Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 986 New Divine Power, A Vision for Immortal Abodes!

Zhou Xun stared at the golden ape with wide astonishment, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

Just now, Xiaoqing revealed the information about the innate divine power it awakened after advancing to the fifth rank.

This supernatural power is neither an offensive technique nor a defensive method.

It is a spatial talent that can be described as heaven-defying—the Law of Space!
According to Xiaoqing, it can now create and nurture an independent cave space within its own body!

More

Incredibly, as its cultivation level increased, this space continued to grow and expand.

With its current level of just entering the fifth rank, the space it has initially opened up can reach a vast area of ​​tens of thousands of miles!

Then, with each advancement to a higher realm, the diameter of the space expands tenfold.
The most amazing thing is that Xiaoqing can separate this initially stabilized space from her own body.

And transfer and solidify it onto a specific carrier that can withstand the forces of space!

"It can create space within the body... and even transfer it to external objects and solidify it..."

Zhou Xun muttered to himself, his eyes flashing with a sharp light. A startling thought flashed through his mind like lightning.
"This...this is the legendary 'Immortal Abode'?!"

He suddenly remembered the ancient secrets about the origin of this world!
That Ghost Realm, isn't it just an inner space created by a soul-devouring beast of true immortal level in ancient times with its supreme divine power?

As for the human realm, it is rumored that it was a part that the True Immortal Soul-Eating Beast extracted from the vast Immortal Realm and refined to form an independent world!
"Could it be... that the ultimate form of Xiaoqing's awakened talent is to create a prototype world like the Ghost Realm or even the Human Realm?"

"And the process of transferring and solidifying space onto an external object is the process of refining a 'celestial abode' or a 'grotto-heaven treasure'?"

This thought made Zhou Xun's heart pound.

An even bolder and more outrageous idea then emerged:
"If...if Xiaoqing's abilities are powerful enough, is it possible...to transform this entire human realm we inhabit?"

"Is it similar to refining an immortal abode, transferring and refining it entirely into some earth-shattering vessel?"

"If that were truly the case, wouldn't the human realm become a 'super immortal abode' that could be carried around?"

"No matter where I go in the Immortal Realm in the future, whenever I miss my homeland, I can enter it at any time!"

"Even in the event of an insurmountable danger, one can hide important people in this realm, which is equivalent to having an absolutely safe haven!"

This idea was so shocking that even Zhou Xun himself thought it was a bit of a fantasy.

However, he was well aware of the wonder of the Soul-Eating Beast, a rare species from heaven and earth, and the immeasurable potential contained in its bloodline.

He suppressed his excitement and carefully asked Xiaoqing for more details, especially about the limits of the "internal space-gathering" ability and the requirements of the carrier for transferring space.

Xiaoqing tilted her head, her golden eyes sparkling as she answered:

“Master, I have just awakened, and I still have a vague idea of ​​the upper limit of this ability.”

"Opening up a space of ten thousand miles is already the current limit, and it requires a large amount of primal power."

"As for whether it's possible to transfer a world as vast as the human realm... I don't know either."

It paused, then continued:

"Moreover, the materials needed to support and stabilize such a vast world are by no means ordinary."

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid it would require materials of the legendary True Immortal level, or even higher."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun was not disappointed; on the contrary, he became even more convinced that this path was not entirely unreal.

He pondered for a moment, a glint of wisdom flashing in his eyes:

"The divine artifact that carries the human realm... perhaps, there is a place where clues might be found, or even... the answer itself!"

Xiaoqing seemed to sense his thoughts, and her golden eyes instantly lit up.
"Master, are you referring to... the storage space left behind by the True Immortal-level ancestor after his fall?"

"Not bad!"

Zhou Xun nodded firmly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the void, looking towards the depths of the Ghost Realm.

"Although that True Immortal Soul-Devouring Beast has perished for countless ages, the Ghost Realm it left behind still exists."

"Our human realm still exists and continues to function; it can even produce Nascent Soul stage cultivators,"

"This is enough to show that our human realm already has sufficiently powerful materials to support it; we just need to find it!"

This discovery and idea opened a completely new door for Zhou Xun's future.

"The master said so!"

……

Just as Zhou Xun was talking to Xiao Qing, several streaks of light shot from the edge of the island and landed nearby.

The radiance faded, revealing the figures of Lin Xueying and Song Yiqing, followed closely by Zhou Jingsong, Shi Wanying, Xu Shaoqing, Yu Siyue, and other disciples personally taught by Zhou Xun.

They were startled by the heavenly tribulation and the illusion, but now that the tribulation clouds have dispersed and Zhou Xun is unharmed, they dare to come forward.

The crowd first bowed respectfully to Zhou Xun: "Master/Husband!"

Then, their gazes involuntarily fell on the giant ape beside Zhou Xun, which was as tall as a human and exuded a chilling fifth-tier aura.

