Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 1004 A puppet of the realm of artistic conception, a good thing, I, Zhou, will gladly accept it!
"If you're not Brother Xiuyuan, then who are you?"

Lu Jiufang retreated several feet, his face grim as he demanded an explanation.

His body was surrounded by yellow spiritual light, and his aura was as deep as the sea, indicating that he was a cultivator at the late stage of the Nascent Soul stage!
He was completely different from his previous gentle and refined image.

As he spoke, he flashed away like a ghost, retreating swiftly out of the cave.

Its speed far surpasses that of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

Having failed in his first attack, Zhou Xun let out a soft sigh.

As expected, the cultivation world is full of hidden talents; those who can cultivate to the level of Nascent Soul are no ordinary people.

Moreover, Lu Jiufang, a naturally low-key and unassuming person, is even more unfathomable.

They often have unexpected trump cards up their sleeves.

However, Zhou Xun did not expect everything to go smoothly from the beginning.

Even with his late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation, and perhaps some hidden techniques, he considered it nothing more than a minor setback.

"Want to go?"

Zhou Xun snorted coldly and followed closely behind, his figure moving like lightning.

At the same time, a flash of light appeared in the storage pouch at his waist.

A long sword, crackling with purple lightning, shot out – it was the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword!
The sword flashed with lightning, accompanied by a deafening roar as it chased straight after the target.

Sensing the sharp sword intent and terrifying pressure behind him, Lu Jiufang's expression changed slightly.

Without turning his head, he swung his hand back.

A beam of light unfolded in the air, transforming into an earth-yellow talisman.

The runes on the surface of the talisman flowed, emanating a thick earth-attribute spiritual power.

"Om-"

The talisman exploded, transforming into a giant, illusory, earth-yellow tortoise.

The giant tortoise is enormous, with mysterious patterns engraved on its shell, exuding an aura of indestructibility.

"Ding--"

The Xuan Ting Thunder Sword struck the giant tortoise phantom, producing a deafening sound of metal clashing.

Lightning flashed and sword energy crisscrossed.

However, the giant tortoise phantom only swayed slightly, and actually blocked the sword steadily!
"Spirit Transformation Talisman?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Xun's eyes.

This talisman can conjure phantom images of demonic beasts, possessing some of the power of the original beast.

The giant, earth-yellow tortoise before us was clearly crafted from the essence of an earth-attribute demon beast renowned for its defensive capabilities.

Taking this opportunity, Lu Jiufang had already arrived outside the cave.

He hovered in mid-air, a yellowish-brown token appearing in his hand at some point.

The token's surface was engraved with complex array patterns, radiating powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

"start!"

Lu Jiufang gave a low shout and tossed the token into the air.

The token suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light.

"Om-"

The entire Tianyue Immortal City began to tremble violently.

The city walls, streets, and building surfaces all shone with an earthy yellow light.

These rays of light connected with each other, forming a huge light shield that enveloped the entire immortal city.

Inside the light shield, the scene suddenly changed.

The once bustling streets have disappeared, replaced by a yellowish-brown area.

The air was thick with earth-elemental spiritual energy, making one feel as if they were in a swamp.

"A fifth-tier peak city-protecting formation!"

Zhou Xun's expression remained unchanged.

He sensed that the surrounding space was sealed off, and even his escape techniques were greatly restricted.

This grand formation has clearly undergone special modifications, making it far more powerful than ordinary fifth-order formations.

Lu Jiufang stood in the center of the formation, his yellow spiritual light merging with the formation.

With the enhancement of the formation, his aura surged once again!
"No matter who you are, since you dare to cause trouble in Tianyue Immortal City, then stay here!"

Lu Jiufang's voice was icy, a stark contrast to his previous gentle demeanor.

He formed hand seals, and the great formation began to operate.

The ground shook violently, and countless boulders shot into the sky, transforming into eighteen enormous stone spears that hurtled towards Zhou Xun.

Runes flowed across the surface of these stone spears, and the power of each one was comparable to that of a cultivator in the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
Zhou Xun looked surprised.

Within the great formation, earth and rocks surged, and countless stone spears came crashing down from the sky.

Each stone spear contained terrifying power, its surface covered in flowing runes, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.

Such power would be overwhelming even for a peak Nascent Soul cultivator.

But for Zhou Xun now, it's something he can easily handle.

Then I saw him make a hand seal, and spiritual light flowed from his fingertips.

A purple lightning bolt appeared on his body and quickly spread throughout his entire body, crackling and popping.

Immediately afterward, he leaped lightly, his figure as swift as lightning, advancing instead of retreating, towards the oncoming stone spear.
He threw a punch right at it!

"boom!"

The fist collided with the stone spear, producing a deafening roar.

The power of a fifth-order physique was fully displayed at this moment.

The stone spear shattered with a crash, turning into countless flying fragments of stone.

Without stopping, Zhou Xun stepped onto another stone spear.

"Crack!"

The stone spear snapped in two.

He moved as if walking on flat ground, stepping on the dense array of stone spears, and quickly approached Lu Jiufang.

With each step taken, a stone spear shattered.

