Chapter 406: A Cup Always Half-Filled with Salt (2-in-1 Chapter)

Since they had decided to control the Treasure Hoarders, Nolan began using the "Command Seal" to give them orders.

These commands were pre-discussed with Keqing, and they were quite straightforward: the Treasure Hoarders had to obey their instructions, refrain from committing any actions harmful to society, and work as undercover agents within the Treasure Hoarders, slowly growing their influence and guiding more members toward a path of redemption.

They were also tasked with promptly reporting any information about heinous criminals among the Treasure Hoarders to the Millelith, who could then apprehend them.

As she watched the Treasure Hoarders, now bound by the "Command Seal," leave, Keqing felt a spark of anticipation. Their completely obedient demeanor toward both her and Nolan had already proven the remarkable power of the "Command Seal."

Perhaps this could genuinely reduce a significant amount of harm inflicted on society in the future.

"Well, thanks for your help today. Let's head back," Keqing said with a slight smile on her fair face.

"Wait a moment, Keqing. I just scanned the surroundings with my spiritual sense," Nolan replied.

"I detected a sealed ruin to the north, which might be the one the Treasure Hoarders mentioned earlier. Would you like to explore it with me?"

"Oh?"

Keqing crossed her arms and thought for a moment. She had come here solely to arrest the Treasure Hoarders threatening the safety of adventurers. She hadn't initially planned to explore any ruins.

However, since Nolan, an adventurer, extended the invitation, she figured it wouldn't hurt to accompany him—especially since she wasn't in a rush to return.

"Sure, no problem," she replied, nodding slightly.

With Keqing's agreement, Nolan took the lead, guiding her forward.

They passed through a densely wooded forest, stepping into an open area where the ground was covered with lush green grass.

Keqing's high-heeled boots, with their refined collar design, picked up a few fragments of grass as she walked.

Soon, they arrived at a sandy beach, with a river ahead. Beyond that was a camp of Hilichurls.

From a distance, two tall Hilichurl watchtowers could be seen, each manned by an archer Hilichurl. They seemed somewhat lax in their vigilance.

Aside from the watchtower sentries, the camp contained other Hilichurls—torchbearers patrolling the area, idle Hilichurl fighters, and even a Hilichurl Berserker resting on the ground.

Clearly, none of them were the leaders of this camp.

The true commanders were two Abyss Mages, each over level 60, who exerted control over the group.

"The ruin of the God of Salt lies just beyond this camp. These monsters are in the way, so we'll need to clear them out," Nolan remarked.

"There's no need for you to act; I can handle this easily," he added confidently.

"Alright, I'll leave it to you," Keqing replied with a light nod.

Unleashing a burst of spiritual energy, Nolan amplified the power of his "Mental Storm," obliterating the minds of the Hilichurls as if their brains had been turned into tofu.

From the outside, the bodies of the Hilichurls and the two Abyss Mages appeared intact, but internally, their brains had been shattered into pieces.

The battle concluded swiftly, earning Nolan another substantial reward:

[Defeated 23 Enemies. Obtained 27,528 Adventure EXP.] 

With these gains, Nolan's total Adventure EXP surpassed the 100,000 mark again:

[Adventure EXP: 105,886] 

Although leveling up still required a significant amount, he decided to invest the points into improving his skills. Both "Chihayaburu" and "My Style Swordsmanship" had already reached their maximum levels, and the system indicated they could now be fused.

If he could max out his "Kamisato Swordsmanship" as well, the three secret-level sword techniques could be fused into one.

Could such a fusion potentially create an Arcane-level skill?

Ordinary-level skills could ascend to secret-level after three successful fusions. By extension, secret-level skills should also have a similar mechanism—fusing three or more could potentially create an Arcane-level technique.

If he succeeded, he'd have two Arcane-level sword techniques, counting "Lumine's Sword God." With effort, he might even learn a third Arcane-level technique, opening the possibility of fusing three Arcane techniques into something beyond the Arcane level.

Though he didn't yet know what lay beyond the Arcane level, it would undoubtedly be far more powerful.

As Nolan pondered his plans, he turned to Keqing.

"By the way, Keqing, when do you usually take time off? I've recently hit a bottleneck in my swordsmanship and was hoping to spar with you for inspiration."

