Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

The Ghost Market.

As gloomy as ever.

Graves were scattered about, will-o’-the-wisps flickered menacingly, and sounds were faint and erratic.

An eerie wind would occasionally gust through, sweeping up joss paper that someone had scattered on the ground.

The paper money twirled, as if dancing with some unseen partner, refusing to touch the ground for the longest time.

Zhu Ju, cloaked and hooded, navigated the familiar path to one of the graves.

This grave was different from the others.

Its headstone was shifted to one side, revealing a space within—a crude dwelling.

The owner called himself the ’Tomb Immortal.’

This person lived in a tomb and resided permanently in the Ghost Market. By day, he would slide the headstone back to close up shop; at night, he would move it aside to welcome customers.

The ’Tomb Immortal’ was an eccentric figure in the Ghost Market. Few knew the extent of his power, only that he dared to sell what others wouldn’t and was willing to buy what others wouldn’t.

Of course,

everything came down to price.

"Hm?"

From beneath a mess of long hair, a glint of light flashed in the ’Tomb Immortal’s’ narrow eyes as he spoke with a smile:

"It seems you’ve found the Method you were looking for, esteemed customer."

"Thanks to you," Zhu Ju replied, sitting down across from him.

"Xing Suanzi did indeed have what I needed."

He had learned from the man before him that Xing Suanzi possessed a Concealing Secret Technique, a true masterpiece of Magic.

After much effort, he had finally obtained it.

"Good," the ’Tomb Immortal’ said with a nod.

"Are you here for more Demon Beast Flesh this time?"

"Not so fast."

Zhu Ju waved his hand and took out a piece of Iron Evil Ore, handing it over.

"Take a look at this first."

"Hmm..." The ’Tomb Immortal’ reached out and took it. Sensing the dense Evil Qi within, he frowned instinctively.

Anyone who cultivated Magic disliked Evil Qi.

But as a competent merchant, he still examined it carefully.

"Ore containing such dense Evil Qi is quite rare, but it’s useless. It won’t fetch a high price."

"Why?" Zhu Ju asked.

"Evil Qi has a Breaking Technique effect. Weapons forged from this should pose a great threat to Magicians and Mages."

"Even ordinary Weapons mixed with this ore could suppress Low-Tier Yin Souls and Walking Corpses."

"Heh..." The ’Tomb Immortal’ shook his head.

"That’s true in principle, but the Evil Qi within this ore is too chaotic. It’s impossible to forge it into anything."

"Oh?"

He raised an eyebrow, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"There’s more to your words than meets the ear, esteemed customer!"

Zhu Ju smiled faintly and took out another item. This time, it wasn’t Iron Evil Ore, but an Iron Evil Stone, its Evil Qi having been cleansed and refined.

After more than two months, how could he not have refined a single piece of Iron Evil Stone?

"..."

After a moment of silence.

The ’Tomb Immortal’ gently caressed the Iron Evil Stone, a sharp light flickering in his eyes.

"How did you do this?"

Compared to the Iron Evil Stone itself, he was more interested in the method used to tame the Evil Qi.

"It wasn’t my doing," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head in denial.

"Name your price."

"With its contained Evil Qi, Weapons refined from this would have a Breaking Technique effect, comparable to ’Thunderstrike Wood,’" the ’Tomb Immortal’ said after a moment’s thought.

"Five Spirit Jades!"

Spirit Jade was the common currency for Cultivators in this world. It contained Spiritual Qi and was similar to the Spirit Crystals of the Main World.

Although he didn’t know the exchange rate between Spirit Jades and Spirit Crystals, he figured it couldn’t be too outrageous.

In any case,

he definitely wasn’t getting ripped off!

"Deal!"

Zhu Ju nodded, then added,

"Also, give me some Spirit Talismans and Demon Beast Flesh."

*

*

*

The Main World.

The mine.

THUD!

A large, frozen slab of Demon Beast Flesh landed heavily on the ground.

Being frozen by Magic slowed the loss of Essence from the Demon Beast Flesh and even added a fresh, delicious flavor.

"Finally, a restock!"

Sitting cross-legged on a cushion and gazing at the Demon Beast Flesh before him, Zhu Ju sighed in satisfaction before flicking a finger.

TSS...

A slice of Demon Beast Flesh was cut off by Powerful Qi.

Five Elements Palm—Fire!

With a light tap of his palm, a ball of Fierce Flame materialized, levitating the Demon Beast Flesh and slowly searing it in mid-air.

