Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 900 Xuan Kong Tianjun, Sixth-Order Array Dao Inheritance!
The human realm, the South China Sea.

A streak of azure light streaked across the sea surface, heading towards the depths of the ocean.

This person then searched for the true form.
Previously, Zhou Xun had studied the 'Nine Palaces Profound Origin Array' and initially made considerable progress, but later on...

It's like looking at flowers through a fog; it's hard to understand.

This is all because Zhou Xun's mastery of formations is still insufficient, barely reaching the upper-grade fourth rank.

To continue improving, the only way is to find a fifth-order formation to inherit.

His first thought was of the Celestial Star Relics Palace located in the South China Sea.
Its original owner was a powerful figure named Xuan Kong Tian Jun, who created this small world using his legendary array formation techniques.
At the same time, he left his array formation legacy there.

Unfortunately, Zhou Xun was too weak back then, and his mastery of formations was not high enough, so he was unable to break through the restrictions set up by Xuan Kong Tianjun.

Unable to obtain its inheritance,
Now that he possesses the knowledge of a Nascent Soul cultivator, coupled with his mastery of fourth-tier high-grade formations, he has met the requirements to pass the test.
That's why we had to give it a try!
Previously, his knowledge was limited, but now that he has obtained this Nine Palaces Profound Origin Array,

Only then did they realize just how extraordinary the 'Yin Yang Xuan Kong Grand Array' outside the small world truly was.

From his current perspective, it is at least a mid-grade fifth rank, and possibly even a high-grade fifth rank.

If this formation can be moved and dismantled to the Lake of Oblivion, even if the real Ghost Emperor Tiyu comes to kill us, we will be safe and sound!
A streak of azure light pierced the sky as Zhou Xun looked down at the azure sea below, his heart filled with countless emotions.

"After many years, I'm finally back."

Back then, he was only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, and he found this place by relying on divination.

Now, revisiting this place, his cultivation has reached the Nascent Soul stage, and he also possesses mastery of fourth-tier superior formations. He is no longer the ignorant fool he once was.

With a single thought, the speed of escape increases dramatically.

Half a day later, a hazy mist appeared on the distant sea, shimmering with iridescent colors under the sunlight.

"Yin Yang Xuan Kong Grand Formation!"

Zhou Xun's eyes shimmered with golden light, and he fully activated his Spirit Rhinoceros Azure Light Eyes.

The mist gradually disintegrated in his eyes, transforming into countless mysterious runes that intertwined to form a massive, all-encompassing net.

"Indeed exquisite!"

He took out the ancient token, the spatial hub he had obtained from the Tianxing Ruins years ago.

As the magic power was injected, the token immediately shone brightly with a blue light, and the mist in front of it automatically parted to create a passage.

The moment he stepped inside, Zhou Xun felt dizzy and disoriented.

Once they had steadied themselves, they were greeted by a lush island, its outer perimeter enveloped by a light curtain resembling an inverted glass bowl.

Zhou Xun gently stroked the light screen, feeling the surging spiritual power within it. He had gone to great lengths to break through the gap back then, but now, this formation held no secrets for him.

Now he knows that the fourth-tier top-grade formation inside was clearly set up by the Heavenly Star True Monarch back then.

Passing through the light curtain, a rich spiritual energy rushed towards me. The island was lush with vegetation and the spring water gurgled, just as I remembered.

The white jade palace in the center still stands, but the protective barrier around the palace gates has been destroyed—a deed done by the Primordial True Lord back then.

"Let's go to the core area first."

Zhou Xun flashed and arrived deep within the island. Here, the mountains were steep, and a massive bronze door was embedded in the cliff face, its surface covered with mysterious patterns.

"A fifth-order restriction!"

His pupils contracted slightly. Back then, his cultivation was insufficient, and he couldn't see the mystery of this gate at all. Now, under his spiritual eyes, those patterns seemed to move like living things, and each trajectory secretly conformed to the laws of space.

