He changed Tiwat

After all, when she heard Han Fu say "the sooner the better," she already guessed what would happen next.

In terms of speed, what mode of transportation can compare to being carried by an immortal and flying through the sky?

Yura was bewildered as Han Fulai pulled her out of the city gate, and then she saw a small immortal who appeared by breaking through space under the big tree in the wind.

In fact, if it weren't for respecting the rules and regulations of the Knights, Han Fulai might have already invited Xiao over from the city.

There are rules in Mondstadt that prohibit takeoffs from the city—a lesson learned the hard way by Amber, the "Mondstadt Flying Champion" whose pilot's license has been confiscated several times.

Jean was extremely strict about enforcing this rule; even Lady Iris was confined for ten whole days for violating flight regulations. This wasn't because Jean was heartless, but simply because Mondstadt had too many drunkards. Some people, when drunk, felt like they were really birds, flying around the city with their wind wings on their backs (sometimes they even forgot to wear them)...

The result was naturally various traffic accidents and casualties, and Commander Qin repeatedly issued this no-fly order within the city.

Currently, during the "Badminton Festival," there are many tourists. To ensure the safety of visitors, the Knights are cracking down particularly hard on illegal flights.

Therefore, Han Fulai still had to give Qin face.

Han Fulai naturally introduced the two: "This is our Liyue's Great Sage of Demon Extermination, the renowned Golden Roc General, Xiao Shangxian. And this is the guerrilla squad leader of the Mondstadt Knights of Favonius, 'Wave Knight' Yura Lawrence."

Yura had heard many legends about the Liyue Immortals, but this was the first time she had seen one in real life. Although surprised, Yura gracefully lifted her skirt and gave Xiao an elegant bow: "I have long admired your name, the Liyue Immortal."

Even the usually stern Xiao gave a rare response: "Yura Lawrence... I've heard Paimon mention her..."

Ying and Paimon traveled to Liyue via the Stone Gate route, passing by Wangshu Inn. Naturally, they didn't forget to thank the immortal who had given them a ride. As for Yura, whom Paimon mentioned... well, of course, he didn't have anything nice to say about her.

Then he gave Han Fulai a questioning look, "...And you, why are you dressed like this?"

The two people in front of him were dressed like an aristocratic couple going on a picnic.

Han Fulai chuckled and began to explain to Xiao why he had been summoned.

To Yura's astonishment, the green fairy summoned a gentle breeze that carried the three of them over the top of the oak tree and slowly rose into the sky—just like Vanessa in the legend of the Wind Rises and ascending to Sky Island.

Sergei walked out of the small room where Schubert was imprisoned, exchanged a few words with his colleagues guarding the door, and then hurriedly left with the map.

If Schubert were to step outside and see the view from the corridor, he would probably faint on the spot.

It wasn't some "dilapidated house in the suburbs," nor was it the back mountain of Qingquan Town or the forest of Benlangling, but rather an ancient fortress floating in mid-air.

Through the windows in the corridor, several dilapidated houses can still be seen. Only the upper half of the walls of the houses remain, while the lower half is deeply sunken as if smashed by a giant hammer, with rubble floating around them.

The strong winds that Schubert felt were actually wind fields surrounding the fortress, which acted like walls, isolating the place from the outside world, just like Old Mondstadt under the rule of the "Tornado Demon God" 2,600 years ago.

The trees he had seen through the cracks in the wall were actually much taller than he had imagined. Each tree here resembled the legendary "Honeysuckle Tree" of the Dragon Ridge Mountains, at least a hundred meters tall. What Schubert had seen were merely a few branches of these giant trees—and even those few branches made him mistake them for a whole forest.

It is said that a thousand years ago, the extraordinary woman who raised the eagle banner of the Knights explored this site and practiced her cultivation there for a period of time.

She later described what she gained in the secret realm like this: "Whether it is a proud eagle or a noble soul, they all yearn for the cold and pure heights."

Those who survey the world like eagles can find peace of mind in this silent, deep sky.

Thus, this nameless fortress floating in mid-air came to be known as "Eagle Gate".

Centuries have passed, and this fortress has been visited by knights who followed Vanessa's footsteps and ambitious adventurers from the Knights of the Order. Even if there were any treasures inside, they have long been unearthed. When Ying came here last time to collect Wind Dragon Tears, she also ransacked the place and only found some worthless broken antiques.

