Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 974 War between Two Races, Instant Kill of a Mid-Stage Player!

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

On the western front, under a desolate sky.

"Woo——"

The long, drawn-out sound of horns echoed in all directions.

The heavy drumbeats followed, each one seeming to strike the hearts of everyone, intertwining with the long, mournful bugle calls.
Echoing across the boundless Gobi Desert, a chilling atmosphere permeated the heavens and earth.

The massive military camp resembled a colossal beast awakening, with countless cultivators swarming out of their tents and caves like ants.

They converged in an orderly stream, rushing towards those majestic warships.

The flying boat's bow was menacing, covered in runes that shimmered with various colors of spiritual light. It hovered silently in the low sky, like a lurking ancient beast, waiting to devour life.

The entire scene was vast and magnificent, displaying the power that the human realm had accumulated over thousands of years.

At the forefront of the army, eleven figures hovered silently in the air, their robes fluttering in the wind.

Their auras were profound, some radiating Buddhist light, others soaring sword energy, still others exuding demonic energy, and still others possessing imperial might. They were the eleven remaining Divine Transformation Heavenly Lords in the human realm!
They are the backbone of humanity, the greatest fighting force in this land.

Below them, in the sky, were countless figures standing in mid-air, numbering in the thousands!

Each of them exuded a powerful spiritual pressure of varying degrees, clearly representing the Nascent Soul Ancestors from various forces in the human realm!

They are the core backbone of this battle.

Further on were thousands of giant warships, arranged in neat arrays, blotting out the sky.

Each flying ship is a mobile war fortress, carrying thousands of Qi Refining cultivators, hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators, and dozens of Core Formation cultivators.
The massive magic array engraved on the hull can gather everyone's magic power into one, unleashing a terrifying attack comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator!
On the ground, smoke and dust billowed, and the earth trembled slightly.

Countless monsters formed a massive ground army, including armored rhinoceroses, flaming lions, and whirlwind eagles... a diverse array that stretched as far as the eye could see.

They were at least third-tier demonic beasts, roaring and growling, restless yet firmly restrained, awaiting the command to charge.

Between heaven and earth, war drums and horns, the escape lights of cultivators, the hum of flying boats, and the roars of demonic beasts intertwined, forming an incomparably tragic and magnificent picture.

The fate of humanity rests on this battle!
"set off!"

At Zhou Xun's command,
The entire human army, like a sophisticated war machine, roared into action!
Thousands of Nascent Soul cultivators transformed into colorful rainbows, closely following the Divine Transformation cultivator, like a dazzling yet deadly meteor shower, surging forward across the sky.

Behind them, thousands of warships simultaneously activated their core magic arrays, emitting a deep and loud hum.

The massive ship slowly accelerated, forming a tight charging formation, sweeping across the sky and casting a vast, suffocating shadow.

On the ground, all kinds of beasts galloped!

A torrent of countless demonic beasts swept up clouds of yellow sand, like a tidal wave bursting its banks, accompanied by deafening roars and howls, surging forward in the same direction.

Between heaven and earth, there were nothing but streaks of light, flying boats, and hordes of beasts!
Spiritual pressures intertwined, and auras converged, causing the wind and clouds to change color and the mountains and rivers to tremble.

……

On the other side of the passage, a ghostly aura filled the air, obscuring the sky and the sun.

Countless hideous ghostly figures roared silently, converging into a boundless, pitch-black sea of ​​demons, their chilling, deathly aura even surpassing the sandstorms of the Western Desert.

At the very front of the formation, two figures appeared like demons descending to earth, radiating a terrifying and suffocating pressure.

The figure on the left, whose expression shifted constantly and whose surrounding space slightly distorted, was none other than Emperor Tuose.

On the right stood a figure, his blood aura soaring to the heavens, seemingly formed from an endless sea of ​​blood—this was the Blood River Emperor. The two Ghost Emperors, both at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, stared coldly and indifferently at the other end of the passage.

Behind them, ten streams of ghostly energy of varying strength soared into the sky. The ten ghostly Nascent Soul cultivators lined up in a row, each with a different appearance, some with skeletal bones, others with vengeful spirits, exuding a menacing aura.

Behind them was an endless army of ghosts, their screams echoing and ghostly flames spreading across the land.

The overwhelming ferocity gathered together, adding even more brutality and oppression than the tragic and magnificent momentum of the human alliance!

“Tuose,”

Amidst the overwhelming ghostly aura, Emperor Tuose turned to Emperor Xuehe beside him, his voice carrying a hint of seduction:
"Blood River, look at that human camp. It seems powerful, but it's nothing more than a death throes."

"Now that they have gathered here, it saves us the trouble of wiping them out one by one."

Blood River Emperor's body rippled slightly with blood waves, emitting a muffled sound:
"His Majesty has ordered us to wait here until the passage is completely secured and His Majesty descends in person before launching a full-scale attack. It would be unwise to launch an attack rashly at this time."

"What's wrong?"

Tuosedi scoffed, his voice sharp and piercing.

