The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

"Hmm, it's nothing. It's just that I feel like contacting beings at the divine level... there should be some kind of ritual involved, right? Why are you with her in that photo... what kind of relationship do you two have?"

Huh? What's wrong with Mei?

Is he jealous again? Or is he worried that he and Ying won't get along well in the future?

Honestly, I never thought Mei could be so worrisome!

Out with the old, in with the new, an unforgettable Lantern Festival (Liyue New Year): Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Journey to the Celestial Grotto

Kiana patted Mei's shoulder affectionately, then smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Mei, Kage is easy to get along with. You two are so similar, you must have a lot in common."

"...What?"

Mei turned around, surprised and puzzled by Kiana's words.

Why would she think she could get along well with that god named Shadow?

Hmm, the thought of having to share her with someone who looks remarkably like me... I don't know why, but I just feel...

This is infuriating!

Mei stomped her foot for no apparent reason, just about to give this restless guy a good talking to. But then...

"Sigh..." A sudden sigh interrupted their interaction. Looking in the direction of the sound, they saw a tall, slender woman standing there quietly, looking rather impatient.

Seeing this, Kiana and Mei turned their attention to her.

"What's wrong, Shen He?"

"We can't dawdle any longer." Shen He covered his forehead, speechless at his companions.

If I remember correctly, I came here to help them collect materials for the Jade Pavilion, right?

But why does it feel like they didn't care about the materials at all? It's like they just came for a picnic.

"The cave is nearby, come with me."

Huh? It's nearby?

Upon hearing Shen He's words, Kiana was immediately confused.

Looking around, the group had reached the halfway point of the mountain. After walking a short distance, they would soon see the pool standing on the mountainside.

Although it's unclear who sculpted this pool, it certainly wouldn't have been done by a normal person. After all, who would bother to dig a pool on a mountaintop and fill it with water?

Even if someone has that much free time, the effort they would need to put in is probably beyond what most people can handle, right?

"Nearby? But there's no one around here. Could it be some kind of illusion?"

"Ah."

After giving Kiana a slight nod in response to her question, Shen He decisively extended his hand and created a Void Flower Rune. As the pale blue rune appeared, the surrounding scenery quickly changed.

It seems that the true nature of this place is about to be revealed to everyone...

For some reason, the sky suddenly darkened, accompanied by the pattering rain, and a chill seeped into my body with the wind.

“There was some special magic used to conceal our tracks here, but I’ve already erased it. We can search more carefully now.”

As everyone marveled at the incredible disguise, Shen He slowly spoke, signaling everyone to continue the search.

With this reminder from the immortal disciple, the rest became much simpler.

Everyone followed the fairy spirit and slowly moved forward until they arrived at the foot of a small waterfall.

There seems to be a cave on the other side of the waterfall.

In Liyue, a land full of Eastern characteristics, the hidden caves found in the wild are mostly the grottoes built by various True Lords.

Standing quietly before the entrance to the cave, everyone was filled with emotion.

"These illusions are truly impressive. I wonder what's inside. Did they go to so much trouble just to hide their home? These so-called immortals..."

After spending so much time climbing mountains and jumping off cliffs, Mei was getting impatient.

She crossed her arms, about to say something to express her dissatisfaction, but Kiana, sensing the danger, quickly reached out her hand:

"Uh, Mei, Mei. We're guests, so it'd be better if we were a little more polite!"

"Hmm? Visiting? Oh, yes."

Mei really wanted to complain that we were practically tomb raiding.

But after thinking about it, she felt it was rather impolite to say this in front of the disciples of the Immortal Clan.

So they had no choice but to give up.

"Shall we go in? A celestial grotto. Hehe, I used to only hear about it in books, but now I have the honor of exploring it. What a privilege."

Perhaps only at times like these can Xingqiu let go of his inner anxiety and instead be filled with anticipation for exploration.

Her words, in fact, expressed the sentiments of everyone.

After all, isn't the Immortal Grotto Heaven similar to a secret realm or a treasure trove?

The only downside is... this thing ultimately has an owner.

Hopefully, Shen He won't tell Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun about this when he gets back.

"let's go."

After a brief pause, the group entered the cave.

Once inside, the most striking thing is the presence of the celestial spirits.

