Hearing Lumine's words, Jiang Yan chuckled lightly. With a single thought, starlight rippled around the twenty-eight constellations he had summoned.
In that instant, heaven and earth themselves seemed to solidify, awaiting Jiang Yan's command.
Countless stars shone within the daylight sky, trembling faintly as if they might fall at any moment.
Only after a long while did Jiang Yan wave his sleeve, dispersing the vision.
"The Purifying Heaven-and-Earth Mantra—one of the Eight Great Divine Mantras of Daoism. Cultivated to its peak, it becomes a true Immortal law."
"By wielding it, you may suppress demons, summon spirits, command the stars, move the Five Sacred Peaks, sweep away all evil—using the righteous qi of heaven and earth itself to crush your foes."
"When you recite the Purifying Heaven-and-Earth Mantra, every span of the world within your sight lies within your grasp."
At those words, Paimon's eyes lit up like stars.
"Paimon… Paimon can learn this too?"
Jiang Yan inclined his head, his voice gentle:
"Of course. But with your current cultivation, you cannot yet stir the power of the Purifying Heaven-and-Earth Mantra. Even with your Star Physique, you must at least reach the peak of Refining Essence into Qi before you can barely summon its might."
"Until then, you will study the True Explanation of the Foundational Mantras. Though considered basic, it contains myriad spells—and is no ordinary inheritance."
As he finished, Jiang Yan tapped lightly in the air.
Instantly, Paimon's mind brimmed with an endless stream of mantras:
The Five Elements Mantra,
The Taiyi Mantra,
The Dust-Dispelling Mantra…
And darker ones as well:
The Soul-Devouring Mantra,
The Spirit-Imprisoning Mantra,
and countless others.
So vast and dazzling was the collection that Paimon's head nearly spun. None were yet within her reach, but still, after much pondering, she looked up, eyes sparkling.
"Thank you, Sect Master! Paimon will train super hard!"
Jiang Yan smiled, nodding in approval, before turning his gaze upon Lumine.
"Lumine. What I will pass to you is another of my sword-dao methods."
"Its name—The Divine Sword Lightning True Formula."
"This was the art I used only days ago, when crossing the thunder tribulation to ascend from Spirit Transformation to Void-Returning. Watch closely."
As he spoke, Jiang Yan pressed his fingers together into a sword-seal. His entire being seemed to transform into a celestial sword that pierced the skies.
"Nine Heavens profound, transform into divine thunder—majestic heavenly lightning, guided by the sword!"
The clear sky above instantly gathered a bolt of purple-gold divine lightning.
That lightning itself was like a blade. With the faintest tremor, it seemed as though the very Mount Shu World would be cut asunder.
Startled, Jiang Yan immediately suppressed most of its power. With a flick of his finger, the divine thunder swept outward, sword-like, slicing across the heavens from Mount Shu to the distant boundary of this world.
Every last drifting cloud along the way was instantly scoured away.
That day, the entire eastern sky of Mount Shu lay utterly cloudless.
Lumine stood dazed, staring at the farthest east. At that moment, she suddenly understood the path she needed to walk.
If she could wield power like Jiang Yan's…
No tragedy would ever repeat itself.
The Divine Sword Lightning True Formula…
Lumine's eyes burned with excitement as she looked upon him.
Jiang Yan withdrew his true essence, returning with the two girls to the main hall. Having released a sliver of his strength, he felt unexpectedly refreshed in spirit.
Even though that was far from his full power, at his current realm—Void-Returning at its peak—even in the golden age of the Immortal Dao, he would have been a pillar able to guard an entire region.
In that world, cultivators who had merged with the Dao were not rare—yet only within the greatest sects like Mount Shu. Elsewhere, even a Spirit Transformation cultivator was counted a great power.
But such comparisons downward were meaningless.
Drawing back his thoughts, Jiang Yan looked at Lumine's eager expression and smiled softly.
"How did you find the Divine Sword Lightning True Formula?"
"Strong! Stronger than anything I could have imagined!"
Jiang Yan chuckled, fixing his gaze upon her.
"Then tell me—just now, was I wielding thunder, or was I wielding the sword?"
Lumine froze. She realized this was a test. Closing her eyes, she recalled the scene.
A sword? It was clearly thunder transformed.
Thunder? But what she felt was unmistakably sword-qi and sword-intent.
Long silence. Then, like lightning, inspiration struck.
"Neither thunder, nor sword!"
A faint smile flickered across Jiang Yan's eyes.
"Then what was it?"
Lumine lifted her head confidently.
"It was heaven and earth themselves."
"The will of heaven and earth, manifested as divine thunder, shaped as a colossal sword."
"Though it seemed both sword and lightning, its essence lay not in form, but in the will of the world itself."
"The Divine Sword Lightning True Formula commands the will of heaven and earth, and with that majesty crushes its foes!"
Jiang Yan nodded with satisfaction.
"As expected of one with the Glazed Sword Heart. You saw the essence in a glance. But there is one correction."
"The True Formula does not control heaven and earth—it summons them."
"When this art is invoked, heaven and earth themselves respond to your command. That is its true nature."
"Thus, the Divine Sword Lightning True Formula is a genuine Immortal art—the town-sealing inheritance of Mount Shu in the Upper Realm."
"In millions of years, those who have mastered it are exceedingly few."
