Hearing the gentleman's words, Lisa finally felt much more at ease.
"So, Master, may I cultivate this Hellfire Soul-Burning Art?"
Jiang Yan gave a slight nod.
"As long as you abide by the rules of Mount Shu, disciples are free to practice whichever cultivation arts they choose. Mount Shu does not interfere."
"But it is indeed undeniable that the Hellfire Soul-Burning Art uses living souls for cultivation."
"If you are to practice it, you must guard your heart carefully. Do not let power cloud your mind and drive you into doing what must not be done."
"Otherwise, the Hall of Discipline will deal with you most severely."
"To use the Hellfire Soul-Burning Art to suppress evildoers and demons—that is its true purpose."
"Remember this well: hold fast to your Dao heart. Do not be misled by temptation and fall into demonic ways."
"The Confucian Academy of the cultivation world has a saying: 'To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to establish life for the people, to continue the lost teachings of the sages, to bring peace to all future generations.'"
"That is the lofty, righteous path."
"Mount Shu Sword Sect does not impose such lofty, selfless dogmas. Our disciples cultivate mainly in pursuit of freedom and carefree existence."
"Yet the sect rules also state explicitly: we must slay demons and defend the Dao."
Lisa solemnly nodded and declared earnestly:
"This disciple will never harm innocents for the sake of the Hellfire Soul-Burning Art. Should I break this oath, may Heaven strike me down and Earth annihilate me!"
Jiang Yan nodded again, then turned to the others, speaking softly:
"All of you must remember this too—there is no right or wrong in cultivation methods, no inherent good or evil in power itself."
"Even the most vicious demonic arts have been wielded by some to save the world."
"If one day, Teyvat faces destruction, and only by slaughtering a million lives with a demonic art can you save the world—what will you choose?"
Zhongli and the others fell into deep contemplation.
The question shook them greatly.
To ask a god who loved his people to butcher them with his own hands—impossible.
And yet…
Slaughter a million, save a world.
It was not something to advocate, but perhaps… worth it.
If that day ever came and there was no other choice, Zhongli knew he would harden his heart and do it himself.
Of course, from the look of things now, that day would never come.
As long as Mount Shu stood, Teyvat would be safe.
"That is why," Jiang Yan continued, "Mount Shu's way of slaying demons and defending the Dao does not concern itself with the so-called lines of good and evil."
"What is a fiend to one may be a hero to another."
"There are countless such cases in the cultivation world—someone who massacred thousands of bandits to protect his village."
"The bandits themselves were merely trying to survive, to feed their families. To their loved ones, they were reluctant heroes forged by circumstance."
"But that man had to protect his village, his family, to go on living—so he slaughtered them without mercy."
"In your eyes, who is the villain, who the hero?"
These words left Zhongli and the others in heavy silence.
Such words were useless for their techniques, but invaluable for their state of mind.
Good and evil were never truly opposites.
Seeing that Zhongli and Alice were listening carefully, Jiang Yan nodded with satisfaction.
"Take today's words to heart. Zhongli, as First Seat, and Elder Alice—you must reflect on this deeply."
"You are members of the Hall of Discipline. Remember, the Hall of Discipline is not devoid of compassion."
"Good or evil cannot be judged simply; it must be weighed from all angles."
"You oversee the conduct of Mount Shu disciples, holding the power over their lives and deaths."
"Every judgment must be made with utmost caution. If a mistake in law enforcement is ever made, you will be stripped of cultivation and imprisoned in the sect's Demon-Sealing Tower for a hundred years of reflection."
"Remember this well."
After a pause, Jiang Yan added:
"Of course, if you discover someone who slaughters innocents without humanity for the sake of cultivation, then do not hesitate. Such a one is a true demon—strike them down with all your might."
Zhongli's expression straightened, and he replied gravely:
"We shall obey the Sect Master's decree."
Jiang Yan then looked at the thoughtful Lisa, smiling slightly.
"Lisa, do you now understand how to cultivate the Hellfire Soul-Burning Art?"
Lisa nodded seriously.
"But truth be told," Jiang Yan went on, looking a little helpless, "the path you've chosen is not one that bears quick results."
"Though you can cultivate the art by yourself, progress will be extremely slow. That is why many who take this path go astray."
"The Netherflame is too fierce. By relying only on yourself, you cannot break through quickly."
"True demon cultivators are strong in power, cunning in schemes. Those who cannot fight them end up preying on ordinary mortals instead—worthless trash despised even by demons themselves."
"The Netherflame, however, has countless uses. It is not only a weapon of attack—it can also burn away karmic burdens, keeping your spirit platform clear."
"Most importantly, it can also be used in alchemy."
Hearing this, Lisa's eyes lit up, and she looked at the gentleman with great expectation.
"Well then. For now, you can only cultivate with the souls of ferocious beasts."
After some thought, Jiang Yan gave his final decision.
"In time, you may enter the Nine Nether Secret Realm. The monsters there are all disasters of old who once ravaged the world."
"Using them for your cultivation will be far more effective—and also serve as vengeance for the common people."
"When that day comes, your Hellfire Soul-Burning Art will surely soar."
Lisa's eyes shone with joy. She bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
Jiang Yan's gaze then turned toward Venti and the others. His eyes flashed with purple light, and then he chuckled.
