Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 1003 The Essence of Poison, A New Goal!
At this level,

It is equivalent to the peak of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, which is much higher than his current cultivation level.

The purple light on the toad's body gradually receded, and the golden patterns disappeared into its body.

It slowly opened its eyes, its pupils extremely bright and intelligent.

At the same time, a clear female voice rang in Zhou Xun's ear:

"Thank you, Master!"

Her voice was melodious and pleasant to listen to, with a touch of ethereal beauty.

Zhou Xun was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening:

"You...you can speak now?"

The Purple Jade Poison Toad nodded slightly and spoke in human language:

"Thanks to my master, my cultivation has recovered to most of its original level!"

It looked down at itself, its tone filled with joy:

"Now I am equivalent to the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, which is enough to help my master."

"very good!"

Now that your cultivation has recovered, I wonder how your strength has changed?

Zhou Xun stared intently at the Purple Jade Poison Toad, his tone filled with anticipation.

Upon hearing this, the poisonous toad lightly leaped and landed on Zhou Xun's shoulder. Its body shimmered with purple light, emanating a chilling aura.

"Ziyu has now recovered most of her cultivation."

It speaks human language, with a clear and melodious voice:
"I naturally know common wood-attribute magical abilities and spells."

As it spoke, it waved its little paw.

The surrounding flowers and plants suddenly grew wildly, forming a small grove in no time.

"But this is not what Ziyu is best at."

The poisonous toad spoke with a hint of pride:

“Ziyu’s forte is still the supernatural power of poison.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun immediately became interested:
"Oh? Tell me."

The poisonous toad explained:
"Ziyu can use many poison-based supernatural abilities, such as a 'poisonous mist' ability."

It opened its small mouth and exhaled a wisp of purple mist.

The wisp of mist spread rapidly, enveloping an area of ​​several feet in the surrounding area.

Zhou Xun keenly sensed that within this foggy area, the flow of spiritual energy had become sluggish.

"Once this poisonous fog space is activated, it can cover an area of ​​tens of thousands of feet or even more."

"Where the poisonous fog spreads, it will continuously erode the opponent's spiritual power."

"Those who remain within will automatically have their strength reduced by 50%!"

The poisonous toad spoke with confidence:

"Even cultivators at the Void Refinement stage will be significantly affected."

Hearing this, Zhou Xun was deeply moved:
“It’s truly extraordinary!”

It's simply a top-tier support ability.
Imagine suddenly unleashing a poisonous mist space while fighting a powerful enemy, causing the opponent's strength to drop by 50%. With this shift in power, the outcome of the battle is immediately decided!

Just then, the poisonous toad spoke again, its tone tinged with reminiscence:

"Besides, before entering the human realm, Ziyu's cultivation had already reached the peak of the fifth rank. I remember that I had successfully comprehended the intent back then!"

"artistic conception!"

Zhou Xun was greatly surprised and hurriedly asked:

What is the artistic conception?

The poisonous toad spoke with a hint of pride:

"The essence of poison!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun was first taken aback, then overjoyed.

Comprehending the essence of the concept means that the Poison Toad will definitely be able to advance to the Void Refinement stage in the future!

Moreover, even though it is only a mid-grade fifth rank now, its strength is no less than that of an ordinary peak fifth rank based on its poison intent.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xun immediately said:
"Alright, let's see how it's done, I want to experience it for myself!"

The poisonous toad nodded:
"Master, be careful."

Its body swirled with purple light, and a mysterious aura began to permeate the air.
In an instant, Zhou Xun felt as if he had fallen into some kind of invisible quagmire.

The surrounding air became thick, and each breath carried a faint, sweet, and fishy smell.

What alarmed him most was the change in the spiritual energy within his body—

The magical power that was originally as easy to use as an extension of one's own body now became dry and sluggish, as if it were bound by some invisible force.

With a thought, lightning flashed all over his body.

A blinding flash of electricity enveloped him, forming a solid lightning shield.

Strangely, even though the poisonous fog outside was kept out, the stagnation of spiritual energy within the body still persisted.

"This"

Zhou Xun was greatly surprised.

He tried to circulate the Purple Heaven Thunder Technique and found that the speed of the technique was nearly 30% slower than usual.

This means that when fighting against the poisonous toad, his casting speed and mana regeneration will be severely affected.

"It's really mysterious!"

Zhou Xun was not surprised but delighted, and a look of admiration flashed in his eyes.

Seeing this, the Purple Jade Poison Toad spoke up to explain:

“Master, my mastery of poison does not rely entirely on external poisonous fog.”

Its little paws twitched slightly, intensifying the stagnation within Zhou Xun's body.

"As long as you are within the range of the artistic conception, you will be affected."

"Only artistic conception can completely resist it; otherwise, it will definitely be affected."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun's mind stirred.

The true meaning of the tribulation lightning within his dantian slowly circulated, infusing the lightning around his body.

"Om-"

The originally bright purple lightning was now tinged with a faint golden hue.

As the true meaning of the tribulation lightning was injected, Zhou Xun was pleasantly surprised to find that the stagnation of spiritual energy in his body instantly disappeared!

