The Taishang Spirit Body (Deep-Water Bonus, Two-in-One)

When Yan Jue walked out of the main hall, she was still thinking about the Nine-Tailed Fox Heart.

Impossible.

Yan Jue was sure of one thing: the Sect Master knew she was a Pure Yin Physique, but there was no way he knew she was a fox demon.

It had to be a coincidence.

Even she didn’t know whether the original host had been a nine-tailed fox.

Now that she’d already dodged her death calamity, she should be able to run away.

But for now, Yan Jue didn’t want to leave.

The day she’d eavesdropped on the Demon Lord and the male lead, she’d heard that keeping Qi Xianqing’s Immortal Spirit Physique had its uses.

What use?

She couldn’t bear to leave Qi Xianqing alone, so she still couldn’t bring herself to run.

Five Dragons Mountain was covered in restrictions; even the lofty Five Dragons Sect Master couldn’t simply kill at will.

That was why last time, the Demon Lord had wanted to borrow the male lead’s hand and kill her on the arena platform, where there were far fewer restrictions.

In the Demon Lord’s eyes, she was nothing more than a shy, fragile girl whose yin essence had been sucked out by the male lead.

So Yan Jue wasn’t afraid.

It was better to stay here and figure out how to expose the Demon Lord’s identity; in the meantime, prying into fox-clan news was the real priority.

Qi Xianqing walked last, her eyelids lowered, as though she were thinking about something.

Yan Jue was walking along when someone suddenly stopped her.

She looked up and saw a girl in orange-yellow cloud brocade with double buns standing in front of her, offering a friendly smile.

The girl: "Hello, my name is Wang Yi. I’m a reporter from Kongqing Prefecture, and I’d like to interview Daoist friend Yan Jue. Is that all right?"

Yan Jue had already known, ever since she’d made such a splash in Sword Tomb Valley, that The Five Dragons Encyclopedia wouldn’t let her off easily.

She smiled. "Sure. Ask whatever you want."

Just then Jiang Mengchu came out of the main hall and saw Yan Jue being interviewed.

She gave a little cry and ran over with light steps, wrapping an arm around Yan Jue’s shoulder.

Yan Jue was startled and lurched forward.

This Jiang Mengchu really was way too familiar.

Wang Yi blinked, then said happily, "This must be Jiang Mengchu, Junior Sister Jiang?"

Jiang Mengchu: "Yes, that’s me."

Wang Yi: "That day in Sword Tomb Valley, it was you and Senior Sister Yan who went to retrieve the immortal sword Drifting Ice together. May I ask, Junior Sister Jiang, what did you think about the process of retrieving the sword with Senior Sister Yan?"

"I heard the two of you were at loggerheads that day, and the conflict was intense. Is that true?"

"No, no." Jiang Mengchu shook her head. "Sister Yan Jue is a very good person. She even let me touch Drifting Ice."

Wang Yi: "So Junior Sister Jiang thinks Senior Sister Yan is a very good person. Then as for Senior Sister Yan... what kind of person do you think Junior Sister Jiang is?"

Yan Jue couldn’t help thinking inwardly: weren’t you asking normal questions just a moment ago? How did it turn into this after only a couple of lines?

She kept up an awkward but polite smile. "Junior Sister Jiang is also a very good person."

Qi Xianqing stepped out of the main hall with her eyes lowered, and unexpectedly saw Yan Jue and Jiang Mengchu being interviewed in the distance.

Ever since coming up the mountain, Jiang Mengchu had been doted on by Mu Zhongzi and Xingye Daoist; she was a lively, cheerful girl.

She was practically hanging off Yan Jue, one arm around Yan Jue’s neck, the corners of her lips curving as she laughed happily.

Wang Yi from Kongqing Prefecture asked some question; all three of them laughed.

If it had been any other time, Qi Xianqing would have kept well away from any member of Kongqing Prefecture.

But for some reason today, Qi Xianqing walked over with her hands behind her back and stopped beside Yan Jue.

Qi Xianqing ground her teeth against the inside of her cheek.

Wang Yi’s gaze fell on Qi Xianqing, and she immediately squealed, then hurriedly covered her mouth. "Senior Sister... you, you’re well?"

Qi Xianqing: "Well."

Yan Jue: "..."

