Chapter 158: Almost Caught Eating Cheating
Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain,

As the largest adventure park in Mondstadt,
There are many adventurers and outsiders here.

There are good people and bad people.

When Wang Hao was halfway there,
A man dressed as a treasure-stealing gang jumped out from the roadside: "Stop!"

Wang Hao was still reading the comments and ignored him. He glanced at the comments and continued walking forward.

Perhaps Wang Hao's attitude irritated him a little.
The guy dressed as a treasure-stealing group was a little angry: "Stop right there, you guy, don't ignore me!"

His shouting made Wang Hao stop in his tracks.

Looking at this group of treasure-stealing people, or to be more precise, looking behind him.

"Number Three, don't do anything yet."

Wang Hao's strange words made the treasure-stealing group subconsciously look behind them.
A man dressed in black was already standing behind him, and the string of the crossbow in his hand had been pulled.

If Wang Hao hadn't spoken just now, he would probably have died.

"What, when!"

The treasure-stealing group was startled, and then...knelt directly on the ground.

"I just want some supplies to keep me warm. Please don't kill me."

Wang Hao thought it was interesting: "You are a group of treasure hunters, robbing warm supplies here?"

"Robbery? No, no, no, I'm exchanging. Exchanging."

As he spoke, he pulled out a manuscript from his bosom and said, "I have a detailed map of the snowy mountains, which I drew with great effort. I'll give it to you in exchange for some warm supplies."

Wang Hao took the map from him.

The treasure-stealing group was pointed at by No. 3's crossbow and dared not resist at all.

Wang Hao opened the map and looked at it. It was indeed more detailed than Stevens’ map, and there were many red dots and circles marked on it. It looked very professional at first glance.

"Does the red dot mean danger?" Wang Hao asked.

The treasure-stealing team nodded quickly: "Yes, the red dots are dangers, and the circles are ruins. I have explored them all."

"Tsk tsk tsk, you have such ability, and you still want to join the treasure-stealing group?" Wang Hao said with some disbelief.

This map drawing technology is more accurate than that of the Adventurer's Guild. How can such a talent rob passers-by here?

"I was brought into the group by the boss because of my map-drawing skills." The treasure-hunting group looked bitter, "But I almost froze to death when I came here to explore the ruins."

His expression didn't seem fake.

Wang Hao nodded slightly: "Then why don't you go to the camp ahead? This map can be exchanged for more things, not to mention some supplies."

The faces of the treasure-stealing group became even more bitter: "I know that our treasure-stealing group has a bad reputation. In the eyes of others, we are a group of villains who do all kinds of evil... Since we are bad guys, we must have the dignity of bad guys! I am the elite of the treasure-stealing group. How can I humble myself to good people just for a bowl of soup..."

After saying that, he sneezed a few more times.

This expression combined with the sneeze made his words completely unconvincing.

Wang Hao looked at him coldly, as if he was going to take action the next moment, and No. 3's crossbow was aimed at him again.

The treasure-stealing group waved their hands quickly: "Don't do it, don't do it, I'm telling the truth."

Wang Hao nodded, and No. 3's crossbow was lowered again.
"I am part of the treasure-stealing group, and they are adventurers. I am going to their camp, which is like delivering goods to their doorstep. The only valuable thing I have is the map. As long as they capture me, the map will be theirs, and the credit will also be theirs. I have no right to trade with them at all."

[Hahahaha, if I catch you, all your things will be mine.]

[This person is really smart. ]

[Won’t he change his clothes and go over? ]

[Brother, he is almost frozen to death, where can he get a change of clothes?]

【Yes. 】

【…】

Wang Hao was also amused by him.
He has the ability, knowledge, and a little bit of smartness, but his eyesight is not good enough, and he actually robbed me.
It's a pity that this guy is part of a treasure-stealing group.

Wang Hao developed a love for talent.

However, no matter what, the other party has definitely broken the law.

Although he said he wanted to trade supplies, his tone at the beginning did not sound like a transaction.

"Number Three, take this guy to the camp and hand him over to Sister Yuxia. Let her hand him over to the Knights."

Although he has some appreciation for talent, Wang Hao is still prepared to follow the process.

If the other party does not have any serious crime, then after he has been punished by the Knights and released, it will not be too late to recruit him if we meet him again.

