The moment they stepped into the Nine Nether Secret Realm , everyone felt themselves plunging into a strange, ethereal passage.
Contrary to expectation, the surroundings were not endless blackness.
Instead, flickering streams of light drifted past, strange and illusory.
It felt as if, in the unseen, they had pierced through a thin membrane—
—and then fell into a world that words could scarcely describe.
At first, the ambient spiritual qi was thin.
But in the blink of an eye, it surged violently.
Unlike the calm, balanced qi of Mount Shu's Cave Heaven, here the energy was wild and ferocious—unsuited for cultivation.
At least in this immediate area, cultivation was clearly unfavorable.
Though these changes seemed drawn-out, in truth they lasted but a single instant.
Light returned before their eyes. The disciples slowly opened them, taking in the world before them—
—and were left utterly dumbfounded.
The Nine Nether Secret Realm —home to countless monsters and demons, once ravaged by demonic armies…
No matter how they imagined it, Ningguang and the others had pictured a hellscape: crimson skies, scorched land, a dead and desolate apocalyptic scene.
But before them now…
An endless grassland stretched to the horizon.
White clouds drifted across a vast blue sky—clearer and brighter even than Teyvat's.
Strange long-necked birds soared lazily above.
In the distance, a broad river gleamed crystal-clear, at least seven or eight kilometers wide.
Its source and mouth vanished into the unknown.
Further south, a wall of verdant mountains rose high, their slopes cloaked in colossal trees.
Even to Venti, who had traveled across every land of Teyvat, the sight was staggering—
Each tree rivaled the great divine tree upon which Sumeru City itself rested.
The mountains pierced the sky. Clouds drifted in from the prairie, colliding with the peaks to form a rolling sea of mist.
Sunlight pierced through gaps in the clouds, cascading like golden rivers from heaven.
It was a land brimming with vitality—ethereal, almost immortal.
"Is this… truly the Nine Nether Secret Realm , overrun with monsters?"
Keqing could hardly believe her eyes.
At first glance, the scenery here rivaled even Mount Shu itself.
Could it be… that no matter whether human sects or demonic lands, the cultivation world was always so breathtaking?
And besides…
To think such a vast world was carved apart by a single stroke of the Drunken Sword Immortal, reduced to a mere secret realm…
The more they thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
"Do not grow careless. First, mark the entrance's location," Zhongli said calmly, though his vigilance never wavered.
After carefully memorizing the position, everyone refrained from moving recklessly.
In a world so foreign, caution was their only shield.
Meanwhile, Ganyu called softly within, summoning Jiang Yan's divine sense.
"Master? Master, are you there?"
But no reply came.
Her heart clenched. She tried again, several times—still silent.
Yet Jiang Yan's divine sense still lingered within her, whole and unbroken.
"You cannot reach Master?" Ningguang asked with concern.
Ganyu nodded hesitantly.
"I can feel the Master's divine sense attached to me… but for some reason, he gives no response."
"Could the Nine Nether Secret Realm be cutting off divine-sense communication?" Cloud Retainer speculated.
Keqing shook her head firmly.
"Impossible. We can still use our own divine senses freely—why would Master's fail?"
"Besides, the Master did not employ a divine sense beyond the Qi-Refining stage."
The group fell silent.
In this strange, perilous world, to be cut off from their sect master's guidance left them uneasy.
Even Zhongli, calm as ever, felt uncertainty gnawing at him.
But he was the first seat, the one tasked to lead. He could not show doubt.
"Perhaps the transmission is delayed by the secret realm's barrier," he said, steady and reassuring.
"There is no need to worry. Master's divine sense remains with us—that is what matters."
His words soothed them somewhat.
Still, unease lingered. But what else could they do?
Turn tail the instant they entered? Wait another seven days for the gate to reopen?
The wasted time—and cultivation resources—would be unbearable.
"For now, stay together. Probe the surroundings cautiously. Do not forget—the skies and the earth beneath must be scanned with divine sense as well. We must guard against hidden ambushes."
With that, Zhongli took the lead, striding a short distance forward.
Not far—just enough to scout, while ensuring he could return instantly if trouble arose.
Ningguang wandered a bit further, then suddenly crouched and pulled up some grass.
Her eyes narrowed. Indeed—even the most ordinary weeds here pulsed faintly with qi.
