As most were still wandering within the Heart-Testing Array, Alice took the chance to chat with Zhongli and the others.
"To be precise, that beast belonged to Skirk, disciple of the Abyss Knight Surtrloch."
Zhongli frowned slightly.
"A deep-sea leviathan on the level of a peak demon god, kept as a pet?"
Alice spread her hands.
"Surtrloch, Rhinedottir, and myself—we are alike. We have all traversed the Quantum Sea. Rhinedottir called it the pursuit of perfection. She embodies alchemy perfected; the Abyss Knight embodies raw strength perfected."
"By my estimation, Skirk's realm should be comparable to the peak of Spirit Transformation. As for Surtrloch himself—at least half a step into Spirit Transformation, perhaps already in the early stages of it."
Her words had barely fallen when Venti quirked a smile at her.
"And yet you yourself are only late-stage Spirit Transformation? You were so powerful, and yet when you challenged me back then, you agreed to settle things with poetry instead?"
Alice puffed her cheeks in annoyance, glaring at him.
"Please! Everyone has their specialty! Rhinedottir makes those terrifying alchemical beasts, yet her own strength isn't so different from mine! And you two—you and Zhongli—are you even normal Archons? A pair of monsters! Want me to spill your dirty secrets?"
Her eyes flashed mischievously.
"How about I remind you of your 'friendship' with the First Throne of Time?"
Zhongli turned his gaze on her, calm but cutting. Alice snorted and fell silent.
Venti hurriedly coughed, waving his hand.
"All in the past. We're cultivators now, not Archons. And tell me—could an Archon compare to a cultivator?"
Alice shot him one last glare, then continued:
"You both must have noticed—my original power isn't from Teyvat, but from outside. From the Quantum Sea. The same is true of the Abyss Knight's people."
Zhongli's expression did not change.
"So then, do you believe yourself stronger now than Surtrloch?"
Alice huffed smugly.
"Of course! I'm a cultivator now. Once I unleash my Unity Unity Divine Light, Surtrloch couldn't survive even eight lives! Realm means nothing if you don't cultivate. He's no match for me."
Venti waved lazily, uninterested.
"Forget it. Just cultivate in peace. If you can reach the Sect Master's level,then no matter how chaotic the world becomes, one word from you would silence it."
Then he tilted his head with a smile.
"Still, I'm surprised. That Chief Justice—Neuvillette—turns out to be the Hydro Dragon Sovereign. But isn't he a bit… weak? With that strength, how could he possibly have fought those absurd beings of the First Throne era?"
Zhongli shook his head.
"It is natural. He has no power from beyond the world. And having only just reclaimed his dragon authority, he cannot yet wield it fully. In any case, it has nothing to do with us. As long as Mount Shu stands, Teyvat will not fall into chaos. Better to focus on what truly matters."
Both nodded in agreement, resuming their work of expelling the failed candidates.
Before long, fewer than ten thousand remained.
One after another, Hu Tao and the others awoke, their eyes showing shock and lingering fear.
"A lifetime in an instant… the means of cultivators are terrifying."
Tartaglia sighed, lost in thought.
"Had I not awakened at the last possible moment, I would have failed outright."
But then he smiled faintly, pleased. However meager, he had passed the first trial. At least he had earned the status of an outer disciple.
But for him, that was not enough. Without reaching the inner sect, he would not count as truly having entered Mount Shu. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, plunging into his second trial of life.
Nearby, Clorinde's eyes lingered on Furina, filled with both shock and pity.
"Forget it… it's only an illusion."
Shaking her head, she pressed on. Furina was already nearing the end of her second trial. Clorinde refused to be left behind—she would catch up.
One after another, more broke through. Some advanced further; others shrank back in fear and chose to stop.
When the last candidate was expelled, the tally was set: 1,348 had passed the first Heart-Mirror trial.
A brutal elimination rate.
Zhongli and the others, however, frowned—not because it was too few, but too many. Jiang Yan had only ordered one thousand recruits. Now they had 1,348. Clearly, some would still have to be cut—or relegated to menial disciples, waiting for another chance.
That, too, was fate. In cultivation, fortune was as vital as strength.