After a pause, Wang Hao looked at the treasure-stealing group and said, "My name is Wang Hao, Liyue's ambassador to Mondstadt. If you want to take revenge in the future, you are welcome to come find me."

The treasure-stealing group was slightly stunned, then looked at Wang Hao deeply, and the fear of being handed over to the adventurer suddenly disappeared.

"My name is Akou."

Before being dragged away by No. 3, for some reason, he shouted at Wang Hao.

Wang Hao ignored him and continued on his way without waiting for No. 3 because he knew No. 3 could catch up with him.

Entering the snow-capped mountains,
This is a road that has been traveled by countless adventurers.

According to the notes on the map, this place is called the Snow-Covered Road.

It means a road covered with snow.

It is indeed worthy of its name.

As soon as Wang Hao walked in here, he stepped into the snow, which was at least three to five centimeters thick.

It doesn't affect walking, but it's not very easy to walk.

While walking, Wang Hao asked the barrage.

"Where is the shortcut to Durin's heart that you mentioned?"

There was no marking of Durin's heart on either the map of the Adventurers' Association or the map of the treasure-stealing group.

In fact, it is normal. Such dangerous things will definitely not be made public.

Moreover, the snowy mountain environment is extremely dangerous. Legend has it that Du Lin was killed deep in the snowy mountains, and not many people know its exact location.

Wang Hao could only search according to the reminders in the barrage.

[I remember entering the snowy mountains, passing by a Fatui camp, and then continuing forward, I saw a leyline anchor point, and it was right next to the anchor point.]

[Yes, yes, I still remember that on the opposite side of the anchor point, there was a Hill King guarding the remains of the Silver Ancient Tree.]

[The maps in the game are all simplified and reduced countless times, so it will probably take some time to search. ]

[The Fatui camp may or may not exist, it mainly depends on the leyline anchor point. 】

[It’s hard to say where the anchor point is. I remember it was a mountain path. Wang Hao can look along the edge of the mountain and he should be able to find it.]

【…】

(The shortcut from Snowy Road to Sleeping Dragon Valley is a cave, so you don’t have to climb a mountain.)
Let the barrage give information, but there is no specific location.

But at least I understand the goal.

He continued to move forward, and after approaching the foot of the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain, he began to search in the direction indicated by the barrage.

At this time, the sky over the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain was gray, and the thick clouds were so low that they seemed to be within reach.

The wind and snow mixed together, presenting an extremely violent scene. The whistling wind mixed with the whistling of snowflakes was like countless white butterflies fluttering in the air, and like countless sharp blades, ruthlessly cutting everything.

In such an environment, ordinary people cannot even lift their heads and can only curl up their bodies and hide in places that can shelter from the wind and snow.

Although Wang Hao is not an ordinary person, he still finds it difficult to withstand such wind and snow.

I was wrapped in thick winter clothes and the heat release bottle in my arms was still working.

A trace of warmth emerged from my arms, dispelling the cold.

To be honest, he now really understood why the Adventurer's Association must require everyone to bring equipment before setting off.

If I didn’t have these equipments, I would have frozen to death not long after entering the mountains.

While complaining about the coldness of the snowy mountain, he braved the wind and snow, searching for a passage along the foot of the mountain.

The snow at the foot of the mountain had accumulated very thickly, and when he stepped on the snow, it made a squeaking sound.

The mountain breeze blew and snowflakes flew, forcing him to stop frequently and wipe the snow off his face so that he could observe the surrounding environment and look for signs of a passage.

Time passes little by little,

Wang Hao discovered that No. 3 did not seem to have returned.

It must be the snowy mountain environment that made this elite soldier unable to resist.

Anyway, he wasn't worried about the safety of No. 3.

The other party would probably be waiting for him at the entrance.

After thinking about it, Wang Hao decided not to care about number three.
Because he seemed to have found the passage.

A passage hidden inside the mountain, with a torch next to it that seemed to have not been used for a long time.

Wang Hao walked over, put in some flame-resistant fuel, then stretched out his hand and wiped it. The fire element emerged and the torch was ignited.

The firelight dispelled the cold and made Wang Hao more comfortable.

Walking into the cave, there is less wind and snow. Although it is still cold, it is much better than outside.
Because it was already completely dark, Wang Hao did not rush in.

