Spirit Beast Companionship, Cultivation Acceleration

The shadow under the door crackled.

I didn't open the door, nor did I retreat. My hand rested on the wooden plank, feeling a chill seep into my palm. The spirit beast stood in front of me, its head facing outward, horns pointed towards the doorway. Its breathing grew deep and slow, as if listening to something far away.

I slowly crouched down and placed my hand on its back. Its fur trembled slightly, but it didn't pull away. I whispered, "If it's not an enemy, don't be afraid."

Its ears twitched, nostrils flared, and then it slowly turned its head to look at me. Its gaze was no longer as tense as before. I breathed a sigh of relief, patted its neck twice, and stood up.

It was quiet inside the house. The corner of a paper on the table was turned by the wind, and the brush remained in its original position. I walked over and slid the bolt shut, then glanced back at it, "Let's practice first."

It didn't move. After I sat down on the cushion, it slowly circled around and lay down three feet behind me, its head facing the door and its tail resting gently on the ground.

I closed my eyes and began to circulate the Basic Breathing Technique. The spiritual power within my body flowed from my Dantian, circulating through my meridians. It felt a bit sluggish at first, perhaps due to lack of sleep last night and an unsteady mind. But I didn't rush, gradually slowing my rhythm.

After a moment, I noticed its breathing had changed. Its inhale and exhale perfectly matched the rhythm of my cultivation. They weren't completely synchronized, but there was a natural sense of resonance. As its breath rose and fell, the spiritual energy dispersed in the air seemed to be drawn along, gathering towards me.

I slowed my pace, trying to align with its breath.

Gradually, the blockage in my chest dissipated. The spiritual power flowed smoother and smoother, like a stream gliding over stones. By the third circulation, my Dantian began to warm up. It wasn't a burning heat, but a gentle 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, a soft, flickering light like a firefly at night. It had its eyes closed, but the tips of its ears were still moving, as if sensing the changes around it.

I finished my practice and stood up, stretching my limbs. The spiritual power within me was nearly thirty percent more than usual, and it was exceptionally pure. I had never felt this way before.

"You can help me?" I asked, looking at it.

It raised its head, looked at me for a moment, then suddenly stood up and walked towards the door. It stopped at the entrance and looked back at me.

I understood and followed.

The sky outside was just beginning to brighten, and the dew on the grass hadn't dried yet. It led the way northwest, walking at a moderate pace, occasionally stopping to wait for me. We passed through a path overgrown with vines, and ahead appeared a stone platform covered in moss, its surface damp and unremarkable.

But when it reached the platform, it gently nudged it with its horn.

At that moment, the ground vibrated slightly. A silver line seeped into the stone from its hoof, spreading along the cracks. After a few breaths, the entire stone platform lit up, a faint white mist rising from the crevices, 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 also gentle, without any impurities. It was more than twice as strong as the place where I usually meditated.

"Is this... a Spirit Vein Node?" I murmured.

The System's prompt immediately sounded in my mind: "Micro Spirit Vein detected and activated. Recommend establishing a cultivation spot immediately."

Without hesitation, I took out a High-grade Spirit Crystal from my storage bag and placed it in the center of the stone platform. As soon as it was stable, the Spirit Crystal began to absorb the earth's energy, releasing it outwards. However, after less than fifteen minutes, its light began to dim.

I frowned, about to add another one, when it suddenly stepped forward and placed its front hoof on the edge of the Spirit Crystal.

The strange rune on its forehead lit up again.

The Spirit Crystal gave a violent tremor, and its light stabilized, becoming even brighter than before. A long stream of spiritual energy rose from the center of the stone platform, forming a small circulation field.

I immediately sat down, my back to the spirit beast, head to tail. It lay quietly behind me, its breathing steady, its body heat transferring through my Daoist Robe.

This time, circulating the cultivation technique encountered almost no resistance. The spiritual energy seeped into my meridians like raindrops falling into a pond. With each completed circulation, my Dantian grew fuller. What usually took a day to accumulate was now achieved in two hours.

The System's prompt appeared for the third time: "Spirit Beast Companion state activated. Cultivation efficiency +40%."

I didn't stop, continuing to circulate. Fourth circulation, fifth circulation... The spiritual power within me surged like a rising tide. I could feel my cultivation approaching a certain threshold.

Just as the sixth circulation was about to be completed, it let out a low hum.

I opened my eyes and saw its ears perk up, its head turned towards the depths of the valley. It wasn't just it; even the Spirit Crystal on the platform vibrated slightly, its light flickering.

I stopped my cultivation and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

It didn't respond, but stood up, took a few steps forward, and sniffed the ground with its nose. Then it looked up at me, its eyes showing a hint of urgency.

I followed it to the edge of the stone platform and looked down. Beneath the moss on the ground, there was a faint, tiny crack, from which wisps of cold air were constantly emerging. This wasn't ordinary cold; it was a palpable, oppressive yin energy, as if seeping from the depths of the earth.

I reached out to test it. The moment my fingertip touched the airflow, I felt a tingling sensation. This wasn't natural; there were signs of human intervention.

"There's something wrong underneath," I said.

It nodded, its hoof pointing towards the end of the crack, which led to a pile of rocks. I watched for a moment, then decided not to act yet. This was a critical period for my cultivation, and I couldn't interrupt it easily.

I returned to the stone platform and sat down again. "Let's finish this round first."

It hesitated for a moment, then walked back and lay down behind me. But this time, its tail was tense, and its ears twitched constantly; it was clearly still on guard.

I resumed circulating the cultivation technique. The spiritual power continued to grow, and my Dantian became increasingly full. When the seventh circulation was completed, a soft sound echoed within me, like something cracking.

My cultivation had broken through.

From Qi Refining Level 7 to Level 8.

I opened my eyes and raised my palm. A ball of spiritual power condensed in my palm, much more stable than before, without any trembling. This was the power of my advancement.

I turned to look at it. "Thank you."

It rubbed against my hand, letting out a low whimper from its throat, as if in response.

I smiled and was about to speak when it suddenly stood up, staring at the crack.

The cold air from the ground intensified.

The crack was widening.