Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

The spacious room was silent, save for the hissing of electricity coursing through the colorful pipes on the walls.

All was quiet.

Cheng Rong pursed her lips, holding the Truth Serum as she slowly approached Wang Qiang.

Although she didn’t know when her cover was blown, this was the best chance to get clues about the missing women.

As she drew closer, Wang Qiang’s expression changed slightly. He gritted his teeth and demanded:

"Mr. Zhu!"

"You don’t trust me?"

"Obviously." Zhu Ju lay in the Rehabilitation Pod with his eyes closed.

"I’m not familiar with you. But we’ll know soon enough whether you’re worthy of trust."

"Fine!" Wang Qiang nodded and looked at Cheng Rong.

"Go ahead!"

Cheng Rong took a deep breath, approached with the syringe, and when they were less than an arm’s length apart, she suddenly lunged forward, stabbing.

"SWISH!"

The syringe filled with Truth Serum stabbed into empty air.

"I knew there was something wrong with you!"

Missing her strike, Cheng Rong showed no surprise. Her long, slender legs unleashed a flurry of kicks.

’Women have been disappearing from this club one after another. As the manager, there’s no way he doesn’t know what’s going on.’

"SMACK!"

Wang Qiang stepped back sideways, blocking with his arms.

Leg and arm collided, erupting with Strength.

Cheng Rong had a graceful figure, her legs fair and long, like a star discovered by Celestial Sound Entertainment.

Yet her explosive kicks were like the chop of a sharp ax, ferocious in power while also possessing a pliant toughness.

A continuous flurry of kicks, a blur of white shadows, instantly forced Wang Qiang to retreat.

The aftershocks of their Strength swept over a nearby alloy table, and the sturdy tabletop shattered into pieces. One could only imagine the consequences if those blows had landed on a person.

"A High-Level Martial Artist!"

Wang Qiang’s face darkened.

"Who are you?"

In Funeng City, a Martial Artist could easily find a high-paying, stable job. A High-Level Martial Artist, meanwhile, would be considered middle-tier or higher anywhere. Yet this woman, possessing the power of a High-Level Martial Artist, was posing as a massage therapist.

"Where are those women?"

Cheng Rong barked, planting her left foot and lashing out with her right. The extreme speed even caused a sharp whistle as it tore through the air.

"CRACK!"

The sound was like thunder.

Wang Qiang’s body was sent flying.

"Speak!"

Pressing her advantage, Cheng Rong flashed forward and closed the distance, her metal high heel stomping down violently.

"BAM!"

Cracks spiderwebbed across the hard floor.

Wang Qiang, who had rolled away to dodge the blow, wore a savage expression. Facing the attacking Cheng Rong, he suddenly opened his mouth wide.

"Wide" wasn’t just an adjective; it was a truly massive mouth.

The muscles of his cheeks were stretched open by Giant Power, the gape of his mouth nearly splitting his skull in two. Intersecting fangs emerged from his gums, and a ferocious aura assaulted the senses.

"BOOM!"

A visible soundwave blasted forward. Cheng Rong let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying.

"Xenogenic Alteration!"

The so-called Xenogenic Alteration was a branch of genetic modification. It used genetic technology to transplant the genes of an Exotic Beast into one’s own body, or even directly transform a part of the body into that of an Exotic Beast.

This type of alteration had a huge drawback: the human consciousness would be affected, with a high probability of turning into a monster. Therefore, this technology was only permitted for limited use in the Federation.

And Wang Qiang.

Obviously hadn’t followed the rules.

However, aside from technological means, there was another, more convenient method to achieve Xenogenic Alteration.

A gift from an Evil God!

"SWISH!"

As her body hit the ground, Cheng Rong lunged forward again. While she was mid-air, she saw the muscles on Wang Qiang’s cheeks squirm rapidly as several eyes appeared on his face.

’Eyes?’

’This is bad!’

Cheng Rong’s heart pounded. She subconsciously sensed the danger, but it was already too late.

An Invisible Power slammed into her mind, blurring her consciousness. Her body lost its strength and collapsed to the ground.

Just then.

Another, extremely terrifying aura erupted from behind her, instantly enveloping the entire room.

"AHH!"

Wang Qiang shrieked miserably, his body trembling uncontrollably as he was slammed flat on the ground.

It was as if a great mountain was pressing down on him, making it impossible to move.

Myriad Phenomena Celestial Attraction!

Zhu Ju’s expression remained unchanged. With a slight shift in his eyes, an Invisible Power descended from across the room.

Unlike Magic or Divine Soul Suppression.

The technique he was now using didn’t rely on Finger Techniques or incantations, nor did it require a Divine Soul Connecting Heaven and Earth Power. Instead, it was purely driven by the Physical Body, using the Power of the Physical Body to directly leverage the Great Dao.

This.

This was the path forward that Zhu Ju had found for himself.

"Speak!"

"Where are the people?"

"Ugh..." Wang Qiang struggled to lift his head. His face was covered in blood, and the eyes on it blinked erratically.

"Don’t even think about making me betray my god!"

"Oh?" Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow.

"A devout believer?"

"Mr... Mr. Zhu." Cheng Rong propped up her limp body and picked up the Truth Serum from the floor. Her expression immediately stiffened.

