Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 977 Even Better, Xiao Qing Makes a Strange Move!

There was no earth-shattering, loud collision.

At the instant the two forces' laws clashed, the entire world seemed to be paused, falling into an eerie, absolute silence.

The next moment——

"Crack...Boom!!!"

Centered on the intersection point, the space within a radius of thousands of miles shattered like a broken mirror!

Countless spatial turbulence roared out like wild horses, devouring everything around them!
The colossal finger, imbued with the "illusionary intent" of the Crying Ghost Emperor, began to crumble inch by inch, starting from its tip.

It transformed into the purest ghostly energy, which was then completely shattered and annihilated by the violent spatial turbulence and the dissipating sword intent!
Zhou Xun's pure white lightning sword also let out a mournful cry.
He flew back, the light of his spirit slightly dimmed as it hovered in front of him.

This clash of titans, each imbued with their own unique essence, ended in a draw!
"impossible!!!"

The thousands of feet tall Dharma body of the Crying Ghost Emperor trembled violently, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief, astonishment, and shock appeared on his face!

"How...how could he possibly block my 'Illusionary Annihilation Finger'!"

"This is the supreme realm that I, the Emperor, comprehended after ten thousand years of arduous cultivation in the forbidden area of ​​the Holy Mountain, and by comprehending the power left behind by the Holy Ancestor!"

"Enough to cause cultivators of the same level to fall into an illusion and have their primordial spirit annihilated!"

"He's a human... a human in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm... how could he possibly stop us? How could he possibly stop us?"

The turbulent currents of shattered space continued to rage, stirring up pure ghostly energy and lightning, forming a chaotic energy storm.

Amidst this scene of destruction, the two supreme beings faced each other from afar, their auras locking onto one another once more.

"I never imagined that Fellow Daoist Tiyu would also have mastered the power of intent."

His tone carried a hint of wistfulness and regret.
The fact that this person was able to advance to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm in the Ghost Realm and comprehend the power of intent demonstrates their exceptional talent.

In the Immortal Realm, this would be at least a Integration Stage, or even a Great Ascension Stage, with a slight possibility!
Unfortunately, such a person is not from their human race.

His hero is my enemy; this weeping enemy cannot be allowed to live!

Zhou Xun's voice suddenly turned stern, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"Tiyu, even in terms of artistic conception, there are differences in quality. Today!"

"Let's see who has a stronger artistic conception... and who will have the last laugh!"

Upon hearing this, the Crying Ghost Emperor paused slightly.

The previous jest and condescending indifference have vanished without a trace, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

The human opposite him was a true being whose strength was on the same level as his own!
This is an opponent with the power to truly threaten him, or even kill him!

"it is good!"

The voice of the Crying Ghost Emperor became low and solemn.
"Today, let's see who is stronger!"

"The winner lives, the loser dies!"

He roared silently in his heart, and a pride and obsession that came from the depths of his bloodline and the inheritance of that sacred mountain were completely ignited!
"My artistic conception is a gift and legacy from the Holy Ancestor, and it is one of the supreme powers of the Ghost Path! How could I possibly be defeated by a mere human brat like you! Absolutely impossible!"

With his belief firmly established, the Crying Ghost Emperor waved his hand, and the ancient bronze lamp floated lightly into his palm.

He then closed his eyes slightly, and the aura emanating from his massive body instantly subsided.

Then he poured all his strength, will, and all his understanding of the concept of "disillusionment" into that seemingly ancient bronze lamp!

"Om-"

The ancient bronze lamp trembled slightly.

An extreme sense of danger emanated from that lamp.

It slowly rose from the palm of the Crying Ghost Emperor, seemingly slow, but in fact transcending the concept of speed, and drifted towards Zhou Xun.

Seeing this, Zhou Xun showed no sadness or joy.

Open your mouth.

"咻咻咻咻——"

Seventy-two lightning seeds flew out.

With an incredibly mysterious trajectory, it spread across a space spanning thousands of miles, faintly forming an enormous thunder array!

"Heavenly tribulation lightning, rise!"

Zhou Xun's deep voice seemed to contain the might of heaven, invoking the laws of the unseen world.

"Rumble--"

Above the sky, pitch-black thunderclouds, hundreds or even thousands of times thicker than before, appeared out of nowhere and gathered wildly!
Within the clouds, purple lightning snakes roamed, rolled, and roared!
A vast, boundless, cold, and merciless divine might, representing the judgment and destruction of heaven and earth, suddenly descended!
Even Liu Bai, Yun Ku, Yan Mo Tianjun, and others who were watching the battle from thousands of miles away felt their souls tremble under this divine might, and their magical power became sluggish!
They stared in disbelief, their faces filled with astonishment.