Before long,

the aroma of cooked meat wafted through the air.

As he swallowed the Demon Beast Flesh, a long-absent warmth spread through his stomach and surged toward his limbs.

Refine!

The Five Peaks True Form Force began to circulate.

In this Refinement, the benefits of his breakthrough in Magic became apparent.

Having advanced to the Profound Light Third Realm, the Profound Light Like Fire Realm, his Divine Soul Power had greatly increased. Details he previously couldn’t perceive were now as clear as the lines on his palm.

’It was as if a thin veil had been lifted from the world, revealing everything anew.’

Not just externally,

but internally,

it was the same!

The flow of Powerful Qi through his Eight Extraordinary Meridians and throughout his body was completely under his control.

Guided by his formidable Divine Soul Power, the Five Peaks True Form Force circulated within him at an unprecedented speed.

Fast,

and smooth.

"No wonder the Martial Artists of the Otherworld can execute such exquisitely complex moves despite their weak Physical Bodies."

Zhu Ju mused,

"The fine control granted by Divine Soul Power plays an indispensable role."

For a Martial Artist in the Main World, reaching the Micro Realm in a Martial Skill was impossible without extraordinary Talent.

But in the Magic World,

as long as one reached the Entry Level of Magic, they could almost all achieve a Micro level of control.

In the Main World, very few could draw upon the Power of Heaven and Earth or comprehend a Mental Realm while in the Acquired Realm.

But in the Magic World,

Tang Yan, at just ten-odd years old, already wielded her dual sabers like fire, using the Power of Heaven and Earth as a common tactic.

"A pity!"

Zhu Ju shook his head and sighed softly.

"Brute force beats technique. No matter how brilliant your methods, a weak Physical Body is still fragile before a Martial Artist from the Main World."

"Magicians, Mages..."

"Compared to the Martial Artists of the Main World, the methods of the Otherworld are too specialized."

As these thoughts raced through his mind, his pace of Refinement didn’t slow. The essence of the Demon Beast Flesh rapidly flooded into his Physical Body.

The Evil Qi contained within the Demon Beast Flesh was also refined into his Five Elements Evil Qi.

An unknown amount of time passed.

Zhu Ju slowly opened his eyes, picked up a bottle of poison from beside him, and gently poured some onto his arm.

The poison trickled over his skin, leaving a faint red mark on the surface.

"Still not quite there."

Looking at the result, Zhu Ju shook his head gently.

Minor Achievement in the Earth Evil True Body would grant immunity to all poisons and resistance to the Ten Thousand Laws, making it far superior to the Water and Fire Immortal Robe.

The Water and Fire Immortal Robe only provided external protection to the Skin and Flesh, whereas the Earth Evil True Body allowed one to ingest lethal poison without harming their internal organs.

It was a complete, unified defense, inside and out.

"However..."

"Consuming Demon Beast Flesh really does lead to remarkable progress. I should be able to achieve the Earth Evil True Body within a few months, and I can try to break through to the Innate Realm within a year."

"I’m doing this backward!"

Normally,

one would first become an Innate Qi Refiner, then use Innate True Qi to temper their Physical Body and achieve the Earth Evil True Body.

But Zhu Ju was doing the opposite.

First the Earth Evil True Body, then becoming an Innate Qi Refiner.

...

"It’s snowing."

Stepping out of the cave, he saw sparse snowflakes drifting down from the sky, adding a touch of chill to the Evil Qi-shrouded mine.

Zhu Ju held out his right hand, caught a snowflake, and watched it slowly melt in his palm.

’They say the snowy season in the Ten Thousand Mountains lasts for several months, and during the coldest month, the entire world freezes over.’

’I wonder if that’s true?’

Hm!

Raising an eyebrow, he turned his head to look at a rock a hundred meters away.

The rock looked no different from its surroundings—gray and sharp-edged—but in his perception, that wasn’t the case.

’A wolf!’

Clearly, this was no ordinary wolf.

It was an Exotic Beast with Evil Qi hidden inside its body. Such Exotic Beasts and fierce birds were very common in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

And very dangerous!

GRRR...

Sensing Zhu Ju’s gaze, the lone wolf shook its body, dropping its disguise, and stared at him from a distance with a pair of crimson eyes.

AWOOO!

With a long howl, the lone wolf shot forward like an arrow.

’So fast!’

Zhu Ju’s face showed surprise, and his heart skipped a beat.

