"Jean, you abide by the path of protection, and your temperament is excellent. From this day forth, you shall join Longshou Peak, cultivating its exclusive technique—the Finger Mystic Sutra."
"Barbara, though you are not adept at close combat, your gift for spellcraft is commendable. You shall join Little Great Bamboo Peak, cultivating the Heavenly Circulating Qi Method."
"Diluc, your resolve to punish evil is firm, and your actions uphold righteousness. You too shall join Longshou Peak, and inherit the Finger Mystic Sutra."
"K—Kaeya. Outwardly carefree, yet inwardly meticulous. To place you at Longshou Peak would not suit you. But the first elder of Windreturn Peak, Venti, has a disposition similar to yours. Thus, you shall join Windreturn Peak."
"As for Lumine and Paimon…"
Jiang Yan paused, carefully examining the two before speaking softly:
"Your talents are extraordinary. You require specialized guidance and nurturing. You shall both join Heaven-Piercing Peak, where I shall personally instruct you."
This was a decision Jiang Yan had made long beforehand.
For Jean and the others, it was simple—they lacked any rare physiques, and required no special guidance. Merely being given the gateway would suffice, as the saying went: The master leads you to the door, cultivation depends on the individual.
But Lumine and Paimon were different. Both bore divine constitutions. They required not only cultivation of the immortal path, but also the awakening and refinement of their innate divine powers. For now, in all of Mount Shu, only Jiang Yan possessed the ability to guide them. Their talents must not be wasted.
Naturally, no one objected to his arrangements. At once, they bowed in unison.
"We obey the Sect Master's decree."
With this final step, the path was set—they would now formally embark upon the road of cultivation.
Jiang Yan raised his hand, sending the core cultivation methods directly into their minds. Instinctively, Jean and the others sat cross-legged, eyes closed, beginning the transformation of their power into the system of cultivation.
With a casual gesture, Jiang Yan arranged spirit-gathering arrays around them, then turned his gaze upon Ningguang and the others.
This time, none of the new disciples were strong enough to attempt a direct tribulation—less trouble, then.
"These past few days, I have been in seclusion to break through, and thus have not paid much attention to matters inside or outside Mount Shu. I had promised to give you more lectures on the Dao… but it seems I broke that promise."
He spoke lightly. Ningguang quickly shook her head.
"The Sect Master's seclusion and breakthrough is the greatest priority for Mount Shu. You need not concern yourself with us."
Jiang Yan smiled.
"I know well that during this time, much of Mount Shu's affairs—especially the establishment of the Hall of Merits's task system—have been overseen by Elder Alice and you, Ningguang."
"Mount Shu has always rewarded merit and punished fault. The structuring of the task system determines the flourishing of the Hall of Merits."
"For this, I shall reward each of you with thirty thousand contribution points."
At this, Ningguang and the others lit up with joy, bowing in gratitude.
"Many thanks, Sect Master!"
Jiang Yan raised a hand slightly, continuing:
"Have there been any unusual events within Mount Shu these past days?"
Ningguang pondered a moment before replying:
"To report truthfully, Sect Master: Mount Shu is peaceful. Only… more demon beasts have appeared of late, forcing many Abyss-aligned followers to abandon their territories and seek refuge. Beyond that, only the matter of the spiritual mines… They are of great importance, and thus we dared not mine them rashly."
Jiang Yan nodded with a faint smile.
"You did well. I had asked you to protect the mines with arrays, not to mine them. Mining spiritual veins is dangerous."
"In the cultivation world, many spirit mines contain rare materials. Without preparation, not only would mining be impossible—it could cost lives."
"For instance: Heaven-Earth Goldsilk. If one were to stray into its domain unprepared, one could be entangled and strangled to death."
"As for the mines, I will personally investigate their conditions, and then instruct you on how to extract them. That matter can be delayed. When we open the sect to disciples, mining can serve as a formal task issued through the Hall of Merits. By then, the Hall of Merits will truly enter proper operation."
Ningguang bowed. "Understood."
She then added:
"As for the founding of Mount Shu, Liyue has already advanced preparations on every front. Word of cultivation has spread throughout Liyue, and the intelligence networks of other nations are carrying it further. Likely within a month, all of Teyvat will know. Yet even so, the number who will actually come… may not be large."
Jiang Yan shook his head.
"There is no need to force it. Let matters flow as they will. All is bound by fate."
"Yes."
"Already, over 340,000 have registered. Even if those of questionable character are removed by Mount Shu's standards, over 40,000 remain. Within a month, perhaps near a million will apply."
"But Sect Master… with so many seeking to join Mount Shu, might it not be…"
Jiang Yan's expression remained calm.
"A million is hardly much. The world of Mount Shu can bear it."
"Moreover, though each of you is exceptionally gifted, such talent across the world is rare. Of a million, fewer than ten thousand will prove adequate."
"And fewer still will pass the Heart-Testing Array."
"There is no need for concern. Still, we cannot keep them all on Mount Shu. As for how to arrange them—you may discuss among yourselves."
