Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

One possibility is that the first generation of the Seven Rulers of the Mortal Realm intervened personally; another possibility is that she was persecuted in some way.

Just as Xin Hui was pondering, the two of them arrived at a cliff.

A thin mist lingered, and the deep valley was serene. What lay below the precipice was obscured. On the other side of the precipice, separated by only a dozen meters, lay an insurmountable obstacle for ordinary people.

Is there no road ahead? Or did Hu Tao get the directions wrong? After all, given Hu Tao's personality, that's quite possible.

However, his thinking in this way was undoubtedly questioning the abilities of the Hall Master of Rebirth, and if Hu Tao found out, it would definitely make her unhappy.

As the person who has traveled to and from the "Border" the most times in the entire Liyue Harbor, how could he possibly misremember the route? What Hu Tao said next also surprised Xin Hui.

"Jump down, jump down and you'll get there."

Upon hearing this, Xin Hui approached the cliff and peered down to get a glimpse of the scene below.

It was pitch black, and you couldn't see anything below at all. Instead, it gave you the feeling that the cliff was very deep and that you would be smashed to pieces if you fell down.

"How...how do we get down?" Xin Hui looked troubled. Did he have to climb down?

He had been holding Hu Tao's hand the whole time, and the black crystal ring was indeed resisting the life-and-death forces, preventing them from getting close. Although he didn't know if these life-and-death forces would affect him, Xin Hui didn't want to risk letting go.

"Of course... I'll grab you and drag you down!" Before Xin Hui could react, Hu Tao's small hands grabbed him around the waist, and with a leap, the two of them jumped down together.

Walnut spreads its wings of wind in the air—the Golden Cong Skyward Wings.

The wings are brown in color, with gold at the tips and some dark decorative patterns, which fits Walnut's outfit perfectly.

Only those who have gained the recognition and commendation of the Liyue Adventurers' Guild can receive this gift.

Originally, Hu Tao planned to grab Xin Hui in the air and slowly descend, but when she unfolded her Wind Wings, she realized that this was not feasible.

Normally, operating the Wind Wings requires both arms to maintain stability, and if forced to use it, at least one hand is needed. This means that Walnut can no longer catch Xinhui like a bird.

It was thanks to Xinhui's quick reaction that he caught Hu Tao, preventing him from falling and being smashed to pieces.

However, their position was a bit awkward. Xinhui was practically hugging Hu Tao's slender waist, and his arms were touching the soft flesh of her waist.

Hu Tao's face instantly turned blushed, a rare display of shyness on her face. She wouldn't have reacted this way if no one had ever touched her there before. But she still needed to control the Wind Wings, which were about to lose their balance. There was no other way but to speed up and end this awkward situation as soon as possible.

The cliff didn't look very high, but because it was shrouded in a thin mist, it appeared to be several hundred meters deep. After they landed at the bottom of the cliff, a chill had already made their faces slightly contorted.

It wasn't just ordinary cold; it was a strange, chilling sensation down my back, as if a ghostly, cold wind was blowing.

Hu Tao seemed used to this kind of scene, showing no fear on her face. However, even she became somewhat serious.

A long path winds through the cliff face, littered with loose rocks. After retracting the Wind Wings, Hu Tao turned and walked towards one of the paths, her slender hand still holding Xin Hui's.

Along this journey, thanks to the influence of life, some rare plants have survived. There are glass pouches, glass lilies, and even rainbow flowers. The number of wandering ghosts has noticeably increased; the two even brushed past these lonely spirits several times.

Xin Hui could also sense that the power of life and death was becoming increasingly intense, but it was mostly the aura of life; the aura of death was emanating from those ghosts.

The colors of various flowers accompanied them for a while. After walking for several hundred meters, they found a hole at the end of the passage!

Xin Hui was surprised at the time, but compared to the opening, it was obviously more like a crack.

Who could find such a secluded place? And judging from the way Hu Tao is trying to slip in sideways, they're probably close to their destination.

The opening is very narrow, which greatly restricts a person's body size, but Walnut naturally doesn't have to worry about this problem.

At first, it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious place. However, what came into their view was not a house, but a much larger, hidden mountain paradise.

The dark, shiny walls were covered with green, crystalline minerals. Unlike ordinary crystals, these minerals were entirely green and had a luster that seemed to be caused by the influence of life.

