Chapter 176 : Forge the Purple Mansion

If he were to break through to the Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one opens a spiritual mansion within the dantian] realm and channel his magic power to unleash a divine ability, it would be possible to severely injure a Third Rank Low Grade Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact of the third rank, lower grade].

Even if a Purple Mansion Initial Stage Cultivator [a cultivator who has just entered the Purple Mansion realm] were to activate a Third Rank Defensive Magical Treasure [a defensive artifact of the third rank], they could only withstand two or three attacks from a Third Rank Divine Ability [a powerful innate or cultivated supernatural ability of the third rank].

"The Purple Mansion realm," he murmured.

Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. This time, he intended to forcefully charge into the Purple Mansion realm relying solely on his own Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a magical treasure forged with one's own essence and soul, growing in power with the cultivator] and without the aid of any external resources.

In truth, his confidence was well-founded. He had achieved Self-Guided Foundation Establishment [a method of establishing one's foundation without external elixirs, resulting in purer true essence], granting his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy within a cultivator's body, more potent than basic Qi] exceptional sharpness and potency. Furthermore, his Third Rank Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal quality, rank three] had been tempering his True Essence, granting him a foundation far surpassing cultivators of the same realm.

Moreover, having been tempered by Primordial Essence [the pure, primordial energy of creation] for many years, the capacity of his meridians to hold True Essence exceeded that of his peers by the equivalent of three minor layers of cultivation.

Adding to this the fact that he had consumed a Mysterious Origin Pill [a rare pill that profoundly strengthens one's foundational origin], the total volume of his True Essence was already double that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator in the second major realm, having solidified their spiritual foundation] of the same stage.

Furthermore, his Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a magical treasure in the form of an azure lotus platform, imbued with the power of flood water] had been advanced to the Third Rank Low Grade [the classification for artifacts or realms at the third rank, lower grade]. This meant his True Essence was triple that of a typical cultivator at his level. If even he could not succeed in a single attempt to break through to the Purple Mansion realm, then it was likely no one in the world could.

Gradually suppressing his swirling thoughts, Eldrin Chen closed his eyes and began the assault on the Purple Mansion realm.

He mobilized his True Essence, drawing it forth from his dantian [the core energy center in a cultivator's lower abdomen]. It surged upward, following the path of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian [the specific meridian that must be opened to access the Purple Mansion realm], a torrent of spiritual power aiming to pierce the final barrier. Official source: www . audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

"Boom—"

In a daze, he seemed to hear a resounding, earth-shattering crash. His intensely refined True Essence [the purified spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner] surged against the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian [the primary spiritual channel in the spine that must be opened to ascend to the Purple Mansion realm], instantly piercing through one-tenth of its length.

In that instant, he felt a deep, radiant light emanating from within his spine. The True Essence stabbed at his meridians with excruciating pain, and his very bone marrow itched as if it were about to be torn asunder.

This was the inevitable consequence of attempting a breakthrough without external aids. Without the nurturing, creative power of a treasure like the Separated Flame Crystal [a rare crystal containing the essence of Separated Flame, used to protect and assist in realm breakthroughs] to shield and sustain him, a cultivator's Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian would inevitably suffer unbearable agony when assaulted by such force.

In the past, when Lin Mordred attempted his Purple Mansion [a major cultivation realm above Foundation Establishment] breakthrough, he only managed to pierce one-tenth of his Purple Mansion Dao Meridian [another term for the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian]. The primary reason was his inability to endure this intolerable pain, causing him to abandon the assault midway. Otherwise, he should have been able to pierce at least three-tenths.

In truth, aside from a rare few individuals of immense willpower—those capable of subduing the Mortal Tribulation [the profound physical and spiritual suffering inherent in major cultivation breakthroughs] through sheer, astonishing fortitude and breaking through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian without external assistance...

...the vast majority of cultivators simply cannot withstand the pain and thus give up their assault on the Purple Mansion midway. Those who abandon the attempt can, at most, pierce only one or two-tenths of their Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.

