Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

There was nothing else the leader of the Qin troupe could do but pray to the wind god in their faith, even though this land was not under the wind god's jurisdiction.

Next, they will venture deep into the Silent Sea to find the reason why the usually windless Silent Sea can be stirred up.

Most of the Ember Sea is actually a molten lava-like substance, which looks extremely dangerous. If you accidentally fall in, you will probably die on the spot.

In those places where magma melt is located

There are also stone pillars and pumice that already exist here. In addition, magma occasionally erupts into towering pillars of flame, representing the most concentrated state of fire elemental power. The erupting pillars of flame carry an aura of destruction, and are extremely terrifying.

However, there are also passages in the Sea of ​​Ashes. The narrow paths, a few meters wide, are formed by black charred rocks and appear to be caused by solidified magma. This gives Xinhui and his group the opportunity to enter, so that they don't have to struggle too much in the area filled with fire and wind elemental power.

"Everyone be careful of the extreme fire elemental power and the violent wind elemental power here. Be sure to look out for each other to prevent any accidents." The serious voice of the leader, Qin, rang in everyone's ears.

There was no other way. In order to resist these two forces, Xinhui and the others could only activate their elemental power to avoid being overwhelmed by the surging elemental power of the former. In this way, they were finally able to walk normally in this "sea area".

At the same time, everyone took out their weapons and remained vigilant against the lava fields on both sides of the path.

It is said that a special kind of magical beast lives here. They are not afraid of high temperatures, are ferocious by nature, and seem to be extremely territorial, so much so that adventurers in the past have been attacked by them.

Xin Hui carefully observed everyone's weapons: Jean's [Windhawk Sword], Amber's [Skywing], Diluc's [Wolf's Grave], Kaeya's [Skyblade], Yura's [When the Pine Trees Resound], and the Traveler Ying's [Edgeless Sword].

Apart from the Bladeless Sword, the weapons of the other Knights of Favonius can all be described as divine artifacts, possessing immense power. Moreover, they are all seasoned warriors, and the caution in their eyes is something they have honed through years of knightly service.

At that moment, Xin Hui noticed some bubbles churning in the surrounding magma. Although the noise was small, it was noticed by many people.

Gan Yu slightly raised Amos's Bow, releasing ice elemental power that condensed into Frost Arrows at the bowstring, aiming directly at the surging bubbles. Amber's arrows did the same.

Compared to the long-range aiming of bows and arrows, Xinhui and his companions could only use longswords to protect their chests, with the blades slightly pointed, ready to deal with any sudden danger at any time.

Sure enough, as Xinhui and the others drew their swords, there was a sudden movement from the bubbling lava.

A black figure flashed past and attacked Xinhui and his group.

Boo!

The figure emitted a peculiar roar, causing Xin Hui to instinctively try to use his longsword to block its claws.

However, before Xin Hui's longsword could even touch it, Gan Yu's Frost Arrow struck its body.

Only then did Xinhui clearly see the form of the black figure. It was a wolf-shaped, floating monster with a black and red body, crimson eyes, and ears that looked like two burning flames, appearing both terrifying and dangerous.

Fortunately, Gan Yu's Frost Arrow interrupted its swift and ferocious movements, and the latter let out a shrill roar after being hit. Perhaps due to the effect of the intense ice elemental force, the monster became on its last breath and fell back into the sea of ​​lava fire in mid-air.

"Xin, are you alright?" Gan Yu stood beside Xin Hui with some concern, her face showing worry as she carefully asked him.

Xin Hui waved his hand; he was naturally fine, since the monster hadn't even touched him yet. Moreover, several more demonic wolves appeared at the same time, seemingly unafraid of the flames, swimming in the lava as if searching for prey. Amber's fire arrows didn't seem to have much effect on the wolves.

It seems that only the power of ice element is enough to deter the dire wolf.

Thinking of this, Xin Hui activated the power of the Frost Nail in his right palm. A massive amount of ice elemental power instantly swirled around him, its power astonishing. Due to the release of the Frost Nail's power, the demonic wolves that were fighting with the group retreated and burrowed back into the lava, not daring to show their faces again.

"This friend is truly amazing." Kaeya cast an approving glance at Xinhui. With his Eye of the Ice God, he could clearly sense the immense ice elemental power that Xinhui had just emitted.

"It's just that the monsters in these lava pools are terrified of ice elemental power," Xin Hui said modestly.

"Let's hurry to the depths of the Ember Sea while the monsters have retreated. During this time, we must pay close attention to the movement of the surrounding lava. It's not just these ordinary demonic wolves; there might be even more powerful monsters among them," said Commander Qin with a smile, seemingly emboldened by the easy defeat of the demonic wolves.

