"But resurrection requires a Resurrection Totem, and a Resurrection Totem needs to absorb the souls of a Wither Storm."
"And to summon a Wither, people must go into the Nether to collect Wither Skeleton skulls."
"At present, only Liyue and Mondstadt have enough manpower to delve deep into the Nether, maintain exploration, and harvest resources."
"We in Snezhnaya don't have enough hands to venture into the Nether, let alone gather Wither Skeleton skulls…"
The Cryo Archon naturally heard the implication behind Rosalyne's words. She sighed softly and said:
"I'll find a way to continue mobilizing more people. You just focus on maintaining progress in exploration."
Rosalyne didn't press the matter further. The situation in Snezhnaya was too complicated—she couldn't force the Archon to suddenly increase her investment here.
Ningguang then led the Cryo Archon to tour the Qianyan Army's Base No. 1, and later to see Ryen's floating island industrial hub.
Only then did the Cryo Archon realize that the so-called "precious resources" of this world were actually ridiculously cheap.
Endless…
Truly endless.
The more mysterious this world appeared, the more urgent the Cryo Archon felt.
Only after experiencing firsthand the uniqueness of this world could one understand—this was indeed the true future of resisting Celestia.
Unbidden, the Cryo Archon regretted ever cooperating with the Jester to build the Fatui.
Otherwise, with Snezhnaya's national strength, it could have easily gained massive benefits here.
In just a short time, the entire nation of Snezhnaya could have transformed into a counterpart of what Liyue had already achieved.
After a long tour, the group finally returned to Teyvat.
Today, there was no special plan for the Minecraft world. With Ryen absent, Ningguang had no mind to linger there either.
Everything was already on track, and with the immortals watching over things, she didn't need to worry much.
However, the moment they stepped out of the portal, they were greeted by the sight of an enormous, indescribable monster.
Its overwhelming aura startled the three of them, and the Cryo Archon immediately went on guard.
Rosalyne and Ningguang might not have sensed it clearly, but the Cryo Archon knew well enough.
This was a demon god.
Even if it was only a lower-ranked one, it was still a demon god.
Looking closer, though, that demon god's body was wrapped in golden and cyan patterns of flowing light, standing completely motionless.
"This is…"
Ningguang drew a deep breath, trying to calm her shock.
"You're back," a cheerful voice rang out.
From behind the demon god, Ryen poked his head out, grinning as he patted the massive creature's body.
"This guy calls himself Petrus, claiming to be the First War General under Boethius."
"I figured he's already reached the demon god stage, so I dragged him back. What do you think—can this fellow serve as my power bank?"
Ningguang let out a helpless laugh, staring at Ryen with exasperation.
"So… you actually captured a demon god just so you could look cool using your Delusion?"
Ryen spread his hands.
"That's not how it went. I only punched him once—you know I don't have any sealing methods. After knocking him out, I had Zhongli and Venti help seal him and bring him back."
"My thought was, a living demon god should be easier to siphon power from than a dead one, right?"
Hearing this, Ningguang's gaze drifted toward Zhongli, who was calmly sipping tea in the distance.
Her feelings grew complicated as she thought:
"Rex Lapis, why are you going along with Ryen's madness! It's fine to hunt demon gods in the Dark Sea, but why on earth did you have to bring one back here?
And besides, this demon god clearly has influence. What if that Boethius comes chasing after us?"
Zhongli paused, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes.
"This was Ryen's decision. He insisted on capturing one alive…
As for your concern about Boethius—"
He pressed his lips together, his voice turning low.
"Before leaving, Ryen threw a punch in the direction of that demon god's domain. That Boethius… may not have survived."
"…"
"Ehe~!"
Venti blinked playfully, grinning as he added:
"Don't worry. Even if he did survive, he wouldn't dare come here to stir up trouble.
That one punch from Ryen shook the entire Dark Sea. For now, every demon god is probably too busy just trying to survive amidst the chaos down there.
Demon gods, after all, are very good at self-preservation."
Casting a glance at the tightly bound demon god, Ningguang let out a soft, weary sigh.
So this is what you call being good at self-preservation?
If he were that good at it, how did he still end up knocked out cold and dragged back by Ryen in one punch?
At this point, the Cryo Archon finally managed to regain some composure. She forced a thin smile and said softly:
"I… will mobilize people as soon as possible to extract this demon god's power.
Indeed, a living demon god is better than a dead one—at least his power can regenerate endlessly."
Ryen clapped his hands together with a cheerful grin.
"Exactly! That makes him a self-recharging power bank. I'll leave this guy in your hands.
With the seals Zhongli and Venti placed, he won't be able to break free. Just build a laboratory for him somewhere—preferably close to me."
The Cryo Archon nodded, still a little dazed.
But as she looked at this pitiful, bound demon god, one thought gnawed at her—
Close by…? Even as a ruling Archon, I don't feel safe anymore…
~~----------------------
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