Chapter 94

They never doubted their ability to build a better Liyue.

Now that they had cultivation, they doubted themselves even less.

"Are we returning to Liyue now?"

Keqing asked softly, and Ningguang nodded.

"Uncle Tian and the others are still waiting for us to hold a meeting; it is time we went back to share the specific details."

"What a pity."

Keqing sighed, looking back at her cave abode with some regret.

"The spiritual energy in the Shushan cave heaven is so dense. If I could cultivate here all the time, my strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds."

"Oh well, I shall return to handle official business first, then cultivate with all my heart. Tonight, I intend to attempt the introductory Sword Control Art."

Seeing Keqing’s high enthusiasm for cultivation, Ningguang smiled and nodded.

"After the meeting, we shall return together."

"For now, let us go inform the Sect Master. By the way, where is Ganyu?"

Keqing thought for a moment and pointed to a cave abode not far away, the one closest to the peak.

"Ganyu is cultivating inside. Should we call her?"

Before Ningguang could speak, Zhongli said softly:

"No need. Since Ganyu wishes to rest, let her rest. She has served as the secretary to the Liyue the Liyue Qixing for thousands of years without ever taking a break."

"Let her return whenever she is ready."

Hearing this, Ningguang gave a wry smile.

Ganyu could rest, but the Yuehai Pavilion would likely be exhausted.

The efficiency of Ganyu’s work alone was equal to that of the entire Yuehai Pavilion.

It seemed the Yuehai Pavilion would need to expand its recruitment.

After all, Ganyu had already begun cultivating; they couldn't possibly ask her to stop just for the sake of the work at the Yuehai Pavilion, could they?

The three of them passed Ganyu’s cave abode and headed straight for the Sect Hall at the summit.

Jiang Yan was not cultivating at this moment; he was merely consolidating his foundation, so he was not in seclusion.

However, the Sect Master going into seclusion was a major event that had to be announced to all of Shushan.

With Shushan newly established, this was not the time for casual seclusion.

Jiang Yan sensed them the moment Ningguang and the others stepped onto the summit of Heaven-Reaching Peak.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the doors of the Sect Hall swung open.

The three were accustomed to this and stepped inside.

"Greetings, Sect Master."

The three bowed in unison, and Jiang Yan said softly:

"Actually, there is no need to report such matters to me. Shushan does not restrict disciples from traveling; if you have a need to return, you may do so."

"As long as you do not neglect your daily cultivation."

Ningguang nodded and said softly:

"But since we have only just joined Shushan today and must leave for a period, I felt it was still appropriate to report it."

Jiang Yan smiled warmly.

"There is no need to be so rigid; I am not an unreasonable person."

"Is there anything else?"

Ningguang thought for a moment and asked softly:

"Sect Master, I observe that while Shushan has been established, it lacks disciples and does not yet have a prosperous atmosphere."

"You previously mentioned that rebuilding Shushan requires opening the mountain gates wide. I wonder when that might be..."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan pondered for a moment and shook his head.

"It is not yet decided, and I do not think it will be decided in the short term."

"Although Shushan is established, its foundation is not yet stable. Most importantly, the spiritual veins are insufficient to support the cultivation of so many disciples."

"The three branches of Alchemy, Arrays, and Artifacts cannot yet provide the necessary support."

"Crucially, the prerequisite for opening the mountain gates is a stable contribution point system."

"Only then can the disciples and Shushan develop in sync."

"Furthermore, you have only just begun your cultivation and your strength has not yet increased significantly."

Having said this, Jiang Yan paused.

But Ningguang and the others understood his meaning.

In the vast Shushan, there was only him, a Sect Master at the Refinement of Spirit and Return to Void stage, and one Head of a branch at the Refinement of Qi and Transformation of Spirit stage who could be considered capable.

The rest were mostly at the Refinement of Essence and Transformation of Qi stage.

What kind of large-scale mountain gate opening could they possibly manage?

Just handing out a cultivation manual...

Indeed, many people would still come to embark on the path of cultivation, even if they were given nothing at all.

But so what?

If the disciples' strength increased slowly and the sect's progress was even slower, when would the system tasks ever see any progress?

Jiang Yan recruited disciples so they would quickly break through in strength, thereby increasing Shushan's prosperity and allowing him to continuously complete system tasks.

Ningguang and the others were talented enough, and with sufficient resources and the fact that they had just stepped onto the path of cultivation,

their progress would likely be very fast in the short term.

But Jiang Yan could not guarantee that others would be like them.

Ultimately, those with talent were the minority.

Seeing that Jiang Yan had no intention of opening the mountain gates wide for now, Ningguang gave up on the ideas she had regarding the details of the opening.

Jiang Yan thought for a moment and reminded them softly:

"Objectively speaking, because Liyue has always had adepti, people have been seeking immortality since ancient times."

"They have a better understanding of cultivation."

"Furthermore, Liyue’s customs and traditions are similar to those of Shushan. The first attempt at opening the mountain gates should be set in Liyue."

"When the time comes, we will need the cooperation of the Liyue authorities."

Ningguang was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. She bowed slightly and said earnestly:

"Thank you, Sect Master! Liyue will certainly make cooperating with Shushan’s will our top priority to help Shushan complete the opening."

"Liyue will bear all expenses."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan smiled.

It was not that he was favoring Liyue; it was simply that from every angle, Liyue was clearly closer to the cultivation system than the other six nations.

Liyue’s customs, traditions, and folk understanding were almost identical to those of the ancient Shenzhou.

When talking about cultivation with people from other nations, one would first have to explain that adepti were not Melusines.

But the people of Liyue already understood most of it from folk tales.

With the concepts already in place, their progress in truly understanding cultivation would definitely be faster than that of people from other nations.

Their talent might be roughly the same, but their efficiency would definitely be higher.

What Jiang Yan needed right now was for his disciples to cultivate and break through as quickly as possible to make Shushan prosperous.

Naturally, he had to prioritize recruiting those who would show results in the shortest amount of time.

Plus some negligible personal emotional reasons.

And since Ningguang and the others had all joined Shushan, they could ensure that all of Liyue cooperated with Shushan in the most efficient manner.

Liyue was naturally the most suitable choice for the first stop of Shushan’s mountain gate opening.

Seeing that Jiang Yan had not spoken for a while, Ningguang thought for a moment and said softly:

"Sect Master, I have one more thing I would like to discuss with you."

"Although you often say that cultivation favors tranquility, you have also said that Shushan disciples should temper their hearts in the mortal world."

"I think that occasionally leaving the Shushan cave heaven to experience the various states of the mortal world should also be of great help to your state of mind."

"Over the past thousand years in Liyue, many outstanding people have written classics that you might find interesting."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan laughed in spite of himself.

However, he did take what Ningguang said to heart.