Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Innate Divine Strength and Copper Skin and Iron Bones are two special constitutions that practitioners of martial arts dream of possessing.

Possessing even one of them allows the weak to defeat the strong.

If one could possess both, they could slay enemies of a higher rank even while cultivating ordinary Martial Skills.

Zhu Ju cultivates the Ten Thousand Spirits Body Forging Technique, devouring Demon Essence Blood to strengthen himself. This gives his Physical Body a foundation far exceeding that of his peers. To those unaware of the details, it certainly looked like he possessed a special talent.

However...

His Talent went far beyond that.

A powerful regenerative ability, allowing him to disregard injuries to his Skin and Flesh and sustain explosive bursts of power.

Reaction speed and movement speed far beyond that of an ordinary person...

With all these traits bolstering him, Zhu Ju, a mere Eighth-Grade, could withstand a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist in a direct confrontation.

In fact,

with the aid of his Fist Intent and Secret Technique, he could even gain a slight upper hand.

"To have such talent in the Martial Arts, yet be an Artifact Refiner. You've hidden your depths well."

Woo Tou's face was grim. The Qi Blood throughout his body surged, and the water vapor in the air rapidly condensed.

Threads of water spun around him, transforming into an accompanying Flood Dragon as he lunged forward.

Rage Wave Force!

The water streams looked delicate and weak, but they were in fact immensely heavy, capable of shattering stone monuments with a mere tap.

The man with the short spear, Old Second, followed close behind amidst a howling gale. His Wind Blades, sharp enough to sever gold and jade, arrived even before he did.

A Sixth-Grade Martial Artist's Qi Blood can stir the Power of Heaven and Earth, exhibiting different characteristics depending on the Cultivation Technique they practice.

Woo Tou's was a Water Attribute, so he could condense Heavy Water.

Old Second controlled the wind, and his short spear was sharp.

With two Sixth-Grade experts joining forces, especially when one was an upper-level Sixth Grade, Zhu Ju immediately felt the pressure.

"HUM..."

A light tremor ran through his body.

A suit of armor appeared on his body's surface, encasing him.

Bright Armor!

A Fifth-Grade Qi Blood Divine Weapon.

"CLANG..."

The duo's attacks landed on the armor, creating visible ripples and forcing Zhu Ju to retreat repeatedly.

He staggered, his stance becoming unsteady.

An opportunity!

The eyes of the remaining two men lit up. They shot out silently, one wielding a saber and the other a sword, slashing in a crisscross pattern.

Mandarin Duck Slash!

The sharp Qi Force was condensed and focused, following an opening in the Bright Armor to slash into Zhu Ju's waist and ribs.

"Die!"

The two gritted their teeth and put their strength into it, only to find their saber and sword felt as if they were stuck on something hard.

They could still push, but the weapons moved sluggishly.

Hmm?

'Damn it!'

'It's a trap!'

The two of them froze for a moment before a sense of dread filled them. By the time they thought to let go and retreat, it was already too late.

"WHOOSH..."

A pair of large hands descended as if to blot out the sky, landing plainly on their heads.

"BAM!"

Powerful Qi surged.

Blood gushed from all seven of their facial orifices as they collapsed limply.

"Old Third!"

"Old Fifth!"

Woo Tou roared, his eyes bloodshot red. The Qi Blood in his body erupted like a volcano.

"Die!"

He crossed several dozen feet in a single bound.

His palms unleashed a tidal wave of force, carrying immense power as he clashed with Zhu Ju, who still had the saber and sword embedded in his body.

"BOOM!"

"RUMBLE..."

Zhu Ju's body trembled, and he retreated again and again, his expression turning grave.

'A Qi Blood Divine Weapon!'

His opponent seemed to be wildly striking with his palms, but in reality, his Palm Force was mixed with dozens of steel needles as fine as silk threads.

Like Magical Artifacts wielded by a Cultivator, these steel needles merged with his Qi Blood and peppered the Bright Armor in a frenzy.

Each impact caused the Bright Armor to vibrate violently.

On the other side.

Old Second, holding his short spear, lunged forward as well. His spear whipped up a gale, instantly creating a storm of afterimages.

The whistling sound was like muffled thunder.

Their combined assault was like a raging squall, forcing Zhu Ju back again and again. For a moment, it seemed he couldn't hold his ground.

'It seems my current strength is only enough to contend with a mid-level Sixth Grade, even with my mastery of Fist Intent.'

'Brute force trumps all technique...'

'The gap in our Cultivation is too great. So-called techniques are of little use now.'

Taking a deep breath, Zhu Ju's eyes focused. A five-colored halo emerged from the palms of his hands.

Five-Colored Divine Light!