The cave walls and ceiling were covered with these crystals. Of course, if these dazzling crystals were already very eye-catching, then the huge crystal statue placed directly in front of them was even more breathtaking.

Xin Hui naturally recognized the stunningly beautiful woman sculpted in the statue, for she was the statue of the goddess of life, Yi Meng.

The crystal statue, tens of meters tall, is not only breathtaking, but the crystal itself is also multicolored, with an emerald green dress, flowing brown hair, a perfect figure, and a flawless, beautiful face. Even as a statue, one can feel the extraordinary beauty and elegance of this person in life.

The statue was so lifelike that for a moment Xin Hui thought it was [Yi Meng] appearing in person.

The sculpture was so exquisitely crafted that it seemed to bear the imprint of the goddess of life. Although this suggested that the statue was likely left by the goddess of life, Xin Hui did not sense the will of the demon god within the cave, and therefore could not make any further judgment.

Hu Tao was also somewhat stunned, but because she had seen it many times before, her surprise only lasted for a moment.

Then, she began to tell Xinhui the origin story of the Hall of Rebirth...

Chapter Forty-Five: The Secret of the Secret Realm

War of the Demon Gods.

It was a long and chaotic era, in which the people suffered greatly from floods, fires, and wars. The common people of that time simply wanted to live a normal life.

However, the battles between gods always manage to affect them unexpectedly, and the conflicts in the human world during this chaotic era inflict even greater blows on ordinary humans.

For the dead, it's more like a release than anything else; the living can only clasp their hands together and softly pray for them. But the living are not without their own wounds.

People dying from disease, people exhausted from floods, people on the verge of death from injuries...

They longed to be saved, to continue living in this world. Just then, a woman like an angel seemed to hear their cries, showering down the power of life from the sky, cleansing the suffering people like a blessing of salvation.

Humanity knew that a new deity had come to save them, and affectionately called her the "Goddess of Life"...

This is the story of "Yi Meng," which became a popular tale more than three thousand years ago. Even now, there may still be knowledgeable elders who know this story.

“According to records, the first head of our Rebirth Hall was saved by the person this statue is based on. Perhaps this is the goddess of life in the story?” Hu Tao crossed her arms and continued.

"To repay a debt of gratitude, the first Hall Master agreed to guard the secret of this place for the Goddess of Life. Later, this secret place became the place guarded by successive Hall Masters of Rebirth. In addition, the 'boundary' between life and death extending from the cliff served as a cover, which is why this secret place is rarely visited by people."

Hu Tao's expression remained unchanged, but the look in her eyes as she gazed at the crystal statue changed slightly, revealing a hint of melancholy.

"Actually, even the head of the Hall of Rebirth doesn't understand what he's protecting. Every so often, he has to come here to check on this secret realm. Nothing inside can be allowed to be damaged, and the head of the Hall of Rebirth's soul must also leave this world honestly when it reaches the 'border.' So sometimes, I also want to figure out what kind of thing I'm protecting..."

"Fortunately, the statue of the goddess of life is still intact, which is fine."

By the end, Hu Tao's tone carried a hint of satisfaction. Xin Hui knew that this was just a little girl carrying too much on her shoulders, and she was simply trying to comfort herself.

“There’s always a way to figure out the true meaning of this secret realm,” Xin Hui whispered beside her, giving her some confidence. “If this secret realm was left behind by [Yi Meng], then she must have left something behind.”

Xin Hui's statement is actually based on evidence. The Goddess of Life, Yi Meng, is not a deity who craves fame; why would she go to such lengths to leave behind such a secret realm?

Moreover, the sheer size of the crystal statue speaks volumes about the difficulty involved. Therefore, there's only one possibility—it's to conceal the true purpose of this secret realm.

Xin Hui closed his eyes, carefully sensing the situation of the entire secret realm. Then he opened his eyes, his golden eyes radiating a divine light.

Xin Hui asked Hu Tao, "Master Hu Tao, would you like to explore the secrets of this secret realm?"

The light in his eyes stunned Hu Tao, but when she realized that Xin Hui was seriously asking for her opinion, she didn't hesitate and immediately agreed.

Since that's the case...

Xinhui and Hu Tao exchanged a glance, indicating that they were about to begin.

