After hearing Jiang Yan's explanation, everyone finally grasped the true importance of spirit stones.
They now understood why cultivators—despite their unnaturally long lifespans—would still fight to the death over spiritual veins.
This thing…
It was simply a supreme treasure!
In Ningguang's eyes, a dazzling light flickered.
She began to imagine—if she could amass piles upon piles of spirit stones, she could become the wealthiest person in the cultivation world.
Forge a fleet of immortal warships—one volley, and even gods and ghosts would tremble.
In that case, the whole of Teyvat would have to take Liyue's surname!
At that moment, the importance of Mora took a small step back in Ningguang's heart.
Spirit stones…
After becoming the richest in Mora, she now rekindled the same thirst for wealth she had when she once picked seashells on the shore.
Being the wealthiest mortal was far too boring—she wanted to be the richest cultivator alive!
"Hearing it this way, fighting over spirit stones makes perfect sense."
Zhongli sighed softly, then turned to the gentleman.
"And the spiritual vein…?"
Jiang Yan nodded.
"This spiritual vein was once a mere minor vein of Mount Shu, nothing remarkable."
"But it still produces spirit stones."
He casually reached down into the vein and pulled up a large pile of spirit stones.
Among them, ten gleamed with a blinding brilliance, their fragrance refreshing the mind with a single breath. Jiang Yan gave them a glance and immediately put them away.
These were top-grade spirit stones.
Ordinarily, only Nascent Soul and Unity cultivators could afford to use them.
But now, Jiang Yan could too.
With another sweep of his hand, he stowed away a hundred superior-grade stones.
With this steady daily output, he would have more than enough to accelerate his own cultivation for the foreseeable future.
Pausing for a moment, Jiang Yan continued:
"Spirit stone resources will be vital for your future cultivation. But aside from the Elders and Peak Masters, every other disciple must strive to obtain their own cultivation resources."
"This is also meant to encourage diligence. Generally, disciples earn spirit stones by completing sect training missions or by contributing to the sect's affairs in exchange for contribution points."
"Spirit stones are divided into four grades—top, superior, medium, and inferior."
"One top-grade equals one hundred superior; one superior equals one hundred medium; and so on."
"Higher-quality stones contain more spiritual energy, but without proper control they can easily cause spiritual energy riots, damaging the meridians."
"Thus, cultivators in the Essence-Refining stage typically use inferior stones, while those in the Qi-Refining stage use medium-grade ones."
Jiang Yan swept his gaze over the thoughtful crowd.
"Although Morax is only the Acting Peak Master for now, you still hold the Hall of Discipline. Beyond cultivation, you must patrol Mount Shu, oversee disciple conduct, and take responsibility for expanding the Hall."
"Your monthly stipend will be set at one hundred medium-grade stones. Once you break through to the Spirit-Refining and Essence Refinement into Qi realm and take the official title, it will rise to one thousand medium-grade stones per month."
"As for the rest of you…"
He thought for a moment, then looked to Ningguang and the others.
"Since you've joined Mount Shu, you must follow Mount Shu's rules. To earn more cultivation resources, complete missions or make contributions. The only requirement for disciples is that your strength must keep improving."
"The stronger the disciples, the more prosperous the sect. Hence this incentive system—it's healthy competition."
"However, for now the Hall of Merits hasn't been rebuilt, so many tasks can't be issued yet…"
His voice trailed into silence.
If disciples didn't take missions, they wouldn't gain resources to speed up their cultivation. Without stronger disciples, Mount Shu's growth would also slow—a vicious cycle.
Yet Mount Shu's rules couldn't be broken.
Jiang Yan pondered what tasks could be assigned under current conditions.
The spirit fields were active, though without immortal-grade herbs, pill-refining couldn't be implemented. Still, the fields could evolve ordinary herbs into spirit herbs—collecting medicinal plants could become a task.
Another was exploring the Nine Nether Secret Realm, bringing back resources to submit to the sect for contribution points.
