At the Northland Bank.
The Tsaritsa, Arlecchino, and Rosalyne stood by the third-floor window, gazing down at Liyue Harbor, which had suddenly erupted into noise and excitement.
From time to time, sword-riding figures in Mount Shu disciple robes streaked across the sky.
The envy in their eyes was about to spill over.
Not that those disciples were particularly strong—truth be told, Rosalyne could take any of them down with a single strike.
But… the effortless grace of sword flight—that was something she simply couldn't imitate.
Besides, just a week ago, these people had all been ordinary mortals. Now, every last one of them had stepped into Foundation Establishment.
Such a meteoric rise in strength left Rosalyne and the others deeply envious.
Especially since, even though it was "only" Foundation Establishment, the raw power of their true essence was something the three of them could feel.
Compared to that true essence, their elemental power—even divine authority itself—looked like fragile children's toys.
Out in the streets, the crowd was shouting, children chasing after the sword-flying immortals, crying out:
"The cultivators have returned!"
That triumphant return home had the Mount Shu disciples overjoyed, faces flushed with excitement.
Even Liyue, usually so strict, hadn't banned flying. The sword-riders were allowed to roam freely across the sky.
Directly across from the Northland Bank was the Feiyun Commerce Guild's branch.
From afar, the three could see two figures descending on flying swords and landing at the entrance.
"Master! Master! Come quickly—the young masters have returned!"
"Master! Madam! Hurry—our guild's cultivators are back!"
The gate guards were jumping up and down in excitement, eyes full of admiration for Xingyun and Xingqiu.
The fame of the Feiyun Commerce Guild's "twin prodigies, both admitted to Mount Shu" had already spread through the entire harbor.
As guild members, they felt immense pride—telling everyone they met that both their young masters were now cultivators.
Their father had long been waiting for this day. Earlier, when he saw the countless streaks of light in the sky—immortals returning by sword flight—he knew his two sons must also be among them.
So he had been waiting in the courtyard all afternoon for his precious heirs to arrive.
Hearing the shouts outside, he immediately strode out the door.
There they were—Xingqiu and Xingyun.
The father's eyes shone with pride.
"Good… good!"
"As expected of the qilin children of our Xing clan. Just look at your bearing, the robes suit you so perfectly—it's like you've stepped straight out of a painting of the immortals."
Xingyun lowered his head, ashamed.
"Forgive me, Father. I've let you down—I failed to enter the Inner Sect."
"What foolish talk is that?"
The father waved his hand, laughing heartily.
"Out of over a million candidates, even one in a thousand got in! For my sons to be among them—our ancestors must be smiling in their graves. You've made us proud already!"
"As for Xingqiu, don't compare yourself. That child has dreamed of cultivation since he could walk—of course it suits him better."
"You were just less prepared this time, that's all. I've no doubt you'll ascend to the Inner Sect soon enough."
"You've done marvelously, Yun'er. You've brought glory to the Xing family!"
"Madam! Fetch the meat from that spirit beast we kept—we'll hold a feast tonight to welcome Yun'er and Qiu'er home!"
Xingqiu puffed up with pride and shook his head.
"Father, why waste Foundation-level spirit beast meat? A few days ago, I went exploring beyond Mount Shu's Seven Peaks and personally slew a spirit beast of the Qi-Refining stage."
"How about using that as the main dish instead?"
Father was stunned.
"Qi-Refining… you mean you…?"
"I've already advanced to the early stage of Qi-Refining."
Xingqiu lifted his chin proudly.
Though envious, Xingyun chimed in to praise his brother:
"It's true, Father. Xingqiu's an Inner Sect disciple. He receives frequent guidance from the Sect Master himself. His cultivation at the Qi-Refining stage is already stable, and his Mount Shu Sword Control Arts are excellent.
"To him, slaying a Qi-Refining beast is effortless."
Father's jaw nearly dropped.
"You… you meet the Sect Master personally?"
Xingqiu scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, not often, of course. The Sect Master oversees all of Mount Shu and is a cultivator at the peak of Spirit Transformation Returning to Void, striving to ascend to Unity of Dao. He's far too busy for constant meetings.
"But still, as Inner Sect disciples, we do have some privileges. We see him more than the outer disciples, at least."
Their father's eyes filled with longing. Then he laughed warmly, pulling both sons close.
"Enough—let's talk inside. If people hear us out here, they'll think we're flaunting the fact that our family now has two cultivators—one even an Inner Sect disciple!"
"Come, come. Tonight, tell me everything about that sacred land of cultivation, Mount Shu. Those rumors and scraps others brought back were never enough.
"I've long wanted to hear firsthand stories—about the sect itself, and about the great Sect Master."
The two brothers nodded happily, and together with the whole family, they disappeared inside the guild.
Across the street, every detail of this scene was taken in by the Tsaritsa and her two Harbingers.
As Xingqiu was about to step inside, he cast one glance their way.
That sharp gaze, brimming with sword intent, made both Rosalyne and Arlecchino flinch.
For an instant, their hearts seized with unease.
By the time they exchanged a look, they were both shaken.
