Cultivation of Immortality: Start by Improving Spiritual Root Qualifications

Chapter 997 Two Nascent Soul cultivators? Perfect timing to take them both in!
Jiuji Island is one of the top-grade spirit islands of the fifth rank in the Lu clan's territory.

The island is an irregular circle, stretching for thousands of miles, its spiritual energy swirling into mist, shimmering with iridescent colors under the sunlight.

The island is filled with buildings, the most eye-catching of which is the majestic fairy city in the center.

Due to its special location, Jiuji Immortal City on the island gradually developed into one of the three immortal cities of Lushi, radiating to the surrounding millions of miles of sea.

The entire city was made of white jade, with walls that were hundreds of feet high and covered with intricate array runes.

The city streets are crisscrossed, teeming with people, and various flying boats and teleportation devices come and go in an endless stream, creating a scene of great prosperity.

The one stationed in this city is Lu Haiping, one of the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Lu clan.

He learned from Lu Hanqing's memory that

This person is a veteran cultivator of the Lu clan, now over 17,000 years old.

This person also had another identity: Lu Hanqing's great-great-grandfather.

This is also an important reason why Zhou Xun chose this place as his first stop.

They could get close to him by using Lu Hanqing's identity.

In addition, the three immortal cities of the Lu clan must have a lot of spiritual items stored in their treasuries, which is why they chose this place.

On this day, in the teleportation hall of Jiuji Immortal City...
A flash of light appeared on a teleportation array, and a young man appeared on it.

It was indeed 'Lu Hanqing'.

Today he was dressed in a golden brocade robe, with a jade belt around his waist, and his expression was calm, just like the real Lu Hanqing.

"I've met the young master!"

Upon seeing this, the cultivators responsible for guarding the main hall quickly stepped forward to pay their respects.

As Lu Haiping's great-grandson and the crown prince of Jiuji Immortal City, everyone naturally recognized this Young Master Hanqing.

"No need to be polite."

Lu Hanqing waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

His gaze swept across the main hall, and his divine sense stirred slightly as he sensed the fluctuations of the surrounding array.

This teleportation hall is equipped with multiple layers of restrictions, including arrays that can detect disguises.

Fortunately, the Thousand-Faced Mask is a rare treasure, and it cannot be detected by conventional detection methods.

"Young Master, what brings you back to Jiuji Island today?"

The head of the guards asked respectfully, with a perfectly appropriate smile on his face.

"There are some things that need to be discussed with the ancestor."

Lu Hanqing gave a casual reply, his gaze already fixed on the inner city.

That was Lu Haiping's place of cultivation, and also the core area of ​​Jiuji Immortal City.

"I see. Do you need me to clear the way for you?"

The guard commander asked solicitously.

"No need, I will go by myself."

Lu Hanqing waved his hand and walked towards the Jiuhai Palace in the inner city.

He walked with ease, but his divine sense was secretly probing his surroundings.

The defenses of Jiuji Immortal City were even more stringent than he had anticipated.

Not only were the city walls covered with guard formations, but patrol teams also passed by on the streets from time to time.

These patrol teams are all led by Core Formation cultivators, and the members are at least in the late Foundation Establishment stage.

What caught his attention even more was the presence of more than a dozen powerful auras within the city.

Although they were all at the late Nascent Soul stage, there were quite a few of them, clearly representing the core strength of the Lu clan.

"As expected of one of the three great immortal cities of the Lu clan."

He sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. The cultivators he encountered along the way all bowed and paid their respects to him.

This shows how high Lu Hanqing's status was in this area.

The further into the inner city you go, the more heavily guarded it becomes.

Upon reaching the entrance to Jiuji Mountain, there was a team of Nascent Soul cultivators on guard.

"Young Master Hanqing?"

The leading Nascent Soul cultivator looked slightly surprised when he saw him.

According to Lu Hanqing's memory, this person was one of Lu Haiping's confidants.

"There are some private matters that need to be discussed with the Emperor Gaozu."

He maintained a calm expression and took out his identity token.

