Artifact Resonance

When the Companion Jade Pendant resonated with the Spirit Devouring Vortex formed by the Spirit Devouring Art, Shen Hao felt the Spiritual Energy of heaven and earth around him drawn by an invisible hand, turning into visible pale-white streams that surged eagerly toward his limbs and bones.

A Low-grade Spirit Stone that would normally take half an hour to fully devour now, under the boost of the Artifact Resonance, dissolved in the time it takes an incense stick to burn into strands of purest Spiritual Energy, flowing through his Meridians into his Sea of Qi. What surprised Shen Hao even more was that the density of this Spiritual Energy was a full third richer than when he relied solely on the pendant to devour, warm and smooth like Jade Nectar, nourishing his still somewhat fragile Meridians.

Shen Hao held his breath and focused his mind, looking inward at his dantian. There, in his Sea of Qi, the nascent lake of Spiritual Energy churned without rest, while at its center, the Spirit Devouring Vortex, like a tireless bottomless pit, madly absorbed the external Spiritual Energy. At the vortex's edge, the Companion Jade Pendant floated, its azure light shifting unsteadily, purifying all the mixed Spiritual Energy drawn in by the vortex before sending it into the Sea of Qi. One devour, one refine, cycling over and over—his cultivation efficiency skyrocketed exponentially.

"I never imagined the Artifact Resonance could have such heaven-defying effects!" Shen Hao's heart surged with wild joy, and he nearly couldn't hold back a loud laugh, but he bit his tongue sharply, forcing the excitement down.

He knew too well how precious these two items were. If the devouring power of the Spirit Devouring Art leaked out, the sect would surely brand him a heretic, drawing endless envy and criticism. And the secret of the Companion Jade Pendant was the very foundation of his survival—no one could ever know. Shen Hao quickly steadied his mind, lowering his perception of the outside world to a minimum, making the pull on Spiritual Energy around him subtle, as if he were just an ordinary disciple quietly breathing and meditating, before throwing himself fully into cultivation.

Days passed in silent, relentless training, and Shen Hao's cultivation advanced like an arrow shot from a bow, a thousand miles in a day. The bottleneck that had held him at Early Qi Refining Third Layer, under the nourishment of the vast Spiritual Energy brought by the Artifact Resonance, shattered without effort. In just twenty days, his cultivation had firmly stepped into Mid Stage Qi Refining Third Layer, his Spiritual Energy lake growing fuller, faintly hinting at touching the barrier to the later stage.

That day, Shen Hao was immersed in the mysterious state of cultivation when the Spirit Devouring Vortex in his dantian suddenly trembled without warning, its rotation slowing sharply, even showing signs of stopping. At the same time, the azure light of the Companion Jade Pendant dimmed, no longer flowing as nimbly as before.

"Hm?" Shen Hao's heart tightened. He quickly opened his eyes and looked inward at his dantian again. The Spirit Devouring Vortex was still turning with difficulty, each absorption of Spiritual Energy carrying a sense of stagnation, while a fine, piercing pain spread through his Meridians, as if countless tiny needles were pricking him gently.

"How could this be?" Shen Hao frowned deeply, carefully examining every Meridian in his body. After a moment, he found the root of the problem—the cultivation speed brought by the Artifact Resonance over these days had been too fast. Under the torrent of Spiritual Energy, his Meridians, though gradually widened, were still too fragile to bear the immense pressure of both operating simultaneously.

"It seems cultivating the Spirit Devouring Art isn't just about raising my cultivation—tempering the Meridians is the real priority." Shen Hao muttered to himself, a trace of helplessness rising in his heart. He pulled a cloth pouch from his bosom, carefully took out a few stalks of Qi Condensing Grass, crushed one, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The Spiritual Energy of the Qi Condensing Grass was gentle and mellow. Once swallowed, it turned into a warm current that flowed slowly through his limbs and bones, instantly easing the pain in his Meridians. But Shen Hao knew this was only a temporary fix, not a cure. To solve the problem at its root, he needed to find a Spiritual Medicine specifically for tempering Meridians, or a cultivation technique for refining them.

Shen Hao's gaze gradually hardened, and a destination surfaced in his mind—the sect's Scripture Repository. It housed countless Classics and techniques collected since the founding of the Ziyang Sect, from profound immortal cultivation methods to basic body-forging arts, everything imaginable. Perhaps he could find a way to temper his Meridians there.

"Right, to the Scripture Repository!" Shen Hao made up his mind and hesitated no longer. He stood, brushed the dust off his clothes, tucked the Companion Jade Pendant close to his body, checked the storage pouch at his waist to ensure nothing was missing, then pushed open the door and strode toward the ancient, solemn Scripture Repository deep within the sect.

It was early morning. The sun pierced through the clouds, casting thousands of golden rays that gilded the flying eaves and upturned corners of the Scripture Repository, making it look from afar like an Immortal Palace. Gazing at that towering silhouette, Shen Hao's steps grew steadier. He knew that this step forward might open a brand-new door on his path of immortal cultivation.