Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Ge Wen is dead!

He died in his own courtyard.

Besides him and the gate-keeping Child, two other bodies lay at the scene. They had clearly experienced an extremely brutal life-and-death struggle.

Zhu Ju’s expression was grave.

’No wonder I sensed killing intent from that Mi Manor. The man was an assassin, disguised as an Outer Sect Disciple to assassinate Ge Wen.’

’But...’

’Why did he assassinate Ge Wen?’

Like Zhu Ju, Ge Wen was a recluse who never made enemies. Who, or what power, would use such methods to assassinate him, so determined to see him dead?

"They all show traces of having cultivated the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill. This one’s Earth Evil True Body even reached the Minor Success Realm."

After examining the bodies, Shen Youx’s face was grim.

"But they aren’t Sect Disciples!"

At these words, everyone at the scene looked at each other in stunned disbelief.

The Earth Evil Mysterious Skill is divided into three versions.

The complete version for Inner Sect Disciples, one version for Innate Outer Sect Disciples, and another version for Acquired Disciples.

The core Method doesn’t differ much between them.

It’s just that ordinary Outer Sect Disciples don’t receive the complete version of the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, and they likely wouldn’t have a use for it anyway.

When it is first bestowed, one can only cultivate to Breaking Three Acupoints.

Subsequent Methods are obtained progressively as one’s Cultivation breaks through. Only after Breaking Six Acupoints can one receive the complete inheritance.

But regardless of the version, one must make a Heart Demon Vow upon receiving the inheritance, swearing never to pass it on to outsiders.

Now,

it had been leaked!

The leak of the Sect’s core inheritance was a matter of grave importance.

Aside from True Inheritor Zhong Wen, who was in seclusion trying to break through to the Dao Foundation Realm, all disciples of the Dragon Head Lineage were summoned.

Investigate!

Investigate thoroughly!

In any sect, an incident like this—one that shook the very foundations of its legacy—could not be treated with anything but the utmost caution.

And that was to say nothing of Ge Wen’s assassination.

An Inner Sect Disciple being assassinated in his own courtyard on Dragon Head Peak was a profound humiliation for the Sect.

When Elder Fengg Wuju heard the news, he was so consumed by rage that he couldn’t control his injuries and coughed up blood repeatedly.

He even fiercely berated the Dragon Head disciples for their inaction.

He even threw out insults like "leeches waiting for death," "Sinful Sect Members," and "a disgrace to your ancestors."

Naturally, no one dared to slack off anymore.

Even Zhu Ju had to stop his secluded Cultivation and was assigned to a Patrol Team to search for clues.

The mines.

A grim atmosphere spread.

During this time, the entire Dragon Head Lineage was on edge, and even the Mountain Patrol Disciple teams were much more frequent than before.

Everything became stricter.

After a busy day.

Most of the Mountain Patrol Disciples would stop for a rest at the tavern at the foot of the mountain, perhaps inviting a few friends for a drink.

"Senior Brother Cao!"

"Senior Brother Cao!"

"..."

As Cao Xiong stepped inside, the din in the tavern abruptly ceased, and everyone rose to greet him.

"Sit, everyone, sit."

Cao Xiong smiled, waved his hand at the crowd, and strode over to a man sitting alone at a table.

"Senior Brother Zhu, we meet again."

"Junior Brother Cao," Zhu Ju, dressed in plain clothes, said.

"What a coincidence. I was idle and came over for a drink."

"This tavern might not look like much, but the owner’s skills are actually excellent," Cao Xiong said with a smile.

"Shall I add a couple of dishes for you, Senior Brother?"

"No need." Zhu Ju shook his head, picking up his wine pot and standing up.

"I have eaten my fill, so I shall take my leave."

"Please, Junior Brother, carry on."

"Let me see you out, Senior Brother." Cao Xiong bowed, a fawning smile on his face that was a complete departure from his usual cold demeanor.

Only after Zhu Ju had left and was some distance away did low murmurs rise within the tavern.

"So that’s Zhu Ju?"

"The Inner Sect Disciple who broke through One Acupoint in his early twenties?"

"That’s him!" one man nodded.

"I heard Senior Sister Pei mention that if the Sect Elders were still around, he would definitely have been made a True Inheritor."