Then her shouts followed.

"Let's press on with our momentum and head into the depths of the Sea of ​​Ashes!"

Chapter 82 The Palace Labyrinth

Since entering the Sea of ​​Ashes and defeating the fiery wolves, Xinhui and his group have experienced many twists and turns along the way.

First, they encountered an even more powerful monster. It was a giant python capable of stirring up magma, with a crimson body, scales as hard as rock, and terrifyingly hollow snake eyes, and huge, sharp teeth that gleamed coldly.

To deal with this giant python, everyone's strength was gathered. In Jean's Dandelion Domain, where the wind surged, everyone was given healing power, so they could not be afraid of ordinary wounds. They used Diluc and Yura's greatswords to restrain it, while the others looked for opportunities to inflict wounds on the giant python.

In the end, Gan Yu's Frost Arrow proved remarkably effective against the giant python, striking its brain and killing it instantly.

After dealing with the python, they encountered their second problem.

From the initial narrow path, many branches gradually appeared, and the further they went, the more complex the path seemed.

At first, it was thanks to the leader of the Qin troupe's ability to identify the direction that everyone was able to move in the right direction. But later on, even the leader of the Qin troupe became somewhat lost and could not determine where the center of the Sea of ​​Ashes was.

The wind surging from the Wind Dragon Ruins toward the Ember Sea grew weaker and weaker. Perhaps due to interference from fire elemental forces, the wind, though present, had become turbulent, giving the impression that it was spinning around, making it unpredictable.

"Why don't I lead the way?" Xin Hui suggested to the troupe leader, "I have a special kind of perception that might be of some use here."

These words reassured Qin, and she looked at Xinhui with a determined gaze and said, "Then I'll leave it to you to lead the way. I'll protect you from the side."

However, Ke Qing remained vigilant and approached Xin Hui, whispering, "Did you sense it?"

Since Xinhui found the Core of Glass in the Abyss of Layered Rocks by relying on his own senses, Keqing naturally believes that Xinhui has sensed other sources of power belonging to him, which is why she came to ask him this question.

Xin Hui smiled knowingly, understanding what Ke Qing's question referred to. With just that smile, Ke Qing already knew the answer.

Indeed, Xinhui had already sensed the mysterious source of the winds of heaven and earth in the distance—the Source of the Wind Sea.

So now, we can just leave it to Xinhui without worry. Xinhui also signaled to Keqing to stay by Ganyu's side, as Ganyu needs someone to protect her during the process of releasing the Frost Arrow.

Led by Xinhui, the group followed his steps, passing through countless forking paths, and finally arrived at the front of a road with no forks.

A huge, dark shadow could be vaguely seen in the distance.

This sparked excitement among the crowd, as they believed that this was the heart of the Sea of ​​Ashes. The resurgence of the Ashlands might be related to that place.

Thinking of this, everyone quickened their pace noticeably, eager to find out what was going on.

However, although this was the final path with no more forks, it was very, very long. So long that Xinhui and the others once thought it had no end, or that they were just going around in circles.

If the dark shadow hadn't become increasingly clear and larger in their field of vision, everyone would probably have stopped and reconsidered their plans.

"Look, there's a huge palace!" It was Hu Tao's surprised voice that brought Xin Hui back to his senses.

He slightly raised his eyes, and what came into view was a huge black building. As for how big it was?

If I had to describe it, I could only say that it replaced the previously boundless Sea of ​​Ashes, and the Black Palace has covered the lava of the Sea of ​​Ashes!

Although it looks like a palace, Xin Hui felt that it was actually more like a maze. Once you entered the huge palace door in front of you, it would be difficult to get out.

"Everyone, this palace that suddenly appeared in the Sea of ​​Ashes was indeed not part of the plan for this operation," Commander Jean said solemnly. When she saw the black palace, she couldn't help but be surprised, but she quickly regained her firm expression. "However, our Knights of Favonius of Mondstadt and the team led by the Seven Stars of Liyue have only one purpose in coming here."

"That is, to find and eliminate the factors that cause the wind in the Silent Sea."

“If we retreat now, we may return unscathed, but that will not ensure the safety of the people of Mondstadt and Liyue. After all, the turbulent Ember Sea never gives people peace of mind.”

"So let us each shoulder our responsibilities and join me in conquering this palace!"

It must be said that the powerful words of the troupe leader, Qin, left a deep impression on everyone, providing timely encouragement and strength. This is also one of the reasons why Xinhui appreciates her as the acting troupe leader—her ability to make the right decisions at the right time.

In contrast, Keqing is better suited to acting alone; her self-centered approach is inappropriate for a team. It can only be said that their different personalities can sometimes determine a team's effectiveness.

