Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 968 Fang Jiuzun, give Zhou an explanation!
Zhou Xun stepped onto this isolated island in Chenxing Lake, the sea breeze carrying its unique salty and damp scent.

His gaze swept over the somewhat barren reefs and sparse vegetation.

A sigh of regret couldn't help but come.
in my mind,
The scene of first meeting Xuan Turtle Heavenly Lord decades ago, receiving the spiritual armor and elixirs, and accepting Ah Bai as his disciple, is still vivid in my mind.
Just like yesterday.

That kind and wise old man exhausted his soul power for the future of the human world and eventually passed away here, which makes people feel sad.

As my thoughts drifted away, a faint light flashed from a hidden entrance on the island.
A beam of white light shot out swiftly and landed not far in front of him.

The light faded, revealing a palm-sized, warm, milky-white spirit turtle.

Its carapace is not made of hard keratin, but rather resembles some kind of jade, with several naturally occurring silver patterns that look like star trails.
Its limbs were short and cute, and its pair of bright black eyes were looking at him with surprise.

"Master! You're back!"

Ah Bai's voice still carried a hint of childishness, but it was noticeably more composed than when they parted last time.

It quickly crawled closer, tilting its little head back, looking extremely happy.

Zhou Xun bent down, his fingertips gently tracing its cool, smooth carapace, and said softly, "Hmm, I came back to check on you. Looks like you haven't been slacking off."

Ah Bai rubbed his head against Zhou Xun's fingers:
"Ah Bai has always been very diligent! I have been practicing the 'Starfall Technique' that Master taught me!"

"Oh? Then let your teacher see how you've progressed."

Zhou Xun straightened up and stood with his hands behind his back.

Upon hearing this, Ah Bai immediately took a few steps back, his expression becoming focused.

It took a deep breath, and the silver star trails around its body suddenly lit up, emitting a hazy starlight.
Above the island, in what was originally a clear afternoon sky, a few faint starlight appeared, echoing the glow on Ah Bai's body.

It raised one of its front paws and pointed it lightly at a black reef several meters away, about half the height of a person.

In an instant, the starlight seemed to be drawn in, suddenly sinking and transforming into several fine yet extremely condensed silver streams of light, which silently struck the reef.

"Chi chi chi——"

Without a deafening roar, a large portion of the hard reef surface suddenly disappeared.

Its edges were as smooth as a mirror, as if they had been erased by some strange force of annihilation.

Even more strangely, the internal structure of the reef also seems to have been eroded by stellar energy.

Zhou Xun nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

The "Starfall Technique" is not a powerful offensive spell, but rather a technique that draws upon the power of stars, possessing the remarkable effects of penetration, spell breaking, and disruption, and places great emphasis on control and willpower.

Ah Bai was able to activate and initially condense star power with his second-tier cultivation level, and he controlled it quite precisely. This talent is indeed far superior to his peers.

"Not bad, the star power condensation has taken shape and the penetrating power is acceptable, but the application of the star power's 'disturbing spirit' property is still lacking."

Zhou Xun commented, then took out a jade bottle from his storage ring. The bottle was transparent, and it was clear that it contained half a bottle of liquid that shimmered with tiny starlight.
"This is 'Star Spirit Liquid,' which will greatly benefit your cultivation of the 'Starfall Technique.' Take it."

Ah Bai sensed the pure stellar power within the jade bottle and happily accepted it:
"Thank you, Master!"

Zhou Xun said no more, and with a flick of his sleeve, a gentle spiritual energy enveloped Ah Bai.

The next moment, the surrounding scenery blurred and changed, and in an instant, they had moved from outside the island to inside the cave in the center of the island.

The cave remained exactly as it had been when he left, with simple furnishings but an exceptionally rich spiritual energy, and the spiritual jade inlaid in the four walls silently circulated.

The place felt especially empty and desolate without the ever-smiling old man.

Zhou Xun glanced at the empty hall, sighed softly, and waved to Ah Bai: "Go and cultivate on your own."

