Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Chapter 217: Chapter 203: Reforging the Cross and Vertical Saber

The Celestial Fire Domain.

The extreme heat made the air ripple, and from a distance, it seemed as if space itself was distorting.

In truth, the Celestial Fire that descended from the sky, tearing open the barrier between the Main World and the Secret Realm, had indeed distorted space to some extent.

However, such a power was beyond the reach of not only Innate Qi Refiners, but even Dao Foundation Cultivators.

Only the legendary Golden Core Grandmasters possessed Secret Techniques that involved space.

Zhu Ju sat cross-legged at a moderate distance from the Celestial Fire. The intense heat had caused his long hair to curl slightly, his eyes were scorched crimson by the Fierce Flame, and his cheeks had, at some point, cracked and bled. Yet, his expression was more solemn than ever before.

BOOM!

The chaotic Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi made the environment of the Celestial Fire Domain completely unpredictable. Even on a clear, sunny day, lightning could strike from the heavens.

A bolt of lightning snaked through the air, heading straight for the Celestial Fire.

’An opportunity!’

Zhu Ju’s eyes lit up. In that moment, he could barely maintain the Four Symbols Star Ban hiding his Cultivation as he frantically channeled the Magical Power within him.

"Guide!"

"Heavenly tribulation as the blade, Earth Evil as the shield, turn its own power against it—condense!"

For a brief instant, the lightning seemed to freeze before plunging into the Celestial Fire, striking fiercely at something within.

BOOM!

The lightning flared brilliantly.

The Celestial Fire sputtered and splashed.

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi was thrown into chaos.

Zhu Ju leaped to his feet with a low cry. True Qi poured endlessly from his body as the Spell in his hands shifted rapidly.

"Gold to suppress the west, Wood to guard the east, Water to cover the northern abyss, Fire to burn the southern reaches, Earth to secure the central palace—Seal!"

"Heaven and Earth Profound Light..."

"Gather!"

RUMBLE...

The Celestial Fire trembled violently, and the rampaging Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi formed a massive funnel, converging toward the center.

CLANG!

A metallic ringing sound echoed.

Even the sky-shaking thunder and the roaring Celestial Fire could not suppress that faint, metallic ring.

HUMMM...

A streak of faint light shot out from the Celestial Fire, crossed the void, and landed before Zhu Ju.

It was a Magical Artifact the size of a palm, shaped like a Flying Sword but with a slight curve reminiscent of a Flying Saber.

Perhaps calling it a ’Flying Saber’ was more appropriate.

Unlike a double-edged Flying Sword, this Magical Artifact was single-edged and had a hilt for gripping.

SWISH!

The faint light trembled and suddenly transformed into a four-foot-long saber.

Zhu Ju reached out and grasped the hilt. A feeling of being connected by flesh and blood surfaced in his mind, and he couldn’t help but swing his arm lightly.

SWISH!

A wave of Sword Qi more than ten meters long slashed out into the void.

"Hm?"

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow, his face filled with delight.

After all, he was currently only revealing the Cultivation of a Broken Two Acupoints Innate, yet with this saber, he could unleash such power.

’If I were to go all out...’

"As expected of a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact, its power is truly extraordinary."

Gently stroking the blade, Zhu Ju sighed with emotion. Then, with a flick of his hand, the saber shrank back to the size of his palm.

SWOOSH!

The saber’s light flashed, shooting out over a hundred meters before carving a graceful arc through the air and returning to his side.

Neither the Gang Wind nor the Celestial Fire could hinder it in the slightest.

He tried executing a few Sword Formulas, and all of them flowed smoothly.

"A Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact!"

Zhu Ju declared:

"From now on, you shall be called the Cross and Vertical Saber!"

The Cross and Vertical Saber!

The body of the saber trembled slightly, emitting a clear, cold hum, as if cheering joyfully for having received a name.

