In Genshin Impact, I'm really not Muzan.

However, regardless of the circumstances, the secret realm is protected by the Eight Gates Method, with one gate hidden. Even if this secret realm is not the Wuwang Yinjiu Maze, it definitely seals away the Chi's clone.

“I see… But even I, a Liyue native, didn’t know about this. How did you, a traveler from Inazuma, find out?” Kurumi asked, tilting her head.

Indeed, most of Liyue Harbor is unaware of the fact that the Chi's clone is sealed on Wuwang Slope, and it is not even recorded in historical records. How could Suzumiya Yu, a mere innkeeper, know about this? It certainly requires deeper consideration.

But Liang Gongyou had already prepared an answer to this: "I once went to Jueyun Realm and learned about Chi from an immortal. That's why I know that even the immortal had the credit for sealing Chi's clone."

If that's the case, Hu Tao might understand. After all, immortals have endless lifespans, and they have appeared in almost every major event that has happened in Liyue since ancient times, whether it was the Demon God War or the Battle of the Rock Abyss.

"I never expected you would actually meet an immortal. If those wealthy businessmen who pursue immortality found out, they'd probably be pestering you all day long asking about immortals," Hu Tao said.

Liyue is a trading capital that controls the flow of Mora across the entire continent, so it has the largest number of merchants in Teyvat.

Ancient emperors all liked to pursue immortality because they did not want to give up their current lives and wanted to rule the world forever. Wealthy merchants were the same.

They had worked hard all their lives to finally achieve some success, but their lives were nearing their end. Unable to accept this fact, they sought immortality.

The immortals of Liyue possess the means to achieve immortality, so wealthy merchants naturally set their sights on them. However, the immortals are aloof and would never pay attention to such people.

Moreover, the reason why immortals can have infinite lifespans is not because they have mastered the method of immortality, but because they are not human.

Besides humans, the continent of Teyvat is home to many other races, such as monsters, the Oni race of Inazuma, and elves like Klee, all of whom possess lifespans far exceeding those of humans.

This leads to a point of contention regarding race. Those wealthy merchants are merely human, with an average lifespan of only one hundred years. They would likely refuse to relinquish their human identity and become members of another race.

"Just don't tell them, anyway, no one dares to mess with me." Ryou said expressionlessly. He had become a celebrity in Liyue Harbor.

Because he possesses power far exceeding that of ordinary humans, few people dare to take the initiative to talk to him. After all, he doesn't give off a friendly or approachable vibe.

Even if those wealthy merchants knew that he had met immortals, they would probably have to think carefully about whether or not to ask him about immortals, since they might even kill them if they were displeased.

"You're really too confident. Those wealthy businessmen are capable of anything in their pursuit of immortality. Even Seven Stars turn a blind eye to the things they do in their daily lives, since they are the main source of income for Liyue."

Hu Tao is right. The Seven Stars of Liyue hold great power in Liyue, and Ningguang has become the wealthiest merchant. But even so, she cannot turn the tide of Liyue through her personal wealth.

The Rock King has passed away, the Heart of God is no longer here, and the Golden House, which could have produced Mora indefinitely, ceased operation two years ago.

With no new Mora appearing, the Seven Stars can only target wealthy merchants who own most of the old Mora.

Chapter 199 The Immortal's Talisman

Because he didn't want to oppress the wealthy businessmen too much, Qi Xing basically turned a blind eye to their outrageous behavior, as long as they didn't go too far.

However, as time went on, those wealthy merchants viewed the Seven Stars' concessions as cowardice, so they became increasingly reckless in their actions, almost plunging the entire Liyue into a major economic crisis.

At the critical moment, Ningguang discovered the problem and then issued a series of policies to stop the troublemaking wealthy merchants in time. At the same time, she also began to reduce the amount of Mora flowing to various parts of the continent in order to restrain those wealthy merchants and prevent them from leaving Liyue.

The consequence of this was that prices in Liyue skyrocketed. Yuu Ryoumi knew this all too well. After living in Liyue for a few months, he found that prices there were almost double those in Inazuma, which was an astonishing figure.

If Ningguang were to be even more ruthless and directly stop the flow of Mora to various parts of the continent, Liyue would undoubtedly rise to become the leader of the Seven Kingdoms in a very short time.

However, this only refers to the economic aspect. Ningguang did not do this because she knew that Liyue, which had lost the protection of the gods, could not resist the other six countries that had the protection of the gods.

That's why she gradually reduced the flow of Mora in order to keep the other six countries in check and prevent them from having any ill intentions towards Liyue.

If Liyue were to face a crisis of destruction, the entire continent of Teyvat would be plunged into an economic crisis lasting at least a decade or more. Such losses would be unbearable even for the gods.

