Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 925 Heavenly Thunder Body Refinement, Fifth-Order Physique!
The thunder dragon in the clouds seemed to be provoked, letting out a deafening roar that made the entire sky tremble.

Zhou Xun hovered in mid-air, his white robes fluttering in the wind.

He looked up and stared directly at that terrifying giant eye, a smile playing on his lips.
He slowly opened his hands, completely dissipating the protective aura around him, without even using the most basic defensive techniques.

Only the physical body remained suspended in the air.
"He...he was completely unprepared!"

The red-robed Heavenly Lord's pupils shrank. He had lived for nearly ten thousand years and had seen countless cultivators undergo tribulations, but he had never seen anyone dare to face the heavenly lightning with their bare body!
How terrifying is the Tribulation of Transformation into a Divine Being?
Even back then, he had to exhaust all the magical treasures he had collected throughout his life to barely withstand the nine tribulation lightning strikes.

And this person in front of me didn't even cast a protective aura?!

"Isn't this courting death!" The red-robed Heavenly Lord sighed, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.

It would be such a pity if such a person were to perish under the tribulation of lightning.

Throughout the immortal city, countless cultivators looked up, their expressions varied.

"Master, why didn't he resist?" A young disciple asked, his face pale and his voice trembling.

The white-haired Nascent Soul cultivator shook his head and sighed, "Perhaps... he knew he couldn't resist, so he simply faced death with equanimity."

The disciple had received favors from Guangyu and knew that this person was exceptionally talented, but he never expected him to be so crazy.

"Am I really going to perish here?" He felt a sudden tightness in his chest and couldn't bear to look any longer.

"boom--"

As if provoked by Zhou Xun's provocation, the Eye of Heavenly Punishment suddenly contracted.

A bolt of purple lightning, as thick as a bucket, struck down, distorting space and producing a tearing sound that made one's teeth ache. Even before the lightning arrived, the terrifying pressure alone made the hairs on the heads of those nearby stand on end.
Zhou Xun smiled gently.
He spread his arms wide, letting the lightning bolt, powerful enough to shatter mountains, pierce straight to his head.

The blinding purple light instantly engulfed him, and lightning and fire coiled around his body like living things, crackling and popping.

A gasp rippled through the crowd of spectators, and some even collapsed to their knees.

"It's over!" someone exclaimed in shock.

"What a pity..." The red-robed Heavenly Lord shook his head, already convinced that Zhou Xun was doomed.

Amidst the lightning, Zhou Xun's figure gradually became clear.

He sat cross-legged in the center of the thunderstorm, his hands forming a strange mudra.

He activated the Lightning Tempering Body Technique.

His body surface was covered with dense silver patterns, like some kind of ancient runes, which greedily absorbed the surrounding lightning.

He channeled bolts of lightning into his body.

At this moment, Zhou Xun is experiencing pain and transformation that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

He felt as if a million red-hot steel needles were simultaneously piercing his pores. His muscle fibers convulsed violently under the high-voltage current, and his internal organs felt as if they were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

"Click"

A faint cracking sound came from within his body. His bones, which had already reached the peak of the fourth rank, developed spiderweb-like cracks under the impact of the lightning, but were repaired in an instant by the life force contained in the lightning.

The newly formed periosteum has a purplish-gold luster and its hardness has increased several times over.

"Not enough," Zhou Xun gritted his teeth, actively guiding more lightning energy to impact his physical body.

The silver lines on the skin's surface grew brighter and brighter, gradually merging into a mysterious pattern.

Zhou Xun's physique is undergoing a fundamental transformation, progressing towards the legendary fifth-order Thunder Spirit Body.

This breakthrough was something he had been planning for a long time. He used the power of the Nascent Soul Tribulation Lightning to temper his body in order to reach the fifth level.

"Ah!" A suppressed growl came from the lightning.

Zhou Xun's back arched, his spine bulging like a dragon. All thirty-three vertebrae simultaneously emitted golden light, resembling a real dragon awakening under the purple lightning.