He took out the token and affixed it to the door. The bronze gate emitted a deep rumble and slowly opened.

An aura of vicissitudes surged out, and Zhou Xun suddenly felt a weight around him, his cultivation being suppressed to the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
Stepping inside, a bright and open space suddenly opened up before me.
This is a world unto itself!
Above, the Milky Way glitters; below, the sea of ​​clouds churns. Nine floating jade platforms are arranged in a ring, each with a dazzling crystal suspended on it, connected by chains of light to form a mysterious array.

"Nine Luminaries Star Pivot Formation!"

Zhou Xun blurted out that this formation was recorded in "The True Explanation of the Heavenly Star Formation," and that it was created by an ancient great being who observed the stars in the heavens and had the power to shift the universe.

This technique of nesting formations within formations is truly miraculous!

In the very center, a white jade stele stands majestically, inscribed with the two ancient characters "Xuan Kong". The brushstrokes are sharp as swords, subtly conveying a sense of cleaving through the void.

"The Test of Succession"

Zhou Xun took a deep breath and walked towards the stone tablet. He had only taken three steps when the inscription suddenly shone with a blinding silver light, the nine jade platforms trembled simultaneously, and the crystals burst forth with dazzling brilliance!
"Om-"

The void twisted, and the scene before Zhou Xun's eyes changed abruptly. He seemed to be in a vast starry sky, with stars flowing around him and a slowly rotating array beneath his feet.

"The first challenge is astrological analysis."

An aged voice echoed in the void. Zhou Xun focused his gaze and saw that the trajectories of the stars were chaotic and disordered, but if observed with the eye of the Dao of Arrays, one could discover the hidden patterns within them.

He formed hand seals, and his natal blue lotus flew out, hovering in front of him.
The array patterns began to evolve.
Echoing the trajectories of stars in the sky, however, just as he was about to deduce the correct star trajectory, the entire starry sky suddenly distorted!

"Um?!"

The stars, which were originally fixed in place, began to move on their own, their trajectories changing rapidly, as if controlled by some kind of will.

Even more terrifying, the array patterns he had just deduced were swallowed up by the starry sky, turning into chains that wrapped around his divine consciousness in reverse!
"A backlash formation?"

Zhou Xun was shocked and immediately severed his connection with Qinglian, but he was still forced back three steps by an invisible force, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

This formation actually incorporates a counter-attack mechanism to prevent it from being broken; such a change was truly unprecedented for him.

"I see... Xuan Kong Tianjun not only tests deductive reasoning ability, but also the adaptability of the one who breaks the formation!"

He took a deep breath, no longer in a hurry to decipher the mystery, but instead sat cross-legged in the void, using his divine sense as a guide to slowly outline a "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Tu" (a diagram of the celestial constellations).

This method does not involve forcibly breaking the formation, but rather adapting to the changes in the stars and searching for the eternal and unchanging "array pivot".

A month later, the starry sky finally stabilized, all the stars returned to their positions, transforming into a dazzling galaxy that manifested itself on the natal blue lotus.
"Now! Break through!"

With a soft shout, several beams of spiritual light shot out from the green lotus and struck a certain spot in the starry sky.

The starry sky shattered like a mirror, and Zhou Xun returned to the Jade Platform Space. The first crystal had turned from red to blue.

"The second challenge is the Void Restriction."

Nine jade platforms simultaneously emitted beams of light, weaving together to form a sky-covering net of light. Zhou Xun recognized this as the "Heavenly Net Restriction," requiring the simultaneous breaking of all nine nodes; otherwise, the restriction would continuously regenerate.

He summoned his natal Azure Lotus and struck it with his finger.
The blue lotus suddenly multiplied, one becoming nine.
Each of the nine natal blue lotuses locked onto a node to suppress the jade platform. However, the net of light suddenly reversed!

"Oh no! This is the 'Rebellious Heavenly Net'!"

