92: The Nether Portal is Open!

Hearing Dashí's report, Ryen was somewhat surprised.

"Looks like Mine No. 4 is quite rich in resources. Take a break, and tomorrow, we'll head over to Mine No. 5 for a look."

Dashí nodded enthusiastically and added, "Then, Lord Ryen, I'll head back first—haven't fed the wolves yet…"

Ryen waved his hand, letting him go as he pleased.

Dashí immediately took off, looking genuinely eager to feed the wolves.

At this point, the Qianyan Army and the miners had practically started treating the wolves like their own treasures.

Even though the wolves weren't particularly intelligent and could only follow basic commands like "sit" and "stand," their combat prowess was extraordinary, and their loyalty was unquestionable.

During a previous expedition, they had run into five zombies. Initially, the Qianyan Army soldiers expected at least a few injuries among them.

But the moment the wolves charged in, they shredded the zombies to pieces.

One wolf had died in the process, but not a single soldier had been harmed.

The Qianyan Army had been deeply moved by this—yet also heartbroken.

Even if the wolves weren't sapient, in their eyes, they were still comrades willing to lay down their lives for them.

When word got out that one of the wolves had perished, quite a few soldiers had shed tears.

Ryen understood. They were soldiers, after all.

Feeling somewhat sentimental himself, Ryen led Zhongli and the others into the estate's mansion.

The estate was now divided into an inner and outer courtyard, separated by fences.

The inner courtyard was Ryen's original planned area. Aside from the floating islands, he had done away with all automation.

Whether it was feeding livestock or tending crops, Ryen disliked using any special mechanisms.

He preferred doing things the traditional way, just like a farmer—working the land step by step. It was a way to experience life.

The outer courtyard, on the other hand, was packed with automated farms and ranches, as well as a neatly arranged villager trading hub.

There was even an overabundance of iron blocks, leading Ryen to generously craft four Iron Golems.

With such defenses, any zombies or other hostile creatures appearing here wouldn't last long.

At this moment, Ningguang was at the villager trading hub in the outer courtyard.

Ryen pushed open the fence gate and led everyone inside.

First, he checked on his automated farm.

A laborer by the name Niall was tending to the crops meticulously, step by step.

Ryen nodded in satisfaction before heading over to where Ningguang was.

Here, over twenty villagers were stationed.

Of course, the librarians made up the majority of them.

The demand for enchanted books was always high. While fishing could yield some, it required Ganyu's luck enhancement to be worthwhile.

But Ryen wasn't about to make Ganyu sit there fishing all day.

That time could be better spent snuggling with her instead.

Seeing Ryen and the others approach, Ningguang instinctively glanced at Ganyu.

Only after confirming that Ganyu's expression was normal did she turn her attention to Ryen with a slight smile.

"You took a bit longer this time?"

"Mm, ran into Dashí on the way and chatted for a bit."

Ryen replied casually.

Ningguang didn't press further, instead shifting the topic back to business.

"I've already stored the diamonds and gold in your chests. The iron ingots and coal, as usual, have been placed in the base for rotation—every seven days, we send them out.

"If you need anything, just take it from there."

Hearing this, Ryen chuckled and shook his head.

"I already have two chests full of iron ingots. I probably won't run out anytime soon, so don't worry about those."

"What about the emeralds?"

Ningguang raised her hand, revealing eighteen emeralds, smiling slightly.

"This should be enough. After the trade, you'll even have one left over. I was waiting for you to come back to finalize the deal."

The Fire Protection enchantment Ryen wanted to trade for this time was the highest-level Fire Protection IV.

The lowest possible price for this enchantment was fourteen emeralds, though that was rare.

A few days ago, Ryen had tried rolling for one himself and ended up with a ridiculous price of fifty-eight emeralds.

He had nearly lost it on the spot and was tempted to slaughter that rip-off merchant.

The current seventeen-emerald Fire Protection IV was actually rolled by Ganyu.

Hmm…

A woman blessed with max-level Fortune truly was a treasure in this world.

"Since we have enough emeralds, you should've just made the trade yourself—why wait for me?"

Jokingly, Ryen took the emeralds and directly purchased the enchanted book.

Ningguang chuckled softly, shaking her head as her gaze turned gentle.

"Well, this is the last enchanted book we need before heading to the Nether. It deserves a bit of ceremony, don't you think?"

Ryen didn't argue. Instead, he turned around and placed the enchanted book and an iron chestplate on the anvil, fusing them together.

As the glowing purple iron armor emerged, the final piece of Nether expedition gear was complete.

Ryen handed it to Hu Tao, smiling.

"Now we're set. We can start preparing for the trip to the Nether."

Fire Protection was a mandatory enchantment for anyone joining the Nether expedition.

That place was crawling with Blazes, Ghasts, and lava pools at every turn.

For the sake of safety, proper protection against fire was a must.

Hu Tao examined the Fire Protection IV chestplate for a moment before slipping it on.

She should have been happy.

Yet, her face twisted into a rather displeased expression instead.

Everyone around her exchanged knowing smiles.

The reason behind Hu Tao's sulking was obvious.

Fire Protection, huh?

More like Hu Tao's Anti-Fire Nerf Gear.

