Hearing Gan Yu's question, Jiang Yan chuckled:
“Speaking of the Rainbow Bridge, we have to mention the Seven Wonders of Mount Shu.”
Hearing Jiang Yan say this, everyone became interested.
“What are the Seven Wonders of Mount Shu?”
Zhongli asked softly.
Jiang Yan said:
“The Seven Wonders of Mount Shu are the seven most beautiful sights of Mount Shu, as judged by those in the world of cultivation.”
Upon hearing this, everyone was speechless. After a while, it was Ningguang who spoke up:
“To be fair, all of Mount Shu's scenery is magnificent and breathtaking, not just seven sights?”
“The Seven Wonders refer to the most beautiful scenery of Mount Shu, the kind that makes one forget everything else upon seeing it.”
Jiang Yan smiled faintly and continued:
“The so-called Seven Wonders of Mount Shu are: the Rainbow Bridge, the Sea of Clouds, the Jade Screen, the Bamboo Torrent, the Moon Platform, and the Flying Clouds.”
Gan Yu counted on her fingers, and a moment later, she made a light sound of surprise.
“But, there are only six.”
Jiang Yan looked towards the sky-piercing pillars that stretched infinitely upward, and said in a low voice:
“The seventh Wonder is the Seven Peaks of Mount Shu.”
“The Seven Peaks of Mount Shu are said to be like the pillar that supports the heavens, as high as the sky. The sky is as high as the Seven Peaks are high.”
“The Seven Peaks of Mount Shu today are only a little over ten thousand meters high, a far cry from the ancient legends.”
Ten thousand meters…
And you call it “a little over?”
Everyone was speechless.
The highest peak in Teyvat is only a few thousand meters high.
Ten thousand meters…
Could humans even live there?
No… wait…
Those who live on Mount Shu are cultivators.
So…
If you don't cultivate diligently, you won't even be able to survive on Mount Shu.
Seeing everyone deep in thought, Jiang Yan didn't hesitate and took out a bronze token.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, as Jiang Yan took out the token, a seven-colored rainbow bridge instantly descended from the sky.
Jiang Yan invited everyone to step onto it. Although they were amazed, everyone inexplicably trusted Jiang Yan, believing that he wouldn't let anything happen to them.
However, when they stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge, they still felt a bit nervous. The soft, cotton-like feeling left them with no sense of solid ground beneath their feet.
But it was a new and exciting experience nonetheless.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed against their cheeks.
Everyone looked up, stunned.
The Rainbow Bridge was retracting, carrying them at breakneck speed toward the heavens.
Looking down, the Sword Forest was shrinking rapidly.
The speed seemed incredibly fast.
Suddenly, Jiang Yan turned back and said:
“Pay attention, the Seven Wonders of Mount Shu: Jade Screen, Bamboo Torrent.”
Everyone looked in the direction Jiang Yan pointed.
Even after having their eyes opened to the extraordinary and mysterious scenery of Mount Shu, they were still speechless with amazement.
Looking down in the distance, they saw endless forests stretching out in a line, like some kind of natural barrier. It was like a wall of emerald green, holding back the endless frost.
Within it was a seemingly endless bamboo forest.
Everyone finally understood why it was called the Bamboo Torrent.
The bamboo forest covered the entire mountain, seemingly forming an ocean. When the wind blew, the bamboo forest swayed and rustled, like waves crashing one after another.
It was simply breathtaking.
Unfortunately, such a sight was fleeting, and they had already crossed the Sea of Clouds on the Rainbow Bridge. They couldn't help but feel a bit of regret that they couldn't see it for longer.
But this also sparked their motivation.
As long as they cultivated diligently and learned how to fly on swords, they could see such beauty, even more beauty, whenever they wanted. Just thinking about it filled them with joy.
After that, under Jiang Yan's guidance, they saw more wonders. As for the Rainbow Bridge, everyone now understood it. It was the bridge that connected the Seven Peaks, and according to Jiang Yan, it was a necessity for disciples who couldn't fly on swords to travel between the peaks. The Rainbow Bridge was like an elevator, only it required the expenditure of spiritual energy. But within the Heavenly Domain, what was lacking was not spiritual energy, but time. If they used it too quickly, they could just open up a few more portals and draw from the Quantum Sea, which had endless spiritual energy.
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, they didn't get to see the Moon Platform and the Flying Clouds. But they would have plenty of opportunities in the future.
Jiang Yan took the opportunity to give everyone a brief explanation of the history of the Seven Peaks of Mount Shu. The Sky-Reaching Peak, representing the headmaster, the Dragon Head Peak, overseeing punishment, the Small Bamboo Peak, inhabited only by women…
He also spoke about the magnificent Seven Peaks Martial Competition of the past. Countless geniuses competed fiercely, vying for the top spot for themselves and for the Seven Peaks they represented, for the sake of fame and glory.
