Haoyang Great World

Zhou Yu set out soon after.

However, it was not the Second Primal Spirit within Black-White Academy that went, but his true body.

When Zhou Yu had first transmigrated, he had become the son of the chieftain of a small tribe in Donghai Commandery of the Great Xia World. After achieving success in cultivation, he married and had children. Yet time was merciless, and his relatives in this world had long since passed away one after another.

However, Zhou Yu still held deep feelings for the Zhou Clan. Thus, while his Second Primal Spirit remained at Black-White Academy awaiting Ji Ning, his true body had always stayed behind to guard the Zhou Clan.

The reason he was sending his true body this time was mainly because his Second Primal Spirit possessed few good treasures and was weaker than his true body.

This mission involved dealing with a Celestial Immortal. Zhou Yu did not dare be careless, so naturally he sent his stronger true body into action.

The Haoyang Great World was not far from the Great Xia World, so Zhou Yu did not waste a Great Teleportation Talisman. Instead, he directly tore through the barrier of the Great Xia World and flew through the void of the Three Realms toward the Haoyang Great World.

Once one's strength reached the threshold of a Celestial Immortal, one gained the ability to break through the barriers of a major world and naturally could roam the void of the Three Realms.

After all, Zhou Yu specialized in the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth. His speed through the void was extremely fast, and he reached the Haoyang Great World on the very day he set out.

He had arrived early, naturally to gather information.

For a Celestial Immortal deliberately purchasing intelligence, learning a great deal of information was quite easy.

"Celestial Huoyun was born into a small tribe, later joined the Sacred Fire Sect, and probably transcended his tribulation to become an immortal around a billion years ago. The last time he revealed his strength was thirty million years ago. Back then, he should have possessed the strength of a Top-Tier Celestial Immortal."

Zhou Yu gathered a great deal of intelligence and gained a clear understanding of the situation.

A Celestial Immortal who had lived for a billion years and had barely counted as a Top-Tier Celestial Immortal thirty million years ago was unlikely to have improved much by now, unless he had encountered some special opportunity.

The only uncertainty was whether Celestial Huoyun possessed some terrifying treasure—a powerful Pure Yang Magic Treasure or even a Connate Numinous Treasure.

"Judging by Celestial Huoyun's background, he does not seem like someone who would possess such a treasure." Zhou Yu did not dwell on it further.

From the mysterious person's intentions, this mission was not meant for him to act alone. If something unexpected happened, he could simply flee.

His strength had improved somewhat compared to before, not to mention that the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth was especially well suited for escape.

There was still quite some time before the agreed date. Zhou Yu was in no rush to head to the meeting place, Immortal Cloud Mountain, and instead traveled throughout the Haoyang Great World.

The Haoyang Great World was very similar to the Great Xia World. Both had imperial dynasties that ruled the land, beneath which feudal lords were enfeoffed, each dominating their own territory.

Beyond those feudal lords, there were also some powerful tribes and immortal cultivation sects whose strength was no weaker than, and sometimes surpassed, that of ordinary feudal lords.

The Sacred Fire Sect, where Celestial Huoyun resided, was one such rather powerful immortal cultivation sect.

Of course, customs could differ even between different regions of the same major world. Between different major worlds, the subtle differences were naturally even greater.

Zhou Yu traveled while comprehending the Dao, thoroughly enjoying himself.

As time passed, he also continued improving thanks to the benefits he had gained from the previous simulation.

About a year after entering the Haoyang Great World, his Great Dao of Arrays finally advanced another step. He created a Binding Array that surpassed all his previous ones. If deployed instantly, it would likely be enough to trap a Top-Tier Celestial Immortal for some time.

If given sufficient time to slowly set up the array, it would naturally be even more terrifying.

"I truly am more gifted in the Array Dao. Coupled with the transformation of my comprehension after the previous simulation, the bottleneck that had troubled me has indeed been broken through." Zhou Yu was not surprised.

He continued creating other arrays unique to himself: killing arrays, illusion arrays, composite arrays, and so on.