"I can pass it on to you. Lumine—do you have the confidence to master such a law?"
Lumine fell silent, her eyes serious.
"This disciple… is willing to try."
She could not say she was certain. Confidence—yes, but not arrogance.
If this was a true Immortal law, and in endless eras few had succeeded, how could she, a mere cultivator from a minor world, claim absolute assurance?
Genius? In Mount Shu, one of the greatest sects, genius was not rare.
Not every genius became an immortal.
She knew this truth as clear as day: being a genius only earned her the right to stand before Jiang Yan. To matter in his eyes, she must prove herself through her own Dao.
In the cultivation world, geniuses were plentiful. But only those who endured became true great ones.
What mattered most was not talent, but the Dao-heart.
"Good. You are not arrogant despite your Glazed Sword Heart."
Jiang Yan smiled, his voice approving.
"You already have the makings of a true strong one."
"Remember—Mount Shu has never lacked for talent. In its golden age, even divine physiques numbered in the dozens. Among the elders, many bore legendary bodies—the Chaos Physique, the Green Lotus Dao Body…"
"Yet among the three great Taiyi elders, one had no special physique at all."
"Talent is precious. But in the end, what decides your height is your Dao-heart."
"What fate gives you is limited. What you seize for yourself is infinite."
Then he turned his gaze upon Paimon as well, his tone weighty.
"If a genius fails to grow, they are but a dead genius. Mount Shu does not care for such."
"In the cultivation world, no one respects you for being talented. They only respect you if you are strong."
"Do you wish to be remembered as a genius—or revered as a strong one? That choice lies with you."
"Even within Mount Shu today, you are not alone. Klee's Crimson Emperor Burning Heaven Body ranks among the foremost divine physiques."
"I hope neither of you waste what you have been given. Temper your Dao-hearts. Pursue only the summit."
"Earn respect through your power—not through empty talent."
The two girls bowed solemnly, committing every word to heart.
"The disciple will remember!"
Jiang Yan waved his hand. The Sword-Controlling Art entered their minds, along with a simplified version of the Divine Sword Lightning True Formula, given separately to Lumine.
"When you have mastered the simplified version, I will pass to you the true Divine Sword Lightning True Formula."
"For now, go to the Library Pavilion and choose your supplementary techniques."
Suppressing their urge to immediately inspect the scriptures now within their minds, the two disciples bowed and departed quickly.
Outside the main hall, they exchanged glances.
Paimon could no longer restrain her excitement. She threw her arms around Lumine.
"Lumine! Paimon's gonna be super amazing now! Master's gonna teach me the Purifying Heaven-and-Earth Mantra!"
Lumine giggled, pinching her cheek.
"Silly! I heard him too."
"But Master was right. We mustn't grow arrogant just because we have divine bodies. The sect wants strong ones, not mere talents."
Paimon stuck out her tongue.
"Geez, you don't need to lecture me either! Paimon's very smart, you know!"
She pumped her little fists, eyes blazing.
"Once I've trained enough, I'll hunt down fierce beasts myself! No more just watching you do it, Lumine!"
"From now on, Paimon's gonna be the strongest foodie in the cultivation world! I'll eat every fierce beast there is!"
Her strange ambition burned brightly in her eyes.
The two stood atop the mountain for a while, letting the cool breeze settle their hearts, before hurrying toward the Library Pavilion.
Not long after they left, a faint blue figure slipped silently from the mountainside. Cloaked in invisibility, she rose on her sword.
Most believed only Klee was permitted to fly freely over Tongtian Peak. But in truth, Ganyu held that right as well.
She simply kept it hidden.
After all, as the Sect Master's wife, even if she did not wish for exposure, certain privileges were unavoidable.
Now she stood outside the main hall, watching quietly for a long time, torn with hesitation.
But the next moment, a gentle breeze nudged her forward—sending her into the hall.
By the time she realized it, she was already seated beside Jiang Yan.
He looked at her with amused eyes.
Ganyu's face flushed scarlet. She lowered her head, whispering timidly:
"Mas… Jiang Yan…"
"Lurking outside in secret. What were you looking at?" Jiang Yan teased.
Her voice was soft as a mosquito's, muttering:
"I was just… worried about you. You made such a commotion just now…"
"Oh? Truly?" Jiang Yan smiled, drawing her gently into his arms.
"Then what were those eyes you gave me before?"
Her whole body went hot. Ganyu bit her lip, unable to answer.
Only after a long while did she mumble an excuse, weak and unrelated:
"My… my eyes felt itchy…"
Jiang Yan laughed helplessly. Looking at her delicate, bashful face, he found her all the more endearing.
"I thought perhaps your cultivation was unstable, and you came seeking me for a session of dual practice."
"!!!"
Ganyu's head shot up, her star-bright eyes wide and unblinking.
"C-could we…?"
Jiang Yan's smile deepened. Having once tasted that sweetness with his qilin, how could he not miss it?
Especially when such cultivation was both joyous and strengthening.
He had only recently broken through to the peak of Void-Returning. Such a milestone deserved celebration—and Ganyu had been no small part of that success.
Without further hesitation, Jiang Yan scooped her up and stepped forward, entering the cave-heaven he had opened.
This pocket realm, about the size of Liyue Harbor, clung to the Mount Shu World.
It was the secret place where he and Ganyu had long conducted their hidden cultivation together.
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