In the abyss realm of Mask Reef.
In a grand hall, a golden-haired youth sat at the head of the table, his eyes closed as if asleep.
Within the hall, the Abyss Herald – Torrent and the Abyss Lector – Thunder stood on bended knee, their bodies trembling, revealing the depths of their fear.
If they could sweat, it would likely be pouring down by now.
A moment later, the golden-haired youth slowly opened his eyes, swept a gaze over the two Abyss Heralds, and said indifferently.
"You can't even handle such a small matter."
"Never mind."
"Regarding the Chasm, Thunder, you will continue to be responsible. If you fail again, you know the consequences."
"As for Torrent, you will be in charge of the plan in Mondstadt."
"Our plan must continue."
The youth's casual words brought immense relief to the Abyss Herald – Torrent and the Abyss Lector – Thunder, who spoke in unison as if granted amnesty.
"Yes, Your Highness the Prince, your subordinate will attend to it immediately."
With that, the Abyss Herald and the Abyss Lector slowly retreated from the hall.
They feared that any delay might cost them their lives.
Neither of them used the teleportation gate to leave quickly, opting instead to walk away.
Anyone who dared to use the teleportation gate would likely be gone in the next moment.
This was not a joke, but a stark reality.
After the two departed, the youth at the head of the table stood up from his seat and walked to the window, murmuring.
"Lumine, when I'm done, I'll come find you. Celestia, there will inevitably be a fierce battle between us."
With these words, the hall fell silent once more.
——————
In an underground cavern, Ling Feng and Keqing were eating.
The meal before them was exceptionally good.
Golden Fried Shrimp Balls, Stir-fried Sliced Meat, and Diced Three Delicacies.
Of course, plain rice was not absent.
Despite being underground, Ling Feng's system space stored a vast amount of food, enough for them to eat for a month, so there was no need to worry about starving.
This was thanks to Ling Feng's habit of collecting any wild ingredients he encountered while cultivating.
Unknowingly, he had amassed a pile of food, with Sweet Flower being the most abundant.
It was everywhere, and Ling Feng was almost tired of picking it.
Besides, they weren't planning to stay underground for a month; they would definitely find a way out.
However, they might as well eat well. They had just gone through a fierce battle, and their energy had been greatly depleted. Eating something delicious would help them recover.
Ling Feng glanced at Keqing.
Keqing was currently picking up a Golden Fried Shrimp Ball and eating it with relish.
Keqing probably hadn't even realized that the plate of Golden Fried Shrimp Balls was nearly empty, and she had eaten it all by herself.
But Ling Feng didn't mind. He just smiled and continued eating.
That plate of Golden Fried Shrimp Balls was something he had specifically made for Keqing. The key to conquering a woman was to capture her stomach.
As for him, these two dishes were enough.
After eating their fill.
Ling Feng and Keqing tidied up briefly and then walked towards the patch of black mud.
The moment Keqing saw the black mud, her expression changed instantly. Her pupils contracted, and she couldn't believe her eyes.
How could this be? How could this thing appear here?
Seeing it instantly brought back unpleasant memories.
She quickly walked to the black mud and observed it closely.
However, even while observing, she maintained a distance of ten centimeters from the black mud. She seemed to know its dangers and did not step onto it for a closer look.
After a short while, she confirmed that this was indeed the thing she had in mind.
She was very surprised that this black mud appeared here.
"This thing is here, does that mean... we are in the Chasm now?"
While Keqing was contemplating, Ling Feng also arrived beside her and looked at the black mud.
"Keqing, do you recognize this thing?"
Ling Feng asked.
He had stepped onto this black mud when Keqing was still unconscious.
As soon as he stepped onto it, he felt a strange force draining his life force.
Although the amount was small, it was negligible to him. However, he was currently a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage.
Even at his level, the black mud could absorb a small amount of his life force. For an ordinary person, it would be fatal.
Life force was not like blood, which was the basic substance sustaining life. Blood could be replenished, but life force, once gone, was truly gone.
Life force was essentially equivalent to a person's lifespan.
Without life force, even with abundant blood, death would occur, unless someone transferred life force to you through special means.
However, methods to transfer life force were rare, and generally came with great costs.
In the story, he hadn't encountered this thing and didn't know its name or effects.
However, to avoid any accidents, Ling Feng decided to wait until Keqing woke up.
Otherwise, he would have already blasted it with a pile of earth fire, to see if this cursed substance could withstand the burning power of the yang-attributed earth fire.
Although he didn't know what this black mud was, he could sense its sinister aura.
Unfortunately, his Eyes of Appraisal had once again been forgotten by his owner in the restroom.
In response to Ling Feng's question, Keqing stood up from the ground, crossed her arms, and said gravely.
"I don't know much about this thing. I only know that it causes great harm to the human body. However, its appearance here is unexpected."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Currently, I've only seen this black mud in the Chasm. You should know about the blockade of the Chasm, right? It was caused by this."
Keqing did not hold back and told Ling Feng everything she knew.
After all, Ling Feng was currently her assistant, and based on her understanding of him over the past month, she knew he wouldn't leak this information.
Moreover, Ling Feng was a disciple of an immortal, so perhaps he already knew or had a way to deal with this black mud.
During their meal, she had heard Ling Feng mention that she had been infected by this black mud at that time.
Although she didn't know how Ling Feng managed to expel it from her body, it indicated that there was a way to resolve it.
The widespread appearance of this black mud in the Chasm had turned it into a forbidden zone, where nothing could be collected, severely impacting Liyue's mineral economic development.
The Liyue Qixing were currently trying to find a solution, and had even dispatched specialists to investigate the Chasm for a resolution.
If a solution could be found, it would be an unexpected surprise.
"The Chasm was sealed because of this?"
"Yes, the Chasm underwent an unforeseen change, and that change was this substance."
"It permeated almost the entire underground mine. Due to its harmful nature, we Qixing had no choice but to issue a blockade order."
"Therefore, if there is any way to resolve this matter, please tell me, Ling Feng."
Keqing's tone was sincere. She was not acting as a superior ordering Ling Feng around.
"I don't have any solutions either. If you think that the method I used to expel the black mud from your body can solve this problem, you are mistaken."
Ling Feng shrugged and shook his head helplessly.
He had used his true energy to force the black mud out, not to eliminate it.