Hutao uses me to judge my performance

Since returning to Canria, Dain's feelings have been complicated.

There was a longing for the homeland, as well as the pain and melancholy of the past being gone. When they saw this black sun, these emotions reached their peak.

"Generally, for things that are vital to the nation's survival, they reserve energy for several hundred years, just in case."

Jiang Bai thought it was quite normal for it to be lit up.

In the pitch-black underground, what is most needed is undoubtedly light.

“You’re right, the Black Sun’s energy depot is the most energy-rich place in the entire Kanria.”

Where is the power supply located?

The two are currently in a high position, offering a great view of the city below.

Jiang Bai shifted his gaze from the black sun to the city-state below.

He was immediately plunged into a deep shock.

Kanria is similar to the White Night Kingdom, with a huge and vast underground space that forms its own world. However, Kanria is many, many times larger than the White Night Kingdom, so large that Jiang Bai cannot see the end of this underground space.

Also constrained by the terrain, the cities of Kanria are not scattered across different places like those of other countries on the surface, but are concentrated under the illumination of the dark sun.

The vast space, comparable to an entire thousand-ravine sand dune, has been artificially opened up and leveled, and divided into areas in an extremely orderly manner. Buildings stand in these areas, and the entire city has a strong sense of order and oppression. It seems that you can feel the folk customs of Kanreia at that time from these buildings.

Farmland, factories, gardens, forests, rivers, lakes... everything that can be seen on the ground is encompassed within the city.

High-altitude tracks traverse various regions, stretching to unknown ends.

Unfortunately, there is no human presence here now, and many buildings have collapsed. The scars left by the war are forever etched on this land.

"In that direction. The royal palace is also in that direction."

Dain pointed in a direction, and Jiang Bai could only see some buildings clustered around an exceptionally tall building in the distance. Because it was so far away, from here, those buildings looked only as small as sesame seeds.

"This place is too big..." Jiang Bai exclaimed.

He had come here once before, five hundred years ago, but back then he was inside the city, not outside it like this, able to overlook the entire city, and he wasn't in the mood to appreciate the scenery then.

"In the beginning, the space here was not large. In order to survive, the Kanreia people gradually expanded this space. After thousands of years, the land area of ​​Kanreia is no less than that of the kingdoms on the ground."

Canria has many machines, most of which were created for land reclamation.

Kanria is not just the area they see now; there are many other regions that are blocked by rock formations, but those places are not suitable for habitation.

"Is Kanria only one city?" Jiang Bai asked.

This city is already comparable to all the cities Jiang Bai has visited so far.

Dain nodded. "That's right. The city is called Kanria."

Even Dain, when mentioning this, couldn't hide her pride.

This city of Kanria is the culmination of thousands of years of hard work by generations of people, and the pride of all Kanria residents.

Although Kanria has fallen, its glory will live on forever.

Chapter 903 Twins and the Abyss

"Let's go into the city first."

Dai Yin led Jiang Bai to a one-way track and boarded a small track car.

The track car has two wheels fixed to the track at the bottom, shaped like a shuttle. Gears of various sizes are connected at the bottom, allowing the track car to be stably fixed on the track, making it look very flexible and convenient.

"This is the most commonly used mode of transportation in Kanria; basically, the people rely on this for getting around," Dain said, looking at the railcar with a touch of nostalgia as he gave a brief introduction.

Jiang Bai's gaze swept across the tracks that stretched throughout the city, some of which extended into the darkness. He seemed to see trains speeding along them, just a glimpse of the once bustling Kanria.

"This is much more convenient than using your legs..."

"Five hundred years have passed, and without maintenance, many tracks have collapsed. There are probably not many places that can be reached now."

As Dain spoke, he pulled down the lever on the control stick, and the railcar, which had not been started for five hundred years, began to move along the track with a rusty grinding sound.

It's like riding a roller coaster, except this track car moves much more gently than a roller coaster.

The cityscape unfolds before your eyes, with ancient buildings rushing past you.

Looking down from the air, Jiang Bai could see many Kanria machines wandering around the city. These machines were not in a dormant state, but were obeying their former orders, patrolling and guarding the city until they became a pile of broken copper and scrap metal that could no longer move.

"Kanria's situation is much better than I expected."

Dain had expected to see a city overrun by monsters, but the opposite was true.

There aren't many monsters in Kanria. Whenever a monster appears, these painless mechanical guards will swarm it until the monster is completely dealt with before dispersing.

Looking at the guards whose bodies were broken but who were still protecting the city, Dain's eyes were filled with deep sorrow.

"Back then, not everyone had time to evacuate..."

The nobles were the first to evacuate, followed by the commoners, and many soldiers stayed behind to cover the rear.

Those soldiers, like these mechanical guards, remained here forever.

The railcar was forced to stop because the tracks ahead had collapsed. The two men got off the railcar and walked into the city.

Will these machines attack us?

"will not."

These machines are carrying out orders to protect the city, and the people are naturally within their protection area.

As expected, the two were not attacked by any mechanical guardians along the way.

"The former royal palace is just ahead."

Jiang Bai stopped and looked up at the enormous palace complex in front of him.

This must be where the catastrophe of Kanria began. Huge, blood-red cubes float in the air, and the sunlight shining from above also appears blood-red.

Many of the once magnificent buildings have collapsed, but a huge black sun statue still stands tall in front of the square, casting a large shadow.

Beneath the black sun statue, the remains of countless guards lay scattered and piled up.