’Without the various Heavenly and Earthly Treasures provided by the Joyful Sect’s Dao Foundation Cultivator, and without the help of the Artifact Refiner Ding Gui, it would have been impossible for me to refine a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact on my own, even if I had another ten years.’

To put it in perspective, the Demon Exorcism Hall of the Magic World had spent a full millennium forging a single Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Yet Zhu Ju had accomplished the feat in just a few years.

"Excellent!"

"A fine treasure!"

Praising it aloud, he swallowed the Cross and Vertical Saber in one gulp. It curled up in his Dantian to be slowly nurtured.

"Sword Control Technique!"

He formed a hand seal for the Sword Formulas, and the Cross and Vertical Saber inside him trembled. In an instant, a flash of saber light completely enveloped him.

Then, his body wobbled, lifted off the ground, and flew into the distance, pulled along by his Magical Power.

A Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact came with its own Flying Escape ability.

Of course, with his Cultivation at Breaking Two Acupoints, even with a Magical Artifact refined with his own heart’s blood, he couldn’t sustain its power for long.

...

"Congratulations!"

Seeing Zhou Yuantong walk slowly out of the Ice Cave, Zhu Ju broke into a smile, and the two embraced fiercely.

"Husband."

Zhou Yuantong closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of the outside world, as if wanting to forget the torment of the past three years.

"I want to go home."

"Alright." Zhu Ju formed a hand seal, and Sword Light enveloped them both, carrying them into the sky.

"We’re going home!"

"You finished refining your Cross and Vertical Saber?"

"I just finished. I wanted to surprise you."

...

「In the Cave Mansion.」

Zhou Yuantong lay sprawled on the soft bed with her eyes closed, reveling in a comfort she hadn’t felt for three long years.

"Husband."

"Hm?"

"Are you hiding something from me?"

"Why would you ask that?"

Zhu Ju, who was holding a rabbit and feeding it Spiritual Water, looked back at her.

"A while ago, Qii Yao came to see me in secret." Zhou Yuantong opened her eyes, her beautiful gaze fixed on Zhu Ju.

"She told me to be careful of you, but she didn’t say what you did."

"One can never be too careful of others," Zhu Ju said with a smile.

"She’s right about that."

"I think it must be that while I was gone these past three years, you did something to wrong me," Zhou Yuantong said with a serious expression.

"That’s why Qii Yao couldn’t stand it and told me in secret."

?

"..." Zhu Ju was a bit speechless.

"You’re overthinking it."

"Actually, it doesn’t matter," Zhou Yuantong said, looking at him and pursing her lips.

"You were with other women before me, and men have strong desires. Besides, this is Wind Moon Valley."

"It would be perfectly normal if you were tempted by one of those Demonesses and made a mistake. If you tell me, I can forgive you."

"You’re really overthinking this," Zhu Ju sighed.

"Nothing happened."

"Really?" Zhou Yuantong sounded unconvinced. She crawled over to his side and shook his arm.

"Just admit it. It’s okay, I’ll definitely choose to forgive you. I’m not just trying to trick you into confessing."

"Nothing. Really, nothing happened," Zhu Ju said.

"Don’t let your imagination run wild."

"How boring." Zhou Yuantong rolled over and lay back down, her eyes filled with doubt.

"Then why would Qii Yao say that?"

"You should trust your husband," Zhu Ju said.

"Don’t tell me you trust her more than you trust me?"

"That’s not it," Zhou Yuantong said, shaking her head. A hint of doubt appeared on her face.

"It’s just that, sometimes, I really do feel like you’re hiding a lot from me, and it makes me feel insecure."

"Husband..."

"Are you hiding something from me?"

Zhu Ju didn’t answer.

"I knew it," Zhou Yuantong sighed.

"Men are never to be trusted. But then again, who doesn’t have a few secrets? I trust you must have your reasons for hiding things from me."

"At least you didn’t lie to me, Husband."

"That’s true," Zhu Ju said with a small smile.

