Compared to Zhongli's Sword-Control Art, Venti's technique was far more refined.
After all, he cultivated the Wine God Scripture, which contained Mo Yixi's personal insights into sword control.
One thrust pierced straight through the Great Demon's wing, instantly crippling its speed.
The beast's eyes widened in shock at the familiar sword intent.
That sword intent—it was the very same that had once shattered worlds and sealed all existence.
"Damn! Damn it all! Mo Yixi again!"
"The Wine God Art! Cursed thing! What relation do you have to Mo—Yixi?!"
Fear had already wormed its way into its heart.
"None of your damn business—die!"
For the first time in his life, Venti cursed aloud, his fury boiling over.
Though the demon's speed was great, it was still only at the early Spirit-Transformation Stage. How could it withstand two late-Stage Spirit-Transformation experts fighting in earnest?
It wasn't long before it was beaten bloody. Its wings were severed, its claws hacked away. Out of three heads, only one remained.
Realizing it could not live, the beast ceased dodging.
It glared at Zhongli and Venti with undying hatred.
"Damnable Mount Shu disciples! Damn Mo Yixi!"
"Back then, you slaughtered my kin, destroyed our world, made us fodder for your so-called disciple trials! And now you dare return!"
"You think we fear you? Hah!"
"You wait! I have already sent word to the King! When he comes, he will crush you into pulp, and drink wine with your corpses!"
"I'll be waiting for you on the Yellow Springs Road!"
Zhongli's eyes were cold, spear already raised.
"You won't have the chance."
He was about to finish it cleanly when Ningguang suddenly frowned, recalling something.
"Wait! Let Elder Alice do it!"
" Snow Howler King and Fire Qilin King are ancient enemies. If it dies by fire, perhaps we can deflect suspicion!"
Zhongli paused, turning toward Alice.
The demon burst into deranged laughter.
"Elder?"
"Ahahaha—'Elder'? A mere late-Stage Spirit-Transformation woman?"
"Good, very good. The mighty Mount Shu Sect has truly fallen, if such scraps are named Elders!"
"The King was right—Mount Shu's glory is gone!"
"To hear such pathetic news before death… this beast can die without regret!"
It coughed up blood, then sneered coldly at Alice.
"You want my death to pit the King against that Qilin fool? Ridiculous!"
"I'd rather die than smear my King's name!"
"Mount Shu disciples—descend to hell with me!!!"
An overwhelming sense of danger erupted from its body. Its heartbeat thundered like a war drum, echoing in their ears.
Everyone froze. They didn't understand at first—but the sense was clearly terrible.
Jiang Yan's divine sense tore across the void, his voice urgent and heavy:
"Run! He's going to self-detonate!"
Their souls nearly fled their bodies.
Venti reacted first. A gust of wind scooped everyone up as he sprinted with all his might in the opposite direction.
Zhongli, still seething, flicked out another flying sword, ramming it deep into the demon's body even as they fled.
Moments later, a deafening explosion tore through the heavens.
A tsunami of force leveled everything. Giant trees that had stood immovable for millennia were erased in an instant.
A tidal wave of spiritual energy slammed outward. Realizing they couldn't outrun it, Zhongli, Venti, and Alice hastily joined forces, erecting a shield of true essence.
Even so, the detonation of a Spirit-Transformation Great Demon was catastrophic.
Caught off guard, the three of them were blasted tens of thousands of meters away.
Only after a long while did the dust finally settle.
Ningguang and the others turned back, hearts quaking.
As far as the eye could see, a crater spanning hundreds of kilometers yawned open.
Everything was gone—obliterated.
This was their first true taste of how terrifying the Spirit-Transformation realm really was.
If this had been Teyvat… half of Liyue would have vanished.
And this was only an early-stage Spirit-Transformation beast.
Venti wiped cold sweat from his brow, his voice still shaking.
"Too close. Guess I really need to learn proper escape art."
The blast had only unsettled his true essence, but… if it had been a mid-Stage demon, he would've been half-dead by now.
"What kind of lunatic realm is this? Losing a fight and just blowing yourself up?!"
His complaint rang hollow in the frozen silence.
Zhongli's gaze hardened, voice low with frustration.
"I was careless. I let its taunts rattle me—I should have ended it faster."
Alice shook her head.
"None of us expected it to self-destruct. Just remember for next time."
