Ningguang's words left the others with mixed feelings.
A little stirred, yet also faintly uneasy.
To brush shoulders with beings of the Da Luo realm… that was not necessarily a blessing at their level.
"Yes… and no."
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"I've said before—'Heaven and Earth are unkind, and treat all things as straw dogs.' Da Luo are the same."
"To them, nothing in all the myriad worlds carries meaning. In their eyes, a Golden Immortal is no different from an ant."
"Yet in ages past, Mount Shu of the Upper Realm was without doubt among the foremost leaders of Daoism."
"All Daoist sects depend upon the Three Pure Ones. Like schools of fish that instinctively follow a whale—they mean nothing to the whale, but their lives are tied to it."
"That is the relationship between Daoist sects and the Three Pure Ones."
"But in the Three Pure Ones' eyes, only the Three Buddhas of Past, Present, and Future—equals in Da Luo—are worth their regard. Their Daos are alike, and in discourse they gain much from each other."
"Thus the relations between Daoism and Buddhism in the Upper Realm are cordial. Who would dare play petty power games under the gaze of Da Luo?"
"Moreover, for those above the Golden Immortal level, the faith and prayers of mortals are poison, not opportunity. There is no such thing as a war of belief."
He paused, giving them time to absorb this, before continuing:
"In those days, Mount Shu was under the patronage of the Upper Pure Lord of Lingbao."
"Once, the Three Pure Ones and the Three Buddhas sat together to discuss the Dao. Countless Buddhist and Daoist sects gathered to listen."
"Perhaps their gains from that discourse were great, for their mood was most joyous."
"The Three Pure Ones bestowed treasures upon the Buddhist sects."
"And the Three Buddhas bestowed treasures upon the Daoist sects."
"For Da Luo, there is no such thing as exchanging gifts. Their supremacy permits no acceptance of offerings. Thus, their sects accepted these treasures on their behalf."
"To Mount Shu, what was given was the offshoot of the Bodhi of Inquiry."
At this, everyone drew in a sharp breath.
Such stories stirred their hearts.
Especially the new disciples, who were shaken to their core.
They had thought ascension to immortality was the end of cultivation.
But in truth… there were realms higher still.
They burned with newfound determination.
Yet Da Luo was far beyond their reach, so the topic soon passed.
"Master, this Bodhi of Inquiry… what is it?" Jean asked, curious, gazing at the small sapling in Jiang Yan's hand.
"The Bodhi of Inquiry is akin to the Tea of Enlightenment, yet wholly different."
"The Tea Tree grants flashes of insight. The Bodhi allows one to realize the heart."
"As Buddhism says:
'One flower, one world. One leaf, one bodhi.
Three thousand lives in one dream,
ninety thousand heavens in a speck of dust.'"
"A true Bodhi of Inquiry—one bodhi seed is itself a great world."
"This offshoot in my hand is far inferior, but still—one who partakes of it may live through nine thousand years in a single dream, forging a heart vast and unshaken."
"Even for those below immortality, its effects are profound."
"Together, the Tea of Enlightenment and the Bodhi of Inquiry are the twin treasures that lifted Mount Shu to the summit of the world."
Gasps of awe filled the hall.
Jiang Yan continued:
"These two divine trees are now planted at the sect's core formation behind the Grand Hall. Not only will they grow faster, but the aura they exude will spread through the great array, nourishing all Mount Shu, hastening your cultivation."
Yet inwardly, Jiang Yan felt a trace of regret.
If the Tea Tree and Bodhi had arrived already matured, it would have been perfect.
One tea leaf and one bodhi fruit would have been enough for him to step directly into the Union with the Dao—perhaps even to its mid stage.
Still, what he had was already precious. With their presence, he could progress more swiftly toward Dao Union.
And when he reached that level, he might finally sense whether the Immortal Realm still existed.
But the thought of ascension troubled him.
To become an immortal—that was his dream, the dream of all cultivators.
And yet… Mount Shu had only just been rebuilt. If he ascended now, who would bear the mantle of Sect Master?
He pinned his hopes on Klee. When grown, she could shoulder the sect.
