Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 955 Cultivation Returns to its Source, Thunder Pool Advancement!
Zhou Xun took out a futon and sat cross-legged on it.

Then, with a wave of his hand, a flash of inspiration appeared, and a fifth-grade calming incense appeared in his hand.
This incense stick is purplish-gold in color, about three inches long, and its surface is covered with fine silver patterns, like a flowing galaxy.

"Mid-grade Fifth-Rank Tranquilizing Incense"

This incense is made primarily from the brain marrow of a fifth-tier demon beast called the "Nightmare Beast," combined with rare materials such as ten-thousand-year-old soul-nourishing wood powder and starlight sand.

Each one requires a Nascent Soul stage alchemist to refine it with infant fire for several years before it can take shape. It has the miraculous effect of stabilizing the soul and resisting inner demons.

It is an excellent product for overcoming bottlenecks.

"laugh--"

Zhou Xun flicked his finger, and a ray of light brushed past the tip of the incense.

In an instant, a wisp of pale purple smoke rose up and condensed into the shape of a lotus flower in the air.

The fragrance is not strong, but it carries a refreshing coolness that penetrates the soul, making one feel clear-headed upon smelling it.

As the fragrance filled the air, Zhou Xun slowly closed his eyes.

He felt his mind gradually sinking into a tranquil lake, shutting out all the disturbances of the outside world.

In this tranquility, he began to adjust his state of mind.
Half a day later,
He had reached his peak condition, his eyes were filled with a restrained divine light, and his aura was perfectly harmonious.

Zhou Xun picked up the jade bottle from the ground and gently removed the stopper.

A rich fragrance of medicinal pills wafted out, filling the entire cultivation room.

At the same time, the spiritual energy within his body began to fluctuate, and he vaguely felt a breakthrough was about to occur.
As expected of a elixir that aids in advancing to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, its effects are truly astonishing.

Zhou Xun's gaze was calm as he picked up the jade bottle from the ground and gently tilted it.

A pill the size of a longan, perfectly round, and a deep purplish-gold color rolled into his palm.

Several silver patterns naturally entwine the surface of the elixir.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhou Xun opened his mouth and swallowed the "Mysterious Spirit Golden Pill".

The moment the pill entered the mouth, it did not turn into saliva, but rather seemed to transform into a warm yet domineering energy that flowed down the throat and into the abdomen!

"boom--!"

It was as if a mountain had been thrown into a calm lake, and the power of the elixir exploded in his abdomen!

The vast and pure spiritual energy surged forth like a burst dam, instantly reaching every part of the body and the eight extraordinary meridians.

Zhou Xun felt a slight swelling and pain throughout his body's meridians, as if every acupoint was being forcibly stretched open, greedily absorbing this sudden surge of enormous energy.

He dared not be negligent in the slightest, focusing his mind and fully activating the "Purple Heaven Thunder Technique".

The magical power within his dantian began to spin wildly, forming a massive vortex that desperately devoured and refined the violent medicinal power.

A faint purple lightning involuntarily appeared on his body surface, his hair moved without wind, and his aura began to rise at an astonishing speed!
In the training room,

The pale purple smoke of the fifth-grade calming incense lingered and did not dissipate.
It effectively calmed the restlessness in his mind caused by the rapid increase in his magical power, allowing him to maintain a clear mind at all times.

The refining process went surprisingly smoothly.

Zhou Xun already possessed an incredibly solid foundation, and his spiritual root sensitivity of one hundred points allowed him to reach an extreme level of control over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and his own magical power.
The previous breakthrough in mindset cleared away the obstacles to promotion.

Although the medicinal power of that "Mysterious Spirit Golden Pill" was immense, under his precise guidance, it gently merged into his own magical power, continuously purifying, compressing, and strengthening it.

Time slips away quietly during deep practice.

Three days have passed in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the scene inside the meditation room had changed dramatically.

Zhou Xun's body was completely enveloped by a dense cocoon of spiritual energy that was visible to the naked eye and almost tangible.

The cocoon of light was a deep purple, with electric snakes crawling inside, emitting a muffled thunderous sound.

The spiritual energy of the entire cave was frantically extracted and poured into the cocoon of light, causing the concentration of spiritual energy in the room to reach an alarming level.

Sudden--

"Buzz!"

A buzzing sound, seemingly emanating from the depths of the soul, rang out, and the enormous purple cocoon of light suddenly contracted inward before exploding with a roar!

The surging spiritual pressure spread outwards like a tide, causing the protective light barrier of the training room to ripple violently.

Where the cocoon of light dissipated, Zhou Xun's figure clearly emerged.

He remained seated in the same spot, but the pressure emanating from his body was many times stronger than it had been three days ago!

Between the opening and closing of his eyes, purple lightning flashed, as if a thunder god had descended to earth.

Mid-stage Nascent Soul realm, achieved!

The instant his cultivation breakthrough occurred, Zhou Xun felt a tremor in his dantian, and a surge of pure, boundless magical power, imbued with his innate aura, spontaneously erupted forth.