Hearing this, everyone wished they could have been born in the Mount Shu of that era to witness and even participate in such a gathering of talented individuals.
Jiang Yan recounted these stories with ease, as if he had truly witnessed them in the past. He even spoke many things instinctively.
Why was this happening? He felt a sense of suspicion. However, he had other important matters at hand, and he didn't have time to think about it. He simply buried it in the back of his mind for the time being.
Unbeknownst to them, the Rainbow Bridge had already delivered them to the top of the central Sky-Reaching Peak.
It felt like a long time, but in reality, it was only about four or five minutes. They had expected the top of the Sky-Reaching Peak to be narrow and difficult to stand on, but that wasn't the case. In fact, it was the same for all seven peaks. The summit seemed to have been sliced off with a knife, creating a massive platform.
Standing on the top and looking down, they saw scattered houses starting from the halfway point of each peak. They reflected the character of each peak. Some were just piles of stones, while others were wooden houses. Every season's beauty could be found on the Seven Peaks of Mount Shu.
Unfortunately, those houses were rather plain.
Ningguang felt a sense of awe, but then she sighed at her own mundane thoughts. Cultivators preferred peace and tranquility and didn't care for worldly possessions. They wouldn't care about the houses. In fact, it was the cultivators who were truly happy. This place perfectly matched their dream of a cultivation sanctuary. Secluded, safe, and beautiful. Cultivating here would probably make their minds feel younger every day.
But Jiang Yan felt a bit of disappointment. It seemed like everything was in place, but in reality, the most important buildings of a cultivation sect were missing. There was no library, alchemy hall, artifact forging hall, or transmission hall… none of them. Jiang Yan could create those buildings, but what good would empty shells be? The cultivation techniques, elixirs, and other things… who would provide those? Jiang Yan could only hope the system would be of some use. Otherwise, he would have to figure out how to break down the cultivation techniques from the Yellow Court Jade Mirror Scripture. That would be a major undertaking. As for the elixirs… with so many disciples, someone would surely take on the responsibility.
Everyone looked at the scenery below for a while and finally understood what it meant to stand at the peak of the world and overlook all the mountains. A moment later, they reluctantly turned their heads back toward the rear.
At the very top of the Sky-Reaching Peak stood a solemn, grand palace.
Above the palace were the same characters inscribed on the Mount Shu gate.
“Sect Hall.”
These four words seemed to convey a sense of destiny.
Through the open gate, they could see a simple, unadorned Dao character inscribed on the wall behind the hall.
Aside from that, there were only seven meditation cushions arranged in the center of the floor.
On both sides of the hall, one side was a dense bamboo forest that extended halfway down the mountainside, while the other side was a neat peach orchard. Hmm… It seems like the people of Mount Shu really love bamboo.
Directly in front of the hall was a golden bell, with obscure patterns inscribed on its surface. It looked extremely extraordinary. Those patterns, in particular, drew people in. It was impossible to look away.
Seeing everyone so curious about the bell, Jiang Yan chuckled:
“This is one of Mount Shu's treasured artifacts, the Jade Chime Golden Bell.”
“However, this is not the original version. I refined it last night into a mid-grade spirit artifact.”
Zhongli and the others were surprised. The Firmament Glaze was only a low-grade spirit artifact, and Keqing's mid-grade magic artifact was incredibly powerful. A mid-grade spirit artifact… just what level of strength would it have?
Seeming to sense their thoughts, Jiang Yan shook his head with a smile.
“The Jade Chime Golden Bell doesn't have much offensive power, or rather, it has no offensive power. At least, this current Golden Bell is like that.”
“The Jade Chime Golden Bell is a very important treasure of Mount Shu.”
“The Jade Chime Golden Bell of the past was a top-tier immortal artifact. It was said to have the power to shake heaven and earth with its sound, making all immortals, gods, demons, and ghosts tremble.”
“Once the bell rang, heaven and earth would bow down. It was a true treasure, excelling in both offense and defense. Only the headmaster and all the elders together could activate it.”
“The Jade Chime Golden Bell was what saved Mount Shu from countless extinction crises in the past.”
“Later, Mount Shu prospered, and no one dared to provoke it. The bell was rarely used, and many Mount Shu disciples never saw it in action in their entire lives. The bell mostly became a symbol of Mount Shu.”
As he spoke, Jiang Yan's eyes flashed with a moment of suspicion. Once again, he had instinctively spoken without even thinking or considering…
Jiang Yan became increasingly strange.
Everyone understood, and Ningguang asked:
“But, even if the Jade Chime Golden Bell is not as powerful as the original, it's still a mid-grade spirit artifact, right? It shouldn't be weak.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan withdrew his thoughts, shook his head, and said: