I opened a shop on the Astral Train-Chapter 80

Guinevere took out her phone. "I was recording it! I was going to post the video online to gain more followers."

Nahida tilted her head. "Online?"

Guinevere excitedly explained the concept of live broadcasting to Nahida.

After listening, Nahida nodded in understanding. "I see. But still, it's best to avoid dangerous stunts. Getting hurt is never worth it."

Guinevere and Yuri exchanged glances before nodding. "Okay!"

Satisfied, Nahida turned to leave. "Alright, I still need to buy food. See you later."

Guinevere watched Nahida walk away before grinning at her phone. "Come on, Yuri, let's grab something to eat."

Nahida returned to Asmodeus's e-sports room with the food. As soon as she opened the door, she was greeted by Asmodeus's triumphant laughter.

"Hehe! Another newbie dares to challenge the invincible Lord Asmodeus? Watch as I crush them!"

Curious, Nahida peeked at the computer screen. Asmodeus had created a private game lobby, and the opponent's username was displayed:

[The Queen of Re-Loving]

Nahida immediately recognized who it was. Who else could it be? It had to be His Majesty Barnabas.

Meanwhile, deep in the bamboo forests near the Village, six little ones were working together to collect high-quality bamboo.

Hook and Bailu each held an axe. Bailu wiped her nose and asked, "Yaoyao, which one do you want us to chop?"

Yaoyao carefully examined the bamboo, then pointed excitedly. "That one! That one!"

Without hesitation, Bailu and Hook charged at the selected stalks, swinging their axes in sync.

"Hah! Hah!"

Both were surprisingly strong for their size, and before long, the bamboo fell with a loud crash, sending dust into the air.

Yaoyao quickly called out, "The bamboo is falling! Everyone, move back!"

Klee, distracted by something shiny, almost didn't hear, but Yaoyao grabbed her hand and pulled her—and a dazed Qiqi—out of the way just in time.

The bamboo hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Yaoyao got to work cutting off the excess branches, then turned to the group. "Alright! Let's lift it together!"

The six of them—Klee, Bailu, Hook, Diona, Qiqi, and Yaoyao—lined up and hoisted the massive 10-meter-long bamboo. Their tiny legs marched in unison as they carried it toward Liyue Harbor.

"Heave! Ho!"

The bamboo swayed up and down as they walked, the uneven pace making it bounce between them. It took them over an hour, but they finally reached Liyue Harbor, where they found Grandma Ping waiting for them.

Seeing the group of energetic children, Grandma Ping smiled warmly. "Come closer, little ones. I'll teach you how to make night lanterns."

The six children gathered eagerly around her, sitting on small stools as they prepared to learn.

Yaoyao quickly noticed Klee and the others reaching out with their bare hands. "Wait! Put on these gloves first so you don't hurt yourselves."

She handed out hand-knitted gloves, each adorned with a delicate laurel pattern.

Once properly equipped, they excitedly began their lesson.

Meanwhile, southeast of Dihua Marsh...

Kevin, Hu Tao, March 7th, Ying, and the others arrived at an abandoned village.

March 7th looked at the ruins with skepticism. "Is this really the place? It just looks like rubble."

Hu Tao smirked. "The real destination is behind that mountain. But don't underestimate this place! I've found plenty of treasure chests here. Let's dig for treasure first!"

Kevin's eyes sparkled. "Treasure chests? Stellar Jade? Star Coins? Let's go!"

Hu Tao pulled Kevin aside and handed him a bundle of mining tools from her storage ring. "Hold on! Take some of these—many chests are buried underground."

Kevin took the tools eagerly. "Understood!"

With renewed enthusiasm, the group dispersed and began their treasure hunt.

Soon, Amber gasped. "I found one! Whoa! Two Stellar Jade inside!"

Kevin swung his pickaxe with increased determination. "I'm digging! I'm digging!"

In no time, he had carved out a small tunnel. As he continued, a bright light suddenly shone ahead.

Kevin's heart raced. "Oh ho! A secret chamber!"

With one final strike, an opening appeared, revealing a hidden cave. Inside, three ornate treasure chests gleamed.

Kevin dashed forward, flinging them open. "Jackpot! Thirty Stellar Jade!"

He stuffed his loot into his bag with a satisfied grin. "Hehe~ I'm rich! Now, what should I spend it on?"

Just as he was about to resume digging, Hu Tao and the others caught up to him.

"Why are you all here?" Kevin asked. "Have you finished searching above?"

Hu Tao grinned. "Almost. We found plenty of Stellar Jade. What about you?"

Kevin proudly gestured at the cave. "I just found thirty Stellar Jade! I want to keep digging—there might be more hidden spaces!"

Hearing that, Hu Tao and the rest eagerly joined him. Kevin, Ying, Hu Tao, March 7th, Seele, and Welt handled the digging, while Amber and Huohuo transported the debris with storage rings.

With their combined efforts, they made quick progress, tunneling deeper and deeper.

As Seele struck the ground with her pickaxe, she was suddenly hit by a powerful force and thrown backward.

The group rushed over. Kevin helped her up. "Seele! Are you okay?"

Seele shook her head. "I'm fine... but what was that?"

Hu Tao gasped, eyes wide with excitement. "Oh my god! We just broke straight into some ancient ruins!"

Hu Tao's words piqued everyone's curiosity, and they all gathered at the entrance of the cave. What they saw left them in awe.

Beneath them lay an underground ruin, ancient and forgotten. Overgrown with weeds and shrouded in an eerie silence, its only source of illumination was a massive hole in the ceiling, allowing faint rays of light to pierce the darkness.

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At the entrance, they could see gentle ripples of water—a clear sign that this ruin was submerged.

