Genshin Impact: Dionysus reigns supreme, all demons retreat!

Chapter 644 The Dark Army Beneath the City

Since Lilupar had already agreed to Xu Ning's request, she said no more.

She placed the magic bottle containing her soul on her chest, and then her entire illusory body gradually became real under the power emanating from her complete soul.

Then, slowly walking up the steps, Lilupar reached out and placed her hand on the mottled stone door, giving it a gentle push.

This door seems to have been closed for a very long time.

As the door was pushed open, a large amount of air rushed in, and at the same time, a putrid and foul odor wafted out, making people want to vomit.

Xu Ning had to summon two gentle breezes to surround himself and dispel the smells before he could barely stand in front of the door.

"My lord, the smell inside is much worse than this. Do you still want to go in?"

After making up her mind, Lilupal resumed her usual teasing tone and asked Xu Ning.

Xu Ning said disdainfully, "You think this childish trick can stop me? Should I give you a head start?"

Lilupal laughed and said, "Let me lead the way. Although I haven't been here for so many years, I still remember the way home."

Lilupar slowly walked forward, with Xu Ning following behind.

Based on his previous experience wandering around the Red King's Mausoleum, Xu Ning was already quite used to the construction of such a huge tomb beneath the city.

But he couldn't help but ask one more question, "Who was this tomb originally prepared for?"

After all, the magnificent spectacle of the Red King's Mausoleum was ultimately a tomb prepared for the Red King Ahmar alone.

The entire mausoleum was very clean, with nothing messy or disorderly inside.

But the tombs here are different. They are almost everywhere filled with corpses. It seems that there are corpses in every tomb. Considering that this is the city of the king, could these corpses be the nobles of the royal city?

Lilupal said calmly, "The corpses placed here are all those of Olmaz and his nearly three hundred offspring."

Xu Ning was stunned for a moment. Did that mean that Lilupar's husband and his other sons were actually buried here?

Legend has it that these poor creatures were poisoned to death by their own sons and daughters with honey laced with scorpion venom.

Xu Ning glanced at Lilupal walking ahead and noticed that when she talked about Olmaz, she showed no emotion whatsoever, speaking in a flat tone as if she were talking about someone else.

That tone, devoid of love or hate, was as calm as if describing a passerby who happened to be in the course of a long life.

This surprised Xu Ning greatly.

Xu Ning's feet unconsciously led him toward the corpses.

The corpses looked horribly dead, much like the twisted deaths of those who had ingested poison in legends.

However, there was something strange that Xu Ning couldn't quite understand.

Why are these ancient and strange patterns painted on the bodies of these people?

Before Lilupal could speak, Feligis, who was standing beside her, spoke up.

"That's a talisman to prevent the corpse from undergoing any abnormal changes."

Xu Ning nodded, shifting his gaze away from these bodies, which were clearly a size larger than normal.

After walking inside for a while, suddenly, various noisy sounds began to come from all around, which sounded like the roar of a dark monster and the sounds of fighting with something.

The only discordant element is that their opponents are far too silent.

Even Xu Ning, who doesn't like to shout during fights, felt an unusual silence.

However, after turning a corner, Xu Ning finally understood why there was such a quiet atmosphere of fighting.

Before a pack of beast-like wolves, hundreds of mechanical guards were silently launching an attack on the dark army in front of them.

These mechanical guards were clearly different from the elemental constructs in the tomb that were obviously responsible for exploration and measurement.

Both the equipment they carry and their attack methods have seen significant improvements.

To put it another way, if the guards in the tomb were like farmers with pitchforks, then what Xu Ning was seeing now was like Poseidon wielding a trident and unleashing divine punishment—completely different.

"These guards must be constructs specifically designed for combat, right? I was wondering why I couldn't see a single real guard in the tomb, but I never imagined that they were all used here."

Lilupal looked at the constructs fighting tirelessly in front of her, a look of affection on her face. "Yes, these children are special military constructs. Some of them have been attached to weapons and become spirit weapons, the same weapons that little falcon is holding."

Xu Ning examined the spirit-suppressing weapons scattered in the corner of the ground, and the scene of people holding spirit-suppressing weapons and military constructs blocking the dark power here appeared in his mind.

This scene is somewhat different from what I knew about the city of Gül.

It's like a war drama suddenly being inserted into a large-scale ethical drama stage, which seems so out of place.

However, before Xu Ning could carefully consider the connection, Lilupal had already shown him why these spirit-suppressing machines needed their mother.

When Lilupal released her spirit-suppressing power, clear springs immediately gushed forth from the ground, and countless green grasses and flowers grew and bloomed, the vitality of life instantly covering the entire passage.

The wolf pack opposite them undoubtedly loathed these aquatic plants that contained life force. Many of the wolves, already injured in the battle, would occasionally emit black smoke from their bodies.

This black smoke and dust can corrupt and taint their enemies, making it one of the wolf packs' most formidable weapons.

However, this time they were facing constructs without any senses, and within the oasis released by the Mother of Suppression, these black fumes were quickly decomposed and absorbed, at a speed that was almost comparable to Xu Ning's wine.

Xu Ning couldn't help but praise it.

"When the Black Tide of Sumeru came back then, it was the Grass God who sacrificed his own form and used the power of the grass element to clear away the calamity in an instant. Now it seems that you, as the followers of the Flower God, also have such power. If the Flower God were still alive, you would probably not be afraid of the Black Tide at all if you joined forces with the Grass God."

Lilupal smiled and took a few more steps forward. As the oasis spread faster, countless mechanical guards quickly dealt with the monsters in front of them and joined Lilupal's team, advancing rapidly.

Xu Ning sensed their path and wondered, "Are we heading northwest?"

Lilupal laughed and said, "Yes, my master, after all, the black tide here comes from there."

