Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

It had been a while, and Jiao Ru had lost a lot of weight.

He used to be what you might call a nimble fat man, but now... he was a burly man with a full beard.

’Hai Pig,’

’the name didn’t quite fit anymore.’

Unless the Hai Pig of the Twelve Star Constellations was meant to be a wild boar—strong and dark—in which case, it suited the current Jiao Ru perfectly.

”I didn’t expect you to actually come back.”

Zhu Ju strode forward slowly, speaking as he walked.

”What’s the matter?”

”Couldn’t get used to life outside the Divine Capital?”

”Someone like me can get used to anything,” Hai Pig Jiaoru said, shaking his head with a complicated expression and a sigh.

”But in the Martial World, you can’t always do as you please. Unless you disappear completely, it’s hard to find peace in this life.”

”Heh...”

”I don’t mind living in obscurity, but I still have unfinished business in the Capital City and some grudges to settle.”

His eyes narrowed, a trace of hatred on his face.

’Yin Tiger!’

’Xuu Dog!’

’And the others.’

”For a normally easy-going guy like you to not be able to stand it, it seems those people really crossed a line.” Zhu Ju glanced at him.

”Try not to die.”

The two had a good relationship, you could even call them friends, but Zhu Ju constantly reminded himself that he was merely a passerby in this world.

He never proactively interfered in the Cause and Effect of others.

”Haha...” Jiao Ru laughed heartily at his words.

”With those words from you, Daoist, I could die content. When the time comes, I’ll have to trouble you to recite the Rebirth Spell for me.”

”This way!”

”The Manufacturing Office was originally part of the Military Preparation Institute, specializing in crafting weapons, armor, crossbows, and other equipment.”

He explained,

”Later, His Majesty... the former Emperor, separated some of the master artisans from the Military Preparation Institute and established the Manufacturing Office to produce various items for him.”

”Porcelain, hairpins and bracelets, gold and silver wares, and so on.”

Emperor Chong’an had forged twelve Golden Men comparable to the Vajra Realm, adding a significant foundation to the Daqi Royal Family.

On balance, this achievement’s merits outweighed its flaws.

But it was also true that he was endlessly extravagant and debauched, and many artisans in the Manufacturing Office served him alone.

Many officials had submitted memorials criticizing him, but as for the result...

...it just meant the Celestial Prison had to prepare a few more meals.

”That old rascal Lu Gong comes from an Artifact Refining Family. He committed a crime and was thrown in prison, but was allowed to keep his life on account of his skills.”

”We’re here!”

The Manufacturing Office was located in the Mingqi Workshop, one of the one hundred and eight workshops of the Divine Capital.

Many artisans lived here, and it was also where the vast majority of the Divine Capital’s equipment was produced.

It encompassed everything from kitchen spoons, kitchen knives, and iron woks to all kinds of exquisite porcelain and rare Jade Artifacts.

From the moment they stepped inside, the air was filled with the incessant sound of hammering.

”Lord Jiao!”

”Immortal Master Ziju!”

”This way, please! Quickly, this way!”

Upon entering the Manufacturing Office, an official in Fifth-Grade Court Attire immediately rushed to greet them with an eager expression.

”I’ve already received word. We’ve pushed back all of Lu Gong’s recent jobs to prioritize the Immortal Master’s matter.”

”Lu Gong!”

”Are you deaf?”

The official, who had been fawning before the two visitors, turned around and immediately began shouting, his face full of impatience.

”Hurry up and greet Lord Jiao and Immortal Master Ziju!”

”Lord Jiao, Immortal Master... Ziju.” Lu Gong was short and stout. His left eye was cloudy and blind, and he carried a heavy hammer in his right hand, which he didn’t even set down to offer a greeting. The first impression he gave was one of clumsiness.

But he was the number one Artifact Refining Master in the Manufacturing Office.

”Master Lu.”

Zhu Ju returned the greeting, took out the shattered finger sleeve he had gotten from Eunuch Qu, and handed it over.

”I’ll have to trouble you to take a look at this.”

”Hmm...” Lu Gong’s right eye, originally lifeless, suddenly lit up. He took the finger sleeve and stroked it gently.

”The Skull Profound Finger Sleeve. I know of this Exotic Treasure. Since it’s shattered, its owner must be dead.”

”Correct,” Zhu Ju nodded.