Having Qi Xianqing present during the interview was something Wang Yi had never encountered in her entire career; she took several deep breaths before finally calming herself down.

Still too afraid to question Qi Xianqing directly, Wang Yi turned back to Jiang Mengchu. "I heard you’ll be going down the mountain next to carry out a Class A mission with two senior sisters. May I ask how you feel?"

Jiang Mengchu: "I’m very happy to be able to go on a mission with Sister Yan Jue. I hope that on this trip, Sister Yan Jue can take good care of me."

Sister Yan Jue? Qi Xianqing lowered her head and looked at the jade pendant at her waist.

She also knew that when they had gone to Sword Tomb Valley that day, Yan Jue had gone together with Jiang Mengchu.

Had their relationship already become that good?

Wang Yi then asked Yan Jue, "How do you feel about carrying out a mission this time with Junior Sister Jiang, whom you’ve only just met?"

Yan Jue: "I’m very happy to be able to carry out a mission with such a cute junior sister."

"..."

Wang Yi took another deep breath and finally asked a question related to Qi Xianqing.

"I’ve heard Senior Sister Yan and Senior Sister Qi have a very good private relationship. This time, when you’re going on a mission with Senior Sister Qi, do you have any special expectations?"

The moment Wang Yi finished speaking, Qi Xianqing lifted her head too and fixed her gaze on Yan Jue.

After a long pause, Yan Jue said, "Senior Sister is a good teacher and a good friend. Every time I go down the mountain with her, I benefit greatly. This time, I also hope to go with Senior Sister and learn a little more."

Qi Xianqing’s brows drew together slightly.

In Yan Jue’s heart, was she just a teacher?

-

After finally getting through Kongqing Prefecture’s interview, Yan Jue at last returned to Watercloud Sect.

She went straight to the back mountain.

The Lingzhu fruit trees she had planted there before had, in the blink of an eye, already grown many plump fruits.

The place where she had originally endured her thunder tribulation had been nothing more than a huge open space.

Now, eight Lingzhu trees had grown there in neat rows.

Looking at her handiwork, Yan Jue felt quite proud.

She tiptoed and picked the fruits from the trees one by one, placing them into her Qiankun Bag.

She was about to go on a long journey, so she needed to prepare a few things to keep on her person.

Now that she was free to move around, the priority was to head down the mountain, carry out the mission, and ask around about the fox clan along the way.

Yan Jue returned to her room, shut the door, and began sorting through the various materials she had recently obtained.

First were three broken pieces of purple jade. Yan Jue placed them solemnly on the table and pieced them together, but one piece was still missing.

She had no idea what this was for.

So Yan Jue could only put the purple jade away in her robes for the moment.

Next was the Cloudvoid Umbrella, which could conceal her tracks.

Three piercing-through-the-bone needles.

A sleeve arrow engraved with Five-Element runes.

Dozens of fiery red Lingzhu fruits, plump with juice.

The immortal sword Drifting Ice.

Then Yan Jue sank her Divine Sense into the storage room inside her Qiankun Bag and put all these new things away first.

Resting her chin on her hand, Yan Jue checked over her old items again.

Sheming Xu still had plenty left, along with a few bottles of wound medicine and detox pills...

With all these things, going down the mountain could be called prepared for anything.

Just as Yan Jue fastened her Qiankun Bag, she heard knocking from outside.

She paused slightly, got up, and went to open the door. Du Ying was standing outside, grinning at her.

Yan Jue asked, "What is it?"

Du Ying: "Yan Jue, the individual competition for this year’s Five-Dragon Summit is already over; next comes the crowd-pleasing team competition!"

Yan Jue: "Hm? There’s a team competition too?"

Du Ying had apparently mentioned the team competition to her before, but Yan Jue had already forgotten about it.

Du Ying: "Compared with the individual competition, the team competition is much lighter and more entertaining. Sect disciples form teams on their own, then the sect opens the Five Dragons Mystic Realm. The teams enter the realm to search for materials and earn points; whichever team earns the most points wins."

Yan Jue nodded. Compared to the individual competition, the team competition really was more like a side dish.

"When does it start?" Yan Jue asked.

"Because some things have happened in the sect recently, the team competition has been postponed to two months from now. Just in time, the sect elders need to go repair the Five Dragons Gate Mystic Realm."

Two months later...

