Ascending Again, Progress Made

I was suspended in mid-air, the five-meter height no longer making me panic. The alertness from that moment still lingered in my mind, but I didn't chase after it. The shadow came and went quickly; I wasn't sure who it was, nor if they were hostile. The most important thing now was to steady myself.

I pulled my attention back and looked down at the stone platform beneath my feet. The spirit beast stood there, looking up at me, a faint glow still lingering on its horns. It didn't move, but I knew it was waiting for me to come down.

The wind blew past my ears, much smoother than before. I tried to press my spiritual power downward a bit, and my body slowly descended. My feet touched the ground almost silently. The ground vibrated slightly, as if responding to my weight.

"That just now... can we try it again?" I asked the System in my sea of consciousness.

An interface immediately popped up: [Current status meets the conditions for a retry of ascension.]

[Recommend activating Resonance Amplification Assist Mode.]

I didn't speak and turned to look at the spirit beast. It had already walked towards me, its steps steady, not as light and airy as before. It stood beside me, its nose pointed at my back, and let out a soft puff of air. I could feel a warm current traveling up my spine, as if helping to clear my meridians.

I closed my eyes and mobilized my spiritual power again. This time, it wasn't a brute force push, but a rhythmic ascent, section by section, following the rhythm of Basic Solidification Nine Refinements. The spiritual power in my Dantian was more condensed than before, flowing like water but not dispersing.

The spirit beast's horns lit up.

It wasn't a sudden burst of light, but a ripple effect, spreading outwards like a heartbeat. My breathing unconsciously synchronized with it, three inhales and three exhales, and the spiritual power within me began to align with its fluctuations.

System Notification: [Dual-body resonance state detected, spiritual power output stability +40%.]

I opened my eyes, my feet leaving the ground.

This time, the feeling was completely different. It wasn't about pushing upwards with brute force, but being lifted up. My body felt lighter, but I was still in control. I rose to two meters and stopped, adjusting my balance. The wind blew from the side, and I used my spiritual power to form a thin layer on my side to block it.

I continued to ascend.

Five meters, ten meters. I could clearly see the outline of the entire valley. Vines covered most of the rock face, and some places had already begun to sprout new leaves. The pile of rubble next to the stone platform had been overturned by last night's energy impact, revealing a layer of dark red soil underneath.

Twenty meters.

My shoulder felt a bit tight, an old injury from previous cultivation. Before I could think of a way to relieve it, a slight vibration came from behind me. Although the spirit beast's horns were no longer touching me, the shockwaves it released still reached me. The force accurately struck a pressure point, loosening it instantly.

My spiritual power surged through, unimpeded.

I rose to thirty meters high and finally stopped. The sky above was clear, the clouds dispersed by the wind, and the sunlight shone directly down. I could feel the spiritual energy flowing around me, no longer chaotic but following a certain pattern.

I tried to move horizontally.

Moving three steps to the left, spiritual power flowed from my right foot to my left, transitioning smoothly. When I moved back to the right, I added a bit of speed, and my body didn't sway. Then I turned in a small circle, drawing an arc in the air like a bird. As I landed, my knees bent slightly to absorb the impact, and I stood perfectly straight.

It worked.

This wasn't a forced float or a desperate hold. This was flight that I could truly control.

I looked back at the stone platform. The spirit beast had already jumped onto it and was crouching there, its tail swaying gently. It didn't bark or move, just watched me.

I walked over and sat down beside it. I placed my palm on its horns; the temperature was lower than before, and the texture felt like polished jade.

"You helped a lot," I said.

Its ears twitched, and a short sound came from its throat, like a response.

I asked the System to scan my status again.

[Spiritual power compression rate meets standard.]

[Meridian patency rate: 98%.]

[Control precision rating: Excellent.]

[Flight ability assessment: Basic levitation completed, capable of short-distance movement and hovering.]

It wasn't complete ascension, but it was far from just spinning my wheels in place. Compared to the last time I could only rise five meters before falling, this was a huge improvement.

I stood up and looked out beyond the valley.

The forest was deep, the treetops forming a continuous canopy, stretching as far as the eye could see. That shadow had flashed from over there. I didn't know who it was, nor why they were watching this place. But I wasn't afraid anymore.

As long as I could fly, I could pursue.

As long as I was steady, I could fight.

I touched the storage bag at my waist; there were still a few talismans rewarded by the System that I hadn't used. The pills were also enough to support three days of high-intensity cultivation. The spirit beast could now help me purify spiritual energy and guide my meridians, effectively increasing my combat power by more than one level.

I turned to pack my things. First, I put away the meditation cushion, then checked the dry rations and water skins I carried. I had been cooped up in the valley cultivating all this time, completely unaware of any news from the outside world. Had the conflict between the Witch-Demons intensified? Was the great tribulation that Senior Hongyun spoke of about to begin?

I didn't know.

But I understood one thing: staying here meant being spied upon. Going out meant taking the initiative.

The spirit beast stood up and walked to my side. It was half a head taller than me, and when standing, it could look me in the eye. It lowered its head and rubbed against my arm, as if urging me to move.

"Wait a moment," I said. "Let's try one last time."

I took a few steps back, my feet on the edge of the stone platform. I took a deep breath, drawing spiritual power from my Dantian, through my chest, shoulders, arms, and palms, finally channeling it into my feet. The spirit beast stood its ground, its horns glowing again, the resonance field slowly expanding.

I took to the air.

This time, I shot directly to twenty-five meters, then angled upwards. The tilt of my body perfectly utilized the wind, spiritual power flowing smoothly without a hitch. I hovered in the air for five breaths, confirmed my stability, and then slowly descended.

As I landed, the moment my soles touched the ground, I felt something beneath the earth.

It wasn't a vibration or a spiritual energy fluctuation.

It was a rhythm.

Very slow, but continuous, like a tapping sound coming from the depths of the earth.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

The spirit beast and I simultaneously turned our heads to look at the ground.

Its front paw lifted and gently pressed onto the stone platform. A ripple of earthy color spread outwards, delving deep into the rock strata. Three seconds later, a stone in the distance trembled slightly, then returned to stillness.

I squatted down, placing my hand on the ground.

The sound was still there.

Once, then again.

Not hurried, and not stopping.