Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 975 The Terrifying Cry of the Imperial Guard, Farewell to the Artistic Conception

The Blood Lord's massive body, which was charging forward, suddenly stiffened, and his violent movements instantly froze.

Immediately afterwards, centered on that tiny hole between his eyebrows, countless dazzling purple sword lights suddenly erupted from his body!
"boom--!!!"

The three-thousand-foot-tall body of flesh and blood was as if sliced ​​apart by countless sharp blades, collapsing with a crash and vanishing into nothingness.
All that remained was a fist-sized, cracked, blood-red skull, almost completely destroyed!
"puff--!"

His natal magical artifact was severely damaged, and Blood River Emperor was struck as if by a heavy hammer, violently spitting out a mouthful of dark red primordial ghost blood.

His breath instantly weakened, and his face was filled with extreme pain and unbelievable horror!
"No...impossible!!" His pupils contracted sharply.

"Even if His Majesty the Emperor himself came, it wouldn't be so easy... much less could he destroy my Blood Skull!!"

His worldview seemed to have completely collapsed under this sword strike.

However, before he could recover from the immense shock and fear, the purple sword light that had just defeated the Blood Lord slightly bent in mid-air.
It shot towards his body without stopping! Its speed was so fast that it seemed to ignore the distance in space!

Blood River Emperor was terrified, and a strong shadow of death instantly enveloped him!

He desperately tried to tear through space to escape, to turn into a blood mist and dissipate, and to use any life-saving secret technique!
But it was all too late.

The purple sword mark had already gently pierced his skull before his horrified gaze.

There were no earth-shattering explosions, no scenes of blood and gore.

After the sword light flashed, Blood River Emperor's body froze in place, motionless.

His eyes quickly dimmed, all his spirit and consciousness were completely annihilated and destroyed by that sword that contained the sword intent of destruction and the true meaning of thunder!
A gust of wind blew by, and his lifeless body slowly dissipated like a sand sculpture, turning into the purest Yin energy and returning to the world.

Blood River Ghost Emperor, a peak mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, is dead!
"River of Blood—"

Tuose Emperor, who was locked in combat with Liu Bai's sword light, caught a glimpse of Blood River Emperor's body dissipating out of the corner of his eye. His movements froze abruptly, and he was almost struck by a sharp sword aura.

His pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with utter astonishment and shock, as if he had witnessed the most impossible thing in the world!

He almost thought he was hallucinating.
"How is this possible? That's the Blood River Emperor!"

A being who has been renowned alongside him for millennia, possessing unpredictable and mysterious blood-based supernatural powers, and further protected by a blood-skull formation.

Even Tuose himself, in terms of true combat strength, couldn't compare.

Yet, such a person has fallen!
What chilled him to the bone even more was that the Blood River Emperor was not defeated after a fierce battle, but was instantly killed.

"Just two sword strikes! First, he broke through the Blood Lord, then he cleaved the Blood River." The execution was so swift and decisive that it was outrageous!

"This...this kind of method, even if His Majesty the Emperor himself came, he might not be able to do it so easily!"

An indescribable chill emanated from the depths of Tuosedi's ghost, instantly spreading throughout his body.

What kind of monster is Zhou Xun?! How could such a monstrous talent appear in the human realm?!

Boundless regret instantly overwhelmed his mind:

"Damn it! If I had known there were such terrifying beings in the human realm, why would I have tricked Blood River into launching an attack ahead of schedule!"

This regret instantly transformed into a deeper fear.
If Blood River couldn't even withstand two sword strikes from him, wouldn't it be the same if he were captured?
Thinking of this, an unprecedented urge to retreat surged up wildly.

Not only him, but all the other demon clan Nascent Soul cultivators who were engaged in fierce battle were also stunned, and their offensive involuntarily slowed down.

"Fa...what happened?"

"Lord Blood River's aura... has vanished?"

"Impossible! I must have sensed something wrong! That's the Blood River Emperor!"

"An illusion! It must be a human illusion! They're trying to disturb our minds!"

"But...but that dissipated yin energy...those shattered fragments of the blood skull...it can't be faked!"

"Gulp..." A demon cultivator swallowed a non-existent mouthful of saliva with difficulty, his voice dry and trembling.
"Lord Blood River... really... has been beheaded?!"

This scene unfolded clearly before the eyes of millions of human cultivators below and tens of millions of ghost army ahead.

After a brief silence, the human camp erupted in thunderous cheers, their morale soaring!
Liu Bai was using all his sword skills to fight against Tuose Di.

Suddenly, he caught sight of the Blood River Emperor being annihilated by a single sword strike, and his eyes widened in surprise.
His swordplay even froze for a moment, not because of fear, but because of extreme shock and bewilderment!