They took out their snow mountain adventure equipment, took down their tents, and set up camp.

Be alert to traps.

After chatting with the barrage until late at night, Wang Hao closed the barrage and fell into a light sleep.

The next morning,
Wang Hao was awakened by a fragrance.

When I opened my eyes, I found that No. 3 was back and was cooking.

"When did you come?" Wang Hao glanced at the warning trap he had made, and sure enough, it was not triggered at all.

The warning trap he set was too simple. Just like the public one, it was completely impossible for No. 3 to trigger it.

"I went to the Adventurer's Guild last night and asked someone to buy a heat-resistant bottle. This morning, I found you according to the instructions of the contract."

Number Three answered. Her voice was very cold, consistent with her character.

But Wang Hao heard some resentment, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

In fact, Wang Hao had already noticed that No. 3 did not come back on time yesterday. He seemed to have forgotten to prepare snow mountain equipment for No. 3.

All along, No. 3 was so reassuring, and she was the one who took care of Wang Hao's life and work.
So much so that when Wang Hao was preparing things, he forgot about her.

"Haha, that's really hard work for you."

Wang Hao smiled awkwardly.

No. 3 glanced at Wang Hao, not knowing what his expression was like under his face armor, but he still made a bowl of soup for Wang Hao: "There aren't many ingredients, so I made a simple seasonal vegetable soup."

When it comes to eating, Wang Hao is not picky. He has only one standard: don't waste ingredients or food.

So, he immediately forgot his embarrassment and took the vegetable soup.
The hot soup, with its rich aroma, is delicious, very delicious.

Although No. 3 can cook, his cooking skills are average.
Later, after spending more time with Wang Hao, my skills became better and better.

This time, the credit mainly goes to Wang Hao.

Seeing that Wang Hao was eating with relish, No. 3's eyes relaxed a little, and the forgotten resentment disappeared.

After following Wang Hao for four years, she knew that Wang Hao did not do it on purpose.

Just express your dissatisfaction a little bit, and the other party will take it to heart in the future.
After breakfast,

Wang Hao folded up the tent and packed his backpack.

In the past, this kind of thing was always handled by No. 3.

Today it's Wang Hao's turn. It's all my fault for being so careless yesterday.

After packing up, No. 3 returned to Wang Hao's shadow, and Wang Hao set off again.

No one has come into this cave passage for many years.

It was very quiet inside and the road was not easy to walk on, but for Wang Hao, it was nothing.

After going deeper into the cave, the route soon diverged and two roads appeared in front of us.

Number Three emerged from the shadows: "Do you want me to scout the way?"

She didn't know what Wang Hao was looking for and simply thought that Wang Hao was taking a risk.

Wang Hao shook his head and looked at the comments.

[The passage going up leads to the Sleeping Dragon Valley, and the one going down should lead to the ruined Kanreya Ruins Guard.]

The barrage quickly gave an answer.

Wang Hao's eyes flashed, and he immediately made a decision and said to No. 3, "Let's take the upward path on the right."

Number Three never questioned Wang Hao and entered his shadow again.

The reason why Wang Hao did not choose the path of guarding the ruins of Kanreya was mainly because he had no interest in Kanreya now.
Moreover, Wang Hao didn’t think there was anything worth a trip to these ruins guards.

As for the information carried by these ruins guards, the barrage had already told him.

In fact, in order to find the legendary ancient snow-capped mountain country, Kanreya sent an expeditionary force to explore, but in the end they were basically destroyed here.

Perhaps he could use this information when dealing with the inherited power of Kanriya in the future, but Wang Hao really didn’t need it now.

After choosing the route, Wang Hao moved forward quickly again.

The cave almost crosses half of the Dragon Ridge Snow Mountain.
According to the comments in the barrage, there should be Fatui here, but Wang Hao did not meet them, so those people probably have not arrived here yet.

It was a safe journey all the way. Even though there was no wind or snow inside, it still took Wang Hao more than a day to see the light at the other end of the cave.

"finally reached."

With a hint of relief on his face, Wang Hao jumped a few times and came to the entrance of the cave.

Indeed, from here,

A huge biological skeleton appeared before our eyes.

Wang Hao's eyes were filled with shock: "Is this... the Demonic Dragon Durin?"

