Chapter 316

He had promised the Abyss, allowing it to enter Snezhnaya.

But was this approach truly right, or was it wrong?

"Immortal Lord Wood Spirit..."

The Cryo Archon’s murmuring voice echoed throughout the great hall.

Not long after the Abyss Herald vanished, the Jester, Pierro, walked into the hall.

"Greetings, Your Majesty the Tsaritsa!"

Pierro seemed to have emerged from the gloom of the past few days.

At this moment, his eyes held a bright look, and his face, full of the weariness of ages, carried a hint of determination.

"Rise, Pierro."

The Cryo Archon glanced at Pierro and waved a hand, signaling for him to stand.

"Your Majesty, you and the Abyss..."

Pierro’s eyes held a trace of worry. He had just sensed a heart-palpitating aura within the Cryo Archon’s palace and had rushed over in haste.

"Mm, the Abyss Herald has been here."

The Cryo Archon did not deny the matter; instead, she openly admitted it in front of Pierro.

"Then you..."

Pierro had always harbored a sense of resistance toward the Abyss.

After all, the fall of Khaenri'ah was because the nation had obtained the power of forbidden knowledge through researching the Abyss.

This had invited the punishment sent down by the gods.

But now, the Cryo Archon seemed to want to cooperate with the Abyss as well.

Pierro was somewhat worried, worried that the Abyss would turn Snezhnaya into the next Khaenri'ah.

"I have already agreed to their request, Pierro."

The Cryo Archon looked at Pierro and spoke to him with a tone of certainty.

"Regarding what comes next, I hope you can set aside the misgivings in your heart."

"What I have always hoped for is that Snezhnaya can become strong."

"Strong enough to drag Celestia, Liyue, and Immortal Lord Wood Spirit down from their pedestals!"

Hearing the Cryo Archon’s words, Pierro fell silent.

His gaze was complex as he looked at the Cryo Archon.

Likewise, the Cryo Archon was watching him in return.

But in the end, Pierro placed one hand before his chest and bowed to the Cryo Archon.

"Respected Your Majesty, since you have already made such a decision."

"Then, your subordinate will certainly cooperate with all my might!"

"As long as it is what Your Majesty requires, I will surely exhaust every effort!"

The Cryo Archon watched the bowing Pierro, hearing that he did not oppose her decision.

She nodded, very satisfied.

"Good. Since that is the case, go and give the orders."

"Let the other Fatui Harbingers know about this matter as well."

"Yes!"

Pierro nodded.

At this moment, his mood was somewhat complex.

How could he not understand the Cryo Archon’s thoughts?

Immortal Lord Wood Spirit had already become the Cryo Archon’s nightmare.

And was he not also a nightmare for Pierro?

Oh, Immortal Lord Wood Spirit, all of this is what you have forced us to do!

Pierro did not oppose the Cryo Archon’s decision.

To a large extent, this was also because Jiang Yan had easily suppressed him.

Pierro’s thoughts were the same as the Cryo Archon’s.

That was power!

Power that could overthrow everything!!

Power that could annihilate Jiang Yan!!!

"Right, Pierro."

Just as Pierro was about to leave, the Cryo Archon spoke, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"What is it, Your Majesty?"

Pierro asked with some confusion.

"Has the Anemo Archon’s Gnosis not been brought here yet?"

The Cryo Archon looked down at Pierro and asked indifferently.

"Your Majesty, the Anemo Archon has been missing for hundreds of years, and his whereabouts have always been elusive."

"However, with the recent Dvalin incident, I presume even Lord Barbatos will not sit idly by."

"After all, Dvalin is one of the Four Winds of the Anemo Archon; if something happens to it, the Anemo Archon will surely appear."

"Rosalyne has already begun preparing to head to Mondstadt; I believe she will soon bring you good news."

Pierro explained to the Cryo Archon.

"Good."

The Cryo Archon nodded, then waved her hand at Pierro, signaling for him to withdraw.

As Pierro left the hall, the entire space returned to silence.

The Cryo Archon sat upon her throne, her eyes flickering with an obscure light.

"Immortal Lord Wood Spirit, Liyue, Celestia..."

"You cannot run; none of you can run..."

The Cryo Archon’s voice carried a trace of resentment. No one knew why the personality of this second-generation Cryo Archon was so vastly different from the first.

One month later.

Mondstadt, Stormterror's Lair.

Accompanied by a booming sound, the base of Stormterror's Lair suddenly collapsed.

"Whoa, did they have to make such a big scene?"

Jiang Yan rested his chin on his hand, watching the shattered domain exit, his eyes widening.

Immediately following, accompanied by a dragon's roar, a giant blue dragon flew from the domain toward the horizon.

"It seems the Mondstadt storyline has reached its end!"

Jiang Yan rubbed his chin, watching the giant dragon soaring in the sky.

"Then, is it time for the iconic scene I've been looking forward to most?"

Jiang Yan excitedly rubbed his hands together like a fly.

The slacker god getting his heart ripped out right on his own doorstep.

Just thinking about it is interesting!

Ehe!

A portal opened behind Jiang Yan.

Just as Jiang Yan was preparing to enter the portal, he suddenly looked behind him, smiled, and waved. Then, he calmly walked into the portal and vanished.

On a cliff not far behind where Jiang Yan had been.

Aether stood silently, his expression gloomy.

He had, of course, seen Jiang Yan wave at him just now.

But why would Immortal Lord Wood Spirit appear here?!

Aether’s expression was grave.

Could it be that the Abyss's plan had already been discovered by this man?!

Impossible! That is absolutely impossible!

