Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 1016 Battle Against a Void Refiner!
Soon, half an hour passed.

Above the sea, Zhou Xun and Lu Chihong remained locked in a stalemate.

The giant lightning palm collided repeatedly with the wall of crimson flames, unleashing a deafening roar.

Purple lightning and crimson flames intertwined, illuminating the entire sky with flickering light and shadow.

At this moment, Lu Chihong gradually sensed that something was wrong.

Given the strength Zhou Xun just displayed, he could have killed Lu Yuanjing with a single blow. Why is he now locked in a prolonged battle with him?
This is definitely not Zhou Xun's true strength!

A sudden, terrifying possibility flashed through his mind.

"You...you're waiting for the ancestor!"

Lu Chihong stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his voice filled with horror.

The person before me is so audacious!

Our ancestor was a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage!

He then let out a cold laugh, his tone laced with sarcasm:

"That's fine too. By then, you won't even know how you died!"

In his view, Zhou Xun's actions were tantamount to courting death.

The gap between the Void Refinement stage and the Divine Transformation stage is like an insurmountable chasm. No matter how strong Zhou Xun is, he could never be a match for a Void Refinement cultivator.

At that moment, Zhou Xun's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Finally, the main body has arrived as well."

He muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

As he finished speaking, a streak of azure light shot through the air from afar.

It moved extremely fast, arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye.

The light faded, revealing Zhou Xun's true form.

Standing side by side with his avatar, the two were connected by their auras, as if they were one.

"At that time, together with the Purple Jade Poison Toad, there will be three masters of the Intent Realm."

Zhou Xun's eyes burned with fierce determination, his fighting spirit soaring.

"Plus that sixth-grade low-level magic array."

"I'll test how much of a gap there is between my current strength and that of someone at the Void Refinement stage!"

……

The two continued to fight for half an hour, still without a clear victor.

Lightning and flames collided fiercely in the air, bursting forth with dazzling light.

The sea surface churned violently from the aftershocks of their fight, forming huge whirlpools.

Just then, a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy came from afar.

This wave was as vast as the sea and as deep as an abyss, as if the entire world was trembling.

Although no one could be seen yet, the chilling pressure had already enveloped the entire sea area.

"finally come!"

Zhou Xun's expression was inscrutable, but a hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes.

This is a Void Refinement cultivator, a true pinnacle of the cultivation world.

A strange excitement welled up inside him; he wanted to personally assess the strength of a Void Refinement cultivator.

"finally come!"

At the same time, Lu Chihong was overjoyed, and his face showed a look of ecstasy.

His gaze toward Zhou Xun was filled with mockery and sneer, as if he were looking at a dead man.

"Arrogant brat, how dare you wait for your ancestor here? You're truly courting death!"

"Wait a minute, even if you kneel down and beg for mercy, the Ancestor will never give you any chance!"

He could almost see Zhou Xun wailing and begging for mercy at the hands of the patriarch, and he felt immense pleasure.

Zhou Xun observed the changes in Lu Chihong's expression and knew exactly what he was thinking.

He chuckled softly and shook his head:

"You won't have the chance to see what happens next!"

Before he finished speaking, with a thought, the giant lightning palm instantly changed shape.

The seventy-two lightning seeds, as if they possessed life, quickly dispersed and spread throughout the entire sky.

"Om-"

The lightning bolts interact with each other, forming a huge lightning network.

In the blink of an eye, tens of thousands of feet of space were transformed into a hell of lightning!
Purple lightning surged and flashes of thunder illuminated the entire sea in a purple hue.

Lu Chihong felt a blur before his eyes, and then he found himself in a world filled with lightning all around him.

"what is this?"

He looked around in terror, feeling the terrifying power of thunder all around him.

This is naturally Zhou Xun's Purple Heaven True Thunder Formation!

"Heavenly Tribulation Lightning!"

Zhou Xun let out a soft shout, his voice echoing like thunder in the Thunder Prison.

"Boom——!"

A sudden explosion rang out in the sky, and layers of ominous clouds gathered.

The once clear sky instantly darkened, thick, dark clouds resembling ink, within which lightning snakes danced wildly and thunder dragons surged.

Thick bolts of lightning streaked through the clouds, exuding an aura of destructive power.

The spiritual energy within the entire Thunder Prison became incredibly violent.

Lu Chihong was terrified, feeling as if the entire world was pressing down on him.

This terrifying power was several times more terrifying than the tribulation he faced when he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage!
"How can it be"

He muttered, disbelief written all over his face.

"Die!"

Zhou Xun's cold voice rang out.

A bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket descended from the sky, carrying the power to tear the heavens and earth apart, and struck Lu Chihong directly!
"I refuse to believe that what can a lightning cultivator like you do with the lightning you summon!"

Lu Chihong gritted his teeth and roared, his hands forming a hand seal as he pointed towards the sky.

