Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Chapter 216: Chapter 202: Punished

"Stop!"

A furious roar descended from the sky, and a terrifying pressure blanketed the entire area. Even the chaotic Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi suddenly stagnated.

The Spiritual Light of numerous Magical Artifacts was forcibly suppressed.

The mountaintop.

Shattered pavilions.

Broken stones and wooden planks were scattered about.

Mangled corpses littered the ground.

In just a few moments, a place that had been for enjoying the scenery and feasting was now a sight too gruesome to behold, littered with corpses.

A group of Inner Sect Disciples had looks of terror on their faces, while the several Core True Inheritance disciples also had solemn expressions, hinting at lingering fear.

No one could have expected Zhou Yuantong to throw out a Tier Two Treasure, the ’Heaven-Shaking Thunder Bomb.’ This thing was comparable to the full-powered strike of a Dao Foundation Cultivator. Even a Core True Inheritance disciple who had broken through the Nine Acupoints would be injured by a graze and killed by a direct hit.

No exceptions!

The ’Heaven-Shaking Thunder Bomb’ exploded in the crowd, its range covering almost the entire mountaintop. The Joyful Sect disciples who were too close had nowhere to hide and nowhere to run.

Over ten Inner Sect Disciples were blasted to death on the spot, and several Core True Inheritance disciples also suffered injuries of varying severity.

It could be said that in all the battles the Joyful Sect had fought against Righteous Cultivators in recent years, their losses had never been as great as they were today.

"You dare!"

Witnessing the tragic scene, the Dao Foundation Cultivator who had just landed revealed a furious expression, her beautiful eyes erupting with thick killing intent.

"Die!"

SWOOSH!

The hairpin that had suppressed the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi shot across the distance in an instant, crashing down on Zhou Yuantong like a mountain.

CLANG...

A Jade Bracelet materialized from thin air, blocking the hairpin.

"Junior Sister Weng." Princess Consort Yuann, wrapped in colorful ribbons, appeared beside Zhou Yuantong and said with a frown:

"Even if my disciple was in the wrong, they were the ones who struck first. Are you really going to kill her without distinguishing right from wrong? Do you truly think I’m that easy to bully?"

BOOM!

The aura from her body shot to the heavens. The already dim sky suddenly grew darker, as if a pitch-black curtain was suspended overhead, so heavy it made it hard to breathe.

"Senior Sister," Weng Yu said, her face dark.

"We both know who was right and who was wrong. Even if others overstepped, your disciple shouldn’t have been so heavy-handed."

"If she doesn’t die, it will be impossible to satisfy the sect!"

"Fine!" Princess Consort Yuann laughed loudly as the colorful ribbons on her body expanded wildly, transforming into a vibrant cloud that covered the area.

"Killing her is the same as killing me. Since you insist, Junior Sister, then let’s settle this with a life-and-death battle first!"

SWOOSH!

As her voice fell, thousands of colorful ribbons burst through the air, rushing toward her opponent.

The multicolored ribbons stretched across the sky like a rainbow—a magnificent yet terrifying sight.

Terrifying Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi collided in the air, creating a deafening roar.

BOOM!

Spiritual Lights of all colors burst forth.

Even the mountains seemed to shake.

The Joyful Flower Disciples turned deathly pale. They felt as if they were standing beside a great mountain on the verge of collapse, their hearts filled with nothing but apprehension.

The might of a Dao Foundation...

was this terrifying?

"Enough!"

After what seemed like an instant and an eternity, a voice full of majesty rang out from the sky:

"The death penalty can be spared, but punishment is inescapable. Zhou Yuantong ignored the sect rules and indiscriminately killed her fellow disciples. She is to be confined to the Ice Cave for three years."

"Princess Consort Yuann..."

"As Zhou Yuantong’s master, you are responsible for failing to discipline her properly. You are fined three thousand Great Merits to compensate the disciples who were killed."

"Do you accept this judgment?"

"...I will obey Senior Sister Baomiao’s decree." Princess Consort Yuann’s voice was ice-cold as she retracted the cloud of ribbons from the sky.

The ribbons coiled downward, wrapping around three figures and carrying them into the distance.

...

"Master!"

Tears streamed down Zhou Yuantong’s face, which was filled with confusion. It was as if she had lost her very Soul.

She cradled Zhu Ju’s ’corpse,’ her eyes vacant.

"You don’t have to save me. Just let me go with my husband. Now that he’s dead, what’s the point of me living?"

After years of spending every day and night together, the two of them had become inseparable in her heart, which was why she had become so frenzied.

The moment she saw Zhu Ju ’die,’ Zhou Yuantong felt her world come crashing down. Boundless anger and despair flooded her heart.