The huge ribs formed new peaks. How big was this dragon when it was alive?

[The size of the dragon Durin is equivalent to an area in the Dragonspine Snow Mountain. If we convert it, if it spreads its wings, it can probably cover half of Mondstadt. ]

[The only true super monsters bigger than this one are Erinaceus and Apep.]

[Compared to the dark disaster, this super monster is the real terror. ]

[In order to deal with Durin, Mond paid a heavy price. 】

[Yes, what makes people even sadder is that Du Lin himself has no ill intentions. ]

[A dragon that was curious about the world died because it was a disaster.]

[Rhine Dortmund is indeed worthy of being called ‘gold’, and its gold content is still rising. ]

[Rhinedot is definitely close to the truth of the world. Both Durin and Erinus are not simply creatures of the abyss. They are the great will that Rhinedot brought over from the deep dark universe.]

[Don't mislead Wang Hao, this deep dark universe actually refers to the abyss.]

[Both Durin and Erinath are powerful wills in the abyss. Rhinedot led them to Teyvat and gave birth to them in the name of the mother.]

[So these giant beasts were ignorantly curious about the world, but because their power was too dangerous, they eventually became a real disaster. ]

【…】

Looking at the huge remains in the valley, the comments also expressed their feelings.

Not only the barrage, but even No. 3 came out from the shadows.

The alchemist family had never seen the remains of such a giant beast.

After all... the behemoths of Liyue did not leave a complete body when they died.

After looking for a while, Wang Hao walked forward.

Although it looks close, there is actually still some distance.

After nearly an hour's journey,
Wang Haocai came to the deep valley below.

When he arrived here, he immediately felt the influence of Durin's power.

The coldness that had surrounded him before disappeared almost instantly.

Even though he has been dead for countless years, Durin's power still forms a warm place in the snow-capped mountains.

One can imagine how powerful it must have been when it was alive.

Thinking of this, Wang Hao became even more excited.

Can he use this powerful force?

He quickened his pace and walked deeper into the valley.

He had already seen that there was a cave over there. Scarlet energy was escaping from the cave, forming this warm place in the snow-capped mountains.

The closer you get to the cave, the higher the temperature.

There are also a large number of red stones on the ground.

This stone is called "Deep Red Stone" in the Adventurer's Guild's information and contains a certain warm power.

If you encounter it in the snowy mountains, you can use it to keep warm.

Now it seems that it is just a derivative of Durin's power.

Deep into the cave,

A huge red heart appeared in front of Wang Hao.

Although most of it has been petrified, its vigorous power is still hard to ignore.

(Heart of Durin)

Compared to the huge remains outside, this heart looks a little petite.

But Wang Hao knew that the flesh and blood of the heart had long since decayed. What was now before his eyes was the condensation of Du Lin’s life essence, its final and most powerful force.

Close to the past,

Wang Hao felt a little strange inside.

He already has that appetite from the depths of his soul,

But it's not as powerful as I imagined.

It was only slightly stronger than the first time he devoured the demon's resentment.
It seems that it is not worthy of Durin's powerful strength.

Just as I was about to reach out to find out,
A curious voice sounded behind him.

"Wang Hao, what are you going to do?"

Startled, Wang Hao turned around and looked.

The blond Albedo was holding Klee and looking at him curiously.

"Albedo? And Klee, why are you here?"

Klee tilted her head: "Hmm? Brother Wang Hao, Brother Albedo's laboratory is up there."

Albedo also nodded. He looked behind Wang Hao and said, "In a sense, Du Lin is my brother, so I set up the laboratory here."

Wang Hao's expression became somewhat tense.

Are Albedo and Durin brothers?
So I almost got caught cheating?
His mind was confused for a moment, and then he reacted the next moment.

The barrage seemed to have said a long time ago that Durin and Albedo were both creations of [Gold] Rhinedort.

But the gap between the magic dragon and the blond handsome guy was so huge that Wang Hao couldn’t make the connection for a while.

"Brother Wang Hao, what are you doing here? Are you here to collect stones to make bombs too?" Keli asked naively.

The deep red stone contains some kind of fiery power, and for Klee, it is also a good material for making bombs.

Although it is not easy to maintain, Klee has her own way.

(End of this chapter)