If he broke through to the Purple Mansion stage and used his mana to activate divine abilities, he would potentially be capable of severely damaging a third-rank inferior magic treasure.
Even if an early-stage Purple Mansion cultivator activated a third-rank defensive magic treasure, it could only withstand two or three attacks from a third-rank divine ability.
"Purple Mansion stage."
Elian's eyes flickered slightly. This time, he intended to rely solely on his innate magic treasure and not use any external objects to forcibly break through to the Purple Mansion stage.
In truth, he was quite confident. Having formed his foundation independently, his true essence was extraordinarily sharp. Moreover, his third-rank immortal sword had refined his true essence, giving him a foundation far superior to other cultivators of the same rank.
Additionally, he had been tempered by Primordial Purple Qi for years, allowing his meridians to hold three levels more true essence compared to his peers.
He had also consumed a Xuanyu Pill, further amplifying his true essence to double that of an average Fondation Estabilishment cultivator of the same rank.
Furthermore, his Pure Water Green Lotus Platform had been upgraded to third-rank low quality, making his true essence three times that of ordinary cultivators. If he couldn't succeed in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage in one attempt, then perhaps no one in the world could.
Suppressing his thoughts, Elian closed his eyes and began his assault on the Purple Mansion stage.
He directed his true essence from his dantian upward along the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.
"Boom—"
In a trance, he seemed to hear a resounding roar. His incomparably refined true essence surged through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian, instantly breaking through ten percent of it.
In that moment, he felt an intense glow deep in his spine. The piercing pain in his meridians, along with an unbearable itch in his spinal marrow, felt as if he were being torn apart.
This was the inevitable result of breaking through without external assistance. Without the transformative power of treasures like the Crystal of Blazing Flame to protect him, the cultivator's Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian would endure excruciating pain when impacted.
Years ago, when Lin Mocheng attempted to break through to the Purple Mansion stage, he only managed to break through ten percent of the Purple Mansion Dao Veins because he couldn't endure the unbearable pain and abandoned his effort midway. Otherwise, he might have achieved a thirty percent breakthrough.
In reality, only a rare few with great willpower could endure the physical suffering and break through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian without external assistance.
Most cultivators, unable to bear the pain, would abandon their attempt midway, breaking through at most ten or twenty percent of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.
Those who reached the pinnacle of the Fondation Estabilishment stage typically had enough true essence to break through thirty or forty percent of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian. Those who built their foundation independently, with broader meridians, could even break through fifty percent.
Even ordinary cultivators, if their vitality was robust and they burned their innate blood essence, could break through over fifty percent of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian in one attempt.
Elian was well aware that his true essence was both abundant and sharp, fully sufficient for him to penetrate the entire Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian in one attempt.
The only obstacle was the excruciating pain of opening the spine's heavenly meridian.
This pain defied description. Cultivators referred to it as "the physical torment," a suffering that surpassed all other agonies and was one of the greatest trials of cultivation.
"Break for me!"
Elian gritted his teeth and, with immense willpower, overcame the physical torment, pushing his true essence upward.
Thirty percent.
Fifty percent.
Seventy percent.
When the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian reached seventy percent penetration, Elian noticed his true essence was running low.
At this point, most cultivators would either risk everything for one final push until their true essence was exhausted or burn their blood essence for a last desperate attempt. Even if their true essence was depleted, it was possible to succeed by using their blood essence, though recovery would take thirty years.
Elian, however, had the Pure Water Green Lotus Platform, eliminating the need to burn his blood essence. As the azure lotus platform in his dantian rotated, waves of vast true essence surged forth, transforming into torrents that poured into the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.
With this new force, Elian advanced as if divinely inspired, breaking through with unstoppable momentum.
Eighty percent.
Ninety percent.
Ninety-five percent.
At the final critical juncture, Elian gathered his true essence and suppressed the physical torment, breaking through the last section of the sealed heavenly meridian.
The surging true essence ascended his spine like a great dragon spiraling toward the heavens, ultimately shattering the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.
"Boom—"
After a thunderous roar, Elian almost collapsed to the ground.
A faint smile appeared on his face. After sixty-three years in this world, he had finally broken through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian and stepped into the Purple Mansion stage.
From now on, in the nations of the Ji Continent, his cultivation would be considered part of the mid-upper echelon. Even among cultivators, he was a one-in-ten-thousand figure.
Although Chu Kingdom had over four hundred thousand cultivators, only a hundred or so were in the Purple Mansion stage. Purple Mansion cultivators had lifespans four times longer than ordinary cultivators, making them truly rare and exceptional.
Suppressing his excitement, Elian calmed his emotions and began refining his mana.
Having penetrated the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian, the most challenging hurdle was behind him. Refining his mana to fuse his divine sense with his true essence and transform it into more profound mana was merely a matter of time.
This process took Elian a month. By the time he completed the fusion, he found his energy's depth far surpassed that of ordinary cultivators.
Even during his Fondation Estabilishment stage, his true essence had been comparable to the first level of the Purple Mansion stage, lacking only the sophistication of mana.
Now, having penetrated the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian, his true essence had doubled and transformed into more profound mana.
"My mana's depth is likely comparable to the fourth level of the Purple Mansion stage."
"Once my natal immortal sword and the Pure Water Green Lotus Platform advance to third-rank middle quality, my combat power will be comparable to the mid-Purple Mansion stage."
Sensing his mana, Elian increasingly recognized his strength.
By breaking through the Purple Mansion stage without using external treasures like the Crystal of Blazing Flame, his true essence was exceptionally pure and sharp. While the breakthrough was extraordinarily painful, it resulted in mana quality far superior to that of ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators.
This purity would not only increase his chances of reaching the Golden Core stage by one or two levels but also significantly enhance his combat strength.
At the Purple Mansion stage, surpassing levels was already difficult. In the Fondation Estabilishment stage, he could barely match late-stage cultivators with his second-rank middle-grade Fiery Void Sword. However, now it was difficult to challenge late Purple Mansion cultivators.
The Fiery Void Sword, crafted with a Crystal of Blazing Flame, was top-tier among second-rank natal treasures. However, among third-rank natal treasures, it was only above average.
Unless Elian obtained a fourth-rank Blazing Fire Pearl to enhance the Fiery Void Sword's power, the weapon would struggle to contend with late Purple Mansion cultivators.
Even so, at the first level of the Purple Mansion stage, Elian's combat strength was already on par with the mid-stage Purple Mansion, proving the profound impact of overcoming the physical torment and the superior quality of his mana.
"Moreover, I still have the Grand Plough Celestial Sword."
Elian smiled as he took out a golden immortal sword.
The Grand Plough Celestial Sword was the formation weapon of the Grand Metal Sword Array, a third-rank superior-grade sword. With Elian's mana, he could wield seventy percent of its power, sufficient to threaten late Purple Mansion cultivators.
...
65+ chapters ahead on patreon: patreon.com/David_Lord
I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D