Now, this place has long been forgotten by the people of Mondstadt.

Just as they once forgot about the "East Wind Guardian" who resided here.

Sergei and his companions certainly didn't come here to seek peace of mind or to see the wonders of this secret place.

They bear the mission entrusted to them by the "Doctor" to search for all valuable remnants of the Daedric Lords in Mondstadt.

The aura left behind by the former Lord of the Sky and the Wind Element Dragon King, along with the teardrops carrying the poison of decay, can naturally be considered as remnants of a demon god.

They've almost finished their mission. This place has been cleared out and is being used as a secret outpost—the Knights wouldn't patrol such a place, and those clueless adventurers usually can't get past the monsters, so they'd never discover the Fatui's existence.

The task he is currently undertaking is related to a secret that Schubert and his Lawrence family possessed that had disappeared from the history of Mondstadt.

That cowardly old nobleman has already revealed everything he knows.

So Sergei was in a hurry to report this to his superior, who was not a very patient person.

Yes, Sergei is not the leader of the existing Fools in Mondstadt; he is merely an executive captain. The real leader is someone else.

After navigating the winding corridors, Sergei arrived at a secret chamber deep within the ruins.

This secret room, the largest room in the ruins, has now been transformed into a rather spacious office. It features a large desk made of logs, a comfortable velvet-backed chair, a red plush carpet, and even a fireplace for warmth against the wall.

The office owner sat behind his desk.

He was slender with blond curly hair, wearing a luxurious trench coat with gold trim, and a finely carved silver mask on his face, making him look like a nobleman attending a masquerade ball—if only his clothes did not bear the four-leaf clover emblem representing the Fools.

"Lord Chloe, Schubert has confessed. This is the map he marked based on the additional information he just provided."

Sergei knelt on one knee, bowed deeply, and raised his hands above his head, presenting the newly annotated map to his superior.

This was a pomp and circumstance reserved for audiences with nobles.

The Fools are people who have abandoned the past, and they don't usually pay much attention to such etiquette between superiors and subordinates. They usually only kneel when meeting the executive officer who represents the Queen.

However, although his superior, Lord Chloe, was not an executive officer, he seemed to really like the ways of the nobility. Sergei had spent a long time with Chloe and naturally learned to cater to his tastes.

Chloe extended a hand adorned with a large sapphire ring, and Sergei respectfully placed the map in his hand.

After examining the abstract-looking map for about five minutes, Chloe finally spoke: "Is this all the information? 'The former passage was submerged by the sea over the past thousand years, and the temple may have sunk to the bottom of the sea'?"

His voice was sharp and sarcastic, making people feel very uncomfortable.

A few beads of cold sweat seeped out from under Sergei's mask: "Yes, yes, that's all Schubert knows."

Chloe casually tossed the map in front of Sergei.

"Impossible. It must still exist somewhere in Mondstadt. I need the exact location. Go and find out for me, by whatever means you choose."

"Yes, yes... Your subordinate will definitely complete the mission." Sergei hurriedly picked up the map.

Chloe then adopted a gentler tone: "Sergei, the 'Doctor' has entrusted this matter to us; it is a matter of trust and honor. But remember, honor is only useful to the living."

Sergei trembled and bowed his head deeply once again.

"Your subordinate... understands."

Generally speaking, even traveling at full speed from the Windrise Lands to the Eagle Gate at Cape Oath takes most of the day. The journey also involves passing through monster-infested areas like Dadaupa Valley, making the actual distance much longer than the straight-line distance on the map.

However, it only took Yura and Han Fulai a quarter of an hour to travel this distance, and that was only because Xiao deliberately reduced his speed to ensure a smooth flight.

This was also the first time in Yura’s life that she had experienced flying in the air without the Wings of Wind—it was a bit like taking a bath in an icy lake. At first, she was a little scared and a little cold, but once she got used to it, she fell in love with the feeling.

Beneath your feet, auspicious clouds swirl, and birds fly side by side... Looking down from high above, Cider Lake looks like a pond in a courtyard, the majestic Mondstadt city is nothing more than a small boat floating on the water, the vast land is like a green carpet, and the mountains are just small mounds.