Then…
Jiang Yan suddenly remembered the raw crystals Ganyu had once shown him.
Said to be primordial stones beyond the world itself, containing unclaimed dreams and hopes—it sounded far-fetched, but in hindsight, his instincts told him they might be useful.
So he spoke:
"Though the contribution system isn't rebuilt yet, as Sect Master I will announce three long-term missions."
"First, collect various medicinal herbs for Mount Shu's spirit fields—one hundred types earns one hundred inferior spirit stones."
"Second, explore the Nine Nether Secret Realm and submit resources—stones awarded based on quality and quantity."
"Third, collect raw crystals to exchange for stones—the rate will be decided after I examine them."
The crowd blinked.
The first two were simple enough—herb-gathering was a beginner's task. Liyue Harbor alone could gather a large haul in three days.
The Nine Nether Realm would be explored later.
As for the third… raw crystals?
They weren't exactly common, but Teyvat had plenty. Ningguang herself carried quite a few.
She pulled some out.
"Does Sect Master mean these? They hold strange power, but so far no one has developed a true use—just luxury collectibles or collateral in place of Mora."
Jiang Yan's eyes lit up. A small gesture drew the crystals silently into his palm.
A touch of true essence told him the truth—they were crystallized will, the condensed essence of dreams and hope.
Weak individually, but in great numbers they could benefit his divine sense.
After some mental calculations, he said:
"This could work. Let's set it at one hundred raw crystals for one inferior spirit stone."
His estimate: the benefit from a hundred raw crystals to his divine sense was about equal to the benefit from an inferior stone to true essence cultivation.
Ningguang and the others exchanged glances, then began pulling out handfuls from their Visions.
Ningguang and Keqing had vast networks behind them, making collection easy.
Even Zhongli and the rest, though not collectors, had accumulated a decent stash over the years.
Soon, small mountains of raw crystals filled the grand hall.
Jiang Yan couldn't help but laugh—there had to be four or five hundred thousand in total, over a hundred thousand from Ningguang alone, and clearly not her full stock.
The gathered crystals radiated a dense force of willpower. Refining all of them could boost his divine sense by at least ten percent.
Divine sense was precious to any cultivator—this was an unexpected treasure indeed.
"Four hundred seventy-eight thousand, four hundred and thirty-two raw crystals—do you all want to exchange them for inferior spirit stones?"
The crowd looked at each other. Ningguang spoke first:
"In Liyue, there is an ancient custom—disciples present a gift upon becoming apprenticed. Today we have joined Mount Shu seeking immortal arts, yet have brought nothing worthy as a gift."
"Since Sect Master has use for these crystals, we are relieved. Let them serve as our offering to Mount Shu."
"Please do not refuse, or we will feel uneasy. As for our own need for spirit stones, we can exchange more crystals in the future."
Seeing their sincerity, Jiang Yan smiled, genuinely moved.
"I appreciate your intentions, but Mount Shu's rules must be followed. Why not exchange a portion?"
After a brief huddle, Ningguang spoke again:
"In that case, each of us will exchange for one hundred inferior spirit stones; the rest will be our gift to Mount Shu. Sect Master must accept."
Their tone left no room for argument.
Jiang Yan didn't press further—he distributed the stones accordingly and stowed the rest of the crystals in his sleeve.
Nearly half a million raw crystals—such a massive force of will would push his divine sense forward, and thus deepen his understanding of the Huangting Jade View Classic.
It would significantly shorten his time to reach the peak of the Spirit-Refining and Essence Refinement into Qi realm.
An unexpected windfall, indeed.
The disciples, clutching their new spirit stones, were equally delighted—and already planning to collect more crystals once they returned.
Jiang Yan gauged the time—it was about noon.
The most important matter still hadn't been done.
Without delay, he said softly:
"All right. Since you've joined Mount Shu, it's time I passed down the sect's most important cultivation method."