Moreover, Morax is only dead on the surface. Mortals believe that the Geo Archon has left the world, but the Sage and the other six gods know very well that he has not died at all, but is protecting Liyue in another way.

Therefore, the other six gods would never dare to launch an invasion against Liyue, because the so-called "nation without divine protection" is just a smokescreen.

......

They didn't know how long they had been walking in the dim light, but by the time Suzumiya Yu and Kurumi could see the light in the distance again, they had reached the end of the tunnel.

The tunnel no longer led underground, but went straight ahead. The flickering lights in the distance told them that this secret realm was not as large as it appeared on the surface.

The two exchanged a glance and continued to grope their way forward. However, this time, Hu Tao's face showed a rare serious expression, because she knew very well that once they reached this point, the interior of the secret realm would no longer be safe.

Although she wasn't an adventurer, she knew that most secret realms were equipped with traps to prevent intruders from taking anything from inside—it was a kind of trial.

They continued forward until they finally passed through the white, bright barrier. In an instant, the world before them was completely transformed. The previously dim passage had vanished, and what appeared before them was a vast underground world.

The place is very spacious and brightly lit. The lights are provided by talismans engraved with the symbols of immortals, which clearly indicate that this secret realm was built by immortals.

Above that vast space, the two saw a huge sphere, orange in color, that seemed to be alive and constantly writhing.

It wanted to escape, but it was bound by countless iron chains all around it. Moreover, there were many talismans that constantly emitted energy on those chains.

Looking at the magnificent scene before him, even someone as composed as him couldn't help but marvel at how the ancients possessed such astonishing power, capable of creating such a vast space underground.

"Could that thing be a Chi?" Hu Tao pointed to the huge sphere above her head. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed to be sealed up, which was why it couldn't make any more movements and could only keep wriggling slightly in place.

"It should be, after all, apart from that thing, there's nothing else noteworthy about this place." Ryou nods, leans down slightly, and then leaps into the air.

As he ascended, he reached out his right hand, intending to touch the sphere and then use his ability to devour it.

Just as he was about to succeed, the countless talismans attached to the iron chain suddenly burst out with dazzling golden light, instantly annihilating Liang Gongyou's entire arm into ashes.

Intense pain struck at that moment, and Ryou's body fell straight to the ground. Seeing this, Kurumi tried to catch him, but he managed to adjust in time and land safely on the ground.

Ryou's face was deathly pale, because he discovered that the talismans carried a trace of sealing power, which was why his arm, which had been reduced to ashes, could not be restored immediately.

However, after he absorbed all the sealing power, his shattered arm immediately grew back.

"Wow! Your arm has actually grown back!" Hu Tao was shocked to see this. She had seen many people with extraordinary abilities, but she had never seen anyone like Liang Gongyou who could regenerate a severed body.

"Never mind that for now. Do you know how to break those talismans?" Ryoumi ignored Kurumi's question and pointed to the talismans on the chains.

Having already encountered them once, he was well aware of how astonishing the power of those talismans was. Even if he wanted to confront them head-on, he would have to be extremely careful.

Walnut has extensive knowledge; she might know how to break those spells.

However, the other party's answer disappointed him somewhat: "These talismans are things of the immortals, how could a mortal like me possibly know about them?"

Hu Tao spread his hands, indicating that he had no way to deal with these talismans either. After all, they were things of the immortals, how could ordinary people possibly destroy them?

"If that's the case, then we have to use more forceful methods?" Ryou's eyes sharpened at this moment. He knew very well that trying to destroy those talismans through special means would definitely waste a lot of time.

Instead of doing that, it would be better to use the most direct method, to destroy those talismans by brute force. I wonder how much time that would save.

But Hu Tao stopped him just as she was about to make her move.

"You'd better think this through. That thing is something that even the Rock King Emperor would find troublesome. If you break those sealing talismans, have you thought about how you'll deal with it after it's broken free?"

Hu Tao's expression was serious, not at all like she was joking with Suzumiya Yu.

This is indeed a problem that needs attention. Even the Rock King Emperor would find it extremely troublesome. In addition to being immortal, the Chi is definitely at the level of a demon god. Even if it is just an avatar, it is enough to make mortals tremble.

Chapter Two Hundred: Breaking the Seal

Suzumiya Yu is very powerful, and destroying those talismans would probably be a piece of cake for her, but Kurumi is worried about whether the two of them have the ability to deal with the Chi.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Ryoumi Yu replied to Kurumi as if she were just being perfunctory.

Now that things have progressed this far, how could he possibly back down because he's afraid of Chi's strength? Besides, he already possesses power comparable to a demon god, and the Chi here is merely an avatar, its strength incomparable to its peak.

"I'm serious..." Hu Tao wanted to persuade Liang Gongyou, but before she could finish speaking, the other party had already made a move.

