Lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries are one of the most promising energy storage devices owing to their high energy and power density. However, the shuttle effect as a key barrier hinders its practical application by resulting in low coulombic efficiency and poor cycling performance. Herein, a novel design of in situ formed polysulfide adsorptive-blocking layer (PAL) on the cathode surface was developed to tame the polysulfide shuttling and promote the cycling stability for Li-S batteries. The PAL is consisted of La2S3, which is capable to chemically adsorb polysulfide via the strong interaction of La-S bond and S-S bond, and build an effective barrier against sulfur escaping. Moreover, the La2S3 is capable to suppress the crystallization of Li2S and promote the ion transfer, which contributes to the reduced internal resistance of batteries. Furthermore, the by-product LiNO3 simultaneously forms a stable anode solid and electrolyte interface to further inhibit the polysulfide shuttle. By this simple and convenient method, the resultant Li-S batteries achieved exceptional cycling stability with an ultralow decay rate of 0.055% since the 10th cycle. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.