While heading toward the Hilichurl camp, Nolan shared his thoughts.

The more sword techniques he mastered, the more options he had for skill fusion. At least three skills of the same level were necessary for fusion, but whether the process required three, four, or even five skills depended on the specific technique.

The higher the number of skills involved, the more powerful the resulting fusion would be.

For instance, "Lumine's Sword God" was a perfect example, offering unrestricted fusion capabilities even at the Arcane level.

"Exchanging sword techniques? That sounds good. Learning from someone as skilled as you would surely benefit me as well," Keqing said with a hint of surprise in her tone.

She gave him a thoughtful glance before continuing.

"However, as the Yuheng Star, I have a very busy schedule and no fixed vacations. Whenever duty calls, I must respond immediately. Still, I do get some free time occasionally, and I'll let you know when I do."

"Alright, it's a deal then," Nolan replied with a smile.

As they talked, the two reached the Hilichurl camp.

Leaving the corpses of so many monsters unattended could easily lead to the outbreak of a plague.

Most adventurers would either burn the bodies or bury them on-site after defeating monsters. Only in dire situations—like when their party was in poor condition or when they urgently needed to rescue injured members—would they leave the bodies behind. Even then, they would report the matter to the Adventurers' Guild upon returning to the city.

The guild would then notify nearby adventurers or dispatch investigators to handle the situation promptly.

However, Nolan had no need for such complications. With a single strike of "Thoughtless Thunder," the creatures were reduced to ashes, scattered into the dust of the world.

"You and Lumine, being otherworldly travelers, can wield multiple elemental powers. If Teyvat had a will, it's definitely biased. It's clearly favoring outsiders!" Keqing remarked with a touch of exasperation.

"Haha, not all otherworldly people are special. Most of them are quite ordinary," Nolan responded with a smile as he approached the sealed entrance to the Salt God's ruins.

"There's a powerful seal here. Do you know how to break it?" Keqing asked, her brows slightly furrowed as she observed the bluish-white glowing formation.

"Don't worry. I actually came across this seal before during a previous visit. Back then, I didn't have any intention of exploring the ruins, so I left it alone.

"This time, though, it seems like fate has brought me back here. Earlier today, I consulted with Mr. Zhongli from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who's incredibly knowledgeable. I now know exactly how to break this seal!" Nolan assured her, patting his chest confidently.

He continued, "Next, I'll need your help, Keqing. Please assist me in lighting the elemental monuments nearby."

"Sure, no problem!" Keqing agreed readily. Following Nolan's guidance, she used her Electro abilities to light up several elemental monuments in a specific order within a short span of time.

Once all the monuments were activated, the light from the formation sealing the entrance flickered and disappeared.

Before them stood a circular entrance to a cavern, its structures aged and crumbling.

Below the entrance was a cascading waterfall that crashed into the basin below, sending up a misty spray. The scene resembled a mystical sanctuary belonging to the adeptis.

"So this is the Salt God's ruins? I'm intrigued. Let's go down and take a look," Keqing said, her curiosity piqued as she joined Nolan in gazing at the view below.

"Alright," Nolan nodded slightly.

He spread his Wind Glider first and descended slowly, with Keqing following close behind.

The sound of rushing water echoed around them as they descended about several dozen meters. At the bottom, they spotted another cave entrance just ahead of the pool created by the waterfall.

Without hesitation, the two landed near the entrance, putting away their Wind Gliders.

The interior of the cave was vast. The walls were natural rocky cliffs, and the floor, damp with humidity, was covered in moss.

"There's only one path ahead. Going forward seems to be the correct choice," Nolan observed after a quick glance around.

"Then let's proceed. This area is heavy with water elements, so it's likely we'll encounter creatures like Hydro Slimes. Let's stay alert," Keqing warned.

Even though Nolan was currently very powerful, she remained cautious. After all, these were the Salt God's ruins, and unforeseen dangers could arise at any moment.

In situations like this, Nolan couldn't blindly rely on the events depicted in the original story as a definitive guide—it could only serve as a reference.

The two continued forward. After a while, they came upon a lake. Sure enough, numerous Hydro Slimes were hopping about on the surface of the water.