The crowd instantly perked up.
This was what they had been waiting for—the official start of their immortal cultivation.
"I mentioned before that each of Mount Shu's seven branches has its own specialty, but I cannot access them for now."
"But there's no need to worry. The general Mount Shu art is an extremely balanced technique created by our upper-realm ancestors—sufficient to cultivate to immortality."
"And since it is broad and accommodating, later you can switch branches without much loss of time."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
Jiang Yan continued:
"It is called the Zhou Tian Circulation Method". It guides spiritual energy through a grand circuit in the body, steadily growing stronger. Suitable for any spiritual root."
He extended his hand, sending streaks of light into each person's brow.
At once, an ancient scripture filled with the Dao appeared in their minds.
"The cycle of the heavens is numberless; it has form and formlessness, clarity and turbidity; in motion it follows will, in stillness it returns to clarity…"
The words were incomprehensible, yet they instinctively understood how to cultivate—how to refine essence into true yuan.
The wondrous immortal realms Jiang Yan had described before now unfolded vividly before them—Essence-Refining, Qi-Refining, Spirit-Refining, Essence Refinement into Qi, Tribulation, Ascension…
A grand immortal path stretched out at their feet.
They had stepped onto the true road of cultivation!
For the long-lived like Zhongli, the change was even clearer.
The wear and decay in their souls was swept away by a strand of gentle yet domineering violet qi—completely gone.
And this was only the first step.
Even in deep immersion, Zhongli felt joy beyond measure. Memories long lost returned to him—words spoken thousands of years ago to a certain person.
The regained memories filled him with indescribable happiness.
And beyond that, he saw the vast road ahead.
How small he was before it—yet how could he not chase it with all his might?
The same longing took root again in his heart.
He would cultivate immortality!
Defy the heavens and rise!
Walk the path untrodden through endless ages, to the very peak above the skies.
That scenery must be breathtaking.
For Ningguang and the other Vision-holders, the impact was even greater.
Never had the road ahead seemed so bright.
Even gods were now but passing scenery—they would not linger.
On the immortal path lay countless wonders yet unseen.
The elemental energy within their Visions was slowly stripped away, leaving the gems dim.
But in its place, their own aura surged—power from the soul outward, a might countless times stronger than elemental force.
A new power was born in their dantians.
Ningguang, weakest among them, was the first to finish converting her elemental energy.
Opening her eyes, she still seemed to savor the sensation.
"So this is cultivation… intoxicating. The joy of feeling yourself grow stronger, your life brimming ever more with vitality—how could one bear to stop?"
She wished she could abandon all work and plunge into cultivation right now.
Now she understood why so many yearned for immortality—it was simply too wonderful.
Jiang Yan chuckled.
"Exactly. That's why cultivators can seclude themselves for centuries or millennia. The Great Elder once spent three thousand seven hundred years in closed-door cultivation."
Ningguang was stunned.
"Three thousand seven hundred years—that's longer than Liyue's entire history. Could I live that long too?"
Raising a brow, Jiang Yan teased:
"You have top-grade spiritual roots—why not? Your talent is excellent. Right now, at the early Essence-Refining stage, your lifespan is five hundred years. At its peak, you'll have two thousand—plenty of time to enjoy."
Ningguang blinked.
"Five hundred years… I can still live five hundred more…"
After a long pause, she bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Sect Master, for granting this art!"
"Your strength is Mount Shu's strength. I'm more than happy to help," Jiang Yan replied.
Keqing awoke soon after—also early Essence-Refining.
Her talent was high, and with Jiang Yan's help and the abundant qi on Tongtian Peak, she broke through her bottleneck with ease.
Ningguang eagerly explained the marvels of this new realm to her, and Keqing was shocked.
With true yuan now flowing, her Azure Frost Sword was livelier than ever.
She knew she could crush her old self bare-handed—and with her sword, perhaps even challenge immortals.
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