”Master Lu, can you reforge this item?”

”Reforge it?” Lu Gong looked up, surprised.

”Once an Exotic Treasure shatters, it can’t be reforged. You can only extract the Source Stone from within to grant another weapon Spirituality.”

”Source Stone?” Jiao Ru asked curiously.

”What’s that?”

Lu Gong didn’t answer, merely shaking his head. He took the shattered finger sleeve to an anvil, raised his heavy hammer, and brought it down hard.

”DONG!”

The ground trembled.

’This power...’

’A First-Grade Grandmaster!’

’And a First-Grade Grandmaster with profound foundations, at that.’ Jiao Ru’s eyebrow twitched, his thoughts unreadable.

”This is it.”

Having smashed the finger sleeve, Lu Gong picked out some fine crystalline fragments from the debris and presented them on a plate for the others to see.

”No one knows where Source Stones come from. They’ve existed since the Ancient Era, coexisting with certain Divine Weapons.”

”A Source Stone allows a weapon to generate Spirituality. When nourished daily by a Martial Arts master’s Martial Arts Will, it will become an Exotic Treasure with special abilities.”

”Tsk...” Jiao Ru clicked his tongue.

”I never would have thought this is how Exotic Treasures are made.”

Zhu Ju took the Source Stone and looked down at it. A faint glow flickered in his eyes, and his perception of everything changed.

Profound Mystic Spiritual Eye!

This was a Spiritual Eye Technique he had obtained in Wind Moon Valley, capable of perceiving all sorts of Spiritual Objects in the world.

But...

...it couldn’t see through the special nature of the Source Stone.

”Source Stones are rare, which is why there’s a limited number of Exotic Treasures in the world,” Lu Gong said.

”Only when one Exotic Treasure is shattered and its Source Stone extracted is there a chance to refine another one.”

”Therefore...”

”The number of Exotic Treasures has never changed.”

”It can grant a weapon Spirituality,” Zhu Ju said thoughtfully. He then flipped his hand and took out the Cross and Vertical Saber.

”Will this saber do?”

Lu Gong took the Cross and Vertical Saber, gave it a light swing, and a look of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

”This saber...”

”What a strange Artifact Refining Method.”

He stared at the blade, his brow furrowed. Then, he applied a bit of force with his fingers, and a gleam of light appeared on the surface of the Cross and Vertical Saber.

”BUZZ...”

The saber’s light flickered.

In the next instant.

The Cross and Vertical Saber visibly began to shrink until it had transformed into a palm-sized Flying Saber.

”Huh?”

”How is that possible?”

”...”

Jiao Ru looked astonished, and even the worldly-wise Manufacturing Office official was completely stunned.

Zhu Ju, however, was looking at Lu Gong.

This man had no True Essence Magical Power in his body, yet he could make the Cross and Vertical Saber change size using only his Artifact Refining Method.

’Impressive!’

’Truly worthy of being the number one artisan in the Manufacturing Office.’

”Immortal Master Ziju.”

Lu Gong’s single eye shone brightly, his voice trembling.

”How was this item refined?”

As someone from an Artifact Refining Family, he had seen countless Rare Treasures, but he had never encountered an Artifact Refining Method like this.

It was almost...

...not a product of this world.

”Master Lu, how this item was refined is not important.” Zhu Ju pointed at the Source Stone and said,

”Can you use it?”

”Well...” Lu Gong hesitated for a moment before nodding.

”It should be possible.”

”However, Immortal Master Ziju, this weapon of yours is already quite peculiar on its own. There’s no need to add a Source Stone.”

”Let’s add it anyway,” Zhu Ju said, waving his hand with a smile.

”This poor Daoist also wants to see what it will ultimately become.”

With his current Cultivation and strength, a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact could no longer provide him with much help.

But if it could become a Magical Treasure, it would still be useful to have by his side.

Having used the Cross and Vertical Saber for so many years, Zhu Ju wasn’t willing to cast it aside just yet. Naturally, he had to give this a try.

”Master Lu.”

After some thought, Zhu Ju asked,

”As long as you have a Source Stone, you can refine an Exotic Treasure?”

”Yes,” Lu Gong nodded.

”By refining the Source Stone into the weapon with a special method, the weapon will give birth to Spirituality. Then, after being nourished with Martial Arts Will, a new Exotic Treasure will be born—in two or three hundred years at the slowest, or ten to twenty years at the fastest.”