Although Yura was not versed in Liyue poetry and literature, she still felt a sense of awe, like the line from the poem "When I reach the summit, I will see all the mountains below."

Is this what it feels like to be a Liyue master?

Han Fulai, who had been a passenger on "Yaksha Logistics" before, even recited a poem in a fitting tone:

"I travel to the North Sea in the morning and to Cangwu in the evening, accompanied by the Golden Roc, my courage is bold."

Unknown to the people of Mondstadt, it soars and sings as it flies over the Fruit Wine Lake.

Of course, the main reason he had the leisure to recite poetry was because Xiao had thoughtfully improved the "Yaksha Logistics" service.

Two weeks ago, when Xiao brought them to Mondstadt, the wind was so strong it could blow a person's face crooked. Because they were flying so fast, Mona was almost scared to death, and Han Fulai didn't have any time to enjoy the scenery along the way.

At that time, he suggested to Xiao that if they could use magic to "package" this wind escape technique, for example, by creating a wind-sheltered barrier and wrapping it in clouds and mist, it would have a similar feel to the immortals riding the clouds and mist, which would also be more in line with Xiao's identity as an immortal.

He was just saying it casually at the time, and Xiao didn't react much. Unexpectedly, Xiao actually took it to heart.

If he and Yura were truly lovers, this trip on the wind might have been the most romantic date ever. Unfortunately, they weren't.

Upon seeing the lush primeval forest on Cape Oath, Xiao descended from the clouds.

This place is teeming with monsters, rarely visited by humans, and is not the arena for Mondstadt's "Flying Race." The three of them flying over so openly would be too conspicuous and easily spotted by the Fatui. Entering from somewhere in the forest, with the shade of the trees, would at least prevent them from being discovered so quickly.

The "Eagle Gate" is located deep within this dense forest.

Xiao followed the two of them into the dense forest.

Normally, the Liyue Immortals wouldn't cross borders to Mondstadt, much less help the Knights of Favonius find someone—but Xiao is currently helping his friend and contractor Han Fu find his "elder," which is a civil matter; if, unfortunately, he encounters a villain committing a crime during the search, Xiao's intervention is entirely legitimate self-defense.

Han Fulai asked Xiao for help not only to take advantage of the convenience of "Yaksha Logistics," but also to rely on the demon-slaying sage's rich combat experience and swift movements.

He wasn't worried about the Fools' fighting strength. With his current power, dealing with the Fools' elite troops without an executor present was more than enough. The key concern was that Schubert might be taken hostage by the Fools—neither he nor Yura were confident they could rescue Schubert under such circumstances, but with Xiao around, it was simply a matter of "two sides going their separate ways."

With their senses fully activated, the group walked all the way to the vicinity of the "Eagle Gate" but found no Fatui sentries.

There are many such secret realms on the continent of Teyvat, most of which are relics left by ancient civilizations or former residences of immortals and demons.

Ambitious adventurers or risk-taking treasure-hunting groups often search the entire continent for the treasures buried in these secret realms.

These secret realms are usually inconspicuous on the outside. Some look like dilapidated temples, while others are simply a glowing door. Most are hidden in various secluded corners and may be heavily guarded by various mechanisms, making them rarely seen by those who are not destined to find them.

However, once inside, you'll find a hidden world, far more spacious than it appears from the outside.

The "Gate of the Eagle" before them was the same; it looked like just a ruin in the forest, but the moment one stepped into it, one would be teleported to another place.

The three people present were all familiar with this kind of place.

Xiao himself is an immortal, and he has the supernatural power of teleportation; Yura has also entered some secret realms for missions, so she has some experience in this area; Han Fulai has seen even more in the game, and he was the first to step into the "Gate of the Eagle".

Chapter 208 Hero of the Night [4k]

After a slight discomfort, the three of them found themselves in the "Gate of the Eagle" secret realm.

After his time travel, Han Fulai had visited the Immortal's Cave, the mysterious Spiral Gate on Musk Reef, and witnessed all sorts of incredible wonders at the bottom of the Rocky Abyss. He had made ample mental preparations before stepping into the "Gate of the Eagle."

However, the visual impact of actually seeing those towering trees in the secret realm and the dilapidated city floating in mid-air is still unavoidable.

