Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 970 Heavenly Lord Zhou, spare me!
Zhou Xun put away the Divination Compass, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He pointed his fingers like a sword and lightly slashed at the void in front of him.

"Thorn--!"

With a soft sound, space was silently ripped open with a neat slit.

The crack has smooth edges, but inside lies a deep, twisted void dotted with starlight.

Zhou Xun remained calm as he stepped inside.

The instant his figure completely disappeared into the void, the spatial rift closed silently, as if it had never existed, leaving no trace.
Only a faint spatial fluctuation remained in the original spot, which quickly dissipated into the world.

Several hours later, Zhou Xun's figure quietly appeared at the Ministry of War, a key location of the Great Jin Dynasty.

"Tianjun!"

"It's Zhou Tianjun!"

"We pay our respects to Lord Zhou Tian!"

The busy cultivators in the Ministry of War were taken aback at first, but when they saw the person's face clearly, they all showed surprise and awe, stopped what they were doing, and bowed.

Many of them were acquainted with Zhou Xun.

Zhou Xun nodded slightly in response, without any further pleasantries, and in a flash, he stepped into the special teleportation array leading to the front line of the Western Desert.

A burst of light appeared again, and his figure had already disappeared.

At the Western Desert front camp, the spatial fluctuations had just subsided when Zhou Xun stepped out of the teleportation array.

Almost the instant he appeared, several powerful divine senses swept over him, then turned into surprise.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou!"

"Zhou Tianjun, you're finally back!"

Before he finished speaking, the figures of Liu Bai, Yama Heavenly Lord, Six Paths Demon Lord, and others appeared in front of him.

Liu Bai still maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, but there was a hint of softening in his eyes.

Yama's blood-red eyes flashed.
The Six Paths Demon Lord laughed heartily, his voice booming like a bell:

"With Zhou Tianjun's return, we have a pillar of support in our hearts! We are now even more confident in dealing with that Tiyu Ghost Emperor!"

Zhou Xun nodded slightly to everyone as a greeting, his tone calm:
"Fellow Daoists, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

His gaze swept over the crowd, but he didn't linger. Instead, he turned and flew towards the outer perimeter of the camp.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, where are you headed?"

Liu Bai frowned slightly and asked. With a major battle imminent, it was rather strange that Zhou Xun had left so soon after returning.

Yama Tenjun also looked puzzled:
“Yes, Brother Zhou, the Ghost Emperor could descend at any moment. Leaving the camp now would be dangerous.”

Zhou Xun didn't turn his head; his voice clearly reached everyone's ears:

"Before the decisive battle, I'll take care of some personal matters and return shortly."

Private matters? The group exchanged bewildered glances. What private matters could there be in this desolate western desert?
Zhou Xun did not explain. During the flight, he glanced at the compass in his hand again. The pointer clearly pointed to an inconspicuous barren mountain dozens of miles away.

He was incredibly fast, arriving in an instant, hovering above what appeared to be an ordinary mountain area.

“So he’s hiding here.”

Zhou Xun's gaze pierced through layers of rocks, as if he could see the figure deep underground, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Meanwhile, three hundred feet underground, in a secret room shrouded in layers of restrictions.

Fang Jiuzun suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. A powerful aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator appeared directly above him without any concealment, and then stopped!
"We've been discovered? Impossible!" Fang Jiuzun was shocked and immediately dismissed the idea.
"The three-hundred-foot-thick earth crust, combined with my concealment barrier, is enough to isolate all aura detection! It must be a coincidence that he happened to stop here for inspection!"

He forcibly suppressed his unease and decided to remain inactive.

However, the next moment, a clear yet supremely majestic voice, like thunder from the heavens, rolled down, piercing through the thick layers of earth, and resounded clearly within his secret chamber:
"Fang Jiuzun, get out here!"

That voice... it's Zhou Xun!

Fang Jiuzun was stunned at first, then a surge of humiliated rage rushed to the top of his head!
For over six thousand years, who has ever dared to rebuke him like this? It's an utter disgrace! He almost wanted to rush out immediately and crush this arrogant brat!
But just as he was about to move, he suddenly calmed down, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his back.

