Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Evil Qi!

It often refers to a ferocious, malevolent energy—a truly evil qi.

But in the Bright Void Sect’s Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, Evil Qi was all-encompassing, containing everything, and was one with the Dao.

Naturally, it could also be integrated into one’s own Inner Qi, and even into the Physical Body.

"Huuuh..."

Zhu Ju let out a long, turbid breath and slowly opened his eyes. Sensing the changes within his body, he couldn’t help but smile.

"As expected of an Immortal Sect’s legacy. It’s truly amazing!"

His Inner Qi, having absorbed the Evil Qi, had naturally undergone a transformation, and its power had increased significantly.

He tapped lightly with his palm.

A palm print appeared on the table before him without a sound.

Unlike before, this Palm Force was heavy and dense, containing a destructive power that felt capable of obliterating anything.

Five Elements Evil Qi!

’But...’

’The Earth Evil Mysterious Skill is impressive, but it’s clearly inferior to my Five Peaks True Form Force. The Evil Qi didn’t distort my Five Elements Internal Qi as Shen Youx claimed it would. Instead, it became a new tool for my Five Elements Internal Qi, making it even stronger.’

Zhu Ju loosely clenched his fist, a pensive look on his face.

’The circulation of my Inner Qi feels fine. It seems the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill has been completely integrated into the Five Peaks True Form Force.’

In his view, the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill was clearly the type to bully the weak and fear the strong.

If a Method was of a lower grade, it would be influenced, and eventually consumed, transformed into the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill.

But if a Method was stronger...

...then it would become a vassal, clinging to the stronger one for survival.

’This is a good thing!’

Zhu Ju’s eyes lit up.

’Though my Five Peaks True Form Force is powerful, it’s just an Inner Refining Method. I don’t have a way to unleash its full potential.’

’Hmm...’

’The Five Elements Palm is compatible, but I’ve only just begun to grasp it. It’s fine for bullying ordinary people, but it won’t be enough against real experts.’

’The Earth Evil Mysterious Skill is different. This legacy from the Bright Void Sect’s Dragon Head Lineage has a complete set of Cultivation and combat techniques. Now that the Evil Qi has merged with my Five Peaks True Form Force, I can also practice the Earth Evil legacy.’

The Earth Evil True Body!

Like the Celestial Spirit Body, it was a core legacy of the Dragon Head Lineage, passed down by Cao Lei along with the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill.

Refining the body with Evil Qi and merging it into oneself—this was called the Earth Evil True Body. Once mastered, one would possess the power of an indestructible Vajra body.

This was a technique even stronger than the Water and Fire Immortal Robe.

With his Thirteen Body Refinement at Perfection and his deep Hard Skill Foundation, Zhu Ju would have a much easier time cultivating the Earth Evil True Body.

He flipped his palm over, and a dark stone appeared in it.

An Iron Evil Stone!

Or, more accurately, Iron Evil Ore.

This object contained dense Evil Qi, which those cultivating the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill could use for Attracting Evil, Condensing Evil, and Refining Evil.

"Sss..."

Zhu Ju took a deep breath. The Five Elements Evil Qi in his body circulated, and a vortex seemed to appear in his palm, enveloping the Iron Evil Ore.

Wisps of black Evil Qi surged into his body. Through Refinement, the Evil Qi could be stored in his being, merged with his body, or even refined into a tangible form, and even...

...infused back into the Iron Evil Ore.

When the condensed Evil Qi was returned to the Iron Evil Ore, it would purge the impurities within, making the surface of the ore smooth.

This turned it into a very rare Artifact Refining material.

If this ore were used to forge Weapons or arrows, they could easily pierce the Protective Gang Force of an Inner Qi Martial Artist. It was a common method used by Mansion Soldiers to deal with experts from the Martial World.

...

That evening, the few who had joined the Bright Void Sect together gathered.

"Brother Zhu."

Yan Bohu looked over, his eyes filled with surprise and suspicion.

"Have you... already reached the Entry Level of the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill?"

When one first succeeded in cultivating the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, Evil Qi would leak from their body, which was easy to recognize.

However,

He was an Innate Qi Refiner, yet he hadn’t even reached the Entry Level of the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill. He never imagined someone would already succeed.

"Just a stroke of luck," Zhu Ju said with a nod.

"I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly."

"Brother Zhu, your Talent is truly exceptional to reach the Entry Level in just a few days." Ning Ruxue, dressed in robes as white as snow, spoke with a tone of admiration.

