I supported the spirit beast as we made our way step by step toward the depths of the valley. Night had fallen, and the path beneath our feet was uneven and pitted. Every step sent a sharp throb through the wound on my calf. The spirit beast walked unsteadily as well, dragging its right hind leg along the ground, yet it never stopped.
We crossed that slope, rounded several boulders, and finally reached the entrance to the cave dwelling. With a mountain wall at its back and vines concealing its front, it would be difficult for outsiders to find. I settled the spirit beast in a dry corner and pulled out the last small piece of healing salve from my storage pouch.
The salve was grayish in color and carried a faintly fishy smell. I gently parted the fur on its leg and applied the medicine to the wound. The spirit beast shuddered, but it did not cry out. I pressed my hand to the back of its neck and sent the last trace of my spiritual energy into it, guiding the medicine's effects through its meridians.
By the time I finished, I was already breathing heavily. I sat against the stone wall, closed my eyes, and felt as though my entire body had been hollowed out. The little demon's final words kept replaying in my mind—Black Mist Valley, lunar eclipse, sacrifice, underground...
It was too dangerous outside. Going out now would be suicide.
I opened my eyes and looked at the spirit beast. It lay there with its ears twitching faintly, still on guard. I said softly, "Heal up first. We'll deal with everything else later."
After saying that, I moved to the center of the cave dwelling. A simple spirit-gathering array had been set up there before. Though low-grade, it could speed up the gathering of spiritual energy. I sat cross-legged, placed my hands on my knees, and began regulating my breath.
The moment I drew in my first breath, a voice rang out in my mind.
[Host detected in a stable low-power state. Activating "Spiritual Meridian Retracement" assistance mode.]
Immediately afterward, an image appeared in my sea of consciousness. It was a diagram of meridian pathways, with several bright lines marking the optimal routes for spiritual energy to circulate. Without hesitation, I adjusted my breathing according to the diagram and slowly sank my breath into my dantian.
At first, I felt nothing. My body was too exhausted; spiritual energy could neither enter nor remain. I forced myself to focus, guiding the energy of heaven and earth through the Baihui acupoint again and again, circulating it along the Eight Extraordinary Meridians.
Half an hour later, a thread of cool breath finally traveled down my spine. I seized it and refused to let it disperse, guiding it bit by bit into my lower abdomen. My dantian began to grow warm, as though a tiny spark had been reignited.
I knew this was the beginning of my spiritual energy's recovery.
Over the next few days, I did not leave the cave dwelling again. During the day, I absorbed yang energy; at night, I used moonlight to nourish my soul. The system continuously pushed new breathing techniques, one of which was called Basic Guiding Technique - Refined Edition. It required three inhalations, one intake, and Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin. Following its instructions, I found it especially effective at clearing my meridians.
Several blockages left behind from the previous battle slowly opened under this cultivation method. Every time I cleared a node, I felt another degree of smoothness within my body.
The spirit beast was recovering too. On the third night, it suddenly let out a soft cry. I opened my eyes and saw it standing beneath the moonlight, its horn gleaming faintly. It nodded its head at me, signaling that I could switch cultivation methods.
I immediately switched to a nighttime cultivation method and began absorbing clear yin-attributed energy instead. This energy was gentler and better suited for repairing spiritual consciousness. As my breathing deepened, it felt as though a small opening had appeared above my head, allowing moonlight-like energy to slowly pour into my mind.
And so, as day and night alternated, my spiritual energy rose like the tide. At first, it was a trickling stream; later, it became a surging river. I could feel the power in my dantian growing denser, every breath seeming to compress a mass of heated current.
On the morning of the fifth day, I finished cultivating and opened my eyes, only to see a faint golden glimmer flash across my fingertips. Looking down at my palm, I saw what seemed to be light flowing beneath my skin. It was no illusion; this phenomenon only appeared when spiritual energy had reached a certain level of fullness.
I tried standing up and no longer felt weak. My steps were steadier as I walked, and even my breathing had become deep and prolonged. The spirit beast came over and rubbed against my arm. I could feel the warmth coming from its body—its injuries had basically healed.
"You've nearly recovered too," I said.
It gave a low cry, walked to the cave entrance, then looked back at me.
I did not follow it. It was not yet time to leave. Although the spiritual energy within me was full, it had not reached its limit. I wanted to compress it a little further and see if I could raise it another level.
I sat down again and entered meditation with my eyes closed. The system gave no new mission prompt and issued no rewards. It merely ran quietly, continuously monitoring my condition.
I cultivated for another two days. Every day, I repeated the same movements: inhale, guide, compress, return to origin. The spiritual energy within me grew increasingly solid, and its circulation became faster and faster. In the end, even without actively using a cultivation technique, spiritual energy would circulate through my meridians on its own.
At noon on the eighth day, I finished cultivating for the last time. I spread my palms, then brought them together, feeling the warm mass of power deep within my dantian. It was no longer restless or expanding. Instead, it spun steadily, like a star core that would never go out.
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in my mind.
[Host's current spiritual energy reserves have reached their theoretical peak. Maintaining the current state is recommended. Avoid forcibly attempting a breakthrough.]
I nodded without speaking.
I knew what it meant. My current state was the best possible one. Compressing any further might instead damage my foundation. As for breaking through, I had to wait for the right opportunity.
I stood and stretched my limbs. The meridians throughout my body were clear, my strength abundant, and even my old injuries no longer hurt. The spirit beast came over and lay down beside me, its breathing steady.
The cave dwelling was very quiet. I could clearly hear every rustle of grass outside. Sitting where I was, hands resting on my knees, I sank my awareness into my body and examined the circulation paths of my spiritual energy over and over.
Everything was normal.
All preparations were complete. As long as I took the next step, I would be able to touch that threshold.
I opened my eyes and looked toward the cave entrance. Sunlight slanted in, falling upon a patch of bluestone on the ground. Its surface bore several cracks, as though it had been shaken long ago.
The spirit beast suddenly raised its head, its ears standing upright.
I sensed it too. The ground was trembling faintly. It was not caused by the wind. It came from deep within the mountain, intermittent, as though something were striking the rock layers.
I stared at that patch of bluestone as a bit of gray dust fell from one of its cracks.