Spirit Stone Body Tempering

By the time he returned to Room C, the sky had already darkened.

Shen Hao pushed open the door and entered, closing it behind him. He couldn't wait to pull the Low-grade Spirit Stone from his chest and set it on the table. The spirit stone was milky white, its surface glowing faintly with spiritual light, warm to the touch, and a dense Spiritual Energy continuously emanated from it.

Shen Hao sat cross-legged on the bed, clasped the spirit stone in his palm, took a deep breath, and once again activated the Ziyang Outer Sect Basic Qi Cultivation Art.

The moment the cultivation art began to circulate, the spirit stone in his palm seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, suddenly bursting forth with Spiritual Energy several times denser than before. Like a rushing stream, the energy flowed along his Meridians and surged rapidly into his Sea of Qi.

Shen Hao felt his entire body jolt, as if a storm had erupted within his Sea of Qi. He quickly steadied his mind and guided the energy to circulate slowly through his meridians.

The Spiritual Energy from the spirit stone was far purer than the free-floating energy in the world. As it flowed through his meridians, there was no longer the previous sense of obstruction; instead, it felt like warm, smooth jade liquid, nourishing his meridians. The swelling pain in his meridians vanished completely, replaced by an indescribable comfort.

Shen Hao immersed himself in the pleasure of cultivation, cycling the Breathing and Cultivation art over and over. He could clearly sense the Spiritual Energy in his Sea of Qi growing denser at a visible rate.

After an unknown amount of time, the spirit stone in his palm gradually dimmed and lost its luster, its energy fully absorbed. Shen Hao slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. He felt his body brimming with strength, his spirit refreshed, and even his vision had become much sharper.

He looked inward at his Sea of Qi and saw that the Spiritual Energy had condensed into a faint white mist, several times denser than before.

"I didn't expect a single Low-grade Spirit Stone to have such an effect," Shen Hao murmured to himself, his face full of delight.

He knew that with his current Spiritual Energy density, just a few more days of accumulation would allow him to break through to the Middle Stage of First Layer of Qi Condensation.

Just then, a soft knock came at the door.

"Senior Brother Shen, are you in?" A familiar voice came from outside—it was Zhang Shan.

Shen Hao got up and opened the door to find Zhang Shan standing there, holding a cloth bundle, a shy smile on his face. "Senior Brother Shen, thanks to your help today, I was able to complete my task smoothly. These are some Pastries my family made. They're not worth much, but please give them a try."

Shen Hao looked at the bundle in Zhang Shan's hand and felt a warmth in his heart. He knew that Zhang Shan's family wasn't well-off; these pastries were probably saved from his own frugal meals.

"You're too kind, Junior Brother Zhang," Shen Hao said, taking the bundle with a smile. "Come in and sit."

Zhang Shan didn't stand on ceremony and followed Shen Hao into the room. He glanced at the now-dull spirit stone on the table, a hint of envy in his eyes. "Senior Brother Shen, you've already started cultivating with a spirit stone?"

Shen Hao nodded. "I just received it today and tried absorbing it."

Zhang Shan sighed. "I got one today too, but I plan to save it and use it only when I hit a bottleneck in my cultivation."

Shen Hao nodded in understanding. For Outer Sect Disciples, spirit stones were an extremely precious resource, each one hard-won.

The two sat at the table and chatted. Zhang Shan told Shen Hao that he came from a poor hunter's family, had followed his father up the mountains to hunt since childhood, and had built up a strong physique. He had chosen to come to the Ziyang Sect to cultivate immortality so that he could give his parents a better life.

Shen Hao briefly shared his own background as well. The more they talked, the more they clicked, feeling as if they had met too late.

"Senior Brother Shen," Zhang Shan suddenly said, "I noticed when you were picking the Qi Condensing Grass today, your movements were very skilled. Are you familiar with herbs?"

Shen Hao smiled. "I learned a bit about herbs from the old village doctor when I was young. I know a thing or two."

Zhang Shan's eyes lit up. "That's great! I know nothing about herbs. When we work in the Medicine Garden tomorrow, I hope you can give me some pointers."

"Of course." Shen Hao agreed readily.

They chatted a while longer, and then Zhang Shan took his leave.

Shen Hao looked at the pastries on the table, picked one up, and took a bite. The taste was simple, but it carried a rich wheat fragrance. As he ate, he thought to himself: The path of immortality is certainly difficult, but if he could have a few like-minded friends to support each other, the journey might be a little easier.

As the night deepened, Shen Hao once again sat cross-legged on the bed and began his Breathing and Cultivation. Though he no longer had the spirit stone's aid, his cultivation speed was noticeably faster than before.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, silently spilling across the earth.