In reality, any cultivator capable of reaching Foundation Establishment Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Foundation Establishment realm] possesses True Essence potent enough to pierce at least three or four-tenths of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian. Those who achieved Self-Guided Foundation Establishment [a superior method of Foundation Establishment that results in broader and more resilient meridians], with their wider meridians, could even pierce five-tenths of the Dao Meridian.

Even an ordinary cultivator, if their vital energy and blood were sufficiently abundant and they were willing to burn their Lifebound Essence Blood [a cultivator's core vital essence, tied directly to their lifespan and cultivation base], could pierce more than five-tenths of the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian in a single attempt.

Eldrin Chen knew this very well. His True Essence was exceptionally abundant and razor-sharp, more than sufficient for him to pierce through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian in one sustained, relentless assault.

The sole obstacle remaining was the excruciating pain of forging the Heavenly Meridian within his spine.

This agony defied description. Cultivators across the world named it the Mortal Tribulation [a trial of supreme physical and spiritual torment, considered one of the greatest ordeals in cultivation], signifying a suffering that surpassed all others, one of the most severe trials on the path of cultivation.

"Press on!"

Eldrin Chen gritted his teeth, subduing the Mortal Tribulation with immense willpower, and continued to drive his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] upward.

When the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian [the crucial energy channel that must be opened to ascend to the Purple Mansion Realm] was seventy percent forged, he sensed his True Essence was beginning to wane.

At this juncture, an ordinary cultivator would have but two choices: either muster their remaining strength for a desperate, final assault, pushing until their True Essence was utterly depleted, accepting whatever progress they could achieve.

Or, they would be forced to burn their vital life force for one last attempt. Even after exhausting their True Essence, it was possible to succeed by channeling their Lifebound Essence Blood [the vital, foundational life energy bound to one's soul] to force the breakthrough. However, success would come at a grave cost—a severe depletion of one's foundational essence, requiring three decades of recuperation.

With the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a magical treasure in the form of an azure lotus platform imbued with the power of flood waters] at his disposal, Eldrin Chen had no need to burn his Lifebound Essence Blood. As the verdant lotus platform within his dantian [the core energy center in the lower abdomen] began to rotate, vast, surging waves of True Essence poured forth, transforming into a torrential flood that surged into the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian.

Empowered by this renewed force, Eldrin Chen advanced with divine assistance, breaking through obstacles as if they were mere kindling.

Ninety-five percent... The final strike at the hundred-foot barrier.

Eldrin Chen gathered his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner], forcing down the Mortal Tribulation [the physical suffering and strain associated with a major breakthrough], and struck against the final, stubbornly sealed segment of the heavenly meridian.

That vast and mighty True Essence surged like a great dragon ascending along his spine, coiling and climbing towards the heavens like a true dragon scaling the sky, ultimately blasting open the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian [the final and most critical energy channel required to access the Purple Mansion realm].

"Boom—"

After the thunderous roar, Eldrin Chen nearly collapsed to the ground.

A faint smile touched his lips. Sixty-three years had passed since his rebirth into this world, and he had finally succeeded in opening the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian, stepping into the realm of the Purple Mansion [a major cultivation stage where one's spiritual energy condenses into a more potent form within a conceptual 'mansion' in the dantian].

From this day forth, among the various nations of the Ji Continent, his cultivation could be considered to have preliminarily entered the mid-to-high echelons. Even among cultivators, he was now one in ten thousand. Continue your cultivation journey at audio‑novel.com.

Though the Chu Kingdom boasted over four hundred thousand cultivators, with more than one hundred at the Purple Mansion level, the lifespan of a Purple Mansion Cultivator was more than four times that of an ordinary practitioner. To call them one in ten thousand was no exaggeration.

Suppressing his exhilaration, Eldrin Chen calmed his mind and began the process of refining and merging his spiritual energies.

Having pierced through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian, the greatest hurdle was already overcome. The next step—melding his spiritual sense and True Essence into the more profound and peerless True Essence—was merely a matter of time and focused effort.

This process took Eldrin Chen one full month. Only after he completed the fusion did he realize the depth and potency of his newly forged True Essence far surpassed the ordinary.