"Yes, Master."

Ah Bai nodded obediently, held the Star Spirit Liquid, and transformed into white light as she entered her small side room.

After Ah Bai left, Zhou Xun slowly walked towards the deepest part of the cave.

There was an inconspicuous stone door with simple dust-repelling and protective runes carved on it.

He pushed open the stone door, and a more concentrated scent, carrying a faint sandalwood fragrance, wafted towards him.

The stone chamber was not large, with a white jade platform in the center.

On the platform, a millstone-sized, serene black tortoise shell lay quietly, its shell faded yet still exuding a tranquility and vastness that had endured thousands of years.

He stood before the remains, his expression solemn, and bowed deeply in respect.

After straightening up, he flipped his hand and took out a white jade wine pot.
Spiritual patterns appeared on the body of the pot, and as soon as they appeared, a rich aroma of wine mixed with extremely pure spiritual energy spread out, clearly indicating that it was a mid-grade fifth-tier "Phoenix Nine Heavens".

This wine was one of his spoils of war, and it was just right for Lord Xuan Turtle to taste.

Li Xun took out a jade cup of the same material and carefully filled it.

The amber-colored liquor rippled gently in the glass, as if a spiritual light was flowing within it.

He tilted his wrist slightly and slowly poured the spirit wine from the cup onto the jade platform.

The clear, cool wine seeped into the tiny crevices of the jade, making a soft hissing sound, and spiritual energy rose and swirled.

“Senior Xuan Turtle,” Zhou Xun spoke, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent stone chamber.
"I, Zhou Xun, have come to see you."

His gaze fell upon the remains, as if he were conversing with an old friend, and he began to recount his story.

From receiving the magical armor and elixirs from Chenxing Lake to going to the Western Desert to fight in the war.
From the initial fusion of the Seven Armors to test their Nascent Soul power, to several clashes with the Ghost Clan army, and the slaying of Ghost Clan Nascent Soul cultivators...

Then, by taking a route through the Ghost Realm, they finally found the Immortal Realm, and then wandered around the Immortal Realm...

His tone was calm, yet he condensed decades of tumultuous experiences and life-or-death battles into this simple narrative.

"...Now, the final battle is approaching," Zhou Xun's voice grew increasingly solemn.

"Your senior spared no effort to save the human race and slay the ghosts. Zhou Xun admires you and has never forgotten you."

He bowed deeply once more:
"Today, Zhou Xun hereby pledges to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and fight to the death! I earnestly beseech the spirit of our predecessors in heaven to bless our human race, and this battle—will surely be won!"

The moment the words fell, outside the stone chamber, above the once calm Chenxing Lake, a sudden and unexpected gale arose!

The howling wind, like the roar of a giant beast, violently impacted the restrictions surrounding the island, producing a muffled boom.

Through the cracks in the stone chamber, one can hear the terrifying sound of the lake waves crashing violently against the shore.

Zhou Xun's body trembled slightly, and he suddenly looked up, his gaze seemingly able to penetrate the stone wall and reach the ever-changing world outside.

His expression instantly turned extremely solemn, but his eyes were as sharp as knives, and a soaring fighting spirit and determination rose up from within him.

He turned to the remains of the black tortoise, and spoke each word with resounding force:

"The senior has manifested his divine power, this formation lends its strength!"

"I, Zhou, hereby swear that I will slay Tiyu with my sword, completely eradicate the ghostly scourge, and restore peace to the human realm!"

After speaking, he bowed again, resolutely turned around, and strode out of the stone chamber.

"Master!"

At this moment, Ah Bai was guarding outside the door.
"Ah Bai, cultivate here diligently. Your master will come to see you again in the future!"

Having said that, he turned and stepped into the void.
This journey leads to the direction of the Sunset Continent.

Now, he has seen all the people he needed to see and gone all the places he needed to go. Next is the great battle against Tiyu.
But before that,

There is still one lingering problem that has not been resolved.
That was none other than Fang Jiuzun, the Heavenly Lord of Falling Sun. It was under his suppression that the Thunderclap Sect was reduced to fragments.