Through a mysterious connection, it nourishes the natal magic weapon—the Thunder Pool—that is nurtured deep within the dantian!
That Thunder Pool, which was originally at the peak of a top-grade magic weapon and was just one step away from becoming one,

Nourished by this powerful mid-stage Nascent Soul primordial magic, it immediately emitted a joyful buzzing sound.

The mysterious lightning patterns on the surface of the pool lit up one by one, bursting forth with dazzling lightning.

The aura of the entire magic weapon began to rise at an astonishing speed, instantly breaking through the limit barrier of a top-grade magic weapon!
However, just as it was about to complete its transformation and autonomously advance to become a spiritual treasure, it seemed to lack strength, its light flickered erratically, and its advancement process seemed to stall.

After all, the energy required for the birth of a spiritual treasure is extremely large, and relying solely on magical power to replenish it is insufficient.

Zhou Xun had anticipated this, and with a glint in his eyes, he waved his sleeve without hesitation!
In an instant, lightning flashed brightly in the cultivation room, and the sound of thunder was incessant.

Several treasures radiating terrifying lightning energy floated out; they were the rare spiritual materials obtained from the Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord!

Lightning crystal, lightning-struck wood core, lightning-silver marrow, lightning grass, and those strange minerals imprinted with natural lightning patterns...

They were all gifts from the Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord on that day.
Originally intended for use in advancing to the Thunder Pool, now is the perfect time!

"Perfect timing! Help my natal magic weapon reach the Spirit Treasure realm!"

Zhou Xun let out a low shout, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, unleashing streaks of purple lightning that were injected into the lightning-attribute spiritual objects.

At the same time, he fully activated the Thunder Pool in his dantian, causing it to generate a powerful suction force!

Inspired by the incantation, those rare fifth-order lightning-attribute spiritual objects seemed to be ignited, and began to frantically release the primal lightning power they contained!
The dazzling purple lightning crystal burst forth, transforming into a thick pillar of lightning that shot straight into the lightning pool!
The charred layer on the surface of the lightning-struck wood core peeled away, revealing the wood inside, which shone like crystal. A pure and ancient divine lightning power of the Yi Wood flowed out!

Thunder Marrow Silver transformed directly into a roaring silver thunder dragon and merged into the pool.
The Lightning Grass instantly disintegrated.
The entire training room seemed to have transformed into an ocean of lightning, with countless lightning powers of different colors and slightly different attributes surging wildly. In the end, all of them were greedily absorbed by the lightning pool that appeared as a phantom above Zhou Xun's head!
The Thunder Pool is undergoing a transformation at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The pool's surface has become more ancient and profound, its color shifting from a bright purple to a more subdued, dark purple.

The natural lightning patterns on the surface became more complex and mysterious, as if they contained the profound truth of the laws of lightning in the world.

The edge of the pool became more rounded and smooth, with a subtle sense of undulating space.

The lightning power within the pool, which was originally just liquefied, is now beginning to transform into a more condensed and advanced form.
Wisps of purple mist began to emerge from it; that was the "Innate Thunder Qi" that only a Spirit Treasure-level Thunder Pool could nurture!
Its aura rose steadily.
The aura of the Thunder Pool surged wildly, easily breaking through the barrier. Dark purple light flowed across the pool's surface, and the mysterious thunder patterns on its surface seemed to come alive.
The free-flowing combinations give rise to a deeper and more profound sense of rules and principles.

Ripples spread across the space at the pool's mouth, and the "innate thunderous energy" nurtured within grew increasingly dense, with faint thunderous sounds emanating from it.

Just as its momentum reached a certain critical point—

"Boom!!!"

A deep, muffled hum, seemingly emanating from the heavens above, erupted from the core of the Thunder Pool!

Promotion successful!

Almost at the same time, the sky above Tian Shu City, which had been clear, suddenly changed!

Thick, inky clouds gathered wildly from all directions, covering the sky for dozens of miles in the blink of an eye, turning day into night in an instant.

Within the dark clouds, countless silver snakes danced wildly, deafening thunder roared, and blinding lightning bolts tore through the sky, radiating a terrifying divine might!

The vast spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged violently, especially the lightning-attribute spiritual energy, which became extremely violent and frantically converged towards the center of the dark clouds, forming a terrifying ocean of lightning!

"Oh my god! What happened?"

"This...this is a heavenly tribulation? Is someone about to undergo the tribulation of becoming a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

"Judging from the location, it's that high-level cave area in the west of the city! Which True Monarch is attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage?"

"No! Although the aura of this thundercloud is terrifying, its scale seems smaller than the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation recorded in the records, and... it feels more targeted at some kind of artifact?"

Countless low-level cultivators in the city were startled by this sudden celestial phenomenon. They all came out of their houses, looked up at the sky, their faces filled with shock and curiosity, and discussed it among themselves.

Many Nascent Soul cultivators had solemn expressions. They could vaguely sense that this was not a cultivator's tribulation, but the power of heaven and earth it stirred up was not to be underestimated.

However, those who truly knew their stuff were far more shocked than the lower-level cultivators.

