Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

By the time Zhu Ju returned to the Mirror Lake Marketplace, Miaoyi of the Little Zen Sect had already been waiting for a long time.

"Fellow Daoist!"

Miaoyi summoned an auspicious cloud and flew forward to greet him.

"It’s wonderful that you’re unharmed."

"When did you arrive, Fellow Daoist Miaoyi?" Zhu Ju asked with a smirk.

"Bad timing."

"On this trip, I was ambushed by a Demonic Golden Core. I was lucky to escape with my life. If you had been present today, Fellow Daoist Miaoyi, I’m sure we could have captured that Demonic Golden Core."

Miaoyi’s expression turned awkward.

She had been nearby. With the keen perception of a Golden Core Grandmaster, how could she not have sensed Jin Fangqiu of the Celestial Corpse Sect?

However, Jin Fangqiu was a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator who had also refined a Mid-Stage Golden Core Heaven-Soaring Flying Corpse. From her perspective, even if she had gone to help Zhu Ju, it would have been nothing more than suicide.

So...

Upon sensing Jin Fangqiu’s Qi, she had immediately fled to the Marketplace to take refuge behind its Array.

But she never expected that Zhu Ju wouldn’t be killed. In fact, he appeared completely unscathed.

’Could it be...?’

’This newly promoted Golden Core fellow Daoist has the means to fight a Mid-Stage Golden Core Cultivator?’

"Perfect timing."

Zhu Ju, seeming to understand her thoughts, gestured with one hand.

"I have something to discuss with you, Fellow Daoist."

"Please!"

"Alright." Miaoyi hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"After you, Fellow Daoist."

The two went to the main hall, where Zhu Ju dismissed the attendants and formed a Seal Technique to cast a Sound Insulation Spell.

"Fellow Daoist Miaoyi, you must be very curious as to why I returned alive, aren’t you?"

"Well..." Miaoyi gave a dry laugh.

"You have extraordinary Talent, Fellow Daoist. To have advanced to the Golden Core Realm in just over a hundred years, you must have your own unique opportunities."

"Not at all!" Zhu Ju sat down opposite her and shook his head.

"The reason I returned alive isn’t because of my own skill, but because the Demonic Cultivator showed mercy."

"Oh?" Miaoyi raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Fellow Daoist, you advanced to the Golden Core Realm two hundred years ago. By rights, you are my senior," Zhu Ju said, cupping his hands.

"You should know how things are in the Demon Dao."

Miaoyi waved her Duster, lost in thought.

The low-level disciples of the Six Demonic Sects naturally revered and admired the Six Paths Demon Monarch as if he were a god.

But for those at the Golden Core Realm, it was the complete opposite.

To prevent another Nascent Soul True Man from emerging among the Six Demonic Sects, the Six Paths Demon Monarch ruthlessly suppressed Golden Core Cultivators.

The six sects had several hundred Golden Core Cultivators, twice as many as the Righteous Immortal Alliance, but they had fewer Late-Stage Golden Core Cultivators.

Naturally, they were resentful.

Therefore, when facing Righteous Cultivators, they no longer engaged in mindless killing that would only weaken themselves.

"Cooperation?"

Miaoyi asked in a low voice.

"Jin Fangqiu wants to cooperate with you, Fellow Daoist?"

"No!"

Zhu Ju shook his head.

"He wants to cooperate with us."

Zhu Ju certainly didn’t want to take the lead in this matter. Besides, it would involve a great deal of trouble later on, and he didn’t want to get involved.

"This time, we are facing the Celestial Corpse Sect and the Joyful Sect. There are at least two Demonic Golden Cores, and the other one might be just as strong as Jin Fangqiu."

As he spoke of this,

his expression shifted slightly.

He didn’t know what Zhou Yuantong had gone through, but even with his Cultivation, he couldn’t see through her depth. Yet, he could feel a pressure from her that far surpassed Jin Fangqiu’s.

It was also because of this,

that Zhu Ju hadn’t attacked forcefully. After all, even if he summoned his Outer Body Incarnation, he wasn’t certain of victory.

Since the other party wanted to talk, then talk they would.

HISS...

Miaoyi couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

"Two at the Mid-Stage Golden Core!"

The power gap between the Early-Stage Golden Core and Mid-Stage Golden Core was enormous, so much so that she couldn’t even fathom the idea of resisting.

"Yes!"

Zhu Ju nodded.

"The Six Demonic Sects received orders to break through our current defensive lines and make a show of their power."

"Jin Fangqiu wants us to be flexible, allow him to appear behind the Immortal Alliance’s lines, and proactively hand over some people for them to kill. He’d also prefer if we moved the current Marketplace to the south."

"That..." Miaoyi’s expression shifted.

"I’m afraid that’s not appropriate, is it?"

