Since the dawn of the Star Source Era, the breakthrough from Tier 3 Star Emissary to Tier 4 Calamity has always been an insurmountable chasm lying before countless powerhouses.
The difficulty of the Calamity-level breakthrough is twofold.
Firstly, in the acquisition of the 'Calamity Origin'.
This energy core, containing fragments of rules, often requires delving into the heart of the most dangerous Fallen Zones and hunting a Calamity-level Star Beast to obtain.
In the early Star Source Era, this process might also involve deadly duels with other Star Emissaries, making it fraught with peril.
Yet, even if this problem is overcome, and this threshold is crossed, a cruel and invisible 'threshold' still remains in the subsequent breakthrough.
In Tendo's own words, this 'threshold' is the minimum 'basic attribute' required for a Calamity-level breakthrough.
If the Star Emissary's body is likened to a container, then a Tier 3 Star Emissary's container is an iron bucket, while a Calamity-level Star Emissary's body must be a specialized alloy chamber capable of withstanding a nuclear reaction.
And why is a Calamity a Calamity?
Why does a Calamity possess such immense destructive power?
The answer to this question is actually not complicated: it is 'destructive power'.
A walking Calamity is by no means simply 'a bit stronger than a Tier 3 Star Emissary'.
Every breath they take might cause turbulence in the surrounding star energy.
Every step they take might crack the ground with spiderweb-like fissures.
This influence is sometimes explicit, such as the scorched and yellowed vegetation in the wake of a Fire-element Calamity.
Other times, it is implicit, unnoticed even by the Calamity themselves, such as the dangerously high humidity in areas where a Water-element Calamity resides long-term, causing metal to rust and walls to grow mold.
The Star Envoy Association's Calamity-level Star Emissary archive records the existence of one such being named the 'Plague Doctor'.
Initially, her Star Source was a mundane 'Virus Devourer', the effect of which was merely to absorb viruses within a certain range. Once the absorption limit was reached, she had to sleep for three days to recover.
In the early, war-torn, and plague-ridden years of the Star Source Era.
While this ability lacked combat effectiveness early on, it served as excellent medical support.
She used this ability to save tens of thousands of refugees at the edges of the Fallen Zones, earning her the title 'Walking Vaccine Repository'.
This simple good intention hidden in her heart drove the subsequent development of her 'Virus Devourer' Star Source to revolve around 'how to increase the virus absorption limit'.
Her goal was simple—she wanted to save more people.
Also, because of this simple good intention, she embarked on a unique path of self-improvement, becoming one of the first 'Calamities' within the Star Envoy Association.
In the chaotic early era of the Star Source Era, both Fallen Zones and ordinary cities were hotbeds for the rampant growth of viruses and bacteria.
Crucially, not every Star Emissary possessed a powerful physique; the bodies of Spirit-type and Trait-type Star Emissaries were often more fragile than those of ordinary people.
A seemingly ordinary flu or a minor wound infection could lead to their demise.
The myriad strange Star Beasts and the diverse, eerie environments of the Fallen Zones gave rise to many previously unseen 'viruses'.
Thus, in early Fallen Zone explorations, many Star Emissaries died not at the hands of Star Beasts or the zone's bizarre rules, but rather from a 'simple flu' or an 'ordinary minor injury'.
The Plague Doctor could do little about the latter, but the former was easy for her to treat; she could resolve it with a mere wave of her hand.
Therefore, to reduce the rate of unnatural deaths among the United Countries' Star Beast Elimination Corps, the predecessor of the Star Envoy Association—the United Countries' Star Beast Elimination Corps—recognized the 'Plague Doctor's' unique nature and poured massive resources into her.
They provided her with numerous genetic serums to strengthen her immune system, star energy crystals to enhance her physical toughness, and even custom-built a special 'virus isolation suit' for her.
After all, the essence of her 'Star Source: Virus Devourer' was to strengthen her immune system.
And the strength of her immune system was directly linked to her physical quality.
Under the full cultivation of the United Countries' Star Beast Elimination Corps, and thanks to the Plague Doctor's inherent 'kind nature'.
She followed the Corps deep into various Fallen Zones, devouring all kinds of viruses.
