Flames surged from the ground. Even with a crystalline shield in between, Jiang Bai could still feel the searing heat.
If a wild boar were caught in that fire, in the first second, its hair would be perfectly singed off. By the second, its skin would begin to sizzle. By the third, it'd be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. By the tenth, it'd be nothing but charcoal.
Thinking about roasted boar actually made Jiang Bai a little hungry.
He dodged the flames on the ground and swatted away an incoming fireball with a single swing of his hammer.
Relying on the protection of his shield, he braved the scorching heat and swung his spiked club mercilessly against the Abyss Mage's barrier.
The Abyss Mage's face twisted in panic. It attempted to teleport away, but its shield was breaking apart at a visibly alarming rate—it wouldn't last long enough for the teleportation to succeed.
Finally, under Jiang Bai's relentless assault, the thick shield shattered. The floating Abyss Mage lost its balance and plummeted to the ground.
Geo energy surged into the spiked club, its sharpened edges gleaming ominously as it was lifted high above Jiang Bai's head.
BANG—
With a powerful downward strike, the Abyss Mage let out a wretched scream before dissolving into particles that scattered into the air.
Seeing that the Abyss Mage didn't leave behind a corpse, Jiang Bai paused for a moment.
He had wanted to examine whether the face beneath their masks was real or not, but now there wasn't even a body left to investigate.
However, his hesitation lasted only a brief second. In the next moment, he hoisted his weapon over his shoulder and charged toward the Hydro Abyss Mage entangled in combat with Hu Tao.
Hu Tao's shield-breaking speed wasn't as fast as Jiang Bai's. After all, with Jiang Bai's raw strength, there wasn't much that could withstand a few of his strikes.
As Jiang Bai's weapon came crashing down, the already weakened shield of the Hydro Abyss Mage—pushed to its limit under Hu Tao's assault—shattered completely.
The Abyss Mage fell to the ground with a terrified shriek. Under their combined attack, it quickly followed in the footsteps of its predecessors, returning to the embrace of the earth.
"Aha! All done!"
Hu Tao wiped the nonexistent sweat from her face, clearly in high spirits.
"Boss, why don't these creatures leave behind corpses?"
"I have no idea. Unlike Hilichurls, Abyss Mages have never left behind bodies after dying."
Jiang Bai nodded thoughtfully.
During the battle just now, he had noticed that the Abyss Mage's sleeve bore the same patterns found on Ruin Guards.
Maybe these creatures were connected to that sealed Archon after all.
"Let's keep climbing."
Continuing past the Abyss Mages' battleground, they reached a slightly protruding circular platform.
Standing on it gave them a clear view of the islands below, but that wasn't what caught Jiang Bai's attention.
What did catch his attention was the massive sword embedded in the middle of the platform.
"Boss, why is there a sword here?"
"No idea. This is my first time coming up here too." Hu Tao walked over and examined the sword closely.
Intricate carvings adorned its surface, and judging by its design, it seemed to be crafted by a Liyue artisan. However, being exposed to the elements for who knows how long, it was now covered in rust.
There were no visible magic seals or formations around it, so it didn't seem like it was imprisoning anything. Rather, it looked like someone had simply driven it into the ground.
Hu Tao attempted to pull it out, but it was stuck too deep—she couldn't budge it.
Not wanting to waste her energy, she turned to her trusty assistant. "Jiang Bai, you do it."
Jiang Bai stepped forward and, with one hand, effortlessly pulled the greatsword from the ground.
The sword was enormous. A normal person would need both hands just to lift it, but Jiang Bai carried it with a single hand as if it weighed nothing at all.
Hu Tao tapped the blade lightly. A crisp sound rang out. Though heavily rusted, the material itself seemed undamaged. If a skilled blacksmith reforged it, it could be restored to its former glory.
She also sensed a faint, unfamiliar aura from the sword, but it was too subtle for her to pinpoint its nature.
"Not bad, not bad! This is a good sword! I didn't expect to find such a nice surprise on this trip!" Hu Tao grinned. "Once we're back in Liyue Harbor, I'll have someone investigate its origins."
Saying that, she stuffed the sword into her spatial storage, saving it for later research.
Jiang Bai had no objections—nor did he dare to have any. After all, he was just a humble worker who hadn't even officially started his job yet.
"Boss, there's no path further up."
Jiang Bai looked up.
There was still some distance to the summit, but there were no more trails leading upward. The only way to go higher was to climb.
"Then we climb."
Hu Tao stretched her limbs before grabbing onto a rocky outcrop and starting her ascent.
In Liyue's rugged terrain, mastering the art of climbing was a necessity.
When they finally reached the highest point, Jiang Bai could see everything from a whole new perspective.
The jagged stone spikes piercing the seafloor formed a chaotic pattern. Over time, sandy islands had emerged, their surfaces now overgrown with vegetation. Even the bare rock formations seemed to pulse with vitality.
Jiang Bai also spotted a Hilichurl settlement—much larger than the ones he'd encountered before. Hilichurls were scattered about, some napping, some digging in the sand, and others wandering aimlessly.
Aside from the meat hanging on drying racks and the cooking pots, the Hilichurls had even constructed wooden shelters to shield themselves from the elements.
If one set aside the fact that they were classified as monsters, and looked at them objectively, they seemed to be a structured group with basic intelligence.
Given enough time—thousands or even tens of thousands of years—who knew? They might even evolve into a sentient species like humans.
"The Geo Hypostasis should be over there!"
Hu Tao pointed toward a distant island.
Jiang Bai followed her gaze.
At the island's edge stood an enormous stone spike. At its base was a massive platform, partially obscured from view, yet clearly man-made.
Neither the Hilichurls nor the slimes along the shoreline dared approach it—proof that whatever resided there was not to be trifled with.
"How are we getting there?"
The island wasn't exactly close, and with the sun already setting, by the time they descended, crossed multiple islands, and made their way past the Hilichurl camp, it would be well past midnight.
Fighting an unknown, likely formidable enemy in the dark? Not an ideal scenario.
"We'll fly there!"
Hu Tao cheerfully spread her wings.
"Huh?!"
Jiang Bai stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Sure, this world was plenty magical, but wings?! Wasn't that a bit too ridiculous?!
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T/N: hehe I checked the lore for the Skyrider Greatsword and the owner thought bigger is always better... FLAT IS JUSTICE TOO :sob: