Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

The Fang Family’s residence.

A seven-story tower stood in the center of the estate.

The surviving core members of the Fang Family bloodline gathered here, their faces filled with despair as they looked outside.

Walking Corpses!

A dense, endless sea of Walking Corpses!

Their numbers must be in the hundreds of thousands!

These Walking Corpses had tough hides and immense strength. They were tireless, and the Yin Corpse Evil Qi emanating from their bodies was the bane of all Magical Artifacts and Magic.

The outer defensive lines had already been breached. Collapse was imminent. To escape, they would have to break through the siege.

The chances...

...were infinitesimally slim!

The No-Fly Array prevented Cultivators from taking to the air.

The omnipresent fog obscured their senses and distorted their sense of direction. The slightest misstep would lead to being surrounded by Walking Corpses.

Even a Dao Foundation Perfection Cultivator would eventually run out of True Essence when faced with an endless horde of Walking Corpses.

”It’s over!”

”Everything is over!”

An old man swayed, leaning against a windowsill and crying out in grief,

”It’s not just the Yann Family or our Fang Family that’s finished—it’s the Yunjing Commerce Association, an institution that has stood for thousands of years!”

”...”

The crowd fell silent.

No one had expected the number of Walking Corpses to swell so drastically in less than two months.

So many that they had become an unstoppable tide.

The great families had been busy hunting down the Yann family’s bloodline, only to turn around and find themselves already in a Demon Realm.

”At this point, words are useless.” Fang Wang took a deep breath, pulling several items from his person and distributing them to the others.

”These are the foundations of our family’s heritage. Each of you take a share. Whoever escapes will be responsible for continuing our bloodline.”

”We...”

”...cannot fail our ancestors!”

”Indeed.” The old man nodded, then passed the item in his hand to a young man, his expression solemn.

”I am over two hundred years old. My time is short. Even if I escaped, I would just be a bag of old bones.”

”I will stay behind to draw the Walking Corpses. You all fight to escape.”

”Second Grand-uncle!”

”Second Uncle!”

”...”

A tragic atmosphere filled the room. Some of the younger members, unable to control their emotions, broke down in tears.

”Look!” one person shouted. ”What is that?”

Everyone followed his gaze and saw a figure floating in mid-air, slowly approaching them.

”Flying?”

”Why can she fly?”

”She’s not flying,” Fang Wang said with a frown. ”The Yin Corpse Evil Qi is holding her aloft, just making it look like she’s flying. I never thought the Demon Cultivator would be her.”

Yann Nanshuang!

The pride and joy of the Yann Family.

After not seeing her for some time, her Cultivation had advanced again. She had actually reached the Late-Stage Dao Foundation Realm.

Her progress was unbelievably fast!

Yann Nanshuang slowly descended into the horde of corpses. With a light wave of her hand, the surrounding Walking Corpses scattered.

The figure enveloped by the horde was revealed.

”Brother Yann.”

”You are not Nanshuang.” Yann Ying leaned on his Longsword, his body swaying. His bloodshot eyes glared with rage. ”Demon, who in the hell are you?”

”I am Yann Nanshuang,” she replied, her lips curling into a slight smile. ”Why do you ask, Brother Yann?”

”I’ve seen Demonic Cultivators before,” Yann Ying said in a low voice. ”Even the top masters from the Netherworld and Celestial Corpse, the two great Demon Sects, couldn’t have spread the Walking Corpses this quickly.”

”And... while it’s true that Demonic Cultivators can use Yin Corpse Evil Qi to cultivate at incredible speeds, it’s not *this* fast. You jumped from the Early Stage Dao Foundation to the Late-Stage Dao Foundation Realm in just a few months. Even if that were possible, it would lead to an unstable Realm and Qi deviation. Yet you’ve completely adapted to this explosive growth in Cultivation. It doesn’t make any sense.”

”Speak!”

”Did some Demon possess Nanshuang’s body?”

In his mind, it had to be a Golden Core Demon from some Demon Sect. Otherwise, such terrifying power would be impossible.

Or perhaps...

...a Nascent Soul!

CLAP CLAP... Yann Nanshuang’s eyes glinted with a strange light as she lightly clapped her hands.

”As expected of a Cultivator from the Jade Void Sect. Your knowledge alone far surpasses the mediocre fools on this island.”

”You’re also the first person to realize something is wrong with me. If I hadn’t used some tricks to lure you away from the ancestral home back then, you might have truly exposed me.”

She didn’t explain her identity, instead choosing to persuade him.

”Brother Yann Ying, surrender!”

