Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

GULP...

He downed the Satori Wine, a refreshing sensation washing over him. Shaking the wine gourd, he found not a single drop was left inside.

’That should be enough.’

He had been drinking Satori Wine for so long that its medicinal power had been accumulating in his body. All it would take was a push from his Secret Technique to activate it.

When that time comes, Zhu Ju’s Divine Soul Power would increase dramatically for one to two days.

’I’ll wait a little longer.’

’No rush, no rush.’

Zhu Ju calculated silently, refusing to act rashly.

He wasn’t sure exactly how much Divine Soul Power it would take to connect with the third Soul, but he knew the more he had, the better.

Besides, he still had more wine. It wouldn’t hurt to wait a few more days until the medicinal power couldn’t accumulate any further. Then he could cast the technique and trigger it.

Hanging the wine gourd back on his waist, Zhu Ju’s ears twitched. He snapped his head to the side, summoned his Flying Sword, and shouted,

"Who’s there?"

"It’s us!"

Figures flickered in the mist as several people strode forward. Before the figures could be seen clearly, hearty laughter rang out.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, such sharp senses! Is it your turn on duty again today?"

"Vice President Yuann."

The voice was familiar, and Zhu Ju’s expression relaxed slightly.

"Yes, it’s my turn on duty today. How did you all get back so early this time?"

The rear-mountain Marketplace wasn’t far, but with the thick fog sealing the island, the round trip wasn’t exactly convenient.

Plus, with certain items being difficult to trade, a trip usually took a long time. Yet, they had returned very quickly.

"Haha..." Yu Lou laughed heartily, winking as he spoke.

"Of course, it’s because we got everything we were after! It’s a shame you didn’t come with us, Fellow Daoist Zhu."

?

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

Ever since the day he’d forcefully killed the Innate expert by Yu Lou’s side, their relationship had been terrible. For Yu Lou to take the initiative to speak to him today was completely out of character.

’It seems their gains were truly substantial, enough to even improve his mood.’

"Let’s go!"

Yuann Mo waved his hand.

"I’m in a great mood today! We’re going back to the manor to celebrate. Fellow Daoist Zhu, you should join us when you’re finished here. You must come!"

Zhu Ju just smiled and watched the group leave.

「The next day.」

Huu Lishu came to visit.

"Did you go to Vice President Yuann’s banquet yesterday, Brother Zhu?"

"No."

Zhu Ju shook his head.

"My shift ended late, so it wasn’t convenient to go over and disturb them."

"Mm," Huu Lishu nodded, her beautiful eyes glittering.

"It’s a good thing you didn’t go. Chairman Chen Tong went looking for them yesterday and got into a huge argument with the Vice President."

"They almost came to blows!"

"Oh?" Zhu Ju’s face showed surprise.

"Why?"

"This is just what I heard..." Huu Lishu lowered her voice.

"Apparently, Vice President Yuann acted as a Tribulation Cultivator, killed two Dao Foundation Cultivators, and took their belongings."

"His group split the spoils, but now the grudge falls on our association. That’s why Chairman Chen was furious."

"A Tribulation Cultivator," Zhu Ju frowned.

"Yuann Mo acted as a Tribulation Cultivator?"

"So I hear," Huu Lishu shook her head.

"I don’t know the exact details, but it’s definitely true that their trip to the Marketplace was very profitable."

"Sigh."

"I came to Yunjing Island just wanting to live a stable life and spend my remaining years in peace. I never thought I’d get dragged into a vortex like this, unable to even leave if I wanted to."

「That afternoon.」

Zhu Ju ran into Tong Jiao on the road and asked her about the situation.

"Tribulation Cultivator?"

Tong Jiao pursed her lips.

"How could you call that being a Tribulation Cultivator?"

She had also gone to the rear-mountain Marketplace with Yuann Mo.

"We ran into a few Dao Foundation Cultivators on the road and got into a bit of a dispute. We Cultivators naturally settle things with our hands. Vice President Yuann and Yu Lou killed two of them and took their Magical Artifacts and storage bags."

"The Association Leader’s scolding was completely unreasonable. Are we supposed to just endure it when others bully us?"

Zhu Ju said nothing.

’Killing people over a ’bit of a dispute’? Her words definitely weren’t the whole truth. Besides, Tong Jiao was involved, so he probably wouldn’t get anything useful out of her. But the fact that they killed people on the road was certainly real.’

On the day of the association’s trading meeting, all the Dao Foundation Cultivators gathered, and the atmosphere in the room was a bit strange.

