease to function—and he would lose a crucial asset.

The "Wishing Stone" suddenly contacted him and dragged him into this space of consciousness, which was a great help to him.

Originally, he planned to rely on the Jade Shield's defense and, under Jiang Xue's cover, withstand the attacks of the "Abyss Cult" all the way to the "Wishing Stone" and unleash "Pure Light Bloom" on it—this was Han Fulai's intended way to make contact with the "Wishing Stone".

He had previously contacted the "Wishing Stone" twice, once with "Qi Nan" and once with the "Wishing Stone" itself. Before this, he had never thought that the "Wishing Stone" was a system that could be communicated with, nor was he mentally prepared to have any contact with it. It can be said that both contacts were very sudden.

Han Fulai's first encounter with "Qi Nan" was unexpected, and he didn't have time to think about how to contact the "Wishing Stone".

But after seeing the "Wishing Stone" itself for the second time and being dragged into this consciousness space, Han Fulai began to seriously consider using the "Wishing Stone".

Later, in the Hilichurl camp of that ancient civilization ruins, Han Fulai touched the "Inteward" and muttered to himself that he wanted to know what had happened—then he was dragged back into this consciousness space and saw "Inteward's memories".

What if what he said back then was equivalent to "making a wish" for the "Wishing Stone"?

The "Wishing Stone," this "Sky Island official," had actually already shown him how to contact her.

—Make a wish.

Of course, it's not that Han Fulai could contact the "Wishing Stone" simply by making a wish out of thin air.

In fact, he always carried the communication terminal of the "Wishing Stone"—the "Lumen Stone."

The light energy contained in "Lumen Stone" comes from "Wishing Stone". The two are like the main body and its clone, so it is not surprising that they have a special connection.

Looking back, whether Han Fulai was searching for someone or fighting, he always carried the "Lumen Stone" catalyst and "Lumen Stone" fragments to replenish the catalyst's light energy.

His own salt god powers allowed him to serve as a "Sky Island civil servant," and he also carried a "Lumen Stone" that could resonate with the "Wishing Stone," which is why his journey through the Abyss of Layered Rocks was so smooth.

After the "Wishing Stone," this "Sky Island civil servant," recognized him as a "colleague," she actually provided him with various conveniences within her capabilities.

While this convenience wasn't enough to make his wishes come true, it at least saved him a lot of time—for example, when looking for someone, Han Fulai never took a wrong turn.

He was like a magnet; those who wanted to find him would spontaneously come to his side under some kind of "guidance of fate".

This is clearly thanks to the "wishing stone".

As a member of the Liyue civil service system, Han Fulai naturally understood that there's no such thing as a free lunch. Helping colleagues usually requires reciprocation, especially when it involves an exchange of benefits.

—Moreover, he is actually a "rebel" disguised as a "Sky Island civil servant," and he cannot owe Sky Island a favor.

Since the "Wishing Stone" is so considerate, he can't be inconsiderate, which is why he immediately asked the "Wishing Stone" about his needs and negotiated terms.

But he never expected that Ye Mingxiang would also appear in this space, and that Ye Mingxiang could even cut off his communication with the "Wishing Stone".

Although Han Fulai had already underestimated the enemy, it was clear that Ye Mingxiang's abilities still seemed to exceed his expectations.

Han Fulai's answer did not satisfy Ye Mingxiang.

"I didn't think you were that stupid," Ye Mingxiang sighed.

His voice was deep and resonant, like a solemn pronouncement.

On the stone throne, Ye Mingxiang looked down at Han Fulai, like a majestic king gazing upon his rebellious subjects.

His gaze, his voice, his aura—all exuded boundless pressure. Those with weak wills might kneel down on the spot, begging for the king's forgiveness under such pressure.

But Han Fulai was not Ye Mingxiang's subject, and he showed no fear whatsoever.

If the other party could kill him here, they probably would have done so already. Han Fulai was quite certain that Ye Mingxiang couldn't do anything to him.

He remembered clearly that he activated the Jade Shield before being pulled into this consciousness space. But in this space, he didn't see the Jade Shield that should have been surrounding him.