Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 964 We have met with Lord Zhou Tian!

"Zhou Xun! You...you're finally back!"

The heavy burden that had been weighing on my heart for nearly twenty years, almost suffocating me, seemed to find an outlet at this moment.

After all these years,

He has always been the one guarding the western front.
With the added threat of the "Five Directions Boundary Pillars," the pressure on his heart was immense. Now that Zhou Xun has returned, he can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Zhou Xun remained calm, walked up to Liu Bai, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Brother Liu!"

His voice was steady, yet it carried a strange, soothing power.

"It's good that you're back...it's good that you're back!"

Liu Bai took several deep breaths before he could barely suppress his turbulent emotions.

"Zhou Xun, you...you do you..." His voice was filled with urgent anticipation, but he dared not finish the question, for fear of receiving a negative answer.

Zhou Ying naturally understood what he was asking, smiled slightly, and gave a direct and affirmative answer. Although her tone was calm, it carried immense weight:
"I have fulfilled my mission. I have fully inherited the Thunder Palace's legacy. Even if I were to face a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, I would still have the strength to fight!"

This short sentence, like a thunderclap from the heavens, cleaved through all the gloom in Liu Bai's heart!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Liu Bai said "good" three times in a row, too excited to contain himself.

It should be noted that the greatest pressure in the Ghost Realm comes from the Ghost Emperor Tiyu.

The late-stage Nascent Soul demon race dominated the entire human realm.

Now that Zhou Xun has returned with the combat power of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, the human realm will be free from worry!
"God bless our human realm! God bless our human realm! With you here, with the complete inheritance of Thunder Palace, we...we finally have the power to fight...hahaha!"

Liu Bai laughed heartily, regaining his previous carefree demeanor.

"Brother Dao, you flatter me!" Zhou Xun said modestly.
Then he opened his mouth and asked:
"Brother Liu, in the years I've been away, have there been any unusual developments in the Ghost Realm, especially in Tiyu? Why has the expansion speed of that passage suddenly increased so much?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Bai's face grew even more bitter. He pointed to the phantom images of the five giant pillars on the map, his voice heavy:

"The root of everything lies in this thing—the 'Five Directions Boundary Pillars'! This is the supreme treasure of the Ghost Clan. I don't know where Tiyu obtained it, but it can forcibly draw upon the power of the Ghost Realm's origin and frantically accelerate the expansion of the passage!"

"Originally, according to our initial calculations, it would take a hundred years for the passage to be stable enough to allow the true form of Tiyu to pass through."

"But since these five evil pillars appeared, the expansion speed has increased several times! It will only take thirty years!"

"Thirty years?"

Zhou Xun's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly calculated...

"I have been away from the human world for nearly thirty years. If this pace continues, wouldn't I only have a little over two years left?"

Thinking of this, a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Fortunately, I made the decision to return in time. If I had followed the original plan and waited nearly a hundred years to act, I fear that by the time I returned, the human world would have been devastated, and it would have been too late to regret it!
Liu Bai sighed and continued, his tone tinged with helplessness and lingering fear:
"Not only that, this pillar is incredibly malevolent. About twenty years ago, seeing its immense power, I risked burning my own life force to strike it, and by sheer luck, destroyed one of them!"

“However…” He shook his head, disbelief in his eyes.
"In just over ten breaths, the destroyed giant pillar absorbed a massive amount of ghost energy and instantly restored itself to its original state, as if it had never been damaged at all!"

“Since then, I have known that unless all five pillars can be completely annihilated at the same time, it is impossible to damage them in the slightest.”

He looked at Zhou Xun, a glimmer of hope in his eyes:

“Zhou Xun, your strength has greatly improved now. If you were to make a move, you might be able to destroy all five pillars at the same time. This would greatly delay the formation of the passage and buy us some more time to prepare for battle.”

After hearing this, Zhou Xun slowly shook his head.

"No need."

He said calmly, "Delaying is not a good strategy. Since time is running out, let's finish this in one fell swoop! The day the passage is secured will be the day we fight the final battle against Tiyu!"

"This time, we must completely resolve this issue and eliminate any future troubles!"

His gaze was sharp as he continued:
"However, I do need to see these 'Five Directions Boundary Pillars' with my own eyes. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you be completely safe."

“That’s exactly right, I’ll take you there!” Liu Bai nodded.

……

The two figures flashed and transformed into streaks of light, rushing out of the main hall. In a short while, they arrived once again on the sand dune less than a hundred miles from the Ghost Realm passage.

The closer you get, the more you can feel the imposing aura and eerie atmosphere of the five "Five Directions Boundary Pillars".

They were like five giant nails supporting the sky, deeply embedded in the spatial barrier between the human and ghost realms.
Countless twisted ghostly patterns writhed on the surface of the pillar, continuously drawing upon the primal power of the ghost realm and injecting it into the passage.

The space around the pillar was distorted, exuding a chilling sense of oppression.