His eyes were filled with a complex and unfathomable look.

Envy, awe, disbelief... a mix of emotions.

As Zhou Xun's closest confidants, they naturally knew that the Nascent Soul realm was the pinnacle of cultivation in this world.
It's rare to find someone like this among millions of cultivators.

The seemingly insignificant spirit pet beside Zhou Xun had also quietly reached this legendary realm, which was quite astonishing to them.

Lin Xueying and Song Yiqing exchanged a glance, suppressing the turmoil in their hearts, and smiled gently:

"Congratulations, my husband, you have gained another great asset."

Then he looked at Xiaoqing, his tone gentle:

"Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Xiaoqing on attaining the Great Dao of Nascent Soul."

Zhou Jingsong, Shi Wanying, and the others quickly composed themselves and said in unison, "Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Junior Aunt Xiaoqing!"

Zhou Xun waved his hand, his expression calm.
He glanced at his two Daoist partners and several disciples, and gently encouraged them, "You all need to diligently cultivate and solidify your Daoist hearts."

"The cultivation world is vast and full of opportunities. In the future, there may be a day when one can ascend to the Nascent Soul stage or even glimpse an even higher realm."

Upon hearing this, everyone took it as encouragement and bowed in agreement, but deep down, most of them lacked confidence.

The realm of Nascent Soul was too far away for them. Being able to condense a Nascent Soul and live for two thousand years was already a stroke of luck for them, and they dared not ask for more.

After all, it is a consensus that human resources are limited and the path to enlightenment is difficult.

However, Zhou Xun's thoughts were quite different as he looked at them.

"If I could truly refine the mortal realm into a portable immortal abode..." This thought resurfaced, revealing another possibility to him.
"That means I can change the traditional restrictions on my path to the Immortal Realm!"

In the past, he only planned to take a very few of his most trusted and top-notch core members, such as Liu Bai, Yun Ku, and Wang Erniu, to the Immortal Realm.

The need to maintain cross-border channels, consume resources, and maintain confidentiality make it impossible to support large-scale migration.

But if the human realm becomes his "private property", the situation will be completely different!
He could easily try to establish a new set of rules and selection mechanisms within the "Human Realm Cultivation Alliance".

Any cultivator, as long as they meet certain standards, can obtain "permission" to leave the human realm and enter the immortal realm, where resources are infinite and the Great Dao is flourishing, to cultivate!

This is tantamount to opening a door to a higher level for all cultivators in the human realm!
While risks still exist, opportunities have greatly increased.

His disciples, Daoist partners, and even the promising younger generation in the alliance all have a wider space for growth!
Zhou Xun gradually formed a vague plan in his mind.

To find a blessed land in the celestial realm, like the Lake of Oblivion from years past, as one's own training ground.
From then on, every cultivator who came from the human realm would stop here first.
In this way, another path to cultivation can be found for cultivators in the human realm.
Thinking of this, his gaze towards Lin Xueying and the others softened, and he casually offered a few words of guidance on their cultivation questions, giving them some encouragement.

After everyone had calmed down a bit, Zhou Xun said to Lin Xueying:

"Xueying, now that this matter is settled, I need to go out. You and Yiqing will continue to take care of the affairs on the island."

Lin Xueying nodded obediently: "Husband, go ahead with peace of mind. We'll take care of everything."

Zhou Xun glanced at Xiao Qing at his feet again and communicated with her telepathically.

Xiaoqing understood, and with a flash of golden light, she transformed into a stream of light and disappeared back into the Soul-Nourishing Banner in Zhou Xun's sleeve to nurture and consolidate her newly broken-through realm.

Without further delay, Zhou Xun transformed into a streak of pale purple light and sped toward the teleportation hall in the center of Wangchuan Immortal City.

Upon entering the main hall, he immediately activated the ultra-long-distance teleportation array leading to the Western Desert front.

With a flash of light and a spatial ripple, his figure vanished instantly.

The next moment, on the front lines of the Western Desert, inside a grand hall, the teleportation array lit up, and Zhou Xun's figure slowly appeared.

He stepped out of the teleportation array, quickly passed through the ghost realm passage, and arrived in the ghost realm once again.

He was heading towards the internal space left behind by the fallen True Immortal-level Soul-Eating Beast.

……

A few days later,
After navigating through various teleportation arrays throughout the Ghost Realm and undergoing a considerable flight, Zhou Xun finally arrived at the core area of ​​the Ghost Realm.

The closer one gets to the center, the purer and denser the surrounding yin energy becomes, giving the earth a dark, purplish-black hue.
Countless towering, ghostly plants twisted and grew, emitting an eerie glow.

In the distance, the outline of a majestic city gradually becomes clear.

That is Ghost Emperor City.

The entire city seemed to be built from countless enormous, pale skeletons and pitch-black ghost stones, with towering walls that stretched as far as the eye could see.
This place is a symbol of power and authority in the ghost realm.

