8: Chapter 8 Lightning-Struck Stone

That afternoon, Lin Xuan had just returned from the back mountain, carrying two freshly picked, slightly better quality leaves of dew-condensing grass in his arms.

As he was preparing to return to his Quiet Room to Cultivate, the courtyard door was knocked upon.

Upon opening the door, he found a beaming Chen Hao, the light on the pale red jade pendant hanging from his waist seeming much more solid and brighter than before.

He had achieved a Breakthrough to Level 1 Qi Refining four months after entering the sect, and he must have just returned from completing a task.

"Lin Xuan! Hurry, I have good news!" Chen Hao couldn't wait to lower his voice as soon as he entered, his face filled with irrepressible excitement, while he casually closed the courtyard door behind him.

Seeing his mysterious and excited appearance, Lin Xuan was a bit curious: "What happened? Did the task go smoothly? You look radiant."

"More than just smooth!" Chen Hao rubbed his hands, his eyes shining.

"Wasn't I at the outskirts of 'Fire Cloud Valley' cleaning up 'Scorching Insects' today? That place is close to an abandoned small mine pit. When I finished, I originally wanted to take a shortcut back, but guess what happened?"

He kept him in suspense, and seeing Lin Xuan cooperatively display an inquisitive look, he continued: "In a shaded crack in that mine pit, I felt an extremely faint fluctuation of Spiritual Qi that carried a stinging sensation! It felt a bit like the Thunder Spiritual Energy on your body, but it was more impure and even more... restless?"

Lin Xuan's heart stirred: "Thunder attribute Spiritual Qi? Near Fire Cloud Valley?" This sounded truly suspicious.

"Right! I also thought it was strange at the time. Fire Cloud Valley is rich in Fire Spiritual Qi, so how could there be residual Thunder Spiritual Energy? I carefully went over to take a look."

Chen Hao gestured, "The crack was very narrow and pitch black inside, but that bit of Spiritual Qi was drifting out from there. I used a low-level 'Illumination Talisman' to shine a light, and guess what I saw?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense." Lin Xuan said with a helpless smile.

"It's 'lightning-struck stone'! Although it's just the lowest Low Grade 'stone fragments', and it looks like it was splashed into the rock after being struck by lightning years ago, its Spiritual Qi is almost dissipated, but it really is lightning-struck stone!"

Chen Hao spoke faster, "I dug for half a day and pried out three pieces! Each is the size of a fist!"

As he spoke, he carefully took out three grey-black stones from an inconspicuous grey cloth bag at his waist—that was a lowest-level Storage Pouch, with only half a cubic meter of space, which he had exchanged for with contribution points earned from tasks after achieving a Breakthrough to Level 1 Qi Refining.

The surface of the stones was rough, filled with dense, tiny holes, and dull in color. However, upon closer inspection, the edges of some holes and the interior of the stones faintly contained extremely subtle, almost imperceptible, light purple veins.

They felt slightly heavy in the hand, and one could indeed feel a trace of an extremely faint, almost dissipating tingling sensation, as well as a strange aura that had settled into silence after a violent outburst.

"It really is lightning-struck stone..." Lin Xuan carefully identified it.

He had seen simple introductions regarding Materials for Artifact Refining and setting up a Formation in the appendix of the "introduction to hundreds of herbs" and some miscellaneous books.

lightning-struck stone is usually formed when rocks rich in metal or special soil are struck by heavenly lightning, containing a trace of the lingering resonance of heavenly lightning. It is an auxiliary Material for refining certain low-rank Thunder attribute Magical Artifacts or for setting up specific Formations.

Low Grade lightning-struck stone is not very valuable, but for a Cultivator like him who suffers from a lack of Thunder Spiritual Energy, even "stone fragments" whose Spiritual Qi is about to dissipate are a rare source of replenishment!

Although the Thunder Spiritual Energy it contains is impure and violent, making it difficult to absorb directly, it is still better than having none, and it can be slowly guided through some clumsy methods.

"This... is too precious." Lin Xuan took a deep breath and looked at Chen Hao.