Soon after, Furina shattered her second trial. Far from weary, her spirit burned even brighter, her will sharper than ever.
She bore human flaws, yes, but also human strengths. Thus she was both the perfect human and the perfect god. Humanity's infinite potential shone flawlessly through her.
Without waiting to be asked, she strode forward, plunging into the next trial without hesitation. Having relived two lifetimes already, her unwavering resolve was awe-inspiring.
Zhongli nodded slightly.
"This is the essence of humanity's boundless potential—unyielding in the face of failure."
But his voice grew quiet.
"As for Fontaine's problem, we must report to the Sect Master. However great Furina's talent, cultivation alone cannot progress fast enough. If Fontaine remains unresolved, she will never find the peace to truly cultivate. If necessary, I could send Xiao—at his level, slaying a leviathan would be effortless."
Alice shook her head.
"Wait. Furina won't want others to solve it for her. But to deal with Fontaine's crisis, she'll need at least late-stage Refining Essence into Qi. Even if she begins cultivation now, she'd only start at early-stage. However gifted, reaching that level takes years. Fontaine may not have that long."
Zhongli's brow furrowed, but Alice's eyes sparkled mischievously.
"And yet—how did Ganyu so quickly leap from mid-stage to the peak of Refining Essence into Qi?"
Silence.
Zhongli coughed quietly.
"Careful with your words…"
Alice giggled.
"I don't mean anything by it. But even leaving Ganyu aside, Ningguang and Keqing both advanced to mid-stage in short order. Furina's talent is even greater, and her heart steadier. She should manage. Besides, to us, Fontaine's troubles are small. If we bothered the Sect Master over such matters, we'd only seem incompetent."
Zhongli thought for a moment, then sighed.
"Very well. We'll wait and see."
The three ceased their discussion, turning back to watch the trials.
Most who passed pressed on. These would be outer disciples, a matter for the Outer Elders to handle. What mattered now was the true test—who would ascend to the inner sect, the true foundation of Mount Shu.
As the trials deepened, differences grew starker. Furina, in particular, sometimes emerged from a new trial almost instantly, her clarity of self unshakable. She now stood at the sixth trial, leaving all others far behind.
Ningguang and the others grew solemn. Mount Shu had gained another unmatched prodigy.
Behind her trailed Tartaglia, Hu Tao, Beidou, Yelan, and Alhaitham, all at the fourth trial. Close behind were Collei, Xingqiu, Chongyun, Clorinde, and others, nearing the end of the third. These, too, were certain to enter the inner sect.
Zhongli's gaze softened slightly as he watched them.
The rest were reaching their limits. Each moment, another was expelled. Yet unlike those cast out earlier, their faces bore not despair but a strange, bittersweet joy. For they had already passed one trial, securing their place as disciples at least.
Those who fell at the third trial sighed, but without bitterness. One step short—but in the Heart-Testing Array, a single step meant an entire lifetime. Who could truly endure three lives without faltering?
Fate again.
At worst, they would still remain as outer disciples. Their long month of waiting had not been in vain.
Only those who barely scraped through the first trial and dared not attempt the second were uneasy. Mount Shu had set the number at one thousand—no more, no less. Of the 1,348, at least three hundred would still be cut.
They would remain as menials. And though that was still better than nothing, who among them did not long for more?
Yet compared to the millions who had been eliminated outright, they were still the lucky ones.
Ningguang and the others, however, spared them no thought. For the million-plus who failed, fate had ended. Perhaps they could try again next time—though now that cultivation had spread across Teyvat, next time would be even more competitive.
As for menials versus outer disciples—that was a matter for the Outer Elders. Not their concern.
Cruel as it sounded, they understood well. They had read enough chronicles of the cultivation world to know the truth.
In any sect, the inner disciples are the true disciples.
Only inner disciples acknowledge one another as peers.
Outer disciples are beneath notice—unless they rise. Such was the iron law of sects, forged over countless ages.
But that law was not immutable. In the cultivation world, strength reigned supreme. With strength, respect followed anywhere. Without it, to be bullied was one's own fault.
To embrace the beauty of cultivation, one must also accept its cruelty.
That was a rule none could escape.
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