Her record shows that the Plague Doctor devoured the 'Black Death Virus' that turned entire cities into ghost towns, absorbed 'Radiation Bacteria' that could mutate Star Beasts, and even neutralized a Star Beast secretion known as the 'Poison of the Apocalypse'.
During this process, her Star Source continuously evolved from 'only being able to devour known viruses' to 'being able to analyze unknown viruses and generate antibodies'.
Simultaneously, her body, refined by countless viruses and serums, became tougher than specialized alloys, meeting the prerequisites for challenging the 'Calamity' level.
When she became one of the top powerhouses in the early Star Source Era, everyone believed she was only one step away from 'Calamity'.
But what no one knew was that the threshold of this step was far more difficult to cross than imagined.
The reason was that meeting the basic attributes, overflowing star energy value, and possessing the Calamity Origin were not the 'entirety' of a Calamity breakthrough.
One crucial but often overlooked condition was 'Self-Control'.
If a Calamity's body is a 'walking nuclear reactor', then 'self-control' is the 'safety valve' that controls this nuclear reactor.
Without sufficient self-control, even if one manages to complete the life leap, this uncontrollable power will not ultimately help you. Instead, like an exploded reactor, it will blow you to smithereens.
Therefore, for a long time in the early Star Source Era, the word 'Calamity' was not an 'honor' for Star Emissaries but a 'warning'.
A Fire-element Star Emissary, upon breaking through at the edge of a city, lost control, and the resulting flames burned through three shelters, leading to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
An Earth-element Star Emissary, upon advancing in a valley, triggered an earthquake that caused the entire mountain range to collapse, burying multiple Elimination Corps bases.
In those years, every 'failed Calamity breakthrough' was equivalent to an indiscriminate nuclear attack, causing immeasurable 'loss' to human society.
To overcome this, one required not only an iron will but also the talent to wield this power.
The former allowed one to maintain 'clarity' amidst the torrent of power; the latter allowed one to precisely 'control' every ounce of overflowing energy.
The combination of the two is what is known as 'Self-Control'.
Of course, there are exceptions to everything, as the world is short of nothing but lucky individuals.
Taking the 'Plague Doctor' as an example again.
Her breakthrough process was full of 'accidents' and 'luck'.
After her basic attributes and star energy value met the requirements, the Elimination Corps unexpectedly slew a 'Calamity-level Virus Star Beast'.
The corpse of this Star Beast continuously released lethal viruses, rendering dozens of miles of land barren within just three days.
To thoroughly purify the area, the Elimination Corps proposed a bold plan.
They decided to have the Plague Doctor gradually devour the viruses from the Star Beast's corpse, thereby slowly neutralizing this dangerous 'virus source' and purifying the environment into one suitable for human habitation.
The entire process lasted three years. After three years, the Plague Doctor not only successfully dealt with the corpse but also, unexpectedly yet reasonably, devoured the creature's 'Calamity Origin' during the process, thus meeting all the conditions for a Calamity breakthrough.
The high-level officials of the United Countries' Star Beast Elimination Corps conducted a complete and detailed review of this 'pleasant surprise'.
Upon reviewing the Plague Doctor's entire breakthrough process, they discovered that her breakthrough was full of various coincidences and luck, yet the process of the breakthrough was also incredibly 'scientific'.
The Plague Doctor's early virus absorption from the surrounding environment was merely intended to reduce the viral impact on the area and restore the original environment.
However, she was also, in a certain sense and subtly, allowing her body to adapt to this power bit by bit, progressing incrementally.
Throughout the entire process, the Plague Doctor was like drinking warm water, slowly adapting to the Virus Star Beast's energy and allowing her body to gradually accept the power of the Calamity Origin.
She ultimately completed the entire breakthrough, naturally and logically.
Had she been made to devour the entire Star Beast corpse all at once, the most likely result would have been the addition of another powerful 'virus infection source' to the area.
Afterward, the Plague Doctor not only successfully devoured all the Virus Star Beast's energy, eliminating the virus source,
but also underwent a qualitative change in her Star Source to 'Virus Control'.
A being that could both devour and manipulate viruses was a true Calamity-level powerhouse.
In their subsequent review report, the Elimination Corps wrote: 'The gradual adaptation process allowed her body and will to grow synchronously, ultimately leading to perfect mastery of the Calamity power.'