Du Ying asked, "Have you... formed a team yet?"

Yan Jue: "Not yet."

Du Ying grabbed Yan Jue’s arm. "Can I team up with you? I’ve got two friends on my side too. This time, a team can have at most five people."

Yan Jue: "Sure."

-

After seeing Du Ying off, Yan Jue practiced swordplay in her room for a while longer, then sat on the bed and circulated a full round of the Lesser Yin Ice Soul Art.

Only after she felt spiritual energy filling her entire body did she slowly open her eyes.

Suddenly, the flapping of wings came from outside the window.

A snow-white Immortal Crane stood before the bed. In the bamboo basket hanging from its neck, there seemed to be something else inside.

Yan Jue hurriedly stood and took out the short notes from the basket.

There were two of them.

She opened the first one first.

The sender was actually Yun Zhen.

Yun Zhen: Little Yan, are you free now? If you are, come to Qiuli Pavilion right away.

The second note was from Qi Xianqing, asking her to go to Thunderflame Sect at You hour.

They were leaving the mountain tomorrow, so Yan Jue knew this was probably to discuss the matter at Thunderflame Sect.

After weighing the time, she took a sheet of white paper from the drawer, dipped her brush in ink, and slowly wrote a reply to Qi Xianqing:

Master Yun Zhen asked me to go to Qiuli Pavilion right now. I don’t know how long it will take; I’ll come over after I’m done.

Yun Zhen had already asked to take her on as a disciple and teach her divine powers, so she should count as her master now.

Since her master had business, Yan Jue naturally had to go there first; at the very least, she needed to let Qi Xianqing know.

Yan Jue placed the note into the bamboo basket hanging from the crane’s neck, and the Immortal Crane flapped its wings and quickly flew away.

Yan Jue then went to Thunderflame Sect’s grounds and walked straight into Qiuli Pavilion.

Qiuli Pavilion was still as elegant and tranquil as ever.

Yun Zhen sat lazily in the pavilion. Seeing Yan Jue arrive, she smiled and said, "You’re here. Sit."

Though Yun Zhen said that, how would Yan Jue dare sit? She merely smiled and stood beside her.

Beside Yun Zhen sat a man with refined features, dressed in the green daoist robes of Muyin Sect, his face full of worry.

Yan Jue recognized him at once and saluted. "Uncle-master Xingye."

Xingye Daoist looked at her and smiled in return, nodding.

Yun Zhen: "Disciple, your Uncle-master Xingye heard that you’re going down the mountain this time, and specially came to ask you a favor. He also asked me to pass along the request. I told him he should come speak to you himself, so I asked you to come here now."

Yan Jue quickly cupped her hands toward Xingye Daoist. "May I ask, Uncle-master Xingye, what does this disciple need to do?"

Xingye didn’t drag things out and went straight to the point. "Little Yan is going down the mountain this time to carry out a Class A mission together with a disciple of my sect... Jiang Mengchu."

Yan Jue was a little surprised. "Yes."

Xingye stood up and sighed. "This poor daoist would like to ask you for a favor."

"What favor?"

"To tell the truth, Jiang Mengchu is a rare Taishang Spirit Body."

"This kind of spirit body is innately skilled at sensing the Heavenly Dao and possesses boundless power and potential... but it has one fatal flaw."

"She is extremely susceptible to backlash from her spirit body," Yun Zhen interjected.

Yan Jue frowned slightly.

Every special physique had its own fatal defect.

For example, Qi Xianqing was an Immortal Spirit Physique rarely seen even once in a hundred lifetimes. She possessed extraordinary talent in cultivation, but her weakness was that her blood was extremely tempting to demonic beasts.

Perhaps while Heaven opens a window for a person, it also closes a door.

Xingye smiled at Yan Jue. "I wonder whether Little Yan has noticed, while interacting with Mengchu, that she doesn’t seem very smart?"

"Does Little Yan find it strange that Mengchu has no magic tools and doesn’t seem very clever, yet was able to take second place in the Five-Dragon Summit?"

The moment Xingye finished speaking, it felt as though someone had struck Yan Jue’s brain hard. Suddenly, everything became clear.

Xingye: "The Taishang Spirit Body can be said to be cursed from birth. Every time Jiang Mengchu uses her divine powers, her sanity is devoured by the Heavenly Dao. Even her original memories and everything else will be depleted."

