The next morning.
As the purple qi arose from the east and the sun rose, Jiang Yan reappeared on the peak of Jueyun Karst.
However, today, there were no onlookers like Yun and Gan Yu present.
They must have returned to Liyue Harbor yesterday and would be coming together today.
But Jiang Yan didn't mind the lack of an audience.
He had to practice daily, regardless of whether anyone was watching or not.
Facing the rising sun, Jiang Yan's True Qi gradually became more active, resonating with the outside world. Streams of purple qi condensed into tangible form, flowing into his body.
The Yellow Court Scripture before him fluttered open, suspended in mid-air without wind.
“Before the Pure Clarity Purple Radiance, the Great Supreme Jade Morning Sovereign.”
“Idly dwelling in the Realm of the Jade Scepter, composing seven words, dispersing the five forms, transforming ten thousand deities…”
Every sentence, a profound teaching, transformed into streaks of flowing clouds and rainbows as Jiang Yan quietly recited them.
They blossomed with radiance around him.
If you were standing at the foot of Jueyun Karst and looked up, you would definitely think a divine being had descended. The vibrant colors were truly captivating.
As Jiang Yan began to chant, the entire Jueyun Karst fell silent.
Cicadas, birdsong, and even the sounds of monsters subsided.
Even the gentle breeze and floating clouds ceased their movement, remaining still in place.
For a moment, the only sound in the world was Jiang Yan's voice.
A white crane, soaring in the sky, landed gracefully and perched behind Jiang Yan, listening quietly.
In the nearby lake, schools of fish poked their heads out of the water, collectively gazing towards Jiang Yan.
Since he officially began his cultivation and chanted the Yellow Court, he had truly unlocked its profound mysteries.
But Jiang Yan paid no attention to any of it.
He simply felt the influx of purple qi from the east and the surging of spiritual energy as he chanted the Yellow Court, a sense of joy welling up from deep within his heart.
...
Not far below Jueyun Karst.
Zhongli, accompanied by other immortals, walked alongside Ningguang and Keqing, who led a long train of Qixing soldiers.
Behind them was an extremely long line of carriages.
Each carriage towed a large iron box, covered with red cloth.
Inside, you could occasionally hear the roars of ferocious beasts.
The train of carriages stretched for almost three to four kilometers.
This was the result of Keqing, a workaholic who didn't sleep a wink all night, personally dispatching people to capture and purchase various animals.
At the very end, there were a few carriages adorned more elaborately, but they didn't carry animals.
Instead, they contained precious goods and medicinal herbs from Liyue.
Yesterday was an informal meeting between Jiang Yan and Zhongli and the others.
But today was the official first meeting between Liyue Harbor and Jiang Yan.
Liyue, a nation that emphasizes ceremony and etiquette, couldn't afford to lose face.
Whether Jiang Yan needed these things or not was one matter, whether they presented them was another.
The caravan departed last night and traveled with haste, only arriving at the foot of Jueyun Karst this morning.
Even then, the immortals had escorted them the entire way.
It was clear that Liyue attached great importance to this official meeting.
“Finally here, this whole night has been exhausting.”
Even Keqing, the ultimate workaholic, had dark circles under her eyes and spoke with genuine fatigue.
It was enough to tell just how busy she had been last night.
Ningguang wasn't faring much better. Although she used some makeup to conceal it slightly, the thick dark circles still couldn't be entirely hidden.
She glanced at Keqing and said nothing.
Keqing was simply exhausted from traveling, but Ningguang had spent the entire night burning the midnight oil.
Dealing with correspondence from other nations, appeasing the citizens of Liyue…
Just those two tasks had drained all of Ningguang's energy.
Since becoming the Tianquan Star, she had never felt this exhausted.
Fortunately, everything was now resolved. All that remained was hoping for a good outcome today.
Thinking about it, Ningguang looked at Gan Yu again.
Despite not sleeping last night and running around for a long time, Gan Yu didn't show any sign of fatigue at all.
A half-immortal physique…
It was truly amazing.
Ningguang sighed inwardly, lifting her gaze to the summit of Jueyun Karst.
Truthfully, she didn't come here often.
After all, only two types of people visited Jueyun Karst.
One was Qiqi, who collected herbs, and the other, those seeking immortality.
Since the immortals themselves didn't particularly welcome her, she wasn't keen on coming here to stir up trouble.
But, as it turned out, she was here to seek immortality after all.
“Mr. Jiang is on the summit of Jueyun Karst, isn't he?”
Keqing asked softly. Zhongli nodded slightly, about to answer, but Gan Yu was one step ahead.
“Yes, yes! Jiang Yan has a very strict and structured daily routine. Every morning, when the sun rises, he'll be on the summit of Jueyun Karst, reciting the Yellow Court Scripture.”
