Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

”BZZZZ...”

The swarm of bees buzzed.

Tens of thousands of Profound Jade Bees surged forward in a single wave, like a vast, dark cloud that weighed heavily on one’s heart.

Such malevolence!

The ferocious, hostile Qi emanating from these things was incredibly dense.

Zhu Ju’s brow furrowed slightly. He used his Wind and Thunder Blade Wings to block the incoming Flying Sword while his Cross and Vertical Saber flashed out like lightning, slashing toward the swarm.

Sword Light Division!

Thousand Blades Unending, One Slash Void!

Myriad saber glints appeared in a flash, then abruptly converged, forming a single blade of light over a hundred feet long that chopped down.

”SHHIIING!”

The dark cloud was first diced into countless fragments, and then a massive vacuum opened up in its center.

With just this single strike, the corpses of over a hundred Profound Jade Bees rustled as they rained down.

”Heh heh...” Seeing this, the Liao-surnamed cultivator wasn’t angry. In fact, he laughed.

”What a fine Saber Technique!”

”As expected of the renowned Yunjing Commerce Association of the East Sea. Even a random member possesses such skill.”

”Unfortunately...”

”My Profound Jade Bees aren’t so easy to deal with.”

’Hm?’

Zhu Ju also sensed something was wrong. His Cross and Vertical Saber, connected to him by blood and spirit and usually moving as an extension of his will, had become sluggish.

It was as if...

’Something is obstructing my Divine Thought.’

”Sensing it now?” the Liao-surnamed cultivator chuckled lowly.

”Every part of a Profound Jade Bee is a treasure. The honey they produce is comparable to Divine Milk, with the wondrous effects of nourishing one’s appearance and opening Spiritual Acupoints. The key is that it’s extremely viscous and can insulate against Divine Sense. Even a Magical Treasure, if soaked in it, would become difficult to control.”

”Let alone a mere Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact.”

Over the years, he had relied on his Profound Jade Bees to fight many opponents and had always come out on top. It was his greatest source of pride.

Even a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator had once suffered a loss at his hands.

”SHHIIING!”

The Cross and Vertical Saber returned.

On its blade were strands of something like spider silk. This was what was interfering with the connection between Zhu Ju and his saber.

Removing these silk-like strands wasn’t difficult, but it would take time—and time was precisely what he lacked.

”BZZZZ...”

In that brief moment, the bee swarm had already closed in.

Their nearly invisible mandibles could chew through Magical Artifacts, and their tail stingers, glinting with a cold light, were surely not to be trifled with.

Seven Kills Curse!

Zhu Ju’s expression darkened. He formed a Spell with one hand, and streams of Profound Light converged into a tide that rushed toward the swarm.

”CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG...”

The Profound Jade Bees, which could be easily slain by his Cross and Vertical Saber, were merely pushed back by the full force of his Curse Technique.

”Hmph!”

With a soft snort, Zhu Ju flicked his sleeve and threw out a Wood Talisman.

The palm-sized Wood Talisman was reddish-brown and carved with three Divine Dragons. It hung suspended in mid-air, growing against the wind.

”What is that?”

The Liao-surnamed cultivator was stunned. Though he didn’t know what the Wood Talisman was, he instinctively felt something was wrong and hurriedly urged his Flying Sword to launch a ferocious attack.

In the next instant,

he finally realized what Zhu Ju had thrown.

”A Talisman Treasure!”

Crying out in alarm, the Liao-surnamed cultivator let out a shrill whistle, recalling his Profound Jade Bees while frantically throwing out Spirit Talismans and other Treasures.

”WHOOSH!”

The Wood Talisman burst into flames.

Three lifelike Fire Dragons roared out from within it, charging ferociously toward the bee swarm.

The Three Yang Divine Fire Talisman!

A Talisman Treasure!

He had obtained this item from Kou Wen of the South Sea Cave Ghosts. It possessed a fraction of a Magical Treasure’s power and was especially good for slaughter.

”BOOM!”

Fierce Flames billowed madly.

Scorched by the extreme heat, one Profound Jade Bee after another turned to charcoal and fell from the sky.

”WHOOOOSH...”

The three Fire Dragons opened their mouths wide, spewing a column of flame over a li long. For a moment, it was as if the horizon was set ablaze with crimson clouds.

The Fierce Flames not only incinerated the swarm of Profound Jade Bees but also engulfed the beehive behind them.

”My hive!” the Liao-surnamed cultivator roared in grief. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot as he flicked his wrist and threw out a handful of pellets.

”I’ll fight you to the death!”

’Divine Thunder?’

An idea sparked in Zhu Ju’s mind. His Wind and Thunder Blade Wings shot out like lightning, transforming mid-air into a curtain to block the Divine Thunder.

”BOOM!”

The thunderlight boomed.