"That day, Mengchu’s match with Xianqing can be said to have been a fierce battle. Mengchu tried to use her divine powers; she thought it would still fall within the Heavenly Dao’s acceptable range, but who could have known she would still lose most of the memories she’d accumulated since coming up the mountain..."

"So Jiang Mengchu actually doesn’t remember the details of that match very clearly."

"The reason I’m letting her follow you down the mountain this time is also to have her go out and look around, and see whether she can recover the memories she lost."

"Can you take care of her a bit?"

-

By the time Yan Jue reached Qi Xianqing’s lodging at Thunderflame Sect, Qi Xianqing was already sitting there waiting for her.

Beside her sat another person.

Jiang Mengchu was wearing a gardenia-colored daoist robe. Sitting there, she stood up when she saw Yan Jue and saluted brightly. "Sister Yan Jue!"

Qi Xianqing glanced at her.

Qi Xianqing: "We’re currently discussing which of the missions assigned by Master-Uncle Sect Master should be carried out first."

Mu Zhongzi, the current Sect Master of Five Dragons Sect, was researching an immortality pill that required five ingredients.

They were merfolk pearls, Xiangjing grass, Bixian grass, phoenix fetuses, and the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon Heart.

Since they were going out to search for the materials, there had to be an order of priority.

Yan Jue frowned and said slowly, "The southwest borders the sea, and merfolk pearls are the most precious object on a merfolk’s person; merfolk also live along the southwestern coast. I think we should look for merfolk pearls first on this trip."

Qi Xianqing nodded. "That was my thought as well. What does Junior Sister Jiang think?"

Jiang Mengchu nodded. "I also think we should start with the closest and work outward, so we should look for merfolk pearls first."

The three of them discussed it a bit longer at Thunderflame Sect, and it was decided that they would set out at the hour of the dragon the next day.

-

Before long, it was early the next morning, and Yan Jue woke from bed.

She first practiced a set of punches in the courtyard, and once she felt the spiritual energy in her body flowing more smoothly, she gathered her things and headed down the mountain.

With her pack on her back, Yan Jue was just about to step onto the mountain path when she suddenly saw something dark and shaggy dart out of the grass over there.

She looked more closely and couldn’t help laughing.

Zhu He.

The little wild boar Zhu He was still wearing that little cloak. She ran over wobblingly and looked up at Yan Jue, making a gesture.

"Skin."

The little wild boar treasured her skin dearly; after all, it was the little wild boar’s skin that had saved Yan Jue’s life.

Yan Jue naturally hadn’t forgotten.

If there was a chance on this trip down the mountain, she’d get Zhu He a hide to wear.

Yan Jue soon descended the mountain.

It was still early, and Jiang Mengchu had not arrived yet, but Qi Xianqing was already waiting at the mountain gate.

Qi Xianqing wore a jade-colored pleated skirt. Her figure was slim; her jet-black hair was pinned up with a hairpin, while the rest fell over her shoulder blades.

The sunlight traced a lovely outline across her features, making her skin look even fairer.

Yan Jue: "Senior Sister."

Qi Xianqing turned back to look at her, as unforgettable as a passing glimpse of a swan.

Even though Yan Jue had already admired Qi Xianqing’s beauty countless times, whenever she met her eyes, her heartbeat would still quicken uncontrollably.

And at this moment, Qi Xianqing’s emotions were no better.

She had been too busy lately to spend any time alone with Yan Jue. Thinking about her, missing her, and finally getting a chance to go down the mountain together, she felt especially happy.

With her hands behind her back, Qi Xianqing looked at Yan Jue. "Yuxu Sea in the southwest is more than three hundred li from Five Dragons Mountain. If we travel by carriage and horses, it will take a day and a half to get there. I think we should fly there on swords. What does Junior Sister Yan think?"

The moment Yan Jue heard "sword flight," her face fell.

Although she had already obtained the immortal sword Drifting Ice, she was still completely ignorant of many common sword techniques; she had never learned sword flight at all.

Most Five Dragons disciples cultivated swordsmanship, and ordinary disciples could begin learning sword flight once they reached the Opening-Light stage.

Qi Xianqing looked at this junior sister who had started rather late and couldn’t help smiling. "Junior Sister Yan, come over. I’ll teach you."

