Night had fallen.
A new moon had taken the sun's place in the sky.
Cool, silvery moonlight spilled over the Seven Peaks of Mount Shu, washing the sea of clouds in a tranquil glow.
All was silent.
The myriad creatures had closed their eyes, instinctively circulating spiritual energy.
At night, the spiritual qi over Mount Shu grew even more vibrant than during the day.
Having cultivated from afternoon until now, Ningguang finally opened her eyes, temporarily ending her training.
Feeling the state of her body, a trace of joy appeared on her face.
Her true essence had not increased in quantity by much, but it had grown denser.
And with the Tongtian Scroll in her possession, her entire foundation now felt far more solid.
Compared to the slightly hollow feeling she'd had earlier in the afternoon, when she had only just switched to the Zhou Tian Circulation Method, she was now much stronger.
Throughout the afternoon, besides circulating her cultivation method, Ningguang had also split her focus to repeatedly practice drawing the Five Thunders Talisman.
At present, she could already use the Tongtian Scroll to produce it—
a tremendously powerful offensive technique.
Through her own insight, she had realized that the Five Thunders Talisman did not summon lightning by manipulating elemental power.
Instead, it used true essence to build a bridge—a channel between Heaven and Earth—
and what descended was the true wrath of the heavens.
It was far stronger than lightning formed from elemental energy.
All in all, her gains were significant—this trip had been well worth it.
Calling her flying sword to her side, Ningguang stepped out of her cave residence.
She had chosen a location close to Shenhe—after all, there were only two people on Great Bamboo Peak.
If they lived farther apart, she might have felt rather lonely.
After all, she had only just begun her path of immortal cultivation; her mindset had yet to fully shift.
At her core, she did not particularly enjoy solitude.
From Shenhe's room came the steady, rhythmic fluctuations of true essence—
not nearly as overwhelming as in the afternoon, when she had first begun studying the Divine Ghost Seven-Slaying Order.
Back then, it had felt as though the sky itself might collapse.
Shenhe truly was suited for cultivation.
Though her spiritual root quality was not high, she possessed the Innate Frost Body.
This constitution had been passed down by Great Bamboo Peak's line of Peak Lords for generations—
those who had it would, upon entry, become direct disciples, and were almost certain to inherit the peak lord's position in the future.
Thinking this, Ningguang couldn't help feeling a little envious.
But she also knew that envy was a walled city—
she envied Shenhe's Innate Frost Body and her status as a direct disciple,
while the Millelith soldiers likely envied Ningguang's own talent that allowed her to tread the immortal path at all.
Yesterday, when spiritual roots had been tested, Ningguang and Keqing had shone the brightest, followed by several upper-grade roots from other immortals.
At first, everyone thought Teyvat truly produced geniuses—
as if anyone picked off the street might have frighteningly good aptitude.
But in the end, the rest of the Liyue Qixing's best was a dual-attribute fire–earth root,
and even the strongest pure earth root among them was merely middle-grade.
Such aptitude was enough for cultivation, yes—
but their future achievements were far from certain.
The Millelith soldiers fared worse—
three-attribute roots, four-attribute roots,
and at best, middle-grade quality.
Some even had the five-attribute root Jiang Yan had described as a waste body.
Only then did Ningguang and the others realize—
it wasn't that Teyvat teemed with prodigies;
it was simply that the people Jiang Yan had happened upon were all geniuses by chance.
Even so, the results were impressive.
Casting one last glance at Shenhe—
who seemed entirely oblivious to the outside world, wholly absorbed in circulating the Zhou Tian technique—
Ningguang thought, This is the mindset a true cultivator should have.
Shenhe's future would surely be bright.
Lifting her head to the moon, Ningguang calculated that it was nearly ten o'clock.
Thinking of the other Qixing still waiting in Liyue Harbor for her reply—likely growing anxious—she decided not to linger.
If she returned quickly to handle her duties, she could still come back at night to cultivate for a while.
Once she had a disciple's identity token, she wouldn't even need to formally enter Jueyun Karst each time—
much more convenient.
With a two-finger gesture, her flying sword darted beneath her feet, lifting her toward Tongtian Peak.
She still needed to call on Keqing—at the very least, they had to convene a Qixing meeting.
She wasn't sure if Ganyu would want to return or continue her leave.
Within Mount Shu's cave-heaven, controlling a flying sword was effortless—
like an autopilot carriage; one only needed to set the destination.
But true control was still clumsy without proper sword-riding technique.
Outside the cave-heaven, it would consume true essence.
Without learning proper sword-riding, how could one call themselves a disciple of Mount Shu Sword Sect?
She was still musing when, suddenly—
A wave of sacred, supreme majesty surged down from above, nearly pressing her off her sword.
Startled, she looked up.
In the moonlight, a silver-white figure stood out strikingly—
Resplendent silver-white armor,
a white cloak snapping in the high-altitude winds,
long hair bound by an ornate coronet,
a three-point, double-edged blade in hand.
