"Furina, you are born with Heavenly Spiritual Roots, and you have also passed all nine stages of the Heart-Testing Array. Both your temperament and aptitude are top tier."
"Currently, Tongtian Peak, Dragonhead Peak, and Bamboo Peak are suitable for you. Which will you choose?"
Jiang Yan looked at Furina first, his gaze filled with appreciation.
Heavenly Spiritual Roots, combined with all nine trials of the Heart-Testing Array… Furina was practically born for cultivation.
Perhaps she was not skilled in battle now, but Jiang Yan would never underestimate her future.
As long as she was given room to grow, Furina was destined to become a pillar of Mount Shu.
Furina did not deliberate for long. Her mind settled quickly.
Dragonhead Peak oversaw the Hall of Discipline , and most of its disciples joined that hall. The Hall of Discipline monitored the conduct of all Mount Shu disciples, wielding special authority.
That sounded perfectly suited for her—she was, after all, the God of Justice.
Bamboo Peak specialized in all kinds of spellcraft, primarily with female disciples. There, Furina could fully showcase her talent.
But…
Why choose elsewhere, when she could choose Tongtian Peak?
After all, Tongtian Peak was where the Sect Master himself resided. It was the true core of Mount Shu—the reason it was called the Mount Shu Sword Sect.
Lifting her head, Furina looked firmly at Jiang Yan.
"I want to join Tongtian Peak!"
Jiang Yan nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze past her to Hu Tao.
"Hu Tao, supreme Fire Spiritual Root, seventh stage of the Heart-Testing Array—you shall join Dragonhead Peak."
Hu Tao's eyes lit up. After blinking, she tilted her head curiously:
"Sect Master, which peak is Qiqi in?"
At the sound of her name from Hu Tao's mouth, Qiqi trembled slightly and instinctively hid behind Ningguang and the others.
"Qiqi is a disciple of Tongtian Peak," Jiang Yan replied with a smile.
"Then… can I join Tongtian Peak too?"
At that, Qiqi's eyes went wide. She hurriedly pleaded with Jiang Yan.
But he shook his head with a chuckle.
"The peak you enter is chosen for what suits your cultivation best. Tongtian Peak is renowned for sword cultivation—its methods are not suited for you. Dragonhead Peak's fighting styles are more diverse."
"Senior Seat Zhongli's Clear Origin Manifest True Art can summon Erlang Shen himself, while Xiao's Flying Cloud Overlord Spear Art is a top-tier spear technique."
"In Dragonhead Peak, your combat talents will be better brought out."
Of course, this was only half the truth. Tongtian Peak did indeed specialize in sword cultivation, but…
It wasn't as though there were no exceptions.
For example, Ganyu, who specialized in archery—though in her own words, "a bow is just another kind of sword."
Then there were spellcasters like Klee and Guuji Yae.
All of them belonged to Tongtian Peak.
But Jiang Yan had his reasons.
One, Hu Tao's fiery nature indeed matched Dragonhead Peak's methods.
Two… if Hu Tao and Qiqi were placed together, Tongtian Peak would never know peace.
Qiqi would end up crying to him every day—and just thinking about those pitiful eyes was enough to make him feel helpless.
Better to keep the two apart.
Hearing his explanation, Hu Tao did not press the matter. She nodded and stayed quiet.
Jiang Yan continued assigning disciples.
The rest were easier to place.
Yelan and Beidou joined Dragonhead Peak. Kaedehara Kazuha, being a descendant of one of Raiden's Five Generals, was placed in Windreturn Peak. Even there, his swordsmanship would not be hindered—and his talent for forging would instead be developed.
Tighnari and Collei, once master and disciple, both entered Great Bamboo Peak. Though from now on, Collei would need to address Tighnari as Senior Brother. Who knew what they thought of that?
Alhaitham joined Morning Sun Peak to study formations. Though unfamiliar with the art, he was pleased—he had always felt it suited him.
Dehya, Clorinde, and Tartaglia were all assigned to Dragonhead Peak.
This time, Dragonhead Peak had expanded greatly, filled with top talents.
Zhongli's joy was plain to see.
After all, he was Dragonhead Peak's chief seat. The stronger the peak became, the brighter his face shone. Perhaps when these disciples grew strong enough to handle Hall of Discipline duties, his monthly stipend might even increase.
Jiang Yan was also satisfied.
Compared to the other peaks, Dragonhead Peak's responsibilities were weightier—supervising disciples' conduct, waging campaigns, safeguarding Mount Shu's honor.
Especially now, with Mount Shu's growing strength, the Hall of Discipline was indispensable.
He had long intended to bolster Dragonhead Peak.
Relying only on Zhongli, Xiao, and a handful of others left them overworked and distracted from cultivation.
Take Venti, for example. That troublemaker caused enough chaos on his own to split Zhongli and Xiao's attention in half.
Now, with more manpower, the Hall of Discipline would be steadier.
Next came Xingqiu, born with the makings of a sword cultivator. Naturally, he entered Tongtian Peak.
It was strange. Bamboo Peak was meant to be the all-female peak, yet under Jiang Yan, Tongtian Peak was filled with women.