Yan Jue heard the tone and felt that something was off. She instinctively took a step back, only to see Qi Xianqing slowly draw Zhuying from behind her back. Yet the thought of being able to learn sword flight from Qi Xianqing was simply too tempting.

Qi Xianqing said flatly, "Are you coming or not? You only get this chance once. Next time, I won’t feel like teaching you."

Fine; she’d go! Yan Jue slowly walked up to Qi Xianqing and looked at her earnestly.

Qi Xianqing first explained the hand seals and incantation needed for sword flight.

Although experienced disciples could make their swords fly with nothing but a thought, beginners still had to combine the various hand seals and incantations.

Yan Jue memorized everything one by one.

She formed a seal with her right hand and swept her left hand through the air. Instantly, a long ice-blue sword appeared before her.

Drifting Ice had slumbered in Sword Tomb Valley for a very long time. Now that it had been awakened, it showed no fatigue whatsoever; instead, it radiated a chilling aura of frost from head to toe.

Under the sunlight, the ice-and-snow patterns on the blade were deep and dazzling.

Yan Jue gave a soft cry. "Clouds and void, the primal chaos before calamity; near and far, now sinking, now floating!"

Drifting Ice’s blade immediately lit up with a faint spiritual glow, ripples like water spreading slowly across it.

Yan Jue planted her right foot and leaped into the air; in an instant, she landed on Drifting Ice.

Perhaps because it had never been ridden before, when Yan Jue stepped onto it, the sword visibly sank.

Yan Jue nearly fell off, but a pair of arms steadied her.

Qi Xianqing’s breathing was right beside her ear; the stray strands of hair whipped around in the strong wind, making Yan Jue’s nose itch a little.

Qi Xianqing: "Be careful."

Then she let go.

Yan Jue barely managed to control the immortal sword Drifting Ice, only to see it transform into a faint, ethereal ice-blue afterimage beneath her feet and shoot straight forward.

Yan Jue held her breath and focused, stumbling along on Drifting Ice for five breaths before the sword suddenly raised its tip in a mischievous little flick, and Yan Jue tumbled off.

The wind roared in her ears, and Yan Jue inwardly cried out that this was bad; she instinctively shut her eyes.

But the pain she expected never came.

Her body turned twice in the air, then fell into a soft embrace.

Qi Xianqing.

After the individual competition at the Five-Dragon Summit ended, the weather had also begun to turn toward autumn.

The cool wind rushed across her face, and Yan Jue instinctively clutched Qi Xianqing’s robes, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

This Drifting Ice truly deserved to be called an immortal sword; it was far too hard to control.

Thankfully, Qi Xianqing was there beside her.

Qi Xianqing’s body turned twice in the air to dissipate the force, then landed lightly on the ground and set Yan Jue down.

Under the sunlight, the rims of her snow-white ears had turned bright red. Her face was cold as she asked Yan Jue, "Can you let go now?"

Only then did Yan Jue realize that, at some point, her hands had ended up on Qi Xianqing’s chest. Qi Xianqing’s collar had already been pulled open a little, revealing a patch of porcelain-white skin at her neck; the whole scene looked rather disastrous.

Yan Jue’s mind buzzed. She hurriedly let go and immediately changed the subject, saying thoughtfully, "Why does Drifting Ice feel like it doesn’t really listen to me..."

Qi Xianqing clenched her fist, turned away, and said in a low voice, "I’m not saving you next time."

The girl’s voice was very soft, her tone faintly petulant.

Yan Jue’s heart gave a sudden squeeze, and she quickly said, "Sorry, I didn’t realize just now..."

Only then did Qi Xianqing look at the immortal sword Drifting Ice floating in the air as though nothing had happened. "It slept for over a thousand years in Sword Tomb Valley; it’s inevitable that it would have a bit of its own temperament. That’s nothing serious."

Yan Jue: "..." You changed the subject way too fast.

Qi Xianqing drew Zhuying.

Zhuying’s green light gathered in the sky, condensing into a hazy mist.

At that moment, Drifting Ice, which had been lying there like a corpse, seemed to notice something; its previously listless blade actually straightened a little.

Qi Xianqing swung her sword violently, and Zhuying’s green sword qi swept toward the ice-blue blade, lashing hard against Drifting Ice.

Qi Xianqing: "Listen properly to your master."