”The better the quality of the weapon itself and the more potent its Spirituality, the faster the Exotic Treasure will form.”

’It still needs to be nourished?’

’And for such a long time.’

Zhu Ju’s expression didn’t change, but he sighed helplessly in his heart.

He had originally planned to investigate what Exotic Treasures existed in the world and try to acquire them, but it seemed that plan could be temporarily shelved.

”This isn’t really a secret. It’s just that there are limited Exotic Treasures in the world, so not many people know about it.”

Lu Gong grinned.

”Without a Source Stone, knowing is useless anyway.”

”Master Lu,” Zhu Ju asked.

”How long will it take to refine the Source Stone into it?”

”Hard to say,” Lu Gong shook his head.

”It could be a month or two, or it could be a year or two. The last time I refined an Exotic Treasure was over a decade ago, and it took me almost a year.”

”Old Lu,” Jiao Ru stepped forward, slung an arm around the man’s shoulder, and whispered in his ear,

”Do you want to leave the Manufacturing Office or not?”

”Once an artisan, always an artisan, and your children and grandchildren will all be artisans. You don’t want that, do you?”

’?’

Lu Gong’s expression shifted slightly.

”Daoist Ziju is the Duke’s master and a great favorite of the Emperor,” Jiao Ru said with a smile.

”Do a good job, and if you can satisfy Daoist Ziju, wouldn’t restoring your freedom be a simple matter of a single word from him?”

Lu Gong’s breathing gradually became ragged.

Whether he himself could regain his freedom was unimportant, but he had married and had children over the years. He had a family.

’My children...’

’They can’t continue like this!’

*

*

*

「Main World.」

Yunjing Island sailed along the sea route it had traveled dozens of times over thousands of years. Everything seemed unchanged.

And yet, a change had already occurred.

When the Yann Family Patriarch announced he was entering seclusion to break through to the Golden Core Realm, the atmosphere on the entire island shifted.

Everyone was awaiting the result.

”KNOCK!”

”KNOCK, KNOCK!”

A series of urgent knocks echoed.

Zhu Ju, who was resting and enjoying the view from a pavilion, frowned. With a light wave of his long sleeve, the courtyard gate swung open on its own.

”Might you be Fellow Daoist Zhu Ju?”

A Cultivator with a sharp chin, monkey-like cheeks, and a three-inch beard walked in, clasping his fists in a formal greeting.

”My name is Yu Lou. I chose a residence nearby, so we’ll be neighbors from now on. We should get to know each other.”

”Fellow Daoist Yu,” Zhu Ju rose to his feet.

”My apologies for the poor reception.”

Yu Lou was tall and skinny, yet he wore extremely baggy clothes, giving him a very mismatched appearance.

However, upon closer inspection, the clothes were a high-quality Magical Robe, which made it understandable.

”I heard that Fellow Daoist Zhu has Mastery in Artifact Refining?”

Yu Lou’s eyes glittered.

”I was wondering if you could refine a few Magical Artifacts for me. I have a type of fishing net that can catch Spirit Fish.”

”Since I am an Artifact Refiner, I naturally take on all kinds of Artifact Refining business,” Zhu Ju said with a smile.

”I wonder, what grade of Magical Artifact do you need refined? What Spiritual Materials are required? This way, I can estimate the price.”

”No, no,” Yu Lou said, waving his hands.

”My Magical Artifact is a secret, exclusive recipe. Once in the water, it attracts Spirit Fish. No one else has ever seen it.”

”If you were to get my secret recipe, would you ever have to worry about a lack of business again?”

”Two thousand Spirit Stones. You just need to give me two thousand Spirit Stones and then help me refine three sets of fishing nets, and I’ll tell you this secret recipe.”

’?’

”Pardon me,” Zhu Ju said, his expression strange.

”If I heard correctly, I am to refine Magical Artifacts for you, and I also have to give you Spirit Stones?”

”That’s right,” Yu Lou nodded.

”That’s exactly it.”

”Fellow Daoist, I won’t see you out.” Zhu Ju picked up his teacup.

”Don’t be like that!” Yu Lou waved his hands.

”I heard you have a shop called Jiupin Residence. We’re neighbors now, so can you give me a discount?”