The Wind and Thunder Blade Wings trembled violently, but this level of power was not enough to damage the Magical Treasure Embryo.

”Good!”

But upon seeing this, the Liao-surnamed cultivator was overjoyed.

”Now!”

”BZZZ...”

The void behind Zhu Ju suddenly rippled, and a Flying Sword stabbed out silently, aimed straight for the back of his neck.

There was another Dao Foundation Cultivator hiding here.

No wonder the Liao-surnamed cultivator hadn’t retreated even after using all his tricks, instead putting on a life-or-death struggle. It turned out he was luring away the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings to create an opportunity for someone else.

Realization dawned on Zhu Ju.

He had to admit, their aura concealment technique was superb. He hadn’t noticed them at all until they made their move.

The Sword Light flickered.

A beautiful Female Cultivator appeared with a cold smirk on her face. In her mind, she could already see her target’s head being pierced through.

”SHHIIING!”

Suddenly,

a five-colored radiance appeared from thin air. It swept towards the Flying Sword, and the speeding weapon abruptly froze in place.

The Five-Colored Divine Light.

This light could brush away anything. With Zhu Ju’s current Cultivation, perhaps only a Magical Treasure could resist being immobilized by it.

”What?”

The Female Cultivator was stunned. Then, she gritted her teeth and, instead of retreating, advanced, flashing forward to close the distance.

She clenched her fists, her fingers armed with sharp thimbles. Her punches were like striking dragons, creating explosive sounds in the air.

’A Body Cultivator?’

This beautiful Female Cultivator who had appeared later was actually an extremely rare Body Cultivator.

For a Dao Foundation Cultivator, tempering the Physical Body only increased combat power, not their Cultivation. Choosing Body Refining meant giving up on the Great Dao, not to mention enduring immense hardship. Thus, very few people chose this path.

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow and flipped his right hand up to meet her attack.

”PENG!”

Fist and palm collided.

The Female Cultivator’s face instantly turned deathly pale.

”Body Refining Second Realm!”

He was a Body Cultivator too, and at the Body Refining Second Realm at that.

’It’s over!’

”CRACK...”

A terrifying Giant Power surged from her fist. With a sudden twist, the Female Cultivator’s arm bone snapped clean in two.

Blood-stained bone fragments pierced through her skin.

”SHHIIING!”

A flash of saber light passed before her eyes. The Female Cultivator’s gaze went vacant as she felt the strength drain rapidly from her body.

’Is this...’

’the feeling of death?’

”Sister!”

The Liao-surnamed cultivator roared furiously, but he only managed to struggle for a moment longer before a Fire Dragon coiled around his body.

”BOOM!”

The Fierce Flames surged.

His body was also burned to ash.

Zhu Ju extended a hand, pulling the two’s storage pouches to him. He then reached out and caught the Talisman Treasure, the ’Three Yang Divine Fire Talisman’.

”Huuu...”

Looking at the Talisman Treasure, its Spiritual Light now dim, Zhu Ju silently estimated its remaining power and sighed in resignation.

”I can use it two more times at most.”

”The Cultivation Realm is truly fraught with peril at every step. Two mere Early Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators possessed such strength. If I didn’t have a few tricks up my sleeve, I might have actually been in danger.”

”Eh?”

As his Divine Thought swept over the storage pouches, his expression suddenly changed.

”A Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo!”

...

On a deserted island, Zhu Ju took out a man-sized Spirit Stone from a storage pouch and examined it closely.

His eyes were filled with curiosity.

”It really is a Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo.”

A Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo!

This was an incredible find.

If the stone embryo were to fully form and open its Spiritual Acupoints, it would be comparable to a Dao Foundation Cultivator at Body Refining Third Realm Perfection—equivalent to a living Magical Treasure.

But unfortunately,

a Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo’s growth was agonizingly slow, easily taking several thousand or even ten thousand years. Forget Dao Foundation Cultivators, not even Golden Core Grandmasters or Nascent Soul True Men could afford to wait that long.

The Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo before him was a bit better; it already had a humanoid shape, and he could sense the faint Spirituality within it.

In another one or two thousand years, it would probably be fully formed.

”One or two thousand years?”

Zhu Ju shook his head.

”Even setting aside whether I can live that long, if I really do, I probably won’t have any use for it by then.”

Shaking his head, he took out a booklet from the storage pouch. It had been placed together with the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo.

”Innate Divine Milk?”

”Wishful thinking!”

There were Curious Objects in the world that could accelerate the formation of a Spiritual Essence Stone Embryo, and the legendary Innate Divine Milk was one of them.

However, this substance was immensely useful even to Golden Core Grandmasters. Who would waste it on maturing a Spiritual Essence Stone Embryo?

It was a gross misapplication of a great talent.

”Hm?”

