Blood Purification Stage.
It had been too long since he reached the peak of the Mortal Awakening Stage, and now, at last, he would advance to the Blood Purification Stage. He had lingered at this level for far too long, but this moment was crucial.
First, he needed to take advantage of the advancement process, using the small surge of spiritual essence absorbed by his body to enhance his overall physique. However, he would not stop there. He would link this process to awaken his aura, using the memories of Basilisk, who had already attained a higher realm of aura, to stimulate his soul and push for an early awakening.
Aura was the manifestation of the soul itself, but it was different from soul essence, which was a sub form of inner qi,achieved only when one attains perfect harmony between spirit and body. Unlike that, aura was the raw power of the soul, something that every cultivator inherently possessed. It was the minimum requirement to step into the Soul Cultivation Part, which was why it was normal for Peak Spirit Cultivators to have Aura.
For the greatest cultivation clans, awakening aura at the Bone Forging Stage or Marrow Essence Stage was considered standard. Those who failed to awaken it by then would be deemed failures by their clans. However, for most other sects or lower ranking clans, even an aura awakening at the Body Ascension Stage was already considered a sign of genius talent.
Yet, awakening aura at the Blood Purification Stage was said to be impossible,something that only heaven defying talents could achieve. But Yuan could make the Impossible possible. He understood the feeling of manipulating aura through Basilisk's memories. If he executed it correctly, he might succeed.
However, failure was also possible.If his soul's uniqueness interfered with the process, his aura could manifest as something incredibly powerful or shockingly weak. Or, perhaps, It might fail to awaken it altogether, forcing him to wait until he reached the Peak Spirit Realm.
But he didnt fear failure.
This was a chance.
And he would take it.
So the outcome could be anything.
If he failed to awaken his aura, he would lose the natural cleansing effect that came with the advancement. This meant he would be weaker than the average Blood Purification cultivator in terms of pure cultivation and would have to seek an alternative method to compensate for the loss or he could even become a Cripple.
However, if he succeeded, the rewards would be big.
Not only would his strength receive a significant boost, but his cultivation speed would also skyrocket. With aura, he could accelerate the process of generating spiritual blood and awaken his meridians faster than normal cultivators.
Even with the risk of failure, the potential gains were just too great.
He had to try.
With that resolve, Yuan reached into his pocket and pulled out the Five Senses Pill. He had learned about this pill from his school instructor, who explained that its purpose was to heighten all five senses, allowing cultivators to gain better control over spiritual essence.
With such an effect, it was the perfect pill to take at this moment.
Yuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and swallowed the pill.
Immediately, the effects took hold.
His perception of spiritual essence intensified dramatically,at least twice as strong as what he normally experienced. It was a great advantage for his breakthrough.
Without hesitation, Yuan began his advancement process.
First, a faint spiritual pressure radiated from his body,so weak that it was barely noticeable. Slowly, spiritual essence in the air began to flow toward him. As the essence neared his body, a sudden sharp pain struck him, and he began to bleed from his eyes and nose.
He was inhaling the spiritual essence.
It was excruciatingly painful.
Most cultivators relied on pills to make their breakthroughs smoother. But Yuan couldn't do use them. If he wanted to use the pure cleansing effect of the spiritual essence to awaken his aura, he had to endure the unfiltered pain to have the most pure spiritual essence come to him.
The Five Senses Pill helped him control the energy flow, but it couldn't lessen the pain of the process.
Even if he had access to better pills, he wouldn't have been able to afford them. He lacked both the resources and connections to obtain the necessary herbs.
And so, he endured.
But as the bleeding continued, Yuan slowly began to draw in more and more spiritual essence, until he was completely surrounded by it.
This process sounded quick, but in reality, an entire day had already passed since he started his advancement.
Slowly, his blood purification advancement began, ridding his body of the mortal blood impurities. But now that he was fully engulfed in spiritual essence, it was time for the next step.
Without hesitation, Yuan hastily absorbed the surrounding spiritual essence into his body.
