Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Old Jii was a master brewer whom Xu Hanzhi had specially sought out. He was responsible for several crucial steps in the brewing process.

Only he could have placed a gu-bug in the wine without anyone noticing.

The key was,

”Old Jii has been acting strangely the last few days, his mind often wandering. He claimed he’d caught a cold, but how could an Innate Qi Refiner be so easily affected by the chill? I should have realized something was wrong sooner.”

Xu Hanzhi muttered, full of regret:

”It’s ruined!”

”Everything is ruined!”

”At least several thousand Spirit Stones’ worth of raw materials are wasted. And who knows if anything else has been tampered with. We’ll have to start over on so many things.”

The Bright Void Sect had even mortgaged its shops in the Marketplace to support the brewing venture.

Their capital was already insufficient.

This was just salt in the wound.

”You should look on the bright side,” Zhu Ju said, trying to console him.

”At least the wine wasn’t sent out. If it had been, and people had died, that would have been a real disaster.”

”You can always earn back lost Spirit Stones as long as the business survives. A ruined reputation would be the real nightmare.”

”Hmph!” Liuu Huang’er snorted coldly.

”It’s a good thing Senior Brother Zhu noticed something was wrong. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

”Take this as an opportunity to adjust the brewing process and ensure safety measures are in place first. This can’t happen again. The Sect has limited Spirit Stones and can’t afford to be messed around with time and again.”

”Yes.” Xu Hanzhi nodded, gritting his teeth.

”I understand.”

As he spoke, he looked up, a vicious look on his face.

’Jiying, don’t let me catch you. If I do, you’re dead!’

”Where is he?” Zhu Ju asked.

By now, the group had left the Bright Void Sect’s residence and were heading toward the nearby Marketplace.

”Jiying is a Cultivator who fled from Dazhou with his ancestors. He makes a living near the Marketplace.”

Knowing that Zhu Ju had only recently returned and wasn’t familiar with the area, Xu Hanzhi explained:

”Those with skills and means rent places in the Marketplace. Those with insufficient income live on the outskirts.”

”It’s also quite chaotic over there. I have a few friends who live in that kind of environment.”

”Nephew,” Liuu Huang’er suddenly said, her voice softening as she advised him gently,

”Your Talent isn’t bad. If you could focus your mind entirely on your Cultivation, you might not be inferior to your Senior Sister Shui.”

”Focus yourself. Don’t associate with unsavory characters, and spend less time getting drunk. If you reach Dao Foundation one day, the Sect will be able to rely on you. We can’t look after you all forever.”

”...” Xu Hanzhi’s face flushed with shame.

”Yes.”

”Are we there yet?” After walking a while longer, Zhu Ju looked at the dense forest ahead and frowned slightly.

”This area seems a bit remote.”

”It is,” Xu Hanzhi nodded.

”Old Jii just moved not long ago. He didn’t live here before.”

”...” Zhu Ju suddenly stopped in his tracks.

”Stop!”

”Uncle,” Xu Hanzhi said, turning his head in confusion.

”What’s wrong?”

”Let’s go back first,” Zhu Ju said, looking down. After a moment of thought, he added,

”To be safe, let’s get Senior Sister Pei or ask the Dao Foundation Cultivator stationed at the nearby Marketplace to come investigate with us.”

”But...” Xu Hanzhi looked surprised.

”Is that really necessary?”

’We’re just going to capture a Middle-Stage Innate Qi Refiner, ’Old Jii’. Why go to all this trouble?’

”Listen to your Uncle. We’re going back first,” Liuu Huang’er said in a low voice, her beautiful eyes glinting.

”Something isn’t right here.”

Huh?

Xu Hanzhi’s heart skipped a beat. The next moment, he felt the auras of the two people beside him erupt.

”Who’s there?”

”Come out!”

Liuu Huang’er’s shout was like a clap of thunder, making one’s ears ring.

RUSTLE... The leaves rustled, and shadowy figures quietly emerged.

To Xu Hanzhi’s astonishment, a man walked slowly out of the dense forest and cupped his fist to Liuu Huang’er.

”Miss Liuu, we meet again.”

”You?” Liuu Huang’er’s face darkened as she recognized the newcomer.

”Lian Junhe!”

”So you really did defect to the Demon Sect!”

”Senior Brother,” she said quietly to Zhu Ju.

”This man was originally a Marketplace Wanderer. He disappeared last year and was suspected of being involved in the annihilation of a Dao Foundation Clan. It was rumored he’d joined the Demon Sect. It seems those rumors were true.”