This is a sign that you are about to break through to the Body Refinement Realm, Dragon Bone Thunder Sound!

As the lightning dissipated, his figure was revealed once more.
Throughout the immortal city, cultivators who had previously kept their eyes closed suddenly opened them wide.

They saw that the figure in the thunderstorm not only did not dissipate, but its aura continued to rise. The slender figure, amidst the earth-shattering lightning, even displayed a sense of timelessness.

"what?!"

The red-robed Heavenly Lord's eyes widened suddenly, and his long beard moved without wind.
"He...he's absorbing heavenly lightning!"

"Impossible!" the white-haired Nascent Soul cultivator exclaimed.
"How could the tribulation lightning of the Nascent Soul stage be absorbed by someone? It is incredibly violent."

His disciple slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, and when he saw the scene within the lightning, he was greatly shocked.
"He...he held on!"

"It's more than just withstanding..." The red-robed Heavenly Lord's voice was deep, and an unprecedented solemnity appeared in his eyes.
"He's using the tribulation lightning to temper his body!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding cultivators all gasped in shock.

"A madman! This is absolutely insane!" someone muttered to themselves.

"No, this isn't madness..." The red-robed Heavenly Lord slowly shook his head, the shock in his eyes growing even stronger.

"This is a true peerless genius!"

Amidst the lightning, Zhou Xun's entire body trembled like a dragon's roar, and the lightning patterns on his skin became increasingly clear, as if some ancient divine runes were awakening.

His aura was not weakened at all; on the contrary, it rose steadily under the tempering of the lightning tribulation!
At the eye of the thunderstorm, Zhou Xun's body tempering had reached a critical moment.

His internal organs were cleansed and refined by the power of lightning until they were crystal clear, and his heartbeat sounded like the booming of war drums.

Each pulse pumps out shimmering, golden blood, and wherever this new blood flows, cell activity surges.

A lightning bolt pattern quietly appeared between his brows, shaped like lightning and exuding ancient majesty.

"not enough!"

Zhou Xun suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils now a pure silver-white.

Zhou Xun shook his head regretfully. Looking up at the increasingly violent thunderclouds, his fighting spirit intensified: "The second one, come on!"

Seemingly in response to his provocation, the thunder dragons swimming in the clouds suddenly merged.

Nine thunder dragons intertwined and merged in the clouds, transforming into a ferocious, blood-red thunder dragon.

The moment the thunder dragon took shape, the temperature of the entire immortal city rose sharply.

"Divine Lightning of Calamity!"

The Crimson-Robed Heavenly Lord cried out in alarm. He had seen records of this lightning in ancient ruins when he was young. This lightning was specifically designed to punish those who defied the heavens, and its power was several times that of ordinary lightning tribulations!
"boom--!"

The crimson lightning dragon bared its fangs and claws as it pounced down, shattering the space in its path like pieces of glass.

Many low-level cultivators watching the battle fainted, and even Nascent Soul experts had to use their magic weapons to defend against the aftershocks.

Zhou Xun, however, laughed heartily and greeted him.

Just as the thunder dragon was about to strike, the thunder pattern between his brows suddenly lit up, and the silver patterns on his body intertwined into a net, actively "catching" the thunder dragon.

From a distance, it looks like a silver net capturing a blood-red dragon.

The sizzling sound of burning is enough to make your teeth ache.

Zhou Xun's entire body was bleeding from every pore, but he was instantly dried up by the lightning.

Blood foam seeped from between his clenched teeth, yet he still frantically circulated his body-refining technique. This time, the pain was far greater than before, as if a million poisonous ants were gnawing at his bone marrow.

"Hold on." Zhou Xun's vision went black, and his consciousness began to blur.

"Ah!!!" He roared to the sky, lightning shooting from all seven orifices.

The silver patterns on its body were suddenly edged with gold, forcibly pulling the blood-red thunder dragon into its body.

This sight caused even the Crimson-Robed Heavenly Lord to stagger back three steps: "Using one's body as a cauldron to refine the heavenly tribulation is a method of ancient body cultivators!"