It leaped several dozen feet in a single bound. Even an expert at Inner Qi Release couldn’t compare. ’This wolf is on the verge of becoming a spirit,’ he thought.

SHING!

His long saber left its sheath.

Facing the charging wolf, Zhu Ju rushed forward, saber in hand. The blade shimmered in his grip as he delivered several slashes in an instant.

SWISH!

THWAP! THWAP!

The blade struck the wolf’s body with the sound of hitting tough leather, only managing to shave off a bit of fur.

Huh?

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening.

"Tough beast!"

He hadn’t used his full strength, but it was still more than an ordinary beast could withstand. Yet this lone wolf’s Physical Body was like that of a master who had succeeded in Body Forging.

But...

that was all it was.

HISS!

His Five Elements Evil Qi erupted. The saber’s light flashed in mid-air, and with a choked-off cry, the wolf’s corpse crashed to the ground.

"Nice moves!"

A loud shout came from the distance.

"Junior Brother, what a fine Saber Technique!"

Zhu Ju sheathed his saber and looked toward the newcomer.

The man, dressed in the uniform of a Bright Void Sect Outer Sect Disciple, moved like a phantom, appearing before him in the blink of an eye.

’Innate!’

’With his Profound Light Like Fire-level Divine Soul Power, he could clearly sense the man’s aura constantly interacting with the Power of Heaven and Earth.’

’Not just Innate, but he’s probably already opened one or two Acupoints.’

"The weather’s gotten colder recently, and the beasts in the mountains are getting restless. We’re already short-handed on the Mountain Patrol."

The man kicked the wolf’s corpse and grumbled,

"This beast actually managed to sneak past the patrol and into the mine. It even took two lives. It’s a good thing you were here, Junior Brother."

"My name is Xu Lai. And you are, Junior Brother?"

"Zhu Ju," he replied, clasping his hands.

"Senior Brother Xu, are all the beasts in the Ten Thousand Mountains this fierce?"

Though he had dispatched the lone wolf with ease, others might not have been able to do the same. An expert capable of Inner Qi Release would still have faced the risk of death against this wolf.

If such Fierce Beasts were common in the Ten Thousand Mountains, then...

just how dangerous was this place?

"How could that be?" Xu Lai chuckled.

"This beast was probably an alpha, a pack leader. You wouldn’t find one in a hundred. Judging by the looks of it, it was likely driven out of its pack by a new alpha and was wandering alone."

"The beasts of the Ten Thousand Mountains are stronger than elsewhere, but not to an exaggerated degree."

"However..."

"As the weather gets colder, the beasts will hunt by any means necessary to store up food for winter. At that time, even with strict mountain patrols, some will inevitably slip through the cracks."

"It might not be safe for you to live here alone, Junior Brother. It would be better to return to the mountainside and lie low for a while."

Every year, people at the mine died at the claws and fangs of Fierce Beasts.

And not just a few.

Xu Lai couldn’t be bothered with the others, but Zhu Ju was an Outer Sect Disciple with extraordinary potential, so he deserved a warning.

"Is that so..." Zhu Ju frowned.

"I understand."

"But there’s no need to rush," Xu Lai added.

"There’s still some time before true winter arrives. You don’t need to worry for now. You only need to be careful once winter has truly set in."

His brows furrowed, as if recalling some unpleasant memory.

"Oh, right!"

Xu Lai clapped his hands lightly and said,

"This wolf corpse is no ordinary thing, either. It can be exchanged for a Spirit Crystal. I’ll help you record it in the Sect’s merit ledger. Come with me down the mountain to claim your reward."

"You came with the last batch, didn’t you, Junior Brother?"

"The last batch?" Zhu Ju asked, following along with a puzzled expression.

"What do you mean by that, Senior Brother?"

"You don’t know?" Xu Lai seemed surprised for a moment before explaining,

"Brother Shen brought another dozen or so people from the front. They’re all talented young people like you. Among them, there’s a pair of twins who possess the extremely rare Innate Dao Body."

"The so-called Innate Dao Body means that a wisp of Innate Qi from birth hasn’t dispersed from their bodies. With just a little Cultivation, they can step into the Innate realm."

’There are people like that?’

Zhu Ju was astonished.

"Yeah!"

Xu Lai also wore an emotional expression.

"We toil away at our cultivation for decades, yet we can’t match their three to five years. Sometimes, the gap between people is bigger than the gap between a person and a dog!"

He muttered this, then added with a smile,

"Fortunately, they’re part of our Dragon Head Lineage."