”I heard that Miss Liuu will soon be forming a Daoist partnership with Fellow Daoist Zhai. Congratulations,” Lian Junhe said with a faint smile.

”Upon hearing the news, I made a special trip to deliver a congratulatory gift. I trust you’re satisfied?”

”You were the one who had someone put a gu-bug in the wine?” Liuu Huang’er realized.

”Despicable!”

A Dao Foundation Cultivator’s Divine Soul was extremely powerful. With just a single thought, they could figure out many things.

Lian Junhe had not only controlled someone to poison the wine, but he had even calculated that they would come here.

This was a trap!

If Zhu Ju hadn’t discovered the gu-bug in the wine, countless people would have died from it, and the Bright Void Sect’s brewing venture would have been a complete failure.

And if they did discover it...

They would certainly come to investigate.

And the Cultivators who came to investigate would naturally fall into the trap he had laid in advance.

In fact, it was all thanks to Zhu Ju stopping when he did.

If they had walked just a little further, they would have entered the prepared Array, and then their doom would have been sealed.

”The Dao rises a foot, the Demon rises ten. It is now a foregone conclusion that the Dao is fading while the Demon is waxing. Why must you be so stubborn, Miss Liuu?”

Lian Junhe approached slowly, his hands clasped behind his back.

”If you are willing to join the Demon Sect, Miss Liuu, I can act as an intermediary. It might even be possible to spare everyone in the Bright Void Sect.”

”Hmph!” Liuu Huang’er snorted.

”Shameless boasting!”

”You may have planned this all out, but I bet you didn’t expect that Senior Brother Zhu and I would be the ones to come today, did you?”

”Lian, you’re all alone, and we haven’t actually fallen into your trap. You should be thinking about how you’re going to escape!”

”Indeed,” Lian Junhe nodded.

”I truly did not expect two Dao Foundation Cultivators to show up, but...”

”Who told you I was alone?”

SHHFF!

Before the words had even left his mouth, a ray of blood-red light erupted from the ground ahead. It twisted in midair and slashed down toward Zhu Ju and the others.

The blood-light was condensed and thick with malevolent energy, carrying a tyrannical aura that seemed to want to devour everything.

Xu Hanzhi’s body froze.

He was rooted to the spot as if held by an Invisible Power, forced to watch helplessly as the blood-light shot toward him.

CLANG!

Just then, a clear sword cry rang out in his Sea of Consciousness.

A sharp glint of Sword Light materialized from thin air, like the first rays of a rising sun, and shot forward to meet the incoming blood-light.

As the sword’s hum echoed, Xu Hanzhi felt his mind relax, and control over his body returned.

DING...

The Flying Sword reversed course and flew back. The blood-light was shattered, revealing a figure in a blood-red cloak suspended in the air.

”It’s a Cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect!”

Liuu Huang’er’s expression sank.

”Senior Brother, be careful!”

Of the Six Demonic Sects—Netherworld, Joyful, Celestial Corpse, Blood Demon, White Lotus, and Ten Thousand Poisons—the Netherworld Sect was the strongest, Joyful and White Lotus were the most insidious and unpredictable, and the Blood Demon Sect was the most terrifying.

To a Righteous Dao Cultivator, even facing a disciple of the Netherworld Sect was preferable to encountering a Demon Cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect.

”What a fine Sword Technique!”

The blood-red figure’s voice was hoarse, his pair of Blood Jade-like eyes staring straight at Zhu Ju through the crimson glow.

”As expected of someone who could cross the East Sea alone. Your blood must be exceptionally sweet.”

As he spoke, he stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth.

In the face of a powerful enemy, his aura actually grew more feverish and agitated, the blood-light around him twisting madly.

”Ding Xiang,” Lian Junhe said grimly.

”You hold back the one surnamed Zhu. I’ll take care of Liuu Huang’er.”

”We’re not far from the Marketplace. We need to end this quickly. It’ll be bad if we attract other Cultivators.”

”Heh heh...” Ding Xiang grinned, casually raising one hand. A blood-colored Curved Saber materialized in his palm.

”Understood.”

”Junior Sister,” Zhu Ju said, his gaze sweeping over the scene as he made his own decision.

”You hold back the others. I’ll take care of the Demon Cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect.”

”Senior Brother...” Liuu Huang’er’s face was filled with worry.

”Be careful.”

”Don’t worry,” Zhu Ju replied with a faint smile.

”I’ll be fine.”

The next moment, his figure shot into the sky.