In Zhou Yu's view, on the path of arrays, Binding Arrays, killing arrays, and illusion arrays were merely superficial forms. The essence of arrays was the combination and utilization of all kinds of power through numerous methods.

For example, using terrain and other environmental factors, or certain treasures possessing corresponding attributes, to guide the power of heaven and earth was an array. Using the combined divine power of different immortal cultivators was likewise an array.

Zhou Yu's creation of a higher-level Binding Array meant that his utilization of energy had reached a higher level. Given time, he could naturally create other different arrays as well.

However, while it was not difficult to create other arrays of the same level, upgrading the Nine Absolutes Universe Array was difficult.

At this point, both Zhou Yu's Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and Great Dao of Arrays had broken through. In theory, that truly should allow the Nine Absolutes Universe Array to rise to another level, but this step was far more difficult.

In the blink of an eye, another two years passed. Zhou Yu arrived at Immortal Cloud Mountain, the originally agreed location, right on schedule.

Immortal Cloud Mountain was an ethereal immortal mountain shrouded in mist. Within the mountain's belly was a platform, where an old man and a middle-aged man sat on opposite sides of a stone table, playing chess.

The instant Zhou Yu arrived, he noticed the two men. His heart stirred in surprise. Their auras were both exceedingly unusual, clearly belonging to existences transcendent beyond the Three Realms and the Five Elements.

There was no doubt that they were both Celestial Immortals.

"Oh? Is it time already?"

The two Celestial Immortals also noticed Zhou Yu's arrival. The old man smiled. "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment. We shall discuss matters once the others have arrived."

Hearing this, Zhou Yu said nothing. He cupped his hands in greeting, then sat down cross-legged nearby to wait.

He looked at the chessboard before them and discovered that time flowed visibly much faster around it than in the surrounding area. It seemed the two Celestial Immortals had deliberately accelerated time in order to finish this game sooner.

However, although time flowed quickly within it, given Zhou Yu's realm, he could still see the state of the game clearly.

By observing the changes on the chessboard, Zhou Yu quickly realized that the Dao comprehension realms of these two Celestial Immortals were not low. At the very least, they should be comparable to ordinary Million-Year Loose Immortals.

Yet Celestial Immortals possessed the realm of Million-Year Loose Immortals. With the might of Celestial Immortal divine power, their actual strength was far greater than that of Million-Year Loose Immortals.

As time passed, others gradually arrived as well.

Without exception, they were all Loose Immortals, and without exception, Zhou Yu could not identify any of them.

That was perfectly normal. Who would be foolish enough to come here using their true identity? Concealing one's identity was inevitable.

Even the two Celestial Immortals before him might not have come in their true identities.

One after another, a total of sixteen Loose Immortals eventually arrived.

This inwardly shocked Zhou Yu. To participate in an operation to besiege and kill a Celestial Immortal, one had to be at least at the level of a Million-Year Loose Immortal, right? Yet so many had gathered at once?

Although the number of Loose Immortals in the history of the Three Realms who had possessed the strength of Million-Year Loose Immortals far exceeded the number of Celestial Immortals, Loose Immortals had limited lifespans. In the same era, the number of Million-Year Loose Immortals would definitely be lower than the number of Celestial Immortals.

Gathering so many at once showed that this mysterious force was indeed somewhat terrifying.

Soon, the two Celestial Immortals' game also reached its conclusion. The old man had won by a narrow margin.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Yu, it seems the task of intercepting Old Ghost Sacred Fire is yours," the old man transmitted.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's face twitched. He also transmitted, "I am not Old Ghost Sacred Fire's match. Even with the Nine Heavens Banner in hand, I cannot hold out for long. You all must act quickly when the time comes."

"Rest assured." The old man nodded slightly and said no more.

At this time, the two men rose and looked toward the many Loose Immortals.

"Since all of you Fellow Daoists have come here, there is no need for me to say any unnecessary words." The old man looked at the crowd and said,

"Once Celestial Huoyun has been eliminated, we shall naturally each depart on our own. As for how to deal with him, we already have a plan. So long as all of you give it your all, the chance of success should exceed ninety percent."