The moment the thunder dragon entered his body, Zhou Xun's entire skeleton crackled like popping beans.

The once purplish-gold bone marrow began to crystallize, each crystal containing terrifying lightning power. But it was only one step away from reaching the fifth-tier physique.

When the last wisp of crimson lightning was absorbed, the entire immortal city fell silent.

A female cultivator in green stared blankly at the blood-covered figure, then suddenly realized that her palms had been pinched raw and bloody by fingernails.

"Two...isn't that enough?" The white-haired Nascent Soul cultivator's voice trembled. "He'll die if this continues."

It's important to understand that this isn't a resistance using magical artifacts or supernatural powers, but rather the physical body of a cultivator.

If you are not careful, you will be reduced to ashes by this tribulation lightning!

As if in response to his concerns, the Eye of Heavenly Punishment suddenly contracted violently.

The remaining seven thunder dragons in the clouds exploded simultaneously, transforming into a deep purple sea of ​​lightning. In the center of this sea of ​​lightning, a giant sword entirely formed from lightning was taking shape!
"The Immortal-Slaying Thunder!" The red-robed Heavenly Lord's face turned ashen.
"The legendary tribulation lightning!" he suddenly shouted at Zhou Xun.
"Fellow Daoist, retreat immediately! This lightning cannot be taken head-on!"

Zhou Xun, however, seemed not to hear.
However, his expression revealed a hint of seriousness.
The thunder sword crashed down.

The power of this attack instantly drained the spiritual energy within a thousand miles, causing the natal magic weapons of the spectators to cry out in unison.

Zhou Xun's figure was instantly engulfed, with only blinding white light filling the sky and earth.

"It's over," the red-robed Heavenly Lord said dejectedly, closing his eyes.

However, the next second, a clear and melodious sword cry suddenly rang out from within the white light!

Zhou Xun was enveloped in purple-gold lightning, and every inch of his skin was covered with the complete Thunder God pattern.

Even more astonishingly, these patterns are materializing, gradually solidifying into a set of illusory thunder armor!

"This is...Spirit Armor!" The red-robed Heavenly Lord's voice changed tone.
"The legendary mark of a fifth-tier body cultivator!"

The power of the Thunder Sword was being absorbed frantically by the armor, and Zhou Xun's aura rose steadily.

As the last bolt of lightning was absorbed, he suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils now transformed into two rotating thunderstorms!

"break!"

A clear shout resounded through the heavens. At the same time, the lightning patterns on Zhou Xun's body lit up brightly, transforming into a tangible armor that covered his entire body.

Ancient Dao patterns flowed across his armor, each line containing earth-shattering thunderous power. And the aura he exuded was clearly at the fifth level!

The red-robed celestial emperor was completely stunned:

"Having his body tempered by tribulation lightning, he has directly entered the fifth rank. In my lifetime, I have never been able to witness such a miracle!" He solemnly bowed in the direction of Zhou Xun, a gesture of respect for the strong!

The female cultivator in green stood frozen in place, the clear shout of breaking through realms still echoing in her mind.

Zhou Xun stood in mid-air, his Thunder Armor slowly fading into his body. He gazed at the Eye of Heavenly Punishment, which was still brewing its fourth tribulation lightning bolt.

He suddenly laughed: "The Nascent Soul Tribulation is nothing special!"

Zhou Xun's voice boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the heavens and earth.

He stood with his hands behind his back, his newly formed Thunder Armor faintly visible beneath his skin, each line flowing with a breathtaking purple-gold hue.

The giant eye in the sky contracted violently, as if it had been thoroughly enraged by these contemptuous words.

"Rumble--"

A muffled rumble of thunder came from the clouds, and the entire cloud of calamity suddenly turned from purple to black, like an overturned pool of ink.

"The fourth tribulation lightning is coming!" The white-haired Nascent Soul cultivator grabbed his disciple and retreated rapidly. "This time is different from the past!"

Sure enough, a deep abyss-like gap suddenly opened up in the center of the tribulation clouds, and nine dark golden lightning dragons emerged, intertwined with each other.

