Immortal music rang out, auspicious clouds descended from the heavens, and golden lotuses sprang from the earth.
As the surging power of heaven and earth transformed him, Zhou Qing's golden lotus Primal, his Violet Palace dimension, and even the Southern Brightness Li Fire Pearl slowly fused together.
"This is bad!"
Sensing the vast, surging power of heaven and earth in the distance, Heavenly Immortal Xuanji, who was attacking the Five Emperors Canopy Formation, turned pale with shock.
"Both of you, hurry and attack! That brat Wu Xian (Zhou Qing's name in this simulation) has already passed his heart demon tribulation!"
Seeing Heavenly Immortal Xuanji in such a panic, Celestial Immortal Jingyu could not help but scoff. "Xuanji, look how frightened you are. He's just a youngster who has only just passed his heavenly tribulation."
"Enough, Jingyu," said Celestial Immortal Chixin, the strongest of the three. "Remember, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."
Though Celestial Immortal Chixin said that, he did not take Zhou Qing too seriously either. After all, his impression of Zhou Qing was still based on four hundred years ago.
Back then, Zhou Qing had only been at the level of an ordinary Celestial Immortal. Although four hundred years had now passed, they thought that whatever progress Zhou Qing had made must have been very limited.
The three then continued attacking the Five Emperors Canopy Formation, which was on the verge of collapse.
Meanwhile, inside the formation, Zhou Qing was transforming into a Celestial Immortal body while also receiving his memories of more than six hundred years in the simulation.
His birth as a member of the demon race, the Demon Prison Trial, the Celestial Fiend Assembly, the bloody battle against the Duohe Tribe, the questioning of his heart at Golden Light Cave, and his battles across the Firmament Major World...
Those six hundred years of memories flashed through his mind bit by bit.
A moment later, Zhou Qing rose to his feet and sighed. "Master, is this the mortal world?"
As soon as he said those words, the ethereal air he had gained from becoming an immortal immediately faded.
He had attained the fourth level of Heartforce, the Mortal World.
Back in the Nine Directions Chaos Kingdom, Ancestor God Fantian had told him about the five levels of Heartforce.
The first level, Initiation, and the second, Ice Heart, were not difficult; most geniuses could reach them.
But beginning with the third level, Mastery, the difficulty rose sharply.
As for the fourth level, the Mortal World, Ancestor God Fantian had described it with just two words: "original aspiration."
Zhou Qing had originally thought Ancestor God Fantian's words were too simple, but now it seemed that the Great Dao was indeed supremely simple.
When he had first transmigrated to the Nine Directions Chaos Kingdom, all he had wanted was the Great Dao, freedom, and greater strength.
But after being imprisoned in the World Prison, he had lost all spirit and thought only of survival. His heart in pursuit of the Dao had been utterly destroyed.
That was precisely why he had been unable to grasp the key to the fourth level of Heartforce for so long.
Only just now had he received the experiences of more than six hundred years in the simulation. Though that period was brief and could not compare to the several chaos cycles he had spent suffering in the World Prison, it had awakened his original aspiration.
Yes! As a transmigrator, his original aspiration was not to cling to a miserable existence, but to attain true, boundless freedom and ease!
With that, Zhou Qing's thoughts became clear.
He then looked at the Shaoyan Clan's Celestial Immortal patriarchs besieging him from outside the formation.
"It's time to settle both new grudges and old scores..."
The next moment, he dismissed the Five Emperors Canopy Formation and teleported straight to Heavenly Immortal Xuanji, who was closest to him.
"That brat Wu Xian?!"
Before Heavenly Immortal Xuanji could understand why the Five Emperors Canopy Formation had suddenly vanished, he saw Zhou Qing appear not far from him.
"How dare you!" Having guessed Zhou Qing's intentions, Heavenly Immortal Xuanji flew into a rage. "You're a newly ascended Celestial Immortal, yet instead of relying on the formation to fight us, you dare take the initiative to attack?"
"You don't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is. Let this old man teach you a proper lesson."
As soon as he finished speaking, Heavenly Immortal Xuanji unleashed three hundred and sixty-five enormous starstones. The next moment, endless starlight surged toward Zhou Qing.
Zhou Qing scoffed at Heavenly Immortal Xuanji's attack and casually struck out with a claw.
Heaven-Slaughtering Claw!