A while ago, Ryen had tested the enchantment by letting Hu Tao unleash her full firepower against him.

And the result?

Ryen barely felt a thing.

At most, half a heart of damage—which regenerated instantly.

The most infuriating part?

The enchantment wasn't just effective in the MC world.

Ryen had enchanted a Qianyan soldier's armor with Fire Protection III and had Zhongli test it in Teyvat.

When Hu Tao stabbed him with a flaming spear, the sharpness of the weapon managed to poke a small hole in the armor.

But the fire damage?

According to Zhongli, it was gone in the blink of an eye.

At most, he just felt a bit of heat.

Fire nerfed. Hu Tao furious.

But her mood swings were as quick as a summer storm—she pouted for a moment before bouncing back, grinning at Ryen.

"Ryen! Now that we're all set, can we finally go?!"

Seeing Hu Tao's eyes shining with excitement, Ryen couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.

His eyes flickered with mischief as he pretended to sigh regretfully.

"Ah… no can do. We still don't have Fire Resistance Potions—it's not safe enough yet."

"HAH?!"

Hu Tao's eyes widened in disbelief as she puffed up her cheeks, staring daggers at Ryen.

"You! Didn't you just say we don't have the materials because we've never encountered Blazes before?! That means we can't make Fire Resistance Potions at all!"

"You think I'd forget something that important?!"

Ryen blinked, a bit impressed.

"Wow, you actually remembered that?"

"Hmph! When it comes to going to the Nether, of course, I remember every detail!"

Hu Tao puffed out her chest proudly.

If Ganyu or Ningguang did the same, Ryen might have given them a second glance.

But Hu Tao…

There was just nothing there.

She was barely better off than Klee.

Ryen shook his head, shifting his gaze to the sky.

By now, the sun had begun its descent, and the warm glow of dusk filtered through the drifting clouds, casting golden light over the estate.

Even the mountains in the distance were bathed in shimmering gold—almost like the glowing peaks of Mount Tianheng in the morning sun.

"Not today."

Retracting his gaze, Ryen spoke softly.

"It's already getting late. We should rest for the night, recharge our energy, and head to the Nether tomorrow."

Hu Tao opened her mouth, about to protest, but Ryen's tone turned serious.

"The Nether isn't like the Overworld. It's a realm full of dangers and powerful enemies. Even with all our preparations, we can't assume we'll be completely safe."

"Everyone's been busy all day. One night of rest won't hurt."

This time, Hu Tao fell silent.

She wasn't a child.

Ryen had warned them many times about the dangers of the Nether—she wouldn't risk everyone's safety just because she was impatient.

Besides, everyone was exhausted today.

Ganyu and Ningguang had spent hours studying various survival mechanisms in the outer courtyard and floating islands, on top of handling their usual government duties.

As for Ryen and Zhongli?

Those two had done nothing but enjoy themselves—riding horses, hunting in the morning, then fishing in the afternoon.

They were living more leisurely than an old grandpa in Liyue Harbor.

"Fine, fine… we'll go tomorrow then."

Hu Tao pouted.

Ryen and the others still preferred to return to Teyvat every night.

But the miners?

Once they entered this world, they never wanted to leave—even at night.

The reason?

Back in The Chasm, life had been miserable.

Here, mining was like paradise.

Plenty of food. Iron Golems and wolves standing guard at night. Zero threats.

Why leave?

What if they left and some other miner swooped in to take their shift?

As for Ryen…

Ningguang and Ganyu had work to handle.

He, on the other hand, just wanted good food.

Minecraft food?

Boring.

Same few dishes over and over again—he was sick of it.

"We heading back to Teyvat now?"

Ganyu asked softly.

Ryen shook his head and started walking toward the floating islands in the inner courtyard.

"We still have one last thing to prepare. That way, tomorrow, we can head straight into the Nether."

Hu Tao's face fell.

"More prep?! Are you kidding me?"

Ryen flicked her forehead, rolling his eyes.

"You idiot. The portal! How are we supposed to go to the Nether without a Nether portal?"

"HAH?! That's so simple! Why didn't you build it earlier?!"

"If I built it earlier, could you guarantee you wouldn't sneak in by yourself?"

"..."

Hu Tao fell silent.

After a brief pause, she stuck out her tongue playfully before dragging Ganyu and the others away, dashing toward the girls-only ladder leading to the floating island.

Ryen shook his head and ascended the floating island with Zhongli and Xiao.

A designated space for the Nether Portal had already been reserved in the island's layout.

Under Hu Tao's impatient urging, Ryen swiftly assembled the frame.

A 4×5 obsidian structure—the standard size.

Anything larger was unnecessary.

Some versions even allowed the corner blocks to be swapped with other materials, saving obsidian.

But Ryen had no shortage of materials.

With hundreds of miners working day and night—and Xiao occasionally descending into the depths—obsidian was plentiful.

With practiced ease, he built the 4×5 portal frame.

Then, pulling out a flint and steel, Ryen grinned at the group.

"Ready? The Nether Portal is about to open!"

In the next instant, he struck the portal's center.

A wave of violet-black energy rippled outward as an eerie, shimmering veil emerged within the obsidian frame.

The Nether Portal—activated!

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