"Master, are you all right?"
The moment Ganyu felt the dormant divine sense within her stir once more, she was overjoyed.
Though… speaking with what felt like herself did feel a bit strange.
"It's nothing. Just a small matter—you need not worry."
Jiang Yan's voice was calm, but within Mount Shu's Cave Heaven his expression was complicated.
To tell the truth, his divine sense had not been hindered at all by passing through the portal.
Everything Ganyu and the others had seen, he had seen as well.
But before he could say anything, a torrent of chaotic information had suddenly poured into his mind, leaving him reeling.
He had no choice but to suppress his thoughts and process it all.
Only just now had he sorted it through.
That information was none other than detailed knowledge of the Nine Nether Secret Realm —
—or rather, of the world of the Nine Nether Secret Realm as it once had been.
Minerals, spiritual herbs, and resources—it gave him no exhaustive descriptions, but a clear and complete inventory.
There was even a map etched in his mind.
Jiang Yan had to admit he had underestimated the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
The map alone showed that the entire secret realm was at least three times the size of Teyvat.
With this information, their expedition would proceed far more smoothly.
As for the source of this knowledge…
He could only guess it was either a privilege of the sect master, or a boon granted by the system itself.
Klee blinked her big eyes at Ganyu.
A moment later, she toddled forward on her short legs and hugged Ganyu's thigh, her smile blossoming bright.
"Big Sister Ganyu smells like Master! Master is here too!"
Her words were… more than a little misleading.
Ganyu flushed the scarlet, embarrassed.
Jiang Yan's divine sense stirred again, and beside Ganyu coalesced a hazy projection.
"Master!"
Klee cried happily, lunging forward—only to pass through the phantom.
The projection flickered, then steadied, and Jiang Yan looked down at her with a gentle smile.
"Little Klee, there's no need to search for me. My true body is not in the Nine Nether Secret Realm. This is but a divine-sense projection."
Klee pouted, then returned to grasp Alice's hand.
"Master, can you freely move about the Nine Nether Secret Realm now?" Venti asked curiously.
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"No. My divine-sense seed is attached to Ganyu. This projection cannot leave her side by more than a thousand meters.
"But the advantage is that a projection of divine sense is hard to target—even great demons skilled in soul attacks cannot harm me here."
At that, Ganyu's heart fluttered with secret delight.
If the Master could never stray more than a thousand meters from her…
Was that not the same as being bound together by fate?
"Back to business."
Jiang Yan turned to Keqing, speaking gently:
"You needn't worry about your vision. Even if it cracks, once you return, everything inside can still be retrieved.
But after this, its internal space will remain unstable—best not to use it again."
Relieved, Keqing bowed.
"Thank you, Master. But… Why did Senior Sister Madame Ping's adeptal bell shatter as well? What exactly is a space barrier?"
Jiang Yan looked around. Everyone's curiosity was plain—except Alice, who wore a knowing smile.
So he said with a chuckle:
"It seems Elder Alice has read of space barriers before. Why not let her explain?"
Alice laughed smugly, planting her fists on her hips.
"Then allow me to show off a little."
"The so-called space barrier refers to the toughness of a world's fabric. The weaker the barrier, the easier space can be broken, and the more fragile its laws.
"This also means our destructive power increases. Thus, the strength of a world's space barrier is one of the key measures of its grade.
"If the barrier is strong, space is firmer, and space-based arts become vastly harder to wield."
"For example—take Zhongli. At full strength, in Teyvat he could annihilate all of Liyue in an instant—"
Zhongli's face darkened, cutting her off.
"Choose another example."
"No problem!"
Alice gave an "OK" gesture, grinning.
"Originally, Zhongli at full strength could annihilate all of Mondstadt."
This time, it was Venti whose face blackened.
But before he could interrupt, Alice pressed on blithely:
"Now, in a world with a stronger barrier, Zhongli might only be able to destroy a single mountain peak.
"If it were the legendary Immortal Realm, even if he gave his all, he might not so much as cut down a blade of grass."
"That is the effect of a space barrier."
Hearing this, Ningguang's eyes lit with sudden realization.
"No wonder… When I pulled weeds earlier, I found them much tougher than Teyvat's.
So this too was the barrier's influence."
Keqing frowned at her.
"…Why were you pulling weeds?"
Looking a little embarrassed, Ningguang muttered softly:
"They had grown by absorbing spiritual qi, after all…"
"…"
Everyone fell silent, tactfully passing over the topic.
Ganyu mused aloud:
"So Keqing's Vision fracturing, and Senior Sister Madame Ping's bell breaking, was because of the space barrier?
