The promotion path for Magical Girls was frustratingly irregular.

Even the Disaster Control Bureau, which had massive datasets on Magical Girls, hadn’t been able to summarize a reliable rule or an effective promotion method.

Different regions produced Magical Girls who varied wildly—both in powers and in transformation outfits.

The timing and methods of promotion were bizarrely diverse.

Some promoted simply after collecting enough magical items;

some promoted because an intense personal wish erupted during battle;

some promoted after defeat, when they heard everyone’s wishes and encouragement, gathering the light of people’s hearts;

some promoted by shouting about friendship and combining their seed with a comrade’s seed to trigger a miraculous transformation.

Jiang Si really hated works that refused to clearly define tiers and give explicit promotion conditions.

They didn’t explain the logic of promotion, how strength changed, how skills should be used, or how to reasonably defeat opponents.

They simply insisted extreme emotions could produce immense power…

Garbage writing. Enough already.

If extreme emotions truly produced huge power, nobody would need training or ways to get stronger—just keep a circle of family and friends around.

When an enemy appeared, drag someone over and kill them; that’d be the most efficient strategy.

Using emotions—something anyone can erupt with—as the logic for getting stronger is fundamentally unreasonable.

Methods for becoming stronger must be unique and difficult; otherwise, why should only you be able to do it and others can’t?

Jiang Si had chased the Great Way for years and knew how grueling the path could be; promotions weren’t exceptions.

So he was unsatisfied with the mess that was Magical Girl promotion—no system, no route.

Randomness had no place on the path of cultivation.

Even the strangest—esoteric—promotion routes had fixed methods and clear progressions.

Probability should exist only in success or failure, not in the method of promotion itself.

But that didn’t matter; if none existed, Jiang Si would carve out a promotion path for Magical Girls himself.

Then he’d spread it to the world, reveal it to every Magical Girl, and open a cultivation golden age.

The merit from that might just help his own Dao progress to higher levels…

As for letting everyone transform into Magical Girls—cultivation without spirit roots wasn’t possible.

That was out of the question.

But those thoughts were distant. For now, the method he’d found—raising strength by absorbing mana from mana crystals—was the most basic approach, and its efficiency was mediocre. Most Magical Girls couldn’t get close enough to Disaster Beasts’ mana.

It contaminated their own magic and actually reduced their strength.

Although the Azure Cloud Sect had already found ways to purify that mana using some Magical Girls’ abilities, purification severely shrank the mana, making the Disaster Beasts’ mana sometimes insufficient.

In fact, Disaster Beast appearances in BH City had been frequent enough these past few years that the Disaster Control Bureau alone was sometimes overwhelmed.

Beasts popped up in many places at once, and with limited manpower, some incursions had to be left unhandled.

Of course, the Disaster Control Bureau’s choice to do that wasn’t an abandonment of responsibility so much as an assumption that the Azure Cloud Sect would intervene.

They really needed Grief Seeds.

The sects didn’t just hunt down beasts the bureau couldn’t handle—they’d even snatch beasts away from the bureau’s Magical Girls.

But at press conferences, the Disaster Control Bureau always took credit for the sect’s work.

Politicians were all the same.

Besides accumulating mana, his own physical training actually produced improvements to his Magical Girl state.

Large amounts of exercise made his transformed self control mana more precisely and perfectly, and even mildly increased his mana reserve.

Yet few in the Azure Cloud Sect were willing to adopt this method.

It was tiring, the gains were subtle, and it required a lot of time. Since gaining the power to transform into a Magical Girl, Jiang Si had never slacked off; he trained daily without fail.

Up to today, the mana he’d gained through training was roughly equivalent to absorbing the mana from a C-class Disaster Beast’s Grief Seed.

Not exactly worth promoting.

Still, more physical training never hurt, so it was included among the sect’s cultivation methods.

Jiang Si sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling, contemplating promotion methods. Thin smoke curled in the air; nearby, water sang pleasantly; the room smelled of thick, heady incense…

"A-hem— a-hem— a-hem..."

He suddenly began coughing violently, turning his head to glare at the incense before coughing again. "Who— a-hem— who swapped my incense…"

This scent was too suffocating.

Near the stone table at the center of the cavern, a girl clutching a plush rabbit toy and wearing a pale green cloak flinched.

A little bird woven from mana lines appeared again and landed on the girl’s head. "It was Yumo. Yumo did it!"

