Hearing Ganyu's explanation, everyone naturally became extremely fond of the spirit robes.
Without hesitation, Tartaglia stripped off his coat and draped the robe over his body.
With a single thought, the robe shifted to match his will.
The robe's natural defensive power made Tartaglia secretly click his tongue.
Such protection… even his former self would have struggled to pierce it without going all out.
And yet, this robe wasn't even a true magical artifact.
Then… just how strong must real magical artifacts be?
And what about spirit artifacts?
It was said Zhongli's Profound One Sword and Vortex Vanquisher were spirit artifacts. Aside from those, most people only had magical artifacts.
As for Klee… her body was practically covered in spirit artifacts, magical ones were the minority.
Just thinking about it made one realize how rich she was.
But Ganyu didn't give them much time to daydream.
Once everyone grew familiar with the robe's effects, she led them onward to other places to learn more.
Fortunately, these new inner disciples sparked much interest.
Besides Ganyu, the other disciples from the Seven Peaks—those not busy—tagged along as guides.
In Ganyu's plan, the Sutra Pavilion was to be their last stop. So she summoned the Qingluan to carry them all out of Mount Shu.
For Furina and the others, this was their first time riding the Qingluan.
Previously, as they were not Mount Shu disciples, the bird couldn't be bothered with them.
But now… though it still ignored outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples were different. In its eyes, they were true members of Mount Shu.
And since they were Ganyu's junior brothers and sisters, the Qingluan didn't mind carrying them.
The giant bird, spanning thousands of meters, flapped its wings once, scattering the clouds across the sky.
Even the beasts wandering among the clouds were sent tumbling down in fright.
Fortunately, being at least at the Refining Essence into Qi, they weren't in real danger.
They cast one bitter look back at the Qingluan before fleeing.
The Qingluan's mischievous nature was well-known among the creatures of Mount Shu.
What appeared to be a well-behaved "baby" in Ganyu's eyes was, to the gods and spirit beasts, nothing short of a demon king—always flying by to stir up trouble for no reason.
Yet, as a spirit beast at the Spirit Transformation stage, its speed and power were unmatched.
With its innate divine abilities—and one evolution under its belt—not even Zhongli could catch it without using his Qingyuan Manifestation Spell.
So most beings wisely stayed out of its way.
Besides, this little one was deeply cherished: it spent its days playing with Klee and Qiqi, shielded by Ganyu, and behind Ganyu… was Jiang Yan.
In Ganyu's heart, the Qingluan was her and Jiang Yan's child.
If it wasn't obedient? Clearly, the problem was with you!
But none of that mattered to Furina and the others.
It was their first time standing on the Qingluan's back, and they joyfully stroked its feathers.
Each plume was taller than a man, sharp and filled with an aura of speed—top-grade material for crafting artifacts.
Of course, no one entertained such thoughts.
The little one was far too adorable. Who would ever pluck its feathers?
"Spirit beasts, demon beasts, vicious beasts…"
Not far away, Tighnari rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
"These three kinds of creatures, all transformed by spiritual energy—why do they follow such different paths?"
"If we could unravel why vicious beasts fail in their evolution… could we reverse it, allowing them to evolve into demon beasts or even spirit beasts?"
"That seems like a worthy research subject…"
At his words, Baisheng's eyes lit up. He immediately drew closer:
"You just said—you want to study the evolution of beasts?"
Tighnari froze, then caught Collei's hinting glance. Realizing his misstep, he gave a sheepish nod:
"Apologies, Senior Brother Baisheng. I overstepped."
In his heart, such research belonged to the Beast-Taming Peak. As a disciple of Bamboo Peak, his focus should be on alchemy.
But Baisheng only smiled and waved it off.
"No need to be so nervous. Though you are of Bamboo Peak, the Sect Master has never forbidden disciples from learning the arts of other peaks."
"If you wish to delve into the secrets of vicious beasts, I couldn't be happier."
"Don't worry about sect rules—Risui himself is studying the weapon-forging methods of Windreturn Peak."
Mentioning Risui, Baisheng's expression turned a little odd.
True, Risui studied artifact forging… but he was forced into it.
Though gifted in cultivation and skilled in tending spirit herbs, when it came to alchemy, he was hopeless.
To date, he had only succeeded once—in refining a single batch of Rejuvenation Pills.
And even then, that batch nearly sent Yue into qi deviation.
Since then, no one dared to touch Risui's pills.
Frustrated, Risui—eldest disciple of Bamboo Peak—decided he couldn't be useless.
But every time he lit a furnace, ten times out of ten, it exploded.
At first, even if Liu Yun was annoyed, she tolerated it, since Risui was Bamboo Peak's only hope in alchemy. She even repaired his furnaces for him.
But once Lisa and Baizhu joined the peak, both far surpassing Risui in talent, Liu Yun stopped indulging him.
Now, whenever Risui sought her help repairing his furnace, she simply blasted him away with the Five Thunders Talisman.
Forced, Risui turned to studying artifact forging.
Fortunately, he had some knack for it. At least, he could now repair his own furnaces.
And thus, he embarked on the path of self-reliance.