A thousand-foot-long fire dragon soared into the sky, its body crimson and its scales clearly visible.

The essence of fire was infused into it, giving the fire dragon a sense of life and making it radiate a scorching aura.

The fire dragon and the lightning collided violently!
"laugh--!"

The fire dragon was like paper before the tribulation lightning, instantly torn apart into countless fragments of firelight, which transformed into streaks of spiritual light.

Dissipated in the air
But the tribulation lightning seemed to have no effect whatsoever, and its momentum continued unabated as it struck Lu Chihong!
"How can it be!"

Lu Chihong couldn't believe his eyes.

His attack, imbued with his inner energy, was so easily shattered. How could a Nascent Soul cultivator possess such divine power!
At that moment, a strange thought arose in his mind.

Perhaps, this person does indeed possess a sliver of strength to fight against someone at the Void Refinement stage.

This thought only lasted a moment.
Faced with such a tribulation lightning, in a critical moment, he hurriedly took out a crimson fire shield.

The fire shield grew as it faced the wind, transforming into a giant shield of light that protected him within.

This is his defensive magical artifact—the Fire Dragon Shield!

The surface runes flowed, emitting a powerful defensive aura.

But the next moment-

"Crack!"

Under the bombardment of the tribulation lightning, the fire dragon shield shattered instantly, turning into countless fragments and was thus destroyed!
Then,

The residual force of the tribulation lightning struck Lu Chihong, blasting him away.

"puff--"

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body was charred black, and he was clearly seriously injured.

If his body refinement cultivation hadn't reached the fifth level, that attack would probably have taken his life.

"The power of that single strike is terrifying."

Lu Chihong struggled to his feet, his eyes filled with horror.

"How is that possible? How can someone at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm possess such power?"

He couldn't accept this fact.

How could someone at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, who had even comprehended the essence of fire, not even withstand a single blow from his opponent?
"I don't believe it! I am a master of the Intent Realm, a future Void Refinement cultivator, how could you possibly be so powerful?"

Before he could finish speaking, the second bolt of lightning struck!
This lightning bolt was much thicker than before, and it contained terrifying true meaning of tribulation lightning.

"boom--!"

The lightning struck Lu Chihong precisely.

"Fuck!"

He was enveloped in a violent burst of lightning.

The true meaning of the tribulation lightning relentlessly damaged his physical body, soul, and nascent soul, destroying all his vitality. The light in Lu Chihong's eyes quickly dimmed, and he finally collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

A cultivator at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage has perished!

As he died, the tribulation clouds in the sky slowly dissipated, and the Thunder Prison gradually disappeared.

The blue sky reappeared, and the sea returned to calm.

Only Lu Chihong's storage ring and the fire seal remained suspended in the air.

Zhou Xun reached out and put the two items into his storage bag.

The whole process was clean and efficient, taking only a few breaths.

……

Lu Xinghe was greatly excited when he received the message from the Mother-Child Thousand Spirit Pendant.

"Finally found you, Zhou Xun!"

His eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he immediately activated his escape technique with all his might.

How astonishing is the escape speed of a Void Refinement cultivator?
His figure transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky. Wherever he passed, the clouds retreated, and the sea was carved with deep trenches by the sharp air currents.

In just over an hour, he arrived within a thousand miles of Zhou Xun.

From afar, one could almost sense the vibrant red and purple light vying for attention.

The red light was as fiery as lava, and the purple light was as violent as thunder. The two lights collided fiercely in the air, bursting out with dazzling brilliance.

"Finally caught up!"

Lu Xinghe was overjoyed and increased his speed by another three points.

"Zhou Xun, today is your death day!"

"Finally, a great enemy has been eliminated for the Lu family!"

He could almost see Zhou Xun wailing and begging for mercy under his own hands.

However, the next moment, something unexpected happened!

The purple aura in the distance suddenly erupted, like a flood bursting its banks, instantly engulfing the red aura completely.

The entire sky seemed to have been cleaved apart, transforming into a pure purple world.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening roar resounded, and even from thousands of miles away, one could still feel the terrifying power contained within it.

Lightning raged and electric snakes danced wildly, turning that sea area into a complete hell of lightning.

"not good!"

Lu Xinghe's expression changed drastically. He activated his spiritual power, increasing his speed by several tens of percent. He could arrive in just a few breaths.
"Chi Hong, hold on, the Ancestor is here!"

However, just as he approached within a hundred miles,

The lightning suddenly dissipated, and the blue sky reappeared.
That familiar red aura was nowhere to be seen, and Lu Chihong's presence and voice were also gone.

"Chi Hong!"

Lu Xinghe's pupils shrank sharply, his anger reaching its peak.

How could he not understand? Just a moment ago, their Lu clan's future Void Refinement seed, Lu Chihong, on whom he had placed such high hopes—

He was killed right in front of him!

"what--!"

An angry roar echoed through the sky.

Lu Xinghe's eyes were bloodshot, and his aura surged violently.

