Chapter 52: Opening the Purple Mansion, the Sword of Like Water

Qingxuan Temple had been closed for two years.

Whether it was the commoners of Qingshan County or the gentry of Dongjun, it seemed everyone had gradually forgotten the existence of Qingxuan Temple.

Even Cha Liangcai and Cha Liangping, the Zifu cultivators of the Cha family in Dongjun, assumed that Jiang Sheng might have left to avoid some calamity.

No one knew that inside Qingxuan Temple at this very moment, Jiang Sheng was preparing to open his Purple Mansion.

For seven days, Jiang Sheng sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing, neither eating nor drinking.

On one hand, he was performing the preliminary refinement of the Jade Green Lotus Platform; on the other, he was gradually adjusting his own vital energy to a state of flawless smoothness.

As the seventh day arrived, sensing the spiritual energy within his body surging like a mighty river, Jiang Sheng silently began his assault on the Purple Mansion realm.

The Purple Mansion is achieved when a Foundation Establishment cultivator uses their entire body's spiritual energy and vital blood to strike the Great Dragon of the spine, clearing the spinal column to open the Mansion of the Spirit within the brow.

As the spiritual energy circulated through his meridians in Great Cycles time and again, Jiang Sheng sensed that faint, ethereal opportunity.

As the sun reached its zenith and the snow melted, a sudden moment of enlightenment struck Jiang Sheng.

Pure spiritual liquid surged from his Dantian as spiritual energy, flowing upward against the current along the Heavenly Veins of the Purple Mansion.

Jiang Sheng felt as if a thunderclap had erupted within his sea of consciousness.

The spiritual energy poured into the Great Dragon of the spine, piercing through a segment of the vertebrae almost effortlessly.

In an instant, the spiritual energy surged into the spine, violently expanding the Heavenly Veins. The agony of splitting the spinal bones and tearing the spinal cord caused Jiang Sheng’s brow to furrow involuntarily.

Without the aid of a Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill to protect his meridians, or a Purple Sun Jade to guard his mind, he would inevitably have to endure such excruciating pain.

However, if he used external objects, the Heavenly Veins of the Purple Mansion would be shaped by them, leaving no path for true growth.

The reasons why the Purple Mansion was so difficult to achieve were twofold: first, the items used to open it, such as the Purple Sun Jade and Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill, were controlled by major powers; second, the pain of forcibly opening the Purple Mansion was enough to cause one to lose mental stability and descend into madness.

The Black Fire Snake, Hei Huan, had lost his mind because he had unconsciously begun to strike at his Purple Mansion. It was because of this that his defenses were wide open, allowing Jiang Sheng to split his head with a single sword strike.

Whether for the sake of his future Great Dao or for the Golden Core River God who could arrive at any moment, Jiang Sheng would not allow himself to use external aids.

Jiang Sheng knew very well that his Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment provided sufficient spiritual energy, and he possessed a natural treasure like the Jade Green Lotus Platform; all he needed now was to endure the pain.

"It is merely the suffering of the flesh. Break!"

Jiang Sheng’s mind was incredibly clear, his eyes bright and devoid of madness.

As Jiang Sheng exerted his full strength to drive the spiritual energy within him, the spiritual liquid in his Dantian transformed into a surging tide of energy, continuously pouring into his spine to begin opening the Heavenly Veins of the Purple Mansion.

Even Jiang Sheng himself was unsure just how profound his foundation was when fully unleashed; this attempt to open the Purple Mansion allowed him to witness the accumulation of his long-term cultivation.

The surging spiritual energy pierced through the vertebrae one by one like a hot knife through butter, clearing the Heavenly Veins of the Purple Mansion inch by inch.

By the time he had cleared the path from the coccyx to the cervical vertebrae, Jiang Sheng still had surplus spiritual energy!

For a standard Foundation Establishment cultivator, clearing the path all the way to the thoracic vertebrae in one breath would be a rare feat, but for one with a Heavenly Dao Foundation, it was perfectly normal.

Such is the path of cultivation: once you fall behind at the start, every subsequent step becomes exponentially more difficult to catch up.

Jiang Sheng stabilized his mind and drove his spiritual energy to strike at the final cervical vertebra.