He also suffered years of relentless pursuit from him.

If it weren't for his divine intervention through a human, he would have perished on the spot.

Such despicable people must be eliminated before the great battle!
...A few days later, a flash of light appeared in the central teleportation hall of Luoyang Immortal City, and a young man dressed in an ordinary blue robe with a calm face stepped out.

He looked up and saw that the city's familiar prosperity and abundant spiritual energy remained unchanged, only now it had gained a more magnificent aura than he remembered.

"Luoyang Immortal City... I haven't been there for a long time."

Zhou Xun murmured to himself, a hint of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

His past experiences in this place came back to him, making his expression slightly complicated.

After a moment, he looked away without further hesitation.

With a slight movement, he rose into the air to a height of a hundred feet, without relying on any magical artifacts, and walked step by step through the air, heading straight towards the magnificent palace complex in the center of the city—Luoyang Immortal Palace.

At the same time, a terrifying spiritual pressure, as vast as the sea and as majestic as a mountain, emanated from him without reservation, instantly enveloping the entire Luoyang Immortal City!
This spiritual pressure was not intended to harm anyone, but it was like the might of heaven descending, causing all the cultivators in the city to tremble in their souls and their magical power to stagnate.

"God Transformation Heavenly Lord!"

The city erupted in an uproar as countless cultivators looked up in terror at the figure in blue robes strolling through the sky.

An elderly man with white hair, who was enjoying tea in a teahouse, suddenly crushed the jade cup in his hand with a "crack".

His pupils constricted as he stared intently at the figure in the air: "Who is this person, daring to release their aura like this in Luoyang Immortal City!"

His heart was filled with turmoil. Under this spiritual pressure, his cultivation of the late-stage Nascent Soul realm, which he had painstakingly cultivated for nearly a thousand years, was as insignificant as a candle flickering in the wind.

A young Foundation Establishment disciple who was rushing excitedly to the market was suddenly pressed to the spot by this overwhelming pressure. His legs went weak and he almost knelt down.

He struggled to lift his head, gazing at the god-like figure, his face filled with disbelief:
"Who...who is he? How dare he be so arrogant at the foot of Luoyang Immortal Palace! Won't the Ancestor be angered?"

In the mindset he was instilled with from childhood, the Luoyang Immortal Palace and its ancestor Fang Jiuzun were the heavens of this human realm, and no one could defy them.

The entire immortal city was plunged into a deathly silence of fear and suspicion.

The same question lingered in everyone's mind: Who exactly is this person? How dare he be so presumptuous in front of the Luoyang Immortal Palace!

Don't you know that Ancestor Fang Jiuzun is the number one cultivator in the human realm, and Luoyang Immortal Palace is the number one sect in the world?
In a short while, Zhou Xun arrived outside the protective formation of Luoyang Immortal Palace.

Zhou Xun stood in mid-air, his green robe fluttering slightly under the surge of spiritual pressure.

He calmly gazed at the heavily guarded celestial palace below, and spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet clearly penetrating the great array barrier.

Like rolling thunder, the sound reverberated throughout every corner of the Falling Sun Immortal Palace and echoed in the ears of everyone in the entire immortal city below:

"Where is Fang Jiuzun? I, Zhou Xun, have come to demand an explanation from you!"

……

Zhou Xun's shout, imbued with the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, was like a thunderclap from the heavens, instantly startling the depths of the Falling Sun Immortal Palace.

The next moment, four powerful beams of Nascent Soul spiritual light shot into the sky from the core area of ​​the Immortal Palace.

Four cultivators, their auras deep and composed, dressed in the robes of elders from the Luoyang Immortal Palace, were revealed.

Leading the group was the solemn-faced First Elder, flanked by the Third Elder, the Fifth Elder, and a relatively young-looking Sixth Elder.

The fifth elder, with the most fiery temper, roared like thunder even before he arrived:

"Who dares to act so arrogantly in my Fallen Sun Immortal Palace..."