It really is him! How could he possibly have found this place?! It's absolutely impossible!
On the ground, Liu Bai, Yan Mo Tianjun, and the others who followed closely behind found it strange that Zhou Xun had stopped on this desolate mountain. However, upon hearing his resounding shout that echoed throughout the wilderness, they suddenly realized what was going on.

"Fang Jiuzun? He's actually hiding here?" A fierce glint flashed in Liu Bai's eyes.

Yama, the Heavenly Lord of Hell, let out a brilliant light from his blood-red pupils between his brows as he carefully sensed the underground. He then coldly snorted, "He's really well hidden! No wonder we haven't been able to find him!"

Seeing no movement from underground, Zhou Xun sneered:
"What, the dignified Lord Luoyang, once the 'Number One Cultivator' in the human realm, now only dares to hide in his hole like a mouse?"

With a slight thought, he understood Fang Jiuzun's scheme:

"Are you planning to hide here, waiting for us and the Ghost Emperor to be exhausted so you can come out and reap the benefits? Or... do you intend to commit the despicable act of launching a sneak attack from behind?"

Zhou Xun's voice grew increasingly cold:
"With a major battle imminent, how can we allow such a threat as you to lurk behind us!"

"Since you refuse to come out yourself, then I will—please come out!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Xun flipped his hand over.
"Zheng——!"

A clear, resonant sword cry echoed through the heavens and earth, and a three-foot-long sword, crackling with purple lightning and covered in runes, appeared out of thin air.

Hovering in front of him, the sword trembled, emanating a terrifying aura of destruction—it was the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword!
Zhou Xun formed hand seals, and the surging Nascent Soul power within his body poured into the sword like a river bursting its banks.

"Greatsword Technique!"

With a low shout, the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword erupted with a dazzling display of lightning, its blade swelling rapidly in the wind! Ten feet, a hundred feet, a thousand feet!
In an instant, a giant thunder sword, a thousand feet long and as wide as a mountain, stretched across the sky and earth!
The sword was entirely composed of extremely refined purple lightning, with countless electric snakes running and crisscrossing its surface, emitting deafening crackling sounds.

The terrifying pressure of the sword caused the earth below to sink silently, and the surrounding space to distort, as if it could not withstand this extreme power.

Such is the majesty of Heaven!
"fall!"

Zhou Xun pointed his sword at the desolate mountain below.

That thousand-foot-long thunderous sword, carrying the terrifying power to tear apart the sky and pierce through the netherworld, fell fiercely in the direction indicated by the divination compass, like a divine punishment descending upon the world!

"Boom--!"

The 300-foot-high earth layer was as thin as paper in front of this 1,000-foot-long lightning sword!
The Thunder Sword moved with unstoppable force, instantly plunging into the ground and piercing straight into the secret chamber where Fang Jiuzun was located!

Deep underground, Fang Jiuzun's expression changed drastically. The destructive pressure of the lightning sword had pierced through layers of rock, locking him firmly in place. He could no longer hide and roared:
"How dare you, Zhou Xun, a mere junior, bully me!"

He slammed his hand on the top of his head, and a jade seal, entirely crimson and engraved with nine golden crows, shot into the sky, growing to a hundred feet in size as it faced the wind.

The ancient seal characters “Luoyang” at the bottom of the seal burst forth with dazzling crimson divine light, fiercely meeting the thousand-foot-long thunder sword that plunged straight down!
"boom--!!!"

A terrifying roar, far exceeding the force of thunder, suddenly erupted!
The crimson divine light collided violently with the purple thunderstorm!
In an instant, as if the earth were turning over, the entire barren mountain land churned and bulged violently like waves!
A colossal crater, over a thousand feet in diameter, instantly formed, sending countless shattered rocks and soil, mixed with destructive energy in shades of red and purple, soaring into the sky.

It formed a gigantic pillar of dust connecting heaven and earth!

The shock wave spread wildly in a ring shape.

This forced Liu Bai and his men, who were watching the battle from dozens of miles away, to retreat repeatedly, their clothes fluttering in the wind!
As the light faded, the "Sunset Seal" spun rapidly, barely managing to hold back the tip of the Thunder Giant Sword, but its radiance noticeably dimmed.