”Heh heh...” The Blood Demon Sect Cultivator, Ding Xiang, let out a low whistle and transformed into a streak of blood-light to meet him.

The two figures collided high in the air.

BANG!

A condensed ball of blood-light suddenly shattered, then transformed into a thousand blood-shadows that swept out in all directions.

Blood,

often gives the impression of being cold, murky, and frenzied.

But the blood-light above was different. It was pure and clear, like a Fierce Flame, and it gave off a warm feeling.

But if one let their guard down, the blood qi in their body would leave them at an astonishing speed, be devoured by the blood-light, and ultimately become a part of it.

”Don’t look.”

Liuu Huang’er shouted, stopping Xu Hanzhi from looking up. With a flick of her sleeve, she summoned a seven-colored silk ribbon covered in bells, which hovered before her.

”Be careful! Stay alert to your surroundings!”

The enemies weren’t just the two Demonic Foundation Establishment Cultivators, Lian Junhe and Ding Xiang. There were also some Demon Sect Qi Refiners.

Innate Qi Refiners were no match for Dao Foundation Cultivators, but being distracted during Combat was just as deadly.

And that,

was where Xu Hanzhi’s help was needed.

Pressing her lips together, Liuu Huang’er’s beautiful eyes narrowed.

She didn’t know how strong Zhu Ju was and wasn’t confident that he could defeat the Dao Foundation Cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect.

Besides, placing her hopes in others wasn’t in her nature.

”Attack!”

JINGLE JINGLE JINGLE...

The crisp chiming of the bells stirred the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. A visible ripple swept out, and the large trees all around them shattered with a CRASH.

As one of the former Twin Prodigies of the Bright Void Sect, Liuu Huang’er hadn’t been in the Dao Foundation Realm for long, but she was no pushover.

*

*

*

The blood-light was like a sword, flickering with a tyrannical Sword Intent capable of easily shattering a Middle Grade Defensive Spiritual Artifact.

A thousand rays of blood-light shot through the air, dancing about with terrifying power.

At times, it would transform into a blood cloud that devoured all, making it nearly impossible to block or evade.

Blood God Destruction Sword!

The Inheritance Sword Technique of the Blood Demon Sect, one of the most supreme Sword Control Methods in the world.

Unlike other Sword Control Methods which required a Flying Sword, the Blood God Destruction Sword could be used without a sword.

The True Essence in Ding Xiang’s body was fused with his flesh and blood. It could disperse into rays of blood-light, each one a Flying Sword of unparalleled lethality.

And yet, amid the sky full of blood-light, a single sharp gleam of sword radiance seemed insignificant, but it stood firm.

And.

CLANG!

Accompanied by a clear sword cry, the Sword Light suddenly blazed, instantly breaking through the suppression of the blood-light.

Countless streams of Sword Qi flooded the battlefield, carving out a space for themselves within the dense blood-light and forcing it to retreat again and again.

”Early Stage Dao Foundation, and your Realm isn’t even stable yet.”

Zhu Ju hovered in midair, watching the shadowy figure before him as he spoke, his expression emotionless.

”The Blood Demon Sect’s inheritance is indeed impressive, but your Cultivation is too poor, and your power is even weaker. In your hands, the Blood God Life and Death Sword can’t display any of its true might. It’s simply laughable.”

His self-created Ten Directions Killing Dao was profound in its conception, but it was ultimately still in its infancy and far from Perfection.

Compared to the Blood God Life and Death Sword, which had been passed down for who knows how many years, it naturally lacked foundation and was rather crude.

But with something like a Sword Control Method, it all depends on who is using it.

A Golden Core Grandmaster could crush a Dao Foundation Cultivator wielding a top-tier Magical Treasure, even if the Grandmaster was only using Qi Sword Control.

Although the gap between Zhu Ju and his opponent wasn’t that large, it was enough for him to have the clear upper hand.

”Hmph!”

Ding Xiang snorted, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes, but he said nothing, merely surging his True Essence.

SHHFF!

The roaming rays of blood-light suddenly converged, vibrating intensely before lunging toward Zhu Ju’s position.

The sky suddenly brightened.

A bloody light shone down.

Zhu Ju felt his heart sink as his True Essence, stamina, and even his Divine Soul Power began to drain away at an alarming rate.

Demonic Methods...

...are truly bizarre!

’His Cultivation is clearly lower than mine, yet he can suppress me. If his Cultivation were a tier higher...’

’No wonder no one wants to run into Demonic Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect.’