"In that battle more than thirty years ago, the human race's Nascent Soul stage cultivators were either killed or wounded, and their vitality was severely depleted! Thirty years is but a blink of an eye; how much of their strength can they recover? This is precisely when they are at their weakest!"

He paused, his tone becoming meaningful:
"If we can defeat these human ants in one fell swoop before His Majesty arrives, it will be an immense achievement!"

"You should know that back when His Majesty had not yet broken through to the later stage, you and I had quite a few disagreements with him. If we can make good use of this great achievement, we may be able to win back His Majesty's favor and gain a foothold in the Ghost Realm in the future."

The blood waves around the Blood River Emperor surged more intensely, revealing the violent fluctuations in his heart; he had clearly been exposed.

He also understood the unspoken meaning in Tuose's words.
If one can achieve the monumental feat of annihilating the human race, one can imagine the immense prestige they will command among the ghost race in the future.

Even if Tiyu wanted to do something to the two of them, he had to be wary of the reactions of his subordinates.

Seeing this, Tuosedi pressed his advantage and said:

"Furthermore, even if we fail to achieve complete success for the time being, with our mid-stage cultivation levels, we should have no problem leading the army and dealing with the human race to protect ourselves."

"Advance and you can achieve unparalleled merit; retreat and you will not be in danger of annihilation. Such a golden opportunity, Fellow Daoist Blood River... are you truly content to wait here in vain?"

The Blood River Emperor remained silent for a moment, then his surging blood energy suddenly subsided, transforming into a resolute killing intent: "That makes sense! So be it!"

He abruptly looked up at the vast human alliance army at the other end of the passage, letting out a sharp, long howl that echoed throughout the ghost realm:

"All troops, heed my command—"

"Charge! Crush them!"

……

Seeing that the Ghost Clan army had launched an attack, and that the most terrifying Ghost Emperor, Tiyu, was nowhere to be seen, this unusual behavior made Zhou Xun, Liu Bai, and the others frown.

"The Ghost Clan actually launched an attack? Yet Ti Yu remains hidden..." Liu Bai's sharp gaze swept over the surging tide of ghosts, his voice grave.

"Could it be that they intend to launch a sneak attack while the chaos is at hand?"

Zhou Xun remained calm and nodded, saying, "It's highly likely. Ti Yu is cunning and we must be wary. Everyone, please don't be careless."

Before he finished speaking, with a slight thought, a suit of armor flowing with seven-colored light and covered with runes instantly covered his entire body. It was the Heavenly Origin Armor, formed by fusing seven spirit armors.
But this is not over yet,
Zhou Xun flipped his hand, and an ancient-looking tortoise-shell shield appeared, instantly expanding in size.
It transformed into a solid, semi-transparent light shield, firmly protecting his entire body—it was the Xuan Turtle Shield!
Although the Thunder Shield's attributes are more suitable, it has not yet been fixed.

With double protection, interwoven spiritual light, and the hidden laws, even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would not be able to break through it easily if they launched a sudden sneak attack!

Upon seeing this, the other Nascent Soul cultivators were terrified and immediately followed suit.

As Yun Kutianjun chanted the Buddha's name, his twelve-armed golden body reappeared, radiating golden light and forming a solid protective wall of Buddha's light.

Ji Wanren summoned the Dragon Seal, with nine golden dragon phantoms swirling around him, their roars echoing.

Yama, the Heavenly Lord of Hell, opened his blood-red eyes, and a dark red barrier stood before him.

Jinbi Heavenly Lord, Six Paths Demon Lord, Nangong Yifei, Jinyuan Demon Lord, Jiang Taixu, and Xiong Jun also used their respective methods.

Some unleashed defensive magic treasures, while others activated protective divine powers. In an instant, various spiritual lights and precious energies soared into the sky, making thorough defensive preparations.

Zhou Xun's gaze locked onto the ever-changing figure at the forefront of the ghost army, and he said loudly:
"Brother Liu, leave that Blood River Emperor to me!"

Liu Bai understood and nodded without hesitation:
"Very well! I, Liu, will take over the task of taking ...

Yun Kutianjun, Ji Wanren, and the others responded in unison: "Fellow Daoist, rest assured! Although we are one person short, we will do our utmost to hold them off and will not allow them to interfere with you two!"

Zhou Xun nodded solemnly: "I will deal with Tuose as soon as possible and come to support you all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the two sides were already nearly a hundred miles apart.
At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
Behind the Ghost Clan camp, the boundless sea of ​​blood suddenly boiled, and a blood river ten thousand feet wide, scarlet and viscous, tore through the void without warning, stretching across the sky!

As soon as the Blood River appeared, it rapidly contracted and condensed, transforming in the blink of an eye into a gigantic blood hand that blotted out the sky!
With an aura of destruction capable of crushing everything, it slammed down fiercely towards the area where the human race's Nascent Soul cultivators were most concentrated!

"Blood River Giant Palm!" Liu Bai's expression was extremely solemn. He had fought a life-or-death battle with the Blood River Emperor and instantly recognized this move. He said in a deep voice:
"This old ghost's strength is even greater than it was six thousand years ago!"