"Whoosh-!"

A crimson streak shot out awkwardly from the center of the explosion, hovering in mid-air, revealing Fang Jiuzun's figure.

His face was ashen, his chest heaving slightly, his sideburns disheveled, and he stared intently at Zhou Xun in front of him, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and a hint of disbelief.

He was eventually forced out of the ground by Zhou Xun's sword!

"Fellow Daoist Fang, you've finally decided to come out!" Zhou Xun said calmly. "Zhou Xun, what do you intend to do?" Now that things had come to this, Fang Jiuzun knew that hiding was probably useless.

At the same time, a fierce determination began to rise within him. Both were at the Nascent Soul stage, but Fang Jiuzun was at the mid-Nascent Soul stage; who said he would lose?
He stared intently at Zhou Xun, who stood opposite him with a profound aura and a calm expression, while his heart was already churning with turbulent emotions.

"Mid-stage Nascent Soul? This... how is this possible!"

He almost thought he had misjudged the situation.

The realm of Divine Transformation is so difficult that every step forward is as difficult as ascending to heaven, requiring a long period of accumulation and a profound understanding of the laws of heaven and earth.

He himself has been stuck at the peak of the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm for nearly six thousand years, and has always found it difficult to reach the threshold of the late stage.

It's only been a little over thirty years!
For a Nascent Soul cultivator, thirty years is merely a short period of seclusion!

But the surging, vast, and unprecedented magical power emanating from Zhou Xun clearly told him—this was the truth!
A chill instantly rose from the depths of Fang Jiuzun's heart, quickly spreading to his limbs and bones.

He still harbored a sliver of hope, thinking that he had entered the Nascent Soul stage many years earlier and had a deep foundation. If he really fought to the death, he might be able to suppress his opponent.

But now...

He suddenly recalled the scene more than 30 years ago when Zhou Xun first entered the Nascent Soul stage and stood up to him in front of everyone, holding his own.

He was already such a prodigy back then! Now that his cultivation has broken through again, his strength is probably...

A thought that he found hard to accept but had to face surfaced in his mind: he was probably no longer a match for him!

"Well, you need to give me an explanation for what happened back then, and for what happened to Lei Xiaozong!"

Zhou Xun said coldly.

Fang Jiuzun's face flushed and paled in turns, his lips trembling as he spoke. His pride as the former number one cultivator in the human realm made it difficult for him to utter a softer word, and in the end, he could only shout, his voice trembling with fear:

"Zhou Xun! Don't push your luck! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!"

Zhou Xun remained indifferent, as if watching a trivial farce:

"Between you and me, only one can leave today. Make your move and let me see what else this 'Number One Cultivator' can do."

"Good! Good! Good!" Fang Jiuzun exclaimed three times, his anger turning into a mocking laugh.

"Then I'll show you!"

He made a sudden hand seal, and the Falling Sun Seal, which was floating in the air, instantly transformed into a giant seal thousands of feet long, just like a real blazing sun falling from the sky!

The runes on the seal body flowed, drawing upon the fire element of heaven and earth. In an instant, the entire sky transformed into a scorching inferno, with rolling crimson flames and towering heat waves completely engulfing Zhou Xun.

"Sunset in the Ninth Heaven!"

Faced with this terrifying scene of scorching heaven and boiling sea, Zhou Xun merely chuckled and did not even move an inch.

He casually slashed forward with the Xuan Ting Lei Sword in his hand.

"Tear-!"

A purple sword beam, refined to its utmost, sliced ​​through the fiery inferno with ease, as if cutting through brocade!

The fiery inferno that enveloped heaven and earth vanished without a trace.

"How can it be!"

Fang Jiuzun's pupils constricted sharply, and he cried out in shock. His trump card technique had been so easily countered by the opponent?!

Liu Bai and the others watching from afar also showed expressions of surprise.

A hint of regret flashed in Liu Bai's eyes. That sword strike just now seemed casual, but in fact it contained a level of understanding of the laws and control of power that he could not reach. He knew he could never have performed it.