For every inch they moved, a section of the void collapsed, revealing the chaotic nothingness behind them.

The most terrifying thing was that these thunder dragons had anthropomorphic anger in their eyes, and the plasma that fell from their whiskers vaporized a hundred-foot mountain below.

"God-Slaying Thunder!" The red-robed Heavenly Lord's voice trembled.
Zhou Xun remained expressionless.

Having already formed a fifth-order lightning spirit body, continuing to withstand the lightning tribulation would only damage his foundation. However, such pure tribulation lightning power should not be wasted.
"Just in time."

As the sleeves rolled up, two beams of spiritual light shot into the sky.

To the left was a three-inch square purple jade platform, its surface covered with lightning patterns. It was currently greedily absorbing the free-floating lightning elements in the air; this was his natal magic weapon, the Lightning Pool.

The moment the purple jade lightning spear appeared on the right, it caused the three lightning dragons to roar violently, and the spear tips automatically pointed at the tribulation clouds, as if they wanted to take the initiative!
"He's going to refine a treasure!" the female cultivator in green exclaimed in shock.

"Crack!"

The moment the first bolt of dark golden lightning struck, Zhou Xun formed hand seals like a blooming lotus. The lightning spear suddenly transformed into a hundred-foot-tall phantom, its surface covered with dense, ancient lightning patterns, like a primordial beast opening its gaping maw, actively swallowing sixty percent of the lightning tribulation power into its body.

The remaining 40% of the lightning was drawn to the jade platform, and those seemingly broken patterns now shone with a bright blue light, forming a miniature thunderstorm vortex on the platform.

"Zi-"

A teeth-grinding quenching sound rang out, and the body of the Purple Jade Thunder Spear became transparent at a visible speed, with dark golden liquid slowly flowing inside.

Whenever these liquids pass over the tip of the gun, they unleash terrifying shockwaves that distort space itself.

The jade platform absorbed the raging lightning, transforming it into stable lightning elemental power, which it stored in the lightning pool.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Five consecutive bolts of lightning struck down, but Zhou Xun lured them all into the Purple Jade Lightning Spear and the Lightning Pool.
An unexpected change occurred when the ninth lightning tribulation struck.

Suddenly, the Purple Jade Thunder Spear broke free from Zhou Xun's control, transforming into a purple-gold thunder dragon that surged against the tribulation clouds. Two dark-gold thunder dragons were pierced through in mid-air, and the exploding thunderous liquid poured down like a torrential downpour.

The white jade platform, bathed in the thunderous magma, spun wildly, its surface displaying illusory images of mountains and rivers, faintly resonating with Zhou Xun's dantian.

"A divine treasure, naturally formed!" The red-robed Heavenly Lord was so excited that his beard trembled!

"This spiritual treasure, tempered by heavenly lightning, is actually comparable to ordinary things. It seems that my Thousand Star Chaos is about to have another extraordinary figure!"

The overflowing lightning was completely absorbed by the lightning pool, and drops of dark golden lightning liquid gradually condensed in the center of the platform.

"Om-"

A clear, melodious ringing sound suddenly resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

The Purple Jade Thunder Spear radiated dazzling light, its tip automatically drawing a perfect arc, splitting the remaining tribulation clouds in two.

The dark clouds have all dispersed.

The moment sunlight pierced through the gaps in the clouds, the sun and sky reappeared!

at the same time,

"boom!"

Suddenly, the sound of shackles breaking came from Zhou Xun's body. Materialized spiritual pressure gushed out from the pores of Zhou Xun's body, and the spiritual energy within a hundred miles formed a huge vortex and poured into his head.

His divine sense spread like a tide, instantly enveloping the entire immortal city. The trajectory of every speck of dust and the flow of every wisp of spiritual energy were as clear as the lines on the palm of one's hand.

"Transformation into a Divine Lord." The red-robed Heavenly Lord was the first to bow, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on achieving the status of Heavenly Lord!"

Throughout the immortal city, countless cultivators offered their congratulations in unison.

(End of this chapter)