Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 932 The Great Battle Begins, Zhou Xun is Summoned!

This was the first time Zhou Xun had heard Que Ming speak in such a stern tone.

"Could it be that something has happened to the Que family?"

Zhou Xun frowned slightly and began to think quietly.

According to his agreement with the Que family, as a guest advisor, he was also obligated to help the Que family when they faced danger.

However, when his life was in danger, he was allowed to leave on his own.

After all, it's practically impossible for a guest retainer to share life and death with the master.

"Let's go check it out first!"

Zhou Xun then summoned Sun Yuanxuan and Que Lingling.

Sun Yuanxuan was cultivating in her meditation room when she sensed Zhou Xun's summons and immediately stopped her practice and came out. She walked lightly into the courtyard and gave Zhou Xun a graceful bow:
"Son."

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over her as he asked gently, "How is your cultivation progressing?"

A hint of joy flashed in Sun Yuanxuan's eyes as she said softly, "With the help of the pills and cultivation techniques bestowed by you, young master, I am now only one step away from the peak of the early stage of Core Formation."

Zhou Xun looked satisfied upon hearing this: "Not bad. With your talent, it is truly remarkable that you have reached such a level in such a short time."

Just then, Que Lingling arrived in a hurry. She was wearing a light blue robe, her hair simply tied up, giving her a capable and efficient appearance. Upon seeing Zhou Xun, she respectfully bowed.
"Greetings, senior."

"Have you encountered any difficulties in your recent studies of magic arrays?" Zhou Xun gestured for her to sit down, his tone gentle.

Upon hearing this, a hint of gratitude flashed in Que Lingling's eyes, and she replied earnestly:
"Replying to senior, when I was studying the 'Nine Palaces Spirit Locking Array,' I still had some questions about the connection of the spiritual energy nodes in the third transformation."

"According to the array diagram, the spiritual energy of the Kan and Li positions should converge..."

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, raised his hand and drew a few streaks of spiritual light in the air, instantly outlining a simple array pattern.

As the spiritual light flowed, the spiritual energy nodes of Kan and Li were clearly visible.

“Look here,” Zhou Xun pointed to the intersection of the two nodes, and with a light tap of his finger, a new spiritual rune was generated out of thin air, and the originally stagnant spiritual power immediately flowed naturally like a stream.

Que Lingling's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim softly, "So that's how it is! It was because I was too fixated on the symbolism of the array and neglected the harmony of the essence of spiritual energy!"

Zhou Xun nodded slightly. This girl was indeed exceptionally perceptive; with a little guidance, she could grasp the concepts completely.

He then became serious and explained why he had summoned them.

"I just received an urgent message from the head of the Que family. I need to go to Tianque Island immediately."

"From now on, the two of you will stay on the island. Remember to be careful and do not leave without permission."

The two women exchanged a glance and responded in unison. A hint of worry flashed in Sun Yuanxuan's eyes: "Young Master, has something happened?"

Zhou Xun shook his head: "The specifics are still unclear, but it's unlikely to be simple."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and cast a spell. A golden light flashed, and Xiao Jin's figure appeared in the courtyard.

Xiao Jin has now reached the fourth-tier superior level, possessing extraordinary strength.

"I will leave Xiao Jin here to guard the dojo!"

"With Little Gold and the island-protecting formation in place, even if a Nascent Soul cultivator attacks, it will be difficult to break through in a short time."

Zhou Xun patted Xiao Jin's shoulder reassuringly.

"Rest assured, Master, with me here, I will ensure that Silent Spirit Island is not lost!"

Zhou Xun nodded and led Xiao Jin into the cave.

The two passed through the cave's corridors and arrived at an inconspicuous stone chamber deep inside.

Zhou Xun formed hand seals, and several beams of spiritual light shot into the wall. The originally ordinary stone wall rippled like water, revealing the passage hidden behind it.

After descending several dozen feet along the passage, a bright and open space suddenly appeared before us.

A huge stone chamber appeared before them, its floor covered with intricate array patterns, and in the center was a teleportation array.

"This is a teleportation array!" Xiao Jin recognized it as a long-distance teleportation array at a glance and couldn't help but show surprise.

"Not bad!"

After Zhou Xun obtained this island, he set up a teleportation array inside his cave, with one end connected to an uninhabited sea area tens of millions of miles away.

As a way out, he entrusted it to Xiao Jin now that he was leaving.

Zhou Xun took out a jade token and several teleportation scrolls and handed them to Xiao Jin:

"If we encounter a powerful enemy and cannot withstand their attack, we can take them through this array to leave." As he spoke, he explained in detail how to activate the teleportation array and its destination.

Xiao Jin nodded solemnly and put the token and talisman into his storage bag.

After explaining everything, Zhou Xun checked the island's defensive formations again. Once he confirmed that everything was in order, he summoned Xiao Jia.

He stood on the platform outside the cave, glanced back at Sun Yuanxuan and Que Lingling who were seeing him off at the door, and said in a deep voice:
"Take care of yourself."

