Vashak left grinning ear to ear, cheerfully telling Alice before he went that if she ever needed someone for her experiments, she could call on him anytime.
Alice mused to herself that the fellow's brain might have been rattled by that Purple-Gold Gourd.
Ningguang weighed the gourd in her hand, feeling quite satisfied with its effects.
A mid-Spirit Transformation demon god had been accidentally sucked inside and nearly melted.
This thing was, no doubt, a fine treasure.
Though admittedly, the incantation required to use it was a little… embarrassing.
"Well? Worth the 5,100 contribution points I sold it to you for, right?"
Alice looked at her excitedly. Ningguang nodded.
"Indeed, it's worth 5,100 points.
Though I must say, treasures in this cultivation world are strange—something that can suck someone in just by calling their name?"
Alice waved a hand dismissively.
"That's nothing. I haven't even shown you the true formulas of karmic law yet.
They say there was once a great master who wielded a supreme incantation—just one line, 'Fellow Daoist, please stay!'—and countless great powers fell to him.
That's real strength."
Alice tilted her chin up proudly. Ningguang, however, chose not to comment.
After a moment, Alice saw that Ningguang had no interest in her boasting, and her enthusiasm waned.
She lowered her voice.
"Truth is, what happened with Vashak wasn't really the norm.
First, he doesn't practice cultivation, so he had no resistance to a cultivator's treasure.
Second, he wasn't prepared and had no defenses up—it was a sneak attack, essentially.
That's why it looked so powerful.
Against a proper cultivator, at best this gourd could deal with someone around the mid-Foundation-to-Core stage.
But for you, at just 5,100 points, the effect is more than enough.
After all, Ningguang, you're a rich lady."
At that, Ningguang sighed inwardly.
She had known this would happen—the moment she grew wealthy, she would be swarmed with opportunists.
Thanks to her earlier contributions in establishing the Hall of Merit system, the spoils from exploring the Nine Nether Secret Realm, and her recent role in building the trading marketplace, she had amassed a fortune in contribution points.
By now, she was leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else—the undisputed wealthiest in Mount Shu, with over 200,000 points to her name.
Spending 5,100 wasn't insignificant, but hardly something she couldn't afford.
Besides, the Purple-Gold Gourd was interesting, and effective.
In Teyvat, it could very well yield tremendous results against demon gods.
More importantly, it consumed little true essence. Paired with her Tianxin Bell, she just might catch even a late Foundation-to-Core opponent off guard.
So she made the transfer to Liuyun without hesitation.
It wasn't exactly cheap, but she didn't dwell on it either.
At the very least, it was Alice's effort and Liuyun's proud work—5,100 points was a fair gesture of goodwill.
Turning the gourd in her hands, Ningguang pondered whether to test it out on a beast.
Since the world's evolution, Mount Shu now had seven main spiritual veins, and all the animals had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Ordinary creatures no longer existed.
At minimum, they were as strong as Foundation-stage beasts.
There were plenty of spirit beasts too, though most clustered within Mount Shu proper, like the flocks of white cranes.
As for demon beasts, there were thousands—tens of thousands even—many already at the early Foundation-to-Core stage, carving out territories for themselves.
It was precisely these beasts that had made life miserable for the demon gods' retainers.
Those retainers' strength roughly equated to mid-to-late Foundation-to-Core…
But against cultivation-born demon beasts, they fared poorly.
A beast's demon qi was a hundred or a thousand times denser than their elemental energy.
Even an early-stage beast without innate abilities could thrash advanced demon retainers.
If it had an ability? Even demon gods without cultivation had to flee.
On paper, the retainers held higher realms. But in practice, their energy was too thin to compete.
For the disciples of Mount Shu, these beasts were dangerous mainly to Barbara and Paimon.
Everyone else still regarded them as walking larders.
Still, there was caution in their hearts.
The beasts had advanced frighteningly fast in just one round of world evolution. A few more…
Perhaps this was why everyone pushed so hard in their cultivation.
Ningguang was just about to pick a target to test the gourd on when a Ten Thousand Mile Message Talisman burned itself into ash.
Baiwen's voice echoed into her ear:
"Lady Ningguang, Lady Yae Miko of Inazuma has been urging us for some time now. She says she was invited by Lady Ganyu to come to Mount Shu.
She's already arrived at the base of Jueyun Karst."
Ningguang sighed helplessly, pinching another talisman to reply.
"Have her wait a moment. I'll fetch Ganyu."
With that, she glanced at Alice and Liuyun. The two were happily splitting her contribution points, already discussing what pills to buy.
She gave them a brief farewell and soared off toward Ganyu's location.
At the gates of the Hall of Merit, Alice and Liuyun, having spent their windfall on pills, left in satisfaction.
Sword-riding through the skies, Alice leaned toward Liuyun after a moment of thought.
