The spirit beast raised its head, its nose twitching slightly. It neither retreated nor made a warning sound. I stood where I was, the talisman seal still pressed against my palm, its warmth unchanged.
Mist drifted slowly around a standing stone three zhang ahead, as though breathing in a steady rhythm. The stone's surface was smooth and dark, like old wood soaked in water for years. I took two steps forward. The moss beneath my feet was soft yet resilient; it did not sink when stepped on, but I could feel dampness seeping upward.
I stopped and glanced at the spirit beast. It turned its head, its horn lightly brushing my arm, then slowly walked half a step ahead of me and stopped.
I understood what it meant. It was leading the way, but it was also keeping watch.
I followed it forward. I placed every step lightly, listening to the sounds around me. That deep hum was still there—not loud, but constant, like some vibration coming from underground. The closer we drew to the standing stone, the clearer it became.
When I was five steps away from the stone, I stopped.
The system spoke in my mind.
[The host's state of mind is currently fluctuating greatly. It is recommended that you immediately begin regulating your breath and enter a meditative state.]
I did not answer right away. I merely put the talisman seal back into my storage pouch. Then I sat cross-legged with my back to the standing stone, facing the direction I had come from. The view here was not especially open, but it was enough for me to see my escape route clearly.
The spirit beast lay down to my right, its front legs tucked beneath its body, head raised, eyes fixed on the depths of the mist.
I closed my eyes and began breathing according to those four verses.
"Let the heart be still water, reflecting the vast sky; let thoughts be drifting clouds, free to roam east and west."
At first, my mind was filled with scenes of my previous attempt to break through. The sensation of spiritual power striking that barrier returned, and my dantian tightened. I took a deep breath and pulled my attention back to the air at the tip of my nose.
One breath in, one breath out.
Then another breath in, another breath out.
I did not suppress those thoughts, nor did I drive them away. They came when they came, like wind passing through the treetops. As long as they blew past, that was enough.
"Do not contend for achievements and results in the span of a day; spiritual light will naturally pierce the shrouding gloom."
I repeated the last two lines over and over. Once, twice, ten times. I did not know how long passed before my body gradually relaxed. The tightness in my chest faded, and my shoulders no longer felt stiff.
I sensed the spirit beast's breathing becoming steady, one breath after another, gradually falling into my rhythm.
The first day passed like that.
When the daylight dimmed, I opened my eyes. The mist was thicker than it had been during the day, but it was not cold. The spirit beast was already asleep, its breathing even. I stretched my limbs and confirmed that my meridians were clear and my spiritual power remained abundant.
Early on the second day, I got up and walked around nearby.
The mist was thinnest at this time, and I could see objects within ten steps. I circled the standing stone several times and discovered fine patterns on its back. They had not been carved into it; they resembled naturally formed cracks, arranged in a somewhat regular pattern.
I reached out and touched them. They were cool, but not slick.
Then I examined the surrounding trees. Their trunks were thick, their bark cut with vertical grooves, moss growing along the shaded sides. The positions of several stones on the ground were strange too, as if someone had arranged them, yet not quite.
I committed all of it to memory.
After returning to my spot, I continued meditating. This time, closing my eyes was not as difficult. Distracting thoughts still came, but they no longer churned wildly. Whenever I noticed my mind becoming unsettled, I silently recited the verses and pulled my consciousness back.
By noon, the mist thickened again. My field of vision shrank to within three steps. A new scent filled the air, hard to describe—somewhat like earth before rain, with a hint of the bitterness of grass roots.
I took out the talisman seal and lightly pressed it to my forehead.
The moment it touched my skin, the talisman seal warmed faintly. It was not a warning, but a reminder. I knew I could not empty my mind completely; I had to retain a thread of awareness to guard my true self.
At that moment, the spirit beast moved closer and lightly rested its paw on my shoulder. Its body heat seeped through my robe, steady and real.
Relying on that small connection, I continued regulating my breath.
On the third day, I could feel that my condition had changed.