He first led Hu Tao to a place where green crystals grew, then used his ice-blue longsword to cut off a piece of crystal the size of a fist and put it in his pocket.

The reason for doing this was that Xinhui discovered that this crystal could also resist the power of life and death, so that he could let go of Hu Tao's hand and move around more easily.

Xin Hui walked alone toward the crystal statue, touching it with his hand along the wall to its right. The colorful light of the crystal core emanated from it, and a huge amount of rock elemental power condensed there.

As he walked, he seemed to be sensing the inside of the wall. After walking about ten steps, Xinhui suddenly stopped.

He withdrew his left hand and suddenly raised his right.

The moment that nail-like object appeared in Xin Hui's hand, the power of frost surged, and a terrifying and dangerous aura permeated the entire cave.

The ghosts teetering on the brink of life and death outside the secret realm fled as if fleeing upon sensing this aura. This clearly demonstrates the terrifying power Xin Hui now possesses.

Just like the one in the abyss, the long nail was thrown by Xin Hui. Its collision with the wall was like a sharp blade tearing through paper, and the seemingly indestructible black cave wall trembled violently.

Boom!

After the dust settled, a newly opened tunnel appeared before Xinhui and his companion. However, some of the crumbling rock layers looked rather dangerous.

Seeing this, Xin Hui activated the power of the Rock Core Glass and moved all the broken stones away.

The fragments floated in the air, seemingly held back by a mysterious force, before being moved aside. This was the power of the Rock Core Glass, capable of precise control over rock elemental power.

"Not bad, young man." Although Hu Tao didn't know what Xin Hui was going to do, judging from his smooth and efficient movements, she knew that the latter must have already made his own judgment.

Although it was absurd for the head of the Hall of Rebirth to watch the place he was protecting be destroyed, Hu Tao decided to let Xin Hui do it.

She put her hand on Xinhui's shoulder, patted him, and then gestured for him to go inside first.

Xin Hui naturally disagreed and immediately pulled her aside, saying, "Let me go first."

Somehow, the slightly stern, commanding tone actually got Hu Tao to agree. Given her usual personality, she probably wouldn't have even said anything and just went in.

Xin Hui shielded her behind him, focused his attention, and then they moved forward step by step into the cave.

The tunnel wasn't long, only about ten meters. However, this was done by Xin Hui deliberately controlling his power. With the sensing of the rock core glass within the rock strata, coupled with Xin Hui's precise control over his strength, he was able to find exactly what they needed.

At the end of the cave passage was a smooth, mirror-like wall. Its dark luster reflected on the wall, and when gently tapped, it produced a crisp, resonant echo.

Here, the rock's texture changes, resembling a wall of bricks. This wall seems to be a special type of rock layer, and its hardness... is extremely solid.

How sturdy is it?

From this perspective, despite the immense impact of the Frostfire Nail, the wall appeared completely unharmed. Its gleaming surface, like a mirror, even reflected the figures of the two people.

Xin Hui sensed something was wrong, so he touched it with his hand. Relying on the rock core glass's ability to sense and analyze the rock layers, he finally touched the special brick.

Only one was a real stone brick; the others seemed to be naturally integrated with the body. Xin Hui pulled out the obsidian stone brick, revealing a special empty space inside...

Chapter Forty-Six: The Demon God's Autobiography

The empty space in the cave wall is no longer a smooth mirror surface, but instead has a ring-like flaw.

It must be the activation method of some kind of mechanism. The missing element is the "key," otherwise this hidden mechanism cannot be activated.

“It looks like this.” Hu Tao seemed to have discovered something as well. She stared at the black crystal ring on her hand and said to Xin Hui.

Without further ado, he took off the ring, held it in his hand, and wanted to hand it to Xinhui for comparison.

Fortunately, the green crystal that Xinhui had cut off earlier was large enough. After breaking it in half and giving one piece to Hu Tao, Xinhui no longer had to worry about the power of life and death corrupting Hu Tao after losing the ring.

Xin Hui placed the black crystal ring into the defect in the empty space, and to everyone's surprise, the two fit together perfectly, with no difference in shape or size.

The moment he put the ring in, something seemed to activate in the secret realm, and a loud rumbling sound came, scaring the two of them so much that they quickly fled.

Upon escaping the cave, they discovered that the sound was coming from the enormous statue.