"It’s not unheard of to reach the Innate Realm in your early twenties, but this man only just joined the Dragon Head Lineage two years ago. That means... he cultivated the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill for just two years, broke through to the Innate Realm, and then opened One Acupoint. His talent is astonishing!"

"A few days ago, the Innate Realm assassin who killed Brother Ge died at his hands. His strength must not be bad either."

"He didn’t do it alone. Senior Sister Ning was there to help, but it’s still extraordinary no matter how you look at it."

"Senior Brother Cao!"

A man asked Cao Xiong as he returned.

"I heard that Senior Brother Zhu once worked under you."

"That’s right." Cao Xiong’s eyes narrowed, his face impassive.

"Senior Brother Zhu’s talent is exceptional. Not long after joining the Sect, he broke through to the Innate Realm and became an Inner Sect Disciple."

"Back then..."

"You could say we have some history."

"Hmph!" someone muttered.

"Exceptional talent? I’m not so sure."

"Oh?" Cao Xiong looked at the man opposite him and chuckled.

"Bai Er, what have you heard?"

"I just happened to travel with Senior Brother Zhu to the Marketplace once." Bai Er smiled and lowered his voice.

"Senior Brother Cao, during those few days, this Senior Brother Zhu frequently left the inn to wander around the shops in the Marketplace."

"That’s not so strange, is it?" Cao Xiong said with a faint, unreadable smile.

"For someone who doesn’t often go to the Marketplace, a trip would be an eye-opener. It’s normal to look around a lot."

"It’s not the same," Bai Er said, shaking his head.

"You know me, Senior Brother. I was born with keen senses, and after opening my acupoints, I can notice things others can’t."

"So..."

He leaned in closer and whispered.

"In those few days, Senior Brother Zhu wasn’t just ’wandering.’ He definitely bought and sold quite a few things."

"The man is a recluse who just buries his head in bitter Cultivation. Aren’t you curious where he got so many things? His meteoric rise in Cultivation is probably related to the resources he has on hand."

"Watch your words!" Cao Xiong said, raising his cup.

"It has nothing to do with us."

"Heh heh..." Bai Er shrugged.

"You’re right, it doesn’t."

*

*

*

Night.

No stars, no moon.

So dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.

Cao Xiong appeared alone in the depths of a mine tunnel.

"HISSS..."

The hissing of venomous snakes echoed.

Along with a pungent, strange smell, several figures appeared in the darkness. One of them spoke in a cold voice.

"Why are you alone? Where are the goods?"

"The mines are under strict investigation recently. It’s not so easy to deliver the goods," Cao Xiong said with a frown.

"Did you kill Ge Wen?"

"Hmph!" the voice snorted coldly.

"He discovered a problem with the medicine. If he hadn’t died, you would have. You should be grateful we acted in time."

"A problem with the medicine," Cao Xiong repeated, looking puzzled.

"What was that medicine for?"

"That’s none of your business!" The voice suddenly turned shrill as a Five-Colored Poisonous Miasma rapidly approached. A woman whose face was covered in venomous sores shouted:

"When are you bringing the Iron Evil Ore?"

"I told you, the investigation is strict right now." Cao Xiong took a step back, clearly wary of the Five-Colored Poisonous Miasma.

"You should be well aware of the situation in the mines. Inner Sect Disciples are on patrol. I can’t guarantee I won’t be discovered."

"Useless!" the woman roared.

"Cao, you really are useless!"

"You’ve consumed so many Body Tempering Elixirs, yet your Earth Evil True Body still hasn’t reached Great Success! I never should have let my little sister marry you all those years ago!"

"..." Cao Xiong clenched his teeth.

"Weii Ning, I’ve been investigating who killed Weii Fei all this time."

"Oh, really?" Weii Ning sneered.

"Who’s the murderer?"

"Where is my sister’s body?"

Cao Xiong fell silent.

"You don’t know?" Weii Ning stared at him intently.

"After all this time, you haven’t found a single clue. It seems I was right. You are useless!"

"Enough!" Cao Xiong roared.

"Bitch, I’ve had enough of you! If you’ve got the guts, then stop coming to me! Worst case, we’ll take each other down!"

"Alright now." Only then did a slow, leisurely voice interject to smooth things over.

"We’re all on the same side. What’s with all this squabbling?"

"Cao Xiong."

