"Ryen, when are we going back to the Twilight Forest to farm Druids again?"

Keqing asked curiously.

Ryen thought for a moment and said softly,

"No need to wait too long. Everyone's free right now. Let's rest today, and we can set out again tomorrow or the day after."

Venti shrugged.

"Do we really need to announce it like this? Why can't we just talk in the Twilight Forest itself and then immediately hunt the Druids?"

Ryen shot him a glance and retorted,

"Everyone who already has staffs aligned to their elemental powers isn't in a hurry—why are you so impatient?"

"…"

Venti deflated again and sulked silently.

Ryen continued, a bit annoyed:

"I know, you all think Druids drop good stuff, so naturally, you want to kill them."

"That's exactly what I'm thinking too."

"But you also need to understand, every Druid wields a staff. Even a Apprentice-level staff has a mana cap of a thousand points."

"Although their spell variety is limited, their Apprentice-level spells can still pose a huge threat to us."

"Druid's Touch, Necro Page, Frost Breath…"

"One careless move, and we could be in serious trouble."

"Moreover, some of them might even have Advanced-level staffs and Advanced-level spells—that's a deadly threat."

"At the very least, if they activate Lich Barrier, we don't know its effects. We either dodge it or get caught and killed."

"Don't think having a Totem of Undying or a Resurrection Totem gives you free rein. In this world, there are countless crises that can still kill us."

"Especially when we're already in the perilous Twilight Forest."

"You've only seen the Firefly Forest and think it's not dangerous."

"But the other areas aren't so peaceful or dreamlike: swamps full of poisonous fog, jungles riddled with curses…"

"Monsters are just one of the least conspicuous threats."

"The harsh environment and natural magical barriers are the deadliest dangers."

Ryen paused, then looked at Zhongli and said softly,

"Take Zhongli for example. His combat experience is the richest. One-on-one, none of you can match him, right?"

Everyone nodded decisively.

Even Tartaglia, confident as he was, couldn't be sure he could defeat Zhongli. A few days ago, he had actually tested it, challenging Zhongli directly.

Tartaglia unleashed his Harbinger's Arsenal, but Zhongli didn't even use his elemental power—just pure martial arts suppressed him, like a child playing with a toy.

Tartaglia told Zhongli not to hold back, yet with a single move, he was pinned in a critical spot, unable to move.

Zhongli's martial prowess was no exaggeration. He truly mastered martial arts to perfection.

Only then did Tartaglia understand—no wonder during the Ancient Archon-Monster Wars, Zhongli could fight four or five archdemons and still claim the advantage.

He had that level of confidence.

Ryen smiled and clapped his hands, then looked at Zhongli.

"Then Zhongli, what do you think—if it's one-on-one, how would you fare against that Druid from earlier?"

Zhongli replied calmly,

"One-on-one, I have hundreds of ways to kill him before he even casts a spell."

An inexplicable aura of authority spread, leaving Xiao and the other adepti staring at Zhongli with pure admiration.

Ryen chuckled and said,

"Alright, let's assume a more challenging environment."

"You're walking through a swamp, struggling with every step. Around you are flame traps; with each step, you have to be careful that lava and fire won't erupt from beneath your feet."

"Strange magical barriers obscure vision beyond twenty meters, and in the darkness lurk packs of Twilight Wraiths."

"Beneath the ground, powerful enemies like Hydras lie in wait."

"In this situation, you encounter the same Druid from earlier."

"How much chance do you think you have to win?"

Zhongli frowned, paused for a long moment, and shook his head.

"Less than thirty percent…"

"Less than thirty percent? Well, that's still pretty confident of you."

Ryen shrugged lightly and said,

"The place I just described is called the Fire Swamp."

"It actually exists in the Twilight Forest, and in fact, we will have to go there to hunt Hydras."

"There are nine such zones in the Twilight Forest, each more dangerous than the last."

"If we head there unprepared, carelessly… what do you think the consequences would be?"

Everyone fell silent. Ryen continued, somewhat helpless:

"Even if many of us go, all carrying Totems of Undying, it doesn't mean we can recklessly act in the Twilight Forest."

"A single Druid might be limited in strength, but if they attack us in this harsh environment…"

"Without proper preparation, all of us could be in serious trouble."

"If it were still like before, we could get by with caution while exploring."

"But now, the Twilight Forest has become more dangerous, so we need to be extra careful."

"Getting caught by a Druid's spell in such conditions is not something you can simply endure."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Previously, they had only seen the Firefly Forest and the Enchanted Forest, which were relatively safe.

The only slightly risky area was the Spooky Forest.

But compared to the Forbidden Zones, even the Ghost Forest was far safer.

"Alright, I admit I've been too hasty," Venti said, shrugging helplessly.

"So, what's your plan?"

Ryen was silent for a moment, then said softly:

"For now, we'll slow down our progress against these powerful monsters."

"Our main focus will be on the Druids."

"At the very least, we need to collect more staffs."

"Next time we enter the Twilight Forest, bring more heavy ranged weapons—sniper rifles and the like."

"Fight from a distance as much as possible, and avoid head-on melee with those Druids."

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