Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Tavern.

In the past, this was a favorite haunt of dignitaries and nobles. Now, only a handful of people remained.

Qii Yao stood before the window, her hands clasped behind her back. She looked up at the various streaks of light flashing in the sky, the corners of her mouth curling into a slight smile.

”Senior.”

Zheng Bo’s voice trembled:

”Will we really be okay after doing this?”

”Of course!” Qii Yao turned, her beautiful eyes smiling as she looked at him.

”Don’t worry. Your contribution to breaking through the Immortal Alliance’s garrison was indispensable. I will request merits for all of you.”

Besides Zheng Bo, there were others present.

Hearing this, the faces of everyone present relaxed, but the unease in their hearts did not dissipate.

They had heard about the ferocity and brutality of the Demon Dao during their contact with the Immortal Alliance Cultivators. Even if they only knew a fraction of the truth, it was enough to see the whole picture.

”The Cultivators of the Celestial Corpse Sect love the dead, because in their eyes, only corpses have value.”

Qii Yao spoke slowly:

”But it’s like harvesting wild vegetables—it’s better to cut them down one crop at a time rather than clearing the whole field at once.”

”So rest assured, even if the Celestial Corpse Sect occupies this place, they will leave some people to reproduce and provide more corpses. Likewise, they will need your help to look after those ’rations.’”

Everyone’s expression was complicated, but their initial worries had faded.

Indeed.

Managing a country was no simple task. They were experienced, and with the merit of having defected, they would surely be able to keep their lives.

”BOOM!”

A massive explosion erupted from above them, and the roof of the building was blown away by a Giant Power.

The aftershock of the Strength left everyone’s ears ringing, and they fell to the ground, cutting sorry figures for a moment.

Only Qii Yao remained unmoved. She even watched the figures engaged in Combat above with great interest.

”Senior.”

A man struggled to his feet, bracing himself against the aftershocks of the Cultivators’ Combat around them, and asked with a quavering voice:

”What if your people can’t break through?”

”Heh…” Qii Yao chuckled lightly.

”Don’t underestimate yourselves.”

”Cultivators look down on Mortals and wouldn’t bother deliberately hiding anything from you. But their daily lives are often inseparable from Mortals, which is why your information is the most reliable.”

”In war, information and morale are just as important as strength.”

She watched the people fighting above and said with a smile:

”Shii Xuan is a man who cherishes his life dearly. He lives by the principle that a precious body should not be put in danger. As long as a Golden Core Grandmaster makes a move, he will definitely flee at the first opportunity. This is what dooms the Immortal Alliance to defeat.”

”And a crushing defeat at that!”

”CLANG… CLANG…”

Before she finished speaking, the sound of a gong rang out from the direction of what was once the Imperial Palace of Mountain Country, now the core of the Immortal Sect garrison.

For the sound to travel so far and be heard so clearly amidst such chaos, it was obviously no ordinary Copper Gong.

Immediately after, a throat-tearing roar followed.

”Shii Xuan of the Profound Clarity Sect has fled!”

”Shii Xuan has fled!”

”...”

As the voices carried over from the distance, the smile on Qii Yao’s face grew more pronounced.

’When people are united, they can move mountains. When their hearts are in chaos, they scatter like monkeys.’

’Zhu Ju, you are given to passion and Forgetting Desire, untethered to the material world, yet you don’t know how to manipulate the hearts of others.’

’Or perhaps, you never even considered it!’

She turned and looked at the people in the room.

These people were the highest-ranking officials and nobles of Mountain Country, once second to only one person and above ten thousand.

And yet, with the arrival of the Immortal Alliance Cultivators, they were all reduced to mere ’Mortals’ serving the Alliance.

The Zheng Family’s Imperial Palace, the Lin Family’s old residence, the Lu Family’s ancestral temple—all had been seized by the Immortal Masters.

With all that had happened, how could they not harbor resentment in their hearts?

All it took was a little prodding. There was no need to even use Magic. Once these people understood that the Immortal Masters they had pinned their hopes on were no match for the Demon Dao and would leave sooner or later, they would naturally make their choice.

As expected!

Everything was going according to plan.

The hearts of the Righteous Dao Cultivators above were in chaos, and the signs of a rout were clear.