Pebbles fell like raindrops, stirring up clouds of dust within the great formation.

Even the peak Nascent Soul stage would be overwhelmed by such attacks, yet Zhou Xun dealt with them so easily!

Lu Jiufang was greatly shocked, and his pupils shrank sharply.

"How could there be such a brilliant and talented person in the world!"

He was shocked.

Zhou Xun's displayed strength had completely exceeded his expectations.

How could a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator possess such a terrifying physical body?

However, Lu Jiufang was a deep thinker and quickly suppressed his shock.

His mind raced as he watched the rapidly approaching figure, trying to devise a plan of action.

He flipped the token in his hand, and a beam of spiritual light shot out.

The array patterns in front of him spun, and earth-attribute spiritual energy gathered wildly.

"Om-"

A huge, semi-transparent earthen shield appeared out of thin air.

The shield was several feet thick, with mysterious runes flowing across its surface, exuding an aura of indestructibility.

This earthen shield was formed by a large array and has extremely strong defensive capabilities.

Zhou Xun punched the earthen shield.

"Boom!"

The dull thud echoed within the formation.

The earthen shield trembled violently, and fine cracks appeared on its surface, but it ultimately did not break.

The attack was briefly halted.

Taking this opportunity, Lu Jiufang quickly retreated, creating distance between himself and Zhou Xun.

His expression was solemn as he spoke in a deep voice:
"Your cultivation is at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and you also possess the fifth-order body refinement technique; you are certainly not an unknown individual."

The voice echoed within the formation, carrying a hint of probing.

"I, Lu Jiufang, believe that I have not offended you, so let's call it quits."

He paused and continued:
"My Lu family is willing to offer one hundred spirit crystals as an apology, what do you say?"

As he spoke, the token in his hand continued to glow, clearly indicating that he had not let his guard down.

This condition is extremely tempting for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

A hundred spirit crystals are enough to tempt even a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But Zhou Xun only sneered upon hearing this:
"One hundred spirit crystals? Fellow Daoist Lu underestimates me too much."

He charged forward again, lightning flashing everywhere:

"If I were to kill you, the reward would be far more than a hundred, perhaps even a thousand!"

"Now, take this!"

As he spoke, he channeled the Thunder Grass Sword Intent into it.

The Xuan Ting Thunder Sword had transformed into a streak of purple lightning, heading straight for Lu Jiufang's vitals.
They moved so fast that they were already right in front of him in an instant.

"not good!"

"This speed!"

Sensing the terrifying power contained within the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword, Lu Jiufang was greatly alarmed. Before the purple lightning even touched his body, the sharp sword intent already stung his skin.

In a flash, he activated the token, and the earthen-yellow stone tortoise suddenly crossed space and appeared in front of him.

This tortoise was crafted from the essence of a rare "Shield Earth Tortoise," renowned for its defensive capabilities. He obtained it from the ruins years ago.
It is one of the most important treasures in his possession.

This tortoise is virtually indestructible; unless its body is destroyed, it can regenerate itself even after its power is exhausted.

The tortoise shell is thick and heavy, with natural flowing patterns on its surface, exuding an aura of indestructibility.

Even a peak Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to break through its defenses in a short time with a full-force attack.

With the tortoise blocking his way, Lu Jiufang immediately felt much less pressure and felt somewhat at ease.

Quickly devise a way to break the deadlock.

The person before him was the strongest Nascent Soul cultivator he had ever seen in his life, with his terrifying physical body, sharp lightning techniques, and unfathomable sword intent.

Even Lu Chihong, who is known as the number one Nascent Soul cultivator in the clan, is probably not as good as him.

We must find a way to escape.

He thought to himself, the token in his hand glowing with spiritual light, preparing to use his escape technique.

However, the next moment, something unexpected happened!

A flash of purple lightning streaked past, moving at an extreme speed.

The stone tortoise didn't even have time to react before it was split in two in an instant!
"what!"

Lu Jiufang's pupils shrank sharply, and he was greatly alarmed.

He knew the stone tortoise's defensive capabilities all too well; how could it possibly be broken by a single blow?
But reality didn't allow him to think too much.

The purple lightning bolt continued its relentless advance and had already reached him.

Lu Jiufang retreated rapidly, simultaneously activating his protective spiritual light.

But it was too late.

He was enveloped in purple light, and his protective robes instantly lit up.

This robe is a mid-grade fifth-tier treasure, capable of withstanding a full-force attack from a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

However, it was as fragile as paper in front of the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword.

"Shoot-"

The robe shattered instantly, turning into countless fragments.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp sword intent pierced through his body.

Lu Jiufang felt a chill run through his body, and his physique was instantly divided into countless parts.

Consciousness rapidly faded, eventually plunging into complete darkness.

Seeing this, Zhou Xun breathed a sigh of relief.

We finally got rid of this troublesome opponent.

But just as he was about to collect his spoils, another unexpected event occurred!
Tens of thousands of feet away, a figure suddenly fell from the void.

It was Lu Jiufang!
At this moment, however, his face was ashen, and his aura had plummeted to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
His gaze toward Zhou Xun was filled with deep-seated hatred.