Even during his time in the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation where one builds their foundational core] realm, his True Essence [the refined, potent energy cultivated by a practitioner] had already rivaled that of a first-layer Purple Mansion [the third major stage of cultivation, where one opens and refines the spiritual mansion within the dantian] cultivator, lacking only the profound subtlety of true Mana [the spiritual energy used to cast spells and power magical treasures].

Now, having successfully pierced through the Purple Mansion Heavenly Meridian [the crucial spiritual channel that must be opened to advance to the Purple Mansion realm], his True Essence had doubled once more and had fully transformed into the far more profound and versatile Mana.

"The sheer volume of my mana," he mused, "likely compares to that of a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Fourth Layer."

"Once my Lifebound Immortal Sword [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound sword, growing in power with them] and the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a defensive treasure platform imbued with the essence of flood waters] advance to the Third Rank Middle Grade [a mid-tier classification for third-rank treasures or realms], my combat prowess will no longer be considered weak even among mid-stage Purple Mansion experts."

Eldrin Chen savored the sensation of the potent mana flowing within him, gaining a clearer understanding of the source of his formidable strength.

He had broken through to the Purple Mansion without relying on external aids like the Separated Flame Crystal [a rare crystal containing the purified essence of Separated Flame, used to aid breakthroughs]. This made his True Essence exceptionally pure and sharp. Although the breakthrough process had been agonizing, it resulted in a mana quality far surpassing that of ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators.

With the foundational resilience he had demonstrated in overcoming his Mortal Tribulation [a trial of physical and spiritual endurance faced during major cultivation advancements], even without external treasures, his profound mana reserves would increase his chances of a successful Golden Core [the fourth major stage of cultivation, forming a solidified golden core of spiritual energy] breakthrough by ten to twenty percent in the future.

Furthermore, this superior foundation significantly impacted his combat capabilities.

Leaping across sub-realms in combat became exceedingly difficult at the Purple Mansion level. Back in his Foundation Establishment, Early Stage days, wielding the Second Rank Middle Grade Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss [a sword imbued with the essence of Li Fire and the concept of the returning abyss], he could contend with late-stage Foundation Establishment opponents. Now, however, facing a late-stage Purple Mansion expert would be a far greater challenge.

The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss had been forged with Separated Flame Crystal, making its material and power top-tier among Second Rank Lifebound Magical Treasures [magical treasures forged with one's essence and soul, growing alongside the cultivator]. Yet, among Third Rank Lifebound Magical Treasures, it could only be considered respectable, not exceptional.

Unless Eldrin Chen obtained the Fourth Rank Separated Flame Treasure Pearl [a fourth-rank treasure pearl containing the purified essence of the Separated Flame, used to empower fire-attribute magical treasures] to enhance the power of his Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, this Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's soul, growing in power with them] would find it difficult for him to contend against a Purple Palace, Late Stage [a cultivator in the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm, possessing formidable spiritual power] opponent.

Yet, even so, he was merely at the Purple Mansion First Layer [the initial layer of the Purple Mansion realm]. His combat prowess, however, showed no weakness compared to a Purple Palace, Mid Stage [a cultivator in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm]. This demonstrated that after subduing his Mortal Tribulation [a profound trial of the mortal body and spirit faced during cultivation advancement], the density and potency of his spiritual energy [the refined vital energy cultivated by practitioners] were in no way inferior to that of a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator whose energy had already been tempered once.

"Moreover, I still possess the Great Metallic Immortal Sword,"

Eldrin Chen said with a smile, retrieving another immortal sword, this one gleaming with a golden light.

The Great Metallic Immortal Sword served as the core formation artifact for the Great Metallic Sword Formation [a powerful sword formation harnessing the essence of metallic energy]. This sword was of Third Rank High Grade [denoting a high-quality artifact suitable for the Purple Mansion realm]. With Eldrin Chen's current level of spiritual energy, he could unleash seventy percent of this sword's formidable power—a force potent enough to pose a genuine threat even to a Purple Palace, Late Stage cultivator. The story continues at audi novel.com.