In an instant, a spatial storm swept through, blotting out the sky and covering the earth.
The dense starlight of the heavens collapsed at the first touch of the violent spatial storm. Heavenly Immortal Xuanji then let out a miserable scream and died on the spot.
"Xuanji!" Seeing Heavenly Immortal Xuanji fall to Zhou Qing in a single move, Celestial Immortal Chixin could not help but cry out.
Just as he was about to discuss a countermeasure with Celestial Immortal Jingyu, he saw that Celestial Immortal Jingyu had already used a Greater Teleportation Talisman.
"Jingyu, you!" Celestial Immortal Chixin stopped short of saying more.
But the next moment, he too chose discretion and took out a Greater Teleportation Talisman to use.
Watching the two Shaoyan Clan Celestial Immortal patriarchs use their Greater Teleportation Talismans in a panic, Zhou Qing revealed a strange smile.
To dare use Greater Teleportation Talismans in front of someone who had mastered the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth-they truly did not know the difference between life and death.
Zhou Qing immediately unleashed the Heaven-Trapping Claw.
As soon as he struck, a wave of chaotic spatial fluctuations interrupted the two while they were in the midst of Grand Teleportation.
Seeing that even the Greater Teleportation Talismans would not work, Celestial Immortals Jingyu and Chixin fell into despair.
"To possess such strength right after passing your heavenly tribulation, sir, you have my admiration. Our Shaoyan Clan admits defeat this time," Celestial Immortal Chixin said first.
"If you would spare the two of us, our Shaoyan Clan is willing to compensate you with a top-grade immortal-ranked magic treasure."
Ignoring Celestial Immortal Chixin, Zhou Qing continued his attack.
Heaven-Severing Claw!
At once, a continuous torrent of chaotic spatial currents formed a gigantic claw and crashed down on Celestial Immortals Chixin and Jingyu.
As Celestial Immortal Chixin used his abilities to resist, he threatened, "Don't go too far, sir. Our Shaoyan Clan's patriarch, Shaoyan Chou, is a mighty figure renowned throughout the Three Realms."
"Pressing us so relentlessly, aren't you afraid our patriarch will take revenge in the future?"
"That's right," Celestial Immortal Jingyu immediately chimed in. "I know you are very likely the reincarnation of a Pure Yang mighty figure, sir, but our Shaoyan Clan serves the emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty. If you kill us, you will surely offend His Majesty."
"Hmph!" Zhou Qing's face showed disdain. "Offend Xia Mang Xun? Leaving aside the fact that I don't care at all, even if I kill you, Xia Mang Xun might have to thank me."
Knowing the original story, he naturally knew that the Xia Emperor had always wanted to eliminate powerful vassals like the Shaoyan Clan, whose tails had grown too big to wag.
The next moment, as the Heaven-Severing Claw descended, Celestial Immortal Jingyu fell on the spot. Celestial Immortal Chixin's cultivation level was higher, so he held out for a few more breaths, but it did him no good.
Seeing this, Celestial Immortal Chixin ceased to be afraid and simply closed his eyes, calmly awaiting death. At the last moment, however, Zhou Qing captured him and imprisoned him in an estate-world magic treasure.
He still had to leave one alive.
He also wanted to find out how the Shaoyan Clan had learned where he was undergoing his tribulation, and whether the Seamless Gate was stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
Using Grand Teleportation, Zhou Qing returned directly to the Firmament Major World.
After entering the familiar Luotian City, he went straight to the cultivation abode where he had always lived.
Zhou Qing had only rented the abode for two hundred years, but after he had subdued the purple-robed Celestial Immortal in charge of Luotian City, no one had dared come to reclaim it.
Zhou Qing then entered the estate-world magic treasure where Celestial Immortal Chixin was imprisoned.
"No longer watching..."
Zhou Qing rubbed his chin.
Just after passing his tribulation, he had discovered that an unknown presence had been watching him.
But after he entered the estate-world magic treasure, the feeling of being watched had actually disappeared.
Zhou Qing grew thoughtful.
He had originally thought that the one watching him from the shadows was a Seamless Gate expert, such as the Lord of Heart Demons or the Godking.
But now it seemed it was probably a mighty figure from the Nuwa Faction, drawn here by his heaven-defying aptitude.
Someone who considered himself Zhou Qing's future master naturally would not spy on his disciple's private affairs.