Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Divine Capital.

Yangxin Hall, Imperial Palace.

”BANG!”

A beautiful piece of porcelain worth a Hundred Gold Coins was smashed heavily on the floor, shattering into countless fragments. The palace maids and eunuchs kneeling on the ground trembled in terror.

”Get out!”

The furious Emperor Chong’an was like a rabid, ailing lion. He waved his gaunt arms and roared:

”I am not dead yet!”

”This throne is still mine! This world is still mine!”

”...”

A beautiful and dignified woman lowered her head and retreated from the great hall step by step amidst the furious roars.

”Princess Consort Yii.”

Chief Eunuch Tong Bao spoke in a low voice:

”His Majesty’s health has been poor these last few days, so his temper is inevitably short. If it is not urgent, it would be best not to disturb him.”

”Poor health?” Princess Consort Yii pursed her lips.

”The Returning Essence Life-Taking Pill can allow a mortally wounded person to live for another half a year, but that doesn’t mean they’ll be perfectly fine during that time.”

”In the last two months...”

She glanced at Tong Bao and said slowly,

”His Majesty’s consciousness will descend into madness, like a crazed demon. There will be no difference between him being alive or dead.”

”Princess Consort Yii.” Tong Bao’s expression changed.

”Those are treasonous words.”

”Eunuch Tong,” Princess Consort Yii chuckled lightly.

”There are no outsiders here. It’s better to speak openly. I want to know if His Majesty will issue an edict for the Third Prince to return to the capital.”

’What would he be returning to the capital for at a time like this?’

’To inherit the throne, of course!’

As the Third Prince’s birth mother, her status depended on her son’s. Naturally, she wanted him to become the legitimate successor of Daqi.

”Princess Consort Yii...” Tong Bao glanced left and right, then lowered his voice. ”His Majesty does have this intention, but the front lines are perilous. That Heavenly General Cao Jian is no common bandit. If he isn’t stopped, he will become a great disaster for the Court and could even overturn the entire world’s situation. So, even if His Majesty wants the Third Prince to return, the officials of the Imperial Court will not permit him to do so at this time.”

”Wait another month or two. Perhaps there will be a turn for the better then.”

”Is that so?” Princess Consort Yii’s expression remained unchanged.

”I’ve heard that many masters from the Martial World have joined the rebel army, which is why my son’s battle has reached a stalemate.”

”The Seventh Princess...”

”...has good relations with the major sects of the Martial World.”

Tong Bao lowered his head and said nothing.

”His Majesty won’t live much longer. There’s no need to mince words.” Princess Consort Yii glanced back at Yangxin Hall.

”A nation cannot be without a ruler for a single day. I want to know what arrangements His Majesty has made.”

”...” Tong Bao’s eyes flickered. After a pause, he said, ”His Majesty has already drafted an edict, appointing the Third Prince as Commander-in-Chief of Nine Armies, giving him command over all the armies in the realm.”

A smile appeared on Princess Consort Yii’s face.

”However, he also issued another edict. If the Seventh Princess wishes, she may renounce her Daoist name ’Yuzhen’ and return to the Imperial Palace.”

Tong Bao continued,

”His Majesty, in the end, still dotes on his children.”

’Hm?’

Princess Consort Yii’s expression darkened.

’What in the world does His Majesty mean?’

’Is the Emperor’s position for my son, or for that bitch?’

Her beautiful eyes flickered thoughtfully. After a long moment, she took a gold coin from her person and handed it to Tong Bao.

”Princess Consort Yii, I cannot.”

”Take it!”

”Yes.”

After seeing Princess Consort Yii off, Tong Bao cautiously returned to Yangxin Hall. He looked up to see Emperor Chong’an glaring at him with a dark expression.

THUD!

Tong Bao’s face turned deathly pale, and his knees went weak as he fell to the ground.

”Your Majesty!”

”You treacherous dog!” Emperor Chong’an’s cheek twitched. He clenched his fist and blasted a strike through the air.

”PENG!”

The furious, Powerful Qi sent Tong Bao, a Martial Saint in his own right, flying. He coughed up blood, unable to move.

Emperor’s Dragon Fist!

Furious and crazed, Emperor Chong’an, supported by the medicinal power of the Returning Essence Life-Taking Pill, had actually recovered a fraction of the strength he possessed in his prime.

”Aargh!”

After throwing the punch, Emperor Chong’an suddenly clutched his head and screamed tragically. Blood seeped from his eyes, his expression twisted and horrifying.

”Quick!”

”His Majesty is having an episode.”

Seeing this, Tong Bao was stunned at first, then secretly overjoyed. Not daring to show it, he merely clutched his chest and shouted,

”Quickly, call the Imperial Physician!”

*

*

*

The autumn wind was bleak.

The fallen leaves were withered and yellow.

Old Huang swept the fallen leaves with a broom.

Beneath the pavilion.

The fragrance of tea filled the air.