No matter how powerful Immortal Lord Wood Spirit is, he couldn't possibly be omniscient.

Because they feared being discovered by Jiang Yan, the Abyss's actions had always been cautious and plotted in the shadows.

Moreover, in his daily life, Jiang Yan was always drinking tea and walking his bird; he didn't look like he was managing anything at all.

Ever since his sister woke up, Immortal Lord Wood Spirit’s activities had suddenly become frequent.

Every time he observed his sister in secret, Jiang Yan would always be lingering in some hidden corner.

Especially after Aether discovered him, he would even wave to greet him.

This made Aether feel absolutely frantic.

How could he not be frantic?

What kind of strength did the other party have?

Once this Immortal Lord Wood Spirit wanted to cause trouble, who among the current ragtag group of the Abyss could stop him?

One had to know that Immortal Lord Wood Spirit was a figure even the Abyss Herald couldn't handle.

The Blackcliff Forge incident had made Aether fully realize the terrifying nature of Jiang Yan’s personal strength.

Aether was lost in these wild thoughts.

But suddenly, he seemed to discover a blind spot.

Before his sister woke up, Jiang Yan had spent his time drinking tea, strolling, and slacking off.

According to intelligence, whether before or in the years after his retirement, Immortal Lord Wood Spirit hadn't really left Liyue much.

It wasn't until his sister woke up that Immortal Lord Wood Spirit began frequently running around Mondstadt.

Hiss...

Aether’s eyes widened.

This guy, could it be...

That’s impossible...

Surely not...

Ever since Aether had this thought, the more he thought about it, the more he felt it was possible.

And...

When he was at Blackcliff Forge, he had even asked the other party to take care of his sister when she traveled to Liyue...

Damn!

Isn't this just sending a sheep into a tiger's den?!

Aether suddenly had the feeling that he had personally delivered his own cabbage to a wild boar.

"Immortal Lord Wood Spirit!!!"

Aether gritted his teeth and glared in the direction Jiang Yan had left.

"You had better not have any ideas about my sister!!"

Because he had no evidence, Aether couldn't do anything to Jiang Yan.

He couldn't even reason with him.

Perhaps, when the time came, that Immortal Lord Wood Spirit would just stare at you with his signature confused, wide eyes.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand."

While saying that, the other party would even wrap an arm around his sister’s shoulder, looking at Aether with a playful expression.

Thinking of this, Aether shuddered.

No!

Absolutely, absolutely!!

Cannot let this happen!

Aether made up his mind; he must keep a close watch on his sister and absolutely not let some wild boar root up his cabbage.

On the other side, outside the Mondstadt Cathedral.

Jiang Yan found a suitable viewing spot and lay halfway along a tree branch.

He turned on his side, holding a bowl of melon and fruit, waiting with great interest.

When he saw Venti (Barbatos), Jean, and the Traveler and Paimon rushing over, Jiang Yan immediately smiled.

Here it comes, here it comes!

The iconic scene is coming.

Jiang Yan had no intention of stopping the Cryo Archon from collecting the Gnosis.

There was no need to be so targeted.

After all, they hadn't offended him in this matter.

Jiang Yan going to Snezhnaya was because Snezhnaya had crossed his bottom line.

And a Gnosis, for the first-generation gods, was merely a tool that could be used to contact Celestia.

Anyway, that old guy Barbatos was slacking off every day and not doing his job.

If he gets his heart ripped out, so be it.

It wouldn't cause him any harm anyway.

Jiang Yan thought, took out a sweet date, and popped it into his mouth, crunching away.

So delicious~

Before long, Jiang Yan sensed a faint divine power emanating from the hall.

Barbatos was taking action to repair the Holy Lyre der Himmel.

It's coming, it's coming!

A look of anticipation flashed in Jiang Yan’s eyes.

"Tone-deaf bard!!!"

Accompanied by a roar, Venti ran happily in the lead, with Lumine and Paimon chasing behind.

Venti was still looking back at the two; he "seemed" not to see that in front of him, two Fatui Skirmishers had suddenly appeared from the pitch-black ground.

Venti didn't see them.

But Lumine and Paimon saw them clearly.

"Watch out!"

Paimon shouted, and Lumine moved quickly, reaching Venti’s side in two steps and repelling the two Skirmishers.

Afterward, Lumine held her Dull Blade before her chest, eyes vigilantly watching the group that had suddenly appeared, just about to chase after the Skirmishers.

Immediately following, a cold wind struck.

It instantly blew Paimon away, and even Lumine was forced back several steps.

Venti seemed to sense the crisis and began to use his own abilities to resist the cold wind.

He just wanted to lift his foot, but his feet were instantly frozen by the wind and snow.

"Oh my, you finally managed to bring the hamster back home."

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, Signora walked slowly toward Venti.

"Gnawing on wooden stakes, biting into rice bags, causing so much trouble for Mondstadt!"

Signora arrived in front of Venti and pinched his face, seemingly observing him.

Only Jiang Yan could see clearly that in Signora’s eyes, there was deep hatred.

She hated Barbatos.

This was an undeniable fact.

After all, it was precisely because of Barbatos’s late arrival that her fiancé was buried on the battlefield.

After all, five hundred years ago, Barbatos and a group of other gods were on the Khaenri'ah battlefield.

Jiang Yan had just woken up from his slumber.

When he resolved the Khaenri'ah matter and returned, he suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a tragedy involving Signora in Mondstadt.

When he had resolved the matters in Khaenri'ah and returned, he only then suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a knife regarding the Lady over in Mondstadt.