Just as Zhou Xun descended above Ghost Emperor City, his aura barely beginning to manifest—

Deep within the Ghost Emperor City, in the magnificent palace built from countless skulls, the Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord, who was on the throne, suddenly raised his head, a hint of horror flashing in his purple eyes!
"This aura... it's Master! Master has personally descended upon the Ghost Realm!"

It dared not be negligent in the slightest, its figure instantly transforming into a purple streak of light, breaking through the roof of the hall, and rushing towards Zhou Xun's location at top speed.

Feeling uneasy, I wondered why this mysterious and powerful master had suddenly come in person.

A few breaths later, the Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord had already arrived in front of Zhou Xun.
Without hesitation, he knelt on one knee in mid-air, his posture extremely respectful, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of tension:

"Zi Yan greets Master! I was unaware of your arrival and have failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me!"

Zhou Xun hovered in mid-air, his green robe fluttering slightly in the cold wind, his gaze calmly sweeping over the respectfully kneeling Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord below.

"Get up," Zhou Xun said calmly.
"I have other important business to attend to on this trip. I'd also like to take a look at how you've managed to govern the Ghost Realm."

Upon hearing this, the Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord felt somewhat relieved. He quickly rose, stood respectfully to the side with his hands at his sides, and cautiously replied:
"Reporting to Master, thanks to your great blessings, the Ghost Realm is now completely under our control. As per your instructions, I have strictly limited the number of fourth-tier Ghost Kings and would never dare to exceed that limit."

It reported in detail:

"Now, the entire ghost realm has undergone integration and...cleaning..."

"There are currently 108 high-ranking fourth-tier ghost kings."

"Four hundred and fifty mid-grade fourth-tier ghost kings."

"There are 1,200 fourth-tier low-grade ghost kings. This number will also be the number of fourth-tier ghost kings that the ghost realm will possess in the future, and it has been proclaimed to the entire realm by the Ghost Emperor's decree, becoming an ironclad rule."

At this point, the Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord's tone turned sinister:
"I hereby establish a rule: in the future, within the Ghost Realm, anyone wishing to advance to the fourth rank must first have a Ghost King of the same rank perish or pass away, thus freeing up a spot!"

"Anyone who dares to attempt to break through the bottleneck without permission will be considered a traitor, condemned by the entire realm, and executed without exception! The emergence of any new fifth-tier Ghost Lord will not be tolerated!"

Zhou Xun listened quietly; this was exactly the result he wanted.

"Hmm, well done." Zhou Xun nodded slightly, his tone carrying a hint of approval.
"If this situation is maintained, the ghost realm can remain peaceful."

Having received his master's approval, the Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord felt a great weight lifted from his heart, and a hint of joy flashed in his purple eyes:
"I will obey Master's decree! Ziyan will do everything in my power to protect the Ghost Realm for Master!"

Zhou Xun said no more, his gaze passing over Ghost Emperor City and landing on the even darker, continuous mountain range behind the city, which seemed to connect to the origin of the Ghost Realm—the Holy Mountain.

"You may leave now. Maintain order in the Ghost Realm. Do not disturb me without my summons," Zhou Xun instructed.

"Yes! Master!"

The Purple Nightmare Ghost Lord respectfully accepted the order, bowed once more, and then transformed into a streak of purple light, retreating back into the Ghost Emperor City.

After Zi Yan left, Zhou Xun moved and transformed into a faint phantom, instantly traversing dozens of miles to arrive at the foot of the Holy Mountain.

This sacred mountain is dark purple all over, and its body is covered with all kinds of strange natural patterns, exuding a strong ancient and wild atmosphere.

Above the mountain peak, shrouded in mist, the outline of an ancient palace built of some kind of black boulder could be vaguely seen. That was the sacred land of the Ghost Clan, and also the entrance to a deeper secret.

Zhou Xun walked up the mountain ridge, his steps seemingly slow, but in reality, each step covered hundreds of feet.

In a short while, he reached the summit and returned to the black temple.
A statue of a soul-devouring beast stands in the north.

"Xiao Qing!"

Zhou Xun immediately clapped his hands, summoning the Green Ape.
"Hoohoo!"

As soon as it emerged, the blue ape excitedly tapped its nose a few times, then emitted streaks of gray light.

Envelop the entire statue
The moment the beam of light touched the statue, the entire sacred mountain suddenly trembled violently!

The skull lamps on the dome rained down like a storm, creating countless eerie blue fire pits on the ground.

Immediately after
The statue's eyes suddenly glowed with a blood-red light.

A black vortex, ten zhang in diameter, formed above the pool, filled with extremely dense spatial energy.
Zhou Xun led Xiao Qing and jumped into it.

A dizzying sensation followed, and then my feet touched solid ground again.

The destination has arrived!
(End of this chapter)