”For the sake of our many years of friendship, if you are willing to acknowledge me as your master, I can spare your life.”

Yann Nanshuang’s voice was earnest, her eyes hopeful, and her face sincere, but her next words sent a chill down the spine.

”If you refuse to surrender, then... as much as I would regret it, I’ll have to... kill you.”

”Surrender?” Yann Ying’s body trembled. He pointed his Longsword forward, his face contorted in a snarl. ”Back in Dazhou, all my friends and family were killed by Demonic Cultivators. And now, the Yann Family has been destroyed by you, Demon.”

”I would rather die than surrender!”

”Why must you be so stubborn?” Yann Nanshuang frowned. ”Though the Demon Heaven Six Paths of Dazhou and I come from the same place, we are enemies. In fact, I could even help you get your revenge.”

”From the same place?” Yann Ying roared. ”And you still claim to be Nanshuang?”

”You don’t understand,” Yann Nanshuang said, shaking her head. ”Beings like us can only... with other people...”

”Never mind.”

She stopped abruptly mid-sentence and waved her slender hand.

”Since you won’t surrender, I will grant your wish. Don’t worry, your descendants will live on.”

”ROAR!”

As her voice fell, the horde of corpses growled and lunged at Yann Ying, submerging him in an instant.

”See?” Yann Nanshuang shrugged. ”I told you he wouldn’t surrender.”

She seemed to be talking to herself. Her expression was bizarre—one side of her face was indifferent, the other contorted in grief.

It was as if two people were sharing the same body.

”’Preserve the Yann Family’s bloodline, make the Yann Family the number one family in the Yunjing Commerce Association, and give the people I know a proper resolution...’”

Yann Nanshuang ticked off the points on her fingers.

”I’ve done everything you asked of me. Shouldn’t we become one now?”

”You say I’ve twisted your words?”

She chuckled softly.

”Isn’t the Yann Family’s bloodline preserved?”

”Not many survived, but some did.”

”Once the Fang and Sunx Families are wiped out, the Yann Family will be the only one left in the Yunjing Commerce Association. Won’t that make them the number one family? The Commerce Association might not be as grand as it once was, but I still did what you asked.”

”You wanted Yann Ying to have a final resolution. I granted his wish. He chose to die, so you can’t blame me.”

”Which of your requests did I fail to fulfill?”

”You’re saying I did it wrong?”

”Hee hee...”

Yann Nanshuang’s soft laughter was almost tearful.

”I am a Demon!”

”They all call me Mola. The most cunning Demon from the Heart Demon Realm, the one who loves to play with people’s hearts. You didn’t actually expect to make a wish to a Demon and get a perfect ending, did you?”

”A Demon... naturally enjoys watching others come to a bad end.”

”Hm?”

As if sensing something, her eyes twitched. She looked into the distance, a Spiritual Light flashing in her beautiful eyes.

”Another acquaintance. I wonder what you want me to do for him?”

*

*

*

”TING-A-LING...”

The bell chimed.

The thick fog seemed to react, parting to reveal a narrow path.

Zhu Ju, a greatsword on his back, emerged from it. He shook a Copper Bell with one hand while holding a Compass to check his bearings with the other.

’The edge of the Array should be just ahead.’

He looked up and could faintly feel the fresh sea breeze on his face.

”Finally made it out.”

With a soft sigh, Zhu Ju strode forward.

That day, he had used his left hand to cast the Heaven-Flipping Seal. Empowered by the Blood-Burning Curse and his Body Refining Third Realm cultivation, he had killed the heavily injured Sunx Tuo in a single blow. He successfully obtained the path-guiding Divine Summoning Bell and a great deal of loot from him, which led him all the way here.

Soon, he would be able to leave Yunjing Island.

”The place I’ve lived for more than a decade.”

He glanced back at the fog-shrouded island, his voice filled with emotion.

”We must part ways at last.”

”Brother Zhu.”

Just then, a familiar voice called out from ahead.

”Is that you?”

”Yann Nanshuang?” Zhu Ju was taken aback. Though his expression remained calm, the Ten Directions Sword had already flown out silently. ”What are you doing here?”

At the same time, the muscles in his left arm tensed. The more than three hundred Curved Sabers of the Wind and Thunder Blade Wings pressed against his Physical Body like scales, ready to be unleashed at full power at any moment.

”Alas!” The fog dispersed, and Yann Nanshuang walked out slowly. Seemingly oblivious to the Ten Directions Sword hovering restlessly nearby, she sighed with a normal expression. ”The island is overrun with Walking Corpses. It’s beyond anyone’s control. The Yann Family had no choice but to have its core members find a way to escape.”