Now, with Xingqiu, at least there was some semblance of yin-yang balance.
Though… he still looked rather like a girl.
As for Chongyun, Jiang Yan placed him in Windreturn Peak.
But speaking of Chongyun…
Jiang Yan cast a thoughtful glance at Shenhe.
"Shenhe, your whole family seems blessed with extraordinary constitutions. You are born with the Pure Yin Body, and Chongyun actually has the Pure Yang Body…"
At that, a faint smile tugged at Shenhe's lips.
Through cultivation, her physique's negative effects had gradually faded. Once she began cultivating the Pure Maiden Scripture, she would soon regain the emotions of a normal human.
"Sect Master, is the Pure Yang Body very powerful?" Ningguang asked curiously.
After all, Chongyun's struggles with his constitution were no secret in Liyue Harbor.
Even in the dead of winter, he needed ice creams to cool down. A bit of heat or spice left him in… an unusual state.
Nosebleeds were a common occurrence.
Though… he was a natural at exorcising spirits.
Of course, Hu Tao refused to admit that.
Chongyun's exorcisms usually ended with him charging forward, touching the spirit, and it vanishing in a puff of smoke.
To Hu Tao, who upheld balance between the living and the dead, this was unacceptable.
What of spirits? Spirits had good and evil, and many were her clients!
If Chongyun could control his talent, she would have punched him long ago.
"The Pure Yang Body is a constitution of extreme yang and masculinity. Among special physiques, it is indeed a fine one." Jiang Yan explained. Then he added:
"Still, Chongyun, I imagine you've suffered plenty from it?"
Chongyun sighed helplessly and bowed.
"Master sees clearly. This disciple has indeed been tormented by the Pure Yang Body. Whenever emotions run high—or if I eat anything spicy—I fall into…"
He trailed off. He didn't want to say.
Once, Xingqiu tricked him into drinking a mouthful of strong liquor.
The next day, he remembered nothing—only that he had streaked through the marketplace, fined over a million Mora for disturbing the peace.
In other words…
He had nearly run naked.
After that, Xingqiu learned his lesson and never dared again.
For Chongyun, the Pure Yang Body held nothing but painful memories.
Like the countless summer nights when he woke to find his pillow soaked in nosebleeds. Utterly miserable.
Jiang Yan chuckled, glancing at him with a hint of mischief.
"The Pure Yang Body is suited to cultivating supreme yang arts, allowing rapid progress. But that is only true for cultivators. For ordinary people, special physiques are indeed often more curse than blessing."
"Still, you are fortunate. Do you know the Pure Yang Body's nickname in the cultivation world?"
Chongyun froze. A bad premonition rose in his heart.
"The Pure Yang Body," Jiang Yan said slowly, "is also known as the Furnace Body. It is most beloved by female cultivators of the Joyous Union Sect. Absorbing the essence of a Pure Yang Body can make their strength soar."
"If you had been born in the cultivation world, you would likely have been seized long ago and kept as a plaything."
The crowd burst into laughter. Chongyun's face turned Crimson.
A plaything…
Wasn't that just a euphemism for a… machine?!
What was good about this physique, really?!
The women, however, were unmoved.
The Pure Yang Body was fine, but they weren't interested.
Besides, when it came to dual cultivation, Jiang Yan was clearly the best choice.
Powerful, handsome…
And Ganyu had already proven the results firsthand—advancing from mid-stage Refining Essence into Qi to the peak in one leap, now preparing for her next breakthrough.
Compared to that, what was a mere Pure Yang Body? The Innate Dao Body was far superior for dual cultivation!
Still, the women couldn't help but sigh.
The Shen family's luck was uncanny.
Shenhe with her Pure Yin Body had skyrocketed in cultivation and combat power.
And now Chongyun, with his Pure Yang Body—he too would advance rapidly on his path.
But…
Both were top-tier Furnace Bodies.
Good fortune, perhaps—but a little crooked in direction.
At least now that they could cultivate, the Shen family could be called Mount Shu's "Twin Stars."
Xingqiu, watching Chongyun's crimson face, teased:
"Honestly, Chongyun's physique isn't so bad. In the cultivation world, female cultivators are often dazzling. If one favored him, wouldn't that be a fine match?"
Chongyun glared daggers at him.
Jiang Yan raised a brow and shook his head.
"Not quite. You must understand—the cultivation world is vast. Some men are born with extreme yin constitutions. They too require a Pure Yang Body to balance themselves. And so…"
The crowd fell silent. The men, especially, went stiff.
"Don't tell me…"
Diluc pressed his lips together, uneasy.
"Such men… would actually seek out Pure Yang Bodies for cultivation? Yin with yang…"
Jiang Yan gave Chongyun a meaningful look and nodded.
Instantly, Chongyun's face drained of color.
If he had been born in the cultivation world… and caught the eye of some man with an extreme yin physique…
Wouldn't that mean…
He was the only male heir of his family—he must never tread that path of no return!
Xingqiu could, though. After all, he had an older brother!
Such hardship was best left to him. And besides—he already looked the part of a girl.
Not only Chongyun—every man present grew silent, even inching a little farther apart.
When their eyes met, there was a trace of… wariness.
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