The shadow beneath the door crack was still moving.
I neither opened the door nor stepped back. With my hand pressed against the wooden panel, I could feel a trace of chill seeping into my palm. The spirit beast stood in front of me, its head facing outward and its horn pointed toward the door. Its breathing grew deep and slow, as if it were listening to something far away.
I slowly crouched and placed my hand on its back. Its fur trembled slightly, but it did not shy away. I said softly, "If it isn't an enemy, don't be afraid."
Its ears twitched, its nostrils flared, and then it slowly turned to look at me. Its gaze was no longer as tense as before. I let out a breath, gently patted its neck twice, and stood up.
The room was quiet. A corner of the papers on the table had been lifted by the wind, while the brush remained where it had been. I walked over and slid the bolt into place, then glanced back at it. "Let's cultivate first."
It did not move. Only after I sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion did it slowly circle around and lie down three feet behind me, its head toward the door and its tail resting lightly on the ground.
I closed my eyes and began circulating the Basic Breathing Technique. The spiritual energy within me flowed out from my dantian and circulated through my meridians again and again. It was somewhat sluggish at first, perhaps because I had not slept well last night and my mind was unsettled. But I did not rush, gradually slowing the rhythm.
After a while, I noticed that its breathing had changed. Each inhale and exhale matched the rhythm of my cultivation. It was not completely synchronized, but there was a natural sense of resonance. As its breath rose and fell, the scattered spiritual energy in the air seemed to be drawn along with it, gathering toward me.
I slowed down and tried to match its breath.
Gradually, the blockage in my chest dissipated. My spiritual energy flowed more and more smoothly, like a stream gliding over stone. By the third circulation, my dantian began to heat up. It was not scorching heat, but warmth, like sunlight shining into my body.
I knew something had changed.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the rune on its forehead glowing faintly, flickering like fireflies in the night. Its eyes were closed, but the tips of its ears still moved, as if sensing the changes around it.
I finished cultivating and rose, stretching my limbs. There was nearly thirty percent more spiritual energy in my body than usual, and it was exceptionally pure. I had never experienced anything like this before.
"Can you help me?" I asked, looking at it.
It raised its head and watched me for a moment. Then it suddenly stood up, turned, and walked toward the door. It stopped at the entrance and looked back at me.
I understood and followed it.
Dawn had just fully broken outside, and the dew on the grass had not yet dried. It headed northwest at an unhurried pace, stopping from time to time to wait for me. After passing through a narrow path tangled with vines, we came upon a stone platform covered in moss. Its surface was damp, and there seemed to be nothing remarkable about it.
But it walked up to the platform and lightly touched it with its horn.
In that instant, the ground trembled slightly. A silver line seeped from its hoof into the stone, spreading downward along the cracks. A few breaths later, the entire platform lit up. Pale white mist rose from the fissures, and the concentration of spiritual energy in the air surged.
I stood still, feeling the fluctuation. The spiritual energy here was not only dense, but gentle, without the slightest impurity. It was more than twice as strong as the place where I usually meditated.
"Is this... a Spirit Vein Node?" I murmured.
The system immediately sounded a notification in my sea of consciousness. "A miniature spirit vein has been detected and activated. It is recommended that you immediately establish a cultivation site."
Without hesitation, I took a High-grade Spirit Crystal from my storage pouch and placed it in the center of the stone platform. The moment it settled, the crystal began absorbing earth energy and releasing power outward. But in less than a quarter of an hour, its light began to dim.
I frowned, about to add another crystal, when it suddenly stepped forward and placed a forehoof on the edge of the crystal.
The disgusting rune lit up again.
The spirit crystal jolted violently, and its glow stabilized once more, even brighter than before. A long, continuous current of spiritual energy rose from the center of the platform, forming a small circulating field.
I immediately sat cross-legged on it, my back to the spirit beast, our positions joined head to tail. It lay quietly behind me, breathing steadily, its body heat passing through my Daoist robe.
This time, circulating the technique met almost no resistance. Spiritual energy sank into my meridians layer by layer, like raindrops falling into a pond. With every completed circulation, my dantian grew fuller. What had once taken an entire day to accumulate now took only two hours.
The system displayed a third notification. "Spirit Beast Companion state activated. Cultivation efficiency +40%."
I did not stop and continued circulating my technique. Fourth circulation, fifth circulation... The spiritual energy within me rose constantly like a swelling tide. I could feel my cultivation nearing some critical threshold.
Just as the sixth circulation was about to finish, it suddenly let out a low cry.
I opened my eyes and saw its ears standing upright, its head turned toward the depths of the valley. It was not the only one; even the spirit crystal on the stone platform trembled slightly, its light flickering.
I halted my technique and asked softly, "What is it?"
It did not respond. It merely stood and walked a few steps forward, pressing its nose to the ground and sniffing. Then it looked up at me, its gaze somewhat urgent.
I followed it to the edge of the platform and looked down. Beneath the moss on the ground was a faint, thin crack, constantly releasing threads of cold air. This was not ordinary cold. It was yin energy carrying a sense of oppression, as though it were seeping up from deep underground.
I reached out to test it. The instant my fingertips touched the current, a sharp numbness pierced through them. This had not formed naturally. There were traces of human interference.
"There's something wrong underneath," I said.
It nodded, pointing its hoof toward the end of the crack, which led into a pile of scattered rocks. I watched for a while and decided not to act yet. This was a crucial stage of cultivation; I could not interrupt it lightly.
I returned to the stone platform and sat down again. "Let's finish this round first."
It hesitated for a moment, but still came back and lay down behind me. This time, however, its tail remained tense and its ears kept turning. It was clearly still on guard.
I began circulating my technique again. My spiritual energy continued to grow, and my dantian became increasingly full. When the seventh circulation was complete, a soft sound came from within me, as though something had cracked open.
My cultivation broke through.
From Qi Refining Level 7 to Level 8.
I opened my eyes and raised my hand. A mass of spiritual energy gathered in my palm, far steadier than before and no longer trembling. This was the power of advancement.
I turned to it. "Thank you."
It rubbed against my hand and let out a low cry from its throat, as if replying.
I smiled. Just as I was about to speak, it suddenly stood up and stared at the crack.
The cold air from the ground had grown heavier.
The crack was widening.