"Letting them pass is not out of the question, but handing people over to be killed... Well, there are a few Tribulation Cultivator encampments we could offer up."

"But what if they suddenly go back on their word?"

"Then there’s nothing to be done," Zhu Ju said, spreading his hands.

"I am merely a messenger. As for the specifics, of course, we must listen to the arrangements of an elder such as yourself, Fellow Daoist."

"Besides..."

"I was quite badly injured this time and need some time to recover. You can handle the other matters as you see fit, Fellow Daoist."

As he spoke, he clutched his chest and gave two dry coughs.

Miaoyi gave him a speechless look, then sighed softly. It seemed she was seriously considering the Demon Dao’s proposal.

If they fought head-on, the Immortal Alliance’s side had no chance of victory. Cooperation wasn’t entirely out of the question.

But,

they had to be wary of a sudden betrayal.

*

*

*

Night fell.

Zhu Ju came out of his office.

In front of the Commerce Association’s main entrance, a few people were already waiting. Seeing him emerge, they all raised their hands in greeting.

"Inspector Wuh!"

"Miss Hex."

"Manager Wangg."

"..."

The group chatted and laughed as they boarded a magnetic levitation car, heading towards a street of nightclubs in the Inner City District.

On a tall building several miles away,

a tall woman lowered her binoculars and swiped the screen of a tablet beside her. A person’s file immediately appeared.

"Wuh Tian!"

"Sister Cheng," a young woman in a Security Department uniform beside her said in a clear voice.

"According to our investigation, this man likely came into contact with Mr. Zhu’s forces a few months ago."

"Oh!"

"At that time, the underworld forces still belonged to Boss Jiao."

Flipping through the file, the woman continued,

"After that, for some unknown reason, he joined the Celestial Wealth Commerce Association as an inspector for the Qin Family. I suspect he must have won Mr. Zhu’s favor. After all, with the Underworld in such flux at the time, only Mr. Zhu had the power to arrange such a position for someone from the bottom."

"Mmm," Cheng Rong nodded.

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes," the woman said.

"This Wuh Tian has a terrible temper and isn’t well-liked. He’s quick to beat and curse his own children, and his neighbors think very poorly of him. But, as it happens, his children are both exceptionally promising."

"His son, Wuh Ping, secretly took his Genetic Enhancement Potion, became a Martial Artist, and successfully got into a High-Level Academy. His daughter, Wuh Qing, is even more remarkable in her study of genetics. She has already been noticed by a major figure and will likely be specially recruited into a High-Level Academy."

"Heh..."

"For a man like him to raise such a wonderful pair of children... it’s enough to make one jealous."

"Wuh Qing?" Cheng Rong’s beautiful eyes flickered.

"Xiaofu’s classmate?"

"That’s her," the woman nodded.

"I’d forgotten, Sister Cheng. Your daughter is in the same class as Wuh Qing. You must be so envious, right?"

Cheng Rong rolled her eyes.

Her own daughter was mischievous and a real handful. Of course, she was envious when she heard about a well-behaved, obedient, and talented child like Wuh Qing.

"There have been a string of disappearances of young women recently. Based on the clues, it should be related to the Evil God Followers."

Composing herself, she spoke in a solemn voice.

"The trail has gone cold now. But according to the surveillance footage we pulled, Wuh Tian frequently goes in and out of that place."

"He’s highly suspicious!"

"So..." the young woman made a gesture.

"Do we arrest him?"

"We don’t have any evidence. Besides, Wuh Tian probably isn’t an Evil God Follower, just a participant. If we arrest him now, not only will we fail to find the missing women, but we might also tip off our real targets," Cheng Rong shook her head.

"We can’t arrest him."

"Then what do we do?" the young woman asked.

"This Wuh Tian has been like a different person these past few months. His schedule is very regular. Aside from his trips to the club every few days, there’s nothing suspicious about him."

"The nightclub..." Cheng Rong pursed her lips.

"Get me an outfit suitable for a woman at a nightclub. I’m going to go in, take a look, and make contact."

?

The young woman was taken aback.

Then, she looked Cheng Rong up and down.

A tall, graceful figure. Even her loose-fitting uniform couldn’t hide her stunning curves.

In the West District, which was full of young women, to be named the ’Flower of the Security Department,’ her looks naturally couldn’t be bad.

"Sister Cheng, even though you’re a bit older, you’ve kept your figure so well that even I get envious looking at you. But is it really okay to do this?"

The young woman’s voice was laced with concern.

Nightclubs.

They never welcome people from the Security Department.

Once inside, all our methods become useless. If something were to happen, a rescue would be too late.

"What does it matter?" Cheng Rong took a deep breath, her expression grave.

"Everything is for the sake of saving lives!"