This secret realm was clearly much larger than any scene he had seen in the game, its area comparable to the inverted city beneath the abyss of layered rocks.

The dim sunlight overhead was blocked by the tree canopy, the ancient bluestone slabs underfoot, and the whistling wind in their ears... The stone platform they were on was also suspended in mid-air by the wind.

Amidst this vast and wondrous landscape, humanity seems so insignificant.

Before entering, Han Fulai had already secretly channeled his immortal power to prepare to activate his shield. As soon as he saw any of the Fools' sentries, he would order Xiao to attack, and he could also grab someone to lead the way... However, he did not see anyone.

The bluestone slab they stood on was only a few meters square. The entrance to the secret realm behind them had vanished without a trace after they entered, leaving only endless deep space all around. If the fierce wind that seemed to come from nowhere had suddenly stopped, they would probably have fallen to the ground along with the stone platform, their bodies shattered to pieces…

Of course, Han Fulai wasn't worried about this at all. With Xiao Shangxian by his side, he could rest easy.

There are many roads leading to the ancient fortress in the sky, connected by several stone platforms of the same material as the ones they are standing on, looking like a roundabout in a modern city—presumably, many, many years ago, the city layout of this ancient civilization was divided into "inner ring" and "outer ring"... but now only some remaining ruins are left for people to reminisce about the past glory.

The stone platforms that form the roads vary in size, and the intervals between them also vary in length and distance.

The nearest stone platform can be leaped over, but the distant stone platforms will probably require the use of wind wings to glide over.

If a strong gust of wind suddenly blows across, it would be a disaster for the person piloting the Windwing.

The sheer dangers inherent in this road are enough to deter most people.

These are just the visible dangers—the hidden monsters and the Fools, these unseen dangers are the real crisis.

"Be careful, the wind elemental energy here is extremely chaotic. It's very likely an ancient battlefield, and perhaps a powerful demon resides there."

Xiao stood a few steps away from Han Fulai and the others, quickly surveying his surroundings. Like Yura, this fighting instinct was ingrained in his very being.

“Ancient battlefield… ‘Tornado Demon God’?” Yura looked at the enormous wind field that was powerful enough to lift up a city, her expression solemn.

Yura had visited the old Mondstadt city now known as the "Wind Dragon Ruins" several times during her patrol missions and had seen the massive wind field surrounding the "Wind Dragon Ruins".

The buildings floating in mid-air, the tornadoes that isolate them from the outside world, the architectural style of the ruins and their circular layout... all resemble the old Mondstadt during the reign of the "Lone King in the Tower," and are very likely remnants of a civilization left over from the war between the demons three thousand years ago.

Three thousand years ago, the climate of the Mondstadt region was completely opposite to that of today. The Dragonspine Mountains area was a fertile land with abundant water and grass, a relatively warm climate and lush vegetation, while Mondstadt was a cold and icy place.

The location of the "Eagle Gate" ruins is relatively close to the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, suggesting that this fortress was built by people three thousand years ago...

The reason why Dvalin once lived here must be because the ancient wind still lingers here.

Of course, they may never know the exact answer as to which civilization this site is the ruins of, or why it was destroyed.

At this moment, Han Fulai, dressed and looking like a tourist, turned around and nodded to Xiao and Yura.

"Hmm, I have a general understanding of the situation in this secret realm."

Although Han Fulai had a tourist-like mentality, his mind was quick and efficient.

Although he only glanced at it a few times, he already had a clear plan in mind.

The disappearance of the entrance indicates that this secret realm is likely a randomly teleported "dungeon," with a different entrance each time you enter. An exit will appear after the completion requirements are met, similar to trial dungeons in games.

This also explains why the Fatui didn't set up sentries, because the entrance wasn't fixed. Entering the "Gate of the Eagle" could teleport them to any location in the "Outer Ring," and the Fatui simply didn't have the manpower to defend every corner.

Based on the game's mechanics, the exit should be located deep within the floating fortress at the center of the "Eagle Gate." In other words, no matter where people enter the "Eagle Gate," they will have to get past the Fatui to leave.

All they need to do is guard the exit deep within that fortress.

From the perspective of covert operations, setting up a base inside a ruined fortress isolated by wind currents is also the safest option.