Returning to the present, Baisheng said patiently:
"Junior Brother Tighnari, do you truly wish to study the secrets of vicious beasts? I've been pondering the same matter."
"If we succeed, we could mass-produce demon beasts—or even spirit beasts."
"When that day comes, I'll gift you one myself. How about it?"
Hearing this, Tighnari was tempted.
As a scholar of the Amurta, such things naturally fascinated him.
And now that Baisheng had made progress and extended an invitation… how could he refuse?
"Then I must thank Senior Brother Baisheng."
"Nonsense! If anything, I should thank you, Junior Brother!"
The two quickly fell into deep discussion, soon calling each other "brother" with ease.
Collei, however, was left confused.
Wasn't Tighnari supposed to be a Bamboo Peak disciple? Shouldn't he be focusing on alchemy?
She wanted to remind him—but should she call him teacher or senior brother?
Collei fell silent.
"Collei, long time no see."
Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out. She turned and saw Barbara.
At once, Collei's eyes curved happily.
"Long time no see, Senior Sister Barbara…"
Barbara flushed and waved her hands.
"Don't call me that! I'm only at the early Refining Essence into Qi stage myself."
"But I'm only at the late Foundation stage…" Collei mumbled, beginning to feel that Barbara had mastered the art of humble-bragging.
Barbara's cheeks reddened. She whispered:
"With your talent, you'll soon reach Refining Essence into Qi. Otherwise, the Sect Master wouldn't have accepted you as an inner disciple."
"Anyway, just call me like before, Collei."
Relieved, Collei nodded—then curiously asked:
"Barbara, what about Amber? Didn't she come to Mount Shu?"
Barbara shook her head.
"With no one keeping watch in Mondstadt, it wouldn't do to leave it unattended. My sister asked Amber to stay for now, but she's already secured a trial spot for her. It's reserved especially for Amber."
"When the time comes, you'll be reunited! And when Amber hears that your Eleazar is cured, she'll be overjoyed!"
Collei broke into a radiant smile.
To live free of Eleazar's torment—no matter how much she experienced it, she could never get enough of the feeling.
She glanced back, eyes full of longing, at the towering Seven Peaks even as they grew distant.
"All thanks to the Sect Master. Without him, my Eleazar could never have been cured. I don't even know how to thank him properly."
At that, Barbara giggled softly, her eyes sparkling.
"The Sect Master is always gentle and kind to us. When he teaches, he's patient and thorough. He's the best—truly the best person I've ever known."
Collei blinked, noticing the faint blush on Barbara's ears. She pursed her lips, choosing not to ask further.
It seemed Barbara, too, wished to be a rebellious disciple chasing her master.
But with Xiao, the chief disciple of the Hall of Discipline, walking ahead of them, Collei quickly shifted the topic to keep her out of trouble.
"Barbara, are there any taboos in Mount Shu? I'm afraid of offending someone by accident."
Barbara scratched her cheek and said softly:
"Strictly speaking, Mount Shu is very free. The Sect Master always emphasizes that cultivators value freedom most."
"As long as you don't violate the Nine Prohibitions and Ten Rules, there's rarely a problem. For details, that's under the Hall of Discipline's jurisdiction. Be sure never to cross them."
"Oh, and one more thing—you must be especially careful!"
Barbara's face turned solemn. She leaned close and whispered:
"If Senior Brother Risui offers you any pills—absolutely do not eat them!"
"Why? Isn't Senior Brother Risui the chief disciple of Bamboo Peak?" Collei asked, baffled.
Barbara looked embarrassed.
"In short… in Mount Shu, the only pills you can trust are those from the Sect Master, Senior Sister Lisa, and Senior Brother Baizhu."
"Otherwise…"
"Senior Brother Yue once took Risui's pill—and nearly suffered qi deviation…"
Collei gasped, staring at Risui's scholarly figure with sudden unease.
If even a late Refining Essence into Qi cultivator couldn't handle them, how could a mere Foundation cultivator like her survive?
Best not to take any chances.
Of course, Risui could hardly fail to notice Barbara's words.
His face darkened, though he didn't argue.
That black mark on his history was simply too infamous. If not for Zhongli's timely intervention, Yue would have been gravely injured at best.
As it was, Risui had been fined a thousand contribution points and a thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
A huge loss!
But he didn't believe his pills were flawed.
He was simply trying to amplify their effects—how could Yue be so useless?
One day, once he mastered higher alchemy and refined third-grade pills, Liu Yun and the others would regret ever mocking him.
Cheered by that thought, Risui dismissed Barbara's slight.
Usually, he was tending to spirit herbs, cultivating, or attempting alchemy.
Today, with a rare chance to ride the Qingluan and relax, he wasn't about to spoil his mood.
He once read a line in the annals of geniuses within the Sutra Pavilion:
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—never scorn the youth in hardship.
This became Risui's personal creed, driving him forward.
Those who looked down on him now… one day, they'd regret it. By then, he would surely be Mount Shu's number one alchemist.
And when that day came…
Even if Liu Yun and the others begged him, he wouldn't spare them a single crumb!
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