No one knew how much time had passed before Zhongli, Alice, and Venti finally recovered a measure of their true essence and came to.
Looking back, they saw that the clash of ice and fire still raged in the distance. Even from so far away, a dreadful sense of life-and-death crisis pressed upon them.
Fortunately, the battle had already shifted in the opposite direction.
Even so, that entire region lay in ruins—mountains shattered, rivers torn apart, the earth split open. It resembled the end of the world.
Zhongli exhaled deeply.
"So powerful… A true battle between cultivators of this level is this terrifying."
"If such a clash were to take place in Teyvat, I fear half the continent would be destroyed."
In truth, he thought bitterly—even if the Heavenly Principles themselves descended, before those two demon kings, they might well be slapped into the dirt.
So-called 'supremes' of Teyvat—brought to the cultivation world, they were fragile indeed.
"First Seat."
Xiao approached, concern flickering in his eyes as he checked Zhongli. Seeing no harm, he finally relaxed.
"I am unharmed," Zhongli reassured him, rising to his feet.
He glanced at Alice and Venti nearby. Neither bore their usual cheer and mischief—both sat in silence. The sight of a true cultivators' battle had left its mark on them.
"As for the Snow Howler King and the Fire Qilin King…"
Before he could finish, Ningguang answered softly:
"First Seat need not worry. Likely the Fire Qilin King felt it was unseemly to fight in his own territory. He has drawn the Snow Howler King away."
"Master said it himself: their battle will not resolve quickly. As long as we avoid that region, we need not cross their path again."
Zhongli let out a breath, nodding.
"And Master?"
"Still has not manifested," Ningguang replied.
Her eyes flicked toward Ganyu, who sat obediently beside Klee. Klee, unfazed by the catastrophe just witnessed, was happily counting the bouncing bombs in her satchel.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan appeared beside Ganyu and Klee once more. He looked up at Zhongli and the others with a faint smile.
"So? Your first time witnessing a true cultivators' battle—what do you feel?"
"…Fragility," Zhongli admitted with a bitter laugh. He shook his head.
"Life feels far too fragile. When we fled, I saw countless beings vanish in an instant. Those who could not escape in time—reduced to dust in the shockwaves."
"Even peak Essence-Refiners… thousands of years of cultivation, all ended as nothing but collateral in a meaningless struggle."
"The cultivation world is far too cruel."
Jiang Yan inclined his head slightly. His voice was calm:
"I did not kill Boren, yet Boren died because of me."
"Such tales are endless in the cultivation world. Do not dwell on them."
"The law of weak to strong has always been the core of cultivation. Weakness itself is the original sin."
Zhongli sighed heavily, falling silent.
But then another thought struck him.
"Master… why did the Snow Howler King and Fire Qilin King treat us so differently?"
"The Snow Howler King sought to annihilate us on sight, while the Fire Qilin King stopped him…"
Jiang Yan chuckled softly.
"Surely you don't think the Fire Qilin King harbors goodwill toward you?"
"Of course not," Zhongli said firmly. "The Fire Qilin King was sealed here in the Nine Nether Secret Realm by my Mount Shu forebear. No beast within this realm would ever bear us goodwill."
"You've grown much," Jiang Yan nodded approvingly.
"You're right. Originally, I hadn't planned to explain this to you so soon. But since you encountered a Demon King immediately after entering…"
He sighed.
"Back then, when Mount Shu was at its height—even though the Nine Nether Secret Realm Seven Kings were powerful beyond compare, Mount Shu had countless peak cultivators. The Kings survived only by banding together."
"Thus the Seven Kings' Pact: if one was attacked by Mount Shu, the others were bound to aid. Without unity, they'd have been exterminated, for Mount Shu's stance toward demons was merciless."
"That is why so many of the Seven Kings clustered within the Myriad Demon Mountains."
"But later…" Jiang Yan shook his head. "Mount Shu fell. The brilliance of the cultivation world dimmed. Though I myself could still suppress them easily, I cannot truly enter the Nine Nether Secret Realm."
"In these past centuries, the Seven Kings must have guessed much. That ancient pact is now nothing but a scrap of paper. Each harbors their own schemes."
"What they all desire, however, is the same: to use outsiders who enter this realm… to find a way out."
"The Seven Kings have been trapped here for over ten thousand years."
"So when you saw the Snow Howler King and Fire Qilin King's differing attitudes… in truth, they were the same."