Drifting Ice swayed uneasily in the air, seeming both angry and wronged.

Then Zhuying, which had been quiet all this time, suddenly slipped from Qi Xianqing’s hand and reversed in midair, sending out another dazzling streak of sharp green sword qi; Drifting Ice erupted with a surge of spiritual power in defense.

Zhuying’s blade swept upward; it actually found a tiny gap in Drifting Ice’s sword qi and slammed hard into the ice-blue blade.

Drifting Ice was knocked three steps away and lay sprawled on the grass, dejected.

Yan Jue: "..."

Qi Xianqing slowly returned Zhuying to its black scabbard and said flatly, "Zhuying has followed me for a very long time. In both ability and cultivation, it surpasses Drifting Ice."

"Right now, Drifting Ice’s cultivation is no more than that of a newborn child; naturally it is no match for Zhuying. It has some arrogance, so it needs to be smoothed out."

"Teaching it a lesson is enough."

Yan Jue: "..."

You really are ruthless.

-

Since it was still early, Yan Jue practiced sword flight again at the foot of the mountain.

From the stumbling, unsteady start, she gradually became more familiar with it.

As a modern person who had transmigrated into a book, Yan Jue had never experienced anything like this before.

It was just like riding a bicycle; when a beginner practiced alone, it was inevitable to feel afraid.

But if there was someone beside you, you would learn very quickly.

Because she firmly believed that Qi Xianqing would definitely catch her whenever she was about to fall.

Another hour passed before Yan Jue finally practiced the sword-flight incantation to a passable level.

It was also already the hour of the dragon.

Yan Jue silently recited the mental formula; the ice-blue long sword Drifting Ice immediately rose into the air. She stepped down with her right foot, mounted the immortal sword, and shot forward like a streak of flowing light.

She made a round flight around the area and had just landed beside Qi Xianqing when she suddenly heard the sound of footsteps behind her.

Jiang Mengchu was still wearing that gardenia-colored daoist robe, her long hair pinned up with a gold hairpin.

"Senior Sister! Sister Yan Jue!"

Yan Jue noticed that Jiang Mengchu wasn’t carrying any magic tools with her, and couldn’t help finding it strange.

That day, when Jiang Mengchu had followed her into Sword Tomb Valley, she probably had originally intended to use the immortal sword Drifting Ice as her magic tool, but that had failed later.

So when she went out traveling, did she not need any magic tools at all?

Did Xingye Daoist dote on her so much that he didn’t think to give her anything for protection?

Qi Xianqing nodded. "Since Junior Sister has arrived, then let’s set out."

Yan Jue was still wondering what magic tool Jiang Mengchu would use to fly when she saw the girl step forward and hug her around the waist.

Jiang Mengchu: "I don’t have a magic tool. Can Sister Yan Jue take me with her?"

Thinking of Xingye Daoist’s reminder yesterday, Yan Jue nodded. "Sure."

Qi Xianqing looked at the two of them from behind; her hands hanging at her sides couldn’t help but clench again.

Suddenly, Jiang Mengchu felt a chill at the nape of her neck and turned back timidly.

Qi Xianqing walked over and gently patted her shoulder. "Junior Sister, come over. I’ll take you."

"Yan Jue has only just learned the sword technique; she can’t control the sword very skillfully yet." Qi Xianqing smiled faintly. "What if she drops and hurts you?"

Yan Jue: "..."

Jiang Mengchu was a little touched. "Senior Sister is so kind."

...But why did Senior Sister’s smile make her scalp feel so prickly?

Though she found it odd, Jiang Mengchu still jumped onto Qi Xianqing’s sword and wrapped her arms around Qi Xianqing’s waist.

Yan Jue didn’t think too much of it. She nodded at Qi Xianqing and immediately activated the immortal sword Drifting Ice.

In an instant, ice-blue light flashed; the body of the immortal sword Drifting Ice expanded in the sky, becoming a flat surface that could be stood upon.

Yan Jue pinched a seal and gave a soft cry. Drifting Ice slowly rose, then shot out like a meteor and vanished into the distance.

Qi Xianqing then activated Zhuying; with a flash of green light, she followed close behind.

The three of them set out together on a new journey.

TL Note:

the hour of the dragon (辰时) = the traditional Chinese time block from about 7–9 a.m.