Kevin scanned the surroundings and spotted a pathway leading downward. "Look over there. We can head down from that path."

Without hesitation, he took the lead, stepping carefully out of the cave and following the path into the heart of the ruins.

The main body of the ruins was an ancient city, built entirely of massive stone blocks. The group made their way down to the city's entrance, their footsteps echoing through the hollowed-out streets.

Hu Tao furrowed her brows, puzzled. "It doesn't make sense. A place this big—how has it remained undiscovered for so many years?"

March 7th shrugged. "Maybe it was just too well hidden? Think about it. We had to dig so deep just to find it."

Hu Tao considered this and nodded. It was certainly possible. Buried so far beneath the earth, it was no surprise that no one had come across it before.

Kevin gripped his pickaxe. "Either way, let's check it out first."

He strode up to the ancient city's gate and gave it a push. The wooden doors, weakened by time, collapsed under the slightest pressure.

The sight beyond the gate made Kevin freeze in shock. The rest of the group hurried forward, only to be rendered speechless.

Before them stood countless figures—people sculpted entirely out of salt. Their expressions twisted in fear, their stances showing desperate attempts to flee.

March 7th swallowed hard, a chilling realization creeping into her mind. "These people... weren't statues to begin with, were they?"

Paimon shuddered. "March! Don't say scary things like that!"

Ying studied the salt figures closely. Each one was uniquely detailed, their faces contorted in fear. It was impossible for even the best craftsmen in Teyvat to carve such lifelike statues.

"I think March 7th might be right," she murmured.

Kevin's gaze followed the trail of frozen figures, all facing away from a distant castle as if trying to escape. "That must be the source of whatever happened here. Let's check it out."

The group proceeded cautiously, weaving through the frozen streets toward the ominous castle.

The deeper they ventured, the darker it became. Silence pressed in around them, an almost suffocating stillness.

At last, they reached the grand entrance of the castle.

Seele knocked on the heavy stone doors, but there was no response.

"Let's look around. There must be a mechanism to open it."

Kevin stepped forward, drawing the Judgment of Shamash. "No need for that. Shamash—unsheath!"

With a single slash, the ancient stone doors split cleanly in half, crumbling with a thunderous crash.

Inside, a secret chamber awaited them.

Salt statues crowded the space, their poses frozen mid-flight as if they had fled here in desperation.

At the center of the room lay a broken sword, rusted with age.

March 7th quickly pulled out her camera and snapped a photo. "This is my first time exploring ruins this ancient!"

Kevin picked up the sword, examining it closely. "Hu Tao, you think this is worth anything?"

Hu Tao took it from him, inspecting it. "It's just an ordinary sword. But you could take it to a jeweler—maybe they'll buy it as an antique."

Kevin shrugged and stored the sword in his inventory. "Might as well see if it's worth something."

With that done, he surveyed the room. Three passages stretched out before them. He pondered their next move.

"Let's split up and search. If you run into trouble, send a signal."

The group nodded in agreement and divided into three teams, each heading down a different path.

Seele took the rightmost tunnel.

Suddenly, she heard strange voices up ahead. Creeping forward, she saw a group of hilichurls gathered around a bonfire, dancing and chanting.

Seele smirked, tightening her grip on her weapon.

"Dissipate with the wind! The bubble of the past!"

She lunged forward, her blade flashing. The hilichurls barely had time to react before they fell, one by one.

With the enemies dealt with, Seele finally had time to inspect the room.

Two ancient altars stood before her—one holding a bronze censer, the other a ruler. Inside the censer was a pile of what appeared to be salt, untouched by time.

"What is this?" Seele muttered. "Eh, whatever. I'll take it back and ask someone about it."

She stashed both items into her storage ring and continued her exploration.

Three hours later, the groups reunited in a vast chamber.

At the center of the room was a small mound of salt, the final remnant of the ancient catastrophe.

March 7th took another photo. "This is incredible."

Kevin, however, was less impressed. "I was hoping for Stellar Jade, but all we found was old junk. What a letdown."

Hu Tao glanced at the time. "We should head back. By the time we reach Liyue Harbor, it'll be getting dark."

With that, the group retraced their steps, emerging from the tunnels they had dug. Climbing into the RV parked outside, they set off toward Liyue Harbor.

Meanwhile, on the treasure ship...

Ningguang was meticulously overseeing the final preparations for the evening's grand banquet.

"Take these ingredients to the kitchen and have them prepared immediately. Xiangling will be arriving soon to cook."

She frowned at a bouquet of flowers nearby. "Who sent these? I paid a high price, and yet they dare send me defective goods? Baiwen, take someone with you—some merchants need to be reminded how to do business properly."

Her sharp gaze landed on a shipment of fireworks. "And those fireworks—handle them carefully. Keep them dry, understood?"

Every detail had to be perfect. This year's Lantern Festival was unlike any other, with esteemed guests arriving from all across the land.

The ship bustled with activity as workers hurried to complete their tasks. Ningguang, standing by the railing, watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, letting out a quiet breath. Everything was nearly ready. Now, all that remained was to welcome the guests.

Not long after, Yuri, Welt, Zhongli, Jing Yuan, Huaiyan, Jiaoqiu, and several other elders arrived at the ship.

Seeing them, Ningguang moved forward gracefully. "Welcome to the Lantern Festival banquet. Please, come inside."

She personally led them to a teahouse, where they were served the finest teas. Each guest expressed their gratitude.

As Ningguang finished welcoming them, Topaz and Jade arrived with their gifts.

"Ningguang! We're here!" Topaz called, waving cheerfully.

Ningguang smiled and approached them. "Topaz, Jade—how was your journey today?"

Jade beamed. "It was wonderful! This is my first time visiting such a historic city."