The morning sun was sending its first golden threads through the intertwined leaves of the "Sky-Iron Trees" when Wei Shen opened his eyes in his dark cave. He hadn't truly slept, but had spent the entire night in a state of deep meditation, sensing and examining the new power that flowed through his veins after his breakthrough to the third level of Qi Condensation.
The "Blood Qi" in his Dantian was now noticeably denser and more concentrated. It was no longer just a thin, cold thread, but more akin to a small current from a glacier glowing dark red, pulsing with a savage power that was now, however, more pliant to his will. The breakthrough process, thanks to the potent spiritual tiger's blood, had been much smoother than previous times, as if his body and its Qi pathways had begun to adapt, or perhaps surrender, to the nature of this dark power.
Wei Shen rose, feeling a lightness and vigor entirely different from before this breakthrough. The wounds from his battle with the "Rock Tiger" had almost completely healed, leaving only faint scars that would soon disappear. Even the chronic aches that had plagued the original "Wei Shen's" weak body had vanished, replaced by a sense of firmness and flexibility.
"The third level of Qi Condensation…" he muttered in a low voice, clenching his fist. He felt the lean muscles beneath his skin tense like steel. "Physical strength has at least doubled again. Speed, reflexes, endurance… all have significantly improved."
To confirm this, he picked up a medium-sized rock from the cave floor, a rock he could barely lift a few days ago. Now, he lifted it easily with one hand, as if it were a mere pebble. Then, with a sudden exertion of force, he crushed it between his palms, reducing it to fragments and small gravel. This would have been utterly impossible at the second level.
"The efficiency of 'Blood Qi' in enhancing physical abilities… is astounding," Wei Shen thought coldly, dusting off his hands. "But this power requires constant fuel, and high-quality fuel."
He approached the "Blood-Devouring Stone." The stone was silent and dark as usual, having devoured the essence of the tiger's blood and core the previous day. Wei Shen touched its smooth surface. It was still faintly warm, but he sensed that its "hunger" had temporarily abated. "You and I, stone," he whispered to it, "we are perpetually thirsty. We both seek more."
Wei Shen knew that the third level was merely the beginning of what was called the initial stage of Qi Condensation. He had six more levels ahead of him before he could even think of breaking through to the "Foundation Establishment" realm. And each level would require stronger spiritual beasts, purer blood, and more potent cores.
He spent the next few hours in the cave, not cultivating this time, but refining his control over his third-level "Blood Qi." He sat in a meditative posture, pushing the dark red current to circulate through the Qi pathways in his body, trying to make it smoother, more responsive to his commands. The energy still carried that aggressive, cold nature, but he felt his grip on it had strengthened. "This energy still carries the savagery of its source," he thought. "Complete control is the key to unlocking its true potential without being devoured by it myself."
Then, he began to examine his other spoils from the tiger. The "steel claws of the tiger" were incredibly sharp and strong. Using one of his ivory daggers, and with great difficulty, he began to shape the base of one claw, trying to fashion it into a primitive arrowhead or perhaps the tip of a short spear that could be fixed to a strong staff. It was a slow process requiring precision, but Wei Shen possessed limitless patience when it came to honing the tools of his power.
"Every weapon is a system," his methodical mind recited. "Its components must be harmonious for maximum efficiency. These claws… can become a more lethal extension of my will."
After eating what remained of the tiger meat he had kept – which he noticed tasted better and whose energy his body now absorbed more efficiently after reaching the third level – and after drinking from the cave water, Wei Shen made his decision.
The cave, despite its temporary safety, had now become too confining for his ambitions. The resources in its immediate vicinity had been nearly depleted of ordinary animals, and nearby spiritual beasts like the "Rock Tiger" were now manageable prey but would not be sufficient to push him forward at the pace he desired.
"Time to delve deeper," he thought, his eyes staring into the darkness outside the cave. "To the places even the faintest memories of the original 'Wei Shen' warned against. Places where I might find second-level, or even third-level, spiritual beasts. The danger is greater, but the reward… will be much greater."
There was no hesitation in his decision. He had chosen this path, the path of blood and power, and he was now prepared to face anything that stood in his way.
He gathered his few tools: his two ivory daggers, the steel claws he had begun to prepare, and his empty leather waterskin which he hoped to fill with the blood of a stronger beast. The "Blood-Devouring Stone" was part of the wall; he couldn't take it with him… yet. But he knew that the stone's influence, that cold hunger for power, had now become part of his soul.
With steady, confident steps that would have been impossible a few days ago, Wei Shen exited the cave, leaving behind the dark sanctuary that had witnessed his second birth.
The "Forest of Lost Souls" stretched before him, vast, mysterious, and filled with danger and promise. The trees grew larger and more gnarled the deeper he ventured, and the shadows became heavier and colder. The air itself was different here, saturated with a denser natural "Qi," but also carrying strange scents of unknown beasts and poisonous plants.
Wei Shen moved like a ghost, his senses, sharpened by the third level of Qi Condensation, working at their utmost capacity. He saw tracks far larger than anything he had seen before and heard low roars echoing from a distance, roars that made the ground beneath his feet tremble slightly.
After hours of cautious travel into these unknown depths of the forest, he reached the edge of an area that looked different. The trees here were twisted and deformed, like the hands of giant skeletons reaching towards the sky. The ground was covered with a layer of fine black ash, and a faint smell of sulfur filled the air.
And in the center of this desolate area, he saw what he had been searching for.
It was a Poisonous Sand Scorpion, a massive spiritual beast, larger than anything Wei Shen had faced so far. Its glossy black exoskeleton was like volcanic glass, its front pincers the size of his head, and its long, curved tail ended in a huge poisonous stinger glowing with a faint, unsettling green light. It radiated a strong spiritual energy, definitely at the second level of Qi Condensation, perhaps even at its peak.
Wei Shen stopped, hiding behind the trunk of a charred tree. He looked at the massive scorpion, and that cold, inhuman glint shone in his eyes.
"This… this will be an offering worthy of the effort," he muttered, his hand gripping his ivory dagger tightly. "Your blood… your core… and even your venom. Everything will be mine."