At that tattletale mana bird’s accusation, the girl’s face immediately flushed red. She hugged the plush rabbit tightly like a shield and stammered, "N-no, it wasn’t me."

Yumo—one of the Azure Cloud Sect’s seven true disciples—had been handpicked as a genius by Bingtang.

Though timid and shy in personality, Yumo was actually among the sect’s stronger members.

Peak Seedling tier—she hadn’t reached full Seedling perfection or Half-Step Blooming, but from Silver Lotus’s previous display, they seemed to be on the same level.

"I—I just followed what Bingtang-sama said." Yumo’s voice shrank. "I was told to— to help replace the incense…"

Jiang Si rose to check and found a bundle of low-quality coil incense among the lot—probably Bingtang had grabbed the wrong pack.

He looked toward Yumo. The girl looked like an elementary schooler but was actually in first year of middle school—one year younger than Keke. Bingtang had mentioned that she’d had communication difficulties since childhood and was often bullied at school, which had made her shy.

Even after gaining Magical Girl powers, she hadn’t changed much.

Her pale green cloak concealed a pristine white princess dress. The cloak was large with a hood; when shy, Yumo hugged her rabbit plush and tugged the hood down to hide her face.

Because she had difficulty communicating and mostly stayed in the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling, she was one of the few inside the sect who knew Jiang Si’s identity.

Bingtang had left her there as backup—to tend the cavern when she couldn’t come herself.

"This is low-quality coil incense; the smell’s choking. This is the proper incense we need." Jiang Si held up the two bundles and explained, "The cavern’s immortal aura relies on this stick incense."

Yumo tugged her hood down over her face. "S-sorry. I’ll remember."

"Can’t you smell the difference?"

A light breeze swept around the little girl’s body. "I didn’t like it either, so I kept blowing it away…"

"First, help disperse the scent around here."

"O—okay."

She jumped off the stool and trotted over to the cushion, brandishing her rabbit plush and waving it in the air.

Waves of gentle wind rose and carried the acrid smoke toward the ventilation shaft.

Jiang Si soon replaced the coil with the proper stick incense and lit it. Yumo didn’t stop blowing yet.

Seeing him channel the cavern’s aura away with her wind, she got a little embarrassed. "All done."

Only then did Yumo stop, looking at him with big eyes.

Children, really.

"Nothing else for you to do here—go mind your own business."

"I—I don’t really have anything to do…"

Having just absorbed the mana crystal from the B-class Disaster Beast and finished training, Jiang Si gave up on meditation for now and watched her. "Didn’t Bingtang give you any tasks?"

"Bingtang-sama said to come over and see if you’d gone to school…"

Bingtang had guessed that he’d skipped class.

He had actually been to school earlier, but discovered two math classes in the afternoon.

Not his favorite subject, so he skipped.

"Bingtang-sama also said she’s confirmed Hyacinth’s location and that you should go see for yourself."

"Didn’t I tell her to investigate for me?"

"Bingtang-sama said she’s very busy and has class."

Jiang Si answered instinctively, "Fine. After school’s okay."

"She said she’s busy and hasn’t finished her homework, so she wants you to go yourself…"

He rubbed his forehead, understanding—Bingtang was sulking.

Using unfinished homework as an excuse was pathetic. She usually finished assignments at school and even had time to help him with his.

Yumo, worried, added, "Bingtang-sama doesn’t seem very— very happy."

"Got it."

Jiang Si surveyed his Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling. Bingtang ran the large sect and faced many difficulties—of course she’d get upset sometimes.

Dealing with shy Yumo alone was already tricky; Bingtang had a lot more to handle.

So unless necessary, Jiang Si wasn’t going to be assigning tasks to these trouble-prone girls.

"Fine. Earn your own money." He sighed, then stood and packed his backpack. "Tell me Hyacinth’s location."

"It’s— it’s in my head." Yumo said timidly. "I’ll guide you."

The mana-bird that hadn’t made a sound before suddenly flew up. "Yumo, Yumo sneaking out! Off to meet the Sect Master!"

The girl’s face flushed crimson, her earlobes glowing. She wildly flapped at the bird. "No, I’m not, not a date! Bingtang-sama only told me— she didn’t send a message…"

That last half-sentence was obviously directed at Jiang Si.

He flicked the little mana bird and shattered it.