"Liuyun, why don't we make another treasure? Same deal as always—I give the idea, you handle the crafting."
Liuyun had enjoyed the profits as much as Alice, and nodded eagerly.
"Of course! Though I'll need to tally up materials first. What do you have in mind?"
"Hehehe…"
Alice grinned mysteriously, lowering her voice.
"This time, let's make a Ruyi Golden Staff… and sell it to Xiao!"
Halfway up Jueyun Karst, Baiwen flicked away the ashes of the burnt talisman with a weary sigh, turning back toward Miko.
"Lady Guuji Yae, it's settled now, isn't it?"
Miko leaned lazily against a tree, smiling.
"My, my, Baiwen. If you'd agreed sooner, you could've saved yourself all this trouble.
I truly was invited by Sister Ganyu, you know. You're aware of that.
Why make such a fuss these past few days? It's not like I'm a villain."
Baiwen could only give a wry smile and stay silent.
When Miko had first arrived at Liyue Harbor, with the mountain-opening ceremony so near, they couldn't take chances.
Even though she claimed Ganyu had invited her, they couldn't simply allow her in.
Yet messages to Ningguang and Keqing had gone unanswered—they were both secluded, stabilizing their breakthroughs.
And Ganyu herself had been elusive of late, nowhere to be found.
So Baiwen had stalled.
But Miko misunderstood, and today had nearly forced her way into Jueyun Karst. Baiwen had barely managed to intercept her.
At least the matter was resolved now.
"Lady Guuji," Baiwen said softly, "when you enter Mount Shu, please be cautious.
The sect is filled with mighty cultivators, and the Hall of Discipline under the Emperor himself is strict against unruly behavior.
If you break a rule, punishment will be severe."
Miko pouted.
"Had you not kept delaying me, I wouldn't have pushed so hard. I told you I was Ganyu's guest—did you think I'd lie?"
"…My apologies," Baiwen said with a bitter smile.
"I did send word to Lady Ningguang, but she was too busy with her breakthrough. So…"
"Never mind. It doesn't matter," Miko interrupted, tilting her head up.
"After all, I'm here now."
Her gaze lifted to the summit, where dazzling seven-colored light cascaded down like ribbons of rainbow mist.
A breathtaking sight.
Her heart stirred.
Mount Shu's strength was already evident, even without stepping inside.
The very air here was richer, more soothing than anywhere else in Liyue—several times over.
In cultivation terms… this was spiritual qi.
Eager anticipation rose within her.
Suddenly, a cluster of Hilichurl brutes burst from the bushes. Their bodies were larger, stronger than those of Hilichurls elsewhere.
"Careful, Lady Guuji."
Baiwen flashed forward, landing lightly before Miko. Her internal force flowed, ready to strike.
As Ningguang's secretary, she practiced martial cultivation diligently.
With Ningguang's occasional pills, she and her sisters had grown stronger than most Millelith—already nearing the level of martial masters.
Miko glanced at her with mild curiosity, then at the Hilichurls.
But she quickly frowned. Elemental power stirred at her fingertips.
"Something's wrong. These Hilichurls… they're running away."
"Running?"
Baiwen blinked. A heartbeat later, steel-like quills shot from the forest, skewering the Hilichurls to the ground.
Their howls faded, bodies crumbling into ash.
A savage pressure spread outward from the trees.
Miko readied her weapon, eyes narrowing.
"As I thought—something was hunting them."
The earth shook, branches shivering.
Moments later, a massive black beast lumbered out.
"A wild boar?"
Miko blinked in surprise, but cold sweat beaded at Baiwen's temples.
"A vicious beast… and a strong one!"
"So this is a vicious beast?"
Miko's eyes widened. The thing was colossal—thirty meters tall, like a moving mountain.
And it exuded genuine menace.
"Why would something like this appear here? Has Liyue become this dangerous?"
If it had appeared in Inazuma, Miko thought grimly, even an army of a thousand might fall trying to subdue it.
Its quill-like fur had already shown terrifying power. And its defense looked equally impregnable.
Crimson eyes glared with nothing but bloodlust and destruction.
This was unlike any monster she had ever seen in Teyvat—stronger than most, rivaling even a demon god's retainer.
"Why is such a beast here in Jueyun Karst?"
Baiwen, pale, pulled out talismans Ningguang had given her.
This was not something a martial artist of her level could hope to face.
"Perhaps… it's because of the qi?"
Miko murmured, her gaze sharpening.
It had no intellect—only the urge to destroy. And now, it had fixed on them.
She was about to plan her attack when a streak of white light flashed.
It pierced the beast's body.
The boar froze for an instant before collapsing with a thunderous crash.
Miko's pupils shrank.
That mountain of flesh… slain in an instant?
What kind of power was this—
"Little Sister Miko!"
A vast shadow swept over them, blotting out the sun.
Miko looked up—only to see a majestic azure bird soaring above.
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