Great Xia World, Anchan Commandery City.
Inside the headmaster's grand hall of the Black-White Academy.
"Ji Ning, are you willing to take me as your master?"
"This disciple, Ji Ning, pays respects to Master."
Ji Ning looked at the figure ahead of him, dressed in a dark black Daoist robe, and without hesitation performed the kneeling ritual of a disciple.
Based on the information he had gathered, he had some understanding of the immortals of the Black-White Academy.
This Immortal Ganyu before him was unquestionably the most mysterious and unfathomable existence within the Black-White Academy.
Immortal Ganyu was a Loose Immortal who had lived for over three million years.
For cultivators, there was one calamity every three hundred years and one tribulation every nine hundred years. Calamities were easy to avoid, but tribulations were impossible to escape.
Unless one became a Celestial Immortal, the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations would keep coming without end. An immortal who had truly lived for more than three million years—one could imagine just how powerful he was.
Today was the day Ji Ning joined the Black-White Academy. By custom, a Primordial Spirit Daoist, Earth Immortal, or Loose Immortal would take him as a disciple.
Ji Ning had never expected that the one who ultimately came to accept him as a disciple would be Immortal Ganyu.
At this moment, the other Primordial Spirit Daoists, Loose Immortals, and Earth Immortals of the Black-White Academy were equally shocked and incredulous. They had never imagined that their master-ancestor, who had not shown himself for so long, would suddenly appear and accept a mere Purple Mansion cultivator as his disciple.
After all, he had been in the Black-White Academy for over three million years. In the past, let alone taking disciples, he had rarely even shown his face. Most of them only knew that the academy had such a master-ancestor.
"Rise."
Zhou Yu waved his hand, using divine power to help Ji Ning to his feet. Looking at the still-youthful boy, his heart was filled with emotion.
After waiting for more than three million years, he had finally waited for him.
He had transmigrated into this world a full 3.19 million years ago. During the first thirty thousand years, he embarked upon the path of cultivation and displayed considerable talent. Yet when he finally underwent his tribulation, like the vast majority of Void-Returning Earth Immortals, he failed and became a Loose Immortal.
Naturally, Zhou Yu was unwilling to simply perish beneath endless calamities and tribulations. Reincarnation became his only choice.
But attempting reincarnation without powerful backing was an endeavor with only a slim chance of survival. Moreover, even if he successfully reincarnated, he might not truly be able to overcome the tribulation and become an immortal.
The stronger a Loose Immortal was before reincarnation, the stronger the Celestial Immortal Tribulation he would face afterward. This karmic burden could not be avoided.
Thus, Zhou Yu decided to find himself a patron.
Ordinary Empyrean Gods and True Immortals were beyond his reach.
As a transmigrator, Zhou Yu naturally set his sights on the promising Ji Ning. Not long after failing his tribulation, his Second Primal Spirit came to Anchan Commandery and found a way to join the Black-White Academy, where he began waiting.
To be honest, Zhou Yu had been gambling. He had no idea when Ji Ning would appear, and in the vast Great Xia World, there was nothing he could use as a reference to determine the time.
But the facts proved that he had won his gamble.
Zhou Yu had stubbornly survived for three million years and waited for Ji Ning, this promising prospect.
It must be fate. If I wait another one or two million years without making any major breakthrough, I'll have no choice but to reincarnate. Zhou Yu thought.
"Ji Ning, come with me."
After saying that, Zhou Yu immediately took Ji Ning away on a cloud.
Before long, news that Immortal Ganyu had accepted a disciple swept through the entire Anchan Commandery like a gale.
Not only were the Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals alarmed, even Celestial Immortal Tuoshan of the Northmont Clan of Anchan paid close attention to Zhou Yu.
There were enormous disparities in the strength of Loose Immortals. For Loose Immortals under a million years old, every additional hundred thousand years brought a considerable increase in strength. Million-year Loose Immortals were even said to rival Celestial Immortals.
But Celestial Immortal Tuoshan did not care much about ordinary million-year Loose Immortals. After all, such Loose Immortals had at most only reached the threshold of a Celestial Immortal. Zhou Yu, however, was different. Living so long meant his strength was sufficient.
Zhou Yu's strength might even surpass that of ordinary Celestial Immortals, which was why Celestial Immortal Tuoshan took him so seriously.
After all, such a powerful Loose Immortal was within Anchan Commandery, territory of his Northmont Clan.
Could it be that Immortal Ganyu feels he can no longer hold on and intends to find an heir? Celestial Immortal Tuoshan guessed.
It was not strange. For a Loose Immortal to live beyond three million years was already defying the heavens. No matter how hard he endured, how much longer could he last?
"Hmm, this Ji Ning..." After having someone investigate, Celestial Immortal Tuoshan soon smiled in satisfaction.
Not only did Ji Ning bear no grudge against the Northmont Clan, he was also on very good terms with Northmont Clan disciple Beishan Baiwei.
"Since that is the case, there is no need to interfere." Celestial Immortal Tuoshan did not think further about it.
Three days later.
Within the Black-White Academy stood a mountain listed as an absolute forbidden ground.
From the outside, it appeared to be only around a hundred zhang tall, yet the space within was astonishingly vast, spanning a full ten thousand li.
This was the Nine Absolutes Universe Array Zhou Yu had set up, an array containing the essence of his millions of years of cultivation.
He had cultivated since childhood and stepped onto the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth at the age of thirty. For more than ten thousand years afterward, he had relied on the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth to dominate a region.
After failing his tribulation, through long years of cultivation, Zhou Yu gradually forged another path—the Array Dao.
Although the Array Dao was vast and complicated, Zhou Yu's talent in it was extraordinarily high. As he comprehended it, his understanding of the Array Dao rapidly caught up to the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and he fused the two Great Daos together.