Just as he was about to close the booklet, Zhu Ju’s expression suddenly changed, a complicated look appearing on his face.

”Profound Jade Bees!”

”Honey Milk?”

”This can’t be real, can it?”

At the very end of the booklet, the Liao-surnamed cultivator had mentioned using the honey of Profound Jade Bees as a substitute for Innate Divine Milk.

Zhu Ju carefully read through the man’s deduction process and couldn’t help but suck in a cold breath.

Theoretically,

this method was viable.

It just required a larger amount of honey.

This was also why.

The Liao Siblings had recklessly stolen the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo from the auction house, hoping to hatch it and use it as their pillar of support.

With an Outer Body Incarnation at Body Refining Third Realm Perfection, they wouldn’t have to fear even a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator.

”No wonder that Liao fellow went so crazy when the hive was destroyed. It was actually related to maturing the Spiritual Essence Stone Embryo.”

”I...”

”Why didn’t I hold back then?”

Zhu Ju gritted his teeth, wishing he could slap himself a few times.

If he had left that beehive intact, wouldn’t he have gained a new enforcer at Body Refining Third Realm Perfection in the near future?

Body Refining Third Realm Perfection!

That was even stronger than a Sumeru Realm Martial Arts Powerhouse. It could even crush a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator who didn’t possess a Magical Treasure.

’Damn it!’

Endless regret washed over him, making his eyes turn red. He began to rummage frantically through the storage pouch.

”Found it!”

His eyes lit up. A large jar, so big it would take two people to encircle it, appeared in his senses. The jar was filled to the brim with honey.

Unlike ordinary honey,

the honey of Profound Jade Bees was a milky white color, like Spiritual Milk.

Since the Liao Siblings had already planned to use the honey to substitute for Innate Divine Milk, how could they not have made preparations in advance?

”I just don’t know...”

”if it’s enough.”

*

*

*

When Zhu Ju returned, he didn’t see Dong Ping. Instead, Yann Ying was in her place, standing guard over the nearby sea region.

”Junior Brother.”

Yann Ying called out from a distance.

”How did it go?”

”I didn’t catch them,” Zhu Ju said, his face full of regret.

”In the end, my Cultivation is too low. I gave chase for a while, but the distance between us only grew wider, so I had no choice but to return.”

Not catching them was a lie, but the regret was real.

”It’s alright,” Yann Ying consoled him.

”There’s no need to blame yourself, Junior Brother. How many years has it been since you advanced to Dao Foundation? Chasing after them alone was already a big risk.”

”There’s no need to do it again.”

”...Yes.” Zhu Ju gave a bitter smile, his mind still fixated on the destroyed beehive.

”I will be more careful.”

”Dong Ping captured Master Tang’s disciple, Chi Lianggong, and has already taken him back to Yunjing Island. This is a credit to both of you, so you should head back soon. Don’t let her take all the credit.” Yann Ying sighed, no hint of joy on his face.

”A shame.”

”We still haven’t found that scoundrel Tang Yuanshan. I don’t know where he’s hiding, but once we find him, we’ll make him pay.”

...

Zhu Ju brought out his Dust Banner and began to leisurely make his way toward Yunjing Island, finally pulling his thoughts away from the Primordial Spirit Stone Embryo.

’What is mine was meant to be; what is lost was not.’

’There’s no point in dwelling on it.’

Just then, a strange sound reached his ears. Zhu Ju’s expression flickered, and he quickly cast a spell to conceal his presence.

”Fellow Daoist Guu!”

”Brother Guu!”

A Tunneling Light wobbled as it flew in from the distance, the figure within shouting in panic.

”Have mercy!”

”Don’t you remember? We drank together, we visited brothels together! We have decades of friendship!”

”Hmph!” A familiar voice came from behind, causing a look of surprise to appear on Zhu Ju’s face.

’It’s him?’

”Canx Yunzi, of all the things you shouldn’t have done, you shouldn’t have seen what you weren’t supposed to see. How could I possibly spare your life?”

Guu Xinglan pursued on his Flying Sword, closing in on Canx Yunzi.

”Don’t worry!”

”For the sake of our decades of friendship, after you die, I will take good care of your wives and concubines.”

”As for your descendants...”

”They’re not so young anymore. It’s time they learned to fend for themselves.”

”Guu Xinglan!” Canx Yunzi roared.

”You’ll die a horrible death!”

”Yes,” Guu Xinglan snorted coldly.

”I will die a horrible death, but before that, I’ll send you on your way first!”

”Die!”

A sharp Sword Light descended from the sky like the great gates of the Nine Netherworld opening wide, swallowing Canx Yunzi in a single gulp.

”Aaargh!”

The bloodcurdling scream was cut short.

Guu Xinglan descended from the sky and, with a sweep of his large hand, snatched the storage pouch from Canx Yunzi’s body.