Before he could utter the last word "wild," he had already clearly seen the face of the indifferent-looking cultivator in blue robes standing in mid-air.

The Fifth Elder seemed to have been choked instantly; he swallowed the rest of his words, and the rage on his face turned into extreme horror and disbelief.
He even subconsciously took half a step back, his voice trembling:

"Zhou... Zhou Tianjun?!"

The other three elders, including the most composed eldest elder, also changed their expressions drastically after recognizing Zhou Xun as the newcomer.
The aura that had risen around him vanished instantly, as if doused with ice water.

They had personally experienced the great battle between humans and ghosts in the Western Desert decades ago.
Having witnessed firsthand how this "Heavenly Lord of the River of Oblivion" swiftly and decisively slayed the Ghost Clan's Nascent Soul cultivators, the sheer power of his power was deeply imprinted on their very souls.

The four dared not be negligent in the slightest, and hurriedly bowed in unison in mid-air, their posture extremely humble:
"We pay our respects to the Heavenly Lord of the River of Oblivion!"

"Lord of the River of Oblivion"

The four characters seemed to possess a magical power, spreading clearly throughout the celestial city and palace below.

The countless cultivators and disciples who were initially surprised, doubtful, and even somewhat indignant suddenly realized what was happening, and an uproar ensued!
"So it was the Heavenly Lord of the River of Oblivion!"

"It's the Heavenly Lord of the River of Oblivion who saved humanity!"

"It is said that his strength is comparable to that of the Fallen Sun Ancestor!"

"But why did he come in such a menacing manner? He seems to be here to demand an explanation..."

Countless gazes were focused on the sky, filled with awe, curiosity, and deep astonishment.

The conflict between the hero who saves humanity and the Asgardian palace was beyond everyone's expectations.

Zhou Xun glanced at the four elders in front of him, whose expressions were tense and even somewhat fearful, and his tone softened slightly.

He recognized these people; they had fought side by side during the great war and had shed blood and sweat for the human race.

"I have come here only to seek out Fang Jiuzun."

Zhou Xun spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power.
"Where is he? Tell him to come out and see me."

The elder, steeling himself, stepped forward, bowed again, and spoke with extreme respect, even earnestness:

"Reporting to the Heavenly Lord, the Ancestor's whereabouts are elusive and unpredictable. He is like a dragon whose head is seen but whose tail is not. Where he has gone and when he will return are beyond our knowledge!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun's eyes suddenly turned cold.

He said no more, took a deep breath, and spoke again, his voice booming.

Containing a trace of true Nascent Soul power, it exploded like thunder in every corner of the Falling Sun Immortal Palace:
"Fang Jiuzun! Come out!"

"come out--!"

As the sound waves passed, the clouds churned.
The light screen of the palace-protecting array rippled violently.

However, the depths of the celestial palace remained silent, without any response.

The four elders were pale and sweating profusely, standing there at a loss, unsure whether to advance or retreat.

"Fine, you won't come out," Zhou Xun's voice turned cold.
"I will go in and find you myself!"

His gaze fell upon the giant protective array below, which shimmered with light, and he commanded, "Activate the array."

Upon hearing this, the four elders turned deathly pale.

The elder spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse:

"Heavenly Lord, please calm your anger! This matter... this matter may have other hidden circumstances, or misunderstandings! The Ancestor must... We beg the Heavenly Lord to investigate thoroughly, we really dare not open the great formation without authorization..."

Activate the palace protection formation and let in a Nascent Soul Heavenly Lord who clearly has ill intentions.

They cannot bear this responsibility, and they dare not even imagine the consequences.

"Misunderstand?"

Zhou Xun snorted coldly and stopped talking nonsense.

He slowly raised his right arm, clenching his fist, without using any fancy magic or spiritual power.

With a simple punch, he smashed straight down on the fifth-grade low-level sect-protecting array light screen below, which was said to be able to withstand attacks from the Nascent Soul stage!

(End of this chapter)