"The Snow Howler, wary of the others, sought to strike first in secret. His blow looked world-ending, but in truth—it would only have killed those below Spirit Transformation. You three would have been gravely wounded, but alive. Enough to present your 'corpses' as proof to the others."
"Had the Fire Qilin King not interfered, he might have succeeded."
"The Fire Qilin King, however, pierced through his intent directly. He deliberately exposed him, to stir the whole Nine Nether Secret Realm into chaos."
"For though he and the Snow Howler King have fought for millennia without victory or defeat, if he had to snatch you away from the Snow Howler King by force—he lacked certainty."
"So better to muddy the waters, draw every King's attention. In chaos, seizing you would be easier."
"These two seemed locked in mortal battle, yet neither gave their all. If they had, even the entire Myriad Demon Mountains would have quaked to pieces."
"Now, the Snow Howler King seeks to withdraw, but the Fire Qilin King denies him—forcing the matter into the open for all to see."
Jiang Yan left the last sentence unspoken. But everyone understood.
Ningguang rubbed her temples, a headache rising.
"So… we've already drawn the attention of all Seven Kings."
Jiang Yan nodded, though his tone carried a trace of comfort.
"Not all is bad news. Because they need you as the key to leave, none will kill you outright. They seek to capture, not destroy."
"The Nine Nether Secret Realm is unstable, factions at each other's throats. Chaos will not only aid them—it will also aid you."
Among the shadows of disaster, it was the only sliver of hope.
Lisa frowned, puzzled.
"But Master… why don't they cooperate to capture us?"
Jiang Yan chuckled, shaking his head.
"Would you share the glory of ruling the world?"
Lisa fell silent.
"The Seven Kings cannot unite. Some are mortal enemies, thirsting to stab each other in the back. And besides—when the cultivation world fell overnight, I suspect they understood what it meant."
"Now, they believe the world outside is weak, its top experts scarce. If they escape, they could break through to Void Return and stand as overlords of the renewed world."
"To share such dominion? Impossible. They would rather see the others rot here forever."
"Their true goal is simple: use you to escape, ascend in the reborn cultivation world, and harvest all beneath them."
The disciples felt their hearts chill further.
Venti suddenly pounded the ground in frustration.
"These old monsters! Living so long only made them slyer! Being strong is bad enough, but to also master such schemes…"
"These matters needn't weigh on you," Jiang Yan said calmly.
"Even if they escape, killing them would still be trivial for me."
"You may be caught in the storm's eye, but paradoxically, this makes you safer. They dare not kill you, nor let you be captured by others. If rival forces confront each other, they will rather let you slip away than see you taken."
"So long as you live, you will inevitably return here again. But if you are caught, everything ends. Remember: you are enemies to them all—but they are also mortal enemies to each other. That is your chance."
The disciples nodded, though unease still lingered. These Demon Kings were cunning, their strength and influence unmatched. They were not beings Mount Shu juniors could test.
"In that case, we should rest first," Alice suggested, eyes glinting with meaning.
"Not everything is yet in chaos. Once it truly descends into chaos—that is when we may fish in troubled waters."
Ningguang blinked, then smiled.
"A counter-scheme?"
"Exactly."
At that moment, the Fire Qilin King's voice suddenly echoed across the entire Nine Nether Secret Realm. His tone rang full, unweakened by battle.
"In the name of the Fire Qilin King! Mount Shu disciples have entered the Nine Nether Secret Realm! All of Fire God Cave, mobilize! Hunt them down!"
"Those who provide clues shall receive a thousand-year spirit fruit. Those who capture a disciple alive and deliver them to me—shall be rewarded with a ten-thousand-year spirit herb, a top-grade spirit weapon, and a vial of Nine-Colored Stalactite Essence!"
The disciples exchanged complex glances.
Then another roar shook the realm.
"Damn you, Fire Qilin King! You dare ruin my plans!"
"In the name of the Snow Howler! Rewards doubled for any who provide clues or capture disciples! And any who slay Fire God Cave lackeys shall be granted a drop of Spirit Spring Divine Water!"
One after another, proclamations shook the realm.
The Violet Cloud Eagle, the Azure Toad, the Sky-Roaming Roc, the Ao Dong… all the Kings but the Greenwind Ox soon issued their own decrees.
And every decree shared the same demand: capture alive, not kill.
The disciples looked at each other—then laughed.
Now…
The time for fishing in troubled waters had come.
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