The flow of magical power became smooth and unimpeded once again.

"It really works!"

He was secretly delighted, his understanding of the power of artistic conception had deepened.

Just then, the Purple Jade Poison Toad swung its claw.

Countless purple poisonous vines appeared out of thin air. These vines were as thick as a child's arm, covered with sharp thorns, and emitted a chilling poisonous gas.

The poisonous vines, as if alive, swept towards Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun dared not be negligent. Lightning flashed at his fingertips, transforming into several sharp sword beams that slashed towards the poisonous vine.

"Chichi-"

The lightning sword strike landed on the poisonous vines but did not sever them; the vines' resilience far exceeded his expectations.

Zhou Xun frowned slightly and urged more of his magic power.

The lightning sword's aura surged, its power increasing several times over.

However, the poison ivy remained unharmed and instead coiled around him at an even faster pace.

"It seems that I have no choice but to use artistic conception."

Zhou Xun held nothing back, unleashing the full power of the Tribulation Lightning!
"boom--"

Golden lightning shot into the sky, forcing back all the approaching poisonous vines.

The poison ivy was charred black, indicating that it had suffered considerable damage.

But soon, nourished by the essence of poison, these damages recovered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Poison Ivy swept in again, its attack even more ferocious than before.

Zhou Xun sensed the power contained within the poison vine and was secretly alarmed.

Without resorting to stronger measures, it will be difficult to win.

By this point, he had a clear understanding of the poisonous toad's strength.

"receive!"

Zhou Xun gave a soft shout, and the lightning around him subsided.

The poisonous toad understood and retracted the poisonous vine, jumping back onto his shoulder.

Zhou Xun was very satisfied with its strength.
Having this poisonous toad is equivalent to having an additional peak Nascent Soul cultivator in combat power.

For him, this was an absolute boost to his strength.

Suddenly, Zhou Xun remembered something and asked:
"By the way, I remember you have a venom that you've been accumulating for many years; that's your real trump card."

"How is the power now?"

Upon hearing this, Ziyu smiled smugly:
"That's a good question, Master."

Its small mouth was slightly open, and a wisp of deep purple poison gas swirled on the tip of its tongue.

"Now, as Zi Yu's cultivation level has improved, the toxicity of this venom has greatly increased."

"Based on Ziyu's previous experience, it is already sufficient to deal with ordinary early-stage Void Refinement cultivators."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun's eyes lit up:
"To what extent exactly can it be achieved?"

The poisonous toad spoke with certainty:

"Once hit, one will surely suffer severe injuries and have their soul corroded,"

It paused, then added: "It could even be life-threatening."

Hearing this, Zhou Xun was overjoyed.

With this trump card, he now had a fighting chance against cultivators at the Void Refinement stage.

But then he sighed.

"If only I could hit Lu Xinghe."

Zhou Xun muttered to himself:

"We might be able to seriously injure him, or even kill him."

But soon, he shook his head.

"But that's impossible."

Zhou Xun knew very well that with his current strength, it was impossible for him to provoke a cultivator at the peak of the early stage of the Void Refinement realm for no reason.

Not to mention finding an opportunity to poison him.

……

Tianyue Immortal City is one of the three immortal cities in the Lu Clan's territory.

The city wall is hundreds of feet high and is made entirely of white jade, which shines brightly in the sunlight.

The city's buildings are arranged in a well-organized manner, and the streets are bustling with people. Various flying boats and teleportation devices come and go in an endless stream, creating a prosperous scene.

The one in charge here is Lu Jiufang, one of the four mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators of the Lu clan.

This person is not considered famous among all the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Lu clan.

He is introverted and keeps a low profile, focusing on cultivation and rarely participating in activities such as exploring secret realms or hunting monsters.

He spends most of his time in seclusion in his cave, practicing asceticism.

Even when the Lu clan launched a major attack on the Que clan, he only stayed in the rear, responsible for logistical matters such as allocating supplies and arranging manpower.

Within the tribe, he was known for his steady and reliable conduct, and some even privately referred to him as "Turtle."

On this day, at the east gate of Tianyue Immortal City.

A group of guards stood watch at the city gate, looking rather bored.

The leader was a handsome young man, dressed in the Lu family's standard blue robe, with a long sword at his waist.

He is the captain of this guard squad, with a cultivation level of late-stage Core Formation.

"Lu Tou'er, I heard you've been given the opportunity to go to the ancestral land for further studies. At that time, I'm afraid we'll have to address you as True Lord!"

One of the guards complimented him with a face full of envy.

"Yes, don't forget about us then!"

The other guards also spoke up, their tone somewhat ingratiating.

The young man in the lead laughed and waved his hand:

"Of course I will not forget my brothers."

In the Lu Clan, 50% of the late-stage Core Formation cultivators who obtain this spot eventually succeed in forming their Nascent Soul.

Naturally, he believed he could do it too.

"I've heard that the ancestral land has a Nascent Soul Celestial Lord teaching there. What kind of person is that?"