’Even if you manage to stabilize the situation, I’ve already had people tamper with several nodes of the Array. A Mortal’s strength may be small, but digging up a few Array Flags isn’t difficult. In the end, you cannot escape defeat.’

Qii Yao’s beautiful eyes sparkled:

’With this accomplishment, I should be able to ease some of the pressure on Senior Sister Zhou, right?’

*

*

*

The Immortal Alliance is finished!

That was Zhu Ju’s first thought upon hearing the shouts.

Although Shii Xuan was powerful, he was ultimately only at Dao Foundation Perfection. Even if he fought, he would have little effect on the outcome of the battle.

But… he had fled!

As the core member dispatched by the Profound Clarity Sect to guard this place, he had actually fled alone!

What did this mean?

It meant that even Shii Xuan had no confidence in this battle. Why should anyone else fight to the death?

”Go!”

Dong Yuelan’s pretty face was filled with fury as she roared in a low voice:

”That bastard surnamed Shi…”

”Let’s get out of here!”

Although she was straightforward, she was not stupid. She also knew the tide had turned against the Immortal Alliance and turned to flee.

”Senior Sister Dong.”

Amidst the fierce fighting, Zhu Ju had been keeping his eyes and ears open, observing everything. He pointed in a certain direction:

”This way!”

As he spoke, he recalled his Wind and Thunder Blade Wings. Lightning sparked All Over the Body as he charged forward at an astonishing speed.

”CRACKLE!”

A single flash of lightning carried him hundreds of yards, forcibly plowing a path through a group of Demonic Cultivators.

Dong Yuelan followed close behind, her Sharp Gold Fang Armor protecting her Physical Body as she bulldozed her way through.

Although there were many Demonic Cultivators in the direction they chose, there were no experts among them, so for a time their path was clear.

Behind them, the rout was already underway, spreading at an astonishing rate.

The Dao Foundation Cultivators had no heart to fight and scattered in all directions. The Tier Three Array also showed signs of instability.

”Shii Xuan!”

Someone was surrounded by Demonic Cultivators, and seeing no hope of escape, could only roar at the heavens in grief and fury:

”You deserve to die!”

”BOOM!”

Following an explosion of Spiritual Light, the White Bone Sword of the Demonic Golden Core Tan Shouli appeared within the Array.

A mountain of piled-up white bones descended, and two Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators screamed as their lives were extinguished.

”Pursue them!”

The void shimmered, and a handsome, middle-aged scholar appeared in mid-air. He scanned the entire battlefield with cold eyes and spoke in a deep voice:

”Don’t let a single one escape!”

”Yes!”

”Elder Tan!”

...

”SWISH!”

”SWISH! SWISH!”

Two figures, like a pair of agile leopards, rushed forward under the cover of the dense woods.

To avoid pursuit by the Demonic Cultivators, Zhu Ju and Dong Yuelan had concealed their auras and dropped out of their Tunneling Lights long after escaping the Immortal Alliance garrison.

Now, they relied solely on Mortal Martial Skills, sprinting close to the ground.

Naturally, their speed was not too fast.

As time passed, they grew more distant from the Immortal Alliance garrison, and thus safer.

Just as they were about to cross a mountain ridge, Zhu Ju’s ears twitched, and his body suddenly came to a halt.

”Senior Sister, be careful!”

Just then,

”Fellow Daoist Dong!”

”Fellow Daoist Zhu!”

”Where are you two off to in such a hurry?”

A light, airy voice sounded as two streaks of light descended from the sky, blocking their path.

The light dissipated, revealing two figures.

One of them had his face covered with a black cloth and carried a black coffin on his back. His aura was as deep as an abyss, locking onto the two of them.

The other person looked somewhat familiar.

”Lian Junhe!”

Recognizing the newcomer, Dong Yuelan’s beautiful eyes filled with killing intent:

”It’s you!”

Zhu Ju also showed a look of surprise.

Of course he recognized the man. Because of him, the Bright Void Sect’s Spirit Wine brewing business had nearly been put on hold.

Back then, Lian Junhe and a Cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect had conspired to ambush him and Liuu Huang’er, but they had been defeated and forced to flee.

”Heh…”

Zhu Ju smiled faintly.

