Jumi's eyes fluttered open, her body drenched in sweat, her breath unsteady. For a long moment she stared at the wooden ceiling above her bed, unable to comprehend the heavy pulse of qi coursing through her meridians. It was violent yet intoxicating, a flood of energy that made her limbs tremble and her heart pound like a war drum.
She sat up abruptly, clutching her chest. Her aura burst out uncontrollably—waves of force rippling through the small chamber, making the lanterns on the walls flicker. The jade bead on her bedside table cracked into two pieces from the pressure.
"No… this can't be…" Jumi whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief. She extended her hand, conjuring a small sphere of light. But instead of the faint glow of a disciple-level cultivator, the light roared like a flame, sharp and refined—undeniably belonging to the elder rank.
Her entire body shook. "I… I broke through? But… but how?"
