Just like last night—
Even though she and Hu Tao were together, Ryen's excitement was obvious, practically overflowing.
But even then, he subconsciously restrained his strength.
Still, Ryen's raw power was undeniable.
In the end, Ganyu had to drink quite a few strength potions to keep up.
Speaking of which—
Thank goodness they used a bed from the Minecraft world last night. Otherwise, another Teyvat bed would've been broken beyond repair.
Lisa let out a relieved sigh.
"Then I'm at ease. Thank you, Ganyu."
Ganyu tilted her head in confusion at Lisa, who was smiling slyly. She felt Lisa was thinking of something she really didn't like.
But because of Lisa's blunt question earlier, Ganyu was already embarrassed and too flustered to think much more about it.
Lisa, however, carefully observed Ganyu's expression and chuckled inwardly.
Though she was a theoretical expert, she hadn't tested it herself, so she didn't truly understand how good it felt.
Still, seeing Ganyu and the others radiant every day, unable to hide the smiles tugging at their lips—
It was obvious imagination alone couldn't draw such a conclusion.
"Guess I'll have to find some time to… put it into practice. Ryen probably wouldn't refuse, right?" Lisa muttered under her breath.
"Other than giving you the Thunder Staff, any other reasonable request of yours, I'll agree to."
Ryen's voice came suddenly. At some point, he had walked up beside Lisa, smiling as he answered.
Lisa raised her eyebrows and casually hooked her arm around his, chuckling:
"Then what if… I ask you to research the magic of life's origin with me?"
"Really? When? Tonight?"
Ryen answered without hesitation, leaving Lisa a little amused.
"Looks like you've had your eye on me for a while now."
Ryen glanced at the soft weight pressed against his arm and shrugged.
"Hard not to notice."
"Oh?" Lisa blinked.
"Agreeing so straightforwardly… you really do have the style of a scoundrel."
"How can that be called a scoundrel?"
Ryen replied with a grin:
"This is something both of us want. It's not like I wouldn't take responsibility. That guy Venti is the real scoundrel."
"Besides, you're so clever—you must've realized long ago I'm a carnivore."
"You're practically presenting yourself to me. If I didn't accept, wouldn't that be an insult to my character, and a disrespect to your beauty?"
It was the classic line of a shameless rake—yet, for some reason, Lisa felt oddly comfortable hearing it.
Noticing that Ganyu and the others up ahead were about to turn around, and might see their little exchange,
Lisa tiptoed up and gave Ryen a quick kiss.
"You're welcome to come find me anytime. I'm always free…"
Ryen nodded, secretly delighted.
Sure, Ganyu, Hu Tao, and Ningguang each had their unique charms—peerless beauties, all of them his true loves.
But who said true love had to be limited in number?
Besides…
With Lisa's body, if he didn't at least have a taste, he'd never forgive himself for life.
Already feeling impatient, he decided he'd be paying her a visit that very night.
Everyone carried their own thoughts as they continued onward.
Not long after, they arrived at their destination.
As for Ryen's earth-shattering punch just now—they tucked it away in the back of their minds, not bringing it up again.
After all, they simply couldn't comprehend it.
…
The ruins before them were worn and dilapidated, yet the massive gate was covered in a layer of dark violet-black aura—an unmistakable sign of Abyss handiwork.
Zhongli frowned slightly, his tone displeased:
"What exactly is that fellow doing in Liyue?"
"Wouldn't know unless we check it out."
Venti stretched lazily, grinning with excitement.
"Shall we go in?"
Zhongli gave a small nod, his deep voice steady:
"Be careful, the feeling I'm getting from inside… isn't quite right."
"Dangerous?"
Everyone tensed up a little. If even Zhongli thought it was dangerous, then whatever was ahead wasn't something that could be taken lightly.
"It's not danger," Zhongli shook his head, though his brows remained furrowed.
"It's just… strange. The aura of the Abyss here is very strong. There's no lethal crisis, but there's a presence that makes me feel deeply repulsed."
"Wouldn't most gods naturally dislike the Abyss?" Lumine responded casually.
Venti waved his hand.
"Not really. The Abyss is still part of Teyvat. Normally, it's just a harsher environment. Even Abyss Mages don't trigger such rejection."
"But within the Abyss, there's a strange essence… and things hidden that don't belong to this world."
"That's what unsettles us to our core. It's not fear, exactly, but…"
"How to describe it…" Venti frowned in thought.
Ryen spoke softly:
"Rejection?"
Venti's eyes lit up and he nodded repeatedly.
"Exactly! Like dropping a heavy blot of ink into clear water—it stands out, and everything around it pushes it away."
"That's the Abyss's forbidden essence. Nahida should know of it—it's what they call Forbidden Knowledge."
"Such things aren't just harmful to us; they're rejected by all of Teyvat itself."
"Back then, Khaenri'ah was destroyed by the Heavenly Principles and the gods precisely because it delved into the Abyss's forbidden knowledge."
Everyone fell silent, thoughtful, but didn't linger on it.
After all, even Zhongli and the others didn't fully understand the details of Khaenri'ah, and written records were even scarcer.
Better to go in and see for themselves.
"You all ready?" Ryen asked casually. Zhongli nodded.
"It's unpleasant, but it won't stop us. However… this gate sealed with forbidden Abyssal power—"
Before he finished, Ryen swung his fist. The gate and barrier shattered instantly into dust.
"Gate? What gate?"
Ryen put on an innocent face and spread his hands.
"There wasn't a gate here to begin with, right?"
Everyone gave helpless looks.
But deep down, they couldn't help but admire him.
No matter what kind of elemental force or forbidden power stood in the way—one punch from Ryen was enough.
The moment the gate broke apart, a wave of thick, ominous Abyssal aura surged outward.
This time, everyone felt both physical and mental discomfort.
Ryen alone remained unaffected. After all, he didn't wield elemental power in the first place.
Still, that flowing, seductive purple-black miasma was undeniably sinister. No wonder others instantly recognized the Abyss as something vile.
Ugly to look at, and using such twisted power.
It was only natural for people to be prejudiced against it.
Of course, while Ryen was grumbling about that in his heart, he didn't think much of it—nor did he consider the fact that the staff he wielded was a blood-draining vampiric scepter.
If anything, compared to his staff, the Abyss had never gone so far as to directly strip away another's life force…
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