As the morning sun rose, Ian Song was still sitting cross-legged atop the one-meter-high boulder halfway up Jade Maiden Peak.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, his body trembled, and a crisp sound rang out from within—like a hatchling breaking through its shell.
It was the ninth day of Ian Song's cultivation, and he had just broken through to the second layer of Qi-Refining.
"You silly kid, it's like luck really does favor fools!"
Lena Ling walked over, looking at Ian Song with admiration, shock, and a hint of relief in her eyes.
Ever since her master assigned her to guide Ian Song's cultivation, the more she taught him, the more amazed she became at his talent. He had actually reached the second layer of Qi-Refining in just nine days.
Normally, it took an ordinary Jade Maiden Sect disciple at least one or two years to reach the second layer of Qi-Refining. Lena considered herself fairly talented, but even she had needed over seven months to reach that stage.
"It's all thanks to your guidance, Senior Sister," Ian Song said with a smile, lightly jumping down from the boulder.
"Always buttering me up," Lena Ling rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help feeling delighted inside.
Suddenly, a piercing horse cry rang out from the sky. Ian Song and Lena Ling instinctively looked up and saw, hundreds of meters above, nine winged white Celestial Steeds pulling a massive black carriage through the air.
Those winged white horses were tier-four spirit beasts—Celestial Steeds.
A third-rank spirit beast was comparable to Foundation Establishment, but a tier-four spirit beast like the Celestial Steed had strength on par with the Golden Core Realm. Although Celestial Steeds weren't built for combat, they were far from ordinary draft animals.
Now, someone was actually using nine Celestial Steeds to pull a carriage—clearly flaunting immense wealth and power.
So at that moment, all the Jade Maiden Sect disciples sitting in morning lessons on the main hall square craned their necks in curiosity, watching the carriage draw closer.
In just a few breaths, the carriage had already neared Jade Maiden Peak.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Two streaks of light shot into the sky—a second-generation disciple riding a flying sword, and another standing atop a blooming flower.
"Who goes there?"
One of the second-generation disciples called out sternly.
"I am Mia Miao of the Miao Clan from Yuyang Commandery, here to pay respects to Matron Lana Snow of the Jade Maiden Sect."
A clear, melodious voice rang out from within the carriage.
When the two second-generation disciples of the Jade Maiden Sect heard the name 'Miao Clan,' their expressions immediately changed. Their demeanor became even more respectful—after all, the Miao Clan was a renowned cultivation family in Yuyang Commandery, boasting no fewer than ten Nascent Soul-level elders. Rumor had it their old ancestor was still alive!
"So it's Fairy Mia Miao—please wait, I'll report to the Sect Master right away!"
"No need—I've arrived!"
A radiant streak shot into the sky—it was Lana Snow, riding a white silk ribbon. The seven elders, including Jade Snow and Shayne Snow, followed close behind, each flying atop their own magical treasures.
Just then, the carriage door opened.
A woman in purple stepped out, her ornaments chiming pleasantly as she moved.
But what truly caught Lana Snow and the elders' attention was that Mia Miao wasn't standing on any magical treasure—she simply walked through the air itself.
To walk through the air without relying on a magical treasure meant her cultivation had reached at least the Golden Core Realm. Yet her light, unhurried stride showed a mastery that newly advanced Golden Core cultivators could not match—Mia Miao was, at minimum, a mid-stage Golden Core expert.