Before he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of azure light and soared into the sky, with Xiao Jia following closely behind. In an instant, they disappeared into the horizon.

Sun Yuanxuan stared in the direction Zhou Xun had left, remaining motionless for a long time.

Que Lingling said softly, "Sister Sun, there's no need to worry too much. Senior's cultivation is profound; he will surely return safely."

Sun Yuanxuan withdrew her gaze and forced a smile: "I hope so."

She turned to Xiao Jin and said, "We'll take turns on duty, just in case."

A few days later,
He stood on Xiaojia's back, the sea breeze whistling past, his robes fluttering in the wind.

The outline of Tianque Island gradually became clear in the distance, but a sense of unease rose in Zhou Xun's heart.

"What trouble has the Que family encountered?" He frowned and quickened his pace.

Just as he was about to arrive at Tianque Island, he suddenly sensed several powerful auras rapidly approaching.

Zhou Xun felt a chill run down his spine and immediately concealed his aura, disappearing into the clouds.

Three streaks of light flew in from different directions, each radiating the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator. They were in a hurry, heading straight for Tianque Island.

"It seems things are more serious than we thought." Zhou Xun's gaze was deep. He immediately urged Xiao Jia to head towards Tianque Island at full speed.

Between the sea and the sky, only a streak of blue light gradually faded away.

Soon, Zhou Xun arrived at the outer perimeter of Tianque Island.

From a distance, the entire island was shrouded in a pale golden light, and the island's protective formation was fully activated.

He took out the guest minister's token, and the character "阙" engraved on the token glowed with spiritual light, resonating with the protective barrier, and then opened a gap that could only allow one person to pass through.

The moment Zhou Xun passed through the great formation, he felt several divine senses sweep over him.

These divine senses were as sharp as knives, and they were all at least at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. His expression remained unchanged, and following the guidance of the token, he flew straight towards the council hall in the center of the island.

Above Tianque Island, streaks of light occasionally flashed by, all converging in the same direction.

Zhou Xun noticed that the weakest aura emanating from these streaks of light was that of a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, while the majority were Nascent Soul cultivators.

The entire island was shrouded in a tense and oppressive atmosphere; even the sea breeze seemed to have frozen.

In the plaza in front of the hall, dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators stood in formation, their expressions solemn. The moment Zhou Xun landed, he sensed the powerful aura emanating from within the hall.

There are at least twenty Nascent Soul cultivators! "Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

A familiar voice rang out. Zhou Xun turned his head and saw Que Yue waving at him.

"Fellow Daoist Que," Zhou Xun greeted with a cupped hand.

Que Yue strode over and said in a low voice, "Come with me into the hall quickly, we're just waiting for you few."

As Zhou Xun stepped into the main hall, he immediately felt more than twenty pairs of eyes fixed on him.

Inside the hall, more than thirty jade chairs were arranged in a circle, and nearly twenty people were already seated, each emanating a powerful aura.

Zhou Xun noticed that these cultivators were clearly divided into two groups: one group wore uniform moon-white robes with the Que family crest embroidered on their chests.

The other group, dressed in various styles, were likely all guest retainers like him, totaling seven people.

"Everyone, this is Fellow Daoist Zhou Xun, a fifth-order array master, and also a newly promoted guest elder of my Que Clan," Que Yue introduced in a loud voice.

Everyone in the hall bowed in greeting. As Zhou Xun returned the greeting, he keenly noticed several scrutinizing gazes.

One of the red-haired elders was particularly eye-catching; flame patterns faintly flowed around his body, revealing him to be a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

"Even the patriarch has praised Fellow Daoist Zhou's mastery of formations," Que Yue added.

These words subtly shifted the atmosphere in the hall, and the scrutinizing gazes became more attentive. Zhou Xun, guided by Que Yue, took his seat and awaited the start of the meeting.

In the following hours, three more streaks of light arrived one after another.

The last one was a hunched old woman, leaning on a snake-head cane, each step causing a thin layer of frost to form on the ground.

After she took her seat, the palace doors slammed shut, and at the same time, complex array patterns lit up the surrounding walls.

At the same time, the door at the back of the hall opened silently.

A middle-aged man dressed in a black robe walked out slowly. His face was gloomy, his eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, and his aura was as solid as an abyss. Every step he took seemed to tread on the hearts of everyone present.

"Greetings to the ancestor!"

All the members of the Que clan in the hall stood up and bowed, and the guest ministers also stood up.

Zhou Xun was shocked. This person was actually one of the three great Void Refinement cultivators of the Que Clan, the Second Supreme Que Tianming!

Que Tianming raised his hand to signal everyone to take their seats, while he himself stood in front of the main seat.

His gaze swept over everyone present, lingering briefly on Zhou Xun, seemingly showing some interest in this new face.

"I have gathered you all here today to discuss important matters," Que Tianming said, his voice deep and resonant like muffled thunder.
"The specific details will be explained by the head of the family."