The creature had been constructed from a Magical Girl’s mana. Ordinary people couldn’t even touch one—let alone break it. But Jiang Si was familiar with the ability: once you located its mana core, even physical disruption worked wonders.

"Don’t waste time." He urged. "Let’s go now."

"Okay! Okay!"

BH City, Qiyun Academy.

The Fourth Middle School where Jiang Si attended was already a good school—top in BH City—otherwise Bingtang’s family wouldn’t have been willing to send her there.

But Qiyun Academy was the most elite private school in BH City. It had been Bingtang’s first choice, and despite her insistence on attending Fourth Middle School to sit next to Jiang Si, her family couldn’t change her mind.

With Bingtang’s abilities, school choice didn’t matter much.

For most students, getting into Qiyun Academy was like getting into a prestigious university.

The school environment wasn’t harsh; it was relatively relaxed. Its educational philosophy emphasized holistic development—discovering each student’s strengths and cultivating them.

It sounded ideal, and in practice, it was reasonably well-executed.

Because it was expensive.

This school’s fees were far beyond what ordinary families could afford. The talk of holistic development and tailored cultivation hid a need for massive funds.

Top-tier teachers, sound pedagogy, equipment, facilities—everything cost far more than at a regular school.

Traditional education’s flaws were many, but its chief advantage was affordability.

Outside the gates of Qiyun Academy you saw all sorts of luxury cars, and even those who hadn’t driven looked the part in branded clothing and shoes.

They were affluent families; wearing a uniform to stand out wasn’t fashionable.

Wearing his pale green cloak and the plain school uniform, Jiang Si stood out among the dismissing crowd.

Mostly because both of them didn’t have the air of rich kids…

High schoolers were at that reckless age; even wealthy parents didn’t always restrain their kids’ moral lapses.

So some students laughed at them.

Although it wasn’t always malicious—all they saw was two kids who didn’t fit in, which struck them as funny.

Yumo, however, cowered behind Jiang Si, lowering her head and clutching the rabbit plush, the hood covering her head like a frightened turtle.

Even with superhuman powers, she could be scared by ordinary people’s ridicule.

Jiang Si thought he should talk to Bingtang later about strengthening Dao Heart training in the Azure Cloud Sect.

A fragile Dao Heart on the cultivation path was dangerous—what if they met a heart-devouring tribulation?

Near the school gate he said, "I want to find Hyacinth—Class 7, Year 3."

The security guard glanced at his uniform. "Fourth Middle School? Qiyun Academy doesn’t welcome students from other schools. Move along."

"We’re Hyacinth’s friends."

"Over ten people come here every day claiming to be Hyacinth’s friends." The guard rolled his eyes. "Who are you trying to fool? She’s retired from Magical Girl activities. She’s not meeting fans. She’s not in the idol business."

Hyacinth’s popularity was obvious…

It made sense. Before Silver Lotus, Hyacinth had long been BH City’s Magical Girl face. After being forced into retirement by the Disaster Control Bureau, her fame gradually faded.

And Hyacinth was one of the rare Magical Girls who publicly revealed her identity.

Many people could track her down.

That also explained why Su Shan suspected Hyacinth of Witch Association ties—other Magical Girls were hard to locate, so to influence BH City’s Magical Girls, the Witch Association would naturally target Hyacinth.

Jiang Si scanned the guard and the campus defenses—only electrified railings and the guards looked threatening.

Charging in wasn’t impossible. He was a minor; the school wasn’t a high-risk classified site. If caught, police might detain him briefly. If he got away, it would be like nothing happened.

Worth a try.

He turned to lead Yumo around back; an electric shock from the railing wouldn’t break his well-trained body if exposure was brief.

But before they could walk two steps, a jet-black figure emerged from the teaching building.

Her outfit was similar to the Fourth Middle School’s sailor-style uniform, but solid black—so black it was almost abrasive to the eye.

Hair, pupils, clothes—nearly everything was black, contrasting sharply with skin that was pale to the point of looking ill.

Those black pupils were hollow and vacant, giving that doll-like, exquisite face an inhuman quality.

Like a pitch-black doll from a horror film prop set.

Hyacinth walked to the gate and stopped, tilting her head to look at Jiang Si. "You must be Jiang Si, the new Magical Girl’s brother Su Shan mentioned. Take off your clothes so I can see."