Yae Miko and Ganyu had both already arrived, but Jiang Yan was still nowhere to be seen. Even Ningguang was puzzled.
She was just about to send a voice transmission to Ganyu when—upon raising her eyes—she realized that, at some unknown point, Jiang Yan had already appeared.
He sat silently between Ganyu and Yae Miko.
Unlike past occasions, where his presence stirred heaven and earth to offer obeisance, this time his arrival caused no ripple at all.
It was as though he had been sitting there from the very beginning, overlooking everyone.
Ningguang quickly regained her composure. Seeing that the others still hadn't noticed, she rose and bowed deeply:
"Disciple Ningguang pays respects to the Sect Master—welcome, Sect Master, to your descent!"
Her sudden words froze the entirety of Yujing Terrace.
Everyone instinctively followed her gaze.
And only then did they realize—Jiang Yan was already there.
He sat with his eyes closed, as though in the great hall of Mount Shu itself.
Instantly, no one could remain composed. Their once relaxed demeanor vanished. All stood and spoke in unison:
"Disciples greet the Sect Master—welcome to your descent!"
The onlookers surrounding Yujing Terrace finally caught on, though flustered. They hurriedly mimicked the Mount Shu disciples, offering their own stilted salutations.
Some, overcome with excitement, nearly dropped to their knees then and there.
This was the very man who had brought the immortal path into Teyvat—the legendary Sect Master of Mount Shu.
A supreme cultivator, one said to be capable of destroying worlds with a single hand.
And now he sat before them?
If they prostrated themselves and made a wish, could it not come true?
But before anyone could kneel, an invisible will swept across heaven and earth. Their bent knees could not lower an inch further.
That vast intent surged to its peak the moment Jiang Yan opened his eyes.
Across all of Teyvat, no matter where one stood, it seemed as though they saw a figure seated upon the Dao itself, opening his gaze.
Distant, indistinct of face—but radiating such transcendent immortal might that none could meet his eyes. Instinctively, they bowed their heads in submission.
Far away in Inazuma, the Shogun's will suddenly ceased resisting Ei.
The feedback carried only submission and fear.
The Shogun…
Was submitting to someone?
The thought had barely formed when Ei saw it for herself.
Within her mind appeared an indescribable figure. She lacked words to explain it. But merely looking upon it filled her with an irrepressible sense of obedience.
This will swept all of Teyvat in but an instant.
Even in Celestia, the Sustainer of Heavenly Principles stirred from her slumber.
Sensing this irresistible will, she shrank back immediately.
She knew: someone who should not exist had come to Teyvat.
But what of it? If she dared act against him, as she once did against Lumine and Aether, she would be annihilated the instant she tried.
The moment she moved, Teyvat itself would reject her, stripping away all her power.
For the very world of Teyvat had already bent in reverence.
If she tried to interfere? She would not even survive long enough to descend from Celestia.
That overflowing will even spread toward the Quantum Sea and the Imaginary Tree.
In but moments, countless worlds were swept by it. Many great beings were roused in alarm.
The Imaginary Tree trembled faintly, then stabilized once more.
Jiang Yan concluded his probing—not just of Teyvat, but of the entire Tree-and-Sea system.
Withdrawing his will, he lifted his eyes briefly toward the heavens.
In his sight, Teyvat itself behaved like a fawning servant, eagerly celebrating his arrival.
Already, omens and visions began to manifest. Jiang Yan frowned slightly and spoke calmly:
"Today is merely First Seat Zhongli's Rite of Descension. It has nothing to do with me. Unnecessary celebration—dispense with it."
At his words, the budding visions froze, then dissolved back into stillness.
Yet the flattery of the world's will was still palpable.
The stronger one's cultivation, the clearer they felt it.
The Cryo Archon stared at the sky with mixed emotions.
So even the lofty will of Teyvat itself… could grovel like a dog?
The Sect Master had merely appeared, and it rushed forward with tributes.
He spoke one word, and it scrambled to retract them.
No resistance. Not even a whisper of protest.
Was this the true authority of an immortal cultivator?
To decree with a single word—and heaven and earth obeyed?
What sort of power was this…?
In the pavilion, where Jiang Yan sat, no one dared look straight at him.
They had longed for cultivation, longed to meet those with boundless resources.
Yet now, faced with the very embodiment of such a being, they felt only dread.
Leaf-lords who cried for dragons, but quailed when one appeared.
Jiang Yan, of course, knew why Teyvat's will grovelled so.
Even the faintest leakage of his spiritual energy while cultivating on Mount Shu had fueled Teyvat's evolution.
