The crowd fell silent for a moment. Beidou stretched her wrists, glanced at the incense that was nearly burned out, and said with a grin:
"Truly fascinating. I wonder which branch I'll be assigned to."
"Captain Beidou, you're quite confident."
Baiwen chuckled as he teased her.
"But of course! If I didn't even have that much confidence, I might as well head home early."
Beidou's face was brimming with self-assurance as she looked at the Heart-Testing Array.
"Tsk… Cultivation is so much better than mere elemental power. It really gets one's blood boiling."
Childe stared at the array with excitement. After hearing about the seven branches of Mount Shu, all his hesitation was gone.
So what if there were endless battles in Teyvat?
In the end, they were just petty skirmishes in a frog's well, a crude clash of elemental powers.
The true strong have all embarked on the path of cultivation.
And on that path, there were endless battles to be fought—that was true happiness.
"Cultivation is indeed wonderful, but also very dangerous."
Uncle Tian explained with a warm smile:
"I heard from Ningguang that although this world was created by the Sect Master, and all can be called Mount Shu, in truth, only the seven branches of Mount Shu can be considered the actual sect."
"All other regions are outer zones."
"The outer zones are filled with fierce beasts and monsters, perilous in every way. Without cultivation, survival there is impossible."
"Besides that, there also exists a former Nine Nether minor world above Mount Shu."
"Back then, it was split with a single sword by the Emperor's master, the Drunken Sword Immortal, sealed into a secret realm for disciples' training."
"Even last time, when the Emperor and the Anemo Archon went exploring there, though they had already begun cultivation, they returned gravely injured."
"In the Nine Nether Secret Realm, Refining Essence into Qi cultivators are mere fodder, and Spirit Transformation demons are everywhere."
"Even demon kings at the peak of Spirit Transformation abound."
"And within that realm, there's talk of the 'Nine Nether Seven Kings'—the seven most powerful demon kings of that world."
"Not only are their subordinates terrifyingly strong, but their own strength surpasses most peak Spirit Transformation cultivators."
"When the Emperor and the Anemo Archon ventured there, they were badly injured just by meeting the generals under one of the Seven Kings."
"And according to Ningguang and the others, they personally witnessed two of the Seven Kings clash—without even going all out, the heavens collapsed and the earth shattered, tens of thousands of miles laid to waste."
"If such beings appeared in Teyvat, even all seven nations combined could not withstand them."
"Nowadays, since the Nine Nether Secret Realm is in upheaval, Ningguang and the others have been strictly forbidden by the Sect Master from entering."
"Dangerous though it is, the opportunities are abundant. After all, it was only from venturing inside that they gained massive amounts of contribution points."
The crowd nodded thoughtfully.
Childe carved the name "Nine Nether" deep into his heart.
Here, he finally understood what it meant that there's always a higher mountain.
The strength he once prided himself on in Teyvat—here in Mount Shu, even the weakest would likely surpass him.
In the Nine Nether Secret Realm, he wouldn't even count as cannon fodder.
And yet, this only thrilled him more.
At last, he had a goal worthy of climbing toward.
First, he had to pass the trials and join Mount Shu.
Then, he would step into the Nine Nether Secret Realm.
Sooner or later, he would fight those so-called Seven Kings.
To clash with rulers of an entire world—that was true exhilaration.
Meanwhile, Furina seemed more intrigued by the Drunken Sword Immortal who had once split a minor world. She was just about to ask when everyone noticed the incense was almost burned out.
So, they held their questions back.
As long as they entered Mount Shu, opportunities would come.
"Everyone," Uncle Tian said kindly, "though you hail from far and wide—even including Fatui members—once you are here, you have but one identity."
"Candidates awaiting the trial."
He smiled warmly at them.
"Though we are technically competitors, I believe with your talents, you will not be eliminated."
"So, here is my last piece of advice: guard your Dao hearts, hold firm to your bottom line. Do not let the fleeting moment within the Heart-Testing Array destroy who you are."
The crowd thanked him and fell quiet.
At that moment, the tall incense stick finally burned out.
The drifting smoke floated skyward as Zhongli and the others slowly opened their eyes.
A single resonant chime of the great bell hushed the crowd.
Its calming power settled their restlessness.
Zhongli scanned the people below, then rose to his full height, cupping his hands toward the heavens.
"Acting First Seat of Mount Shu's Longshou Peak, Hall Master of the Hall of Discipline, Zhongli, respectfully petitions Sect Master and the Patriarchs—let the trial begin!"
A streak of light descended from the heavens, landing in the heart of the Heart-Testing Array.
Zhongli glanced at Venti and Alice beside him, giving them a small nod.
The three instantly took their positions at the array's three corners, seated cross-legged in the void.
Zhongli's face was calm yet solemn as his gaze swept the crowd below.