"Is...is this really a power that someone at the Nascent Soul stage can control?"

"Even the Nascent Soul Tribulation lightning of that year... was far less powerful than this. What kind of inheritance did Fellow Daoist Zhou receive? What level of power is this?"

Meanwhile, the demon clan camp on the other side was already in complete chaos.

Those ghost lords at the Nascent Soul stage seemed to have encountered their natural nemesis under the pure, supremely yang, and extremely powerful tribulation lightning.
The fear that originated from the depths of their souls made their ghostly aura dissipate, and they trembled with fear!
If it weren't for the fact that the Crying Ghost Emperor was still ahead, they probably would have turned around and fled back to the Ghost Realm long ago!
Even Tuose Emperor, who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, was deathly pale at this moment.

An extremely absurd yet incredibly real premonition began to grow wildly in his heart:

"Your Majesty...I'm afraid...you won't be able to withstand this attack!"

The thought startled even himself, but he couldn't stop it.

His eyes flickered, and he subconsciously manipulated his body, silently taking a few steps back.
Hidden behind the ghost kings,
The ghostly power within him surged, ready to tear through space at any moment and escape back to the ghost realm, fleeing thousands of miles away!
at this time--

“The Emperor weeps.”

Zhou Xun's voice rang out again, "Tiyu, your ability to comprehend artistic conception is a testament to your talent and ability!"

"Today, I, Zhou, will send you off with the most powerful true meaning of tribulation lightning!"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed!
“Boom-ka-!!!”

Above the sky, the terrifying thunderclouds that had been brewing to their fullest extent suddenly tore open a huge gap!

A bolt of lightning, whose color could not be described in words, seemed to gather all the will of destruction and judgment in the world, and descended from the sky!

It seems slow, as if it spans countless ages, yet it also seems incredibly fast, ignoring the distance of space!
The instant it appeared, it was already in front of the ancient lamp.

"Om..."

Lightning struck the ancient lamp.

There was no earth-shattering explosion as expected, nor any frenzied clash of energy.

In the instant of contact, time, sound, light... everything seemed to be completely swallowed up!

The world fell into an extreme, suffocating stillness!
It was as if even the omnipresent laws had frozen at this moment!

All the spectators, regardless of race (human or demon), and regardless of their cultivation level, felt as if their thoughts and souls had been frozen.
"Boom..."

A faint, almost illusory, crisp sound rang out. There stood the indestructible ancient bronze lamp, imbued with the power and essence of ten thousand years of cultivation and artistic conception.

The light went out abruptly, and immediately afterward, a hair-thin crack appeared on the smooth surface of the lamp.

Then came the second, the third... and countless more!

Cracks instantly spread across the entire lamp body!

The next moment, under the desperate gaze of the entire demon race, and under the incredulous watchful eyes of the entire human race—

The bronze lamp silently and inch by inch crumbled apart!
It turned into countless tiny specks of light, completely annihilated, and transformed into the most primordial nothingness, leaving not even a speck of dust behind!

At the same time the ancient lamp shattered—

"puff--!!"

The Crying Ghost Emperor, thousands of miles away, was struck as if by a heavy hammer!
His immense ghostly aura instantly went out of control and dissipated wildly, his enormous Dharma body became flickering and uncertain, as if it were about to collapse and disintegrate at any moment!
A stream of primordial, dark blood, imbued with the essence of the demons, gushed from his mouth, each drop transforming into the purest demonic mist.
His aura plummeted like an avalanche!
"No...impossible..."

The Crying Ghost Emperor stood frozen in place, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the direction where the ancient lamp had gone out.
My eyes were filled with unparalleled shock, bewilderment, and... utter helplessness as my understanding was completely overturned!
He seemed to have turned into a statue, standing there blankly, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

"It's fake...it's all fake..."

The voice was weak and trembling.
"How could I lose... My artistic conception is the power of the Holy Ancestor... It is supreme..."

"I am Tiyu!"

"The only late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator in the entire history of the Ghost Realm!"

"I have mastered the power of intent! I am the restorer of the Ghost Realm, and I am destined to step into the Void Refinement realm, and even follow in the footsteps of the Holy Ancestor to explore even higher realms!"

"How could I... possibly lose to a human... lose to a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator..."

"I do not believe!!!"

"This must be an illusion! Yes! It's the backlash of the Illusion of Disillusionment! I've fallen into an illusion myself! This isn't real!!!"

However, the intense tearing pain emanating from his soul and the rapid loss of his vital essence were coldly and cruelly telling him...
All of this is real.

He, the Ghost Emperor Tiyu, was defeated.

They were utterly defeated.
"We lost... How could we possibly lose..."