Princess Yuzhen, Qii Wanyan, skillfully rinsed, steeped, and poured the tea. Her movements were graceful, like an artistic performance.

”Master.”

After an unknown amount of time,

she stopped and presented the brewed tea to Zhu Ju, speaking slowly,

”The White Tiger Heart Breaking Technique and the Righteous Qi Skill. Both of these Cultivation Techniques were collected by the Court from the common folk.”

”The Righteous Qi Skill originated from the Heroic Alliance of two hundred years ago. Its Alliance Leader was a Martial Saint of the Vajra Realm.”

”While no Vajra Realm Cultivator has ever emerged from the White Tiger Heart Breaking Technique, it is nonetheless quite extraordinary.”

Zhu Ju sat opposite her, flipping through two manuals in his hands.

This was the benefit of taking the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan, as a disciple: he could easily obtain many Divine Treasure Martial Arts.

This included many Martial Arts that were rumored to have been lost.

If she were to become the Emperor, he would be able to get his hands on all sorts of Secret Manuals from the Royal Inner Treasury, so many he wouldn’t know what to do with them.

”Master.”

Qii Wanyan’s beautiful eyes flickered.

”Several of my martial arts instructors have said that with Martial Arts Heart Techniques, quality is more important than quantity. Focusing on one technique allows you to achieve mastery, while dividing your attention will only hinder your progress in the Martial Arts.”

”The world is full of talented people, yet those who can learn all the Ten Thousand Laws and truly synthesize them are still few and far between.”

”’Few’ means there are still some.” Zhu Ju looked up, his interest piqued.

”Who has ever managed to do it?”

”Well...” Qii Wanyan thought for a moment and said,

”Three thousand years ago, the Buddhist Saint Monk Mani went into secluded cultivation for forty-nine years on Celestial Buddha Mountain. He comprehended Divine Techniques from numerous Buddhist Secret Techniques and created the current seventy-two skills of the Buddhist Sect. The vast majority of these point directly to the Divine Treasure Realm. It is also because of him that the Buddhist Ancestral Court Dachan Temple exists today.”

”He is certainly one of them.”

”Saint Monk Mani, who caused the Buddhist Sect to flourish through his own power, is a legendary figure.” Zhu Ju nodded.

”It’s only natural that he would be one.”

”Two thousand years ago, there was a man who was first a Confucian scholar, then a soldier, and finally a seeker of the Dao. At the ripe old age of one hundred, he advanced to a Divine Treasure Martial Saint atop Tianwen Mountain. In one day he certified the Vajra, in three days he obtained Sumeru, and after seven days, he was a living Human Immortal.” Qii Wanyan said solemnly.

”He is known as Daoist Tianwen.”

”This senior was as elusive as a divine dragon, but he left behind three volumes of the Daoist Canon, which led to the rise of three Sumeru experts. He is another one.”

”Incredible,” Zhu Ju sighed.

”He seems to be the only person to have ever certified as a Human Immortal.”

According to legend, there is another Realm above the Sumeru Realm, which the martial artists of this world call the Land Immortal.

For thousands of years,

several powerful figures suspected of being Human Immortals have appeared.

But the only one who was confirmed and truly recognized as a Human Immortal was Daoist Tianwen, who left behind the three volumes of the Daoist Canon.

”There is one more.”

Qii Wanyan frowned slightly and continued,

”This man was cold and heartless by nature, yet he considered himself the embodiment of Celestial Intent. With a single Longsword, he defeated every master in the world.”

”Although he only lived for fifty years, no one could match him!”

”He could learn any martial art in the world with a single glance, master it with a single practice, and surpass its origins after practicing it ten times. A lifetime of study for others could not compare to a single day of his comprehension. The Celestial Intent Technique he created himself shook the world.”

”Though I do not like this man, I have to admire his talent in the Martial Arts. He is another one.”

”The first Sect Leader of the Celestial Intent Sect, the Prince from the previous dynasty who abandoned the throne to pursue the Martial Arts, the Sword Demon Zhou Shukuang.” Zhu Ju lightly flicked his duster.

”Truly remarkable.”

”There is still one more.” Qii Wanyan’s spirits lifted.

”This person came from humble origins. He learned a Long Fist style from a rural Martial Arts Hall and used the Thirty-Six Boxing Techniques to dominate the world, sweeping away all who stood in his path.”

”The world’s Martial Arts and thousands of Methods were no match for his seemingly ordinary Fist Technique. He even pacified a chaotic era and established a new dynasty. He, naturally, is another.”

”Mm.” Zhu Ju nodded.

”The founding emperor of Daqi was born with Inner Wisdom. Thousands of cultivation techniques were no match for his discerning eye. Truly remarkable.”

”These few were all able to learn the Ten Thousand Laws without being constrained by them. They were truly extraordinary.”

He then chuckled.

”I am different.”

”The path I walk is different from theirs. When I look at others’ Methods, it is merely to draw some inspiration.”

’It really was different.’

