Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

"What about Mondstadt?"

“Maritime transport in Mondstadt is not as developed as in Liyue, and the journey from Jingfu Port is much longer. Rather than wasting more time and facing more uncertainty, we might as well wait for the Death Star.”

"Looks like we'll have to keep each other company then."

Jiang Bai held his head in his hands, but didn't find traveling with Kong Xing boring at all.

Going to Inazuma would take at least half a month at sea, so it would be nice to have an acquaintance or friend to accompany you.

"Are you going to Inazuma too?"

"Yes, we found out today that a client who was going to Inazuma has passed away. We need to go and collect his remains to bring them back to Liyue."

"Oh, your job must be really tough."

Paimon had seen Jiang Bai's pricing for this service. The price for this kind of international travel service was the same as the normal price, but that meant that for the same amount of money, more time and effort would be spent finding people in other countries.

It's possible to spend an entire year on a single client.

"It's just doing our best. There's no hardship involved," Jiang Bai said dismissively.

That's how this job is; it's quiet when it's quiet and busy when it's busy, but the quiet times are always more frequent than the busy times. It's much better than being a hostess who clocks in and out every day from 7 pm to 5 am.

Furthermore, the value of something does not depend on its monetary value, but rather on the spiritual enjoyment it provides.

Being able to bring the remains of these clients back to their hometowns and fulfill their last wishes is also a very meaningful thing for Jiang Bai.

Kong gave him a thumbs up.

Jiang Bai is quite reliable when he's serious.

Upon arriving at the ruins Gan Yu had mentioned, the two ventured deeper into the site.

According to Gan Yu, the ruins should be guarded by many monsters from the Abyss Order, but they did not encounter much resistance as they entered.

It seems that the treasure-hunting groups must have lured all the monsters out of the area.

As they ventured deeper into the ruins, Jiang Bai couldn't help but rub his arms. "Why do I feel a strange aura emanating from these ruins?"

It's an indescribable feeling—strange, eerie, chaotic...

These eerie auras, like ice, stung his skin, raising goosebumps.

"I felt it too." Kong drew his weapon, becoming alert.

Paimon was also a little scared, huddled behind Kong and peering around.

"There's someone there, and it looks like they're praying to something!"

"Let's go take a look!"

After passing the stone wall that had blocked his view, Jiang Bai stood there dumbfounded when he saw the scene before him.

He was beside him, and Kong was also stunned.

Before them stood an upside-down statue of the Seven Gods, suspended by iron chains.

The statue of Wendy hangs in the dilapidated hall as if bound by instruments of torture.

The pearl held in the statue's hands, which should have been radiating pure wind elements, was now tainted by filth, becoming dark and sinister, with endless eerie and foul odors emanating from it.

Jiang Bai couldn't help but shudder.

Although he didn't know what was happening, what he saw in front of him was constantly giving his subconscious a warning.

Danger! Danger!

"What on earth is the Abyss Order doing?! Are they trying to corrupt Venti with the Abyss?!"

Jiang Bai's first thought was to destroy the statue!

The seven statues represent deities and may even have some connection with them.

The Abyss Order's corruption of the idol is tantamount to corrupting Venti!

I wonder if Wendy knows that one of his idols was lost, or if it has been contaminated...

Jiang Bai was immediately filled with deep worry.

The mere fact that Dvalin was corrupted by the abyss nearly brought a terrifying dragon scourge to Mondstadt. If their wind god had been corrupted, could Mondstadt have continued to exist?

"So oppressive...so eerie..." Paimon felt his jaw chattering.

Kong went forward to check on the member of the treasure-hunting group who had been kneeling in prayer, and found that he had lost all response and was no longer breathing.

"Dead..."

“Let’s get out of here quickly and tell Gan Yu and Sister Lan what’s going on…” Paimon was stunned.

"This thing can't be kept any longer before we leave!"

Jiang Bai used a camera to photograph the filthy, reversed statue in front of him, and then took out his own Bai Yuan.

The longer this tainted, reversed statue exists, the greater the threat it poses to Wendy.

Whatever the Abyss Order's purpose may be, this thing cannot be allowed to remain!

Jiang Bai swung his sword forward, preparing to cut the massive chains binding the statues.

However, in a flash, what the blade touched was not chains, but an invisible barrier.

A familiar vortex expanded before them, and a tall, bizarre monster emerged from it.

"Apostle of the Abyss!"

This was the second time Jiang Bai had seen an Abyss Apostle, but this Abyss Apostle was different from the one he had seen before.

The one I saw last time had four hands, but the Abyss Apostle in front of me only has two.

"The mysteries of the Abyss are beyond comprehension. Anyone who attempts to obstruct the Abyss shall die!"

A chilling blade of light appeared in the hands of the Abyss Apostle, its killing intent locked onto Jiang Bai!

Chapter 419 Smash this statue first

An even stronger killing intent erupted from Jiang Bai. He raised the knife in his hand and, without any words, aimed it at the neck of the Abyss Apostle.

A golden blade of light flashed before their eyes. The Abyss Apostle raised his sword to block, but the water elemental longsword in his hand was cut in two as if it were made of refined iron.