This same scene was also witnessed by every Ghost Clan Nascent Soul cultivator watching from afar.
It was like ice water poured on their hearts, instantly chilling them to the bone.

The image of the invincible cry,
It had long been deeply imprinted into their souls through the thousands of years of rule by the Ghost Emperor.

Yet such a figure was defeated by a human.

Confusion, fear, despair... all sorts of emotions instantly overwhelmed their hearts.

What should they do?
"Run! Run!!"

A sharp, terrified voice rang out—it was the White Bone Demon King!
He reacted the fastest; before he could finish speaking, he had already become a blur and sped towards the Ghost Realm without regard for anything else!

However, there was another person whose movements were even faster than the White Bone Demon King!
In the instant the ancient bronze lamp crumbled inch by inch, Emperor Tuose fled like a ghost!
Unlike the despair of the demon race,

The human faction was instantly overjoyed!

"Haha! We won!"

"We won!!" Yama, the Heavenly Lord of Hell, burst into earth-shattering laughter, his demonic energy surging wildly with overwhelming emotion.
"How magnificent! Lord Wangchuan! The human race shall rise! The ghost race shall perish!"

Yun Kutianjun chanted a Buddhist prayer, and the twelve-armed golden Dharma body behind him shone with brilliant Buddhist light: "Excellent! Zhou Tianjun's supernatural powers are unparalleled, truly a blessing for the human realm! This battle is over!"

"Quick! Hunt them down!"

Liu Bai was the first to calm down from his euphoria. He pointed his sword, his voice carrying a sharp killing intent that instantly reached the ears of every human Nascent Soul cultivator.

"We must not let them escape back to the Ghost Realm!"

Almost simultaneously, Ji Wanren's voice, filled with imperial majesty, resounded throughout the battlefield, like a great bell, inspiring all human cultivators:
"All soldiers, heed my command! The Ghost Emperor has been defeated! The Ghost Clan's fate is sealed! Counterattack—! Wipe out the demons today!"

"kill--!"

A deafening battle cry erupted from the human camp like a tsunami!

The battlefield is heating up again!

And in an unprecedented, morale-boosting way!

All the human cultivators, whether they were Nascent Soul Heavenly Lords, Core Formation Ancestors, or Foundation Establishment cultivators, had flames of excitement and hatred burning in their eyes at this moment.

Like a tiger unleashed from its cage, it harnessed the light of escape and propelled the flying boat forward.
They launched a full-scale counterattack against the fleeing demons!
……

Just as the human army was launching a counterattack,

Zhou Xun did not hesitate at all and prepared to kill Ti Yu.

He knew all too well that a being as brilliant as the Ghost Emperor, who had mastered the power of intent, should never be spared.

Only by destroying both body and soul can we eliminate future troubles and bring true peace to the human race.

With a slight thought, the tribulation clouds roared and rolled once more, and the lightning regrouped, locking onto the Tiyu Ghost Emperor below, whose aura was weak and whose spirit was dazed.

A dark purple bolt of lightning was rapidly forming in the clouds.
However, just as the lightning was about to strike,
Zhou Xun suddenly felt an unusual tremor coming from the storage bag at his waist!

It was a surge of intense, almost greedy, excitement.

"Ok?"

Zhou Xun paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Qing?"

Zhou Xun reached for his waist, and a flash of black light transformed it into a small, foot-long banner that landed in his palm.

Then, he made a hand seal and pointed it towards the banner.
Then a beam of azure light flew out, landed on the ground, and transformed into a monkey over ten feet in size.

It was the soul-devouring beast, the Azure Ape!
The ape's fur was extremely glossy, emitting a faint golden light.

At this moment, he was only one step away from the fifth rank.
The moment the blue ape appeared, it displayed an expression of extreme excitement and longing.
She stared intently at Tiyu across from her, almost drooling.

"Master, can I eat this?"

"You want to...eat him?" Zhou Xun was stunned, then suddenly realized.

He remembered Xiaoqing's habits.

This little guy feeds on spirits and ghosts, and he was already excited when he devoured a fourth-tier high-grade ghost in the past.

The one before us is none other than a Ghost Emperor in the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, who has comprehended the essence of the realm and stands at the pinnacle of this world!

Its spiritual essence and the energy it contains,
For Xiaoqing, this was probably an unprecedentedly nourishing food, a truly unparalleled delicacy!
Zhou Xun pondered for a moment, then glanced at the weakened Tiyu Ghost Emperor below, a strange glint in his eyes.

"Very well, since that's the case, I'll grant your wish. Perhaps this is your chance to advance to the fifth rank!"

"Thank you, Master!"

"Roar!" The green ape was extremely excited.
He punched his nose hard, and a gray light shone out, enveloping the weak Ti Yu on the other side!

(End of this chapter)