"It seems you all have gained quite a bit as well."
"Zhongli, your bond with First Seat Venti is truly profound."
Zhongli looked surprised. "Sect Master, you mean…"
"Venti has obtained a high-grade Profound-tier cultivation art—the Dionysian Art."
Jiang Yan paused and smiled.
"The Dionysian Art was created back in the day by Senior Uncle Mo Yixi when he was in the Qi-Refining-to-Spirit stage."
"Using it, one can erupt with unimaginable power in an instant."
"But afterward, one suffers a period of weakness."
"Later, when Senior Uncle Mo Yixi advanced to the Spirit-to-Void stage, he transformed it into the Dionysian Mantra."
"The Mantra is even more wondrous beyond compare."
"But for now, the Dionysian Art is already very suitable for Venti. If I'm not mistaken—"
"Within it are also some of Senior Uncle Mo Yixi's insights into the Mount Shu Sword-Manipulation Art."
"Obtaining this Dionysian Art is equivalent to gaining much of his cultivation experience from that stage."
Venti scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin, spreading his hands.
"Honestly, what attracted me most was just the name. Plus, the idea that drinking could also be cultivation—too good to pass up."
Zhongli glanced at him and shook his head.
Indeed, the Drunken Sword Immortal's legacy seemed to suit Venti more than anyone.
"Cultivate the Dionysian Art well. Though only a high-grade Profound-tier art, its explosive power is no less than a supreme-tier one."
Next, Jiang Yan turned to Alice. His expression grew a little strange.
"This… is the Unity Divine Light?"
Alice gave a guilty smile and nodded.
"Sect Master, what do you think?"
Jiang Yan shook his head in amusement.
"It's nothing, merely a cultivation art. Since it has chosen you, then you share fate with it."
"A supreme Profound-tier art is a fine choice."
Venti tilted his head curiously at Alice.
"So what exactly is this Unity Divine Light? You wouldn't tell me before."
Alice mumbled, "Just a very normal cultivation method, nothing worth mentioning."
She even sneaked a glance at Jiang Yan as she spoke.
Seeing this, Jiang Yan chuckled softly.
"There's nothing you can't say. Mount Shu holds no prejudice, and since the art has already been recorded in the Scripture Pavilion, it is part of the sect's canon."
"You need not worry I would think otherwise."
Relieved, Alice finally explained to Venti's eager expression:
"The Unity Divine Light draws upon the innate energies of Kan and Li—it is a most yang, most fierce… Buddhist Flame."
"???"
Not only Venti, but even Zhongli was dumbfounded.
They had only recently joined, but everyone knew of the three great traditions of the cultivation world: Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism.
Mount Shu was the foremost school of Daoist cultivation.
And now…
Alice was cultivating Buddhist fire?
Zhongli suddenly felt the world had grown rather absurd.
Yesterday, everyone was diligently cultivating Sword Control.
But today, with Venti and the others here—
Well.
One wants to practice demonic arts, another Buddhist flames.
Mount Shu truly embraced all things.
Zhongli could not help but sigh inwardly.
But since Jiang Yan had no objections, there was no need for him to worry.
At last, only Klee remained.
Zhongli figured she surely wouldn't take some strange path.
Jiang Yan, however, smiled warmly and beckoned.
"Klee, come here."
Klee clutched her jade talisman and bounced into his arms.
"Master! Mommy says I got super amazing cultivation art!"
Jiang Yan laughed and nodded gently.
"The Southern Brilliance Flame Condensation Method—among all the arts on the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, it is one of the strongest."
"You are indeed very fortunate, Klee. You must cultivate it well."
Klee nodded vigorously.
"Klee knows! Klee will make the Master proud!"
Jiang Yan smiled, ruffled her hair, and turned back to the others.
"Now, let Zhongli show you around Mount Shu. Afterward, return to your cultivation."
"Zhongli, on the way, explained the sect's details to them."
"As for Klee, she will stay in the main hall for now."
"She has just begun cultivating the Crimson Emperor's Heaven-Burning Art, and now also the Southern Brilliance Flame Condensation Method. It is the perfect time to consolidate her progress."
"When Mount Shu's group cultivation ends at dusk, Elder Alice, you may come fetch her."
The group nodded in unison, glancing enviously at the little girl still nestled in Jiang Yan's arms.
This little one truly deserved to be called the Sect Master's personal disciple.
While they were still figuring out their paths, Klee already had the Sect Master himself guiding her cultivation.
Feeling a little sentimental, Zhongli and the others quietly left the main hall.
But before they reached the doors, Jiang Yan called out:
"Zhongli—remember to tell Venti and the others about the rules for exploring the Nine Nether Secret Realm in a few days."
"Then, take them to the Sword Forest, see if any treasures respond to them."
"These days, unless urgent, stay on Mount Shu to cultivate."
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm swarms with demons—countless in number, the weakest among them already at the Qi-Refining stage."
"Tell the other disciples to train diligently in these days, sparring often to refine their techniques."
"So that none will suffer losses once inside the Secret Realm."
Zhongli nodded seriously.
"Understood. I'll inform them shortly."
Once he agreed, Jiang Yan waved his hand, dismissing them.
The rest of the day…
Would be reserved for special tutoring of his personal disciples.
To read 220+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554