The overwhelming pressure of the Void Refinement stage cultivator erupted, causing the entire sea area to tremble.

The sea surface churned violently, creating giant waves hundreds of feet high.

The clouds were dispersed by the violent aura, revealing the azure sky.

"I want you to die!"

He attacked in anger, striking with all his might!
The entire sea surface suddenly boiled, and countless drops of seawater shot into the sky.

It coalesced on the sea surface into a giant hand thousands of feet in size!
This giant hand is made entirely of seawater, yet it exudes a metallic luster. Runes flow across its surface, containing a terrifying power of artistic conception.

This perfectly captures the essence of water in Lu Xinghe's works!

The gigantic hand blotted out the sky and sun, and with a world-destroying force, it slammed down on Zhou Xun!

Wherever it passed, space cracked and shattered, emitting a piercing cracking sound.

Zhou Xun was prepared.

The moment the giant hand took shape, the main body formed hand seals, and a blue light flowed around its body.

"The essence of life, protected by ten thousand vines!"

With a low shout, countless emerald green vines appeared out of thin air.

Each vine was as thick as a child's arm, with mysterious runes flowing across its surface.

What's even more terrifying is that these long vines are imbued with the spirit of life, containing the characteristic of endless vitality.

The long vines quickly intertwined and combined, forming a huge rattan canopy in the air.

The rattan shield was thousands of feet thick, its surface shimmering with a bluish light, radiating a powerful life force.

At the same time, the avatar also went all out.

The chains of lightning stacked and quickly combined to form a giant shield of lightning.

The shield's surface was crackling with electric snakes and flashing with lightning, radiating a violent thunderous power.

With rattan shields in front and lightning shields behind, two layers of defense were ready to defend!

In the blink of an eye, the giant hand slammed down!
"boom--!"

A deafening roar echoed in all directions.

The giant hand first slammed down on the rattan shield.

The rattan shield trembled violently, its surface flashing with a blue light, and the long vines broke off one by one, but quickly regenerated.

The essence of life gives these vines an extremely strong ability to recover.

However, such recovery is ultimately limited in the face of a cultivator's furious attack.

In the blink of an eye, the rattan shield could no longer hold on and shattered, turning into a sky full of blue light and dissipating.

The giant hand continued its relentless assault on the lightning shield.

Electric snakes crackled wildly across the surface of the lightning shield, attempting to counteract the impact of the giant hand.

But how easy is it to withstand the resentful blow from a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage?

The lightning shield held out for a short time before it too shattered, turning into streaks of lightning and dissipating.

However, Zhou Xun's main body and avatar had already taken this opportunity to escape.

The two moved with lightning speed, instantly retreating tens of thousands of feet away.

The giant hand, still carrying its momentum, slammed heavily onto the sea.

"Boom——!"

The sea surface was slapped open, creating a depression thousands of feet in size.
It was hundreds of feet deep, and the surrounding seawater rushed in, forming a huge whirlpool.

The waves splashed high, and a torrential rain began.

This power is strange!
Zhou Xun hovered in mid-air, his brows furrowed, a hint of doubt rising in his heart.

Although the attack just now was powerful, it didn't seem to be as strong as he had expected.

Back in Tian Shu City, he once withstood a blow from Lu Xinghai.

At that time, with the help of a fifth-grade top-quality magic array and the terrifying power of self-destructing four spiritual treasures, he barely managed to block it.

It was a near-death experience, fraught with danger.

Although his cultivation has greatly improved, reaching the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, he now has the assistance of his physical body.

But how could a cultivator at the Void Refinement stage so easily withstand an attack fueled by anger?
According to his estimation, that attack just now should have cost him a considerable price.

However, the reality was that he and his avatar, working together, actually managed to consume most of the power of that attack!
"Even though Lu Xinghe's cultivation level is not as high as Lu Xinghai's, he is still a genuine Void Refinement cultivator."

Zhou Xun muttered to himself, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He was unaware that his actions on Xingyuan Island had caused Lu Xinghe to become consumed by rage and go mad.

Although Lu Xinghe forcibly suppressed the attack, he had already suffered a backlash from the Dao injury.

Now, he can only unleash 60% of his full strength!
This is why the power of that attack was far less than Zhou Xun had expected.

He carefully observed Lu Xinghe in the distance.

Although the opponent's aura was powerful, it was also slightly disordered.

"He's injured!"

Zhou Xun understood instantly.

"It seems that God is on my side!"

A glint flashed in Zhou Xun's eyes, and he immediately made a plan.

If Lu Xinghe were at his peak, he might have had to put in some effort.

But now that the opponent's strength has been greatly reduced, his chances of winning have increased significantly.

His original purpose was simply to assess the gap between himself and a Void Refinement cultivator.
Now, however, a sliver of an opportunity to hunt has arisen.
"In that case, don't blame me for being rude!"

(End of this chapter)