The nine clones were instantly suppressed by the restriction, and Zhou Xun's main body was also affected, his spiritual power sinking into a quagmire.

He gritted his teeth and urged the Azure Lotus to forcibly stabilize his body, while simultaneously forming hand seals and beginning to calculate.

at the same time,

In his cave dwelling in the Northern Mountain City of the Immortal Realm, Zhou Xun transformed into a human form, sat cross-legged on the ground, and unleashed rays of spiritual light to seal the cave.
He also ordered Sun Yuanxuan not to let anyone in.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he took out the 'Divination Compass'!

After this object merged with the compass of the Xuan Turtle Heavenly Lord, it revealed its true power.

With a flick of his finger, he struck the compass, beginning the calculations.
With the avatar and the Divination Compass working together, the deciphering speed increased several times over.
Half a month later,

"Since the correct solution doesn't work, let's use the wrong solution to break the wrong solution!"

He deliberately left a flaw at the seventh node, inducing the restriction to collapse on its own.

Sure enough, the light net trembled violently and finally shattered like glass. The second crystal then changed color. And so it was.
In the following time, Zhou Xun's main body and avatar worked together.

One level after another, and so on, until all seven levels were cleared.

The eighth challenge is "Array Core Reconstruction," requiring the restoration of the shattered array diagram within ten breaths.
He activated his spiritual eyes with all his might, and the golden light in his eyes surged, finally completing the task at the last moment.

"The final hurdle."

The aged voice carried a rare hint of approval.

The nine crystals lit up simultaneously, projecting dense runes that formed a profound scripture in the air.

"Complete the missing parts of 'The True Explanation of Xuan Kong Array Dao'!"

Zhou Xun was startled.

This test required him to deduce the core principles of a fifth-order formation based on his own mastery of formations.

Of course, this is clearly a simplified version.

Otherwise, how could he possibly complete the true fifth-order array formation?

He sat cross-legged in the void, surrounded by blue lotuses simulating a battle formation. Sometimes he frowned in deep thought, and sometimes he wrote furiously.

Three months later, when the last rune was completed, the entire scripture suddenly shone brightly!
The nine crystals flew towards the center and merged into a dazzling jade slip.

"good."

As the aged voice faded, the jade artifact transformed into a stream of light and entered Zhou Xun's brow. A massive influx of information flooded his consciousness, causing even his Nascent Soul cultivation to momentarily black out.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself standing in front of a stone tablet, holding a palm-sized array plate in his hand. The plate was engraved with star patterns, and nine miniature crystals were embedded in the center.

"Mysterious Void Array Plate"

Zhou Xun stroked the fifth-order array treasure, his heart filled with joy.

The transmission just now not only contained the complete "True Explanation of the Mysterious Void Array", but also the method to control the "Yin Yang Mysterious Void Array"!

At this moment, he also understood the origin of Xuan Kong Tianjun.

Like the Blood Demon Ancestor and Lu Chang'an, they were all visitors from the Immortal Realm.

He was originally a cultivator in the late stage of the Void Refinement realm, and also a sixth-order Grandmaster of Formations.

This ruined mansion was where he crafted an array artifact, but unfortunately, its rank dropped, and it's now only at the fifth rank.

He immediately sat cross-legged and began refining the array plate. As he poured in his magic power, the entire ruins trembled slightly, and ripples appeared on the light screen surrounding the island, with countless runes appearing and disappearing.

Seven days later, Zhou Xun suddenly opened his eyes. The array plate in his hand was now connected to his mind; with just a thought, he could control the entire ruined mansion!

"receive!"

With a soft shout, the island trembled violently. Amidst the roar, the outer light barrier began to shrink, eventually transforming into a stream of light that disappeared into the array plate.

Zhou Xun suddenly appeared on the surface of the sea.
However, he now held a bronze array plate shaped like the Eight Trigrams.

See here,

Zhou Xun was overjoyed.