A week ago, Xingqiu was someone they barely noticed. Now…
How could a single week of cultivation create such a dangerous aura?
"That Xingqiu…"
The Tsaritsa finally spoke.
Rosalyne snapped out of her daze, quickly answering:
"Your Majesty, he's an Inner Sect disciple of Mount Shu."
"Inner Sect…" The Tsaritsa narrowed her eyes.
"He said Inner Sect disciples have certain privileges—frequent audiences with the Sect Master himself."
"Doesn't that mean Tartaglia too…?"
Rosalyne hesitated, then shook her head.
"Not necessarily. Even for Inner Sect disciples, I doubt meetings are so casual. After all, Mount Shu still has Peak Lords and Elders to handle affairs."
"The Sect Master is said to be at the pinnacle of Spirit Transformation Returning to Void, a single step away from Dao Unity. With such cultivation, he won't concern himself with daily minutiae."
"So even Inner Sect disciples probably only rarely see him."
The Tsaritsa didn't comment further.
"At the very least, it's still far more than what outer disciples or menial servants could ever dream of."
"Which brings me to this—why hasn't Tartaglia returned yet? Isn't today the day when Mount Shu disciples reenter Teyvat?"
Rosalyne froze, then cautiously suggested:
"Shall I inquire with that Xingqiu? As fellow Inner Sect disciples, he and Tartaglia must be acquainted."
The Tsaritsa was about to nod when her gaze caught a distant figure.
Tall and lean, gliding toward the bank on a flying sword, robes fluttering in the wind.
Though clad in Mount Shu robes, that figure was unmistakably Tartaglia.
And yet… the closer he came, the clearer it was—there was reluctance etched on his face.
It looked as if he didn't even want to return.
The Tsaritsa's eyes narrowed, displeasure stirring in her heart.
Moments later, Tartaglia landed before the bank.
Ignoring the frenzied greetings of the Fatui below, he swept his divine sense across the building, instantly locking onto the Tsaritsa's location.
That sweep alone made Rosalyne's heart lurch. It was the same suffocating dread she had once felt when Lisa crushed Fatui outposts in Mondstadt with nothing but her divine sense.
She shivered.
"This feeling…"
"What is it?" Arlecchino frowned.
Rosalyne drew a deep breath.
"When I met Lisa in Mondstadt, she used this same strange power. With it, she leveled entire outposts, leaving our people unconscious with no resistance at all.
"It's that exact same force."
A voice cut in smoothly:
"That would be divine sense."
Their vision blurred—suddenly Tartaglia, who had been downstairs, was now standing right in front of them.
Only the Tsaritsa had barely sensed the shift. Rosalyne and Arlecchino hadn't even noticed until he was already there.
They nearly lashed out, but a mere pulse of Tartaglia's divine sense left them frozen in place.
Even Rosalyne, proud as she was, couldn't move a muscle.
Seeing her so helpless filled Tartaglia with secret satisfaction.
His sour mood about returning melted into smug delight.
With a respectful bow, he addressed the Tsaritsa:
"Your Majesty."
She regarded him with amused interest.
"Release them."
He chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head as he withdrew his divine sense.
Both women gasped for breath, looking at Tartaglia with new wariness.
A single week ago, they could trample him with ease. Now, he could paralyze them with a thought.
Was cultivation truly this powerful?
"How could you grow so strong in just a few days?"
The Tsaritsa asked lightly, "That force—it's called divine sense? It seems similar to elemental sight."
Tartaglia shook his head.
"It may look similar, but divine sense is far more versatile. It can probe enemies, shield allies… even attack.
"If I had poured more power into it just now, Rosalyne would've been reduced to a drooling fool."
Rosalyne's face darkened, glaring at him.
"You—!"
But one cold glance from Tartaglia, and she bit her tongue.
She couldn't deny it—she truly couldn't beat him now.
She even doubted whether Pierro himself could handle Tartaglia anymore.
How had he gotten so strong so fast?
"What realm are you at now?" asked the Tsaritsa.
Tartaglia puffed his chest with pride.
"Mid-stage Qi-Refining."
"Mid-stage?!" Rosalyne blurted, stunned.
"How is your progress so fast? Xingqiu is only early-stage—and he's Inner Sect as well. Did you ride a rocket?"
Tartaglia shrugged.
"My original strength was already higher. After conversion, it naturally pushed me straight to mid-stage."
Rosalyne blinked, then sneered.
"So in truth, you haven't broken through anything at all."
"…Hah?"
Tartaglia grinned dangerously.
"Do you even know cultivation? If I could leap to late-stage in one week, I'd already be the Sect Master's personal heir.
"And you dare say I've made no progress? Believe it or not, I could kill you now without even using a proper technique."
As his voice fell, a flying sword manifested behind him, radiating killing intent.
Rosalyne fell silent.
Only then did she remember—whether or not he'd 'broken through,' he was still a cultivator now.
And even at mid-stage Qi-Refining, snuffing her out would be as easy as crushing an ant.
Different realms. Different worlds.
From now on… she would have to think twice before mouthing off to Tartaglia.
The thought left her uncharacteristically dejected.