"I’m impressed!"

"You’re not so bad yourself, Miss Ning," Zhu Ju said, sizing her up.

"Your Evil Qi is surging. It looks like you’ll reach the Entry Level within the next two days as well."

"I hope you’re right," Ning Ruxue replied, clasping her hands.

"My father longed to join an Immortal Sect for decades but never could. The fact that I, Ruxue, could fulfill this wish is enough to satisfy me."

The woman had delicate features and a clear voice. Though she was nearly thirty, she seemed as pure as an innocent child.

Of course,

that was only how she appeared on the surface.

To have reached the Qi Circulation Realm at her age—Zhu Ju refused to believe she was truly so naive about the ways of the world.

"Don’t say that." Mu Tian was two years younger than Ning Ruxue, but based on looks, he could have been a decade older.

He chimed in encouragingly,

"Joining the Immortal Sect is just the beginning. We still have to reach the Innate Realm, open our Nine Acupoints, build our Dao Foundation, and truly walk the Immortal Path."

"It’s all up to us!"

Mu Tian pumped his fists, his face full of fighting spirit as his eyes frequently darted toward the lovely Ning Ruxue.

"Right!"

As if infected by his enthusiasm, Ning Ruxue’s gloomy expression vanished, and she nodded emphatically.

"Brother Mu is right. We shouldn’t give up."

"The three of you, fate has brought the four of us together. The road of cultivation is long, so why don’t we support each other?"

"Great idea!" Mu Tian’s eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

"There’s strength in numbers."

"Ruxue, the Bright Void Sect is in a state of rebuilding right now. If we join now, we can secure a great future for ourselves."

"That’s what my father said!"

"Oh!" Yan Bohu didn’t respond to Ning Ruxue, instead turning to Mu Tian.

"Brother Mu, we don’t know much about Immortal Sects. We only just heard of the Bright Void Sect a few days ago."

"You’re knowledgeable and experienced. Could you perhaps tell us a little about it?"

"Yes, yes," Ning Ruxue said, her eyes shining with an adoring gaze.

"Brother Mu surely knows more than we do."

Among them, only Mu Tian came from a background connected to Immortal Sect Disciples.

Sometimes, being smart isn’t enough. Without information, you can never truly understand your situation.

"Of course, of course." Mu Tian’s face flushed red, making his bulbous nose even more prominent. He thought for a moment before speaking.

"Like Brother Shen said, the Bright Void Sect’s legacy isn’t bad. Many Immortal Sects are overseen by Dao Foundation Cultivators, but very few have a Golden Core Method for reaching the next level."

"The Bright Void Sect not only has one, it has three!"

"Right now, the Bright Void Sect is at a low point, with very few Disciples. In a few years, it’s bound to become a major Immortal Sect. By then, our status will rise with it. It’s much better than joining some other Immortal Sect."

"Oh?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

"If the Bright Void Sect is so powerful, why does it feel so..."

"Dilapidated!" Ning Ruxue interjected.

"Utterly dilapidated. It doesn’t even have a proper main gate. It’s worse off than a Mortal World Sect from the Martial World."

"It’s a long story," Mu Tian said.

"The Bright Void Sect was once prosperous, but it suffered heavy losses during an invasion by the Demon Sect. Even its main gate was breached."

"The new sect headquarters is now in the Ten Thousand Mountains, south of the Ancient Northern Pass. They’ve been building it for decades, and I hear it’s already quite large. There’s even an Independent Cultivator Marketplace nearby."

"Hmm..."

"If I’m not mistaken, in a few days, when they realize they can’t recruit any more disciples, we’ll probably head there."

He chuckled and continued,

"Don’t think of Immortal Sects as too Extraordinary and Unworldly. My dad says they aren’t that different from ordinary Martial World Sects. They have their own feuds, grudges, and power struggles—in fact, it’s even worse than in the Mortal World. Many Outer Sect Disciples can’t take it and would rather give up on cultivation to return to the secular world."

The others fell into contemplative silence.

...

「In the following days」

The four of them met twice more, gradually growing familiar with one another.

Yan Bohu was a man of few words, but whenever he spoke, he cut straight to the heart of the matter. He was clearly an experienced veteran of the Martial World.

He was quite famous in Menqi Mansion.

A Loose Practitioner with no sect or school, he had reached the Innate Realm two years ago and had been searching for an opportunity to join an Immortal Sect ever since.

That was, until he joined the Bright Void Sect recently.