"The Substitute Robbery Technique?"

Zhou Xun was greatly surprised.

This secret technique is extremely rare, allowing one to use a special treasure or part of the body to withstand a fatal blow in place of the original body.

Even he didn't have such a life-saving secret technique.

This person's trump cards are truly endless!

Lu Jiufang glanced at Zhou Xun, then waved his hand.
A military token appeared in his hand, along with nine palm-sized soldier figures that floated in the air.
He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood essence, spraying it onto the military tally in his hand.

The essence and blood merged into the token, instantly unleashing a dazzling blood-red light.

"go with!"

With a low shout, nine terracotta warriors swiftly landed on the ground.
Each one transforms into a colossal warrior towering three thousand feet tall!
These warriors were clad in heavy bronze armor, their faces obscured by masks.

He held a huge halberd, its blade gleaming coldly.

Each warrior exuded an aura no less than that of the early Nascent Soul stage. What was even more terrifying was that they formed a mysterious formation among themselves.

The nine warriors' auras were connected, and the pressure they exuded faintly exceeded the Nascent Soul level!
"Boom-"

Just then, the sound of war drums suddenly rang out in the sky.

The sound was deep and resonant, as if it came from an ancient battlefield.

The nine warriors pressed down on Zhou Xun in perfect unison, their steps synchronized, and with each step they took, the entire formation trembled.

The halberd pointed at Zhou Xun, its sharp killing intent rushing towards him like a tangible force.

The overwhelming force of the army was terrifying.

This is one of Lu Jiufang's trump cards: war puppets, which can work together to perform battle formations.

"Well done!"

Zhou Xun was not surprised but delighted, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

These nine warriors, working together, were actually able to simulate a certain artistic conception. Although it was still very rough, it had already touched the edge of that artistic conception.

It's unclear where Lu Jiufang got so many treasures, including stone turtles and war puppets.

So Zhou Xun stopped holding back.

With a slight thought, seventy-two lightning seeds flew out from his dantian.

It rapidly dispersed in the air, completely enveloping the space within a radius of ten thousand feet.

The nine war puppets were naturally also in this lightning domain.

"Heavenly Tribulation Lightning!"

Zhou Xun gave a low shout and formed a hand seal.

He has cultivated this supernatural power to an extremely high level, and the true meaning of the tribulation lightning has even reached the second level.

It is one of his most powerful methods.

"Boom——"

Within the Thunder Domain, thick bolts of lightning descended from the sky.

These lightning bolts were not the usual purple, but rather an eerie white.

It was transformed from Yin Thunder!
The white lightning twisted and transformed in the air, eventually turning into solid chains that, like living things, coiled around the nine warriors.

Zhou Xun was extremely interested in these puppets that could express artistic conceptions.

Therefore, not wanting to damage it, they planned to capture it alive for research.

"You think a mere flash of lightning can break my battle formation?"

Lu Jiufang sneered, and his hand seals changed:
"Kill me!"

The nine warriors simultaneously raised their halberds, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they were a single entity.

Just as the halberd was raised, another unexpected event occurred!

A colossal phantom, eight thousand feet tall, slowly formed behind the battle formation.

The phantom was clad in armor, its face blurred, but the pressure it exuded was as real as a physical presence.

It held a phantom image of a ten-thousand-foot-long halberd in its hand, perfectly synchronized with the movements of the nine warriors.

"cut!"

With Lu Jiufang's command, the giant phantom swung its weapon fiercely.

The illusory halberd, carrying a power capable of tearing apart heaven and earth, slashed towards the lightning chains.

"Shoot-"

A flash of golden light, and the phantom of the halberd collided violently with the lightning chains.

A blinding burst of light erupted, making it impossible to look directly at it.

As the light faded, Zhou Xun was surprised to find—

A full third of the lightning chain was severed!

"artistic conception!"

Zhou Xun was greatly surprised to sense the power contained within the golden light.

This is clearly a manifestation of some kind of combat atmosphere!
Furthermore, having reached the first level of cultivation, relying solely on the Thunder Grass Sword Intent would likely be insufficient to defeat Lu Jiufang in a short period.
"But the fact that he was able to express such artistic conception is enough to show that he is extraordinary."

Zhou Xun grew even more fond of the puppet.

"Good stuff!"

Then, with a thought, the broken lightning chains reformed. White lightning flowed, and the breaks quickly healed.

In the blink of an eye, the chains were restored to their original state.

Its power is even greater than before!

"go with!"

Zhou Xun pointed his finger, and the chains coiled around him like serpents.

This time, the illusory halberd could no longer stop it.

The chains easily broke through the defenses, firmly binding the nine warriors.

"Yin Lei, explode!"

Zhou Xun activated the magic technique again.

A burst of white lightning erupted, transforming into countless fine electric snakes that burrowed into the warrior's body.
"Om-"

The connection between the nine warriors was suddenly severed, the light in their eyes gradually faded, and their movements became stiff.

A flash of light,
They were transformed back into nine palm-sized soldiers.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Xun immediately unleashed beams of spiritual light, completely sealing away these soldiers.

With a wave of his hand, he pocketed them all!

(End of this chapter)