"The serum has leaked out. Can I apply for a new one?"

"No need." Zhu Ju shook his head and flicked a hand. Countless blood-red threads, barely visible to the naked eye, emerged from his Skin and Flesh and shot like steel needles straight into Wang Qiang’s skull.

Soul Capture!

No!

It should be called memory reading!

Wang Qiang’s body stiffened. He felt as though his entire life’s experiences were flashing through his mind in an instant.

Family, girlfriend, children...

Education, martial arts training, faith...

"No!"

He roared, but he couldn’t stop the memories of his contact with and faith in the Thousand-Eyed Evil God from surfacing.

And all of this.

Was being ’seen’ by Zhu Ju.

"Miss Cheng."

Zhu Ju spoke as he continued to search Wang Qiang’s memories.

"Do you know the difference between a Legendary Beast and an Advanced Beast?"

"I do."

Cheng Rong was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

"For us humans, between High-Level Martial Artist and Martial Saint, we have the Realm of Grand Martial Master. But Exotic Beasts are different. A Legendary Beast is equivalent to our Martial Saints, while an Advanced Beast is equivalent to a Martial Artist."

"Besides possessing a powerful Physical Body and Spiritual Power, a Legendary Beast also has intelligence comparable to humans, as well as certain special abilities."

"For example..."

"The power to control weather and lightning, the ability to make people hallucinate or to distort their perception, and so on."

"Although a Legendary Beast doesn’t quite have the power to destroy a Safe City, if it isn’t dealt with outside the city walls, it will be a disaster for many people should it break in."

"Mm." Zhu Ju nodded.

"A very clear explanation."

"Why do you ask, Mr. Zhu?" Cheng Rong pulled a robe from the closet to cover herself, an awkward yet polite smile on her face.

"I don’t know... Wuh Tian is Mr. Zhu."

’Mr. Zhu!’

’The biggest boss of the Underworld, an S-Class dangerous individual in the Security Department’s files, a suspected Martial Saint.’

She would have never imagined that the low-level nobody, Wuh Tian, was actually the legendary Mr. Zhu Ju.

"What do you think?"

Zhu Ju wore a strange smile.

"Think?" Cheng Rong froze, and her expression gradually stiffened.

"You mean... there’s a Legendary Beast in Funeng City?"

"More or less," Zhu Ju nodded.

"Two months ago, the Evil God Followers secretly brought a Legendary Beast egg to Funeng City. It has now hatched, and with the help of the Evil God’s power, it has already passed its larval stage."

"Mmm..."

"Right now, it’s beneath this very nightclub. And the missing women have all become its food."

Cheng Rong’s face darkened.

"Qiann Lan!" Zhu Ju suddenly said.

"Make an announcement. The Security Department is coming for a spot check at the nightclub today. We’re closing an hour early."

"Yes, sir." Qiann Lan’s voice came through a device in the room.

"Do you need me to make any preparations?"

"No need," Zhu Ju shook his head.

"Just notify Councillor Cao that a Legendary Beast has appeared in the city, which may cause some chaos."

"..." Qiann Lan’s voice became a little urgent.

"Understood!"

"Don’t be too obvious about it." Zhu Ju looked at Cheng Rong, who was preparing to contact the outside world, and said slowly,

"Wang Qiang isn’t the only one who believes in the Evil God. If the others find out, the situation will get worse."

He swayed slightly, and a Magic Robe shimmering with a soft halo silently materialized on his body.

As the halo shifted, the Magic Robe transformed into a sharp suit.

*

*

*

"TAP..."

The crisp sound of footsteps echoed from a dark underground passage.

Zhu Ju walked forward at a steady pace with his hands behind his back. Cheng Rong, her body tense, followed closely behind him.

"You don’t need to be so nervous."

Zhu Ju said slowly.

"It’s just an immature Legendary Beast. According to the data I’ve read, its power isn’t that great."

"Besides..."

"You didn’t really need to come with me."

"I have to!" Cheng Rong shook her head, her face serious.

"The Evil God’s nest brought a Legendary Beast into a Safe City. That’s a threat to the safety of the citizens. As a member of the Security Department, it’s my responsibility to investigate the situation thoroughly."

As she spoke.

she pursed her lips and glanced at Zhu Ju.

’In truth, I’m not sure why I insisted on coming... Perhaps...’

’It’s because I trust this ’Mr. Zhu’ before me.’

"We’re here."

Zhu Ju stopped walking. The relaxed, carefree expression on his face slowly vanished as he spoke again.

"You’re sure you want to follow?"

"Yes."

"Then you’d better look after yourself."

Zhu Ju shook his head, his gaze penetrating the subterranean darkness to stare directly at a writhing limb below.

"This Legendary Beast... something’s... not right about it."

"Qiann Lan!"

"Here."

Qiann Lan’s voice came from the device.

"Is everyone cleared out up there?"

"Aside from some security personnel, all non-essential people are gone. Mr. Zhu, are you going to make your move?"

"Mm."

Zhu Ju nodded slowly.

"It’s a large squid, its tentacles covered in strange eyes. It’s not in the Federation’s registry of Exotic Beasts."

"Huh!"

He raised his eyebrows slightly.

"The thing’s spotted me."