That was how he had managed to live until now.
In terms of his attainments in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the Great Dao of Arrays alone, Zhou Yu was only slightly stronger than ordinary million-year Loose Immortals.
But combining the two Daos allowed him to ascend to an even higher level.
"Ji Ning is already on the right track. Next, I just need to let him grow slowly." Zhou Yu sat alone in a pavilion, deep in thought.
He did not dare to rush Ji Ning's growth, fearing that he might ruin this promising prospect.
In truth, Zhou Yu understood that he was overthinking it. Since Ji Ning possessed such potential, slight changes to his growth trajectory would not affect the overall situation.
But this concerned his future, so he did not dare to be careless.
On a larger scale, if Ji Ning failed to grow up properly, Zhou Yu would not merely lose his chance at reincarnation and another tribulation. The entire Three Realms might be destroyed.
Just as Zhou Yu was pondering this, suddenly—
[Heavens Simulation loading complete. One free simulation opportunity obtained. Begin simulation?]
"Hmm?"
Zhou Yu froze as a flood of information entered his mind.
Is this really a cheat ability? Not an illusion? Zhou Yu found it hard to believe. This Heavens Simulation had been loading for three million years?
In other words, I survived these three million years—but what if I had died? Zhou Yu was rather speechless.
Yet he still honestly began examining the information flooding into his mind.
Although Zhou Yu estimated that, with Ji Ning's help, he had an eighty or ninety percent chance of successfully reincarnating and overcoming his tribulation, it would naturally be better if he could rely on himself.
"The Heavens Simulation can conduct simulated lives across all heavens and worlds. If the simulation objective is ultimately achieved, the illusory experience can be turned real, allowing the user to possess a new avatar in the simulated world."
"Furthermore, if the simulation succeeds, the user can obtain the unique talents possessed during the simulated life."
Zhou Yu quickly pondered the implications. This Heavens Simulation seemed unable to offer him direct help, but it was truly heaven-defying.
As long as he succeeded in a simulation, he could directly gain an avatar. That was equivalent to gaining another life in another world.
"Then I'll give it a try." Zhou Yu quickly made his decision.
With a thought, he directly used that free simulation opportunity.
[Drawing simulation world.]
I hope it draws the Desolate Era World I'm currently in, Zhou Yu thought.
If it drew the Desolate Era World and the simulation succeeded, it would mean he directly gained another avatar.
He would not even need to reincarnate. He would directly gain another chance to undergo the tribulation.
According to the information he had received, each simulation draw had a fairly substantial chance of selecting a world where he already possessed an avatar. It was not like searching for a needle in the sea.
As Zhou Yu waited, the draw finally produced a result.
[Draw successful. Target world: Swallowed Star World!]
"Hmm? Didn't get it?" Zhou Yu did not dwell on it. The Swallowed Star World was not bad either.
[Drawing initial talent—] [Draw successful. Please choose one of the following three talents.] [1. Child of Laws—Affinity for the ten great laws reaches the highest level.] [2. Luck Boost—The chances of encountering opportunities and escaping danger rise greatly.] [3. Potential Boost—Insight is more easily improved through tempering.]
"These three talents..."
Zhou Yu fell into deep thought.
Without question, the first one could be immediately eliminated, because after the simulation ended, the talent he chose would be synchronized to him according to the degree of completion.
The first talent was clearly only useful in the Swallowed Star World. Its application was far too narrow, so Zhou Yu dismissed it outright.
The second and third talents were both important. Zhou Yu wanted them both.
But he could choose only one.
"Then I'll choose the third." Zhou Yu finally made his decision.
The second was impossible to control and depended entirely on luck, which did not suit his temperament.
Zhou Yu liked control. Just like the Array Dao he excelled at, he had to perfectly control every detail. There could not be the slightest oversight. Anything he could not perfectly control was a flawed product.
After Zhou Yu selected his talent, lines of text soon appeared again.
[Please choose one of the following simulation objectives.] [1. Reach the peak of the World Lord realm within one hundred thousand years—Upon completion, obtain a peak World Lord avatar and the talent 'Potential Boost' at fifty percent effectiveness.] [2. Become Immortal within one million years—Upon completion, obtain an Immortal avatar and the complete talent 'Potential Boost'.] [3. Break through to Universe Master within one hundred million years—Upon completion, obtain a Universe Master avatar and the talent 'Potential Boost' at three hundred percent effectiveness.]
"These simulation objectives..."
Zhou Yu was secretly shocked. Each one was more outrageous than the last. There was no need to mention the third objective—it depended entirely on fate whether it could be achieved.
Even the second objective was extremely difficult.
Becoming Immortal in the Swallowed Star World was no easier than overcoming his tribulation and becoming an immortal. If he possessed memories of the Desolate Era World during the simulation, he would have a good chance.
But the truth was that he would not have any memories from after transmigrating to the Desolate Era World during the simulation. He would only retain memories from before transmigrating.
Under such circumstances, becoming Immortal would be far too difficult. Any small accident could lead to failure.
Not to mention that there was even a time limit.
"As for the simplest first objective, it is not actually that simple either." Zhou Yu frowned and thought for a while before making his choice.
"Objective two—become Immortal!"
"Achieving the objective will grant me the complete 'Potential Boost' talent. That is decent enough. Although the reward for objective three is good, no matter how I look at it, the odds are simply too low." Zhou Yu shook his head inwardly.
Choosing the second objective was the safer choice. In Zhou Yu's view, both its difficulty and the reward after completing the simulation were within a range he could accept.
At that moment, after Zhou Yu made all his choices, an invisible force enveloped him. Time around him completely froze, and the simulation began.
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