"This world's barrier far surpasses Teyvat's.
Artifacts forged upon Teyvat's frail foundation, if forced to open here, provoke the barrier's backlash—and shatter under the strain?"
Jiang Yan smiled and nodded.
"Precisely so.
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm, though a sundered remnant world cut apart by Martial Uncle Mo Yixi, was once still a high-grade minor world.
Naturally its space barrier is far stronger than Teyvat's.
"Moreover…" He paused, glancing at Alice meaningfully.
"Elder Alice, you surely also understand the true state of Teyvat's barrier?"
Zhongli's brows furrowed, and he looked toward her.
Alice sighed, spreading her hands.
"I hadn't wanted to tell you, but now it hardly matters.
"Teyvat is already in decline, its barrier laughably fragile.
That is why, of late, strange things have so often seeped through.
"Teyvat itself is an incomplete minor world—not particularly powerful in the cosmos of Tree and Sea.
That is why your space-related arts seem so easy to employ."
The sudden revelation left Ningguang and the others shaken.
"Then… is Teyvat on the verge of collapse?" Ganyu asked anxiously.
"That was the past." Alice shrugged carelessly.
"Now that we are cultivating immortality, and with Mount Shu's Cave Heaven pressing down, Teyvat's barrier is slowly strengthening.
"There's no need to worry. And even if you did, with our current strength, what could you change?
"If you wish to aid Teyvat, then simply cultivate diligently.
Once you reach Spirit Refining and Returning to Void, solving such problems will be nothing at all."
Though exasperated at Alice's casual mention of such lofty realms, everyone felt some relief.
At least there was hope.
For now, Teyvat's plight could be set aside. The Nine Nether Secret Realm demanded their focus.
"The barrier's strength also affects the laws themselves. Compared to the Nine Nether Secret Realm's, Teyvat's laws are frail indeed."
Jiang Yan looked toward Zhongli and Venti.
"Try your powers—can you still command the laws of rock and wind?"
At once, the two attempted to stir the heavens and earth.
But the laws that had always answered like extensions of their own limbs now remained cold and unyielding.
Only by channeling true essence could they coax forth a faint response from the land and the breeze.
Yet both understood: this was no longer true law, but merely elements stirred by raw essence.
The Nine Nether Secret Realm's laws themselves ignored them entirely.
Even worse, Venti's soul-born power of time seemed suppressed utterly here, as though facing a mortal nemesis—
Eager to vanish completely.
It struck them that, compared to the Archons, they were fortunate.
Were it the other Seats, especially the Tsaritsa, ruler of ice…
She might be rendered an ordinary mortal the instant she entered this realm.
The laws of time in Teyvat and in the cultivation world simply could not be compared.
Zhongli gave a bitter smile, tinged with self-mockery.
"It seems the power of Teyvat's gods finds no recognition in other worlds."
"That is only natural," Alice said casually.
"You know well the true source of the Archons' elemental laws, do you not?"
At that, Zhongli and the others fell silent.
Sensing the mood sour, Ningguang swiftly interjected:
"Honored Elders, since we are now within the Nine Nether Secret Realm, let us put Teyvat aside. What matters is the realm before us.
"Master, everyone's storage treasures are unusable—why then does my storage pouch still function?"
Jiang Yan chuckled softly.
"Why should a storage pouch forged by cultivation methods fail within the cultivation world?"
Ningguang was left speechless, then sighed ruefully.
"A foolish question indeed. Still, I am glad I exchanged for this pouch before coming—otherwise we would hardly be able to carry any resources away."
She silently congratulated herself for that trip to the Hall of Merits.
Keqing and the others, however, were troubled.
Without storage, how much could they carry in their hands?
And how convenient would that be in battle?
"Do not worry about storage." Jiang Yan's gaze turned to Klee, smiling.
"Klee's spatial ring holds over ten thousand cubic meters, with freely partitionable space.
"Have her divide the ring into separate compartments, and each of you may store your goods.
If you can manage to fill her ring on this expedition, you will surely return laden with spoils."
At this, all eyes fell upon the plain little ring on Klee's hand.
And once again, they could not help but sigh.
So this was the privilege of a true disciple.
Ningguang glanced at her own storage pouch—three hundred cubic meters, bought for three thousand contribution points—
And suddenly it felt rather shabby.
Klee's ring, easy to wear, simple to use, inscribed with Jiang Yan's exclusive eight divine incantations—
A defense paired with violet-gold scale armor.
Her pouch… Well, better than nothing.
At least she had one.
Keqing and the others, after all, would still have to borrow space from Klee.
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