Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

’I wonder what it will be like to open the Divine Treasure?’

With a Physical Body that surpassed a First-Grade Grandmaster, opening the Divine Treasure wouldn’t be instantaneous for him.

But it wouldn’t be too difficult, either.

Within a few years.

He should be able to break through successfully.

However, the True Martial Scripture wouldn’t work. To break through to the Divine Treasure with this Cultivation Technique, he would need to command an army of one hundred thousand.

*

*

*

「Main World.」

”My Lord.”

Yun Ying breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Zhu Ju walk out of his room, patting her full chest as she spoke.

”The Commerce Association will be leaving the East Sea Alliance soon. If you hadn’t come out of seclusion, many things would have been impossible to handle.”

”I just advanced, so I needed some time to stabilize my Cultivation.” Zhu Ju walked unhurriedly out of the courtyard and asked, ”Weren’t we supposed to stay here for another half a year? Why are we suddenly leaving early?”

”I heard...” Yun Ying glanced around and said in a low voice, ”There’s been trouble within the East Sea Alliance. The Commerce Association is afraid of getting dragged into it, so we’re leaving ahead of schedule.”

”Oh!”

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow slightly.

It was common knowledge that the East Sea Alliance was headed for trouble, but he hadn’t expected it so soon. That Golden Core Grandmaster was on the verge of death, but he wasn’t dead yet. Who would be so bold as to provoke him?

If a Golden Core Grandmaster at this stage went berserk, they would act with complete disregard for the consequences.

More detailed news arrived shortly after.

......

「Cloud Peak.」

The highest level of the Yunjing Commerce Association’s residence.

A group of Dao Foundation Cultivators gathered here for a farewell before the Commerce Association’s departure.

”The Third Princess of the East Sea Alliance was attacked. She’s seriously injured and in a coma, and it’s still unknown if she’ll ever wake up.”

Dong Ping said in a low voice:

”Brother Zhu, are you familiar with the Sea Jiao Li Family?”

”Not really,” Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

”I only know the Li Family’s Young Master. I joined the Commerce Association on the recommendation of the Li Family’s retainer, Fellow Daoist Cui Li.”

”Why?”

”Is the Li Family connected to the attack on the Third Princess?”

”Not directly,” Dong Ping said, shaking her head.

”The ones who attacked the Third Princess were the East Sea Cave Ghosts. They’re a group of Dao Foundation Tribulation Cultivators who roam the East Sea. Their leader has a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivation, and for some reason, they suddenly made a move against the East Sea Alliance.”

”Two of them, using the aliases Kou Wen and Kou Wu, befriended some East Sea Alliance Cultivators. The Li Family was familiar with that Kou Wen.”

”It’s said they recruited a newly-advanced Dao Foundation Cultivator to get close to the Third Princess, which is how they were able to pull this off.”

?

Zhu Ju’s expression flickered.

He had met that ’Kou Wen’ before.

’Thank goodness I sensed something was off and refused him outright. If I’d gotten involved, it would have been a near-certain death.’

”The Li Family is doing alright, though,” Dong Ping continued.

”It seems they sensed something was wrong in advance, and the Li Family drew a clear line between themselves and the Kou Brothers early on. Another maritime merchant family, however, was much closer to them. They were even the ones who introduced that new Dao Foundation Cultivator. In the end, they faced the East Sea Alliance’s retaliation, and their entire clan was wiped out.”

”But even though the Li Family escaped the major disaster, they couldn’t avoid the fallout. I heard they were still affected.”

”That Fellow Daoist Cui Li has already left the Li Family and joined another Commerce Association as a retainer.”

This kind of fallout was insignificant to a power like the Yunjing Commerce Association, but for the Li Family, it was a matter of life and death.

Besides, the Li Family’s situation was already precarious to begin with.

Zhu Ju sighed softly.

’When a wall is about to collapse, everyone gives it a push. The rats are fleeing a sinking ship.’

’Besides, Cui Li and the Li Family only had a partnership. Of course she wouldn’t go down with their sinking ship.’

”Junior Brother Zhu!”

Just then, Yann Ying walked over, gesturing to the person behind him.

”This is Nanshuang. Don’t be fooled by her youth; she’s a renowned Array Master of the Yann Family’s current generation.”

’Yann Nanshuang.’

Zhu Ju’s expression shifted slightly.

”Miss Yann, I’ve heard so much about you! A true honor!”

At first glance, she was a cute girl with a round face and two small dimples that appeared when she smiled.

In reality, however, she was a Dao Foundation Cultivator, so she couldn’t be that young.