Other people who cultivated the Martial Arts would ultimately open a Divine Treasure, then tap its potential, temper their Physical Body and Martial Arts Will, until that Martial Arts Will solidified from illusion into reality, achieving the impossible, and finally certifying Vajra Sumeru.

But he... his Divine Soul was agile, connecting to his Soul, seeking the Primordial Spirit. Increasing the strength of his Physical Body was a secondary concern.

”Master.”

Qii Wanyan’s beautiful eyes darted about.

”Although Divine Treasure Martial Arts are extraordinary, the methods that follow for tempering the Physical Body and strengthening the Divine Intent are the true key.”

”And these types of cultivation techniques are mostly Secret Techniques, passed down orally and not recorded in writing. Although the Imperial Forbidden Palace has such legacies, even I would find it difficult to borrow them. Only the Emperor is qualified to view them.”

”No matter.” Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

”I am already content to have obtained these Divine Treasure Martial Arts.”

”In that case...” Qii Wanyan rubbed her smooth chin and said,

”I specifically asked a few friends about this and managed to learn about a few of the Methods you mentioned, Master.”

”Oh!” Zhu Ju sat up straight.

”Tell me about them.”

”The Ten Thousand Swords Chaotic Heart Technique of the Liu Family of West Shu is an extremely profound and mysterious cultivation technique, and it is equally difficult to master,” Qii Wanyan said.

”The Liu Family’s Patriarch is only a First-Grade Grandmaster, but their ancestors once produced a Vajra Martial Saint.”

”That Martial Saint’s Sword Technique was superb, possessing the wonder of a Thousand Transformations. It is said that the Ten Thousand Swords Technique alone has over ten thousand Sword Skills. Only someone with exceptional talent could hope to master it. It has a similar profoundness to the Celestial Intent Sect’s Celestial Intent Skill.”

’Hm?’

Zhu Ju was lost in thought.

Among the Seven Spirits, two ’spirits’ were rather special: Celestial Impact and Spiritual Wisdom.

Celestial Impact, also known as Celestial Wisdom. This spirit governs one’s thoughts. By connecting with it, one could treat thousands of Methods as trivial, learning them with a single glance and mastering them with a single practice. Many extremely complex cultivation techniques could only be cultivated once this spirit was opened. The Divine Treasure opened by the Celestial Intent Sect’s legacy was precisely this spirit. Therefore, every generation of the Celestial Intent Sect’s Sect Leaders were masters of the Martial Arts, proficient in countless Mysterious Skills and Wonderful Dharmas, and possessed incredible strength.

But likewise, this spirit was too mysterious. Even in this world, it seemed no one outside the Celestial Intent Sect could connect with it. He hadn’t expected that Qii Wanyan could actually find a legacy outside of the Celestial Intent Sect.

”Also,” Qii Wanyan continued, ”The Great Compassion Temple once had a cultivation technique called the Tathagata Spell, which was said to open up supreme wisdom.”

”This cultivation technique also meets your requirements, Master.”

’Spiritual Wisdom Spirit!’

’The concepts of ’intelligence’ and ’wisdom’ are not the same.’

’Intelligence,’ ’represents being quick-witted.’ ’A photographic memory and lightning-fast mental calculation fall into this category.’

’Wisdom,’ ’represents the root of wisdom.’ ’On the outside, a person with a root of wisdom looks no different from an ordinary person, and may even seem more foolish.’ ’But they possess a level of comprehension unimaginable to ordinary people, often able to see through illusions and grasp the essential point.’

’The Tathagata Spell,’ ’should connect to the Spiritual Wisdom Spirit.’

The other spirits—Heroic Spirit, Qi Spirit, and Central Spirit—all had corresponding Divine Treasure Martial Arts, but these two were exceptionally rare.

Thus, he now had leads on the Methods for all Seven Spirits.

”Master.” Qii Wanyan spoke up. ”If I ascend the throne, I will certainly issue an edict to obtain these two legacies for you, to repay you for the grace of your teachings.”

”...” Zhu Ju was thoughtful. After a pause, he said, ”What would you need me to do?”

”Simple.” Qii Wanyan broke into a smile, as radiant as a blossoming flower, and the entire courtyard seemed to brighten.

Qingfeng and Ming Yue found themselves unable to look away.

”I ask you, Master, to accompany me on a trip to Nine Kings Mountain to officiate the memorial rites for me.”

...

A hundred li from the Divine Capital, there was an unremarkable mountain called Nine Kings Mountain.

At the founding of the Daqi dynasty, nine Divine Treasure Martial Saints from the Royal Family had died in battle here, hence the name.

Later, it gradually became the burial place for the children of the Royal Family.

The Seventh Princess’s mother, Consort Yun, died of an incurable illness back then. By Emperor Chong’an’s decree, she was given a tomb on Nine Kings Mountain.

Every year, she would go to pay her respects.

This year was naturally no exception.

”Princess Yuzhen.”

The carriage stopped, and a voice came from outside:

”We’ve arrived.”