CHAPTER 338: BREAKING THROUGH

"A soul-split..." Orion murmured softly with wonder in his voice. He understood immediately the implications; the larger, more significant portion of his soul had been integrated with the World Tree, becoming an integral part of it.

Despite the monumental implications of this revelation, Orion shook his head decisively, reminding himself there was no time to ponder this mystery further.

Turning swiftly toward his Affinity Runes, his heart nearly leaped from excitement and anticipation as he saw them beginning to crack and fracture spontaneously under the immense pressure of the Pure Mana.

"Perfect timing!" Orion exclaimed joyously, immediately rushing forward toward his cracking Affinity Runes—Fire, Thunder, and Wood—each vibrating intensely, clearly approaching a crucial transformative juncture.

Seeing this golden opportunity, Orion swiftly reached out, actively guiding and accelerating the destructive energies surrounding his runes.

He decisively shattered the existing rune structures, allowing the fragmented remnants to dissolve entirely into sparkling motes of elemental essence.

He quickly drew from his profound knowledge of runes, immediately visualizing far more intricate and powerful structures.

With focus, Orion began reforging each Affinity Rune, carefully incorporating twelve Primary Runes into every element, surpassing his previous nine-rune constructions significantly.

His hands and spiritual consciousness moved seamlessly, each rune precisely carved and integrated into new and superior runic matrices.

First came Fire, blazing brightly as it resonated fiercely with Orion’s Fire Dragon Emperor heritage. Next, Thunder crackled magnificently, radiating explosive power and majestic presence. Lastly, Wood emerged with graceful elegance, pulsating gently with life and profound vitality.

As each new Affinity Rune took shape, Orion’s excitement continued to soar. "Twelve Primary Runes each... this will be quite something," he whispered, eyes glinting with anticipation.

The upgraded runes pulsed powerfully, significantly elevating the stability, capacity, and output potential of his elemental abilities.

The abundant Pure Mana, still radiating outward from the World Tree Seedling, quickly stabilized the newly forged runes, swiftly harmonizing them within his Sea of Consciousness.

Orion felt a tremendous surge of strength and clarity flood his spiritual form, the foundations for his next breakthrough rapidly solidifying.

"This is it!" Orion declared, his voice strong and resolute. He quickly shifted his focus toward breaking through to the Fourth Level in his Mana Cultivation, immediately channeling the abundant Pure Mana into his expanding Mana Channels.

His entire Sea of Consciousness resonated powerfully, the environment stabilizing beautifully around him.

Orion’s mental focus sharpened immensely, his spiritual senses carefully guiding each strand of mana along precise pathways, expanding and reinforcing his Mana Channels systematically.

Lumi’s voice rang softly, filled with encouragement, [You’re almost there, Master! The Fourth Level is within reach! (๑˃ᴗ˂̵)و]

Orion smiled fiercely, his spiritual form blazing brilliantly. "Then let’s complete this step fully!"

With his Mana Channels rapidly solidifying and expanding under the nourishment of the Pure Mana, Orion felt the barrier separating him from the Fourth Level thinning rapidly.

His consciousness surged forward decisively, shattering through the final wall with a resounding spiritual impact that reverberated throughout his Sea of Consciousness.

Orion felt the barrier shatter beneath the focused pressure of his consciousness, a resounding pulse echoing powerfully throughout his Sea of Consciousness.

An overwhelming surge of joy and triumph filled him as the SoC began rapidly expanding. The top stretched infinitely higher, and the boundaries widened dramatically, doubling the previous size in mere moments.

His Sea of Consciousness was now an expansive realm, stretching further than ever before. The vibrant energies of the World Tree Seedling resonated harmoniously with this expansion, sending ripples of calming, nourishing energy throughout the entire expanse.

Orion sensed his spiritual perception sharpening tremendously, every detail within his internal world becoming clearer, more vivid, more tangible.

Yet, before he could fully relish the breakthrough into the Fourth Level, he felt another profound shift.

A powerful surge of Pure Mana from the World Tree Seedling began flowing through his expanding Mana Channels, reinforcing and widening them with majestic ease.

Orion’s excitement soared further as nine new Mana Channels swiftly blossomed open, seamlessly integrating with the existing twenty-seven, raising the total to thirty-six.

"Incredible..." Orion murmured, marveling at the seamless ease with which this usually strenuous process occurred. "The Pure Mana makes it feel effortless."

Just as he thought the process would stabilize, the Pure Mana surged again, an unstoppable wave of vitality pushing his cultivation further. Orion’s heart raced with exhilaration, his smile widening with eagerness and determination.

"It’s still going!" Orion exclaimed joyously, his voice resonating throughout his inner realm. "Lumi, this breakthrough is beyond extraordinary!"

[Indeed, Master!] Lumi’s voice was jubilant, filled with happiness and admiration. [Your foundation is strengthening at an unprecedented rate!]

Once more, Orion guided the surging mana, channeling it meticulously through every Mana Channel, feeling them rapidly solidify and expand further.

His Sea of Consciousness surged again, doubling once more in size. Another set of nine Mana Channels blossomed open effortlessly, swelling the total count to forty-five.

With each additional breakthrough, Orion’s connection to mana deepened profoundly. He could sense his mana capacity increasing dramatically, each channel pulsing powerfully, resonating harmoniously with the surrounding Pure Mana.

The Mana Channels felt robust, stable, and exceptionally refined, an unshakeable foundation built swiftly yet perfectly.

Excitement surged within Orion as he realized the breakthrough was not yet complete. The majestic flow of Pure Mana showed no signs of diminishing, its unstoppable momentum continuing to propel him forward.

"Let’s go further!" Orion called out passionately, embracing the relentless tide of energy eagerly. He felt the barriers to the Fifth Level effortlessly crumble beneath his focused determination.

Another powerful pulse echoed through his Sea of Consciousness, doubling its vast expanse yet again.

Simultaneously, another wave of mana surged through his physical and spiritual forms, opening yet another set of nine Mana Channels, elevating his total to fifty-four.

Orion’s spiritual form radiated with profound brilliance, his presence exuding a sense of unmatched power and stability.

"Peak Tier 6," Orion whispered, his voice vibrating with excitement. "Fifty-four Mana Channels... My cultivation has advanced beyond what I expected during this training session. I really caught up with the others in mere hours."

Lumi’s voice echoed softly, filled with warmth and pride,

[Master, your foundation is also exceptionally stable due to the World Tree Sapling. You directly reached the peak of Tier 6. Now you only need a little more accumulation to break through to the next level. (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ]

"Indeed," Orion agreed with quiet amazement, his heart brimming with anticipation for the future. "With this foundation, breaking through to Tier 7 in the future will be within reach."

He got quiet as he floated within his vastly expanded Sea of Consciousness, its magnificent expanse glowing with vibrant hues and pulsing gently with Pure Mana.

His spiritual figure hovered peacefully at the center, his expression one of satisfaction and excitement at the enormous breakthrough he’d just achieved.

Taking a slow, deliberate breath to steady himself, Orion’s eyes flickered with determination. "Now," he murmured calmly to himself, his voice echoing gently across the limitless expanse, "I should upgrade my spells and form the Blood Affinity Rune as well."

He turned his attention toward a distant corner of his Sea of Consciousness, where clusters of luminous Affinity Orbs hovered quietly, each glowing with distinct elemental hues that matched the elements he had affinity with.

Among them was a unique orb that pulsed rhythmically with an eerie yet captivating scarlet light—the Blood Affinity Orb.