My spiritual power was no longer as restless as before. It flowed more smoothly now. With every breath, the current within me completed a full cycle before returning to my dantian, neither rushing nor crashing.
I tried guiding it with my mind around the acupoint I had struck during my previous attempt, taking the outer meridians instead. The spiritual power slid along the edges of my meridians like water, without obstruction or rebound.
I knew that injury was recovering.
At dawn on the fourth day, I stood before the standing stone and placed my hand on it.
The stone was still cool, but I sensed a faint pulse within it, like a heartbeat. It was very slow—one beat, then a long wait before the next.
I withdrew my hand, turned to the spirit beast, and said, "It's about time."
It raised its head and looked at me, then stood and moved to a spot half a step behind me.
I did not hesitate any longer. I sat cross-legged, placing my hands on my knees, palms facing upward.
I closed my eyes and began reciting the verses again.
This time, it was not to suppress my emotions, nor to escape failure. I had truly let go.
I did not want to break through today at all costs, nor did I want to prove anything. I only wanted to see whether that door might open on its own if I stopped trying to force it.
Time passed bit by bit.
The mist seemed to grow quiet. Even the underground hum softened.
I felt the flow of spiritual power within me. It no longer rushed to gather, instead circulating naturally in ring after ring. Every cycle was smoother and more complete than the last.
Suddenly, I sensed a change deep within my dantian.
It was neither an impact nor a tremor. It was a loosening.
Like a frozen river cracking open.
I did not move, nor did I urge it on. I simply continued breathing, allowing my spiritual power to circulate.
That crack slowly widened.
I could feel a new passage taking shape. It was not being forcibly opened; it was a place that had always been blocked, now opening by itself.
The corner of my lips moved. It was here.
I slowly raised both hands and formed a seal before my chest. My movements were slow, but every inch was steady.
Spiritual power gathered from my fingertips into my palms, forming a small vortex. The temperature rose slightly, but it was not hot.
I took a deep breath and silently recited the final part of the verses in my heart.
Then I began guiding spiritual power into that newly opened passage.
At first, it was as thin as a thread. Under my guidance, it grew thicker and deeper.
My meridians did not hurt. Instead, they felt as though they were stretching out, like a body that had been curled up for too long finally straightening its back.
The spirit beast lay beside me, its entire body pressed to the ground, only its ears twitching now and then.
I did not open my eyes.
All of my attention was focused inside my body. That stream of spiritual power had already passed through the first checkpoint and was advancing toward the second layer.
Its speed was not fast, but it was steady.
I could still sense the barrier, but it was no longer an iron wall. It was like a membrane: the greater the pressure outside it, the tighter it became. But now, I was no longer pressing against it. I followed its elasticity and sent spiritual power inward.
Bit by bit.
Like spring wind opening the ice—not shattering it, but melting it away.
After an unknown amount of time, the second checkpoint was crossed as well.
The warm current in my dantian suddenly quieted. It had not stagnated; it had found a new place, a new balance.
Warmth spread from my chest all the way to the tips of my limbs.
I had done it.
I slowly released the hand seal and laid my palms flat on my knees.
I still did not open my eyes.
I did not want to disrupt this state. I knew it was not over yet. This was only the beginning. The true breakthrough was not this moment, but the continued fusion that would follow.
But I had already crossed over.
I heard the spirit beast move. It lifted its head and gently rubbed against my sleeve.
I reached out and stroked its horn. It was warm, carrying a fiery heat.
I said softly, "We waited for it."
Just then, the system sounded in my mind.
[Detected that the host's state-of-mind compatibility has met the standard. The spiritual power circulation path conforms to the "Way of Accordance" model. Preliminary Dao Enlightenment State achieved. Would you like to activate guidance for the next phase?]
I did not answer immediately.
Instead, I focused inward once more.
That newly opened passage was still faintly warm, spiritual power flowing slowly through it like a freshly thawed stream—not swift yet, but already moving.
I knew that with one more push, I could make it surge forth.
With my eyes still closed, I lightly tapped my knee with a finger.
Then I said, "Begin."