"Look over there—is that another cave entrance? That must be the former kingdom of salt! Let's hurry over to take a look," Nolan said.

Wasting no time on the Hydro Slimes, the duo made their way along a stone pathway that crossed the lake, arriving at the entrance to another cave.

This stone pathway was likely once used by the people of the Kingdom of Salt as a means of passage.

Using his spiritual senses, Nolan checked the area ahead and found no immediate danger. Without hesitation, he and Keqing stepped into the cave.

Inside, the passageway led downward via a staircase. Without delay, the two cautiously descended.

The interior wasn't dark, thanks to torch-like mechanisms that lit the path. After about ten seconds, the duo reached the bottom of the stairs—and what they saw shocked them to their cores.

The ground was paved entirely with endless salt crystals, shimmering under the light. Even the walls were encrusted with salt. Scattered throughout the space were numerous humanoid statues made of salt crystal, each one frozen in poses that depicted their frantic attempts to flee.

The details were so lifelike that the statues seemed as though they could spring to life at any moment.

In truth, there was no doubt that these humanoid statues were once real people—Saltfolk from thousands of years ago who couldn't escape during the Salt Calamity.

They were engulfed and assimilated by the endless salt crystals that erupted upon the Salt God's death, transforming into statues made entirely of salt.

"The power unleashed by a god upon their death can annihilate an entire nation. That's truly terrifying," Keqing said in awe.

Reading about it in history books was one thing, but seeing it in person brought a level of shock that words could never convey.

"Indeed," Nolan nodded in agreement. "And to think, I've heard that the Salt God was considered one of the weaker gods."

As they discussed the story of the Salt God, Nolan and Keqing continued deeper into the ruins.

Along the way, they encountered no monsters. After all, it was almost impossible for any living organism to survive for thousands of years in such a highly concentrated saline environment—unless, of course, they were incorporeal spirits.

But evidently, even the Saltfolk, mere mortals, didn't have the qualifications to become spirits after being struck by the power of a god.

Thus, their exploration of the Salt God's ruins went smoothly. Other than the eerie sight of the salt crystal statues, they encountered no monsters or threats.

Thousands of years of corrosion by the intense salt concentration had left little intact.

Aside from a few murals and stone artifacts, there was hardly anything left that could be considered well-preserved.

These remaining items held little immediate value, better left for future archaeologists to study and analyze.

The two spent half a day exploring the ruins. Keqing took out her notebook and diligently recorded their findings about the Salt God's domain, making the trip somewhat worthwhile for her.

As for Nolan, apart from getting his shoes covered in salt crystals, he hadn't gained anything significant—until they reached an unremarkable room after another ten minutes of walking.

In the center of the room was a stone table, upon which rested an ordinary-looking stone cup. Inside the cup was half a portion of salt.

To most, it would appear to be nothing more than a simple cup filled with salt.

However, Nolan knew better—this was no ordinary cup. It was imbued with a fragment of the Salt God's power. The salt within the cup, no matter how much was poured out, would always remain half-full.

In other words, this cup contained an infinite supply of salt. It was a bona fide artifact!

"Are you thinking of taking that cup?" Keqing noticed Nolan staring intently at the cup on the table and asked curiously.

"This isn't just an ordinary cup," Nolan explained briefly.

"You're saying this is an artifact?!" Keqing asked, skeptical. The cup looked so plain that even someone like her, who usually wasn't concerned with appearances, found it utterly unremarkable.

"Plain as it may seem, my senses are never wrong," Nolan said confidently.

After confirming that there was no danger, he stepped forward and picked up the ordinary-looking stone cup. To demonstrate its power to Keqing, he tilted the cup.

The salt inside began to pour out, quickly forming a small mound before their eyes.

Yet, despite the constant stream of salt spilling forth, the amount in the cup showed no signs of diminishing.

Watching the spectacle, Nolan was inwardly delighted. He knew he had found the real deal—this trip had been well worth the time and effort!

"Alright, alright, stop! It's about to overflow!" Keqing exclaimed, urging Nolan to stop as the mound of salt grew taller and taller.

At the same time, she couldn't hide her astonishment. The cup truly held an infinite supply of salt. If they took this out, the entirety of Teyvat would never run out of salt again!

---

(End of Chapter)

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