"That sword strike..." Liu Bai stared intently at the Xuan Ting Lei Sword that Zhou Xun had retrieved, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

"It seems simple and straightforward, yet it seems to contain the ultimate truth of the universe and has attracted some kind of power!"

"Could that be the legendary... artistic conception!"

As a peerless swordsman of his time, his perception of swords far surpasses that of others.
"With this sword, even if Ti Yu were to face it head-on, he would probably have no choice but to retreat!"

Meanwhile, Yun Kutianjun, Yanmotianjun, Ji Wanren, and the others on the other side had also recovered from their initial shock.

Yun Kutianjun chanted a Buddhist prayer, and his golden body shone brighter with excitement. "Zhou Xun has truly reached such a level! Our human race has hope!"

"Hahaha! Good! Good! Good!" After a moment of stunned silence, Yama, the Heavenly Lord of Hell, burst into an even more unrestrained laugh, his voice echoing across the surrounding wilderness.
"Two swords slay the Ghost Emperor! Brother Zhou never lies! He said he could fight Ti Yu, and he certainly could!"

"With this support, what do we have to fear!" Ji Wanren's spirits soared, the Dragon Seal in his hand shone brightly, and the imperial dragon aura surged forth.

At this moment, all doubts in everyone's hearts vanished, replaced by unprecedented confidence!
With these two earth-shattering sword strikes, Zhou Xun completely proved that he possessed terrifying strength that rivaled or even surpassed the Ghost Emperor!
"kill--!"

It is unknown who first let out a battle roar containing boundless rage and exhilaration, as if lighting a fuse!

The next moment, the morale of all the human cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage and even the countless low-level cultivators on the flying boats behind them instantly soared to its peak!

A tremendous fighting spirit erupted!

"Kill all these devil bastards!"

"Fight for humanity!"

"annihilate the demon race..."

The offensive suddenly intensified, and the power of Taoist magic, sword light, and magical treasures seemed to surge out of thin air, like a flood bursting its banks, pressing down fiercely!

The morale of the Ghost Clan army was greatly diminished by the fall of the Blood River Emperor, and their formation began to crumble.

Countless low-level ghosts screamed in terror and even began to instinctively flee backward.

Seeing this, the human cultivators' morale soared, their offensive surged, and the light of their Daoist techniques and supernatural powers blazed even brighter, on the verge of a major rout!

At this critical moment——

“Buzz…” An indescribable, vast aura suddenly rose from the depths of the Ghost Realm passage!

This aura was not merely a simple pressure; it seemed to embody the will of the entire ghost realm.

Heavy, ancient, yet possessing a strange and captivating charm, as if the entire world were collapsing and pressing down upon us!

Immediately afterwards, a simple bronze lamp, its surface engraved with countless dark runes, drifted out from the depths of the passage.

It was initially only of ordinary size, but with each step it took forward, it expanded by one size. When it had completely passed through the passage and descended into the sky above the human world,

It has transformed into a colossal lamp, thousands of feet tall, that blots out the sky!

The ancient lamp floated silently, like a cold, bluish-white moon, replacing the original skylight and illuminating every corner of the battlefield.
Regardless of their cultivation level, all living beings were involuntarily drawn to it, staring blankly at the ancient lamp.

Bathed in that light, people's faces showed expressions of fascination, intoxication, and ecstasy.

They seemed to see the most desired, most beautiful, and happiest scene of their lives, and were so captivated by it that they could not extricate themselves.

Even the momentum of the charge and the hand gestures for casting spells came to a standstill, and the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators like the Six Paths Demon Lord and Consort Nangong showed moments of confusion and immersion in the scene, unable to completely resist this all-pervasive spiritual erosion!

"roll--!!!"

Just when all was silent and all beings were sinking into despair, a loud shout rang out like a thunderclap from the heavens!

Zhou Xun's expression was cold and stern. He shouted loudly, which contained his pure Nascent Soul power and also incorporated a trace of the majestic tribulation lightning into the sound wave!
The sound waves rolled on, an impact as tangible as reality, instantly cleansing the minds of the human cultivators!

"Uh!"

"what!"

Many human cultivators who were immersed in the illusion suddenly jolted awake, as if they had been doused with ice water. They instantly sobered up, their eyes regained their clarity, and they gasped for breath, still shaken.

"That...that was just now..."

"I think I saw it..."

"What a terrifying illusion! It appeared without a sound..."

Recalling the feeling of involuntarily sinking into depravity just now, everyone felt a chill and fear rising in their hearts!
Even the Six Paths Demon Lord and the others turned pale, still shaken.

"Is this... the Ghost Emperor Tiyu's method?" Yun Kutianjun's voice was hoarse.
The light from a single ancient lamp was enough to almost completely captivate the entire audience, who were in a state of spiritual transcendence.