The final vertebra was undoubtedly the hardest to breach. Without the assistance of a Purple Cloud Barrier-Breaking Pill, ordinary cultivators could only rely on their own vital blood to strike it.

Success meant opening the Purple Mansion; failure meant, at best, a setback to one's essence and spirit, and at worst, death.

But Jiang Sheng did not need to worry about such things.

The Jade Green Lotus Platform had long been stored within his Dantian, and now was the perfect time to use it!

As Jiang Sheng mobilized the spiritual qi from the Jade Green Lotus Platform, the river of spiritual energy, bolstered by this extra strength, surged upward once more.

The cervical vertebrae were cleared segment by segment, and the Heavenly Veins of the Purple Mansion reached their final critical stage.

Eighty percent.

Ninety percent.

The final step after reaching the summit!

Enduring the agony of his spine and meridians being torn and stretched apart inch by inch, Jiang Sheng exerted his spiritual energy to its absolute limit.

That reversing river of spiritual energy, carrying massive waves, surged up the spine like a dragon crossing a river, heading straight for the peak to knock upon the Heavenly Gate!

"Boom!"

Another thunderous explosion erupted within his sea of consciousness.

Jiang Sheng's entire spinal Great Dragon was fully connected, the Heavenly Veins were unobstructed, and the Purple Mansion in his brow opened of its own accord.

For a moment, Jiang Sheng felt a sense of total transparency throughout his body, his mind refreshed and clear. The previous pain vanished completely, replaced by waves of refreshing ease.

It felt as if a river had finally flowed into the sea, or a trapped dragon had finally ascended to the heavens; he felt as though his shackles had been cast off.

However, he immediately suppressed that ethereal, transcendent feeling.

He began to circulate the Purple Mansion chapter of the *Heavenly Water Scripture*. The spiritual energy in his body surged from his Dantian, traveled through his meridians, connected to the spinal Heavenly Veins, and flowed into the Purple Mansion. Once refined and condensed by the Mansion, it returned to his Dantian.

In just one cycle, the spiritual energy in Jiang Sheng's body was refined once again.

This also allowed Jiang Sheng to realize exactly how vast the gap was between the Purple Mansion and Foundation Establishment.

"Come to think of it, that River God's avatar wasn't a true Purple Mansion cultivator; it merely possessed the strength of the early Purple Mansion stage."

With a light chuckle, Jiang Sheng closed his eyes slightly and began to cultivate using his technique.

Having just entered the Purple Mansion, Jiang Sheng needed to stabilize his realm.

As he circulated his technique, a massive amount of free-floating spiritual qi from heaven and earth converged upon the temple, pouring into Jiang Sheng's body in a torrent, where it was gradually purified and refined into concentrated magical power.

Tian Ming'an watched the changes surrounding Qingxuan Temple in astonishment.

He had never imagined that Qingping Mountain contained such an abundance of spiritual qi.

Spiritual qi from all directions seemed to be drawn by something, continuously gathering and gradually forming a spiritual vortex above the front hall before being drawn into the temple.

The front hall acted like a Taotie, endlessly devouring this spiritual qi as if no amount could ever satisfy its hunger.

Under such intense spiritual absorption, Tian Ming'an did not dare to cultivate.

He simply could not compete with Jiang Sheng; attempting to cultivate forcibly would only result in self-injury.

Watching the endless spiritual qi flow into the front hall, the large-scale absorption of surrounding energy alerted countless living beings.

Bai Shang had personally come to investigate, but upon discovering it was Qingxuan Temple, he silently withdrew.

This period of cultivation lasted for over half a month.

The spiritual energy in Qingping Mountain seemed inexhaustible; even after being drained by Jiang Sheng for half a month, it remained incredibly abundant.

After half a month of cultivation, Jiang Sheng had also mastered the Purple Mansion chapter of the *Heavenly Water Scripture*.

At this point, the spiritual energy in Jiang Sheng's body had been purified once more. Only after undergoing the dual refinement of the Dantian and the Purple Mansion could a cultivator's magical power truly possess the potential for Core Condensation.

Sensing the surging, pure spiritual energy within him, Jiang Sheng finally ended his seclusion.

Pushing open the doors of the front hall and feeling the sunlight from the outside, Jiang Sheng squinted slightly. "Since I began seeking the Dao at eight, I am now twenty-four. I have finally opened my Purple Mansion."

