Alien Science Cultivation

Zhang Qiang didn't go in alone, but solemnly called for everyone to come and investigate. He thought to himself that since the Qingshan Sect Master hadn't found an opportunity here, this mysterious cave must have been explored countless times, perhaps even built by the Qingshan Sect Master himself. Therefore, there shouldn't be anything special here. He quickly scanned it with his spiritual sense and found few things of note. If he went in alone, he'd probably arouse suspicion, thinking he'd found some incredible treasure, and he'd be left with no way to defend himself.

After everyone gathered, the captain in a black robe led the way in. After all, this was a cave dwelling discovered in the cemetery of their clan's ancestors, so it was most appropriate for him to be the first to enter. The cave dwelling was semicircular with a diameter of about two meters. Inside, there was a dark green cushion, a rectangular coffee table with slightly worn corners, a set of old tea sets, and dozens of books with yellowed pages. The only door faced the lush branches, and there was a window in each of the other three directions. The carved window lattices were exquisite and unique, and through the windows, one could survey the surroundings without blind spots. It was estimated that the purpose of building this cave dwelling was exactly the same as Zhang Qiang's idea. After a careful inspection, everyone found that there seemed to be no overly valuable objects.

Everyone sat cross-legged on the ground, enthusiastically discussing their discoveries and findings. This place was teeming with spiritual herbs, lush and flourishing. Their abundance and quality far surpassed even the most common alchemy sites! The leaves were crystal clear, radiating a captivating luster, and their quality was several notches higher! With the exception of Ni Fang, who carefully gathered a few, the others remained motionless, their lack of knowledge of pharmacology leading them to fear wasting precious herbs. After all, everyone knew they would be staying here for a while, so there was no need to rush. There was also a spring brimming with spiritual energy, its water crystal clear, and wisps of spiritual energy rising from the rippling water. Within a few feet of the spring, the spiritual energy concentration was several times higher than elsewhere. Cultivating here would yield twice the results with half the effort! There were also several smaller caves, but they contained no valuable objects.

"Have your cultivations, spiritual consciousness, and so on been suppressed? I just discovered my spiritual consciousness is suppressed by 70%. As for whether other aspects are suppressed, I haven't investigated them thoroughly..." Zhang Qiang asked, his brow furrowed, a hint of worry in his eyes. "It's the same for me, except my spiritual consciousness is suppressed to less than one-tenth." Ni Fang's delicate face also took on a solemn expression, and she and the others echoed this, stating that they all had some degree of cultivation suppressed. It seemed that the higher the cultivation level, the more severe the suppression.

"That's even happening? Why didn't I notice it..." The eldest brother asked doubtfully, his playful face filled with confusion. Everyone seemed numb to the eldest brother's uniqueness; for him, being different had become the norm. Everyone chatted back and forth, sharing their discoveries. Before they knew it, the sky was gradually darkening.

The night in the Dark Forest was pitch black, pitch black, and the thick, inky darkness seemed to swallow everything. In this pitch-black night, eyes were completely useless. Everyone decided to spend the night in this cave so they could look after each other. Zhang Qiang activated his spiritual sense, closed his eyes, and meditated, eagerly absorbing spiritual energy. He thought to himself that he had not been of much help along the way, and most of the time, it was his senior brother and Ni Fang who protected him. Without giving it any more thought, he focused on absorbing the spiritual energy. The spiritual energy here was far richer than that of Qingshan Sect. This was understandable. After all, the primitive beasts here were far larger than those of Qingshan Sect, and the energy they contained was naturally more powerful.

The first dantian Zhang Qiang opened was the one below his navel, which he designated the First Dantian. The one on his chest was the Second Dantian, and the one between his eyebrows was the Third Dantian. As time slowly passed, the spiritual energy in Zhang Qiang's three dantians filled immensely, even showing signs of solidifying. However, they were slightly smaller than the ones he had in Qingshan Sect, perhaps due to the suppression of the mysterious formation there. Zhang Qiang didn't take it too seriously, continuing to absorb the spiritual energy to strengthen his dantians.

"What's this black thing... I didn't see it in the space when I absorbed spiritual energy before. It seems to be an energy body just like spiritual energy! Let's try absorbing one!" Zhang Qiang pondered, his eyes filled with curiosity and inquiry. As the black energy body entered his body, Zhang Qiang guided it to his first dantian. Nothing seemed unusual. Perhaps the amount absorbed was too small. Let's try absorbing a few more! Just as he relinquished control of the black energy body, Zhang Qiang was startled to discover that it seemed to have developed a sense of its own. It followed the meridians like a wild horse, bounding towards the third dantian between his eyebrows, where it settled steadily. Speechless for a moment, Zhang Qiang continued to absorb dozens more. No matter where they were placed, they would eventually converge at the third dantian. Even more bizarrely, the black energy bodies seemed to favor their own kind, huddling together and growing stronger. They coexisted peacefully with the golden spiritual energy. "Black spiritual energy... Ni Fang said that my path to cultivation might require self-discovery. So, I'll absorb you as black spiritual energy..." Zhang Qiang thought, and began to practice normally with full concentration.

In this dark night, everyone's consciousness remained basically open, like a taut bowstring, always paying attention to any movement in the observable area.

"Hmm... look at the sky! Look at the sky..." the eldest brother called out eagerly, his voice breaking the night's silence, tinged with uncontrollable tension and surprise. Everyone opened their eyes and looked up. "Holy crap... what is that? A ghost?" Zhang Qiang couldn't help but exclaim, his voice filled with astonishment and fear. A butterfly-shaped creature, shimmering with a faint light, danced gracefully in the air, slowly approaching. The light was like a veil under the moonlight, soft and ethereal.

At first, due to the distance, everyone's spiritual senses were unable to detect its presence, and they could only rely on the naked eye to detect it. Now, it was slowly approaching the magic circle. Everyone dared not slack off and immediately entered a state of combat readiness, nerves tense, muscles tensed, like an arrow about to be released from a bow.

This thing was truly eerie! It clearly had no physical form, merely a luminous object. Yet, upon closer inspection, its shape was unmistakable, resembling that of a real butterfly. Its wings, head, and six long, slender, furry legs were distinct, even the hair on the legs clearly discernible, as if meticulously sketched with the finest brushstrokes. Its wings and body were also covered in vibrant, vibrant patterns, like a dreamlike jigsaw puzzle. The naked eye could see through it unobstructed, yet a spiritual sense could detect nothing. It was as if someone had meticulously painted an ethereal, ethereal painting on this endlessly dark canvas, brimming with mystery and the unknown.

As if aware of their presence, the ghostly butterfly flew to a point about ten feet outside the magic circle, its disembodied gaze scanning the cave dwelling. Though it lacked a body, it was undoubtedly conscious! Its invisible gaze, as if inquiring and scrutinizing, was chilling. No one knew for sure if the magic circle could stop it! For a moment, everyone was sweating with anxiety, their palms damp with sweat. Even if this creature were placed before their eyes, ready to be hunted and killed, no one would know where to begin! The feeling of being lost and the fear of the unknown hung heavy over everyone's heart like a haze.