After examining it, the Nascent Soul cultivator nodded:

"Our ancestor is currently in seclusion, but since it is you, young master, who has come, he will surely not take offense."

They then moved aside to make way.

Lu Hanqing nodded slightly in acknowledgment and stepped into Jiuji Mountain, which was also the place where the core disciples of the Lu family cultivated and lived.

The spiritual energy in the mountains was even more concentrated, almost solidifying into a tangible form.

Following the mountain path, in the direction Lu Hanqing remembered, Zhou Xun headed towards Lu Haiping's cave.

……

Inside the most luxurious cave at the summit of Jiuji Mountain...

Two elderly men sat facing each other, playing chess.

The person on the left is dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe. He has a thin face, white hair and beard, but his skin is as rosy as a baby's.

He held a white piece, his eyes fixed intently on the chessboard.

This person was none other than Lu Haiping, the Nascent Soul cultivator who was stationed in Jiuji Immortal City.

The person on the right has an even more extraordinary presence.

He wore a purple-gold robe, his face was dignified, and his eyes gleamed with a sharp light as he opened and closed them.

His aura was as deep as the sea, indicating that he was a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

This person is Lu Xiuyuan, another Nascent Soul cultivator of the Lu clan, who is responsible for inspecting all parts of the Lu clan's territory. He has just arrived at Jiuji Immortal City.

"Brother Xiuyuan, what brings you here?"

Lu Haiping placed a piece on the board and asked casually, "The Lu family is too large now. Apart from the direct descendants, seniority is basically determined by cultivation level."

The two have known each other for thousands of years and are quite familiar with each other in private.

Lu Xiuyuan, holding the black piece, pondered for a moment before making his move and replied:

"By order of our ancestor, I am here to inspect the clan's territory."

He paused, his brow furrowing slightly:
"It's strange, ever since we defeated the Que family and are now at the height of our power, I don't know why we still have to be so careful."

Upon hearing this, Lu Haiping paused slightly in his white chess piece:
"Our ancestor has his reasons; we will follow them."

What he didn't know was that Lu Xinghai, the patriarch of the Lu clan, was not currently in the clan's territory.

Another Void Refinement Ancestor, Lu Xinghe, is in seclusion, attempting to break through to the mid-stage.

Unless there is a matter of annihilation, they will never show their face.

Therefore, the one in charge was Lu Chihong, who was at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage.

This led to Lu Xiuyuan's inspection tour of various places, naturally to strengthen control over the clan's territory and prevent unforeseen events.

"That being said, I still feel like I'm making a mountain out of a molehill."

Lu Xiuyuan shook his head and placed another piece:
"Now that the Lu family is at its zenith, who dares to invade?"

Just as Lu Haiping was about to reply, a streak of fire flew in and landed in his hand.

He probed with his divine sense, then suddenly his expression changed, and he laughed:

"Hanqing, that child, has arrived."

"Oh? You mean your talented great-grandson?"

Lu Xiuyuan asked with great interest.

"Indeed, a metal-attribute earth elemental root, with a sensitivity of 68 points, his aptitude is even higher than mine back then."

Lu Haiping's tone carried a hint of pride.

"Oh, such talent! Perhaps, your branch will produce another Nascent Soul cultivator in the future!"

Lu Xiuyuan laughed.
"Then I'll be grateful for Brother Xiuyuan's kind words!"

He then ordered his old servant to welcome Lu Hanqing in.

……

Lu Hanqing stepped inside and entered the depths of the Nine Seas Palace.

The spiritual energy here is so rich that it's almost tangible; you can feel the nourishment of pure spiritual power with every breath.

After passing through several layers of restrictions, the view suddenly opened up before me.

This is a meticulously crafted paradise, with a shimmering spiritual pool in the center. The water is a pale blue and exudes a refreshing fragrance.

Several rare, colorful carp swam leisurely in the pond, all of which were clearly of the third tier.

Several ancient spiritual plants are planted by the pond, and a faint spiritual light can be seen flowing among their branches and leaves.