Que Ming, who was standing to the side, stepped forward, his face more solemn than ever before: "Half a month ago, six Nascent Soul cultivators of my Que clan perished in the Azure Wave Sea."

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the palace.

Zhou Xun's heart skipped a beat. Six Nascent Soul cultivators! This was almost one-fifth of the Que Clan's top combat strength!
Not to mention, those who died were all members of the Que clan, which was already a devastating loss.

"Who did this?" The red-haired old man slammed his fist on the table and stood up, flames erupting around him.

Que Ming took a deep breath, his voice filled with suppressed anger:

"It was the Lu family. Lu Xinghe and Lu Xinghai, both at the Void Refinement stage, personally attacked, and three of our clan's Nascent Soul stage cultivators perished on the spot. Elder Que Wuyai escaped with serious injuries."

"But the news brought back was that the other three also did not escape."

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly exploded.

The Que clan members were all furious, and several hot-tempered ones were already about to unleash their magical treasures.

Although the guest advisors were restrained, their expressions were all solemn.

"Quiet!" Que Tianming shouted softly, releasing his Refining Void Aura slightly, and the hall immediately fell silent.

"The Lu family's actions have brought our Que family to a point of no return," Que Tianming's voice was icy cold. "The reason I've gathered you all here today is to formally declare war on the Lu family!"

"War! We must fight!" A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Que clan slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "If we don't avenge this humiliation, how can the Que clan maintain its foothold in Wandao Lake?"

"Yes! Blood for blood!"

"Please give the order, Ancestor!"

The members of the Que clan responded enthusiastically. The guest ministers exchanged glances and also stood up to express their support.

Que Tianming nodded and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet: "I will personally lead the expedition this time. The vanguard consists of twelve people, four of our own clan cultivators, and eight guest elders."

Hearing this, Zhou Xun couldn't help but smile wryly.
This second Supreme Lord showed no room for negotiation whatsoever, immediately ordering them, his guest advisors, to go on an expedition.

Que Tianming seemed oblivious to the varied expressions on the faces of the guests on the field.

With a wave of his sleeve, a light screen unfolded in the center of the hall, displaying a three-dimensional map of Xisha Island and the surrounding waters.

"Next, we will head to Xisha Island. This island is only 500,000 li away from the Lu family territory and will serve as a forward outpost for our army."

Zhou Xun noticed that he was assigned to the vanguard, accompanied by the red-haired old man and the old woman with the serpent staff.

This lineup is truly impressive, with two late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, four mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, and six early-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, plus a Void Refinement cultivator in charge, enough to sweep away most forces.

"To encourage everyone," Que Tianming continued, "the family treasury will be open for the exchange of battle merits."

The content on the light screen changed, revealing a long list.

Zhou Xun's gaze was immediately drawn to several items:

"Mysterious Spirit Golden Elixir," a top-tier elixir to aid in breaking through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.
Upon seeing this item, many cultivators who had previously looked unusually excited became eager. They even brought out such a treasure, indicating that the Que family was truly going all out.

In addition, Zhou Xun also discovered many much-needed treasures.
For example, the "Phantom Spirit," a strange spirit he had previously encountered in Thunder Prison, can assist in the birth of a magical artifact.

You should know that his Xuan Ting Lei Sword is currently stuck at this stage.

If one could obtain this item, one could directly upgrade to a spirit treasure.

In addition, there is the "Five Heavens Thunder Crystal," a fifth-grade high-quality thunder-attribute spiritual material, which is one of the spiritual materials he needs to refine and enhance the power of his natal magic weapon!

"Each kill of a Nascent Soul cultivator in the early stages of the Lu clan earns 10 battle merits, a mid-stage cultivator 20 points, and a late-stage cultivator 50 points. As for the early-stage Deity Transformation cultivator, it's worth 1,500 points, the mid-stage 3,000 points, and the late-stage 6,000 points," Que Ming added.

"There will be an additional reward for capturing or killing a direct descendant of the Lu family."

These words immediately ignited the excitement in the room.

After the meeting, everyone left the hall one after another.

Just as Zhou Xun was about to leave, Que Ming called out to him, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, please wait. The Ancestor wishes to see you alone."

Zhou Xun's heart stirred slightly, and he followed Que Ming to the back hall. Que Tianming stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the star map hanging on the wall.

"Our Que Clan was able to gather so quickly this time, thanks in no small part to your teleportation array!" Que Tianming turned around, his sharp gaze fixed on Zhou Xun.

"For this campaign, I need you to set up several key formations."

Zhou Xun cupped his hands in greeting: "I am at your service, senior."

"Very good." Que Tianming nodded in satisfaction. "If you can perform meritorious service, I can decide to bestow the 'Five Heavens Thunder Crystal' upon you ahead of schedule."

Zhou Xun felt a surge of warmth in his heart, but remained calm on the surface: "This junior will certainly do his utmost."

That night, Zhou Xun stayed overnight on Tianque Island. The next day, he and Que Tianming took a teleportation array to Xisha Island.

(End of this chapter)