Zhou Xun narrowed his eyes slightly, his spiritual blue pupils operating silently as he carefully examined the structure and energy flow of the giant pillar.

After a moment, he had already made up his mind.

"How is it?" Liu Bai asked nervously.

"Are we confident that we can destroy this pillar before the final battle?" He worried that the pillar might cause unforeseen circumstances during the final battle.

Zhou Xun smiled calmly, his tone filled with strong confidence:
"These inanimate objects are nothing to worry about. When the time comes, I will have my own ways to deal with them all at once, and I will never let them interfere with my battle with Tiyu."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bai felt a great weight lifted from his heart and breathed a sigh of relief: "Now I can rest assured!"

At this moment, Zhou Xun spoke again:

“Brother Liu, the decisive battle is to be held here, which will inevitably have a wide impact. In order to minimize the damage to the foundation of the human realm from the aftershocks of the battle, I intend to set up some restrictions near this passage in advance.”

Liu Bai's eyes lit up:
"A restriction? Zhou Xun, you... could it be that you have made another breakthrough in the art of formations?"

He knew that Zhou Xun was a master of formations.

Zhou Xun nodded slightly:

"By sheer luck, I've become a fifth-tier array master. Not only that, but I also fortuitously acquired a high-grade fifth-tier trapping and killing array called the 'Five Heavens Purple Thunder Array'!"

His gaze fell upon the ever-expanding entrance to the ghost realm passage, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light:
"I thought I'd set up this formation at the exit of the passage! Once Ti Yu's true form crosses over, it will immediately fall into the formation!"

"This formation is a lightning-attribute immortal formation, extremely effective against the evil and malevolent power of ghosts. Use this formation to trap him,"

"Not only will it greatly limit the use of its supernatural powers, but it will also wear down its ghostly power. In this way... our chances of winning will increase by another 30%!"

After all, Tiyu was born in the Ghost Realm.
The Ghost Realm is the inner world of a True Immortal-level Soul-Eating Beast.

No one knows what kind of strange supernatural powers and trump cards the Ghost Emperor, born in such an environment, will possess.

With this formation as a supplement, we can deal with everything perfectly.

Otherwise, with his current strength, he could simply storm into the Ghost Realm and kill Ti Yu.

His elaborate arrangements were simply to minimize the possibility of unforeseen events.

It's absolutely worth spending an extra two or three years for this!

Liu Bai was deeply moved and excited as he listened:
"A fifth-tier, high-grade immortal array! Excellent!"

"Zhou Xun, your return is a great blessing to our human realm! Whatever materials or manpower you need, just say the word, and our Western Desert Camp, and indeed the entire human realm, will do our utmost to assist you!"

Zhou Xun nodded: "The formation has already been completed. Now, what we need to do is set up other restrictions here to cover up this Five Heavens Purple Thunder Formation!"

"No problem, I'll immediately gather the rest of the human race's fourth-tier array masters to set up extensive restrictions at this entrance!"

……

One month later, on the western front,

The atmosphere in the camp was unusually heavy.
Above the camp, various colored beams of light descended from the sky, landing one after another cultivators with profound auras and dressed in different attire.

Most of them had focused expressions, exuding a calm and collected aura unique to those who had spent years studying runes and arrays.
These were array masters urgently recruited from all over the human realm.

It includes over 90% of the fourth-tier array masters in the human realm, with a total number of over 600!

The gathering of so many array masters is a spectacle unprecedented in the human realm.

They may only know each other by name, but they have come together here for a common goal.

Accompanying these array masters were three powerful auras that sent chills down one's spine.

A sinister aura, yet righteous and peaceful; a phoenix's cry, clear and elegant; a hexagram, flowing with unfathomable mystery.

As the light dissipated, the figures of three Nascent Soul cultivators were revealed—the Six Paths Demon Lord, Consort Nangong, and Jiang Taifang!

Their presence here was not for setting up an array.
Rather, it's to ensure the absolute safety of these six hundred-plus array masters!
The location where the formation was set up was right under the noses of the Ghost Clan. If the enemy launched a surprise attack regardless of the consequences, these precious formation masters would suffer heavy losses.

As soon as the three Nascent Soul cultivators arrived at the camp, their gazes fell on a figure in a green robe who was talking to Liu Bai.

The three of them were taken aback at first, and then their faces simultaneously lit up with undisguised joy!

"Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

"Fellow Daoist Wangchuan!"

"You really came back!"

The three spoke almost simultaneously and stepped forward quickly.

"We have come to pay our respects to Lord Zhou Tian."

They bowed in unison, their attitude extremely polite, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible respect.

The heroic figure of Zhou Xun, who turned the tide in the last great war between the two realms and slew the demon god of the Ghost Clan, has long been deeply imprinted in their hearts.

Zhou Xun turned around and returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Demon Lord, Fellow Daoist Nangong, Fellow Daoist Jiang, how have you been?"

Consort Nangong's beautiful eyes flickered, and she couldn't help but ask first:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I heard that your recent journey was to seek the complete inheritance of the Thunderclap Palace. May I ask..."