”You’re too kind.”

Yann Nanshuang seemed to love smiling. When she did, her eyes would crinkle into thin lines and dimples would appear on her cheeks.

”Have you heard of me, Fellow Daoist Zhu?”

”Of course,” Zhu Ju nodded.

”Ever since I arrived at the Yunjing Commerce Association, I’ve been hearing Miss Yann’s name every day.”

”You two have a good chat.” Yann Ying leaned forward, getting close to Zhu Ju’s ear, and whispered:

”Nanshuang doesn’t have a Dao companion yet.”

?

’Who does he think he’s fooling with that voice?’

”Hee hee...” Dong Ping giggled, gave Zhu Ju a knowing look, and sashayed away.

”Ahem!”

Zhu Ju cleared his throat and offered a compliment.

”Miss Yann’s Talent is extraordinary. To have reached the Dao Foundation at such a young age is truly admirable.”

”Hmm...” Yann Nanshuang blinked.

”You’re even more amazing. Brother Yeng told me you’re not very old either, and you escaped to the East Sea all by yourself.”

”A Loose Cultivator reaching the Dao Foundation at a young age... doesn’t that mean your Talent is even greater than mine?”

”Well...” Zhu Ju thought for a moment, then nodded and said, ”My Talent is indeed quite good.”

”Hee hee...” Yann Nanshuang giggled.

”How shameless, praising yourself like that.”

”It’s the truth,” Zhu Ju shrugged.

”I may be young, but I’m already a Dao Foundation Cultivator and a Tier One High Grade Refiner. Even if I claimed my Talent was poor, I doubt anyone would believe me.”

”Well, I’m even more amazing,” Yann Nanshuang said, puffing out her chest.

”I’ve also reached Dao Foundation, and I’m a Tier One High Grade Array Master. Being an Array Master is much harder than being an Artifact Refiner.”

”Not necessarily,” Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.

”It’s more a matter of specialization. Miss Yann happens to have a talent for Arrays. And besides, I am a Loose Cultivator.”

”A Loose Cultivator has no resources, so they definitely need even greater Talent.”

”You...” Yann Nanshuang’s eyes widened in surprise before she broke into a giggle. ”You’re so interesting. Not at all boring like Brother Yeng said.”

”They’re getting old, so of course they don’t like people who are too lively. But you and I are still young,” Zhu Ju said.

”It’s only normal to joke around a little.”

”Tsk tsk...” Yann Nanshuang clicked her tongue.

”You’re a smooth talker.”

”Not really.” Zhu Ju rubbed his chin, his voice tinged with emotion.

”Speaking is a skill, too. I’m not very good at it; I’ve just seen a lot and picked up a few things.”

’The disciples of the Joyful Sect from Wind Moon Valley had studied the art of conversation to its very peak, even combining it with their Bewitching Techniques. The slightest carelessness, and you’d fall for their tricks. And the Joyful Sect’s Cultivation Technique gave them a keen perception of another’s Divine Soul and consciousness, allowing them to perfectly tailor their words to any person. Every sentence could be crafted to appeal to their listener’s preferences. Just like now. From the moment he saw Yann Nanshuang, Zhu Ju knew she was innocent and artless, with a relatively simple disposition. A bit of appropriate joking could close the distance between them.’

”Brother Yeng said you want to learn about Arrays?” Yann Nanshuang asked, a confused look on her face.

”Why?”

Arrays were difficult to learn and required a great deal of time. Even then, without Talent, it was hard to even reach the Entry Level, and they required massive resources to support.

”I am from the Bright Void Sect,” Zhu Ju explained.

”The Bright Void Sect relocated to the Ten Thousand Mountains, and the Array protecting our gates is not very impressive. I want to help out a little.”

”The study of Arrays is profound. I don’t expect to achieve Mastery, just to be able to set up a single Tier Two Array.”

”A Tier Two Array...” Yann Nanshuang shook her head gently.

”That’s not easy.”

”Oh, right.”

As if she had just thought of something, her pretty face flushed slightly as she asked:

”Have you ever been betrothed?”

”I had a wife,” Zhu Ju replied.

”Oh!”

Yann Nanshuang couldn’t quite tell what she was feeling at that moment. Relief? Regret? Or was it indifference?

She asked casually:

”Why aren’t you together anymore?”

”The reasons are complicated,” Zhu Ju sighed.

”In short...”

”I struck her with my sword, and she struck me with her palm. After that, we went our separate ways.”

?

Hearing this, Yann Nanshuang blinked, a completely bewildered look on her face.