Inspired by this case, the Elimination Corps gradually developed a successful and highly scientific 'Calamity Breakthrough' process:
1.Screen potential Tier 3 Star Emissaries and focus resources on strengthening their basic attributes, building a 'container' capable of holding Calamity power.
2.Based on the Star Source's characteristics, have them gradually contact high-level energy, adapting to the impact of power exceeding their limits.
3.Finally, grant the Calamity Origin and complete the life leap under the Association's supervision and protection.
This process saved countless Star Emissaries and transformed "Calamity" from a nightmare into an honor.
However, this seemingly perfect process was completely inapplicable to Tendo.
Because his problem was never 'an insufficiently sturdy container'; the existence of the Stellar Eclipse Eye and Tendo Cells ensured his basic attributes far exceeded those of Star Emissaries at the same level.
Nor was it 'inability to find the Calamity Origin'; with his strength, delving into the core of a Fallen Zone to seize an Origin was not difficult.
It wasn't even 'insufficient self-control'; since obtaining his Star Source, he had never once lost control of his power.
His problem was that 'his container was too good'.
If others' breakthroughs were controlling an 'ordinary nuclear reactor'—even if the process was difficult, following the procedure offered a certain probability of mastery and stable operation.
Then Tendo's breakthrough was controlling a 'super-large fusion reactor'.
Because the upper limit of star energy his body could bear was too high.
So high that even if he just absorbed star energy step by step, his body would still reach an incredibly terrifying level of ability strength.
Attempting a breakthrough under such circumstances would not be a 'possible' loss of control but a 'certainty'.
Therefore, the conventional Calamity breakthrough was entirely unsuitable for Tendo; he had to find an alternative path.
Fortunately, in the history of the Star Envoy Association, there was exactly one person who encountered the same dilemma and ultimately succeeded in breaking through.
This person was none other than the President of the Star Envoy Association, the contemporary strongest Star Emissary, hailed as the strongest Star Emissary of the time—Enite.
The legend with the 'Gluttony' Star Source also once got stuck at the breakthrough threshold due to 'overly strong physical talent' in his youth.
No one knows exactly how he ultimately succeeded, only that on the day of his breakthrough, the entire Star Elimination Corps Headquarters' star energy fell into chaos, and the energy shock even punched a temporary hole in the atmosphere.
Initially, Tendo had no clue as to the answer to this problem.
But after two engagements with Enite, Tendo felt he was vaguely grasping the 'key' to Enite's successful breakthrough.
This 'key' lay in Enite's development of his 'Star Source: Gluttony'.
The reason conventional Calamity breakthroughs require a 'Calamity Origin' is that ordinary Star Emissaries cannot rely on themselves to achieve a 'qualitative change' in their 'Star Source' and must rely on external forces.
But Enite was different; his Star Source was unique, and Enite himself was unique.
If an ordinary person acquired this Star Source, they would surely focus the 'Gluttony' characteristic on the consumption of 'energy'.
But Enite was different; his understanding of the 'Gluttony' Star Source focused on the ethereal concept of 'Spiritual Sustenance'.
'The unknown and exploration' were the 'delicacies' he needed and the things he pursued.
This led to a very interesting phenomenon: in addition to his powerful physique, Enite's spirit was also powerful to an extent unimaginable by ordinary people.
Even without a corresponding Star Source, Enite could reach a level similar to a 'Spirit-type Star Emissary' just by relying on his basic 'Spiritual Force'.
It was just that he had long integrated this 'Spiritual Force' into his every word and action, leading outsiders to always believe Enite was purely a 'Warrior'.
This was something Tendo only discovered in their two encounters.
After all, the most powerful aspect of his 'Vector Control' was its ability to control all 'physical plane' and most 'energy plane' methods.
However, in the 'Spiritual Force plane', Tendo's 'Vector Control' actually had little effect.
And Enite's punches just happened to contain powerful 'Spiritual Force'.
Of course, rather than Spiritual Force, Tendo preferred to call it 'Intent'.
That is the so-called 'Fist Intent'.
Thus, Tendo felt he had found a way to achieve a Calamity breakthrough without needing the Calamity Origin.
That was to enhance his 'Spiritual Force attribute' as much as possible, surpassing his physical body's capabilities.
In other words, he needed to make his 'Will' powerful enough to influence 'Reality'.
To use Will... to replace the Calamity Origin!
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