The journey back to the cave was arduous and fraught with tension. Wei Shen's body, despite having reached the second level of Qi Condensation, still suffered from the aftermath of his battle with the Poisonous Mist Serpent. The scratches from the serpent's fangs ached, and he felt a slight dizziness from the weak venom that had briefly circulated in his blood before the cold Blood Qi in his body gradually suppressed it. But more importantly, he carried precious spoils: a leather waterskin filled with the viscous, dark blood of the spiritual serpent, the misty green beast core pulsing with faint energy in his pouch, and the carefully wrapped poison sacs.
The scent of blood, his own and the serpent's, filled his nostrils, making him even more alert to any other predators this aroma might attract in the Forest of Lost Souls. Every rustle of leaves, every distant snap of a twig, made him pause and scan his surroundings with eyes as cold as a hawk's.
When he finally reached the narrow cave opening, he felt a cautious relief. He quickly inspected the entrance's surroundings, searching for any new tracks or signs that his refuge had been discovered. He found nothing suspicious. He slipped inside, into the familiar darkness that had now become his temporary fortress.
In the faint light that barely penetrated the depths of the cave, Wei Shen placed his spoils on the rocky floor. The first thing he did was examine the serpent's beast core. It was the size of a small walnut, its surface smooth and cool to the touch, and at its center was a faint, misty green glow that pulsed with a regular rhythm. Wei Shen sensed the relatively pure Qi emanating from it – an energy entirely different from the aggressive Blood Qi in his own body.
"Pure spiritual energy… even if only from the first level," Wei Shen thought, turning the core between his fingers. "Can this body of mine, which feeds on 'Blood Qi,' benefit from it directly? Or is it just more fuel for the 'Blood-Devouring Stone'?"
He set the core aside for the moment. The priority was the serpent's blood.
He approached the Blood-Devouring Stone embedded in the wall. The stone appeared as quiescent as usual, but Wei Shen almost felt it vibrating with a hidden anticipation as he neared it with the leather waterskin full of the spiritual beast's blood.
"I've brought you a better offering this time, you thirsty thing," Wei Shen whispered in a low voice, as if speaking to a living being. "Show me what you can do with the blood of a spiritual beast."
He began to pour the viscous, dark serpent blood slowly onto the stone's surface.
The moment the first drops of spiritual blood touched the stone, a reaction erupted, the likes of which Wei Shen had never witnessed before.
It wasn't just a red glow; it was an explosion of brilliant crimson light that flooded the entire cave, revealing every nook and cranny for moments, then settling into a strong, violent pulse as if a massive demonic heart had awakened from its slumber. The cave walls trembled visibly, and some dust and small pebbles fell from the ceiling. A deep, powerful hum filled the air, a sound that wasn't merely a vibration but carried a strange frequency that Wei Shen felt penetrating his bones, his very soul.
A wave of energy, denser, more savage, and more powerful than anything he had ever felt before, surged from the stone. It was no longer just tainted Blood Qi; it was mixed with the essence of the spiritual beast, its innate energy, its combat instinct. This energy carried with it fragmented images and sensations from the serpent's life: its hunts in the mist, the fear of its prey, the moment of its own death.
Wei Shen stood firm before this torrent of raw power, his ice-cold will his only shield. He wasn't afraid; rather, he felt a terrifying attraction to this simultaneously pure and tainted energy.
"This is the true power of the stone… or at least, a glimpse of it," he thought, his eyes gleaming with the reflection of the crimson light. "The blood of spiritual beasts… is the key to activating its true potential."
After offering a portion of the serpent's blood, he decided to test something else. He picked up the misty green beast core and, cautiously, placed it on the surface of the Blood-Devouring Stone, which was still throbbing with light and energy.
At first, nothing happened. Then, the red stone began to glow more intensely around the beast core. Wei Shen felt the stone start to draw the pure Qi from the core slowly but steadily. The core's misty green glow began to dim gradually, while the stone's red radiance intensified, as if it were devouring the core's essence and converting it into its own fuel. After several minutes, nothing remained of the beast core but a pale gray husk, completely devoid of any energy, which soon crumbled to dust between Wei Shen's fingers.
"So, it can also directly consume the energy of spiritual cores," Wei Shen registered this important piece of information. "This opens new avenues for acquiring fuel."
Now, it was time to benefit from this bloody feast.
Wei Shen sat in a meditative posture and focused all his consciousness on the immense energy that was still emanating from the stone and filling the cave. This energy was richer and more potent than what he had absorbed from the blood of ordinary animals, but it was also more savage and difficult to control.
He began to apply the primitive Blood Qi art, trying to draw this energy, mixed with the spiritual beast's essence, into his body.
It was like trying to tame a storm. The Qi pathways in his body, which had expanded slightly upon reaching the second level, were now under immense pressure. He felt them stretch and burn, as if a river of lava were flowing through them. The pain was severe, but Wei Shen's will was sterner.
He wasn't aiming to break through to a new level in this session. He knew that would be premature and extremely dangerous. His goal was to absorb as much of this simultaneously pure and tainted energy as possible, to consolidate his foundation at the second level of Qi Condensation, push it to its peak, and perhaps… touch the threshold of the third level.
He continued this process for hours, immersed in a bitter struggle with that untamed energy. Every thread of Blood Qi he absorbed and circulated granted him additional strength, but it also carried with it that dark whisper, that savage instinct that was beginning to take root in the depths of his soul.
As time passed, and thanks to his unyielding willpower, he began to feel himself gaining greater control over this new Qi. Its flow became smoother, though it still carried that cold, aggressive nature. He felt the Blood Qi in his Dantian become denser and purer, and his body absorbed this energy like a dry sponge.
Perhaps as a side effect of this potent spiritual energy, he felt the process of expelling impurities from his body repeat itself slightly, though not with the same violence as the first time. He also sensed that the small scars left by his battle with the serpent were beginning to heal more quickly.
When the Blood-Devouring Stone's glow finally began to dim, signaling that the feast of serpent's blood was over, Wei Shen stopped cultivating. He was panting, sweat dripping from every pore in his body, but his eyes shone with a red glint deeper and more constant than before.
He felt the new power flowing through his veins. He was still at the second level of Qi Condensation, but he was at the peak of this level, and one step, perhaps two, away from the third.
"The power of spiritual beasts… is completely different," Wei Shen thought, a cold smile playing on his lips. "The third level… is very close now. All I need is more of these offerings… stronger offerings."
He looked at the remnants of the serpent's blood, which were beginning to dry quickly, then at the silent stone. The bond between them had deepened, becoming something akin to an undeclared blood pact.
He knew his path was still long and fraught with peril. But every drop of blood, every fallen spiritual beast, brought him closer to his goal. Absolute power.
And he would not stop until he attained it.