Spirit Devouring Progress

After tempering his meridians to perfection, the flow speed of spiritual energy within Shen Hao's body increased dramatically, and the efficiency of cultivating the Spirit Devouring Art rose accordingly, reaching an unprecedented level. In the past, there was still a hint of stagnation when spiritual energy circulated through his meridians, but now it flowed as smoothly as rivers entering the sea, and the speed at which the Spirit Devouring Vortex devoured spiritual energy showed faint signs of improvement.

That evening, as the setting sun cast its golden rays over the forests of Qingyun Peak, gilding everything in a warm halo, Shen Hao sat on the Jade Bed and took a smooth, lustrous Mid-grade Spirit Stone from his storage pouch. He had exchanged this spirit stone for Low-grade Spirit Stones earned from hunting demon beasts as an outer disciple, specifically trading for it at the inner sect's Market. A Mid-grade Spirit Stone contained ten times the spiritual energy of a Low-grade one, with far purer energy and minimal impurities, greatly benefiting cultivation.

Shen Hao pressed the Mid-grade Spirit Stone against the Companion Jade Pendant. A cool sensation emanated from the pendant, accompanied by a faint ripple of spiritual energy. Then, he slowly closed his eyes, activated the Spirit Devouring Art, and spurred the Spirit Devouring Vortex within him.

In an instant, the Companion Jade Pendant erupted with dazzling azure light, so brilliant it illuminated the entire room. Fine, dense patterns surfaced on the pendant, writhing slowly like living things, radiating a powerful devouring force. The lustrous Mid-grade Spirit Stone, under the pendant's glow, instantly dimmed as the spiritual energy within it surged like a raging river, madly pouring into the pendant.

The spiritual energy of a Mid-grade Spirit Stone was far purer than that of a Low-grade one. After being further refined by the Companion Jade Pendant, it became even more pristine, devoid of any impurities. Then, this purified energy flowed through Shen Hao's meridians, steadily converging into the Spirit Devouring Vortex in his dantian. The vortex spun rapidly, emitting a faint hum, compressing and condensing the incoming energy before finally sending it into the Sea of Qi, transforming it into Shen Hao's own cultivation base.

Shen Hao could clearly sense the lake of spiritual energy in his Sea of Qi slowly rising, its concentration steadily increasing. The deep blue energy grew denser, showing signs of shifting toward an even deeper shade of blue.

Previously, devouring a Low-grade Spirit Stone took half an hour and required removing impurities. Now, devouring a Mid-grade Spirit Stone took only the time it takes to burn an incense stick—an efficiency increase of several times over. Moreover, the spiritual energy gain from a Mid-grade Spirit Stone far exceeded that of ten Low-grade ones, accelerating his cultivation speed.

"The effect of a Mid-grade Spirit Stone is truly extraordinary." Shen Hao rejoiced inwardly, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

He didn't stop cultivating. He took another Mid-grade Spirit Stone from his storage pouch, pressed it against the Companion Jade Pendant, and continued to activate the pendant and the Spirit Devouring Vortex, devouring the spiritual energy within the stone.

As the vortex continuously devoured and compressed the energy, Shen Hao noticed that its rotation speed seemed faster than before, and its volume showed faint signs of expansion. Cultivating the Spirit Devouring Art was fundamentally about strengthening the Spirit Devouring Vortex through constant energy absorption. The stronger the vortex, the faster it devoured energy and the more efficient its refinement, creating a virtuous cycle.

When the third Mid-grade Spirit Stone was completely devoured, the Spirit Devouring Vortex within Shen Hao suddenly trembled, emitting a powerful hum. Then, the vortex's volume abruptly expanded by a full circle, its rotation speed increased by several tenths, and the devouring force it radiated grew far stronger than before.

Shen Hao's heart stirred. He quickly looked inward at his dantian and saw a faint golden pattern emerging at the center of the Spirit Devouring Vortex. The pattern was fine and mysterious, exuding an enigmatic aura.

"The Spirit Devouring Art has actually broken through to the second layer!" Shen Hao was both shocked and delighted. He snapped his eyes open, a gleam of excitement flickering in them.

He had only known that the Spirit Devouring Art had nine layers, but he had no idea what triggered each breakthrough. He never expected that merely devouring three Mid-grade Spirit Stones would push it to the second layer.

The Spirit Devouring Vortex of the first layer could only absorb ordinary natural spiritual energy and the energy within spirit stones. The second-layer vortex, however, not only greatly increased devouring speed and refinement efficiency but could also initially devour spiritual energy with attributes—such as the fire, wood, or earth attributes found in demon beast Inner Cores.

This breakthrough was like adding wings to a tiger for Shen Hao. After all, the attribute-rich spiritual energy in demon beast Inner Cores greatly benefited cultivators, enhancing the diversity of their energy and imbuing it with greater power.

Feeling the strengthened Spirit Devouring Vortex within him, Shen Hao's heart brimmed with joy. He knew that with the breakthrough of the Spirit Devouring Art, his cultivation speed would become even faster. He now had a bit more confidence heading into the Inner Sect Grand Competition.