On Sky Island, Jiang Xuan didn't wait long.
Or rather, during the wait, Jiang Xuan had been contemplating the dream from last night.
His original idea was to build a city on the grassland next door after unlocking some modern modules.
But now Jiang Xuan had a new idea.
It was an existing region.
Almost identical to the grassland in his dream last night.
In that case, it would be just right to fulfill his promise to Nahida.
Gardens, flower carts, Sanctuary of Surasthana.
If Sumeru couldn't hold Nahida, then Jiang Xuan's MC World could.
He could create a little world for her with Nahida.
Nahida had suffered for five hundred years, and Jiang Xuan would make it up to her, one by one.
Not long after he was lost in thought, Zhongli and the others arrived on Sky Island.
Cloud Retainer had already gone to study the architectural blueprints, as for Xiao.
Today, the miners were going to Heart Mine, and he wanted to go along to explore. If there were any Mob Spawners or the like, it would be easier to handle with him there.
Of course, the other main reason for Xiao to stay was...
Jiang Xuan had previously enchanted a Diamond Pickaxe with Fortune, and left another Iron Pickaxe with Silk Touch.
For the Gold Ore and Diamond Ore, these two pickaxes were essential.
"Jiang Xuan, I brought a stack of cooked pork chops, and Ganyu brought a stack of bread. Should that be enough?"
Ningguang walked over to Jiang Xuan and asked softly.
At this moment, everyone was clad in Iron Armor Sets, all enchanted.
Coupled with the enchanted Iron Swords, longbows, or enchanted Iron Pickaxes in their hands.
Basically, they were a relatively mature team.
"The food is fine, but I still need to remind you all, be prepared to not sleep for a long time this trip."
Jiang Xuan looked at everyone with a smile, then said somewhat seriously:
"You absolutely cannot bring beds to the Nether. If you sleep with a bed, it will immediately explode."
Jiang Xuan had repeatedly mentioned this point.
Logically, a special essential item should be prepared for going to the Nether.
A Respawn Anchor.
Regardless of its other uses, it only needed to function in one way to be enough.
A death respawn point in the Nether.
Jiang Xuan really wanted to make one.
However, Glowstone was easy enough to get, but Crying Obsidian was really hard to acquire.
At least Jiang Xuan and his team, who hadn't even explored beyond their immediate area, definitely wouldn't be able to find it.
"Hehe, don't worry!"
Hu Tao patted her flat chest happily.
"We've already kept it in mind! It's just a period of not sleeping, it won't affect us much!"
That was the truth.
This group of people.
Ganyu herself was the type who would pull all-nighters for days when working overtime.
Hu Tao walked the line between life and death, possessing a unique quality that other Archons didn't.
Zhongli, what's a Geo Archon not sleeping?
Ningguang might be physically weaker, but don't forget...
Ningguang also had Jiang Xuan's physical synchronization.
What kind of physique did Steve have?
Anyway, the Nether didn't have a mechanism for Phantoms to spawn if you didn't sleep, so not sleeping for a year would be fine.
Seeing that everyone was somewhat expectant, Jiang Xuan didn't say anything more.
He just smiled and nodded:
"Our primary objective in going to the Nether this time is to confirm the location of the portal."
"Then, collect as many minerals as possible."
"The miners definitely won't be able to enter the Nether for a while, so our goal this time is to fill all our backpack slots before we leave."
"Additionally, if possible..."
Before he could finish, Hu Tao urged:
"I know, I know! Blazes and Nether Fortresses, right? I remember it clearly, you've said it eight hundred times!"
"It's a Nether Fortress! 'Hell' or whatever, that's too inauspicious!"
Jiang Xuan shook his head helplessly.
He understood that Hu Tao had seen through life and death, so she never cared about such things.
However, Jiang Xuan didn't have that mindset yet.
As for death, it was better for it to be far away from him.
"How are the Gold Ingots coming along?"
Jiang Xuan turned to Ningguang, who softly replied:
"Half a stack of Gold Ingots is ready. It should be enough to trade with the Piglins, right?"
Half a stack of Gold Ingots, that was about seventy-one tons of gold.
This astronomical sum, in the past, Ningguang would have been heartbroken for half a day to take out.
But now, it didn't matter.
There were still four or five Gold Blocks piled up in the Golden House.
A few days ago, Ningguang even wanted to try what features tools made of gold would have.
She was very generous.
Lost in thought, Jiang Xuan waved his hand.
"Zhongli, shield up. Let's go take a look first."
Zhongli nodded slightly, activated his Jade Screen Shield, and raised his shield to walk in front.
Jiang Xuan, meanwhile, took out his fully enchanted Divine Bow.
"Zhongli and I will go in first. If we don't come out in five minutes, then you follow."
Although Ganyu wanted to say something, she eventually nodded in silence.
Jiang Xuan and Zhongli exchanged glances. Zhongli defended in front, and Jiang Xuan drew his bow at the back.
They vigilantly walked into the portal.
The purple teleportation light enveloped them, and in Ningguang and the others' eyes, Jiang Xuan and Zhongli's figures seemed to distort in an instant.