Another guard spoke up with a sigh:
"If I could see the true face of the Heavenly Emperor, my life would be complete!"

Upon hearing this, everyone showed expressions of longing.

To these low-level cultivators, the Nascent Soul Celestial Lord was practically a legendary figure.

Just as everyone was chatting, a ray of light suddenly appeared in the distance.

They were moving at an incredible speed; at first glance, they were still on the horizon, but in the blink of an eye, they were already approaching the city gate.

at the same time,

A powerful pressure, as if it were a physical force, pressed down, and the cultivators at the city gate felt a sudden heaviness all over their bodies.

The guards with lower cultivation levels were so heavily pressed down that they couldn't straighten their backs, and their faces turned deathly pale.

"What kind of immense power is this?"

One of the guards struggled to guess:
"Could it be the late Nascent Soul stage?"

No, there's definitely more than that!

The youth team captain shook his head, his expression grave:
"I have seen many people at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but none of them are as good as this person."

He felt the chilling pressure emanating from the man, and his voice became tense:
"It's probably the Heavenly Lord of the Nascent Soul stage in person."

"What? The Heavenly Emperor!"

The guards all looked on with reverence.

But soon, they realized—

"Oh no! A Nascent Soul cultivator is attacking! Sound the alarm!"

Just as everyone was in a panic, a gentle voice echoed throughout the city:

"Don't worry, it's our Lu clan's transformed spirit."

As that voice rang out, the suffocating pressure dissipated like a spring breeze.

Everyone felt a sense of lightness throughout their bodies and breathed a sigh of relief.

The light dissipated, revealing a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a purple-gold robe.

The person who arrived was none other than Zhou Xun, who had transformed into "Lu Xiuyuan".

He stood with his hands behind his back in the air, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd below.

Although the oppressive aura had been restrained, its profound and awe-inspiring presence still commanded respect.

"Greetings, Lord Tian!"

The cultivators at the city gate bowed deeply, their voices filled with sincere respect.

Just then, a figure flew out of the city and landed in front of Zhou Xun.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man with an extraordinary bearing, handsome features, and a refined air about him.

It was Lu Jiufang, who was stationed in Tianyue Immortal City.

"I apologize for not greeting you properly, Brother Xiuyuan."

Lu Jiufang cupped his hands and smiled, his tone warm.

Zhou Xun glanced at Lu Jiufang and was surprised.

This person possessed a profound aura, having already reached the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and was only one step away from the late stage.

It seems this turtle incarnation is not as ordinary as rumored.

"Brother Jiufang, you're too kind."

Zhou Xun mimicked Lu Xiuyuan's tone and responded calmly.

Then, led by Lu Jiufang, they flew towards the cave dwelling in the city.

"I had heard that Brother Xiuyuan was in charge of inspecting various places, but I didn't expect him to arrive in my Tianyue Immortal City so soon."

Lu Jiufang said with a smile.

"It's just some tough work."

Lu Xiuyuan waved his hand, his tone tinged with helplessness:

"The ancestor has given the order, and we have no choice but to obey."

As the two were talking, they arrived at Lu Jiufang's cave dwelling, where the spiritual energy was abundant and the environment was serene.

The two took their seats in the reception room.

Lu Jiufang took out a set of white jade tea utensils and personally prepared the spiritual tea.

"Brother Xiuyuan, please."

Lu Jiufang pushed a cup of spiritual tea in front of Zhou Xun with a gentle smile on his face.

The tea soup is clear, with a light golden color and a spiritual aura on the surface.

Zhou Xun picked up his teacup and took a small sip.

The aroma of tea bursts in your mouth, and a warm current flows down your throat, leaving you feeling refreshed.

"Good tea."

Zhou Xun gave a compliment.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Zhou Xun got down to business:

“Brother Jiufang, the main reason I’ve come here is to inspect the various immortal cities.”

"I wonder if there has been anything unusual in Tianyue Immortal City lately?"

Lu Jiufang remained calm and slowly said:
"Thanks to the Ancestor's great blessings, everything in the Immortal City is well."

He gave a detailed account of how the immortal city operated, from trade to the lives of cultivators at the lower levels, leaving no detail untouched.

Finally, he took out an account book from his storage bag:
"This is the income and expenditure details of the Immortal City in recent years. Please take a look, Brother Xiuyuan."

Just as the two sides were about to approach—

Zhou Xun suddenly sprang into action!

His figure moved like lightning, instantly appearing in front of Lu Jiu.

With his right hand outstretched, streaks of lightning poured out, forming a vast net of thunder, ready to capture Lu Jiufang in one fell swoop.

This strike was as swift as lightning, and had been brewing for a long time.

With Zhou Xun's fifth-tier physique and mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, such a close-range surprise attack would be difficult for even a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator to dodge.
But the next moment, something unexpected happened!

"Om-"

A yellow light emanated from Lu Jiufang's body, quickly transforming into a solid light barrier that protected him.

The lightning struck the light screen, producing a deafening roar.

The light curtain trembled violently, but it never broke.

At the same time, a powerful aura poured out from Lu Jiufang.

He was actually at the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
(End of this chapter)