But that would take time—at least until she reached the peak of Spirit Transformation. A thousand years, conservatively. Even with great fortune, several hundred years.
And Jiang Yan would ascend within a century.
He could not delay his own Dao simply to wait.
Besides, who knew if the Immortal Realm even survived? Records hinted at a calamity that had swept across the heavens.
The Immortal Realm was mighty, but still part of the myriad worlds.
After long thought, Jiang Yan set the worry aside.
"Master, how long will it take for the Tea Tree and Bodhi to mature?" Ningguang asked cautiously. She remembered how Alice once spoke of the Ginseng Fruit: three thousand years to bloom, three thousand to bear, three thousand to ripen.
Nine thousand years for one harvest.
For immortals, that was nothing. For Teyvat? Who knew if the world would even last?
"These are not true innate spiritual roots," Jiang Yan replied softly.
"Their maturity will be between nine and twenty years."
The disciples fell silent.
Better than nine thousand years, but still—nine years could change everything.
To cultivators like Jiang Yan, decades were but a blink. But to Ningguang and the others, ten years was already half a lifetime.
"Do not dwell on this. When the trees mature, if you have earned merit, some leaves and fruits will be yours as reward."
They brightened a little, though none held great expectations. Nine years was too long. Visiting the Mount Shu Demon-Sealing Tower in that time would yield more practical benefits.
Deep down, they all knew—these treasures were meant for Jiang Yan. Only he could use them to their fullest.
And with his talent, who could guess how far he might reach in nine years?
The gifts were explained. Jiang Yan saw no need to mention his own Seventy-Two Earth Fiend Techniques or Samadhi True Flame.
Instead, he turned to the new inner disciples, his voice steady:
"You have joined Mount Shu at the perfect time. In the days ahead, the sect will grow swiftly. But with opportunity comes pressure."
"Your seniors already understand cultivation. With the Ancestors' gifts, they will soon surge ahead. Though you entered later, your talents are outstanding. I expect you to shine in the upcoming Seven Peaks Tournament and the Secret Realm Exploration Tournament."
The disciples bowed.
"We will remember Master's teaching."
"Also," Jiang Yan said, "cultivators do not favor shut-in seclusion. Learn from one another. If you do not understand, ask your seniors."
"There are forbidden grounds within the Seven Peaks you must not enter. Beyond them, dangers abound—especially beasts of the Refining Essence into Qi stage. Be cautious when venturing out."
The disciples nodded eagerly, eyes alight with expectation. Their very faces cried out: We're ready to start cultivation now!
Seeing this, Jiang Yan smiled faintly and pointed. Streams of light poured into their minds.
Even Ningguang and the early cultivators received new scriptures.
Dust-Cleansing Scripture, Maiden's Scripture, Pure Yang Scripture…
One by one, immortal texts replaced their crude Qi circulation methods.
Each was perfectly aligned with the Seven Peaks' systems—each pointing directly toward the realm of Celestial Immortals.
As their internal flows shifted, true essence began to bear the aura of the Seven Veins.
Ningguang and the others' strength swelled visibly.
The Seven Scriptures were of one origin. When practiced together, their resonances echoed through the hall—like the flavor of the Outer Scripture of the Yellow Court.
Jiang Yan nodded slightly, pleased. He eagerly awaited the day when someone would merge them back into one.
Among the new disciples, Hu Tao and Tartaglia stood out. Both were already mid-stage Refining Essence into Qi.
That surprised him.
Tartaglia's progress was understandable, given his teacher's peculiar background—and his own relentless pursuit of battle.
But Hu Tao…
Jiang Yan's eyes lingered knowingly.
Her strength was not merely from her Vision. That was but a fragment.
Her true foundation lay in her duty—to guard the balance between Yin and Yang.
Years at that boundary had forged special powers within her. Otherwise, she could never have borne the burden of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The rest were weaker. Collei and the Three Bows were only at Foundation Establishment. The others had just entered Refining Essence into Qi.
None were near tribulation.
A pity—Jiang Yan had half-hoped someone might, so he could give the newcomers a live demonstration of a heavenly tribulation…
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