”No wonder I felt like someone was watching us this whole time. So it was you. Are you here to settle the score?”

”Surnamed Zhu, today is not like the past,” Lian Junhe said, turning his head to look, his eyes narrowing as he snorted coldly.

”Back then, we were in your territory, and I was unwilling to get entangled with you. Now, the situation is reversed.”

”However…”

He slowed his voice and said,

”I’ll say it again: if you are willing to surrender to the Demon Sect, I don’t mind turning hostility into friendship.”

”Junior Brother Zhu, he’s deliberately stalling for time, waiting for reinforcements from behind,” Dong Yuelan said, her eyes narrowing.

”Don’t waste time talking to them!”

”Understood.” Zhu Ju flexed his wrists.

”Senior Sister Dong, let’s make this quick. We’ll finish them off and leave this place as soon as possible.”

Huh?

Dong Yuelan was taken aback.

She had meant they should go all out to force their opponents back, to show them they were not to be trifled with and make them give up the pursuit.

’Making it quick’ was probably not an option.

”Hmph!”

Before she could speak, the Cultivator carrying the black coffin grunted and raised a hand, summoning two streaks of Spiritual Light.

The Spiritual Light transformed into a pair of deathly pale hands, which lunged toward Zhu Ju.

Profound Yin Claw!

This was the Celestial Corpse Sect’s most famous Claw Skill, similar to the Righteous Immortal Sects’ Innate Qi Grand Capture.

But when this claw appeared, it was silent yet impossibly fast, its two hands poised to envelop all of heaven and earth. Even Dong Yuelan was shocked, which showed how exceptionally pure this person’s power was.

Mid-Stage Dao Foundation!

Two Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivators were blocking their path. This was big trouble.

It wasn’t that Dong Yuelan feared the two of them. The key issue was that Combat between Cultivators was bound to cause a huge commotion. Since they were surrounded by Demonic Cultivators, if they attracted other demonic fiends, escaping would become difficult.

”BOOM!”

A ten-foot-deep crater exploded in the ground, but Zhu Ju’s figure had vanished from his original spot.

”A Martial Arts Body Technique?”

The Celestial Corpse Sect Cultivator’s voice sounded odd. The black coffin on his back flew off on its own, and a gray shadow shot out from within.

A Corpse Refining!

This Corpse Refining, also comparable to a Mid-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator, was covered in dense Corpse Qi as it pounced toward the charging Zhu Ju.

”BANG!”

The two figures collided in mid-air and were both violently knocked back.

The dense Corpse Qi made Zhu Ju frown slightly. He glanced down at his palm, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes.

’As expected of a Celestial Corpse Sect Cultivator. This Corpse Refining is comparable to a Body Refining Second Realm Body Cultivator. The key is that it feels no pain, fears no death, and its entire body is covered in condensed Corpse Qi. It actually managed to stop me.’

”Martial Arts?”

The Celestial Corpse Sect Cultivator snorted coldly in a low voice.

”There aren’t many Dao Foundation Cultivators who also delve into Martial Arts. I never thought I’d run into one here.”

”Such a powerful Physical Body is perfect for Corpse Refining!”

As he spoke, he gently raised his hand, and a palm-sized hammer appeared before him, accompanied by the wails of ghosts and howls of wolves.

Magical Treasure—the Soul-Devouring Hammer!

This treasure was extremely yin and cold, capable of sucking out one’s soul. It swayed in the air and then gently fell toward Zhu Ju.

It seemed light and airy, yet it unleashed an infinite Giant Power, and an even stranger force coiled around his Divine Soul.

At the same time, the Corpse Refining pounced again.

On the other side,

Dong Yuelan had also made her move.

Her body flickered, her Sharp Gold Fang Armor protecting her, and she threw the Silver Spear in her hand forward with a powerful thrust.

”SWISH!”

A silver gleam flashed and disappeared.

”BOOM!”

Several incandescent bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking the Silver Spear and halting its forward momentum.

A ten-foot-long Long Banner appeared before Lian Junhe. As the face of the banner fluttered, a gale-force wind whipped through the area.

”The Tian Family’s Garrison Wind and Thunder Banner!”

Dong Yuelan’s eyes narrowed, her expression growing even uglier.