In fact, the first time they truly stepped into the portal.
As Jiang Xuan and Zhongli were being teleported, all the space before them seemed to undulate like waves.
There was also a slight feeling of nausea.
A moment later, their vision went black, and they completely entered the Nether.
A strong sense of spatial distortion surged through their hearts. The moment they arrived in the Nether, even Zhongli felt a bit sick.
But excellent combat training kept his body subconsciously on guard.
After a moment, Zhongli slowly opened his eyes.
Everything that met his gaze stunned even Zhongli, who was accustomed to grand spectacles.
He finally understood why this place was called the Nether and Hell.
It was simply...
These two terms were perfectly fitting descriptions.
A world entirely crimson, as if dried blood filled the entire space.
The Nether Portal stood silently on a patch of dark red Netherrack.
Unlike the flat Main World, extreme drops and gaps were visible everywhere.
In the distance, in the sky, a Lavafall endlessly poured onto the ground.
Scalding heat waves assaulted them.
There was no scent here, only the smell of sulfur from the lava.
But if Zhongli were asked what hell smelled like, this would be it...
Compared to this, Teyvat's border between life and death was a paradise.
Not far away were dense, what could tentatively be called trees.
But...
No matter how hard he thought, Zhongli couldn't bring himself to call these blood-stained, fungus-covered tree-like Magma Blocks "trees."
On the trees were many flickering blocks, like lanterns.
But they also seemed to be eerie plants.
Not to mention, within a few hundred meters of the Nether Portal, there were at least four small lava pools.
Around the lava pools, there were also Magma Blocks he had never seen before.
This might be understandable after some familiarity.
But what stunned Zhongli the most...
Was the vast, endless Lava Ocean a hundred meters away, at the edge of a Netherrack cliff.
Intense red light filled his pupils.
Honestly, even during the Archon War, Zhongli had never seen such a harsh environment.
This was a forbidden land for life, a true realm of death.
Above their heads wasn't the sky, but chaotic, dense Netherrack, dotted with many Glowstone blocks.
Since Khaenri'ah, Zhongli had thought nothing could shock him further.
But this was an exception.
The sense of danger this place gave him far exceeded Khaenri'ah.
Zhongli even felt that even if the Heavenly Principles came to this world, after being suppressed by its laws, she would have to cautiously eke out an existence in the Nether.
At this moment, Zhongli no longer agreed with Jiang Xuan's description of this place as the Nether.
This was Hell!
No matter how beautifully it was phrased, it was an absolute taboo for all life.
Hell!
Involuntarily, all the remaining elemental energy in Zhongli's body roared out, making his Jade Screen Shield even thicker.
But this still didn't give him a sense of security, so Zhongli could only raise his shield and vigilantly survey everything before him.
Not far away were seven Zombie Piglins. Jiang Xuan had said that as long as they didn't attack them, they wouldn't retaliate.
But in a lava pool fifty meters away, there was a huge Magma Cube.
Its massive eyes had already noticed him and Jiang Xuan, and it was slowly jumping towards them.
Above the lava pool, many large, grayish-white block-shaped Phantoms floated. In the language of this world, they were Ghasts.
They occasionally let out hollow, mournful cries, which would have sent chills down Zhongli's spine if he hadn't witnessed so much life and death.
Looking further away, an Endermen flickered into view.
Currently, Zhongli had only seen these four creatures.
Without exception...
Aside from the Zombie Piglins, which could barely be called non-aggressive, the others were all monsters filled with malice towards life.
What concerned Zhongli even more were the Striders aimlessly wandering in the Lava Ocean.
The scalding lava was like bathwater to them, as they leisurely drifted within it.
"No wonder you told us to get Fire Protection enchantments and be fully prepared before coming here..."
Zhongli's face was slightly grim as he murmured:
"This place is too harsh... In over six millennia, I've never seen such a forbidden place."
Jiang Xuan was also impacted by the realistic Nether, but quickly recovered, saying with some helplessness:
"If it weren't for all the things I desperately need here, I really wouldn't want to come."
"Tsk... I can't simply call this the Nether anymore."
Jiang Xuan shook his head, looking at the approaching Magma Cube, he drew his enchanted Diamond Sword and said softly:
"Anyway... let's make this place safer before they arrive."
Seeing Zhongli intending to block the Magma Cube with his shield, Jiang Xuan said nothing.
Magma Cubes dealt contact damage, so blocking them with a shield would rapidly decrease its durability.
However, they had brought many shields, so this small loss didn't matter.
"Take out the Diamond Sword I enchanted for you, the one with Looting."
After confirming there were no other monsters around, Jiang Xuan smiled:
"Although Magma Cubes are annoying, as long as there aren't too many of them, they don't pose a threat. On the contrary..."
"I really need its drops. Magma Cream is an essential ingredient for making Potions of Fire Resistance."
Zhongli's dormant fighting spirit, which had been quiet for five hundred years, surged again. He drew his Diamond Sword and said softly:
"It seems that after coming here, the fighting will hardly cease."
"What, you don't like it?"
"No... it's a long overdue chance to stretch my muscles!"
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