After hearing the encouragement from the leader of the troupe, Kaiya and the others perked up. They exchanged smiles, already understanding what each other was thinking.

"There's nothing to say. It's just an ordinary building. With Jean leading the way, we're not afraid at all. Don't you agree, Lord Diluc?" Kaeya once again turned his gaze to Diluc, but the latter remained indifferent and did not want to pay any attention to him.

Kaiya responded with the same two words: "Boring."

They were still so energetic. We'd seen this kind of scene many times along the way, but it always made everyone feel a little more relaxed.

In this way, the troupe leader and everyone else worked together to push open the huge doors of the hall.

The ancient stone gate made a loud, clanging sound, and as it slowly opened, the scene behind it gradually came into view.

Just as Xin Hui had sensed, behind the stone gate was indeed a dark, labyrinthine passageway, unlike the ornate decorations of an ordinary hall.

The pitch-black passageway seemed unfathomably deep, so much so that everyone could sense the surging energy within. Upon arriving here, the intense fire elemental energy from the outside world diminished considerably, while the aura of wind elemental energy suddenly became clearer.

Leader Jean drew her longsword from her waist to her right side, a pale green glow swirling around its blade as she cautiously led the group. Keqing was equally formidable, gripping her Dragon's Roar sword, her lightning elemental power coalescing into a purple glow.

Xin Hui was secretly calculating how similar it was to the [Source of Wind and Sea]. Although he couldn't pinpoint its exact location, he could clearly sense that it was... getting closer...

Chapter 83 The Price of Blood and Tears

Entering my ruins requires paying a price in blood and tears.

After navigating the "maze" for a long time, the passageway became narrow and long. The group arrived at a stone gate and fell silent as they looked at the inscription on the stone tablet standing to the side.

The inscription is more like a warning: if you don't heed the advice on the stone tablet, you will pay a heavy price inside.

However, it also seems more like someone's prank. The exaggerated red lettering seems to be designed to manipulate the psychology of passersby, giving them a choice: either go in and face the so-called "danger" or leave and be mocked by those behind them.

So, which one should you choose, Jean or Keqing?

Everyone else focused their attention on the two of them, awaiting their decision.

The next second, Keqing's purple eyes narrowed slightly, and the sword light of the Dragon's Roar from the box struck out. With a sound of collapse, the stone tablet had been shattered into several pieces by her.

This……

Xin Hui was momentarily taken aback, and only then did he notice Ke Qing's slightly upturned lips. She was pleased!

Yes, that's exactly her style: decisive, resolute, and without hesitation, with a strong sense of autonomy. Most people might think she's abnormal or eccentric, but Xinhui knows it's actually a manifestation of her independent spirit.

"This Lord Yuheng Star is truly ruthless! I admire him!" Kaiya's eyes narrowed into slits as he spoke eloquently, casting an approving and appreciative glance.

Like many others, he probably didn't expect Keqing to do such a thing, actually splitting the stone tablet in two.

This action also represents Keqing's attitude—to open the stone door and go inside to find out everything.

The troupe leader had no objections and readily agreed. Although her eyes still held a hint of surprise, she was now filled with curiosity and admiration for the little girl in the purple dress beside her.

The troupe leader waved slightly, signaling everyone to open the stone door first. Although this stone door was also meant to be pushed, it was much thicker and heavier than the main hall door. In addition, the passageway had become narrow and long, and only a limited number of people could stand and push the stone door.

Therefore, it took a lot of effort for Kaeya, Diluc, and Xinhui to push it open. If the stone door doesn't move, Xinhui will have to consider using the power of the Core Crystal.

This time, behind the stone gate was no longer a cave passage, but a huge stone platform. Dark red lines were carved on the platform, and the platform itself was blue-green, showing a sense of mystery and strangeness.

It resembled a martial arts arena, much like those found in ordinary secret realms. However, it was a secret chamber inside, with the only exit being this stone door. Moreover, a huge statue stood opposite the stone door.

Xin Hui recognized it at a glance; it was a statue of a "pillar" god, and even though it was a statue, its gaze seemed to be staring directly at Xin Hui and the others, giving them a chilling feeling.

“It’s a statue of Queen Simon of Musen,” Xinhui reminded the others.

The original form of Queen Simon of the Wood Forest was a wood spirit born from the forest. Her power comes from the forest; in addition to being able to wield pure grass elemental power, she can also imbue the life force of the forest.

She once used pure grass elemental power to awaken the barren, slumbering earth, dedicating herself to bringing lush forests to more wastelands. Unfortunately, human wishes are rarely fulfilled, let alone the desires of the gods.