"Actually… it's not exactly like that…"
Tartaglia wanted to explain that his cultivation technique wasn't as vicious as it sounded.
But the Cryo Archon, blood pressure spiking, clearly had no patience for such excuses. She took a deep breath, stared straight at him, and asked:
"So—what cultivation technique?"
"…Blood-Reversing Demon Blade."
At that, the Cryo Archon's face flushed red with anger.
"Your technique might as well have the words Demonic Cultivation stamped on its cover! And you dare say you're not cultivating a demonic art?!"
"Well… it's actually not that dangerous," Tartaglia said with little confidence.
Rosalyne, however, perked up with interest.
"So what's its manifestation?"
Tartaglia shot her a glare, fell silent for a moment, then said even more meekly:
"Blood-Reversing Demon Blade—kills but never wounds. It condenses a demonic blade from an enemy's essence blood and fresh blood. The moment they're struck, all their blood essence is drained away…"
"And then… they die."
"The absorbed blood essence will be converted, speeding up my cultivation."
Hearing this, the Cryo Archon nearly fainted on the spot. Rosalyne and Arlecchino both frowned and silently put some distance between themselves and Tartaglia.
This wasn't just demonic cultivation.
This was a technique screaming I want to kill.
Strike once—and the opponent dies on the spot.
What kind of vicious technique was this? It even devoured other people's essence blood.
Wasn't this basically a blood-draining blade?
Compared to this, Lisa's Soul Burning Hellfire seemed barely acceptable. But Tartaglia's technique? No mercy, no retreat—the moment you used it, someone's life was forfeit.
How could Mount Shu let him cultivate something like this?
Was this really a technique fit for an orthodox immortal sect?
"Blood-Reversing Demon Blade… how could you possibly choose such a thing…"
The Cryo Archon massaged her temples, face filled with worry.
No matter how she calculated, the one thing she feared most was Tartaglia making trouble.
And of course, he hadn't disappointed—he hadn't just stirred trouble, he'd gone and cultivated a full-blown demonic art!
"Eh, it's not that bad…" Tartaglia muttered.
"Senior Lisa's cultivating Soul Burning Hellfire. Senior Yae is a yokai cultivator. Diluc's gone the Buddhist route. And among the new disciples this round, some even became ghost cultivators."
"Mine isn't that special in comparison, right?"
The Cryo Archon immediately snapped back:
"Are their techniques kill-on-sight like yours?!"
"Well… sort of."
Tartaglia answered vaguely.
The Cryo Archon sighed, too tired to argue further.
"So then, how does Mount Shu view you cultivating this technique?"
After a moment's hesitation, Tartaglia scratched his cheek.
"Master said—power itself has no right or wrong, and cultivation arts aren't inherently good or evil. So, he didn't forbid me."
"So now you admit you're practicing a demonic art?"
Arlecchino interjected.
Tartaglia chuckled awkwardly.
"I can't just ignore the truth. Sure, my technique is a bit sinister, but since Master didn't oppose me, what's the harm? Anyway, as long as I control myself and don't use it against fellow disciples, it's fine. Against demons and monsters, there's no issue at all."
"Mount Shu's open-minded—they know it's not the art itself, but the one who wields it."
The Cryo Archon let out another long sigh, staring at him helplessly.
"Forget it. Since Mount Shu tolerates it, we can't fault you. But this technique's killing nature is far too strong—you must keep control. Otherwise, Mount Shu may very well use you as a cautionary example."
Tartaglia's expression grew solemn.
"I will never use this art against my fellow sect members or innocent people."
Hearing his vow, the Cryo Archon reluctantly accepted it.
Silence lingered, until Rosalyne shot her a meaningful glance.
Catching on, the Cryo Archon asked:
"One more thing. Do you have a way to recommend us into Mount Shu?"
Tartaglia blinked.
"Your Majesty… you wish to enter Mount Shu?"
"Of course. With cultivation spreading across Teyvat, who wouldn't want to?"
The Cryo Archon's tone carried its own question.
"From your perspective—should we continue the Gnosis Plan, or should we pursue cultivation?"
Tartaglia pursed his lips.
"To be frank… the Gnosis Plan is hardly worth mentioning anymore. Take Peak Lord Zhongli, for example—his techniques are perfected, he wields the top-tier spiritual sword, Profound One Sword, and his cultivation is immense. It's not impossible for him to fight Heaven's Principle itself."
