The ground was still trembling.
I stared at the bluish stone as another small clump of dust fell from its cracks. The spirit beast's ears stood upright, its breathing low. It sensed it too—the tremor was no accident.
But I had no mind to worry about what was happening outside.
The spiritual energy within me was full, my dantian like a well filled to its limit, ready to overflow with one more drop. I had waited a long time for this day. All those desperate battles, healing from injuries, and cultivation had been for this moment—to push myself higher.
I closed my eyes and adjusted my breathing.
Three breaths, one intake—Nine Revolutions Returning to Origin. This was the most reliable method from the system-taught Basic Guiding Technique - Refined Edition. First compress the spiritual energy, then slowly send it toward the vital points. I had tried other methods; they were too forceful and could easily damage my meridians. In my current state, there was no room for even the slightest mistake.
The first cycle began.
Spiritual energy flowed from every limb and bone into my dantian, like rivers returning to a lake. I could feel it spinning, condensing. Once that mass of heat reached its tightest state, I immediately guided it upward, charging straight toward the barrier in my chest.
That was where I had sensed the bottleneck during this period.
But the instant the spiritual energy struck it, it was like hitting an invisible membrane. There was no sound and no recoil, yet all of its force was blocked and bounced back the way it came.
I did not stop and compressed a second wave.
This time, I slowed it down, hoping to seep through with gentle force. The result was the same. The moment it reached the edge of the vital point, the spiritual energy scattered, as if something had absorbed part of it—or as if some law of heaven and earth was saying: You can't do it. Don't even think about getting through.
For the third attempt, I gritted my teeth and increased the force.
My spiritual energy surged, and even my meridians began to ache from the pressure. I ignored it all, focusing every bit of attention on that charging momentum. But just as it was about to touch the barrier, my head suddenly spun, my vision went dark, and I nearly lost my balance.
I abruptly withdrew my energy.
Cold sweat slid down from my temples.
The spirit beast shifted half a step closer. Its body heat reached me, helping me clear my head a little. I reached out and stroked its back, signaling that I was fine.
It was not a problem with my body. My meridians were clear, my spiritual energy abundant, and my foundation showed no cracks. I had checked repeatedly over the past few days; there had been no hidden danger. So why could I not break through?
I leaned against the stone wall and took several breaths.
My mind began recalling each of my previous breakthroughs. The earliest one had come just after the system activated. I answered a question correctly and received a Qi-Restoring Pill, which directly pulled me from being a mortal into Qi Refining Level 1. Later, after obtaining the Demon-Slaying Thunder Talisman Seal, I relied on battle experience and the artifact's feedback to leap straight to Qi Refining Level 5.
Every increase in cultivation had been driven by external forces.
Either it had been a reward, or a reaction forced out by a life-or-death crisis. But this time, there was nothing. I was simply standing here, clearly prepared, yet it felt as though something had jammed me in place.
Could it be... because I was missing something?
I suddenly thought of what that little demon had said before it died—Black Mist Valley, the lunar eclipse, the sacrifice. I had not investigated those matters yet, nor had I planned to go now. But could they really be related to my current bottleneck?
Or was the problem within me?
I raised my head toward the cave ceiling, where I had carved my cultivation records earlier. Every time I rose a level, I carved another line. Now the final line had stopped at Qi Refining Level 7, and I had yet to add the eighth.
"System," I said, my voice a little hoarse.
[Present.]
"Where did I go wrong? Is the technique wrong? Or is there a problem with the circulation route?"
[The cultivation technique practiced by the host is correct. The spiritual energy circulation trajectory conforms to the standard model. The current state has reached the theoretical peak of the Qi Refining stage.]
"Then why can't I break through?"
[Realm breakthroughs do not rely solely on the accumulation of spiritual energy. One must attain a thread of enlightenment in accordance with heavenly fate, supplemented by a harmonious state of mind, before the door to a new realm can be opened. The host currently lacks both. Forcing a breakthrough may instead damage the Dao foundation.]
I froze for a moment.