Unexpectedly, this ruined mansion could be transformed into an array plate, which could be carried around.

It's a pity that it can't be put into a storage bag.

A thought in my mind,
The array plate was tossed upwards.
"boom--"

A massive array covering hundreds of miles suddenly appeared before them; it was none other than the Heavenly Star Relic Mansion, which should actually be called the Profound Void Relic Mansion.

"What kind of supernatural power is it that can refine a piece of heaven and earth into an artifact and carry it with you?"

Isn't this practically the same as a celestial abode?
Zhou Xun gazed at the bronze array plate floating in his palm, his heart still reeling from the shock.

This seemingly ancient artifact is able to contain the entire ruins; such a feat far surpasses the realm of ordinary artifact crafting and is almost a work of creation.

“No wonder Xuan Kong Tianjun can be called a grandmaster of array formations.” Zhou Xun gently stroked the fine, hair-like patterns on the surface of the array plate. Each pattern contained spatial laws, which were interconnected to form a miniature world.

This method of combining formations and weapon crafting to the extreme is precisely the "unity of weapon and formation" principle recorded in "The True Explanation of Xuan Kong Formation".

Several days later, Zhou Xun returned to the Forgotten River Lake in the Eastern Wilderness.

He stood in the center of the lake, the bronze array plate in his hand trembling slightly, emitting mysterious spatial fluctuations.

"Since such a formation exists, how can we keep it to ourselves?" Zhou Xun murmured, then raised his hand and tossed it, the bronze array plate transforming into a stream of light that shot straight into the sky!

"boom--"

In an instant, the heavens and earth trembled, and the wind and clouds changed color!
A gigantic island, blotting out the sky, suddenly appeared above the entire Wangchuan Lake, like a celestial paradise descending to earth.

Above the island, clouds and mist swirl, spiritual springs and waterfalls cascade, and countless phantoms of mythical birds and beasts circle and dance, accompanied by ethereal music that is breathtaking!

Within the Immortal City of Oblivion, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, their faces filled with horror.

"What is that?!" someone exclaimed.

"A celestial island descended from the heavens? Could it be the birth of a rare treasure?!"

“No! That island… it looks like a legendary immortal’s abode!” An elderly cultivator guessed the origin of the island, his voice trembling.

However, before anyone could react, the massive island began to slowly fade into nothingness, eventually disappearing completely into the void, leaving only a faint barrier of spiritual light enveloping the entire Wangchuan Lake.

"Disappeared?"

"Could it be an illusion?"

The cultivators were filled with surprise and doubt, and discussed the matter animatedly.

Just then, a clear voice resounded throughout the entire Immortal City of Oblivion:

"Fellow Daoists, please do not be alarmed. What I just saw was merely Zhou testing his illusionary abilities. What you saw was all an illusion."

As soon as the voice fell, everyone realized that it was Zhou Xuntianjun using his supernatural powers!
"So it was Zhou Tianjun's doing!"

"As expected of a Nascent Soul cultivator, he can conjure up such a realistic immortal island out of thin air!"

"This illusion...it's just like the real world!"

Everyone was amazed, but a few highly skilled cultivators frowned slightly, pondering to themselves:

"If it really was an illusion, why did that spatial fluctuation just now feel so real? Could it be..."

They vaguely suspected that Zhou Xun might not just be using illusion magic, but had actually mastered some kind of spatial secret technique!
With this fifth-order magic array in place, Wangchuan Lake has become the safest place in the entire human realm.

At the same moment, in the Immortal Realm, in the Northern Mountain City.

Zhou Xun, in his transformed form, sat upright inside the cave, holding a jade slip in his hand.

This was another part of the *Tai Xu Dan Jing* that Su Yuanqing had sent.
Combined with the portion presented at the auction, it already constitutes a remarkably complete alchemy tradition.

As for its grade, it is at least a high-grade fifth rank.

"It seems that once I get to this immortal realm, I can go back to my old profession!"

(End of this chapter)