Even she was a little ashamed. She'd read countless cultivation novels—she knew self-destruction was the ultimate trump card.
But in the heat of her first real cultivation battle, she had forgotten.
"Pity. A Spirit-Transformation beast's body would've been worth a fortune," Cloud Retainer muttered with regret.
Jiang Yan's voice cut through their thoughts, cold and steady.
"You shouldn't be worrying about wealth—or even reflection—right now."
"Before the three-headed bird blew itself up, it sent a message to the Snow Howler. And such a massive detonation will have drawn more beasts."
"If you don't escape now, this expedition ends here."
Everyone's blood ran cold.
They'd forgotten—the message had already been sent.
They dropped everything, even the precious spirit fruit, and hurled talismans like water. Venti gritted his teeth and carried them tens of thousands of kilometers away.
Only when he was pale and panting did he stop.
"Master… this distance… it should be safe, right?"
Jiang Yan's reply was slow, heavy.
"Pray the Snow Howler King doesn't come after you. Otherwise, no distance will be enough."
Their hearts sank like stones.
This expedition had been a disaster from start to finish—mistakes, oversights, constant danger.
A gloom fell over them.
Ningguang lowered her head in shame.
"We were too naïve. We thought the cultivation world would be simple. Instead, every step was a blunder. We've shamed Mount Shu. Forgive us, Sect Master."
Jiang Yan shook his head gently.
"No need. You're new to cultivation. Ignorance is natural."
"The cultivation world is an endless struggle. Schemes beyond number. You must be cautious."
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm especially—demons swarm here. One misstep and you'll die."
"And you lack knowledge of beasts. At my next lecture, I'll teach you about the demons and monsters of this world. Next time, you'll at least recognize them."
"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll never suffer defeat."
"When you return safely, review the mistakes you made in harvesting spirit herbs. Too many were low-level errors."
"But the most important thing…" Jiang Yan's tone hardened.
"Even more dangerous than beasts, in time you'll venture into the true cultivation world. There you must abandon all softness of heart."
"When you kill an enemy—you must also destroy their soul."
The disciples froze, disturbed by the cold ruthlessness of those words.
Venti hesitated.
"Master… isn't that… too vicious?"
"Vicious?" Jiang Yan shook his head.
"This is simply how the cultivation world is. If you don't annihilate them, they will annihilate you."
"You can never know the backing your enemy has. Leave them alive, and their sect may one day hunt you to the ends of the world."
"You yourselves already carry soul tokens I prepared when you joined. If you die, those tokens can preserve a last trace of true spirit. With them, I can avenge you."
"But if your souls are destroyed, the tokens shatter instantly. I'll never even know who killed you."
"All great sects do this—but only for their geniuses."
"So remember: if you make an enemy, strike without hesitation. If you kill, then kill to the root."
"The cultivation world is never merciful. If your heart isn't ruthless, you'll never leave a name."
The group's hearts wavered. This was the first time they'd seen their gentle Sect Master speak with such merciless steel.
Even Xiao, who had slain countless villains in Liyue, had never destroyed a soul.
To utterly erase someone—it felt too cruel.
But Jiang Yan's voice was iron:
"When I first reached the Spirit-Transformation Stage, I left Mount Shu to temper myself. I killed an enemy—but left his soul."
"As a result, I was hunted for three months by Changbei Sect, and only survived thanks to a Protector Elder's aid."
"From that day on, I understood: never easily make enemies. But once you do—eradicate them completely."
"One day, you will understand. A single careless choice can doom you to lifelong regret."
The disciples nodded, heavy-hearted.
Even if the lesson felt distant now, they accepted the truth of it.
But just as relief began to set in, the air turned suddenly frigid.
A tide of icy wind howled through the jungle and sky.
The very land where the three-headed bird had died froze over in an instant. Even the earth hardened into thick ice.
Lisa caught a snowflake in her palm. The chill startled her awake.
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm is strange indeed. Just moments ago it was bright sun—and now it is snowing?"
Jiang Yan sighed.
"Snow? No. That is the Snow Howler…"
"What?!"
Everyone turned pale.
In the distance, centered on the bird's grave, the land for a thousand miles froze into winter.
And the beast had not even appeared yet.
Its mere aura was enough to change heaven and earth.
The Snow Howler's power was far beyond anything they had imagined.
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