And then,pain.
His blood flow burned, an unbearable sensation ripping through every vein and artery. This step was dangerous,so reckless that it could kill him if he didn't stop at the right moment!
Yet, he did not stop.
As the spiritual essence surged through his bloodstream, it fused with every blood cell, forcefully purifying his body.
Yuan vomited blood, his body violently rejecting the impurities that had built up inside him. But even as blood pooled around him, he didn't allow himself to falter.
His body was now temporarily at the peak of the Blood Purification Stage.
It was time.
He activated his Azure Basilisk Flames.
A flickering blue flame emerged between his eyebrows, dancing with intensity as it grew larger and larger,until it reached a height of five centimeters!
Then,Yuan opened his mouth.
The flame rushed into him, splitting into a thousand tiny embers, each one scattering through his bloodstream, embedding itself into every flowing drop of blood.
Agony.
Unlike the previous pain, this was unrelenting, all consuming.
The fire raged within him, tearing through his body with an indescribable intensity.
Yuan's muscles tensed, his veins bulged, and yet,he gritted his teeth and endured.
His blood covered eyes snapped open, glowing with a faint azure hue.
The Azure Basilisk Flames had already completed two full circulations through his bloodstream.
For a brief moment, his body stabilized, his cultivation reaching the brink of perfection.
But if he hesitated even for a second,his body would be permanently crippled.
NOW!
He began to draw his purified blood, transforming it into spiritual blood!
With just a portion of his blood converted, he had now officially stepped into the Blood Purification Stage.
But,this was not the end.
For most cultivators, this moment would mark the completion of their breakthrough. They would stop here, relishing in their advancement, stabilizing their new stage.
But for Yuan,this was only the beginning.
His body was now in a unique and unstable state,half of him at the peak of Blood Purification, the other half still adapting to the initial stages of it.
This imbalance was dangerous.
Normally, the spiritual essence absorbed during advancement would smoothly integrate with the body, strengthening it in harmony.
But for Yuan, the spiritual essence grew restless.
As if it possessed a will of its own, the essence hesitated, uncertain of where to flow,until finally, it found a direction.
It surged toward his brain.
In the depths of Yuan's mind, beyond the conscious world, lay the Soul Plane Realm,the very space where a cultivator's true soul resided.
Every living being had their soul and spirit locked within their brain, sealed away until they reached the Spirit Awakening Stage or higher. Only then could they move their soul's position at will.
But now,his unawakened soul was being forcefully drawn out!
The spiritual essence pierced directly into his Soul Plane Realm, a place that only Soul Cultivators could perceive and interact with.
Yet, thanks to this unprecedented phenomenon, Yuan had stepped into the Soul Plane prematurely.
And as the swirling spiritual essence gathered within his mind
Something began to stir.
His dormant soul, untouched and unseen for so long, was now being awakened!
Now was the time for Yuan to act!
His Azure Basilisk Flame could no longer endure the overwhelming pressure of his peak Blood Purification body.
An excruciating pain erupted through him, an agony so intense that it felt as if he were drowning in a sea of flames,his flesh, blood, and very existence burning from the inside out.
This was the perfect moment to awaken.
If he failed here, his body would collapse under its own imbalance.
He would lose his body's newfound power, his spiritual blood essence, and become nothing more than a crippled Blood Purification cultivator.
But,he had a path forward.
With his Azure Basilisk Flame now returning to him, he could use its power to send it directly into his Soul Plane. The spiritual essence flooding his body could then be guided toward one single goal,awakening his aura!
Yuan acted without hesitation.
The Azure Basilisk Flame flickered between his brows, burning brightly for an instant before slowly fading into his body.
Yet,this was only the beginning.
His control over the Azure Basilisk Flame was precise. He willed it not to scatter aimlessly but to force the spiritual essence toward a singular point,his unawakened soul.
The flame pressed down upon the spiritual essence, forcing it to move according to his will rather than letting it flow randomly.