Compared to Teyvat's plants, they were far more resilient.
But were they useful? She wasn't sure.
Grass was still grass, after all. Who would refine pills with weeds?
Still, she carefully tucked some into her storage pouch.
Useful or not, they were cultivator-world plants.
Even if they had no alchemical value, planting them in the Jade Chamber would be impressive enough.
She could already imagine herself saying: These are no ordinary weeds—they are spirit weeds of the cultivation world, infused with qi.
Yes… that would do.
She looked toward the distance again.
As Jiang Yan had said, their entry point was exceedingly safe. Too safe.
Aside from the grass, there seemed to be nothing at all here.
Northward, the prairie stretched on endlessly.
Southward, the mountains beckoned—but they were half a day's sword-flight away at least.
In Teyvat, half a day's flight could carry one from Mondstadt to Liyue and back.
Here… the sheer scale was daunting.
So vast?
Ningguang frowned. At this size, fully exploring the Nine Nether Secret Realm would take months—if not years.
They certainly couldn't linger here for half a year straight. Duties awaited them back home.
The realization left her troubled. This exploration would be far more complex than imagined.
She was still pondering when suddenly—
Keqing cried out in alarm.
In an instant, everyone rushed to her side.
They had kept close by design, ensuring aid could come in a heartbeat.
Zhongli leveled his spear, scanning warily.
"What happened? An enemy?"
Keqing quickly shook her head.
"No, First Seat. There is no enemy. Forgive me."
Zhongli exhaled, faintly exasperated.
"Then why cry out? In this world, nerves are taut. We must remain steady."
Keqing flushed, glancing at the startled faces around her.
"…There won't be a next time."
"Then what is it?" Ganyu asked curiously.
Keqing pointed to a clump of grass, subtly different from the rest.
"I saw this stalk emit a faint glow. I thought it might be a spirit herb.
I was about to collect it, but then…"
She hesitated, then held out her Vision.
Everyone stared.
A thin crack marred the crystalline surface, like glass about to shatter.
The Vision had fractured?!
"What in the world—?" Lisa blinked in shock.
She had studied Visions extensively. Whatever else could be said about them, their durability was unquestionable.
Even the strike of a god could not break one.
So why would it fracture… over a mere herb?
If this were the past, Keqing herself might have been harmed.
Thankfully, the Vision's power had long since been absorbed and converted into her cultivation.
Now it was merely a storage treasure.
"This should not be possible…" Ningguang muttered.
"Keqing, where do you normally keep your sword?"
"In my dantian, of course," Keqing replied, puzzled.
Ningguang cleared her throat awkwardly.
"…Then your spirit stones?"
"In the Vision. And now I don't even know if I can take them out."
Her face fell. Inside her Vision were not only odds and ends, but all her spirit stones—her entire fortune.
If they were gone… she would be ruined before the expedition even began.
Alice asked curiously:
"Can you recall exactly what you did?"
Keqing thought a moment, then said softly:
"I only tried to open the Vision to store that herb. The instant I did, it cracked.
So… the herb itself wasn't the problem."
"I see." Ganyu's eyes widened. She quickly warned the others:
"Everyone—do not attempt to use your Visions for storage in the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
It seems Visions cannot function here."
They all nodded solemnly, putting their visions away with care.
Though useless at the moment, they still contained valuables. If they shattered fully, who knew if their contents could be retrieved?
Zhongli likewise secured his Gnosis, a shadow flickering across his face.
If even a Vision fractured here… what if the Gnosis itself was damaged?
Then how could he honor the contract with the Cryo Archon?
"Why is this happening?" Keqing asked miserably, staring at the cracked jewel.
Her meager cultivation resources were all inside. Could they still be recovered?
"Perhaps it is not limited to Visions," Madame Ping spoke suddenly, producing a small delicate bell.
"I crafted this long ago with adeptal techniques. I just tested it… and it shattered instantly."
A thin crack marred its surface, proof of her words.
"So storage treasures cannot endure here?" Ningguang murmured.
"But… my storage pouch still works."
To prove it, she withdrew a spirit stone and placed it back inside with ease.
That only deepened the confusion.
And just then—
Jiang Yan's voice finally rang out through Ganyu's mind.
"It is the space barrier."
"Master?!"
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