He knew that even the most Low Grade, nearly useless lightning-struck stone could be exchanged for a few Spirit Stones in the marketplace.

Chen Hao couldn't use it himself and could completely take it to exchange for Fire attribute Materials or a Medicinal Pill that would be useful to him.

"What's precious about it? It's almost just a regular rock." Chen Hao waved his hand dismissively and pushed the three stones into Lin Xuan's arms.

"I don't need this; it just takes up space here. You happen to have a Lightning Spiritual Root, so try to see if you can squeeze some Spiritual Qi out of it. Even if it helps you condense one more strand of spiritual power, it's good!"

He paused and added a bit embarrassedly: "I also know you wouldn't accept it if I gave you Spirit Stones or a Medicinal Pill directly. But I picked this thing up; it didn't cost any contribution points, so you can't refuse this, right?

Besides, we are brothers. I have the convenience of Fire Cloud Valley tasks. If I find something useful to you, if I don't give it to you, who would I give it to?"

Lin Xuan looked at the three cool, rough stones in his arms, and then at Chen Hao's incredibly sincere face, which even carried an expression of "hurry up and take it, don't nag," and a warm current surged in his heart.

He knew that Chen Hao made it sound light, but searching carefully in the task area and painstakingly digging meant that this sentiment was far heavier than these few stones themselves.

"Alright, I'll accept it." Lin Xuan did not act coy anymore and carefully wrapped up the lightning-struck stone. "I will remember this favor."

"Remember what! Isn't that being overly polite!" Seeing him accept it, Chen Hao immediately beamed with joy, as if he had settled a matter of concern.

"Hurry up and test if it's useful! If it can really help, I'll pay more attention when I do tasks in the future! It's said that there were frequent thunderstorms in Fire Cloud Valley in the early years; maybe there are other discoveries!"

He chatted with Lin Xuan enthusiastically for a while about his experiences in taking on tasks, complained a few times about some senior Disciples who liked to put on airs, and showed off a small fire-controlling technique he had just learned.

It wasn't until dusk that he reluctantly stood up to leave: "Alright, I won't delay your Cultivation! I also have to go back and digest today's gains. I feel my spiritual power has improved a bit!"

After seeing Chen Hao off, Lin Xuan returned to the Quiet Room and carefully examined the three lightning-struck stone fragments under the oil lamp.

Although the Spiritual Qi was thin, this was a real, tangible substance containing Thunder attribute Spiritual Qi!

Compared to the meager and attribute-mismatched assistance of the dew-condensing grass, this thing might be of greater significance to him.

He tried holding a stone in his hand and circulating the "Qi Guiding Art".

Sure enough, threads of extremely faint, light purple Spiritual Qi carrying volatile factors were arduously drawn out from the holes in the stone and flowed in along his Meridians.

The process was much more sluggish and stinging than absorbing the Spiritual Qi of the dew-condensing grass, as if guiding some untamed little thorns, and the efficiency was pitifully low, but it was indeed Thunder Spiritual Energy!

"It's useful! Although the efficiency is low, it wins because the source is 'Thunder'!"

A flash of light appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes. If he could guide and absorb all the residual Spiritual Qi in these three stone fragments, perhaps it would be equivalent to one or two months of hard Cultivation!

He did not immediately start absorbing it frantically. Instead, he first suppressed his excitement and put the stones away. The more it was at a time like this, the more one needed to stay calm.

He planned to combine it with the gentle Spiritual Qi of the dew-condensing grass, using them alternately to slowly refine it, while continuing to rely on the Herb-Seeking Mouse to find dew-condensing grass to maintain a stable, low-level assistance.

"Chen Hao..." Lin Xuan looked toward the direction of the neighboring courtyard, feeling grateful in his heart.

This good friend had once again sent him a precious stepping stone when he was struggling to move forward.

His path, although still rugged and long, seemed to have more and more assistance around him and steps beneath his feet, increasing bit by bit.

He solemnly placed the three lightning-struck stones in the corner of the Quiet Room, sat cross-legged, and the desire in his heart for a Breakthrough to Level 1 Qi Refining was clearer and firmer than ever before.