This was an incredibly dangerous gamble.
But the Azure Basilisk Flame was no ordinary fire,it was far superior to the low grade spiritual essence surrounding him.
With the sheer pressure of the flame, he could forcefully compress and guide the spiritual energy into the depths of his soul!
And then
His soul reacted!
The moment of all moments had arrived.
There was no room for error.
Everything had to be executed perfectly!
Yuan's Soul Plane remained calm, his body began to twist and contort unnaturally, slowly tearing itself apart.
Yet, Yuan did not resist the damage.
He accepted it.
If he could awaken his aura, then every wound, every torn muscle, and every shattered bone could be healed through its power.
So he endured.
The reaction within his soul intensified, growing stronger and stronger, until it reached the deepest part of his being,his unawakened Soul Pond.
Now was the moment!
Yuan focused all of his control, using every method at his disposal to gently guide the spiritual energy toward his Soul Pond.
And then,he succeeded.
The spiritual essence began to fuse into his Soul Pond, causing a temporary state of soul awakening!
For a fleeting moment, his entire existence trembled.
But he wasn't done yet.
Yuan exhaled sharply, driving out the remaining spiritual essence from his Soul Plane with the force of his Azure Basilisk Flame.
The excess spiritual energy was expelled, returning to the Real world.
Yet,the small amount that had fused within his Soul Pond remained.
This tiny fusion allowed Yuan to manipulate the Azure Basilisk Flame with his will, to take control of the half fused spiritual essence and redirect its power!
Now, it was time for the final step.
Yuan infused his intent into the Azure Basilisk Flame, commanding it to dive into his Soul Pond alongside the lingering spiritual essence.
The fusion of his Azure Basilisk Flame and his own will was made possible thanks to his mastery of the Flame Poison Cleansing Demonic Beast Technique.
Normally, this technique was designed to allow a cultivator to move their flames freely within their body, using it to cleanse poisons and heal wounds.
But Yuan saw beyond its intended purpose.
To him, this was more than just a cleansing technique,it was a method of imprinting one's will upon the flame itself!
A way to create a second version of oneself, a fragment of his mind and intent, woven into the flame's existence.
This was the perfect state for him to awaken his aura.
And he succeeded.
At last,his aura was born.
The Azure Basilisk Flame fused with his Soul Pond, permanently marking his very soul with its essence.
And then, just as suddenly as it had disappeared into the depths of his being
The Azure Basilisk Flame returned to the real world.
Then, after a painful moment, a red colored aura manifested around Yuan, flickering like a burning flame.
As soon as the aura took form, Yuan instinctively controlled it, wrapping it around his wounded body like a crimson armor.
But this armor did not last long.
Slowly, the red aura began to sink into his skin, fusing seamlessly into his body.
It flowed through his muscles, bones, and meridians, repairing the half crippled state he had forced himself into.
And at this moment, it was done.
Yuan had officially stepped into the Blood Purification Stage.
But more importantly
His aura had awakened.
And not just any aura,a regenerative aura!
This was not an endurance type aura, nor a strength enhancing aura, nor even a pressure emitting aura like most cultivators sought to awaken.
No, his aura was something far rarer.
A regenerative aura was one of the rarest types of aura in existence,a power that allowed him to heal wounds and recover from injuries at an unnatural rate.
With this, the month long healing process he had originally estimated was now reduced to just a week… or even less!
This… was the power of aura!
A low chuckle escaped Yuan's lips as waves of exhaustion crashed over him.
His body was in agony, screaming from the immense strain he had put himself through.
But he didn't care.
"Hehehe…"
A quiet, tired laugh left his mouth as his vision grew hazy.
I'm so exhausted…
His limbs grew heavy, his consciousness fading, his body sinking into the blood soaked bed beneath him.
But before he succumbed to sleep, a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Worth it."
And with that, Yuan lost consciousness, slipping into a deep sleep
While his red aura continued to silently heal his body.