Seeing this, Su Han quickly greeted them. "Hall Master, don't make things difficult for Zhongli. How about you reel one in and let me eat it instead?"
"All right then. Today I'll let you see how capable this Hall Master really is."
Since someone was cheering her on, Hu Tao naturally had no reason to keep pestering Zhongli. She happily ran onto the boat and began organizing her fishing gear. To be honest, this girl was clearly well prepared.
Not only had she brought fishing rods, she had even prepared a landing net for catching fish. At a glance, Su Han could tell that this Hall Master had probably started preparing back in the afternoon.
Compared to Hu Tao's leisurely mood, Xiangling had it much harder. Not only did she bring large amounts of ingredients, she also had people deliver cooking equipment and tableware. After everything was arranged, the little chef sent word that if anyone wanted to eat, they would have to wait three hours.
In response, Ningguang smiled and said, "The moonlight is beautiful right now. There's no need to rush the meal."
There were quite a few guests today. Xingqiu, Chongyun, Shenhe, Yaoyao, Yanfei, Zhongli, Hu Tao, Xiangling, and also some of Ningguang's trusted subordinates. They were here to help with miscellaneous tasks, so there was no need to worry about servants.
After everyone sat down, Su Han spoke to Zhongli. "I went to handle that matter this afternoon. It was dealt with perfectly."
"Hmm? Such quick results. Was it the Ice Heart Technique?"
Zhongli was slightly surprised. He had not expected Xiao's matter to be completely resolved in just one day. If he had known it would be this simple, why would he have hesitated before?
Su Han shook his head. "The Ice Heart Technique is ultimately just a mortal method. It has very limited effect on an adeptus, so I used a treasure as a substitute."
"What?"
"A dragon vein."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only Zhongli, but even Ningguang was stunned.
"You have a dragon vein as well?"
"That's just what it's called in the comics. In reality, it's nothing more than the remains of a powerful being from beyond the world. For example, when a fire-aspected demon god dies, its remains can produce flame-related effects."
"Even so, many thanks to you, Brother Su."
The Yaksha race now had only Xiao left. Watching him die helplessly would have been far too cruel.
Su Han smiled slightly and waved his hand. "It's still a bit early to thank me. Xiao and I discussed it, and using the dragon vein only to suppress the karmic debt within him would be far too wasteful. So we decided to have him stationed in the Chasm to purify the filth there."
"The Chasm? This… can that really work?"
Hearing this, Ningguang's expression changed drastically. In recent years, strange incidents had frequently occurred in the mines, so the Liyue Qixing, together with the adepti, had sealed the area. Before the investigation was complete, sending the Conqueror of Demons there seemed somewhat rash.
"You can rest assured when I handle things. The dragon vein's effect is far stronger than what's described in the comics. Once the adeptus's karmic debt is completely eliminated, the dragon vein can even purify the entire Chasm. However, there's something I must remind you of."
"What is it?"
"Liyue can no longer mine this place. I once read my father's notes, and the things hidden inside are not something mortals can touch. The Chasm must remain sealed." (TL/N: imaginary father for the mvp)
Although the dragon vein could purify the area, Su Han did not want people to continue digging deeper. There were simply too many things buried inside. Not to mention the remnants of Khaenri'ah, just the remains of the Abyss alone were enough to bring disaster upon everyone.
Seeing the seriousness in Su Han's expression, Ningguang understood the gravity of the matter and immediately said, "Don't worry. I will issue the order. At worst, I'll have the merchants shift to other projects."
"Good. As long as you understand."
While they were talking, the ship had already left the harbor. However, it did not head out to sea, instead stopping at an uninhabited cove.
With the serious matters settled, the subsequent conversation became much more relaxed.
At this moment, on the outskirts of the Chasm, a figure slowly descended from the sky. Although there were seals here, they could not stop Xiao, an adeptus. With a hand seal formed, he easily passed through them.
He had been to this place many times in the past. Back then, it was to search for his kin. Yet no matter how hard Xiao searched, there was never any news of him.
"Even if I can't find Big Brother Bosacius, being able to purify this place will ease the Lord of Geo's burden."
After reaching the first underground layer, Xiao did not stop. Instead, he wandered around the area. After observing for a while, he discovered that the filth here was extremely severe. Even the air was filled with traces of black mist, while large amounts of Abyssal sludge had accumulated on the ground.
"No wonder Su Han wanted me to come here. The problem really is serious. Hmm, what is this…"
As the Conqueror of Demons muttered to himself, he suddenly noticed that the Abyssal sludge ahead of him was gradually shrinking. In just a short while, not only did the sludge disappear, the ground also returned to normal.
Could this be because of the dragon vein?
Thinking of this possibility, Xiao immediately took the dragon vein from his back. A clear, radiant light burst forth from it, instantly illuminating the dim cavern. All the seeping Abyssal sludge was completely swept away, and even the disgusting black mist was eradicated.
Seeing this, the adeptus finally understood just how precious the treasure Su Han had given him truly was.
"It seems I really should find a chance to repay Su Han."
Xiao murmured to himself. Then he found a clean room and sat down cross-legged. That night was the best sleep he had ever had. There was no need to fight monsters, no need to battle karmic miasma, and his body felt incomparably light.
Meanwhile, deeper within the ruins of the Chasm.
As the power of the dragon vein continued to seep through, many Black Serpent Knights with muddled consciousness gradually gathered together. Although they did not understand what was happening, an inexplicable force seemed to be steadily changing this place.
Among them, the strongest Black Serpent Knight slowly regained his awareness. He muttered to himself, "Who am I… I am the royal guard… I am Hafdan…"
Though his voice was broken and intermittent, the knight gradually recalled many things, such as his identity, his past, and what he was meant to protect.
At the same time, the black mist born of Abyssal power around them receded as that invisible force spread.
As for the Abyss Mages lurking within the Chasm, their situation was even worse.
They stared upward in sheer terror, unsure of what was happening above, yet that invisible force seemed to naturally counter them. At this point, not to mention gathering Abyssal power, even breathing had become extremely difficult.
"No, what is going on? Could this be the power of the Heavenly Principles?"
"If the Heavenly Principles had acted, this underground abyss would have been destroyed long ago. Then what is this? Our power is fading away."
Some of the weaker Abyss Mages could no longer even maintain flight. One by one, they fell to the ground. Seeing that the situation was dire, the remaining members of the Abyss Order quickly withdrew from the area.
Though unwilling, they truly feared that if they stayed any longer, they would soon be unable to maintain even their physical forms. Withdrawal became their only choice.
As for the Riftwolves left behind, their strength continued to be weakened by the invisible ripples. No matter how they howled, they could not change this outcome.
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