"So the Gnosis Plan isn't all that necessary."
The Cryo Archon nodded slightly, understanding.
"You mean, at least at the late Nascent Soul stage, correct?"
After some thought, Tartaglia nodded.
"Conservatively, yes. Late Nascent Soul is the minimum. Of course, if one reaches the Void Refining stage, that's even safer."
Void Refining…
The Cryo Archon gave a bitter smile. That realm was far beyond her reach.
"If you were to cultivate up to late Nascent Soul… how long would it take?"
"Conservatively? With enough resources, at least a thousand years."
"A thousand years… far too long."
The Cryo Archon shook her head regretfully.
For an immortal, a millennium was nothing.
But for Teyvat, such a span was unbearable.
In the end, perhaps the Gnosis Plan was still necessary.
"But for you, Your Majesty—it might not take that long," Tartaglia suddenly added, rekindling her hope.
"As I said, cultivation converts from your original strength. When Peak Lord Zhongli took the immortal path, he directly became a late Nascent Soul cultivator. You likely aren't much weaker than he once was. If you join Mount Shu, you might not need the Gnosis Plan at all—you could soon cast off Heaven's Principle's shadow."
The Cryo Archon's heart leapt with joy.
She wasn't Zhongli's equal, but she wasn't weak either.
Given the chance, she believed she could catch up.
If she could reach late Nascent Soul quickly, Heaven's Principle would no longer be a threat.
So the question circled back—how to enter Mount Shu?
"So, about what I asked—do you have a way?"
"This…" Tartaglia hesitated.
"I'm not sure. Mount Shu exists to slay demons and uphold justice. From their standpoint, much of what the Fatui have done would disqualify us… some might even mark us for elimination. At the very least, Rosalyne here was rejected in the first round of screening."
At this reminder of her failure, Rosalyne scowled, especially since Tartaglia—once weaker than her—now cowed her with a single sweep of divine sense.
The Cryo Archon, however, remained calm.
"Back then, Rosalyne only acted under the Harbinger and the Doctor's pressure. Their schemes were not ours. Everything was their doing."
Tartaglia raised a brow. Clearly, the Cryo Archon intended to push all blame onto the Doctor and the Jester—abandoning some to give herself a chance at cultivation.
She had already chosen to put everything into the immortal path.
Seeing her resolve, Tartaglia said at last:
"I'll probe Peak Lord Zhongli. He heads the Hall of Discipline, so it's his say on disciplinary matters. If he loosens his stance, I'll go to Master and ask him to consider you. Perhaps… you could even become a Peak Lord or an inner elder."
The Cryo Archon exhaled in relief.
"To cultivate is enough—the rest doesn't matter."
With that, she withdrew a piece of early Foundation Establishment beast meat from Tartaglia's Vision. Studying the savage qi within it, she couldn't help but sigh.
"Have someone prepare this. Tartaglia, you're not rushing back to Mount Shu, are you?"
Tartaglia nodded.
"After today, we can come and go freely with our disciple tokens. But I don't want to stay away too long. Tomorrow I can visit the Sutra Pavilion to pick a new technique. I also need contribution points for resources, so I'll be taking tasks daily at the Hall of Merit. Mount Shu's environment is far better—rich in spiritual energy. And I still lack a suitable artifact—I'll have to scour the Sword Forest for one."
"There's the Nine Nether Secret Realm exploration in a month, and the Seven Peaks Tournament in three. I've got much to prepare for… so the Fatui's affairs might—"
"No need to worry," the Cryo Archon interrupted with a wave.
"Cultivation comes first."
Tartaglia sighed in relief, grateful.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Still, I can help in some ways. Besides looking into your entry to Mount Shu, I'll also be hunting beasts regularly. That hones my arts, and I can pass their resources to Snezhnaya. I'll come out once a week to deliver them to you."
The Cryo Archon's eyes lit up, nodding with satisfaction.
"You're thoughtful. We'll remain in Liyue for now—bring them to the Northland Bank."
With that promise, her immediate crisis eased.
For now, beast resources were everything. With Teyvat's qi revived, they were the foundation of martial and immortal growth.
But the beasts of Jueyun Karst belonged, by rights, to Liyue. The Fatui could poach a little, but not much—and certainly not openly.
Too much, and Liyue would no longer turn a blind eye.
After all, those beasts were the very cornerstone of its martial future.
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