"SWISH!"

The figures suddenly froze.

"BAM!"

"SPURT!"

Figures flashed across the clearing, Powerful Qi ran rampant, and killing intent collided with the void. A moment later, it all vanished completely.

"Huuuh..."

Zhu Ju exhaled and turned around.

There was a piercing wound on his neck, and a few pinpricks dotted his waist where the armor didn't cover.

Not to mention the saber and sword still hanging from his body.

Wounds like these.

Let alone a person, even a Demon couldn't possibly survive such injuries, yet he seemed completely fine.

"Impossible."

Woo Tou coughed up blood, his throat moving as he spoke:

"You..."

"What in the world are you?"

"I'm human." Zhu Ju shrugged, brushing a hand over his waist. The few steel needles that had penetrated his body were drawn out, and he tossed them back and forth in his hand.

"Just a little different from ordinary people. Now, who are you? And why did you attack me?"

"Heh..." Woo Tou collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in a sneer:

"You think I'm going to tell you?"

"You will." Zhu Ju pinched a steel needle, tossed it lightly, and then plunged it into the center of Woo Tou's brow.

Soul Capturing Technique!

"Speak."

"Who are you, and why did you come after me?"

A short while later.

"The Qii Family?"

Zhu Ju stroked his chin, lost in thought:

'So that mine belonged to the Qii Family. But with all their other businesses, they wouldn't care about such a small mine. This must have been a private venture on their part. I shouldn't have to worry about retaliation from the main Qii Family.'

"Such is life in the Martial World; some things are out of your control."

"I only stayed on the Island of Continuous Mountains for a year and already attracted this kind of trouble. I'd better go back to the Prefecture City and lie low for a few years."

Although he had won today's battle, it had been a close call. With his current Cultivation, dealing with the Sixth Grade was his limit.

If a Fifth-Grade Expert were to appear...

Death would be certain!

On the Island of Continuous Mountains, Fifth-Grade Experts were not rare, but in Taiyuan Prefecture, they were almost nonexistent.

It was obvious which place was safer.

After gathering his things and looting the valuables and Qi Blood Divine Weapons from the men's bodies, Zhu Ju departed quickly.

*

*

*

「Taiyuan Prefecture.」

「Zhu Mansion.」

Currently, two maids were in charge of the mansion's finances.

Qian Shiyao and Yuanyang.

The former was one of Zhu Ju's people, having handled the Cloth Workshop business for many years. She knew the account books and finances by heart.

Yuanyang was Zhou Ruxuan's personal maid.

Although she didn't have Qian Shiyao's Talent for business, she had a keen eye for accounts, meticulously tracking every last bit of silver.

The two worked together in the mansion. At first, they were at odds with each other, but their relationship slowly eased after more than a year.

"Young Master."

Qian Shiyao presented the account book:

"These are the accounts for the past year since your departure. Including the mine outside the city, the mansion's total income is nearly one hundred thousand taels."

"Net income!"

"Oh!" Zhu Ju looked up:

"Business wasn't affected this year?"

This past year, he had been in secluded Cultivation on the Island of Continuous Mountains, and Zhou Ruxuan had also entered the Zhou Family's Profound Ice Cave for seclusion.

The mansion's business had been left to two young women, and not only was it unaffected, but its profits had also seen a significant increase.

It was truly beyond his expectations.

As for one hundred thousand taels of silver...

To an ordinary person, it was a huge sum, but for him, who had been to the Island of Continuous Mountains, it was nothing to be impressed by.

Gold and silver,

were merely worldly possessions.

They were almost useless for purchasing resources of the Sixth Grade and above.

He hadn't expected the two women to earn much money; just maintaining the Zhu Mansion's current state would have been enough.

Unexpectedly,

it was a pleasant surprise.

"It's all thanks to Elder Tong."

Yuanyang chimed in:

"Elder Tong is an upper-level Seventh-Grade Mage. He helped us withstand pressure from all sides."

"Without him, business would have been very difficult."

"Mm," Qian Shiyao nodded emphatically.

"Elder Tong?" Zhu Ju frowned.

"He's the Mage that you rescued from the Celestial Eagle Thieves, Young Master," Yuanyang reminded him:

"Elder Tong is old and doesn't have much time left. To repay you for saving his life, he plans to live out his remaining years at the mansion."

"And..."

"He doesn't want a monthly salary."

"It's him." Zhu Ju had a flash of realization.

He remembered the man. It was just that back then, the man had been seriously injured and unconscious, and he had already left for the Island of Continuous Mountains before he woke up.

A Seventh-Grade Mage was indeed a rare sight.

In a small place like Taiyuan Prefecture, he was more than enough to handle most problems.