For Mu Qinglan, the supernatural item she most wanted right now wasn't some powerful weapon, but a useful defensive item.
Weapons weren't urgent; they would come eventually.
Due to the threats from those behind the scenes in Heyang City, her immediate priority was to ensure her own safety.
After all, people die when they are killed.
The frail wheelchair-bound girl was her preference, but a dead wheelchair-bound girl was not.
And this golden accessory given to her by Ning Shuyu was born to protect her safety, which perfectly suited her wishes.
Though the weekly attack protection was somewhat inadequate at present, once her level increased, it would play a much greater role.
And the ability to summon the dragon spirit was even more precious.
Not only was the dragon spirit's power formidable, but most importantly, once the dragon spirit appeared, everyone would know who was protecting you—anyone thinking of harming you would have to think twice.
Dragons were not to be trifled with.
Neither was the Imperial Spirit Sect.
In the game's plot, this golden item could only be exchanged at a high price from the faction store after completing hidden quests and maxing out reputation with the Imperial Spirit Sect.
Because it almost represented the full support of the Imperial Spirit Sect.
If Mu Qinglan were an ordinary player, she would have to go through countless quests and dungeons, as well as the nagging of stupid NPCs, and who knows when she would reach this step.
But to get it so quickly...
This made her once again realize the convenience of her identity.
Others might not know the value of this hairpin, but Mu Qinglan certainly did. Even with the bonus of her current status, her willingness to give this treasure symbolizing identity and friendship—
This was enough to prove her goodwill.
And because of this, Mu Qinglan silently added a note to her mental notebook.
She would return the favor and change the ending of the Imperial Spirit Sect, which was almost completely wiped out at the end of version 4.0.
This sounded difficult.
Because their enemy was a first-rank true dragon.
But it didn't matter. That true dragon wouldn't emerge for at least another year, and in a year's time, barring any accidents, she should also have the means to communicate with that ancient dragon, or even stand as its equal.
Even more coincidentally,
That ancient dragon's madness wasn't its original intention but the result of being corrupted by the evil forces of the Abyss; it had fallen.
So, if it could be rescued from the Abyss, it would be a villain boss that could be won over.
That fit perfectly with Mu Qinglan's plans.
One could say everyone had a common goal.
And with this hairpin, many previously somewhat dangerous things could now be done freely, such as the capital assassination case in half a month.
On that night, the assassin, in just one night, circled Heyang and assassinated seven heavily guarded high officials of the court, committing the largest case of official casualties in the capital in decades.
Following the routine definitely wouldn't perfectly resolve the situation.
Mu Qinglan had no way to protect them.
Only by taking the initiative could there be a chance for victory.
Originally, she felt that although Shen Yao and her steward could easily defeat the attacking assassin, the assassin's methods were strange and formless. She, as a frail girl, might not be able to escape from the other's techniques.
But with this hairpin, her confidence increased significantly.
"Thank you."
Mu Qinglan said sincerely.
"Your safety is the most important," Ning Shuyu smiled, "It's getting late. I won't keep you for a meal. Keep this book, 'Basic Magic,' and learn whatever you want. If there's anything you don't understand, you can come and ask me anytime. But remember one thing."
Ning Shuyu's expression became much more serious.
"With magic, it's quality over quantity. With your ninth-rank ability, mastering three is enough."
Mu Qinglan nodded obediently, but inwardly, she let out a slight laugh.
After awakening, she still had 63 experience points left. She wouldn't be ninth rank for long.
She would advance within this month.
She hoped the National Teacher wouldn't be too shocked.
○
By the time she returned to the mansion, it was already getting late.
Gently closing the door, Mu Qinglan didn't rush to savor today's gains but raised her eyes to look at a certain part of the room, and couldn't help but curl her lips.
"Look who's here," she chuckled softly, "Dressed formally, carrying a sword, not speaking, just sitting there playing it cool. My eyes are poor, I can't see clearly. I don't know if you're the great constable of the Six Bureaus or the Miss Shen who called me 'master' yesterday afternoon."
"..."
Shen Yao felt a bit numb. She had never imagined that the first thing upon meeting Mu Qinglan would be to encounter her sarcasm.
