Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Qunxing Workshop.

Unlike the bustling and debaucherous Anle Workshop, this place was much quieter, suitable for self-cultivation and nurturing one’s character.

Sprawling manors were scattered about.

Their owners were mostly princes, marquises, and Crown Princes...

One could say,

the residents here were either rich or noble.

Of course.

Tucked away between the grand manors were the inevitable small alleys and residences where maids and servants lived.

Baiyun Temple.

It stood right next to Prince Guangping’s Mansion.

The Daoist Temple covered several acres and had only two courtyards. The front courtyard was dedicated to the Daoist Three Pure Ones, while the back courtyard served as the living quarters for the Temple Master and his disciples.

”Some time ago, Prince Fenyang was convicted for privately hoarding a Dragon Robe. Baiyun Temple had unclear ties to him and was implicated in the fallout.”

”The Temple Master and several disciples were executed at the public market. The temple’s servants were all dismissed, leaving it deserted.”

The Broker led the two men into the Daoist Temple. Having been untended for some time, it was already overgrown with weeds.

He explained,

”Daoist Ziju is now the Temple Master of Baiyun Temple. According to the rules, you can take in ten Daoist Children and Daoists.”

Gong Si’s eyes lit up.

”Daoist.”

He lowered his voice and said,

”Daoist Children and Daoists are exempt from the Court’s taxes. That alone is worth a lot of money. If you give the slots to me, I will give you one hundred taels of silver!”

The Broker, standing to the side, secretly curled his lip.

’One hundred taels?’

’The slot for a single Daoist Child is worth far more than a hundred taels.’

’If these ten slots from the Daoist Temple were sold, they would fetch at least one hundred taels of gold.’

Gold,

not silver.

The price difference was a hundredfold!

”No need.”

Zhu Ju lightly flicked his Duster, striking an otherworldly pose.

”A Saint does not hoard. The more he does for others, the more he has. Money is a worldly object. This is what it means to be content in poverty and delight in the Dao.”

The Broker and Gong Si looked completely baffled.

”Hey!”

A figure kneeling in Sanqing Hall brought the Broker back to his senses. He shouted harshly,

”Who are you, woman? Don’t you know this Daoist Temple has been sealed by the Court and entry is forbidden?”

”Sir.” The woman, who had been kneeling and kowtowing to the Divine Spirit, turned at the sound of his voice. She hurriedly bowed her head and stammered,

”I... I live next door. I saw the seal outside the temple was taken down today, so I thought I could come in.”

”So...”

”Please forgive me, Sir! Please forgive me!”

The woman’s face was sallow, and her frame was short and thin—clear signs of malnutrition. The Broker waved his hand impatiently.

”Get out!”

”Hurry up and get out!”

”If the Daoist weren’t here today, I wouldn’t have let you off so easily.”

”Thank you, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” The woman kowtowed hastily, scrambled to her feet, and picked up her offerings to leave.

”Wait a moment.” Gong Si’s eyebrow twitched.

”Put down what you’re holding.”

As he spoke, he stepped forward and snatched the items from her. He picked up a piece of fruit, wiped it on the woman’s lapel, and took a bite.

Juice spurted everywhere.

”Tastes good.”

”S-Sir,” the woman said in a low voice.

”That’s for the gods to eat.”

”Pah!” Gong Si’s expression darkened.

”What does a woman like you know? Worshipping an Evil God is a capital offense in our Daqi. Say any more nonsense and I’ll drag you before the officials.”

”Now get lost!”

The woman was frightened into a panic. She immediately put down the items in her hands, excused herself, and hurried out of the Daoist Temple.

...

「Night.」

The stars shone brilliantly.

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged in the tidied Quiet Chamber. He formed a Seal Technique with his hands and lightly tapped the empty space before him.

”Profound Light Technique!”

BZZZ...

The void in front of him rippled like the surface of water.

An invisible fluctuation of Magical Power silently merged with the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, outlining a complex Spiritual Pattern.

In the sky,

the Primordial Qi shimmered.

It was as if a vertical eye, invisible to the naked eye, had appeared a hundred meters above Baiyun Temple, peering at everything within a radius of dozens of li.

A Water Mirror appeared before Zhu Ju, displaying all the goings-on throughout Qunxing Workshop.

In a certain Martial Arts Hall.

The Hall Master stood before a pile cast from refined iron, his hands shaped like tiger claws as he lunged at it again and again.

The pile, weighing several thousand jin, was like a toy before him.

”Remember!”

”The Fist Technique of our Tiger Evil Martial Arts Hall lies not in the ’Tiger’ but in the ’Evil.’ If you can’t cultivate this Evil Qi in your heart, you’ll peak at the Middle Third Grade. You can never hope to merge spirit and flesh to advance to the Upper Three Grades.”

”Watch closely!”

”Fierce Tiger Descending Mountain!”

The Hall Master’s eyes flew wide open. His entire being resembled a fierce tiger descending a mountain, and the faint sound of a tiger’s roar could be heard.

He stamped his foot and lunged forward, his five fingers forming a claw to strike. An invisible Evil Qi burst forth from between his fingers and palm.

BOOM!

The iron pile, weighing thousands of jin, was torn to shreds by his tiger claw.

”Dad!” The youth watching from the side was ecstatic, clapping his hands.

”Have you become a Second-Grade Grandmaster?”

”Not quite.” The Hall Master exhaled a long, turbid breath, suppressing the restless Qi Blood within him, and said slowly,

”A Second-Grade Grandmaster’s blood is like mercury, so dense it makes a sound when it falls. I should be able to break through within the year.”

”So powerful!” The youth’s face was full of excitement.

”There are many Martial Arts Halls in the Divine Capital, but very few have a Second-Grade Grandmaster as their Hall Master. The Tiger Evil Martial Arts Hall will definitely make a name for itself.”

”Yes.” A smile touched the Hall Master’s lips, but he quickly shook his head.

”Second-Grade Grandmaster is my limit. And in the end, I’m just a Martial Arts Hall Master—never someone who can stand on the main stage. You must use our family’s Martial Arts to build your foundation, but you still have to join the Divine Sword Sect. They have top-tier Methods for reaching Second-Grade and beyond, even for Opening the Divine Treasure.”

”I’ve lost my chance. I’ll just stay home, run the Martial Arts Hall, and earn money for you. You absolutely must surpass your father.”

”Dad!” The youth gritted his teeth and nodded.

”I’ll definitely work hard on my Cultivation!”

In a manor one street away.

A white-bearded old man was instructing a boy and a girl in their Pile Skill, correcting their postures from time to time.

”The Pile Skill is static, but people are dynamic. Don’t be rigid in your stances; you must feel the flow of Qi Blood within your body.”

”The Divine Intent Pile is one of the world’s top Pile Skills. As long as you master it, you’ll easily enter the Middle Third Grade.”