The heartache was unbearable.

That was why she had recklessly unleashed the ’Heaven-Shaking Thunder Bomb’.

In that moment, Zhou Yuantong had wanted nothing more than for everyone to die with Zhu Ju, including herself.

"Don’t worry."

Princess Consort Yuann knelt down, glanced at Zhu Ju’s mangled and lifeless body, and said in a cold voice:

"I have a Treasure that can save his life."

"Really?" A brilliant light erupted from Zhou Yuantong’s once-dead eyes as she stared intently at Princess Consort Yuann.

"Master, you... you’re not lying to me?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Princess Consort Yuann rolled her eyes.

"But you heard the verdict. Because of your recklessness, you’ll have to be punished in the Ice Cave for three years. It’s not a pleasant place."

"I am willing to accept the punishment," Zhou Yuantong said, choking back sobs as she fell to her knees.

"I only ask that Master saves my husband."

"The two of you are truly devoted to each other." Princess Consort Yuann sighed softly, her beautiful eyes twinkling as she helped Zhou Yuantong up.

"Zhu Ju was willing to sacrifice himself to block a fatal blow for you, and you grieved to the point of despair. It’s truly enviable."

"Let’s go."

"I’ll take you to the Ice Cave first."

She paused, then added:

"The Ice Cave is a place of thousand-year-old Profound Ice. Being inside feels like being constantly pierced by ten thousand needles."

"Later, I’ll teach you a Method to alleviate the pain..."

"If you can really endure three years in there, your Essence, Qi, and Spirit will surely grow much stronger. It could even be a good thing for you."

"Mm," Zhou Yuantong nodded.

"As long as my husband can be saved, I’m willing to endure any punishment."

"Let’s go," Princess Consort Yuann sighed softly.

A rosy light enveloped them, and the two shot straight into the sky.

「A short while later.」

"Get up."

Qii Yao’s voice was ice-cold.

"You shameless scoundrel, what a convincing act!"

"It’s just that the Substitute Death Talisman Senior Princess Consort Yuann gave me is astonishingly effective. I didn’t expect it to be so flawless." The ’corpse’ on the ground stretched its Tendon and Bone, slowly sat up, and tugged at its body.

As a Spirit Talisman turned to ash, an unharmed Zhu Ju was revealed.

He felt himself over, his eyes filled with amazement.

"What a powerful Talisman. Not only can it create a fake corpse that’s impossible to tell from a real one, it can even fool the perception of a Dao Foundation Cultivator."

"Hmph!" Qii Yao snorted coldly.

"Why weren’t you really killed?"

"That’s why I said the Spirit Talisman is incredible," Zhu Ju said admiringly.

"Its Defensive Power is also astonishing, and it realistically displayed the consequences of their attacks. If not for the drawback of its short duration, it would be absolutely perfect."

He looked at the ash on the ground, lost in thought. In the instant the ’Substitute Death Talisman’ had activated, Zhu Ju had been deeply moved.

"You..." Qii Yao ground her Silver Fang tightly.

"You’re the reason Yuann Tong was sent to the Ice Cave."

"That’s a forbidden Secret Realm, similar to the Celestial Fire Domain. Only those who have severely violated the sect’s rules are punished by being sent there."

"And..."

"for three whole years!"

Zhu Ju fell silent.

’I didn’t expect her reaction to be so extreme, or that she would kill so many Inner Sect Disciples.’

In his plan, Zhou Yuantong would have been furious, but not to the point of committing such a grave mistake.

As a result, the plan almost fell through at the last moment.

"Hmph!" Qii Yao said angrily.

"If Yuann Tong finds out you were deceiving her, I can’t imagine how heartbroken she’ll be. She definitely won’t let you get away with it."

"Of course," Zhu Ju shrugged.

"But as long as you don’t say anything, she’ll never know. So... are you planning to betray Senior Princess Consort Yuann?"

Qii Yao froze.

"Master!"

"Senior Princess Consort Yuann!"

"You were too reckless." Princess Consort Yuann had returned at some point. Her beautiful eyes stared directly at Zhu Ju, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction.

"Making Yuann Tong feel grateful by showing her you would sacrifice your life for her is one thing, but the pretext you chose was rather poor."

"As you should know, Senior, nothing in this world is perfect," Zhu Ju said calmly.

"Rather than waiting until everything is perfectly prepared, it’s better to act on a flash of insight. Seizing the opportunity is what truly matters."

"Hmm..." Princess Consort Yuann’s beautiful eyes twinkled, and a smile appeared on her face.

"As expected."

"Compared to Yuann Tong, you’re much more suited to be my helper. I look forward to the day you truly mature."

"Don’t disappoint me!"