“He's truly a very strict and organized person!”
The immortals remained silent.
Zhongli sighed with a touch of sorrow.
The diligent and meticulous Gan Yu of old had finally succumbed.
So…
Please, return the hardworking Gan Yu to Liyue!
This Gan Yu was too love-struck!
Ningguang gave a polite but awkward smile, also silently criticizing Gan Yu for being infatuated.
Last night, she had thought she could gather some information about Jiang Yan from Gan Yu.
But…
Three whole hours!
Gan Yu had talked about Jiang Yan for three whole hours…
His personality, hobbies, lifestyle, words, actions…
Gan Yu knew him better than Jiang Yan himself.
Ningguang couldn't help but wonder if Jiang Yan had cast a spell on Gan Yu.
After a long pause, Ningguang ignored Gan Yu's words and spoke softly.
“Would we be interrupting Mr. Jiang if we go up now? And, these things… how should we deliver them?”
Ningguang looked at the enormous caravan behind them with a sense of difficulty.
Ask the immortals for help?
The immortals would scold her, and Ningguang didn't think they could move so many gifts.
The caravan stretched for three to four kilometers.
Ask Zhongli to carry them…
That didn't seem quite right, did it?
Zhongli pondered for a moment and spoke softly.
“Perhaps we could store them in the Dust Song Pot with Ping, and as for going up…”
Before he could finish, a faint breeze seemed to descend from the summit.
The breeze was weak, nothing compared to the gale force winds on Jueyun Karst.
Yet, this gentle breeze, as it passed by, caused everything around it to freeze.
The unrelenting gale stopped, the swaying weeds stopped, and even the ripples on the surface of the lake seemed to stand still.
This breeze, as it swept past, erased the exhaustion Ningguang and the others had accumulated from staying up late and traveling all day.
Instead, a sense of tranquility washed over them, as if they had fallen into a warm and boundless embrace.
It was as if…
In this moment, they were favored by Heaven and Earth.
Ningguang gently raised her hand, placing it on her chest.
She hadn't felt this kind of peace and happiness in her heart for over a decade.
All she wanted to do right now was close her eyes and sleep.
“This is…”
Ningguang forced herself to speak, overcoming the guilt of breaking the tranquility.
“Silence.”
Yun turned back, breaking her habit of scolding Ningguang, her expression unexpectedly mild.
“It's begun.”
“What?”
Keqing was taken aback, but the next moment, the restless animals behind them quieted down.
Wild beasts and poultry ceased their roars.
Keqing furrowed her brow slightly and quickly walked towards a cage, lifting the lid.
The sight inside nearly made her gasp.
The tiger inside, prostrate in its cage, looked as if it were in deep reverence.
Unconvinced, Keqing lifted the lids of several other cages.
Whether it was wild boars or white geese, whether it was ferocious beasts or cute creatures, all of them lay down devoutly, heads bowed to the ground of the cage.
This was the first time Keqing had seen reverence and awe in the eyes of these creatures devoid of humanity.
“Keqing, Your Excellency!”
A Qixing soldier shouted in a panicked voice, pointing towards the nearby lake.
“Don't shout so…”
Keqing couldn't finish her sentence. She turned to look and her scalp prickled with fear.
The fish in the lake were all floating on the surface, tilting their heads upwards towards Jueyun Karst.
Like the wild beasts, they were devout and reverent.
Further out, wild animals gathered from who knows where, rabbits lying on top of tigers, vipers coiled at the feet of wolves.
There was an eerie sense of peace amongst them.
Even their breathing was shallow, as they simply lay devoutly without moving.
“Keqing, Your Excellency! Over there! The monsters over there…”
Another Qixing soldier pointed in horror at a nearby location.
There, juvenile Geovishaps and Hilichurls knelt peacefully side by side, gazing up at the summit of Jueyun Karst.
Keqing couldn't imagine seeing such a sight even in her dreams.
“What… what exactly is happening?!”
“There is no need to panic, Mr. Jiang is simply starting his morning lessons.”
Zhongli offered a soft reassurance.
Before Keqing and the others could ask any questions.
From the summit of Jueyun Karst, a series of profound echoes rang out.
Then, purple qi poured down from the sky, filling the heavens and earth.
The summit of Jueyun Karst erupted with mystical radiance.
The gentle echoes entered their ears, and they felt the damage deep within their souls beginning to unravel like silk threads.
Zhongli sighed with a sense of awe, then, regardless of the looks of others, sat down cross-legged on the ground.
“Calm your minds, everyone. Let us listen to the Yellow Court with me.”
“This is a gift that Mr. Jiang has given to us, to Heaven and Earth.”