Chapter 18

"Just don't talk about it too much in the future."

Zhongli and the others were silent for a moment, then nodded, tacitly moving past the topic.

Jiang Yan continued:

"The past is gone. As the last possible trace of Shushan's bloodline, all I need to consider is restoring Shushan to its former glory."

14. On Cultivation Spiritual Root Talent

Seeing that Jiang Yan did not intend to say more about the past.

Zhongli simply followed his lead and changed the subject.

"So, you intend to rebuild Shushan here and reopen the mountain gate."

Jiang Yan nodded.

"If you allow it, I will stay here."

Zhongli and the others naturally would not refuse.

Regardless of anything else, keeping Jiang Yan in Liyue was the most important thing right now.

With such a powerful figure who could create worlds with a word, Liyue would truly be as solid as a rock in the future.

"Naturally, that is possible. In the name of Morax, I can sign a contract with you."

Zhongli said with a serious expression.

"Then many thanks."

Jiang Yan smiled and added:

"If Liyue encounters any problems it cannot handle in the future, I will also offer my assistance."

Having received Jiang Yan's guarantee, a rare smile appeared on the face beneath Zhongli's hood.

Now, things were stable.

Even if he were to die from erosion now, Liyue would not fall.

Jiang Yan could live for a very long time, even longer and longer, and he did not suffer from erosion.

This was a truly golden thigh to hold onto.

Moreover...

Thinking of the divine power Jiang Yan had just displayed, as well as what he had said about the heavens and myriad realms and the art of resurrection.

Even Zhongli's state of mind could not help but feel a bit stirred.

Perhaps...

He could also try to embark on the path of cultivation followed by the heavens and myriad realms.

In the future, he could truly roam the heavens and myriad realms, instead of being trapped in this Teyvat surrounded by a fake sky.

Thinking of this, Zhongli could not help but blurt out:

"There is one thing I would like to know, regarding the matter of recruiting disciples for Shushan..."

Hearing this, Cloud Retainer and the others were overjoyed, wishing they could shout that the Geo Archon was wise.

Cultivation, after all.

Who would complain about having greater strength and a longer lifespan?

Furthermore, after achieving success in cultivation and becoming a true immortal, perhaps they could see what the true Immortal Realm was like.

And as it happened, what Zhongli said was exactly the topic Jiang Yan wanted to bring up.

Jiang Yan immediately replied:

"I was just about to talk to you about recruiting disciples; I plan to recruit them here in Teyvat."

"At that time, I might need you to provide some convenience."

Zhongli felt reassured and smiled:

"Naturally. I think we have no reason to refuse cultivation."

"If you are willing to cultivate, that is a good thing for me as well."

Jiang Yan looked at everyone seriously and said with great sincerity:

"Seeking the Dao through cultivation is not a path for one person alone; communicating with others is also an excellent way to practice."

"Furthermore, regardless of anything else, you are all innate divine beings blessed by the world."

"Your aptitude for cultivation must not be low, and coupled with your already formidable strength, if you are willing to cultivate, your achievements should not be low."

Hearing Jiang Yan recognize them so highly, even Zhongli felt a bit secretly pleased.

But he still suppressed his joy and said softly:

"You flatter us."

Jiang Yan looked at Zhongli and the others carefully and added:

"However, there is one thing I must tell you in advance."

"Cultivation is indeed a path that leads directly to the Dao, and it is also a way to achieve infinite sublimation."

"But precisely because of this, cultivation places great importance on talent."

"Those with better talent cultivate faster, while those with worse talent may never even be able to step onto the path of cultivation in their entire lives."

"You must be mentally prepared for this."

"In this world, there are ultimately fewer people with talent."

Hearing this, the expressions of Ganyu and the others suddenly became a bit worried.

"You mean..."

Cloud Retainer pursed her lips and said heavily:

"We might not have the talent for cultivation?"

"No, that is not what I meant."

Jiang Yan shook his head decisively:

"You do not need to worry; although I have not checked your aptitudes in detail, they are clearly not bad."

"I mean that there are ultimately more ordinary people in the world; even if Shushan opens its gates wide, the number of people in Liyue with qualified aptitude might be small."

Hearing Jiang Yan's explanation, Cloud Retainer and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as it wasn't that they lacked aptitude, everything else was acceptable.

From the very beginning, they hadn't expected everyone to be able to cultivate.

Even Visions could only be possessed by a few, let alone the more powerful cultivation.

"Everything is fate. Your willingness to reopen the mountain gate in Liyue is a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity for ordinary people to gain a chance at transcendence."

Zhongli said leisurely, and Jiang Yan pondered for a moment before saying softly:

"If one only wants to gain transcendent power, it is not very difficult; in the cultivation world, not everyone is qualified to cultivate."

"Ultimately, ordinary people are the majority."

"Ordinary people who cannot cultivate have figured out martial arts for themselves, although in the end, they are only comparable to cultivators who are refining essence into Qi, and their lifespans will not increase much."

"For cultivators who are single-mindedly seeking longevity and the Dao, it is not worth mentioning,"

"But at the very least, they are seeds of transcendence."

Hearing Jiang Yan say this made Zhongli feel moved.

It sounded like the martial arts Jiang Yan spoke of were no different from the martial arts circulating in Teyvat.

But analyzing his words carefully, Jiang Yan called them seeds of transcendence.

Martial arts that could be recognized by a cultivator as having a certain transcendent nature seemed much stronger than those in Teyvat that could only strengthen the body.

He himself did not need it, but if he gave it to the army...

Perhaps it could cultivate a super-strong transcendent army.

However, Zhongli was not in a hurry to talk to Jiang Yan about this matter now.

"You said that cultivation requires aptitude; how exactly should this be judged?"

Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, Zhongli asked the question he was most curious about.

"This has to be said from multiple angles, but synthesizing many cultivation systems, the most suitable and common way to judge aptitude is the Spiritual Root."

Jiang Yan reached out and gently brushed the stone table; instantly, true essence condensed into a magnificent mirror on the stone table.

"The so-called Spiritual Root is a person's most basic talent attribute; the stronger the Spiritual Root, the stronger the cultivation aptitude."

"Although the Spiritual Root theory cannot fully represent the cultivation system, generally speaking, it is enough, because other situations are not something one can encounter easily."

"Spiritual Roots are widely classified; Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth are the conventional Five Elements Spiritual Roots, and they are also the most common."