Ning Ruxue seemed pure and innocent, but she was in fact shrewd and cunning.

Mu Tian frequently made advances toward her, but Ning Ruxue accepted all the benefits without giving an inch in return. Her defense was flawless.

「Two days later」

Shen Youx returned with a pair of twins surnamed Ding. They were named Ding Peng and Ding Hu, around thirty years old, and also possessed Cultivation at the Qi Circulation Realm.

「A few more days passed」

Just as Mu Tian had predicted, the group finally left the unremarkable mountain village, led by Cao Lei toward the region south of the Ancient Northern Pass.

The true location of the Bright Void Sect.

*

*

*

「The Ten Thousand Mountains」

The mountains rose and fell like slumbering dragons coiled upon the land.

A thick miasma filled the spaces between the peaks, resembling a sea of clouds from which the occasional shriek of a bird of prey would pierce the heavens.

「Nameless Mountain Peak」

"Haha..."

A man in a short vest strode forward, laughing heartily.

"Big Brother!"

"You’re finally back."

"Call me Senior Brother," Cao Lei said, his expression darkening.

"These people are your new junior brothers. From now on, you’re responsible for them. Don’t you dare slack off."

"Don’t worry!" The man slapped his chest with a large hand.

"Big Brother, you know me, Cao Xiong."

"When I do something, you can rest easy. You must be tired from your journey. Go get some rest."

After seeing Cao Lei off, the smile on Cao Xiong’s face slowly vanished. He turned and scrutinized the six people before him.

"Outsiders..."

"Heh!"

He scoffed, then said slowly,

"The Immortal Sect opens its gates, and every piece of scrap metal gets shoved into the Bright Void Sect. Do you really think we’re a junkyard?"

"You lot!"

Cao Xiong’s face darkened.

"Don’t say that I, Cao, am bullying you. As Outer Sect Disciples, you won’t be shorted anything you’re entitled to."

"One Spirit Crystal per month to purchase various Cultivation resources; three Elixirs to aid your Cultivation; one stick of Calming Incense. You will be given all of these when the time comes."

Hearing this, the expressions of the new disciples flickered.

The man’s attitude was terrible, but he seemed to be a stickler for the rules.

"However..."

His tone shifted, and a sneer appeared on Cao Xiong’s face.

"To deal with the Demon Sect invasion, all Immortal Sects are putting forth their utmost effort, and our Bright Void Sect is no exception."

"As Outer Sect Disciples, you aren’t capable of much else, so you’ll just have to refine five Iron Evil Stones each month!"

’Iron Evil Stones?’

Zhu Ju frowned.

The Iron Evil Stones he was talking about certainly weren’t the raw ore for cultivating Evil Qi, but the finished product that had undergone the Crossing Evil process.

’Five stones?’

At his current rate of progress, even if he gave up his own Cultivation and spent every day Attracting Evil, Condensing Evil, and Crossing Evil, he couldn’t produce five stones a month.

’Three would be his absolute limit!’

The others were far behind him in their progress with the Earth Evil Mysterious Skill, so it would be even more impossible for them.

At these words,

the faces of all six new disciples changed drastically. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"That’s unreasonable!" Mu Tian said anxiously.

"There’s no way we can do that."

CRACK!

Before he could finish his sentence, the afterimage of a whip flashed through the air, striking him and knocking him to the ground.

"If you can’t do it, then figure out a way."

Cao Xiong sneered.

"Or, you can go tell my big brother and Brother Shen. Have them punish me for being too harsh?"

"My brother hasn’t gone far. Why don’t you go give it a try."

"Well?"

"..." The front of Mu Tian’s robes was torn open, revealing a clear whip mark on his Skin and Flesh. His face was deathly pale.

"N-No, I can’t."

"Good." Cao Xiong retracted his gaze and snorted coldly.

"Anyone else have an opinion?"

"Senior Brother Cao," Yan Bohu said in a low voice.

"I’d like to ask, if one were to buy Iron Evil Stones with Spirit Crystals, how many could you buy with a single crystal?"

"Tsk, tsk..." Cao Xiong clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow.

"What’s your name?"

"Yan Bohu."

"Good!"

Cao Xiong nodded.

"From now on, you only need to hand over three Iron Evil Stones per month. Or... you can pay one Spirit Crystal instead."

"The rest of you, the original rule applies!"

"Yan Bohu, you come with me!"

Zhu Ju stood behind the others, his expression turning grim as he watched the scene unfold.

An Immortal Sect,

was this what it was truly like?