Spirit Stone

Biodata

Appearance and Properties

• Spiritual glow: Wang Ying’s two stones contain visible spiritual light and have different hues 20 21.
• Concentrated energy: Li Mo senses mist-like spiritual energy inside them, denser than the mist he initially encounters in his ethereal dreams. Even the ambient spiritual energy at Lingmu Sect is far less concentrated than that within Spirit Stones 21 23.
• Physical sensation: Holding them gives Li Mo a refreshing coolness that seems to penetrate his bones 20 21.
• Depletion: Stones visibly dim as their energy is consumed, whether through cultivation or operation of a spiritual device 22 26.

Uses

Cultivation and Recovery

Spirit Stones provide spiritual energy that cultivators can draw upon directly 25 26.

• Cultivation support: Li Mo holds two stones while circulating the Lesser Heavenly Cycle, finding that spiritual energy circulates faster than usual. After one hour, he estimates that the remaining energy can support only four or five more sessions 26.
• Combat recovery: A second-year disciple uses Spirit Stones to replenish Magical Power during her duel with Zhou Zheng 39.
• Martial cultivation: Wang Ying reports that martial masters with appropriate cultivation methods can improve their Inner Strength training by holding Spirit Stones while comprehending their techniques 19.
• Expense: Li Mo eventually stops using them for routine cultivation, preferring to save them for spells, equipment, and travel while relying on the Misty Dreamscape for faster progress 32.

Spiritual Devices and Puppets

• Spiritual-root testing: Five Spirit Stones are embedded in the corners of the Five Elements Plate. They feed spiritual energy into the device and visibly dim during Li Mo’s test 22.
• Puppet power: Spirit Stones power puppets, including the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse. Their energy is one of the factors determining a puppet’s strength 33.
• Operating costs: The Zai Zao Sect humanoid puppet offered by He Ping requires continuous replacement of Spirit Stones, making its upkeep a considerable burden 49.

Refining and Alchemy

• Spirit Fire: Spirit Stones are added to produce the heat needed to refine Iron Essence and Copper Essence; ordinary flames are insufficient 43.
• Fire control: Alchemists without Fire Spiritual Roots can learn to control Spirit Stone fire through experience 30.
• Attribute-specific materials: Li Mo prepares water- and wood-attribute Spirit Stones when refining Qi Gathering Pills through the Lightning Refining Method 47.

Mortal Luxury Goods

• Mortals can use Spirit Stones as luxury materials for jade-pendant-like ornaments, seals, decorative pieces, and hairpins 31.

Currency and Exchange

Spirit Stones serve as currency among cultivators, paying for instruction, artifacts, ingredients, transport, and commissioned alchemy. Silver, by contrast, is treated as a commodity in cultivator transactions 19 31 32.

Exchange Value

The market equivalence given when Li Mo considers accepting ten Spirit Stones is as follows 31:

• Market-based valuation: The exchange rate follows the relative value of refined silver and Spirit Stones rather than a rate stipulated by Gan State 31.
• Exchange locations: Silver can be exchanged for Spirit Stones at the market below Qingming Mountain or the sect’s Artifact Refining Hall 46.
• Banknote restriction: The Refining Hall does not directly accept merchant-guild banknotes. Li Mo is instructed to redeem them for silver at the guild before exchanging that silver for Spirit Stones 50.

Documented Prices

Prices below distinguish completed transactions from quotations and estimates.

Sect Rewards and Earnings

• Rotation duties: Advanced Study Hall disciples must complete their assigned daily work to receive monthly Spirit Stone remuneration and sect contributions 30.
• First-year payment: Li Mo receives one Spirit Stone and ten contribution points for his completed month of duty 32.
• Disciplinary deductions: Lü Song deducts Wang Zhu’s monthly Spirit Stone pay for improper dress while gatekeeping 31.
• Assessment rewards: The top two hundred in the combined first- and second-year assessment receive Spirit Stones and contribution rewards; higher placements offer additional prizes 34.
• Senior duties: Second-year daily assignments provide increased Spirit Stone remuneration and lean more toward management roles 43.
• Commission expenses: Ma Ling’s seven-stone letter-delivery mission requires two stones for round-trip flying-boat travel, with a further fine possible for missing monthly rotation work 43.

Role in Li Mo’s Story

First Acquisition

Wang Ying gives Li Mo two Spirit Stones in exchange for stopping the injured Gao Zhen during the Pingshan Society’s internal conflict. His ability to sense their energy subsequently makes him suspect that he possesses spiritual roots 20 21.

His formal test uses a Spirit Stone-powered Five Elements Plate and confirms his Lightning Spiritual Root aptitude 22.

Financing Cultivation

After the gatekeeping dispute, Qin Yue gives Li Mo and Wang Zhu twenty Spirit Stones to divide as compensation. Li Mo initially hesitates to accept a share because Wang Zhu suffered the actual punishment, but they split the payment equally 31.

Later, Spirit Stone shortages shape his purchases and work. He borrows five from Lu Tianyou to complete the purchase of two Misty Demon Cores, then repays the loan after selling Qi Gathering Pills. Those sales also finance his three-hundred-stone humanoid puppet purchase 48 49.