Compared to the majestic Jianmen Pass, Yuheng Mountain appears rather ordinary.
When Yilan petrified his body into a mountain, he also absorbed many stones onto himself.
This caused Yuheng Mountain, from the outside, to resemble a typical, unremarkable mountain.
However, after thousands of years of wind and rain, much of the rock surface has been worn away, revealing in certain areas traces of his petrified body.
Looking at these exposed traces, Yilan couldn't help but grumble in his heart:
'System, didn't the simulation happen in a separate world?'
[Ding! The first simulation occurred a thousand years ago, the second five hundred years ago, and the third twenty-five years ago. (The 'twenty-five years' here refers to Yilan's simulated birth time; thus, Ayaka in reality is only eighteen years old now.)]
[The simulations did not take place in the real world where the Host currently resides. Therefore, Host, the System did not lie.]
Yilan: "…"
What you said makes so much sense, I have no rebuttal.
The area around Yuheng Mountain was now cordoned off with warning tape, patrolled heavily by the Qianyan Army. Ordinary civilians were forbidden from approaching.
Still, Yilan saw many ordinary people gathered nearby, arguing passionately with the Qianyan soldiers:
"You can't demolish it! Yuheng Mountain can't be demolished! I was once infected by evil spirits in the wild—if it hadn't been for this immortal mountain saving me, I'd have died long ago!"
"Yuheng Mountain has protected Liyue for millennia. When we needed it, we worshiped it; now that it's in the way, you want to tear it down? What kind of sense is that?!"
"The immortal mountain might just be temporarily weakened! It could still recover!"
"We pay so much tax every year—can't you even maintain a mountain properly?!"
"…"
Witnessing this scene, Keqing couldn't help but ask Yilan beside her:
"Yilan, do you think Yuheng Mountain should be demolished?"
"Me?"
Yilan was stunned for a moment, then replied somewhat emotionally:
"I think it should be demolished. The immortal who left this mountain behind did so to protect the people of Liyue."
"Now, not only can it no longer protect them, but it also threatens to bring disaster. Even if the immortal were still alive, I believe he would choose to tear it down."
"Keeping it would only betray the immortal's original intention."
Hearing this, Keqing was stunned. After a moment, she looked at Yilan with a strange expression and said:
"What you said… is exactly the same as what Ganyu said back then."
"Oh, you might not know Ganyu yet. She has a deep connection with this mountain. The immortal named Yilan was her husband. When we first discussed demolishing the mountain, we thought she'd be the strongest opponent. Unexpectedly, she supported it more firmly than anyone. We were all shocked."
"…"
Yilan could no longer hear what Keqing said after that.
His mind was now filled with Keqing's words—
"The immortal named Yilan was her husband."
Even people like Keqing, living thousands of years later, call me Ganyu's husband.
In other words… over these thousands of years, Ganyu has always considered herself my wife?
Yilan's mind was in turmoil.
He wished he could return immediately to Liyue Harbor and rush to Yuehai Pavilion to see the person he had been longing for day and night.
But he knew he had more important matters to attend to now.
He would be staying in Liyue for some time, so there was no rush.
He tried to calm himself, pretending nothing had happened, and asked Keqing:
"What about you, Keqing? Do you think we should demolish this mountain?"
"I don't think it should be demolished," Keqing replied without hesitation.
"Why?"
Keqing—often described as disrespectful toward the gods—wanted to preserve the mountain, while Ganyu—who had deep ties to it—wanted to tear it down.
This contrast left Yilan feeling somewhat bewildered.
"My ideal is a Liyue governed by humans," Keqing said with a fiery gleam in her violet eyes under Yilan's gaze.
"A Liyue that shines just as brilliantly as during the age of the Archons…"
"But that doesn't mean excluding the immortals. Their contributions to Liyue over the past millennia are undeniable. Yuheng Mountain, which protected Liyue for thousands of years, is a legacy left by the immortals."
"Precisely because of that, we should protect it even more fiercely. Otherwise, wouldn't it mean that we, humans of Liyue, are unable to even protect the relics left to us by the immortals? Wouldn't that betray their hopes?"
Yilan couldn't help but chuckle softly.
His smile wasn't obvious, but the sensitive Keqing caught it immediately.
"What are you laughing at?!" Keqing clenched her fists and glared at him in shame and anger.
"Are you laughing at me?"
"No," Yilan said gently.
"It's just that, before coming to Liyue, I heard that Yuheng Xing Keqing was the one who respected the gods the least. But now, it seems you respect the gods the most."
"Others' 'respect' is born from awe. Your 'respect' is born from true understanding."
He looked at the dignified yet spirited girl with warm eyes and said:
"I believe the immortals of Liyue would be very pleased to hear your words."
"——!"
For a moment, Keqing's heart beat violently.
As one of the Qixing of Liyue, her path had been anything but smooth.
Mockery, ridicule, slander…
There were so many who doubted and sneered at her ideals.
But it didn't matter.
Even alone, she would walk this road firmly.
She was strong. She didn't need anyone's understanding.
…or so she believed.
But…
Recalling Yilan's gentle and approving smile, Keqing suddenly stomped her foot, turned, and strode quickly forward.