Ningguang bowed once more.
Jiang Yan continued to ask after their cultivation progress, as well as the development of the auxiliary halls. Finally, he reminded everyone: during this coming month, he would lecture on the Dao daily, striving to raise everyone's strength a level higher.
This news left them all overjoyed.
By then, Jean and the others had completed their conversion to the immortal system. They opened their eyes one by one, visibly exhilarated at having stepped upon the immortal path. True essence gathered within them, their strength transformed.
It was only natural—they had taken their first steps as cultivators. To feel nothing would have been stranger still.
With a sweep of his divine sense, Jiang Yan gauged their levels immediately.
Jean, Diluc, and Kaeya—all had reached early Refining Essence into Qi. Of the three, Jean's foundation was the strongest.
As for Barbara… Jiang Yan's eyes lingered on her.
The girl's talent and temperament were not bad, yet she had never truly cultivated elemental energy before. Thus, after conversion, she had not reached Refining Essence into Qi.
The same was true for Paimon.
But Lumine and Paimon could not be measured by ordinary standards. Jiang Yan saw clearly—at their peaks, they must have stood at least at Nascent Soul stage, perhaps even Void-Returning.
For them, cultivation posed no bottlenecks. Their only task was to accumulate strength, refine true essence, and recover their former peaks. Jiang Yan was certain—of all, the first to break through to Void-Returning would be either Lumine or Paimon.
Within this month, with his lectures, he had complete confidence Lumine would advance to mid-stage Refining Essence into Qi. Many others would surely be disheartened by the comparison.
"The Vision really is useless now…"
Jean looked at the dull, extinguished jewel of her Vision with mixed feelings. It had been by her side for years. To see it fail still brought a trace of sorrow.
"A mere external object. How could it compare to the immortal path? A Vision is nothing."
Diluc's mindset shifted quickly. He pulled off his Vision without hesitation and slipped it away.
Only now, upon truly cultivating, did they realize how fragile the elemental system had been. And this was only the beginning—they had not even learned a single spell yet. The future held endless possibilities.
Excitement surged in Diluc's heart. But as he glanced at Jean and Kaeya, his emotions steadied again.
He had thought that even after conversion, his strength would remain the greatest among them. But now…
Lumine was beyond comparison, her Glazed Sword Heart undeniable.
But Jean and Kaeya? Both had seemed ordinary before. Yet after conversion, their foundations were no weaker than his—Jean's true essence even thicker, and Kaeya's cultivation, despite his usual frivolity, rivaled his own.
It seemed everyone had been hiding a card in hand.
Though he too had his hidden trump card—the Delusion—it was not his own power, and thus could not be carried into cultivation. This left him a touch disheartened.
"Many thanks, Sect Master, for imparting the Dao!"
Snapping out of their reflections, all quickly bowed in gratitude.
"Cultivate diligently henceforth," Jiang Yan replied, shaking his head.
"We shall obey, Sect Master!"
After a pause, Jean could not help but speak:
"Sect Master, about Barbara's current realm…"
The others also looked on curiously. Barbara and Paimon's current states were unlike anything they had seen before—short of Refining Essence into Qi, yet still possessing strength.
It seemed Jiang Yan's earlier words—that most Vision-bearers had not even reached the level of Refining Essence into Qi—had been proven true.
Though the immortal path had only four great realms, not everyone could begin as Refining Essence into Qi.
Jiang Yan's gaze settled on Barbara. Nervously, she lowered her head, clutching at her robe. She knew her strength fell short of Mount Shu's standard, and being under Jiang Yan's scrutiny left her uneasy.
"Barbara and Paimon's state, in the cultivation world, is called the stage of Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment."
"Strictly speaking, it is not recognized as a formal realm. It is the preparatory phase before truly stepping onto the immortal path."
"From first sensing spiritual energy, to circulating it through the body, to condensing it into true essence and settling it in the dantian—that is the process of Foundation Establishment. Only upon completing this does one formally become an early-stage Refining Essence into Qi cultivator."
"It is not literally one hundred days. The term comes from the fact that most geniuses complete Foundation Establishment within a hundred days. Hence, the title."
"This phase is not truly a realm in itself. Only Refining Essence into Qi marks the first true step upon the immortal road."
"However…"
Jiang Yan fell briefly silent, then continued:
"In the future, there will surely be many like Barbara. Since that is so, I shall formally designate Hundred-Day Foundation Establishment as its own recognized stage."
"By its standards—Barbara, who has already refined spiritual energy into true essence but not yet settled it in her dantian, stands at Foundation Establishment Peak."
"As for Paimon—she has only just begun to sense spiritual energy. She stands at Foundation Establishment Early Stage."
None had expected Jean's casual question to result in the creation of a new stage.
In the past, this phase had been irrelevant—they themselves had all begun at Refining Essence into Qi. But for the thousands of disciples to be recruited, this new classification would prove invaluable.
Jean nudged Barbara, who quickly bowed, her voice earnest:
"Many thanks, Sect Master, for your guidance."
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