"I certainly won’t," Zhu Ju said with a serious expression.

Throughout all this, Qii Yao kept her head down and said nothing.

*

*

*

The Ice Cave.

The name was simple and unadorned.

But it was one of the forbidden areas within the Wind Moon Valley’s Secret Realm.

It was also a place that made disciples of the Joyful Sect turn pale at the mere mention of its name.

The place was not far from the Celestial Fire Domain. Its entrance was an inconspicuous mountain cave, and the temperature dropped the deeper one went.

After proceeding just a hundred meters, the cold qi would seep into one’s very marrow. Even an Innate Qi Refiner would find it difficult to stay for long.

Continuing downward, there were a series of ice chambers used to store certain perishable items.

Further down still was the prison that made the Joyful Sect disciples turn pale at its mention.

HISS...

Wrapped in thick cotton clothes, Zhu Ju shivered as he approached a prison cell. The breath he exhaled instantly turned to ice flakes and fell to the ground.

The prison cell was only a few square meters in size, filled with a chaotic jumble of horizontal and vertical ice pillars. A beautiful, slender figure was sitting cross-legged in the center.

"Husband!"

Hearing his voice, Zhou Yuantong’s face lit up with joy. She threw herself against the frozen iron door, her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she looked at him.

"You... you’re really okay?"

"I’m fine."

Zhu Ju approached the iron door and looked at the woman he had spent every day with. A complex expression flickered in his eyes.

’He wasn’t made of stone, after all.’ Besides, the feelings they’d developed for each other were real, not just an act.

Locked in the prison, Zhou Yuantong’s face was covered in frost. Her internal True Qi could only protect her heart meridian, leaving the rest of her body exposed to the severe cold.

Under the assault of the icy Qi, her delicate Physical Body was like a frozen ice crystal. Snowflake-like patterns appeared on her skin, and she looked like a porcelain doll that had been shattered into countless pieces and then pieced back together.

It seemed a single touch would be enough to shatter her completely.

It was hard to imagine what kind of pain she was enduring in here, pain that was ceaseless and endless.

"It’s my fault," Zhu Ju sighed softly.

"I shouldn’t have been so impulsive."

"It’s okay," Zhou Yuantong said, her eyes brimming with tears. The moment the teardrops left her eyes, they turned into ice crystals and fell to the ground.

"As long as you’re okay, Husband, that’s all that matters."

"How are you doing in here?" Zhu Ju took a deep breath and asked.

"I asked Senior Princess Consort Yuann, and she’ll let me visit you once a month. Is there anything you need?"

"Hot water," Zhou Yuantong mumbled, her lips pursed. Looking aggrieved, she no longer tried to put on a brave face in front of Zhu Ju.

"Husband, it’s so cold in here! It hurts so much!"

"..." Zhu Ju sighed.

"Seeing you like this, I’d rather it were me in here instead of you."

"Hee hee..." Zhou Yuantong’s face broke into a small smile.

"Don’t worry, Husband. Although it’s very cold and painful, the Spiritual Qi here is abundant, which is very helpful for Cultivation."

"When I get out in three years, I might even be able to open my eighth Acupoint."

"That’s good news," Zhu Ju nodded, then looked at her seriously and said,

"In this world, nothing can hold us captive—not this Ice Cave, and not the Wind Moon Valley."

"Three years. I’ll stay with you."

...

The entrance to the Ice Cave.

Zhu Ju found a Cave Mansion nearby. He used grass for a mat, drank the mountain winds and morning dew, and kept watch outside the prison.

He had also brought the little rabbit with him, feeding it vegetable leaves and Spirit Fruits.

CLATTER...

A pile of Fire-Attribute Materials fell to the ground.

Qii Yao dusted off her hands, a look of confusion on her face.

"Sometimes I really don’t understand your attitude toward Yuann Tong."

"Are you toying with her feelings, or are you genuinely in love?"

"You’re the one who got her locked in the Ice Cave, but now you’re here to suffer with her, even going to great lengths to help alleviate the pain of the cold Qi invading her body. If you were going to do all this, why did you start it in the first place?"

"It’s so strange!"

"Just do your own thing. There’s no need to worry about so much," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head. He picked up the items from the ground and examined them.

"I’m going to the Celestial Fire Domain for Artifact Refining."

With Princess Consort Yuann’s strong backing, he could bring Zhou Yuantong some items to ward off the cold. Coincidentally, he had a Mastery of Artifact Refining.

Besides, his Cross and Vertical Saber had not yet been refined to Perfection.

The Celestial Fire Domain and the Ice Cave—he would be traveling between these two places frequently in the time to come.

Time flew by.

Three years,

passed in the blink of an eye.