Were he to cultivate here directly, Teyvat would advance at a speed beyond imagining.
The will of the world had no "personality"—only recognition. It saw him as a boon, and so flattered.
But Jiang Yan had no intention of cultivating in Teyvat.
The spiritual energy was not the issue. The problem was this: at his level, a few days of cultivation here would trigger a global revival of qi.
And with the current foundations of Teyvat's nations, nine of ten mortals would perish.
The world's will cared nothing for mortal survival—it sought only evolution.
But Jiang Yan still needed Teyvat's human talent.
He would not drain the pond to catch the fish.
Returning his focus, he nodded lightly to Yae Miko and Ganyu. His voice was calm:
"No need for ceremony. Today, I am here only to observe."
"Thank you, Sect Master," the crowd replied in unison before sitting again.
Yet this time, silence reigned.
Even the throngs below Yujing Terrace stood still, tens of thousands packed into one place—yet not a whisper of noise.
Jiang Yan half-closed his eyes, adjusting his true essence.
But the oppressive silence remained, and he sighed inwardly.
Was his temper so fearsome? He had always thought himself gentle. Yet these people behaved as though he were unapproachable.
Still, their feelings mattered little to him.
Since Mount Shu had become its own world, he had not set foot in Teyvat.
This visit was a chance to gauge its current state of qi revival.
Only after a long while did Focalors and the others dare to sneak glances his way.
And even when their eyes saw him, their hearts felt as though no one sat there at all.
He sat alone—yet it felt as though he embodied the entire world.
Unlike the others, whose auras inevitably leaked, Jiang Yan seemed utterly ordinary.
But the violet-gold cloud mark at his brow… one glance, and they were lost in a vast, indescribable realm.
There, countless laws intertwined, all converging beneath a single man's feet.
Only now did they begin to understand the true weight of Return to Void.
Such a being—destroying Teyvat, or creating another—would be effortless.
And he was on the verge of breaching Unity of Void and Dao—the final step of the human path to immortality. Beyond that lay the supreme Immortal Realm.
The Cryo Archon averted her gaze, lest she lose herself entirely.
For a mortal, even a god, to look upon a peak Returning-to-Void cultivator was dangerous.
To approach such a being was to risk assimilation into his Dao.
For him, only cultivators counted as peers. Archons and demons alike were still mundane in his eyes.
Outer-sect disciples straightened their spines, eyes burning with fanatic devotion whenever they dared glance toward him.
Even as disciples of Mount Shu, their chances to see the Sect Master were vanishingly rare.
This day was worth everything.
The Cryo Archon glanced at Tartaglia. She said nothing, but her meaning was clear: when can you arrange an introduction?
But Tartaglia only shook his head. Now was not the time.
With Jiang Yan present, all Yujing Terrace—and indeed all Liyue Harbor—fell utterly silent.
It was as though…
An Ultraman from the M78 Nebula had come to spectate a kindergarten basketball game.
Not just different leagues—different species altogether.
The feeling was surreal.
But silence for all others did not mean silence for one.
"Master!"
Suddenly, a loli's clear voice shattered the stillness.
"Klee is here!"
She swung her little backpack happily, running on short legs to Jiang Yan's side.
It was worth noting—the backpack itself was now a spirit artifact, stuffed with at least seven or eight magical treasures.
Seeing her rush over, Jiang Yan's eyes softened with warmth. He spread his arms, catching her gently.
He tapped her nose affectionately.
"I told you to wait for me and come together. But you ran ahead and burned more essence, didn't you?"
"Nope! Klee wanted to be here first to wait for Master!"
Nestled in his arms, she giggled and tugged at his robes.
The sight made it clearer than ever: all the other disciples had been "gifts."
Only Klee was truly his own.
"Master, after the Rite of Descension, can Klee go play with Qiqi and Qingluan?"
Jiang Yan paused, then nodded.
"Yes. Relaxation aids cultivation too. But don't wander far, and don't play too long. Soon you must enter seclusion."
"Got it, Master! Klee will be good!"
Her eyes sparkled as she kissed his cheek.
The sight made Furina envious. Only Klee dared be so openly affectionate with Jiang Yan.
He chuckled, pinching her cheek before producing a jade bottle.
"These are fourth-grade spirit pills I refined. They'll help you fuse the Southern Lihuo more quickly. Remember to take them even while playing.
"When you return, Master will check your progress."
Klee nodded solemnly.
"Klee understands! Klee won't disappoint Master!"
Her face was serious, but in Jiang Yan's eyes that only made her more endearing.
He stroked her hair gently. Leaving her in his arms, he continued waiting for the ceremony to begin.
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