Keqing had initially harbored some reservations.

But after hearing Sam Li's words, she immediately made up her mind—to keep moving forward and venture deeper into the Hollow to uncover the truth.

Soon after a brief rest, the group set out again.

As before, Moon Carver and Sam Li took the lead, followed closely by Xiao, Keqing, Hoshimi Miyabi, Tsukishiro Yanagi, and Yae Miko.

At the rear, Cloud Retainer and Mountain Shaper held the line.

...

Having just survived a fierce battle, everyone advanced with heightened caution, scanning their surroundings closely.

Only Yae Miko walked at an unhurried pace, her steps graceful and measured, as if she were on a leisurely outing rather than a dangerous expedition.

Her gaze, however, lingered steadily on Sam Li ahead—eyes glinting with surprise, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Interesting.

She had long known that Liyue's Geo Archon had not truly passed away, but had retired under the guise of death, withdrawing into seclusion.

But it was only now that she realized Sam Li was indeed the Geo Archon of Liyue. Despite meeting him several times before and even exchanging words, she had never once sensed his true identity—never even caught the faintest trace of the Archon's aura upon him.

Truly worthy of being the most ancient among the Seven Archons.

With the Geo Archon leading the way, Yae Miko had no worries about the enemies ahead. In fact, she even welcomed the idea of encountering foes, if only to witness the Geo Archon take action again—making this long journey worthwhile.

...

While she was lost in thought, the group had already crossed a stretch of ruins and stepped into the dense mist beyond.

Immediately, they felt the overwhelming etheric energy saturating the air.

Yae Miko and Keqing both realized at once—this wasn't water vapor, nor was it smog. It was formed from countless fine Ether crystals, condensed into an oppressive fog thick with energy.

The moment they entered the ether mist, Keqing, Tsukishiro Yanagi, and the others felt a crushing pressure descend on them, leaving them momentarily breathless.

Fortunately, the W-Engines, modified beforehand by Cloud Retainer's mechanical arts, bore the brunt of the force. Without them, the sheer weight of the pressure alone would have forced the group to retreat.

At that moment, Mountain Shaper noted their unease and spoke calmly.

"If you cannot endure this kind of erosion, you may return to the forward outpost first."

Keqing steadied herself and shook her head. "It's fine. The W-Engines Cloud Retainer gave us are holding off most of the pressure and erosion."

The sudden surge had only caught them off guard.

After a few breaths, they gradually adjusted. With the W-Engines' support, they soon adapted to the intensity.

Still, they were not Adepti. Without protective artifacts like Hoshimi Miyabi's demon blade, relying on the W-Engines alone meant only temporary protection. The longer they stayed, the less effective the devices would become.

...

Keqing studied the swirling mist carefully.

"How was this mist formed? Or has it always been here?"

She wasn't alone—Yae Miko and the Adepti all shared the same question.

Tsukishiro Yanagi explained quickly.

"No, it wasn't here from the beginning. In the past, this area was part of Eridu City..."

She continued, "There's no confirmed explanation for the formation of this ether mist. Many theories exist, and many experiments have been attempted...

"Some claim the ether mist is the true body of Hollow Zero itself... Others believe an explosion occurred when Hollow Zero first formed, and this mist is the aftermath, constantly expanding...

"And some say this mist is the ashes of the Ethereal. When an Ethereal dies, its body turns into free-floating Ether that drifts here, causing the mist's boundaries to grow endlessly..."

She shook her head slightly. "I don't know which theory is correct. But... I think the last one is the most convincing."

Ether scientists had once tried to investigate it. But midway through their experiment, Ethereal attacked. The scientists were slain, some even transformed into Ethereal themselves. After that, no one dared attempt such studies again.

...

As they pressed forward, they discussed the theories among themselves.

Along the way, they encountered several Notoriety-class Ethereal, which Hoshimi Miyabi and Moon Carver swiftly dispatched.

They noticed something troubling—Notoriety Ethereal within the mist were far stronger than those outside.

It made sense. Ethereal drew power from ambient Ether, and with such high concentrations here, they naturally grew more formidable.

The deeper they went, the more Keqing noticed how heavily the environment had been corroded.

This in itself was proof—the mist was still spreading.

At this point, the nearby buildings were almost unrecognizable. Most concrete and construction material had already crumbled into dust, leaving behind twisted steel skeletons of ruined structures—looming like eerie, skeletal remains in the mist.

...

Suddenly, Soukaku's voice rang out in alarm.

"Sis Yanagi, the ruins up ahead... I think they moved!"

Tsukishiro Yanagi's brow furrowed. "Stay behind me. Let's take a look."

She sensed nothing unusual, but in Hollow Zero, anything was possible. Caution was the only safe approach.

Carefully, weapon in hand, she moved to where Soukaku had pointed.

Nothing. Just ruins.

No Ether signature.

At this range, if an Ethereal were present, she would have sensed it instantly.

Relieved, she let out a quiet breath, turning to tease the girl.

"Seems you're just seeing things from hunger. Lucky for you, I brought some cookies."

She pulled a packet from her pocket and handed it over.

Soukaku's eyes lit up with joy. "Sis Yanagi, you're the best—"

Her stomach had been growling for a while, and she eagerly reached out to take them.

But before her fingers touched the packet, Hoshimi Miyabi's urgent cry split the air.

"Yanagi! Behind you—"

Her warning was barely finished before she had already drawn her demon blade, slashing in Tsukishiro Yanagi's direction—no, past her, at something behind her.

A cold flash of steel tore through the mist.

Soukaku froze as a chill washed over her body.

Tsukishiro Yanagi's reflexes were quicker still. She grabbed Soukaku and leapt aside.

The others snapped their heads toward the arc of Hoshimi Miyabi's strike.

There, they saw it—a length of rebar from a ruined building had been severed. But instead of falling limp, the cut steel writhed like a snake.

It twitched and coiled... then fell still as soon as it hit the ground.