Xu Ning didn't ask any more questions, and silently drank his wine, following in Lilupar's footsteps.

He only just realized that there had actually been two Black Tide attacks in Sumeru.

The black tide of Gül City that I saw in Lilupar's memories was the first time.

The root cause of this attack was that the Red King ignored advice and forcibly introduced forbidden knowledge, leading to the calamity.

As a great town spirit, Lilupal was able to foresee all of this, so she deliberately used the appearance of the Black Tide to achieve her own goals.

Is that why she always felt she owed something to this place?

Feligis had already picked up a long sword and rushed to the forefront of the battle to help Xianyun collect various data standards for his body.

Xu Ning felt there was no need for him to speculate here.

Perhaps Lilupal was indeed a bit extreme back then, but so what? The most important thing now is to find out why there is still a small part of the Dark Army here, and it would be best to eliminate them here to avoid causing any more trouble.

Xu Ning silently dispersed his alcohol, helping the surrounding military constructs to cleanse their bodies, stimulating the growth of oasis plants, and even, when bored, would rush forward and wreak havoc.

They walked for nearly two days and one night until the road ahead was completely blocked by a kind of grayish-white rock.

Xu Ning could clearly see that the dark beast-realm wolf pack could emerge unscathed from these gray-white rocks and then attack the construct in front of him.

"What are these stones?" Xu Ning asked in surprise.

Lilupal shook her head. "I don't know, but our journey ends here. Our duty is to guard this place, to suppress the dark tides, and to prevent them from flooding our home."

Xu Ning frowned and walked forward, trying to splash some of his wine onto the stones.

Just like pouring hot water on snow, a thick layer of the entire rock was suddenly eroded away.

Then the beasts inside suddenly rushed out as if they were going crazy.

Lilupal immediately ordered all military constructs to retreat several meters to create space for crossfire suppression, which finally quelled the sudden surge of beasts.

"My lord, you have truly done something remarkable!"

Lilupar glanced at the gourd of wine in Xu Ning's hand, "Or rather, your wine is truly a wonderful thing, it can even dissolve this kind of ash crystal."

"Grey Crystal? These grey walls? What transformed from them?"

Lilupal explained, "It is a crystal formed from the residue left by these filthy demons. It is not only hard, but it also grows as the filth accumulates. It seems that only the spiritual light left by the divine bird Seymour could dissolve it. I did not expect that your wine would have a similar effect."

"Alright, my lord, you've come this far with us, it's time to head back."

Lilupal smiled and said, "All good things must come to an end, but I believe that fate will surely bring us together again."

Xu Ning knew he couldn't stay in this isolated city with them forever. "After I get out, I'll take care of things with Tanit as soon as possible, and then I'll definitely come back here to help you eliminate the root of these monsters."

Although he had already decided to leave, Xu Ning did not want to walk the same old path again. Besides, he would come back here again next time. If he did not mark this place, how would he be able to find it next time?

Xu Ning immediately asked Lilupar if there was any nearby exit.

Lilupal was well aware of Xu Ning's intentions, but she did not refuse his kindness and directly instructed Feligis to lead Xu Ning away through the side entrance of the ruins.

"This isolated ruin was actually a marker in the border wall cast from molten iron and copper in ancient times. This marked the border of the Red Earth Kingdom. Beyond that was the Temu Mountain, which belonged to the desolate and barren desert. Further west was the territory of Nata."

Lilupar was not the only one who knew Xu Ning's thoughts.

After opening the exit of the ruins and sending Xu Ning out, Feligis told Xu Ning all the place names in the surrounding area.

"Immortal Master Xianyun, please allow me to borrow this body for a few more days?"

Felicis asked the True Lord of Cloud-Borrowing Wind inside the gourd.

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun revealed himself, adjusted his glasses, and said, "It's alright, it's just a trial unit. When we meet again, just give me a copy of the data you collected."

Felicis nodded, about to turn and leave, but hesitated and said, "Those children in the corner of the cave, though mentally damaged, are obedient. If Immortal Master Xianyun could help them... they would be very happy, and perhaps it could alleviate some of their innate resentment..."

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun sneered, "Alright, I'll use it even without you telling me. Just don't say I deliberately ordered these boys around in the future."

Felicis smiled and said, "Thank you, Immortal Master."

Together with Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun, Xu Ning watched Feligis return to the ruins. Just as Xu Ning was about to ask Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun when he had created such an exquisite mechanical human body, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun simply rolled his eyes at him and went straight into the cave.

This left Xu Ning somewhat bewildered, wondering how he had offended this immortal master.

"Hmm, let's find a teleportation anchor point nearby first. My feet are almost blistered after walking for two days!"

Directly opposite the main gate of the ruins is a stone pillar that has been mostly eroded by wind and sand.

Xu Ning jumped up and looked around.

Surprisingly, he actually found one.

According to Philigis's instructions, that should be the direction of Mount Temu.

The distance wasn't too far. Xu Ning jumped down from the stone pillar and walked slowly towards that direction.

"Why does it seem like gray crystals are everywhere here?"

In just a short distance, Xu Ning had already seen at least four gray crystals, one of which was particularly huge, with jagged spikes that seemed to be still growing, stubbornly protruding from the mountainside.

Moreover, the further you go towards Mount Tiemu, the more gray crystals are revealed there.

"Since this stuff is said to be a sediment of filth and residue, and there's such a huge amount of ash crystals, could this place also be an ancient battlefield resisting the abyss, like the Layered Rock Abyss? But even in the Layered Rock Abyss, I've never seen so much filth and residue..."

Xu Ning casually activated a teleportation anchor point at the foot of the mountain that was almost buried by yellow sand, and leaned against it quietly waiting for the flower buds to rise.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps were heard.