I hovered in midair. Five meters no longer made my heart pound. The flash of vigilance from earlier still lingered in my mind, but I did not chase after it to investigate. That shadow had come and gone too quickly. I was not sure who it was, nor whether they meant harm. Right now, the most important thing was to steady myself.
I drew my attention back and glanced down at the stone platform beneath my feet. The spirit beast stood there, looking up at me, a faint glimmer still lingering on its horn. It did not move, but I knew it was waiting for me to come down.
The wind brushed past my ears, much smoother than before. I tried pressing my spiritual energy downward slightly, and my body slowly descended. When my feet touched the ground, there was barely a sound. The earth trembled faintly, as though responding to my weight.
"Can I... try that again?" I asked the system in my sea of consciousness.
The interface immediately appeared: [Current state meets the conditions for another flight attempt]
[Recommended: activate Resonance Amplification Assist Mode]
I said nothing and turned to look at the spirit beast. It was already walking toward me, its steps steady rather than light and floaty as before. It stopped at my side, aimed its nose at my back, and gently exhaled. I could feel a warm current rising along my spine, as though it were helping clear my meridians.
I closed my eyes and circulated my spiritual energy again. This time, I did not force it upward. Instead, I followed the rhythm described in the Basic Solidification Nine Refinements, raising it section by section. The spiritual energy in my dantian was denser than before, flowing like water without dispersing.
The spirit beast's horn lit up.
It was not the kind of light that erupted all at once. It spread outward in ring after ring, like the rhythm of a heartbeat. My breathing unconsciously synchronized with it—three breaths in, three breaths out—and the spiritual energy within me began to align with its fluctuations.
System notification: [Dual-body resonance detected. Spiritual energy output stability +40%]
I opened my eyes, and my feet left the ground.
This felt completely different. I was not forcing myself upward through brute strength; it was as though my entire body was being held aloft. I felt lighter, but I still had control. I rose two meters and stopped, adjusting my center of gravity. Wind blew in from the side, and I formed a thin layer of spiritual energy beside myself to block it.
I continued rising.
Five meters, ten meters. I could see the outline of the entire valley. Vines covered most of the cliff walls, and fresh shoots had begun to sprout in places. The pile of rubble beside the stone platform had been overturned by last night's energy shockwave, exposing a layer of dark-red soil beneath.
Twenty meters.
My shoulder felt a little tight, an old injury left from previous training. Before I could think of a way to ease it, a faint vibration came from behind me. The spirit beast's horn was no longer touching me, but the shockwave it released still reached me. That force struck the exact node with precision, loosening it in an instant.
My spiritual energy surged through along with it, completely unobstructed.
I rose to thirty meters and finally stopped. The sky above was clear, the clouds scattered by the wind as sunlight shone directly down. I could feel spiritual energy flowing around me. It was no longer chaotic; it moved according to some pattern.
I tried moving sideways.
Three steps to the left, spiritual energy flowing from my right foot to my left in a steady transition. When I moved back to the right, I added a little speed, but my body did not sway. Then I turned in a small circle, tracing an arc through the air like a bird. When I landed, I bent my knees slightly to absorb the impact and stood perfectly straight.
I had done it.
This was not barely floating, nor was it gritting my teeth and forcing myself to stay up on one breath.
This was flight I could truly control.
I turned back toward the stone platform. The spirit beast had already jumped onto it and crouched there, its tail swaying lightly. It did not cry out or move. It simply watched me.
I walked over and sat beside it. I placed my palm on its horn. It was cooler than before, with the texture of polished jade.
"You helped a lot," I said.
Its ears twitched, and it made a short sound in its throat, as though answering.
I had the system scan my status once more.
[Spiritual energy compression level meets requirements]
[Meridian clearance rate: 98%]
[Control precision rating: Excellent]
[Flight ability assessment: Initial aerial ascent complete. Capable of short-range movement and hovering.]
It was not complete ascension, but I was no longer going in circles either. Compared to last time, when I could only rise five meters before falling, this was already tremendous progress.
I stood and looked beyond the valley.
The forest was deep, its canopies connected into an unbroken expanse with no end in sight. That shadow had flashed past from that direction. I did not know who it was, nor why they had been watching this place. But now, I was no longer afraid.
As long as I could fly, I could pursue them.
As long as I was steady enough, I could fight.
I touched the storage pouch at my waist. There were still several talismans rewarded by the system that I had not used. I also had enough medicinal pills to support three days of high-intensity training. The spirit beast could now help me purify spiritual energy and guide blocked nodes. Its actual combat strength had improved by more than a full tier.
I turned and packed my things. First, I put away the meditation cushion, then checked the dry rations and water pouch I carried with me. I had spent all this time cooped up in the valley training, knowing nothing about the news outside. Had the conflict between the Witch-Demons grown fiercer? Was the calamity Senior Hongyun spoke of about to begin?
I did not know.
But I understood one thing—if I stayed here, I would only remain under others' watchful eyes. Only by going out could I seize the initiative.
The spirit beast stood and walked to my side. It was now half a head taller than me, able to meet my gaze when standing. It lowered its head and rubbed against my arm, as though urging me to set out.
"Wait a little longer," I said. "Let's try one last time."
I retreated several steps, placing my feet on the edge of the stone platform. I took a deep breath. Spiritual energy rose from my dantian, passing through my chest, shoulders, arms, and palms before finally pouring into both feet. The spirit beast remained where it was, its horn lighting up once again as the resonance field slowly spread open.
I soared into the air.
This time, I shot straight up to twenty-five meters, then climbed diagonally higher. The angle of my body borrowed the wind perfectly, and my spiritual energy circulated smoothly without the slightest hitch. I hovered in the air for five breaths, confirming my stability before slowly descending.
The instant the soles of my shoes touched the ground, I sensed something beneath it.
It was not a vibration, nor was it a fluctuation of spiritual energy.
It was a rhythm.
Slow, yet unceasing, like a knocking sound coming from deep underground.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
The spirit beast and I turned toward the ground at the same time.
It raised a front paw and gently pressed it against the stone platform. A ring of earth-colored ripples spread outward and sank deep into the rock layers. Three seconds later, a distant stone trembled slightly before falling still again.
I crouched down and pressed my hand to the ground.
That sound was still there.
Once, then again.
Neither hurried nor stopping.