Was it because she hadn't greeted her first?
"Miss Mu," Shen Yao's expression remained calm, and she didn't mention the title "master" at all: "The Chief Constable sent me. I'll be staying here most of the month to protect your safety."
"Can't you even try to coax me?"
Mu Qinglan said pitifully, pouting and pushing her wheelchair a bit closer: "I thought you'd say you were worried about me, so you volunteered to come..."
"That's part of the reason too."
Shen Yao's gaze shifted slightly as she spoke against her heart.
She felt that with Mu Qinglan's methods, there was no need to worry about any assassins. If an assassin was foolish enough to come, it was uncertain who she should worry about!
Thinking this, Shen Yao changed the subject:
"I heard from the servants that you went to the National Teacher's mansion earlier?"
"Yes, I went to ask about transcendental matters."
"A magician, huh." Shen Yao understood, and asked: "Did you succeed?"
"Of course," Mu Qinglan's tone was lazy, looking at her disdainfully: "After all, Sister Ning taught me personally, unlike Miss Shen who doesn't think about me at all."
How did it come back to me again?
Shen Yao had a headache, feeling that this princess seemed to take pleasure in teasing her, but without any malice, making it very difficult for her to handle.
And, the National Teacher personally guided her?
"Has Miss Mu considered when to knock on the Human Gate?"
After awakening transcendent powers, apart from learning abilities and improving, the next step to consider was the issue of knocking on the gates.
The transcendent path had three gates, divided from high to low into Heaven, Earth, and Human gates. The division of these three gates was similar to the major boundaries but actually different.
Major boundaries were divided into three ranks per boundary, but the three gates were different.
The Human Gate governed the body, a test for advancing from ninth rank to eighth rank; the Earth Gate governed the way, stationed at the threshold of advancing from seventh to sixth rank; the Heaven Gate governed the spirit, and only experts advancing from fourth to third rank, attempting to advance from master to grand master, had a chance to glimpse its style.
These three gates were the roadblocks on the transcendent path.
And a ninth-rank who hadn't even passed the Human Gate was, after all, just a novice.
Although the Human Gate wasn't difficult, there was still a probability of failure. Not everyone could pass smoothly—especially since Mu Qinglan had health issues, it was uncertain if she could compete on the same level as others.
'Knocking on the gate?'
Mu Qinglan's eyes flickered for an instant.
In the game, these three gate-knocking events were in the form of team dungeons, where participants cooperated and competed, and those ranked higher gained opportunities for advancement.
She wondered what it would be like now...
"I heard that one can only knock on the gate in the middle of the month?"
"To be precise, only on the night of the full moon," Shen Yao corrected, "The full moon is in three days, but you definitely can't try to break through at that time. Generally, people stay at the ninth rank for about half a year. Those with good talent can try after two or three months."
"How long did Miss Shen take?"
"One month."
There was a hint of subtle pride in Shen Yao's cold voice.
Crossing the ninth rank in one month's time—in the past decade, no talent in Great Xia could match her.
Mu Qinglan smiled:
"Then I'll set my goal earlier too."
"You've never learned about the transcendence before. It's better not to be too ambitious."
Shen Yao frowned, feeling that Mu Qinglan was too aggressive. How could someone who had never been exposed to the transcendence before possibly cross the entire ninth rank boundary in just one short month?
The reason she could achieve those things was because she was a warrior and had the foundation of several years of martial arts training.
But for Mu Qinglan to want to emulate that...
Was she crazy?!
Even if she was a genius certified by the National Teacher, she absolutely couldn't do such a thing!
And if she rushed her cultivation and harmed her body, that would be problematic. talent was limited; Shen Yao understood this clearly. There were no geniuses in the world who excelled in every aspect. Mu Qinglan, skilled in scheming, might not be skilled in the transcendence, let alone achieving the feat of crossing the entire ninth rank in a month.
Shen Yao rubbed her brow, beginning to organize her words, pondering how to persuade this rebellious "master" not to do something foolish.
On the other side.
Miss Mu Qinglan, who was considered to be overestimating herself, was thinking—
'Three days, might the time be a bit tight?'