After taking a deep breath, Suzumiya Yuu instantly drew her weapon from her waist, aimed it at the sphere above her head, and swung it with all her might.

"Full focus..."

"Breath of Flame, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"

A blazing tiger appeared as Suzumiya Yu swung her sword. It roared and charged into the sky, and in just a moment, it came into contact with the talisman that was radiating powerful energy.

In an instant, surging energy spread through the air, and the powerful shockwave almost sent Hu Tao flying. Liang Gongyou, on the other hand, seemed relatively calm.

His gaze was fixed on the runes above his head that were being melted by the flames. As the number of runes decreased, the vitality emanating from the writhing sphere grew stronger.

A faint golden light flashed from within the sphere, and the next second, a violent explosion rang out, the thick smoke and dust so intense that even Ryoujiro Yu couldn't help but cover her eyes.

When he regained his sight, the iron chains and talismans that sealed the sphere had all disappeared, and all that remained was a dragon with only half its body left.

The dragon was entirely black, with blood-red eyes like those of Suzumiya Yu. However, unlike Suzumiya Yu, it exuded a nauseating aura of ferocity.

The moment Hu Tao saw the Chilong, she felt an unprecedented pressure. A bead of cold sweat slid down her cheek, telling her that if she were to fight it, she would probably die in one move.

In comparison, Suzumiya Yu felt no pressure. However, he was somewhat surprised that the Chi in front of him was just an avatar, yet the oppressive aura it exuded was three times stronger than that of Ba Che, who had attacked Liyue Harbor earlier.

He was quite curious about what level of strength the Chi would have possessed in its prime. Would it have been stronger than Lord Guyun's Vortex Demon God, Oser?

The answer to this question is unknown, and Ryou Miyako is well aware that now is not the time to concern herself with such matters. Now that the Chi has broken free of its seal, she should naturally focus her attention on it.

However, Suzumiya Yu regretted bringing Hu Tao along, because in a battle of this level, an ordinary person like her wouldn't even have the right to intervene. Even if she stood at a distance and watched, she would still be at risk of being caught in the crossfire.

If she were a little smarter, she could leave this secret realm now, which might make things easier for Ryogoku Yu. Or, if he were a little more ruthless, he could simply ignore Kurumi's life or death during the battle.

However, that would be a pity, so Suzumiya Yu wouldn't do that, because in his opinion, Chi's strength was not enough to threaten him.

"Wind Breathing - Fourth Form - Rising Sandstorm!"

Switching her breathing pattern, Ryouji Suzumiya swung her sword rapidly. In less than a breath, she unleashed five sharp wind blades overhead, slashing straight at the dragon.

The dragon, which had just broken free of its seal, sensed a familiar danger and immediately took action. Its remaining half-body spun in the air and eventually turned into a black sphere.

The sphere's hard outer shell deflected all five wind blades, which then struck the surrounding walls after losing their target.

Instantly, the entire secret realm began to shake violently. If the attack had been any stronger, it might have caused the secret realm to collapse directly.

Suzumiya Yu wasn't afraid of these things, but the key was Kurumi. Even if Kurumi possessed the Eye of God, a boulder weighing a hundred pounds falling from the sky could easily crush her to death.

"Tsk... I can't even use my fists and feet properly." Ryou clicked his tongue. He was stronger than Chi, but in this confined space, he couldn't use his full strength in order not to endanger Hu Tao's life.

"Hey, I'm begging you, can you please leave this secret realm as soon as possible if you don't want to die?" With no other choice, Ryougu could only turn around and say this to Kurumi.

As long as Hu Tao leaves this place, it doesn't matter if he destroys the entire secret realm.

The only thing to worry about is that the dragon might run away. After all, it has the ability to fly. If it realizes that it is no match for Ryoko Yu after leaving the secret realm, it might run away without looking back.

When it comes to escaping, Chi is a pro; after all, it has successfully escaped from Morax's clutches many times, and Suzumiya Yu might not be able to stop it.

Upon hearing Liang Gongyou's words, Hu Tao was taken aback at first, and then immediately took action, running towards the entrance of the secret realm without looking back.

She knew very well that if she stayed here, she would not only be unable to help Ryogoku Yu, but would also be a burden to him. So, she decided to leave the secret realm first, so that Ryogoku Yu could unleash his full potential.

Furthermore, Kurumi was also eager to know whether Suzumiya Yu, who was using all her strength, could defeat this creature that had been born in ancient times.

......

Hu Tao has left. Liang Gongyou can sense that she is still in this secret realm, but he can no longer see her with his eyes.

He faced this formidable enemy, who would give even the Rock King Emperor a headache, all by himself, yet he felt no pressure whatsoever; on the contrary, he was extremely excited.