Clifford calmed down after processing the elder's memories and then sat on the floor, thinking about how to proceed. The academy had four more elders: two who assisted his victim in protecting the second underground level, and two more who were specially assigned to protect the third underground floor, which housed an energy core that supplied the entire academy.
He admitted he couldn't proceed in his current state; his low Qi supply, coupled with the elements they wielded, put him at a huge disadvantage in battle. Thankfully, the elder's memories contained clear information about the third stage from start to end. Everything in this stage was related to the dantian, which could store a high amount of Qi. Not only that, the dantian was the most important part of cultivation going forward, as it could contain the elements that would form the world's foundation later.
Dantians in living beings were closed initially, and not everyone could open them due to the pain it caused. To open it, a person would need to alter their meridians to construct paths leading to the dantian. The method was torturous, making the person feel like something was drilling through their body. But what about pain?
It was something Clifford had long been accustomed to, from tearing himself apart to getting roasted by the wyvern. He didn't mind a little pain as long as it increased his power level. Knowing he couldn't be interrupted once he started, Clifford meditated for a while to absorb some Qi, then stood up and proceeded to search for an isolated place.
Some time passed, and finally, Clifford found a place after going through the city, hiding his presence using the Qi he had absorbed. Thinking about his house, Clifford went there to check if someone had taken over. Surprisingly, his house seemed to be abandoned and devoid of life, contrary to his thoughts.
Recalling his memories, Clifford pushed the door open and entered, feeling conflicted. If the elder's memories were true, then his father was as guilty as the elders. Thinking deeply, Clifford guessed his father intentionally abandoned him for some reason given he didn't witness his death with his own eyes at all. Shaking off his thoughts, Clifford inspected the inside of the house. The dust had settled in every corner, and insects crawled everywhere. Everything had been left untouched since the day he left.
Although it could be annoying, it didn't provide much distraction, making the place perfect for cultivation. Sitting at the center of the hall, Clifford started cultivating, following the memories in his head.
Normally, a person couldn't create a high number of paths since not many meridians were close to the dantian. Taking more time to open the paths meant more suffering, and stopping mid-way would harm them instead, as the paths created would crumble slowly without an endpoint for the Qi.
Clifford's case was different, given he knew how he wanted to proceed and was determined to endure the pain. His past knowledge led him to think differently; back when he opened his meridians, he understood that more meridians meant faster Qi absorption. So instead of connecting any of his meridians directly, he decided to start creating more paths between them.
Inspired by the webs around him, Clifford started his plan. Beginning with the first two meridians closest to each other, Clifford focused all his Qi in the first meridian, giving it a drill form. Aiming to connect it to the second meridian, Clifford drilled through, creating a clean path as pain flooded his senses.
Although the pain was intense, it was nothing he couldn't handle, as it was far less torturous compared to being skinned alive. His success pushed him to connect more meridians, and the pain couldn't stop him. Three days passed in this state, and his efforts finally paid off as he felt his absorption speed skyrocket compared to before.
After pushing himself for three days straight, Clifford decided to rest for a couple of hours before opening his dantian. At the dawn of the fourth day, Clifford started the process. Opening the dantian was more difficult than connecting the meridians, as he felt something blocking his way. Once again, his determination and lust for power pushed him forward. Two days later, Clifford had his first path open, but it was still far from his goal, so he kept going, taking small breaks to offset the pain.
Another three weeks passed, and Clifford was nearly halfway to his goal, with 13 paths connecting to his dantian. Feeling that the dantian couldn't handle more in its current state, Clifford stopped, knowing he had hit his current limit. However, he was satisfied with his progress so far, as the current Qi supply he could carry was enough.
Standing up, Clifford stretched his body before making his way back to the academy for a final confrontation. Thinking deeply, he considered blowing up the energy supply if he found himself unable to defeat the elders, knowing he had a higher chance of survival compared to them.