Three hundred years later, on this day, in the Crimson Cloud Cave of the Pine and Bamboo Ravine on Tianmu Mountain, a little fox was joyfully playing with the celestial mushrooms and spirit horses, their laughter echoing from time to time.

Suddenly, a loud thunderous roar erupted within the cave, followed by a surge of spiritual energy. The mist boiled, and fierce winds swept through, carrying sand and stones. The entire cave was illuminated by a purple and red light, casting a dramatic change over the surrounding landscape. The strange phenomena caused nearby birds and beasts to kneel and bow in the distance, their collective roars creating a startling scene.

The little green fox, the celestial mushrooms, and the spirit horses were all stunned by the sight. After a moment of mutual bewilderment, they pointed towards the direction of Qin Feng's meditation chamber, guessing that he must be the cause of this disturbance. Not daring to disturb him, they volunteered to form a patrol team, keeping watch around the cave to prevent any demons or ghosts from intruding and disrupting Qin Feng's cultivation.

At this moment, Qin Feng was fully focused on breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage, and he was already more than halfway there, which had triggered the celestial phenomena. However, as the saying goes, "The last ten miles of a hundred-mile journey are the hardest." This means that the closer one gets to the destination, the more difficult the journey becomes. The final stretch is often the most strenuous and challenging.

This saying perfectly described Qin Feng's current state. The Purple Gold Cauldron he had visualized within his body had exploded, and the autumn water, golden flowers, red lotuses, and mysterious pearls within the cauldron had all scattered, transforming into wisps of purple energy that filled his dantian sea. Gradually, this energy was forming a virtual Purple Mansion within his dantian. However, this virtual mansion was on the verge of collapse at any moment, threatening to undo all his efforts. Moreover, during this critical phase of advancement, his dantian sea had expanded more than tenfold, and the influx of spiritual energy was causing his true essence to fluctuate violently. A single misstep could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Thus, although Qin Feng seemed to be more than halfway to success in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage, the true hardships and dangers were just beginning. The celestial phenomena continued for several more days.

During this time, many cultivators came to spy on him. If Qin Feng hadn't lived in the Crimson Cloud Cave of the Pine and Bamboo Ravine for several hundred years, and if he hadn't set up numerous protective arrays inside and outside the cave, he wouldn't have been able to focus on breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage in peace.

Outside the Crimson Cloud Cave, a nervous cultivator asked Qin Feng's neighbor, Shen Wei, "Shen Daoyou, do you think this Qin Daoyou will succeed in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage?"

"It's hard to say," Shen Wei shook her head. "I've heard that people from small sects, limited by their cultivation techniques, find it extremely difficult to reach the Purple Mansion stage. A single mistake can lead to their bodies exploding. This Qin Daoyou clearly isn't from a major sect, so whether he can break through depends entirely on fate..."

"Sigh, I really hope he can successfully advance to the Purple Mansion stage. In recent years, the Shensha Sect led by the Longdi Demon has become increasingly powerful, leaving us with little room to survive. This Qin Daoyou is quite approachable. If he can break through to the Purple Mansion stage, he might be able to protect us from the Shensha Sect's threats!"

High above in the clouds, the Longdi Demon, whom Shen Wei and others had mentioned, had also heard the news and rushed over. He looked down at the Crimson Cloud Cave, deep in thought.

"Ancestor, this Qin fellow has repeatedly rejected our Shensha Sect's attempts to recruit him. He's truly detestable. Why don't we take this opportunity to interrupt his advancement and see if he dares to refuse us again in the future!"

If Qin Feng successfully advanced to the Purple Mansion stage, it would undoubtedly have a profound impact on the situation in Tianmu Mountain. Spanning over eight thousand miles, Tianmu Mountain was previously dominated by the True Demon Sect, which had a reclusive Void Refining cultivator. The rest of the area was divided and occupied by various Purple Mansion cultivators. If Qin Feng advanced to the Purple Mansion stage, he would inevitably take a share of the resources.

"It's too late to act now," the Longdi Demon said gravely. "The purple mist is already receding, and his momentum is set. It's impossible to interrupt him now. Moreover, the protective arrays he has set up are quite sophisticated and not easy to break through."

If the Longdi Demon had learned of Qin Feng's situation a few days earlier, he might have indeed tried to interrupt Qin Feng's advancement, as his disciple suggested. However, Qin Feng had been in seclusion for so long that even meeting him was difficult, and the Shensha Sect had gradually relaxed its surveillance of him. As a result, it was only after Qin Feng had been attempting to break through for several days that the Longdi Demon received the news and hurried over, only to find it was too late.

After a while, the Longdi Demon coldly said, "Let's continue to befriend him for now. If he doesn't know what's good for him, hmph, I've killed Purple Mansion cultivators before!" With that, he waved his sleeve and flew away.

Shortly after the Longdi Demon left, the purple and red lights in the sky suddenly dissipated, and peace returned to the surroundings of the Crimson Cloud Cave.

Inside the cave's meditation chamber, Qin Feng opened his eyes and let out a long roar, feeling a sense of relief as the accumulated pressure in his heart vanished. He felt an indescribable comfort throughout his body.

Purple Mansion stage!

After more than three thousand years of cultivation, he had finally succeeded in breaking through to the Purple Mansion stage, gaining an additional two thousand eight hundred years of lifespan! Moreover, after the Purple Mansion stage, the next stage was the Void Refining stage. In this world, Tribulation Crossing cultivators were almost never seen, and Body Unity cultivators were few and far between, each guarding their own territories and rarely venturing out.

(Note: The translation of certain terms like "紫府期" (Purple Mansion stage), "炼虚期" (Void Refining stage), "渡劫期" (Tribulation Crossing stage), and "合体期" (Body Unity stage) are based on common translations in the context of Chinese cultivation novels. These terms refer to different stages of cultivation in the fictional world.)