In the distance, inside a white jade pavilion, two old men are playing chess.

One of them, dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe with a lean face, was Lu Haiping. The other, wearing a purple-gold robe, exuded an imposing aura, with a faint golden aura flowing around him; he was none other than Lu Xiuyuan, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

Lu Hanqing felt a slight chill.

He originally planned to deal with only Lu Haiping, but now he has another mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

This forced him to reassess the situation.

Step forward slowly and bow in greeting:
"Greetings, Ancestor. I have met Ancestor Xiuyuan."

"No need to be polite."

Lu Haiping's gaze remained fixed on the chessboard as he casually asked:
"Han Qing, I remember you're in charge of the Forget-Worry Pavilion in Tian Shu City now, how come you have time to come back?"

"Reporting to Ancestor, I have been somewhat confused about my cultivation recently, so I have returned to ask for your guidance."

Lu Hanqing spoke respectfully, his expression unchanged.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xiuyuan put down his chess piece and nodded approvingly.

"The path of cultivation lies in diligence. With Hanqing's ambition, he is sure to achieve great things in the future."

His gaze swept over "Lu Hanqing" with a scrutinizing look:

"It's quite a coincidence that I am also a metal-attribute cultivator. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and perhaps I can answer them for you."

Lu Hanqing's mind raced, but his face revealed just the right amount of joy:
"Thank you for your inquiry, Ancestor Xiuyuan."

He then raised several questions about the operation of the metal-based cultivation technique.

These questions were carefully selected from Lu Hanqing's memory, so that they would neither seem too simple nor arouse suspicion.

On the surface, they were asking for advice, but secretly they were making rapid calculations.

Although he is now extremely powerful, he may not be able to subdue two Nascent Soul cultivators at the same time without alerting outsiders, one of whom is in the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.

The cave is heavily guarded; once action is taken, a swift and decisive victory is necessary.

Lu Hanqing bowed and thanked him, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

In that instant, his mind raced.

Two Nascent Soul cultivators, one of whom is in the mid-stage, are indeed difficult to deal with using only Nascent Soul form.

By the way, who said I'm all alone?
Zhou Xun immediately decided that his main body would also make a move at the same time.

Now that he has refined the human realm, his true form can appear in the outside world with the slightest thought.

In this two-on-two situation, the advantage is mine!

At this moment, Lu Xiuyuan looked at the respectfully bowing "Lu Hanqing" and became more and more satisfied.

He pondered for a moment, then took out an item from his storage bag:
"I find Han Qing quite agreeable, and I happen to have a magical treasure on hand, so I'll give it to you."

It was a palm-sized golden seal, its entire surface shimmering with light and color, engraved with mysterious runes, and radiating powerful spiritual energy fluctuations.

"This is the 'Mountain Suppressing Seal,' a high-grade fourth-tier magic weapon. Once activated, it can transform into the size of a mountain, possessing extraordinary power."

Lu Xiuyuan handed over the seal with a warm smile on his face.

Lu Hanqing bowed and respectfully accepted the seal with both hands.

The moment the fingertips touched the seal, a strange change occurred!
His humble expression instantly turned fierce, and as he opened his hand, lightning flashed between his fingers.

With a deafening roar as his right fist tore through the air, he slammed into Lu Xiuyuan's face with lightning speed!
The power of a fifth-order physique is terrifying!
Before the punch even landed, the violent force of the blow shattered all the tables and chairs in the pavilion.

As expected of a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, Lu Xiuyuan sensed the deadly crisis at the critical moment.

His pupils contracted sharply, and golden light surged around him, instantly revealing a golden suit of armor.

At the same time, he quickly retreated, trying to create distance.

However, the distance was simply too close!
Zhou Xun's punch had been brewing for a long time, and it was launched at the moment when Zhou Xun was most relaxed.

"boom!"

The fist slammed solidly into Lu Xiuyuan's head.

The golden armor shattered like paper, followed by his protective aura.

Faced with the terrifying power of a fifth-tier physique, these defenses appeared so fragile.