Even Nascent Soul cultivators were severely affected; such unfathomable power...

It's beyond imagination!
Compared to Zhou Xun's domineering and fierce sword strikes that slayed the emperor, this strange power that silently manipulates the mind is even more incomprehensible and terrifying.

An uncontrollable suspicion quietly began to grow in the hearts of many:
Can Zhou Tianjun really stand up against such a terrifying Ghost Emperor?
Is there really any hope for humanity?
Meanwhile, unlike the panicked humans, the demon army, illuminated by the light of the ancient lamps, seemed to have been injected with a powerful stimulant!
The fear and panic of all the demons subsided instantly, their eyes turning fervent and devout, and their previously scattered formation quickly reformed.
The overwhelming ghostly energy condensed once more, even more turbulent than before!

"Your Majesty! It's the Crying Emperor!"

"The Emperor has arrived! Hahaha!"

"Victory belongs to us! Slaughter all of humanity!"

A frenzied roar erupted from the demon army like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing down; their fighting spirit soared to unprecedented heights, as if they possessed boundless confidence.

With another roar, they charged towards the human ranks, and the two races clashed once more.
Looking at the thousand-foot-tall bronze lamp, Zhou Xun's face showed an unprecedented solemnity.

The illusion that just now covered tens of thousands of miles and instantly captivated millions of cultivators was truly too bizarre and too terrifying!
Based on his current understanding, it was a strange power that directly attacked the source of the mind and controlled the seven emotions and six desires!

Even he himself felt a subtle fluctuation in his emotions the moment the ancient lamplight shone upon him.

This set off alarm bells in his mind.

"Of all the Nascent Soul cultivators I've encountered in the Immortal Realm, none have ever given me such a strange, unpredictable, and unfathomable feeling..."

"Could it be that Ti Yu has also mastered some kind of artistic conception!"

Zhou Xun's gaze was sharp as lightning as he stared intently at the ancient lamp, as if trying to see through its very essence.

"I have now reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm and have comprehended two realms of intent. My strength is comparable to that of the top beings at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm, yet I no longer have the confidence to win!"

"This Ti Yu, confined to a corner of the Ghost Realm, could his strength and methods really reach such a level?"

"No matter what bizarre methods he may have or what astonishing strength he possesses..."

"We must win this battle!"

Zhou Xun took a deep breath, and the seven-colored spirit armor around him shimmered with light, becoming increasingly solid. The Xuan Ting Thunder Sword emitted a buzzing sword sound, and his fighting spirit surged once more.

Just then, a figure silently stepped out of the ghost realm passage, walking through the air towards Zhou Xun.
The newcomer was extremely tall, nearly a hundred feet, wearing a dark imperial robe revered by countless ghosts and a twelve-tassel crown.
The tassels swayed slightly, vaguely obscuring his face, with only a pair of deep, abyss-like eyes burning with eerie ghostly flames clearly visible.

He is none other than the current ruler of the Ghost Realm—the Crying Ghost Emperor!
Ti Yu's gaze swept across the battlefield, but he did not detect the Blood River Emperor's aura. His brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the pale-faced Tuose Emperor in the distance.

Where is the River of Blood?

Upon hearing this, Emperor Tuose trembled, hurriedly stepped forward, and respectfully bowed, his voice filled with lingering fear:
"Your Majesty, Blood River...he has perished!"

"Fallen? How is that possible?" Ti Yu frowned.
"It's true, Your Majesty, please see!"

Tuose was terrified and quickly used his magic to conjure an image in the air.
It was precisely the astonishing scene just now where Zhou Xun slew the Blood Lord and killed the Blood River Emperor with two sword strikes.
The Crying Ghost Emperor silently watched the scene conjured by magical power.

A hint of undisguised surprise flashed in his deep eyes.

"Two swords..." he murmured to himself, his gaze returning to Zhou Xun with an unprecedented scrutiny and solemnity.

He naturally knew about the Blood Skull of the Blood River; when fully activated, it was equivalent to gaining a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
To be so easily killed, the person before me is clearly no good!

He slowly raised his head, his voice deep: "I never imagined that such a small human realm could produce someone like you. I... admire you."

Zhou Xun remained calm and responded indifferently:
"Your Excellency the Ghost Emperor used an ancient lamp to bewitch a million of my cultivators. Your supernatural powers are also unpredictable. I am amazed."

Upon hearing this, the Ghost Emperor's eyes flickered with ghostly fire, and he suddenly spoke:

"The key to this battle lies between the two of us. Countless battles will only increase casualties, so it would be better to stop here."

"How about we settle this with a duel between the two of us?"

Zhou Xun's gaze swept over the countless anxious faces looking at him below, and he immediately nodded:
"Excellent! I was just about to learn from your esteemed skills!"

(End of this chapter)