There aren't many common Geo-elemental monsters in Liyue.
Naturally, a war machine like a Ruin Guard couldn't be defeated by a Geo Slime. A Geo Samachurl was also unlikely.
The more probable culprits were creatures like the Geovishap Hatchlings or Geovishaps. Ji An had witnessed their strength before; their individual power was formidable, let alone a whole swarm. For a group of them to overwhelm a Ruin Guard was perfectly plausible.
"Xiao An, this is from one of those Geovishaps."
Hu Tao crouched down, picked up a bony fragment beside the Ruin Guard wreckage, and handed it to Ji An.
He took it, examined it, and nodded. "So, what Master Lu mentioned earlier—that the Ruin Guards were being destroyed by something more powerful—was the work of a Geovishap herd?"
He continued, "Let's keep moving inward. Stay alert."
The group proceeded deeper into the cavern, encountering more and more damaged Ruin Guard frames along the way.
Strangely, however, Geovishap corpses were scarce—only a handful.
'Something feels off here. Geovishaps are powerful, but Ruin Guards are no pushovers either. How could there be such a one-sided advantage?'
'Also, what exactly lured these Ruin Guards here, making them ignore the abundant magic crystal deposits...?'
Carrying these questions, Ji An led the way further in.
After about five minutes of walking deeper, their path opened up into a vast cavern.
"What is this?!"
The strange sight before them made them hold their breath.
Above, countless magic crystals were embedded in the ceiling and walls, illuminating the cavern as bright as day. A tall tree with a crystalline surface stood silently in the center.
"We're deep underground. How can there be a tree here?" Lu Xian couldn't help but exclaim.
The others fell into thoughtful silence. Clearly, they were all recalling what Master Lu had just said about the Ley Lines.
An ordinary tree certainly couldn't grow in a cavern this deep. But what if it were a branch derived from the Ley Lines?
"It seems there was a fierce battle here."
Ji An raised a hand, signaling everyone to proceed with caution while he carefully observed the cavern.
The ground was littered with dense piles of Ruin Guard wreckage.
"Xiao An, look at that Ruin Machine!"
Hu Tao's words made Ji An shift his gaze to a Ruin Machine that stood out prominently among the common Ruin Guards. Compared to the standard models, this one was significantly larger and its form more distorted. To Ji An's surprise, it not only had energy cores in its "eye" but also emitted a golden glow from its legs.
"Careful! That Ruin Machine isn't deactivated!" As soon as Ji An spoke, they heard the sound of grinding gears. The massive Ruin Machine slowly rose to its feet and began trudging with heavy steps towards the tall crystalline tree.
"It seems that crystalline tree—or petrified ancient tree—is the source attracting the Ruin Guards," Master Lu Ban observed, frowning. "But why would these ancient autonomous machines be drawn to a petrified tree?"
Ji An knew the answer to this question, but before everyone witnessed this scene firsthand, he couldn't reveal it directly.
First, without others seeing it with their own eyes, his words alone lacked credibility and might not be believed.
Second, even if Master Lu, Ningguang, and others believed him and verified it, it would only create bigger problems for him. Even across all of Teyvat, those who understood these ancient autonomous machines were exceedingly rare, let alone someone knowledgeable about their power source. Given his background, how could he explain this without raising suspicion?
The answer was: almost impossible.
But now, Ji An could subtly guide the conversation.
"Master Lu, is it possible that Ruin Guards are attracted to a certain type of energy within the Ley Lines? After all, the reason they swarmed out before was because that force pierced the earth, causing a massive leak of Ley Line energy."
Hearing this, Master Lu shuddered as if struck by realization. "Huh! You mentioning that reminds me... Wait, let me think..."
He frowned deeply, lost in thought for a moment before a flicker of excitement crossed his face. "That's exactly it, young Ji! Your speculation is likely correct!"
As Master Lu pondered further, his excitement grew. He began pacing back and forth, muttering to himself.
"...That would explain so many things... It must be something within the Ley Lines attracting these machines! Then, thinking conversely, why would they be attracted to it? Machines have no desires. Their creators must have programmed this behavior as a high-priority directive into their logic circuits..."
"Centuries have passed... These ancient constructs haven't deteriorated and remain active across the continent. Researchers have always been baffled—where does their power supply come from...?"
"I... I understand now!"
"That's it, no mistake... It comes from the Ley Lines themselves!"
Master Lu had finally pieced it together. He laughed heartily, overjoyed. "No wonder! No wonder even when I successfully replicated the logic circuits on crystal slates, I could never reactivate a single Ruin Guard! The problem wasn't the circuits—it was the energy supply!"
He turned and grabbed Ji An's shoulders, tears of joy in his laughter. "Young Ji, do you realize what an invaluable secret we've uncovered? With this, we could become renowned throughout the research circles of all seven nations!"
"We? This has little to do with me. It was your discovery, Master Lu," Ji An said, taken aback.
"It is us! Without your reminder, young Ji, I wouldn't have realized this!" Master Lu waved his hand grandly, just as he had when hiring Ji An. "This honor belongs to both of us."
Before Ji An could respond, Hu Tao clenched her small fists, her eyes shining brighter than his. "Xiao An is so amazing! You're going to be famous!"
Famous, my foot! I don't want to be famous... Ji An thought inwardly. While he was genuinely grateful to Master Lu—having heard stories in his previous life of unscrupulous mentors claiming their students' work—compared to them, Master Lu was a paragon of integrity. But given his circumstances, fame was the last thing he needed.
Ji An tried to refuse. "Master Lu, I really shouldn't—"
Master Lu added, "By the way, compiling this discovery about the Ruin Guards' energy source into a treatise will likely win awards and monetary prizes from research institutions in every nation."
Ji An immediately straightened his expression. "Then I shall not decline."
"Pfft." Xiangling stifled a laugh
"Ahem. Just joking. But I really don't want fame. Can I just have the Mora?" Ji An said with an embarrassed smile.
Master Lu chuckled and shook his head, about to speak.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently, nearly throwing everyone off their feet.
Ji An looked over. The giant Ruin Machine had reached the petrified ancient tree. After swaying uncertainly for a moment and just as it was about to make contact, a massive shadow lunged from the darkness, slamming into it and smashing it against the cavern wall with tremendous force.
"W-What is that?! Such a huge Geovishap!" Xiangling pointed at the creature emerging from the shadows, crying out in shock.
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