Yu Lou, who had always sat by Chen Tong’s side, was now seated in front of Yuann Mo.

Zhu Ju and Huu Lishu, on the other hand, found themselves closer to Chen Tong.

"Today’s meeting."

Taking a deep breath, Chen Tong spoke in a low, muffled voice,

"First, we will hold a small trade fair for all you Fellow Daoists to exchange what you have for what you need. Second is the matter of another trip to the rear-mountain Marketplace."

"Another trip?" Huu Lishu was taken aback.

"This..."

"Why so often?"

Dao Foundation Cultivators could long ago abstain from food and drink, so going without for long periods was no problem. There was no need to frequently visit the Marketplace to procure supplies like a Mortal.

"Some materials need to be dealt with," Yuann Mo explained with a smile.

"Sister Huu, you should still have some of the Spirit Wine left by the Drunken Daoist. You could take that to sell."

"The price of Spirit Wine has skyrocketed recently, two or three times higher than usual. You’re guaranteed to make a tidy profit with one trip."

Huu Lishu’s eyes lit up.

She subconsciously glanced at Zhu Ju beside her. Seeing no reaction from him, she could only shake her head with a bitter smile.

"It’s too dangerous. I’d better not."

"No matter," Yuann Mo said with a laugh.

"Sister Huu, you can give your Spirit Wine to me. I’ll buy it from you for double the usual price."

"What do you think?"

"Okay!" Huu Lishu nodded eagerly.

"Thank you, Vice President Yuann."

She definitely didn’t want to go to the Marketplace, not even for more money. She didn’t envy his ability to resell it either.

"You’re too kind," Yuann Mo smiled.

"However, I don’t have many Spirit Stones on hand myself, so I can only pay half now. I’ll pay the rest when I get back."

"That’s acceptable, right?"

"Well..." Huu Lishu hesitated for a moment.

"No problem!"

"Then it’s settled." Yuann Mo clapped his hands lightly and smiled.

"Actually, compared to the Spirit Wine, the Drunken Daoist’s wine-making recipe is far more valuable. Sister Huu, if you ever want to sell the recipe, you must tell me first."

"I will," Huu Lishu nodded.

"Ahem!"

Chen Tong coughed lightly, interrupting their conversation.

"In three days, Vice President Yuann will be going to the rear-mountain Marketplace again. Please raise your hand if you wish to go."

"The Marketplace itself is safe, but the journey is treacherous and often frequented by Tribulation Cultivators. Any Fellow Daoists who wish to go must be extremely cautious."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yuann Mo.

It was unclear what agreement the two had reached, but the two leaders, Chen Tong and Yuann Mo, showed no open hostility.

"I’ll go!"

Yu Lou was the first to raise his hand.

"Following Master Yuann means there’s meat to eat! I, Old Yu, am sticking with him!"

’Those words sounded very familiar. He seemed to have said something similar not long ago, but the person he was referring to then was Chen Tong.’

"Hee hee..." Tong Jiao giggled.

"I’ll go too."

A few more people raised their hands, all of them either on good terms with Yuann Mo or the more flamboyant types.

Those who didn’t go were mostly the honest, unassuming types.

"So be it." Chen Tong’s expression remained neutral as he nodded.

"Next is the trade fair. If any of you have something you want or something you want to sell, feel free to bring it out for everyone to see."

*

*

*

"Senior Brother!"

"Junior Brother."

The appointed time, the appointed place.

Zhu Ju and Yann Ying met again. Yann Lan wasn’t with them this time, and Yann Ying’s expression was laced with anxiety.

"Is the Yann Family’s situation not good?"

"It’s not."

Yann Ying nodded, making no effort to hide it.

"The Yann Family is trapped in our ancestral home, forced to consume our foundations, while other families can continuously acquire resources through the Marketplace."

"If this continues, we naturally won’t be able to sustain ourselves."

"Moreover..."

His face grew grave.

"I suspect someone in the Yann Family is practicing a Demonic Cultivation Technique. There’s a Demon Cultivator hiding among us, and their Cultivation is not low."

’A Demon Cultivator?’

Zhu Ju’s expression turned solemn as he recounted his own experiences.

"The Silent Extinction Path of Evil Death?"

Yann Ying looked thoughtful.

"It’s highly possible!"

"The people of the East Sea lack a proper fear of the Demon Dao. They have no idea how terrifying a Dao Foundation Demon Cultivator can be. Given the right opportunity, he could very well turn all of Yunjing Island into a Ghostly Realm."

"You must understand, some Demon Dao paths to the Golden Core realm don’t require Core Formation Spiritual Objects at all. Enough corpses and blood Essence can serve as a substitute."