"Hey, why are you walking so fast all of a sudden? Wait for me!" Yilan called from behind.
"If you don't hurry up, it'll be too late!" Keqing said in a muffled voice, her black-stockinged legs moving even faster.
At this moment, her mind was in a frenzy—
What if he notices I'm blushing?!
——
Thanks to Keqing's presence, the two of them entered Yuheng Mountain smoothly.
Once inside, monsters became more frequent—and visibly corrupted by black karmic energy.
Their strength had also increased significantly.
But Yilan wasn't worried.
Keqing seemed strangely fired up today; no one knew what had gotten into her.
Her Westward Sword roared like a dragon; her sword strikes shone like lightning, and her figure flashed like a phantom.
In mere moments, she dealt with the monsters they encountered.
However, rumbling footsteps soon shook the ground.
A massive Blackened Rock Shieldwall Mitachurl, wreathed in karmic miasma, appeared.
Yilan glanced at the slightly winded Keqing and stepped forward:
"You must be tired after clearing so many monsters. Let me handle this one. It'll also give you a chance to see my strength as your ally."
"Haha… ha… that's fine."
After taking a few deep breaths, Keqing readily agreed.
…After all, she was drenched in sweat from the intense fighting, and her face was already flushed red.
Surely now he wouldn't notice her earlier embarrassment, right?
…Well, maybe the exercise was a bit too much.
Her feet, trapped in her shoes, felt damp.
Stockings trapped heat easily—it couldn't be helped.
She just hoped there wasn't any strange smell…
While she was distracted by these thoughts, Yilan was already calmly approaching the Blackened Rock Shieldwall Mitachurl.
Perhaps provoked by Yilan's leisurely posture, the Mitachurl thumped its chest like a drum and roared with malice.
"HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Why are you yelling so loudly?" Yilan muttered, casually picking his ear.
At that moment, the Mitachurl charged forward, bringing down the pressure of a mountain with its massive hammer.
Keqing widened her violet eyes, ready to witness an epic clash.
Surely Yilan, dual-wielding Electro and Geo powers, would launch a spectacular counterattack, right?
But instead…
He didn't dodge. He didn't move.
Yilan simply stood there—calm, almost bored—as the giant hammer came crashing down.
At the last second, he casually raised one hand—
—and stopped the entire charge with just that.
Then, gripping one of the Mitachurl's massive fingers, he lifted the monster effortlessly and smashed it into the ground—
"BOOM!"
The ground shook under Keqing's feet.
Again—
"BOOM!"
And again—
"BOOM!"
Over and over.
At first, the Mitachurl howled.
Later, it fell silent, unconscious.
Yilan, whistling, used his Geo power to strip the monster's rocky armor.
Then, channeling Electro into his Westward Sword, he stabbed the creature's core—ending it cleanly.
Simple. Brutal. Efficient.
Keqing was speechless.
Where was the thrilling battle she expected?!
That was a Rock Shieldwall Mitachurl corrupted by karmic filth!
Yet he treated it like beating up a Hilichurl!
At this time, Yilan turned back and asked casually:
"You were saying something earlier?"
"No, nothing at all."
It was great to have such a powerful ally—but Keqing felt a little frustrated.
She had originally wanted to challenge Yilan herself…
Now it seemed that would be suicidal.
If he grabbed her mid-fight and slammed her into the ground like that… she might really become "Keqing" in every sense.
She would need to seriously re-evaluate Yilan's strength.
Perhaps he had already reached the level of an Adeptus, just slightly weaker than Liyue's ancient immortals.
***
After defeating the Mitachurl, they encountered no major threats.
Guided by Keqing, they climbed halfway up the mountain.
There, a grand temple appeared before them.
This was clearly a shrine dedicated to Yilan.
It was majestic—once a place of great worship throughout Liyue.
Yilan was tempted to go inside, to see what his bronze statue looked like.
Maybe burn some incense for himself.
(How surreal would it be to burn incense for yourself…)
However, Keqing didn't take him in.
Instead, she led him around the temple, along a hidden path, and further upward.
At the level of the giant's stone chest, she finally stopped, pointing to a dark cave ahead:
"This is it. Actually, we didn't know about this cave before. It was only discovered a few months ago when the stone wall collapsed."
"Be careful. We believe that all the karmic filth Yuheng Mountain absorbed over the past thousand years is concentrated here. It's extremely dangerous."
…But Yilan didn't need her warning.
He could already feel it.
The cave ahead radiated a tangible, sinister aura.
It was comparable to the corrupted heart of Durin beneath Dragonspine—only worse.
Black and red sludge oozed everywhere.
Karmic miasma hung thick in the air.
And at the cave's heart, pulsing like a malignant organ—
—a massive black boulder, festering with unimaginable filth.
"That's what the Fatui are after," Keqing said, pointing at the boulder.
"It looks incredibly ominous. I don't know what they intend to do with it."
Even Keqing, bearer of a Vision, dared not enter lightly.
Exposure to the karmic energy could corrode even those chosen by the gods.
But in the next moment—
—to her shock—
Yilan began walking into the cave step by step, as if called by something unseen.