Sensing something was wrong, Kiana rushed towards the fairy, but unfortunately, before she could even make contact, the fairy plunged headfirst into the thick clouds.

"this?"

Feeling puzzled, Kiana followed them in, only to find that the mist possessed an irresistible force preventing her from going any deeper.

If nothing unexpected happens, it's clearly the residual power of the owner of this cave? Or is there some special mechanism or restriction?

In short, realizing that continuing further was not feasible, Kiana turned back and began to discuss the matter with the others.

After a brief exchange, Shen He revealed that this was a restriction left behind by an immortal.

Everyone must break through the mechanism according to the established rules in order to enter and find the treasure. If they cannot break through the mechanism, they will naturally not be able to obtain the "Mingxia Floating Life Stone" worth 500 million.

"Is that so? So it seems that this immortal actually set up this secret realm just so someone could come up and take the prize?"

Upon hearing this, Kiana and the others were speechless, as the scene was indeed too much like a trial.

"No, this is just a visit, so it's not that complicated."

"A visit?" Everyone was surprised.

"Yes. But we're visiting the abode of an immortal."

Shen He waved his hand and explained crisply.

"OK then."

Since Shen He had said so, Kiana and the others couldn't say anything more. After all, Shen He was a disciple of a sage, and his words carried considerable authority.

"Let's go in and take a look. If we can get the stone easily, then we can say that we have the game in the bag."

Seeing Kiana's enthusiasm, Shen He thought for a moment and then addressed the group.

"Don't worry, since I've already said I'd help you, I won't hold back."

Upon hearing this, Ying and Paimeng hurriedly stepped forward to thank Shen He and praised his righteousness.

The others nodded in agreement, expressing their delight at Shen He's statement. After all, Shen He's assistance this time had been incredibly helpful, like a divine intervention.

With everyone's support, Shen He nodded slightly and then led everyone into the Immortal Mist.

...

"Is this what they call a celestial paradise? It's truly amazing."

Mei was somewhat surprised as she looked at the changes in the surrounding scenery.

Just as everyone else was marveling at the magnificence of the True Lord's Cave, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

Immediately afterwards, a crossbow bolt flew swiftly, narrowly missing Mei's hair and flying into the distance.

"Hicrulls? How come we can see them all over here!" Paimon's exasperated shout made everyone realize who the enemy was.

Thus began an encounter battle.

Out with the old, in with the new, an unforgettable Lantern Festival (Liyue New Year): Chapter 30: A Terrifying Cave

Although it's unclear why Hilichurls and monsters would appear in a perfectly good cave, given the immense power of the immortals, it's not surprising that they might have been transformed or directly trapped, becoming guardians of the cave's mechanisms.

The group didn't pay too much attention and focused on defending themselves against the enemy.

These demons residing in the celestial grotto are not only incredibly fast, but their battles also exhibit a certain predictability. Perhaps, in the past, these demons trapped within the celestial grotto have already clashed with many visitors.

Fortunately, even though they were extremely powerful, they couldn't stop the visitors from being ruthless.

Kiana, be careful. I'll cover you!

"it is good!"

After all, they are two Valkyries who have worked together for many years, so dealing with this number of enemies is no problem for them.

With almost no communication, they charged into the enemy ranks and began their reaping, with Wang Jian and Tai Dao weaving through the enemy lines.

Yan Yulei's power and the attribute of fire had a great suppressive effect on these monsters, and in a short time he severely injured them. They were numerous and fearless, which also attracted another wave of attacks from monsters.

"They actually knew to attack from the side!"

The sudden arrival of reinforcements caused some panic among the group. Fortunately, Kiana, a veteran of countless battles, had already prepared for the worst. Therefore, she was able to calmly react and organize a counterattack, using her own strength to deflect the monsters' attacks and launch a fierce assault on the enemy, while simultaneously using her superhuman speed to evade their assaults.

"ah!"

"what!"

Amidst the shouts of the monsters, Kiana fought off their attacks while wielding the King's Sword as she advanced towards the cave mechanism.

Upon seeing that her target was the mechanism, Shen He thought for a moment and quickly stepped forward to assist. Of course, her techniques weren't particularly powerful; she was at a level where she could easily handle the monster herself, or at least escape unscathed.