Throughout the city, powerful divine senses instantly swept towards the area below the center of the thundercloud—the location of Zhou Xun's cave.

The Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord was enjoying tea in his cave.

Sensing the unusual yet familiar fluctuations of the lightning tribulation, he suddenly stood up, took a step and was already outside, his gaze shooting towards the west of the city like lightning.

When he saw that the core of the tribulation cloud was directly facing Zhou Xun's cave, and sensed that it was not a cultivator breaking through,
Instead, when the magic weapon triggered the pure heavenly might, an incredulous glint flashed in his eyes, which then turned into intense envy!
"A spiritual treasure undergoing tribulation! It's actually such a legendary calamity!"

The Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord murmured to himself, his tone filled with emotion.
"Only a natal magic weapon whose foundation, potential, and material are all at their peak has a very small chance of triggering a tribulation of heaven and earth when it is upgraded to a spiritual treasure!"

"Once tempered by lightning tribulation, the essence of the magic weapon will undergo a complete transformation, its power far exceeding that of other spiritual treasures of the same level, and it may even have the potential to advance to a higher level in the future!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou's Natal Thunder Pool... is truly remarkable! Absolutely extraordinary!"

He recalled his own painstakingly crafted magical artifact, and compared to it, he immediately felt it paled in comparison, his envy beyond words.

At the summit of Nine Thunder Peak, the Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the gathering thunderclouds.

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, which quickly turned into realization and an undisguised admiration.

His divine sense was even stronger than that of the Crimson Sun Heavenly Lord, and he instantly and clearly perceived the illusory figure of the Thunder Pool that was absorbing and exhaling thunder energy and welcoming the heavenly tribulation.

"Good boy!"

Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord stroked his beard and smiled, a look of satisfaction on his face.
"Not only did his cultivation breakthrough go smoothly, but even his natal magic weapon attracted an advancement tribulation lightning! Such an opportunity and fortune are truly extraordinary!"

"It seems my judgment was indeed correct. Forming a good relationship with this young man may be one of the biggest turning points for the Qin family in the future."

The gloom in his heart caused by his impending death was greatly dispelled by the surprise brought by Zhou Xun, and he felt even more proud of his decision.

At the same time, the other Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords in Tian Shu City were also alarmed.

"A spiritual treasure advancing to the Thunder Tribulation stage? Judging by the direction, it's the cave of that newly promoted Thunder Prison Heavenly Lord? This person has such a powerful foundation; we should befriend him!"

A Nascent Soul sword cultivator carrying an ancient sword flashed a glint in his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief and a touch of jealousy.

His natal flying sword was already a spiritual treasure, but it had never undergone the baptism of lightning tribulation.

"Tsk tsk, a spiritual treasure that can summon lightning tribulation... its power is immeasurable. My Tian Shu City is about to have another Nine Thunder Heavenly Lord!"

Another reclusive old woman, a deity in disguise, leaned on a cane, a shrewd glint flashing in her cloudy eyes.

"Humph, it's just good luck."

Some Nascent Soul cultivators felt a pang of bitterness and secretly snorted, but their eyes remained fixed on the thunderclouds, closely watching the progress of the tribulation.

After all, the opportunity to witness a spiritual treasure undergoing tribulation is extremely rare, and it is of great benefit to their own weapon crafting and understanding of the laws of heaven and earth.

For a time, Zhou Xun's cave dwelling became the focus of attention throughout Tian Shu City.

Countless gazes, some envious, some jealous, some curious, some solemn,

All eyes were focused on the sky filled with lightning and thunder, awaiting the arrival of the tribulation.

At the eye of the storm, Zhou Xun was fully focused, preparing to control the Thunder Pool and face this sudden test from heaven and earth.

He was also extremely surprised.

I had seen the concept of spiritual treasures undergoing tribulation in ancient texts before, but this is the first time I have seen it in person.

To know,
Even when the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword was upgraded to a Spiritual Treasure, there wasn't this kind of fanfare.

Zhou Xun looked up at the increasingly thick, lightning-streaked tribulation clouds above the cave, feeling the destructive heavenly power contained within them.
Far from showing fear, a burning light flashed in his eyes.

He looked down at the Thunder Pool, which was now radiating the majesty of a spiritual treasure, and an extremely audacious idea surged into his mind.

He had personally experienced the tempering of the heavenly lightning and had a profound understanding of the power of creation contained within the tribulation lightning, which was a mixture of destruction and rebirth.

Although this spiritual tribulation lightning is not aimed at him personally, it is essentially of the same origin, making it an excellent opportunity to further comprehend the true meaning of tribulation lightning and even... transform it into his own!

"The risks are great, but the rewards are equally astonishing! If successful, Lei Chi will undergo a qualitative leap!"

Zhou Xun's mind raced, and he made a decision in an instant.

Without hesitation, he took out the token that controlled the cave's grand formation.
With a thought, the "Nine Palaces Profound Origin Array" that enveloped the entire cave flashed with light and then quietly disappeared, removing all protection!
(End of this chapter)