Zhou Xun smiled slightly and nodded frankly:

"I have successfully completed my mission. I have fully inherited the lineage of Leixiao Palace and my strength has improved even further!"

Upon hearing this, the three Nascent Soul cultivators' eyes instantly lit up with joy.
"Great!"

Jiang Taifang clapped his hands and laughed.
The Six Paths Demon Lord even revealed a rare, hearty smile.
"Hahaha! Good! Fellow Daoist Zhou is indeed extraordinary! Heaven blesses our mortal realm! With you here, it seems that Ghost Emperor Tiyu is nothing but a chicken and a dog, and there is no need to worry about him anymore!"

They could all clearly sense that Zhou Xun's aura, though still restrained, was unfathomable and far more vast and powerful than it had been back then.

Back then, Zhou Xun was able to rival a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator. Now, with his strength greatly improved, he may truly be able to rival a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!
Based on this calculation, the human side possesses one late-stage combatant, two mid-stage combatants, plus early-stage combatants who rescued people.

In terms of top-tier combat power, they are already second to none!

This greatly boosted the confidence of the three people who had been feeling heavy-hearted!
Even though it's not low, relying on the geographical advantages of the human realm, there shouldn't be any problem in defending the human realm.

"Fellow Daoists, you flatter me. Ti Yu is the ruler of a realm and is not someone to be trifled with. We must still be cautious in our dealings with him."

Zhou Xun said modestly.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries and sharing the latest information they knew, Zhou Xun's expression turned serious, and he said:
"Time is of the essence. Now that all the array masters have arrived, let's set off to set up the array. The sooner we complete the array, the better our chances of victory will be."

“That’s exactly right!” Liu Bai nodded emphatically.

Immediately, led by Zhou Xun, Liu Bai, and three Nascent Soul cultivators, a massive force of over six hundred fourth-tier array masters soared into the sky.

They flew out of the Western Desert camp in an orderly fashion, heading towards the entrance to the Ghost Realm.

……

The human race mobilized such a large number of array masters, their auras converging like a rainbow.

It was impossible to hide this from the demons who were right next door.

Upon seeing this, a fourth-tier ghost king on guard duty was so frightened that his soul flames trembled wildly, and he scrambled and stumbled into the depths of the passage.

Report to the five Nascent Soul Ghost Lords who are in charge:
"Your Majesties! Something terrible has happened! The human race... a large number of human cultivators are heading towards us! Leading them are Liu Bai and a few Nascent Soul cultivators, followed by... nearly a thousand Nascent Soul cultivators!"

"Nearly a thousand Nascent Soul cultivators?"

The leading ghost king—the White Bone Ghost Lord—sparkled with ghostly flames in his eye sockets.
"What are they planning to do? Are they going to launch a full-scale attack on the 'Five Directions Boundary Pillars'?"

This news made all five ghost kings nervous.

If something were to happen to the Five Pillars of the Realm at this critical juncture when His Majesty the Ghost Emperor is about to descend, they would be guilty of a thousand deaths!

"Assemble! All demons, immediately assemble at the entrance of the passage and guard it at all costs!"

The White Bone Demon King immediately issued the order.

The mournful howl of the ghost instantly resounded throughout the entire ghost camp.

Countless ghosts surged out from the depths of the passage, gathering in a dark mass at the entrance.
It merged with the howling, eerie wind and ghostly aura, forming a thick wall of ghostly mist, which was sinister and terrifying.

Five Nascent Soul Ghost Lords hovered before the ghostly mist, ready for battle.

Soon, the human cultivator army arrived several miles from the entrance of the passage and stopped.

Liu Bai, Nangong Yifei, the Six Paths Demon Lord, and Jiang Taifang stood before the crowd, with Yao Yao facing them.

As for Zhou Xun, he had already transformed into an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
Hidden among the crowd,
Such a grand display was intended to conceal his deployment of a fifth-tier superior-grade array, the Five Heavens Purple Thunder Array; naturally, the more discreet the better!

The Bone Demon King's crimson gaze swept across the crowd.
He immediately locked onto Liu Bai, who was in the lead, and let out a piercing sneer:

"Hehehe... Liu Bai! I thought you had already retreated to your lair to lick your wounds. What, you were lucky enough to escape with your life back then, and now you're eager to come and die again? Do you think you have too long a life?"

Liu Bai's expression was cold and stern, ignoring the White Bone Ghost Lord's mockery, and he simply hovered quietly at the front of the group.

The Qingfeng Sword hung at his side, radiating a chilling sword intent that clashed with the overwhelming ghostly aura opposite him, forming an invisible dividing line.

Behind Liu Bai, amidst a densely packed ranks of Nascent Soul cultivators,
Zhou Xun calmly observed the layout of the Ghost Clan opposite him.

Seeing that the ghost army had been drawn into the open and the five ghost lords had also emerged, Liu Bai no longer hesitated and gave the order in a deep voice:

"Set up the formation!"

(End of this chapter)