”I just arrived myself when I heard your voice, Brother Zhu.”

”Is that so?” Zhu Ju was noncommittal. ”The edge of the Array is just ahead. Do you have a way out?”

Early Stage Dao Foundation!

According to his senses, the Yann Nanshuang before him was only at the Early Stage Dao Foundation. Her face was a mask of confusion and helplessness, nothing like the culprit who had annihilated the Sunx Family.

”Of course, I do,” Yann Nanshuang nodded. ”But the situation on the island has changed. I’m still waiting. Do you plan to leave right now, Brother Zhu?”

”Yes.” Zhu Ju stepped forward, cautiously closing the distance between them as he asked, ”How is the Yann Family doing?”

”Not well.” Yann Nanshuang shook her head and turned as if by chance, but in a way that kept her from getting too close to Zhu Ju.

Seven steps!

What a coincidence.

Any closer, and Zhu Ju was confident he could gain the upper hand with a surprise attack, even against a Dao Foundation Perfection Cultivator.

But the distance was precisely seven steps.

Yann Nanshuang continued speaking.

”The Patriarch is dead. Brother Yann Ying has also fallen. Very few from the Yann Family survived. Aside from a handful of us, most are hiding in secret caves set up by the family, waiting for all this to end.”

’Yann Ying is dead?’

Zhu Ju’s steps faltered, and a complicated look crossed his face.

He didn’t have many friends on Yunjing Island, but Yann Ying was definitely one of them. He hadn’t expected that even he couldn’t escape this calamity.

”But there is some good news,” Yann Nanshuang said, the sorrow on her face fading as she forced a smile. ”The other families are in even worse shape. And although Walking Corpses are ravaging the island, once the fog lifts, the Corpse Qi will naturally dissipate over time. The Yann Family might even be able to regroup and reclaim the Commerce Association.”

”Brother Zhu.”

She turned around, her expression serious.

”Stay!”

”The great families have been wiped out, and no one is controlling the Array. The Hundred-Change Prison Cage Array will soon stop, and the fog will clear. Yunjing Island is in ruins, waiting for someone to take charge and rebuild.”

”Hm?” Zhu Ju frowned. ”What about the Demon Cultivator hiding on the island?”

”We already found him,” Yann Nanshuang said. ”It was our Yann Family’s previous Patriarch, Yann Weiran. He and Elder Miao perished together. There are no other Demon Cultivators on the island.”

”Even if there are, they won’t pose a significant threat.”

Zhu Ju was stunned.

He had never expected events to conclude in such a way. It was completely beyond his expectations.

However...

His gaze fell upon Yann Nanshuang, and his eyes shifted slightly.

”No.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhu Ju shook his head gently.

”I think I’ll leave after all.”

”That’s a real shame.” Yann Nanshuang looked regretful, a hint of reluctance in her eyes.

”Brother Zhu.”

She took out a Jade Pendant.

”This is a Magical Artifact I acquired in my early years. It has a calming effect on the mind.”

”After you leave, I’m afraid we will never see each other again. I have nothing else of value on me. Please, take this as a memento.”

”Thank you.” Zhu Ju reached out and took it. After a moment, he pulled out a gold dagger.

”I came across this when I was young. It’s not worth much. I hope you won’t mind, Miss Yann.”

”How could I?” Yann Nanshuang accepted it with a delighted expression. ”I’ll cherish anything you give me, Brother Zhu.”

...

Watching Zhu Ju’s figure recede into the distance, Yann Nanshuang revealed a cunning smile and turned back into the dense fog.

She followed a specific path and, before long, appeared before Kou Wu of the South Sea Cave Ghosts.

At that moment, the group of Tribulation Cultivators was also surrounded by a horde of corpses, their situation perilous.

And so Yann Nanshuang, who strode forward as the corpses parted for her, was undoubtedly a Demon in their eyes.

”Fellow Daoist Kou.”

Yann Nanshuang smiled.

”I hear you’ve been looking for your brother’s killer?”

”It’s you.” Kou Wu narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the Trident in his hand. ”What, you have a lead?”

”Indeed.” Yann Nanshuang nodded, holding out the dagger. ”He just left Yunjing Island. This has his aura on it. You can track him with it.”

”Oh?”

Kou Wu took the dagger, a savage grin spreading across his face.

”You’re willing to let me leave?”

”Of course,” Yann Nanshuang said with a faint smile. ”On the condition that you kill him.”

”He broke my heart, you see. And since I can’t have his heart... I suppose his body will do.”