Their destroyed bodies could no longer emit any light, but their forms had become a city wall.

They guarded the last glory of this dynasty until their very last breath.

In the gaps between these ruins, Intiwat flowers bloom.

Dain bent down, picked an Intiwat, placed it on his chest, and closed his eyes under the Black Sun statue.

"You know, Kanria is a very special place. It's very close to the stars and very close to the abyss. In Kanria, things from outer space and people from beyond this world often appear."

When Dai Yin recounted these past events after a long time, she also unveiled a corner of the mysterious veil of Kanria for Jiang Bai.

“People from beyond the heavens…” Jiang Bai murmured.

After entering the barrier of Teyvat, the first place he appeared was also Kanria.

"Yes, Ying is not the only extraterrestrial in Kanria, but she is more special. The arrival of the twins was brought about by the [Secret Institute]."

"Huh?" Jiang Bai opened his mouth in surprise.

He had never heard of this before, and even Kong had never mentioned it.

What is the "Secret Academy"?

"This is an academic research organization; you can think of it as the Fontainebleau Academy of Sciences."

"In order to study the Abyss, the [Secret Institute] detected the trajectory of the binary stars and brought them to Kanria..."

"Wait, I can't quite connect the cause and effect of this," Jiang Bai interrupted Dai Yin's narration, he was a little confused.

According to Sora, he had been asleep since he came to this world until his sister suddenly woke him up and said she wanted to leave this world. Then Tenri stopped her and took Ying away, sealing him away.

After the seal disappeared, he wandered aimlessly in Teyvat, then fished up Paimon, and began his journey.

It seemed fine before, but now it appears there are too many gaps in its structure.

"What is their connection to the Abyss?"

"You've been through a lot with Sora, so you should know that Sora possesses the power to purify the abyss. But have you ever considered that it's not purification, but absorption?"

Jiang Bai was stumped by the question.

Absorb the power of the abyss?

Does this mean they share the same origin as the Abyss, and that they originally used the power of the Abyss?

I don't know if Kong himself didn't realize it, or if he deliberately kept it a secret.

"The sages of the [Secret Academy] study the Abyss, its power, and even use it as an energy source. The one on the throne has given them tremendous support in this endeavor..."

Why does the [Secret Academy] want to study the Abyss? Why even dedicate the entire nation's resources to it?

There are many reasons to study something, but behind the mobilization of national resources, there must be more dangerous and complex reasons.

"I was just a former head of the palace guards. If you want to know these things, you might have to go to the Secret Service."

The Gatherer is not omniscient or omnipotent; his return to Kanria this time is also to find answers to his questions.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the Secret Academy!"

Although they are currently in front of the palace in Kanria, it looks very dangerous inside. It would be better to go to the Deep Chamber first and then go inside.

Dain did not object and took Jiang Bai to the Deep Secret Academy.

The Deep Secret Court is a large complex of buildings, and even after five hundred years, it still exudes a strong abyssal atmosphere.

Without a doubt, this is the place most severely affected by the abyss.

Jiang Bai, holding the White Abyss, stepped into it. What came into view was land heavily invaded by the abyss, the black and red ground incapable of growing any plants.

There are no mechanical guards here; all sorts of bizarre abyssal monsters roam freely, making it a major base.

"It's dangerous here, be careful not to get hurt!" Dain had already entered battle mode.

Without his reminder, Bai Yuan's bullet had already been fired.

Chapter 904 The Truth You Want

Bullets pierced the heads of the surging monsters, black blood splattering as they fell with groans, turning into corpses.

As the two ventured deeper into the area, none of the monsters that approached survived.

Upon entering the towering stone gate, the view suddenly darkens. The massive foundation stones that built this secluded courtyard should have remained intact for millions of years, but within this secluded courtyard, they present a grayish-white appearance.

It seems to be gradually weathering and decaying.

A purplish-black, viscous liquid dripped from the spatial rift, accumulating over a long period of time to form a thick layer on the ground.

Jiang Bai floated in the air with Dai Yin, avoiding contact with the dangerous-looking liquids.

Numerous monsters emerged from the deep, dark passage, roaring as they charged toward the two.

The abyssal aura emanating from them was so intense that it was as if they had been born from the abyss itself.

Jiang Bai's expression turned serious. He gathered his elemental power at the muzzle of the gun, and a bullet flashing with arc light pierced through the monster's head from its eye socket with unstoppable force. Thunder exploded, and the entire monster was instantly torn to pieces.

Jiang Bai didn't want to waste any more time in this dangerous place, so he made a fatal move right away.

The two ventured deeper into the area, passing many rooms along the way. They saw countless fallen fighting machines and various enormous instruments whose functions were unknown.

The monsters that appeared seemed endless, fighting the two of them fearlessly.

The bright red dye stained Jiang Bai's clothes, and he held Bai Yuan in his hand, panting heavily.

It wasn't obvious when we were outside, but once we entered, the danger of this ancient kingdom, buried underground for five hundred years, began to emerge.

Dain was in no better shape; half of his mask had fallen off somewhere, his robes were torn, and his hands, which had been wielding weapons with initial speed, had become somewhat sluggish.

The two moved forward very slowly, hiding and resting every so often.

After an unknown amount of time, the two finally reached the deepest part.

There was no research lab here as one might imagine. Instead, all that could be found were countless damaged combat machines, broken armor, and shattered blades.

They piled up like mountains, almost filling the entire open space.

It's hard to imagine what kind of bloody battle took place here back then.

Above the armor and blades were cracks, like shattered glass.