If it weren't for the elemental shield, this strike would have severed his neck.

The Abyss Apostle quickly retreated, touching his neck with lingering fear.

Even though his neck was no longer a fatal spot for him, the feeling still terrified him.

Without any hesitation, a passage appeared behind him, and he retreated directly into it.

"Ran!"

Kong had already gripped his sword, ready to step forward and help, but after taking one hit, the Abyss Apostle ran away!

"Don't let me catch them next time!" Jiang Bai said, somewhat annoyed.

Having learned his lesson from last time, he didn't chase directly into the passage; who knows where he would end up?

"These Abyss Apostles run away when they can't win; they're so cunning."

"Kong, help me destroy this statue!"

"Destroy...destroy it!" Paimon exclaimed, covering his mouth in surprise.

She originally thought Jiang Bai meant to cut the chains and take the statue away, but it turned out he wanted to destroy it!

For her, as a Teyvat, destroying the Seven Statues was a rebellion against and blasphemy against the gods, with serious consequences; no one would do such a thing.

She flew in front of Jiang Bai, trying to stop him, "But this is the Seven Gods Statue! It's a true deity's..."

"If we don't destroy it, what are we going to do? Just leave it like this?" Jiang Bai asked rhetorically.

“But the Seven Gods statue is a very important thing…” Paimon scratched his head anxiously.

The seven statues of the gods are not merely symbols of divine authority; they hold much more important meanings.

"Can't we use other methods? Besides, that Abyss Apostle just escaped, and he might bring reinforcements. The Abyss Mages who were originally guarding this ruin will also be returning soon. We need to leave here quickly!"

Jiang Bai paused for a moment, then said, "Let's try turning the statue right-side up to see if it can be restored..."

He wasn't afraid of the Abyss Cult. With his strength plus Kong's strength, even if he were surrounded by the Abyss Cult, it wouldn't be difficult for him to leave.

What he feared was the sinister power of the abyss.

"Mm." Sora nodded.

Elemental power condensed on the sword, and two different beams of light struck the invisible barrier, but they were like mud oxen sinking into the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

Jiang Bai frowned, and Bai Yuan transformed into gun mode, unleashing a continuous stream of elemental bullets.

However, it still didn't work.

The elemental forces seemed to be suppressed after coming into contact with those abyssal powers, and were even absorbed by the abyssal powers.

"No, this won't work!" Sora also noticed the anomaly.

"If we can't use elemental power, then we'll have to resort to brute force."

Jiang Bai stretched his arms and took out the "Persuasion Through Reason" technique, which he hadn't used in a long time.

"boom--"

Reasoning struck the invisible barrier with a resounding thud.

The sound and vibration traveled through the ground and reached the outside. The Abyss Order, which had been briefly lured away by the treasure-hunting group, noticed the anomaly and quickly rushed into the depths of the ruins.

Moreover, several abyssal passages appeared in the air, and a sense of crisis quickly enveloped this space.

"go!"

Without hesitation, Jiang Bai picked up Paimon and used his wind element to rush in the direction they had come from.

He couldn't break through the shield in a short time, and with the Abyss Order attacking from both sides, leaving him with no other option but to leave.

Kong followed closely behind.

During the evacuation, he glanced back at the main hall. Several Abyss Apostles emerged from the passage, their cold gazes fixed on him, but they merely watched them leave without making a move.

As the figure in the void completely disappeared, a white boot stepped out from the abyss passage.

An apostle from the abyss bowed respectfully and said, "Princess, your blood relatives have left, but I'm afraid they won't let this go easily."

Ying looked at the filthy, reversed statue behind her and said, "Now that my brother knows about this place, he should prepare for his plan to fail."

......

Having escaped the ruins, Paimon finally caught his breath.

"It's...it's terrifying..." She patted her chest, her eyes still filled with fear.

That ruin truly lived up to its reputation as a heavily guarded site by the Abyss Order. When the Abyss Order members, who had been lured away by the treasure-hunting group, returned, the ruin was teeming with monsters, comparable to the monster siege of Mondstadt last time.

If they didn't have shields and the ability to fly, being trapped inside would have inevitably led to a bloody battle.

"Let's go back to the Adventurers' Guild first and tell Gan Yu and Sister Lan about this."

Jiang Bai decided to go home and ask his grandfather how to deal with the filthy, reversed statue. Compared to finding Wendy, who was nowhere to be found, it was clearly more reliable to ask his grandfather.

Before the group could move on, a voice came from the side.

"We met again sooner than I expected."

Dressed in black, Daines Reeb looked exactly the same as when they last met. He slowly walked forward, his gaze falling on Jiang Bai and Kong.

"What are you doing here!" Jiang Bai looked at him warily.

They had just escaped from the ruins guarded by the Abyss Order when this person appeared here, which made him have some bad thoughts.

"I am hunting Apostles of the Abyss; it seems you have already encountered them."

"You two know each other?" Paimon looked at Jiang Bai in surprise.

"I met him once."

"Oh, I see. Then we're all acquaintances now."

The air force general described to Dain what had happened in the ruins.

Dain is undoubtedly the one who knows the Abyss best, so perhaps he knows something.