As Jian admired the serenity of the rising sun, its golden rays stretching across the horizon and bathing the courtyard in warmth, a figure stirred in the shadows.
"Hmmm… we have a prodigy in our hands, eh?" The voice was smooth, almost melodic, yet tinged with something unsettling. Before he could turn, the presence slipped away, vanishing as though it had never existed. Only the faint ripple of spiritual energy lingered in the morning air.
Jian's gaze hardened, but he said nothing. Turning his back to the empty space, he made his way to his quarters.
Inside, the quiet hum of cultivation greeted him. Both Maria and Fei Ling sat cross-legged, eyes closed, still immersed in deep meditation. Their breathing was steady, their bodies surrounded by faint spiritual light. For a brief moment Jian observed the scene, before slipping silently into the bath area.
Steam curled upward as he soaked, the warmth easing the storm raging through his meridians. His thoughts lingered on the voice in the shadows.
Even at dawn, eyes are watching…
When he finally rose, he dressed in a fresh robe, every fold sharp and composed. Entering Maria's room, he placed a note carefully on her table, his expression unreadable.
Then, without disturbing either of them, he stepped outside once more.
The morning path bustled with life—disciples heading to the library halls. Heads turned as Jian passed; whispers followed.
"Wait— isn't that the helper fucker? How come he's already in the Core Formation Realm?" one voice broke out in disbelief.
Several disciples who had never paid Jian any mind immediately snapped their heads toward him, their eyes narrowing in shock. Murmurs rippled through the walkway, their stares sticking to him like needles.
Jian ignored them all. His steps remained steady, calm, and unhurried as he continued toward the library hall, robes brushing softly against the stone path.
On reaching the hall, the chatter inside faltered. Dozens of disciples were already seated, and many had prepared to greet his arrival with their usual ridicule.
But as soon as they sensed his cultivation aura, the words froze in their throats.
"Impossible…" one muttered, voice barely audible.
"He must've been hiding his cultivation all this time!"
No wonder he was able to pull off that feat with the dummy."
Another whispered, though his tone carried more fear than certainty.
"No one can cultivate that fast. No one…"
The disbelief thickened the air. Jian, however, paid it no mind. His gaze swept across the room, landing briefly on Bai Xue.
Their eyes met just for a breath before she quickly turned away, her fingers curling faintly atop her desk.
Without a word, Jian strode past the rows of stunned disciples and made his way to the back. He lowered himself into his usual seat, leaning slightly to one side, his gaze drifting lazily out the window.
He seemed to be waiting—calmly, patiently—for Elder Han Mei's arrival.
Few moments later Elder Han Mei walked into the hall with calculated stride bringing all the bickering and whispering to an end.
Scanning the hall, Elder Han Mei's gaze landed on a vacant seat. Her brows knit slightly.
"Where is Fei Ling?" she asked.
The disciples seated nearby exchanged glances before one finally spoke up with a shrug.
"She didn't say anything, Elder. We don't know where she ran off to."
Han Mei gave a faint hum, lips parting to begin the lecture—only for the hall's doors to creak open.
Fei Ling strode in. Her steps were neither hurried nor hesitant, but the timing of her arrival drew every pair of eyes. She moved with practiced ease to her seat, yet not before her gaze flicked toward the back.
Jian, unbothered as ever, met her eyes. Instead of indifference, he gave her a small smile and a subtle nod.
A stir ran through the hall. Several disciples raised their brows in disbelief. Fei Ling, after all, was known as one of the most silent disciples in the sect. She only ever spoke if the topic concerned Fairy Mei Lian, never wasting words on idle exchanges.
And now—she acknowledged Jian?
The ripple of whispers didn't escape Elder Han Mei's sharp eyes. She watched silently, her expression calm, though the slight narrowing of her gaze showed she missed nothing.
Congratulations on your minor breakthroughs she said to Fei ling who could only smile faintly
But just as Elder Han Mei parted her lips to resume speaking, her eyes froze. She suddenly realized that Fei Ling was not the only one whose cultivation had surged.
Her gaze snapped toward Jian.
He sat there calmly, his expression dull and unassuming, yet his presence spoke volumes. The fluctuation in his qi was impossible to miss. He didn't flinch under her scrutiny; instead, he met her eyes knowingly, as if mocking the very idea that she could pry into his secrets.
So you've noticed, Jian thought, the corner of his lips twitching into the faintest smile as he laughed manically inwardly.
Elder Han Mei, however, stiffened slightly, her throat working as she swallowed hard.
Impossible. Wasn't he only in the early stages of the Meridian Connection Realm not long ago?
Suppressing her surprise, she drew in a steadying breath and forced her expression back into calm neutrality. "Enough distractions," she said coolly.
"Today, we will be discussing the different types of physiques, their unique advantages, and their inherent disadvantages."
The hall quieted instantly, though whispers still
flickered beneath the silence like sparks waiting to catch flame.
So this is the physique manual you can go through it she said as she used spiritual Qi to guide each manual to each disciples.
The disciples proceeded to flick through the pages of the manual, the soft rustle of parchment filling the hall. After a few minutes of idle reading, Fei Ling's hands suddenly stilled mid-turn.
Her eyes froze on a single section, the words etched there seeming to leap off the page. Slowly, almost as if drawn by instinct, she turned her head.
Her gaze landed squarely on Jian.
Jian met her eyes with a calm smile, his expression giving nothing away yet revealing everything at once. The flicker in her pupils told him she had realized it—the passage she lingered on detailed the rare Ice-Burning Yin and Yang Physique.
It was no coincidence. And Fei Ling knew it, "his helper has this physique," she thought inwardly as everything now made
sense.