It was not a technical problem. It was enlightenment?
I had never considered such things before. Whatever the system gave me, I learned. If I answered the questions correctly, I received the rewards, and my strength naturally increased. I had always believed that as long as I worked hard enough and was clever enough, I could keep climbing.
But now it was telling me that strength alone was not enough. I had to understand.
Understand what?
Understand heaven and earth? Understand the rules? Or... understand myself?
I closed my eyes and tried not to think about breaking through or vital points. I simply sat quietly, listening to my breathing and feeling the spiritual energy circulate automatically within me. I did not deliberately guide it, nor did I suppress it.
Gradually, I realized that the flow of spiritual energy had slowed. It was no longer as turbulent as before, instead flowing gently like a stream. In this state, my meridians felt comfortable, and my divine sense relaxed as well.
The spirit beast lay at my feet, breathing steadily. It was no longer tense, which meant I was no longer giving off that impatient aura.
I knew how dangerous that had been. Three consecutive impacts, with the last one nearly going out of control. If I tried again, I might really damage my foundation. At that point, forget breaking through—I might not even be able to preserve my current cultivation.
I opened my eyes.
Sunlight slanted into the cave and fell upon that cracked bluish stone. The light moved very slowly, as though something was dragging it down as well.
Maybe I should not have been so impatient.
The Primordial World was so vast, and there were so many powerful experts. When Senior Hongyun spoke with me back then, he never mentioned how strong he was. He only spoke of how many things he had seen and how many roads he had traveled. Zhen Yuanzi grew the Ginseng Fruit Tree, which only bore fruit once every several decades, yet he was never in a hurry.
And me? I had only cultivated for a few months, yet I wanted to reach the heavens in a single step?
I lowered my head and looked at my hands. Golden light still lingered at my fingertips, and the flow of spiritual energy beneath my skin was clearly visible. This was already a level many people could never reach in their entire lives. Yet I was still dissatisfied.
Was that precisely why I could not break through?
I took a deep breath and suppressed every stray thought.
I would not try again.
At least not today.
I stood and stretched my limbs. My body did not feel stiff, my strength was abundant, and my old injuries had not flared up. The spirit beast stood with me and rubbed against my leg.
"You don't need to worry either," I said. "I just need to change my approach."
I walked to the cave entrance, lifted the vines, and looked outside. The wind was light, and the leaves swayed gently. The outlines of the distant mountains were clear, with no sign of anything unusual.
But I knew the underground tremor had been real.
And the cracks in that bluish stone were not old damage.
They were new.
I crouched down and lightly touched the edge of a crack with my finger. The stone was cold, and tiny grains had fallen from its surface. I rubbed them between my fingers. It looked as though some force had pushed outward from within.
The spirit beast came over and nudged my shoulder with its horn before looking toward the depths of the valley.
I looked there as well.
The forest in that direction was dense and saw little sunlight year-round, with mist occasionally drifting out from within. I had lived here for so long, yet I had never ventured into that region. It was too remote and too dangerous.
But now I remembered.
The system had once given a prompt saying there was an "unmarked area" deep in the valley and recommending that I explore it. At the time, I had been busy recovering from my injuries and ignored it.
Perhaps...
I turned back and glanced at the Spirit Gathering Array in the cave dwelling. Its formations were still glowing. Though faint, they remained stable. This place was still usable, so there was no need to move in a hurry.
I sat down again and crossed my legs, but I did not enter meditation.
I was thinking about what to do next.
The system had said that a breakthrough required opportunity and a state of mind.
Opportunities would not come on their own. I had to seek them out. And that state of mind... perhaps it could not be found inside this cave.
I touched my storage pouch. The Demon-Slaying Thunder Talisman Seal was still inside. It had two bolts of lightning left, enough to protect myself.
The spirit beast lay back down in the corner and closed its eyes to rest. It knew I would not recklessly force another breakthrough.
I calmed down as well.
I would set out at daybreak.
I would go see the depths of the valley.
What exactly was that mist there?