"Do not--!"

Lu Xiuyuan only had time to let out a short exclamation.

His head exploded like a watermelon, splattering red and white matter everywhere.

His physical body instantly disintegrated, turning into a cloud of blood mist.

A golden nascent soul, about an inch tall, flew out of the blood mist in a panic, trying to escape.

Why would Zhou Xun give him a chance?

The lightning that had been prepared in his left hand transformed into several chains, which coiled upwards like serpents.

"Crack!"

The lightning chains instantly imprisoned the nascent soul, and the lightning power attached to them caused the nascent soul to let out a shrill scream.

Meanwhile, at the same moment Zhou Xun transformed and took action.

He connected his mind to the human realm within his body, and his physical form instantly appeared in the cave!
Without any warning, it was as if it had emerged from the void.

As soon as Zhou Xun's true form appeared, he immediately formed hand seals.

Streaks of emerald green light burst forth from his fingertips, quickly spreading throughout the entire cave.

"Spiritual wood limit!"

With a low shout, the spiritual energy within the cave was instantly shut off.

Countless vines sprouted from the void, sweeping towards Lu Haiping like living creatures.

These vines are as thick as a child's arm, their surfaces covered with mysterious runes, and they exude a chilling aura.

Lu Haiping truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran cultivator!

He sensed something was wrong the moment Zhou Xun appeared in person.

Although he was shocked at how the other party had broken through the cave's restrictions, his reaction was swift.

"Om-"

A circular light screen instantly rose up, protecting him firmly within it.

The light screen was pale gold, with countless tiny runes flowing across its surface, exuding an aura of indestructibility.

The vines struck the light screen with a dull thud.

The light curtain trembled violently, but it never broke.

"Who dares to run wild on the Lu family's territory!"

Lu Haiping was both shocked and furious. He quickly made hand seals, trying to send a distress signal.

However, he soon discovered that the surrounding spiritual energy had been completely blocked.

His message struck the green barrier and vanished without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.

"it's useless."

Zhou Xun's voice was icy, and the hand seals changed again:

"Within my Spirit Wood Boundary, no message can be sent."

More vines surged in from all directions, wrapping the light curtain layer by layer.

The light curtain creaked under the pressure of the vines, and fine cracks began to appear on its surface.

Upon seeing this, Lu Haiping was greatly alarmed and hurriedly said:
"Fellow Daoist, we are complete strangers, why bother with this? I am willing to offer eight hundred spirit crystals, just please let me leave!"

His voice was somewhat urgent, clearly indicating that he had realized his situation was not good.

Zhou Xun scoffed:
"Eight hundred spirit crystals? Truly wealthy. But even if I kill you, the treasure will still be mine!"

No sooner had the words been spoken than Lu Xiuyuan's avatar returned to provide reinforcements!

A flash of lightning appeared, and the avatar was already in front of the light screen.

With fingers pointing straight out like a sword, a condensed and refined Thunderous Sword Intent bursts forth from his fingertips!

"Shoot-"

The sword intent was like a hot knife cutting through butter, easily tearing open the cracked curtain of light.

"puff!"

The light curtain shattered instantly, dissipating into countless points of light.

Zhou Xun then unleashed lightning, instantly engulfing Lu Haiping.

The violent power of lightning raged around him, causing him to let out a shrill scream.

In just a few breaths, the lightning dissipated, revealing a figure charred black from the electric shock.

Zhou Xun reached out and grabbed a nascent soul, forcibly extracting it from Lu Haiping's body and binding it tightly with a specially made chain.

Lu Haiping was also captured without resistance, his eyes filled with despair and resentment.

The whole process, though it sounds complicated, actually only takes a few breaths.

The two Nascent Soul cultivators, who held high positions in the Lu family, were thus completely subdued.

Zhou Xun sealed the two people's nascent souls separately and put them into specially made jade bottles.

They then carefully cleaned up all traces to ensure that no clues were left behind.

"The first stop went even more smoothly than expected."

(End of this chapter)