Even before the giant hand arrived, its terrifying pressure had already caused the blood and qi of many Nascent Soul cultivators below to churn, almost suffocating them.

However, faced with this terrifying attack, Zhou Xun merely chuckled:
"Pretend to be a ghost!"

He didn't even move an inch; he simply raised his arm, and the purple jade lightning spear, wreathed in purple lightning, appeared in his hand.

He held the gun in one hand and suddenly raised it upwards towards the descending blood-red giant hand!
"Om-!"

The lightning spear flew out of his hand, swelled in the wind, and transformed into a giant spear that was a thousand feet long and wrapped in purple lightning!
Charge against the current!

"Boom——!!!"

The Purple Lightning Spear and the crimson giant hand collided violently!
There was no stalemate, no deadlock!

To everyone's horror, the seemingly invincible crimson giant hand, upon contact with the Purple Heaven Thunder Spear,
Just like ice and snow encountering the scorching sun, it rapidly collapsed and melted from the point of contact!
In the blink of an eye, the ten-thousand-foot-long blood hand was shattered into pieces by the terrifying lightning power contained in the lightning spear, exploding into a sky full of foul-smelling blood rain!

"Ugh—!"

A painful groan came from the Blood River, and the rain of blood quickly flowed back and reformed into the handsome but slightly pale true form of the Blood River Emperor.

He clutched his right hand, which felt as if it had been burned, staring intently at Zhou Xun with a look of disbelief in his eyes:
"Purple Heaven Divine Thunder...it's you! Lord Wangchuan!"

He immediately sent a secret message to Emperor Tuose:

"Tuose! The intelligence was wrong! Zhou Xun's strength far exceeds our expectations. He was able to break my Blood River Palm so easily! The plan for a quick victory may be difficult to achieve!"

On the other side, Emperor Tuose snorted coldly and replied:
"Blood River, you're giving others too much credit! You're only relying on your lightning magic to suppress you! Watch as I crush Liu Bai, and then join forces with you to annihilate this brat!"

Before he could finish speaking, Tuose Di's ever-changing figure suddenly blurred, and the next moment he appeared above Liu Bai, engaging him in battle.

Seeing that Tuose had already made his move, Emperor Xuehe felt that Zhou Xun was strange, but he had no way out at the moment.

He took a deep breath, opened his mouth abruptly, and a blood-red skull, about the size of a fist, crystal clear yet exuding an overwhelming aura of ferocity, shot out!

This is his destined magical treasure—the Blood Skull!

The Blood Skull flew into the bottomless blood river below, frantically absorbing the water like a whale swallowing the sea!
The skull rapidly expanded, sprouting stark white bones, followed by the growth of flesh and skin...

In the blink of an eye, a "Blood Lord" who was three thousand feet tall and had a ferocious face was formed!

The aura it emitted reached the level of the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.

A strange look flashed in Zhou Xun's eyes.

The patterns on the surface of this Blood Venerable...
It bears a striking resemblance to the Blood Demon Child he created when he cultivated the Blood Demon Scripture.

The Blood Lord, towering three thousand feet tall, had just taken shape when...

The immense, ferocious aura emanating from him, along with the undisguised pressure of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, instantly swept across the entire battlefield!
"Mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator! Another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator!"

"Adding the Blood River Emperor himself, it's equivalent to two mid-stage combatants!"

"Can Zhou Tianjun... handle both at the same time?"

Yun Kutianjun, Ji Wanren, and the others, who were engaged in a fierce battle with the Ghost Clan's Nascent Soul stage, all felt a chill and couldn't help but worry about Zhou Xun.

Liu Bai, who was currently dealing with the thousands of bone spikes of Emperor Tuose, couldn't help but secretly transmit his voice, his tone urgent:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, do you need any help? I can handle this fiend on my own for a while!"

Faced with everyone's worries, Zhou Xun merely chuckled, his calm yet unwavering confidence reaching Liu Bai's ears:

"Brother Liu, rest assured, they are only at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. Even if a few more come, what can they do to me?"

Before he finished speaking, he flipped his hand, and the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword was already hovering in front of him.

Zhou Xun pointed his fingers like a sword, and a stream of pure, divine-level magical power entered the sword.

"Sword shadows merge into one!"

In an instant, the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword trembled violently, instantly splitting into seven hundred incredibly solid purple sword shadows.

Each sword shadow was wreathed in fragments of lightning, and infused with an incomparably tenacious and inexhaustible sword intent—this was the essence of the Thunder Grass Sword.

The thousand sword shadows suddenly merged into one, all of them disappearing into the Xuan Ting Thunder Sword!
Zhou Xun looked indifferently at the three-thousand-foot-tall Blood Venerable who roared and charged towards him, and casually pointed his finger.

"go."

The Xuan Ting Thunder Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry and vanished from its spot in an instant!

In the next instant, everyone saw a blur before their eyes, and a thin purple thread seemed to transcend the limitations of time and space.

It appeared out of thin air in front of the Blood Lord's huge brow, passing through him silently!

(End of this chapter)