"You did bring some ore, didn’t you?"

"..." Cao Xiong looked at the figure in the darkness, snorted, and unfastened the Qiankun Bag from his waist, tossing it over.

THUMP!

The figure caught it, opened it, and sighed helplessly.

"Not enough."

"Not nearly enough."

"There’s nothing I can do," Cao Xiong said, shaking his head.

"The investigation is tight. I even had to have someone cover for me just to get here. I can’t deliver too much Iron Evil Ore."

"But don’t worry, this situation can’t last forever. Things will get better after a while."

"No!" Weii Ning shouted.

"This is a critical time. We can’t be short on Iron Evil Ore."

"Then figure it out yourselves," Cao Xiong snorted.

"I, for one, can’t do it."

"What if..." the figure in the darkness began slowly.

"There was a bit of a commotion outside? Would that create an opportunity?"

"A commotion?" Cao Xiong narrowed his eyes and stroked his chin.

"That would depend on the scale of the commotion."

"Oh, right!"

He looked at Weii Ning and said.

"Do you remember the Inner Sect Disciple, Zhu Ju? Back then, you said that Weii Fei’s death might be related to him."

"I remember," Weii Ning said.

"What about it?"

"Perhaps..." Cao Xiong said slowly.

"He really is connected to Weii Fei’s death. If you’re going to cause a disturbance, you might as well test him."

"Oh!" Weii Ning raised an eyebrow, her eyes glinting.

"Very well."

...

The Ten Thousand Mountains were filled with treacherous places.

Over a hundred li from the Xiao Family Marketplace, there was a gorge shrouded in mist, stretching for an unknown distance.

Somewhere in the gorge.

Beneath the gray mist was a vibrant, multicolored poisonous miasma.

The poisonous miasma was like layers of curtains, tightly shrouding what lay below, with only the faint chirping of insects escaping from within.

This was the stronghold of the Five Poison Sect.

At the edge.

Hunched, twisted figures bustled about on the cliffs.

They carried baskets on their backs and were dressed in rags, using wooden tongs to collect all sorts of venomous creatures.

Disciples of the Five Poison Sect, dressed in multicolored clothes, were scattered among the crowd, urging them to catch the poisonous insects.

From time to time, someone would be bitten by a poisonous insect and let out a blood-curdling scream, but no one paid them any mind.

If they survived the venom, they continued to work.

If they didn’t...

they became just another vessel for cultivating Gu Insects.

Deep within the gorge.

A masked person sat cross-legged on a large rock. He opened a Qiankun Bag and tossed the Iron Evil Stones from within all around him.

"RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE..."

Following the strange sounds, strange insects the color of Profound Iron appeared from nearby and pounced on the Iron Evil Stones.

These strange insects had wings on their backs and were covered in hard armor. Their six legs were like sawteeth, and their mouthparts were shaped like spiral cones.

Their appearance was ferocious, their aura savage.

The ore, which was incomparably hard and comparable to refined iron, was like soft mulberry leaves in the mouths of these strange insects.

They were devoured at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Soon!"

"It won’t be long now. The Profound Armor Saber Gu will be fully mature. By then, they will even be able to bite through Magical Artifacts."

"When the swarm of Gu is released, not even a Dao Foundation expert can stop them!"

Watching the scene before him, the masked man’s voice was filled with gratification. He casually tossed the Qiankun Bag back.

"Do as Cao Xiong says. All I want is the Iron Evil Ore!"

"First Senior Brother," someone below him said with a bow.

"Because of the assassination, we’ve already angered the Bright Void Sect. If we do this... won’t it be dangerous?"

"Heh..." the masked man chuckled lowly.

"I know what you mean."

"The Five Poison Sect’s foundation is shallow. Opposing the Bright Void Sect is like a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot. We are merely pawns in someone else’s game."

"However..."

He looked down at the Profound Armor Saber Gu relentlessly devouring the Iron Evil Ore, and his eyes narrowed behind his mask.

"A Golden Core Inheritance... Who wouldn’t want that?"

"Besides!"

"If I achieve the Dao Foundation Realm and have the Profound Armor Saber Gu by my side, and if, given time, I can also refine the Hundred Poison Golden Silkworm Gu..."

"...then the day I become a player, and not a pawn, may not be so far away!"