Chapter 98

They never doubted that they could build Liyue into a better place.

Now that they had cultivation, they were even less likely to question themselves.

"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; we should go back and discuss the specific details."

"What a pity."

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

"The Shushan Cave Heaven is rich in spiritual energy; if I could cultivate here all the time, my strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds."

"Oh well, let's go back and handle official business first, then cultivate wholeheartedly. Tonight, I want to try mastering the Sword Control Art."

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

"After the meeting, we can come back together."

"For now, let's go inform the Sect Leader. By the way, where is Ganyu?"

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

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

Before Ningguang could speak, Zhongli said softly:

"No need. Since Ganyu wants to rest, let her rest. She has served as the secretary of 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.

Ganyu's individual work efficiency could match 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 ask her to stop just for the sake of the Yuehai Pavilion's work, could they?

The three of them passed by Ganyu's cave dwelling and headed straight for the Sect Hall at the peak.

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

However, a Sect Leader's seclusion was a major event that had to be announced to all of Shushan.

With Shushan just established, now was not the time for casual seclusion.

Jiang Yan sensed Ningguang and the others the moment they stepped onto the peak of Tongtian Mountain.

He slowly opened his eyes, and the Sect Hall doors opened wide.

The three were accustomed to this and walked inside.

"Greetings, Sect Leader."

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

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

"As long as you do not neglect your daily cultivation, that is fine."

Ningguang nodded and said softly:

"But since we have just joined Shushan today and will be away for a period, I thought it proper to report it."

Jiang Yan smiled gently.

"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 Leader, I observe that while Shushan has been established, it lacks disciples and does not yet have a flourishing 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, then shook his head:

"It is not yet decided, and I don't 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 not sufficient to support the cultivation of so many disciples."

"The Alchemy, Array, and Artifact branches are also currently unable to provide corresponding support."

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

"Only then will it be conducive to the synchronized development of the disciples and Shushan."

"Moreover, you have only just begun cultivating, and your strength has not yet improved much."

Having said this, Jiang Yan paused.

But Ningguang and the others understood his meaning.

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

The rest were mostly at the Essence Refinement stage.

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

Just handing out a cultivation manual...

Indeed, many people would still come to cultivate just to step onto the path of immortality, even if nothing else was given.

But so what?

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

Jiang Yan recruited disciples so they could quickly break through in strength, increase Shushan's prosperity, and subsequently achieve continuous breakthroughs in system tasks.

Ningguang and the others had sufficient talent, coupled with enough resources and the fact that they had just stepped onto the path of cultivation.

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

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

Ultimately, those with talent were in the minority.

Seeing that Jiang Yan had no intention of opening the mountain gates wide for the time being, Ningguang simply gave up on sharing her thoughts regarding the details of opening the gates.

Jiang Yan thought for a moment and reminded her softly:

"From an objective perspective, because Liyue has always had immortals, people have been seeking immortality there since ancient times."

"There is a better understanding of cultivation there."

"Furthermore, Liyue's customs and characteristics are similar to those of Shushan, so the first attempt at opening the mountain gates wide should be set in Liyue."

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

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

"Thank you, Sect Leader! Liyue will certainly make cooperating with Shushan's will its primary principle to help Shushan complete the opening of the mountain."

"Liyue will bear all expenses."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan smiled.

It wasn't 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 carved from the same mold as the ancient Shenzhou.

Talking about cultivation with people from other nations required explaining that immortals were not Melusines first.

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 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 disciples to cultivate and break through as quickly as possible to make Shushan prosperous.

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

Plus, there were some insignificant personal emotional reasons.

And since Ningguang and the others had all joined Shushan, they could all cooperate with Shushan's actions with the highest efficiency throughout Liyue.

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

Ningguang, standing to the side, saw that Jiang Yan had not spoken for a while. She thought for a moment and said softly:

"Sect Leader, 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 also 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 quite helpful for your state of mind."

"In Liyue's thousand-year history, there are many classics written by outstanding individuals; you might be interested in them."

Hearing this, Jiang Yan laughed in spite of himself.

However, he was somewhat interested in what Ningguang had said.