His pure, boundless battle intent seemed to challenge Heaven and Earth itself.
Sensing her gaze, the man in the moonlight turned his head toward her—
his eyes cold and imperious enough to make her heart jolt.
And…
"Three eyes? Is that…"
Studying him for a moment, she blurted in disbelief:
"S–Sect Master…?"
In the blink of an eye, the figure vanished, reappearing as the Zhongli she knew.
Ningguang stared at him in puzzlement.
For a moment, she had felt she was looking not at him, but at some other, supremely proud god of war.
She was certain—
none of Zhongli's usual combat stances were so overwhelmingly dominant,
and no texts had ever recorded this as one of his alternate forms.
There was only one possibility—
it was the effect of a spell he had used today.
But…
what kind of spell could make Zhongli adopt such a wild, godlike battle form?
"You're returning to Liyue Harbor?" Zhongli asked softly, standing atop the Vortex Vanquisher.
She gathered her thoughts and cupped her hands.
"Yes. The other Qixing are still awaiting my reply, and I must attend to Liyue's affairs."
Zhongli nodded.
"Then let us go together. I must return as well—otherwise Hu Tao will scour the world for me again."
Ningguang smirked inwardly.
More likely she'll scour the world selling Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services, and by the way, scold you for bringing back a pile of bills.
She followed Zhongli toward Tongtian Peak.
Watching him ride his spear with effortless grace—occasionally throwing in a flourish—
she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy, and looked forward even more to mastering sword flight herself.
Though when it came to weapons…
Perhaps not a sword—she couldn't wield one well anyway.
They reached the mountainside swiftly;
on Tongtian Peak, only the Sect Master was permitted to fly above this point—Mount Shu's symbolic rule.
From here, Ningguang would call on Keqing before they both went up on foot to see the gentleman.
There was still a bit of a walk.
Perhaps to break the silence, Ningguang asked quietly,
"Sect Master, that form you took just now…"
Zhongli didn't avoid the question.
"What did you think of it?"
"Powerful," she answered after a pause. "Unparalleled. And… divine.
When I faced you just now, it was as if I saw a mighty being not of Teyvat."
He nodded.
"This is my spell—the Clear Source Divine Manifestation Mantra.
When invoked, it calls upon the spirit of the Clear Source True Monarch,
allowing me to wield many of Erlang Shen's secret arts.
Unfortunately, I have cultivated it only a short time—
I can grasp the form, but not yet the spirit."
Ningguang stopped mid-step, regarding him oddly.
This spell…
Wasn't it exactly like those "summon god" rituals in Liyue's folk tales?
Could it be…
that Zhongli was using a Summoning Incantation spell himself?
A god summoning a god?
What in the world…
"Do you find my choice of technique strange?" Zhongli asked mildly, clearly reading her thoughts.
Ningguang shook her head.
"Sect Master's art is surely extraordinarily powerful."
"Indeed," he said with quiet respect.
"The Clear Source True Monarch, also known as Erlang Shen,
is a true golden immortal of battle among the myriad realms.
He wields Heaven and Earth's Law Manifestation, immortal martial arts, countless spells,
the Thirty-Six Heavenly Transformations, and the Seventy-Two Earthly Arts.
In this state, I can employ many of his abilities—
but alas, it is still merely a temporary form, far weaker than a true immortal technique.
It is, in the end, only a top-grade Profound-level cultivation method."
Ningguang fell silent.
She had no desire to continue this conversation.
Only a top-grade Profound-level art that granted multiple immortal techniques?
If he didn't want it, she'd gladly take it!
Following a brief pause, she changed the subject.
"Sect Master, have you explored the Nine Nether Secret Realm?"
"No," Zhongli replied.
"Before leaving earlier, I stood at its entrance for a long time.
My instincts told me—without full preparation, there would be no harvest within.
It is more than just a cave-heaven realm."
He added gravely,
"Since the Sect Master placed it atop Longshou Peak, I must remind you—
within are true cultivator-world demons, unlike the monsters of our own world.
Do not enter until you have mastered your spells and made sufficient preparations.
Even then, go with companions."
Ningguang cupped her hands seriously.
"I will remember."
By then, they had reached Keqing's cave residence.
She wasn't inside cultivating—
instead, beneath the moonlight, she was practicing sword.
Her movements seemed gentle, yet her sword intent was fierce.
Under the moon's glow, she and the Azure Frost Sword became one,
even drawing down a thread of moonlight from the heavens.
At the instant the moonlight merged into her blade,
Keqing's eyes snapped open, a flash of sword qi tearing forward.
Stepping out, she struck—
and for several kilometers around, the very air seemed to tremble.
"Break!"
Her sword cleaved upward into the sky,
splitting the sea of clouds with a single stroke.
Ningguang's eyes lit up, and she applauded.
"Fine swordplay! Worthy of a sword body indeed."
Exhaling, Keqing sheathed her sword and turned toward them, smiling with a bow.
"Sect Master."
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