"Enter the array."
At his words, the crowd surged, many rushing toward the array at once.
Furina turned to Clorinde, taking a deep breath and speaking with fierce resolve:
"Clorinde, do your best. We must enter Mount Shu!"
"Yes, Lady Furina!"
"Finally, the day has come. This hall master will surely learn corpse-driving at Mount Shu! Never again will Qiqi steal my business."
"Dunyarzad, wait for me! I'll find a way in Mount Shu to save you!"
"Collei! Hold firm to yourself—you can do this!"
"Haha! Chongyun, your aunt is watching you. If you can't join Mount Shu, just wait until I deal with you!"
"I know, I know! You take care too."
"Mount Shu… here comes Childe!!!"
One after another, they unleashed their abilities, rushing to the forefront and stepping into the array.
When the last had entered, Zhongli and the others raised their hands, channeling vast true essence into the four stone pillars.
Mist and light manifested out of nothing. Everyone's vision went black, as if falling endlessly into a deep abyss.
At last…
They entered the inner world constructed by the Heart-Testing Array.
Silence fell outside the array.
The three—Zhongli, Venti, and Alice—focused on maintaining it, occasionally watching to ensure no one sank too deep.
They had no leisure for chatting.
Instead, Ningguang and the others gathered with interest, pointing and whispering as they watched the crowd within.
"Ganyu, who do you think among them is most likely to become inner disciples?"
Yae Miko, toying idly with a lock of hair, was enchanting beyond measure with her awakened Heavenly Allure Body. Every movement radiated irresistible allure.
Even Ganyu, glancing at her for a moment, felt her heart waver.
Qingluan puffed up angrily and stood in front of Ganyu.
"Bad woman! Don't you dare use your charms on Ganyu!"
That snapped Ganyu out of it. She rubbed Qingluan's head and gave Miko a reproachful look.
Miko sighed helplessly.
"Sorry, Ganyu. I still can't fully control the Heavenly Allure Body."
"It's fine. The fact that Sect Master remains unaffected by your presence, while I faltered, only proves that my own Dao heart is lacking."
Her words carried a deeper implication. Miko felt awkward.
Since her body's awakening, she'd often sought Jiang Yan for guidance. At first, she genuinely asked serious questions. Later… even trivial gossip became excuses to see him.
She couldn't deny it—when she chatted with him, she barely remembered what he said. All she recalled was his warm, handsome smile.
Catching herself in this thought, Miko's heart jolted. She quickly suppressed it.
Especially with Ganyu watching—if she caught on, she would surely be upset.
For now… better to keep such thoughts private.
Besides, Miko could see clearly: Jiang Yan's attitude toward her was more about hope and expectation than romantic favor.
Affection? Hardly any.
He was wholly focused on stabilizing and growing Mount Shu.
A man with such ambition… was the most attractive of all.
No! No more thinking like this!
She forced herself back to the moment, looking at Ganyu.
"So, who do you think has a shot at becoming inner disciples?"
The others leaned in curiously.
Outer disciples didn't interest them much. Though both were Mount Shu disciples, their statuses, limits, and futures were worlds apart.
Only inner disciples truly mattered.
Ganyu pondered, her gaze infused with true essence.
Above the heads of the million candidates, she saw varying lights—dim compared to the blazing radiance she'd once seen over Ningguang and others.
Clearly, their talents were mediocre at best.
Yet, among them, a handful stood out.
After a pause, she pointed to a few at the forefront.
"In terms of aptitude, their chances are highest."
The others followed her gaze—unsurprisingly, it was Beidou, Yelan, and the others they had been watching earlier.
"But in today's Mount Shu, aptitude is no longer the only standard."
Ningguang shook her head, relieved she had joined earlier.
"Though the Sect Master never said it outright, it's clear. Unless one has an extraordinary physique—like Lumine and Paimon's divine bodies, or Miko's nearly divine Heavenly Allure Body—the Sect Master insists they all walk through the Heart-Testing Array."
"For cultivators, talent sets the lower limit, but heart sets the upper limit."
"Take Baizhu, for instance. By sheer strength of Dao heart, he advanced against the current, breaking through to the mid Refining Essence into Qi stage in just one month."
"Proof enough of the importance of one's inner self."
Baizhu, suddenly mentioned, gave a small, humble smile.
"All thanks to the Sect Master's guidance. Without it, I'd never have managed."
"You're just being modest. The feat of passing the Ninth Questioning Heart Trial isn't something just anyone could achieve."
Diluc shook his head solemnly.
Baizhu merely smiled and said no more.
The group chatted idly for a while longer when suddenly Zhongli acted.
In an instant, over ten thousand people were expelled from the array.
The first batch of failures in the Heart-Testing Array had appeared.
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