Yama, the Heavenly Lord of Hell, clapped his hands and laughed heartily, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The Six Paths Demon Lord and Consort Nangong exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of fear in each other's eyes.
The strength Zhou Xun is displaying at this moment already possesses the absolute ability to kill cultivators like them who are at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm!
But soon, this fear was replaced by immense joy. The stronger Zhou Xun became, the greater his chances of dealing with the Crying Ghost Emperor!
Zhou Xun shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his voice:
"Fang Jiuzun, you've dominated the human realm for thousands of years, and this is all you've achieved?"

Before he finished speaking, the Xuan Ting Lei Sword in his hand trembled slightly, instantly splitting into seventy-two incredibly solid purple sword shadows.

"Sword shadows merge into one!"

The sword light suddenly merged into one, becoming part of the Xuan Ting Lei Sword.
At the same time, infuse it with the sword intent of Thunder Grass.

They locked onto Fang Jiuzun.

Fang Jiuzun's face turned deathly pale instantly. He clearly felt the terrifying power contained in that sword strike, enough to completely annihilate him!
He knew he could not possibly withstand it!
A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, then he abruptly waved his hand!

An ancient shield, entirely purple and engraved with mysterious cloud patterns, appeared instantly, blocking his way.

The shield emitted a hazy purple light, forming a thick light screen with astonishing spiritual pressure, clearly a precious defensive spiritual treasure!

"Purple Ribbon Immortal Shield!"

The moment Liu Bai saw the shield, his pupils constricted sharply, and he cried out in alarm:

"It's you! Fang Jiuzun! It turns out that it was you who poisoned Brother Ziyu back then! We always thought this treasure had been lost in the Ghost Realm!"

Upon hearing this, Yama Heavenly Lord, Six Paths Demon Lord, and the others all changed color, their gazes towards Fang Jiuzun filled with shock and disdain.

Just then, Zhou Xun's sword moved.

The Xuan Ting Thunder Sword transformed into an extremely dazzling purple lightning bolt, instantly piercing the light barrier of the Purple Ribbon Immortal Shield!

That magical treasure, powerful enough to withstand the full-force attack of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, only lasted for a few breaths.

"Buzz!"

The Purple Ribbon Immortal Shield let out a mournful cry, its spiritual light dimmed by more than half in an instant, and even a fine crack appeared on its surface, clearly indicating that it had been severely damaged!
Fang Jiuzun was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. All his pride vanished, and he screamed in terror:

"Zhou Tianjun! I am willing to submit!"

Seeing Zhou Xun's cold gaze and his complete indifference,
He then hurriedly turned to Liu Bai and the others, pleading:

"Fellow Daoist Liu! Fellow Daoist Yama! Fellow Daoists! With the Ghost Emperor before us and a great battle imminent, killing me would mean the human race would lose a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator,"

"Wouldn't this be like cutting off one's own arm, causing pain to loved ones and joy to enemies? I beg you all to plead for me!"

These words caused the Six Paths Demon Lord and Consort Nangong to exchange glances, as if they found some truth in them.

Even Liu Bai frowned, looking thoughtful.

"Ah."

Zhou Xun let out a cold, sneer.

"What use are you, a piece of trash who can't even withstand a single sword strike from me? You're just a waste of my spiritual energy!"

Before he finished speaking, the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword that had shattered the Purple Ribbon Immortal Shield trembled slightly and disappeared instantly. The next moment, it passed through Fang Jiuzun's brow like a ghost!

However, the anticipated scene of the skull exploding did not occur.

There was a soft "poof" sound.
The "Fang Jiuzun" who was pierced by the sword light turned into a charred piece of wood and fell from the sky.

At the same time, a hundred miles away, a spatial fluctuation occurred, and Fang Jiuzun's main body staggered and fell out.

His face was ashen, his breath almost completely depleted, and without looking back, he tore through the void and fled for his life!
"The substitute puppet?"

"There are plenty of good things, but they can't protect you!"

Zhou Xun's eyes sharpened.
With a flash, he transformed into a streak of purple lightning and gave chase!

(End of this chapter)