A Purple Mansion cultivator enjoys a lifespan of five hundred years and can barely be called a "True Person."

While they might not be much in a great Dao Sect, within the Qing Province of the Qi Kingdom, they were considered great figures.

Perhaps looking across the entire Qi Kingdom, Jiang Sheng was the only one to reach the Purple Mansion at such a young age.

"Master, you have finally emerged from seclusion."

"Your disciple congratulates Master on opening his Purple Mansion and attaining a five-hundred-year lifespan."

As he spoke, Tian Ming'an performed a formal bow to Jiang Sheng.

Jiang Sheng waved him off. "Forget it. It is not as if the Great Dao of the Golden Core is within reach. What is there to celebrate about the Purple Mansion realm?"

Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion.

Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Severing.

The Purple Mansion realm, in the end, was merely a precursor to the Golden Core; in reality, one had not yet even stepped onto the Great Dao. In Jiang Sheng's heart, there was truly nothing to be joyful about.

Tossing a jade bottle to Tian Ming'an, Jiang Sheng said, "This bottle of Green Lotus Pills is for you. Use them after you reach Foundation Establishment. Keep them safe."

Tian Ming'an hurriedly stowed the jade bottle and bowed again. "Thank you, Master."

"There is no need for such formalities. Just focus on your cultivation. I have some insights I must go and verify."

With that, Jiang Sheng opened a gap in the Flowing Light Jade Water Array and flew directly toward the direction of the Taiping River.

Now that he had ascended to the Purple Mansion, Jiang Sheng's speed had increased further; it took very little time to travel from Qingxuan Temple to the Taiping River.

Arriving above the Taiping River, Jiang Sheng slowly closed his eyes as he looked down at the surging waters below.

From the moment he had knocked upon the Heavenly Gate and successfully connected his spinal Great Dragon to open his Purple Mansion, he had instinctively comprehended the prototype of a divine ability.

Now that he had stabilized his cultivation realm, he could finally come to test it.

With a movement of Jiang Sheng's finger, spiritual energy surged out, condensing beside him into a water sword three feet and six inches long.

The water sword mimicked the shape of the Green Ping Sword, but it was composed of pure spiritual energy, making it appear exceptionally translucent.

Jiang Sheng lightly gripped the water sword. As he swung it, the Taiping River below seemed to be split by an invisible force, creating a trench.

The waters on both sides churned continuously, while the middle revealed the silt and fish of the riverbed.

A single sword strike to split the river?

Jiang Sheng activated the water sword again. The sword transformed into a point of spiritual light and shot out, covering a thousand feet in an instant before swirling back.

With a shake of the blade, it split into three more sword lights. Four sword shadows entwined and spiraled through the air.

Sometimes they lingered by Jiang Sheng's side, and sometimes they stood apart in four directions, forming a sword array.

Jiang Sheng gradually reached an understanding: "Nothing in the world is weaker than water, yet nothing can overcome it when it strikes with force. Thus it is said, 'Highest good is like water.'"

"This is the Sword of Like Water, also known as the Like Water Sword Array."

This sword was currently only a prototype of a divine ability; it would only fully coalesce once Jiang Sheng achieved the Golden Core.

However, this prototype was already sufficient to serve as one of Jiang Sheng's trump cards.

Feeling the spiritual energy in his body once more, Jiang Sheng looked toward the direction of the Dongjun prefectural city. "That Golden Core River God is currently in the Taiping River outside the city."

"I cannot wait for the enemy to come knocking at my door. I should strike first."

Having made up his mind, Jiang Sheng retracted the Like Water Sword and turned to fly back to Qingping Mountain.

It was not until a full quarter of an hour after Jiang Sheng had left that the churning waters of the Taiping River subsided, re-covering the exposed riverbed.

Returning to Qingxuan Temple on Qingping Mountain, Jiang Sheng said to Tian Ming'an, "I have decided to strike first."

"Therefore, I plan to visit the Cha family of the Purple Mansion in the prefectural city to seek information and uncover the true nature of that River God."

"Disciple, are you willing to accompany me to see?"

Tian Ming'an was stunned for a moment, then said with joy

"Your disciple is naturally willing to go!"