A soft glimmer of dawn slowly rose on the horizon.
Gu Qingli had at last completed her breakthrough. With a gentle exhale, she released a breath of turbid air, a faint, satisfied smile playing across her exquisitely beautiful face.
Pride shimmered quietly in her gaze.
She was in no rush. Instead, she calmly took her time to stabilize her newly ascended cultivation as a Nine-Star Grand Warrior. To her pleasant surprise, the advancement had brought with it a subtle yet discernible enhancement in her spiritual strength.
An unexpected gift, indeed.
Wasting no time, Gu Qingli prepared for her appointment with President Shao Yan.
Her curiosity was piqued by the mention of Shao Yan's young disciple.
Given that Shao Yan had praised his aptitude, the boy was surely someone extraordinary. If she could befriend a powerful peer before entering Fengyun Sacred Academy, it would undoubtedly prove advantageous.
As the final traces of night still lingered in the sky, Gu Qingli slipped out of her family's modest courtyard in silence.
Her figure darted like a shadow, swift and precise. In no time, she arrived at the residence of the Mercenary Guild's president, nestled just behind the guild itself. The hour was still early, and not a single soul stirred on the empty streets.
She gently pushed on the back door—it was unlocked, just as expected.
Following Shao Yan's previous directions, she made her way to a particular room, where a soft glow flickered from within, a quiet flame dancing—clearly awaiting her arrival.
"You're here early, little lass," came Shao Yan's warm, familiar voice from within.
Pushing open the door, Gu Qingli stepped inside. The air was laced with the delicate fragrance of tea, curling in wisps around the room where Shao Yan sat, serene and composed.
"President Uncle, I didn't take you for such a refined soul. Drinking tea so leisurely at this hour?"
Shao Yan chuckled.
"Care to share a cup with me, little lass?"
"Oh, must you keep calling me that?" Gu Qingli sighed helplessly. "If you don't mind, just call me Qingli. That nickname sounds rather strange."
"Very well, Qingli," Shao Yan agreed, a smile playing on his lips. "I must say, even in the span of a single night, your aura has grown significantly."
Though Shao Yan was unable to match Gu Qingli in soul strength, and thus couldn't discern her cultivation level unless she allowed it, he could still sense the shift. Her progress left him inwardly awestruck.
After years of quiet observation, he had only ever seen one other youth in Loulan City—Si Kongran of the City Lord's estate—who could rival his own disciple in both talent and strength.
And now, against all odds, a dark horse had emerged. One whose brilliance perhaps surpassed them both.
"Heh, well, I'll be counting on you, Uncle. Without reaching the peak of the Ninth Tier, I've no real confidence I can defeat that cunning Vice Commander Qi," she said with a playful grin.
Her small, delicate face radiated charm, her phoenix eyes glinting with crystalline brilliance, casting glimmers of light across her features. Mischief and innocence danced together in her expression, captivating and bright.
Shao Yan's affection for this spirited girl deepened.
"Haha, worry not. Before you face Vice Commander Qi, I'll make certain you reach the pinnacle of the Ninth Tier."
"Then, Uncle, why don't you tell me a bit about your disciple? When can I meet him?"
At the mention of his disciple, a shadow of sorrow and helplessness passed through Shao Yan's eyes.
"Come with me, Qingli," he said softly.
Catching the fleeting melancholy in his expression, Gu Qingli's curiosity about this mysterious disciple only grew stronger.