Zhu Ju nodded.

He didn’t know about other Sects, but a Demoness from the Joyful Sect in the Dao Foundation Realm could stealthily control other Cultivators of the same realm. She could make once-harmonious families and Sects slaughter each other, plunging them into chaos, while she used the resulting frenzy, rage, and other emotions to advance her Cultivation.

"Forget it."

Yann Ying sighed and said,

"Junior Brother, what have you brought this time?"

CRASH...

With a wave of his hand, Zhu Ju sent a huge pile of miscellaneous items crashing to the ground. Spiritual Light of all colors flared, illuminating the surroundings.

Magical Artifacts, Talismans, materials, Puppets...

All sorts of supplies, piled up into what was almost a small mountain.

Yann Ying’s breath caught in his throat, his face a mask of astonishment. Clearly, the items before him far exceeded his wildest expectations.

"Junior Brother..."

"You’ve really opened my eyes!"

Not many of the items were truly expensive, but the sheer quantity was enough to astound even a Late-Stage Dao Foundation Cultivator.

Zhu Ju smiled.

Many Dao Foundation Cultivators had died by his hand, and even more Innate Qi Refiners. Some of their belongings were inconvenient to sell, so his collection had grown larger and larger over the years.

These supplies were enough to support a small family in the East Sea.

"Good!"

"This is wonderful!"

Yann Ying’s body trembled with excitement.

"With all this, the Yann Family can hold on for a while longer. Perhaps we might even encounter a turning point."

"Junior Brother, see what you need."

As he spoke, he handed over a sheet of paper filled with a list of goods.

"Array Plates? Array Flags? An Array Hub?"

Zhu Ju glanced at the list, his face immediately showing surprise.

"The Yann Family is even willing to sell a ready-made Array?"

"Heh..." Yann Ying shook his head.

"Given the Yann Family’s current situation, we’re one step away from selling our blood to survive. Besides, the Yann Family is famous for its Arrays, so we have the largest accumulation of these things. If we don’t take them out to trade for supplies now, I’m afraid they’ll just end up benefiting our enemies later."

"I need Array materials." Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, calculating quickly in his mind.

"The Turtle Shell inscribed for the Earth Dragon Array, the vortex for the Drowning Array..."

"And Spiritual Medicine!"

"Two sets of Jade Spirit Pills!"

"Two sets?" Yann Ying asked in surprise, offering a reminder,

"Junior Brother, if you’re the only one taking them, I suggest you choose one set of Jade Dragon Pills. While this pill isn’t as good as the Jade Spirit Pill for increasing Cultivation, it does have some Body Tempering effects. Moreover, alternating between two types of Elixirs helps prevent building a tolerance."

"If you only use one type of Elixir, the effects will gradually diminish."

One set

represents one hundred bottles!

That’s usually terminology used between major powers; a solo Loose Cultivator buying ten or twenty bottles would already be considered a major client.

Even if you bought two sets of the same pill, the second set would have very little effect.

"So that’s how it is."

Zhu Ju understood.

"In that case, I’ll take one set of Jade Spirit Pills and one set of Jade Dragon Pills."

"Senior Brother."

"Do you know how to leave Yunjing Island?"

"Leave?" Yann Ying was stunned for a moment, then nodded in understanding.

"Indeed."

"Yunjing Island is in chaos right now, with all the major families fighting each other. There’s also a Demon Cultivator hiding with unknown motives. Leaving is undoubtedly the best choice."

"However, the Yunjing Commerce Association’s Array isn’t completely controlled by any single family. It’s not easy to get out, especially under the current circumstances, unless you have a Tier Three Forbidden-Breaking Talisman. That could briefly open a channel to escape Yunjing Island."

A Tier Three Forbidden-Breaking Talisman?

Although it was a single-use item, it was incredibly expensive, comparable in some ways to a Talisman Treasure.

Zhu Ju’s expression couldn’t help but darken.

"Junior Brother."

Yann Ying’s expression shifted, and with a long sigh, he took a yellow sheet of Talisman Paper from his person.

"This is a Tier Three Spirit Destruction Talisman. I came across it by chance on a trip. While it’s not as good as a Forbidden-Breaking Talisman, it should be enough for you alone to leave Yunjing Island."

"Consider it a thank-you gift for protecting my descendants."

"Senior Brother!" Zhu Ju froze. Seeing the other man’s solemn, unyielding expression, he could only nod with a complicated look on his face.

"Then, thank you very much, Senior Brother!"