"Being locked in the Ice Cave for three years seems to have cleared your head quite a bit."

"Don’t mention that place." Zhou Yuantong’s body tensed, and her face turned involuntarily pale.

"I never want to go back there for the rest of my life."

"You won’t have to." Zhu Ju stepped forward, wrapped his arm around her, and comforted her in a low voice.

"It’s over."

"It’s all in the past."

「Night fell.」

Two figures sat cross-legged facing each other. Zhou Yuantong exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened her beautiful eyes, a bright light shining from their depths. The aura around her visibly intensified.

"Breaking Eight Acupoints!" she said with a smile, pursing her lips.

"Husband, my three years of accumulation have finally paid off. I feel like Breaking Eight Acupoints isn’t my limit; my Cultivation should see another significant increase soon."

"Yes," Zhu Ju replied, a smile also gracing his face. "I also succeeded in Breaking Three Acupoints. We haven’t dual cultivated for so long; I didn’t expect the effects to be this good."

’Breaking Three Acupoints?’

’No!’

’He had, in fact, already broken through all Nine Acupoints.’

’He had already reached the peak of the Innate Qi Refiner stage, the Realm of Nine Acupoints Perfection.’

***

SPLASH...

A stream flowed gently.

Zhou Yuantong had rolled up her trouser legs and was standing barefoot in the stream, a faint smile on her face as she felt the water rush over her feet.

Life didn’t need to be spectacular to be fulfilling.

"This is so nice."

"Qii Yao, you should come try it too! The Spirit Fish here aren’t afraid of people. I’ve been in Wind Moon Valley for so many years and I’m only just finding this out."

"No, thanks." Qii Yao gave a dry laugh and glanced cautiously at Zhu Ju beside her.

"Um..."

"Did Yuann Tong tell you?"

"She did," Zhu Ju nodded.

"There are no secrets between my wife and me, so next time you think about snitching, you’d better think twice before you speak."

Qii Yao’s face went deathly pale.

"For Yuann Tong’s sake, I’ll let it slide this time," Zhu Ju said, waving his hand magnanimously.

"Don’t let there be a next time. I don’t want anyone driving a wedge between my wife and me."

Qii Yao pouted.

She took a deep breath and said in a sullen tone:

"Master has sent a message. There’s a mission for the two of you that requires you to leave the valley."

"A mission? For both of us?" Zhu Ju frowned, a trace of hesitation—or perhaps reluctance—on his face.

"So soon?"

"Master can’t wait," Qii Yao said.

"This mission is unusual. The target is a Broken Eight Acupoints Innate. You two need to be careful."

"A Broken Eight Acupoints Innate?"

Zhu Ju seemed unconcerned.

Zhou Yuantong was also a Broken Eight Acupoints Innate, and as a Core True Inheritance disciple, her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Innate.

Take the Heaven-Shaking Thunder Bomb, for instance. Even an Innate Qi Refiner at Nine Acupoints Perfection would have trouble withstanding it.

He asked casually,

"Who is it?"

"It’s someone you know," Qii Yao said.

"Ding Gui!"

"According to our investigation, Ding Gui has long been secretly colluding with the Righteous Immortal Sect, the Profound Clarity Sect. Even Shuu Ying’s death a few years ago is not unrelated to her. This time, Ding Gui used the opportunity of a mission outside the valley to flee the Sect. You are ordered to capture her and bring her back for punishment. If you encounter fierce resistance, you have permission to kill her on the spot."

’Ding Gui?’

Zhu Ju looked up, his expression complex.

"That thick-browed, wide-eyed one... turned out to be a traitor. No wonder she’s been so half-hearted about helping me with Artifact Refining these past two years."

"Yuann Tong," Qii Yao said.

"Master wants you to go to her and get some items for protection. You two can leave the valley right after."

"Both of us are going?" Zhou Yuantong’s beautiful eyes flickered.

"Now?"

"That’s right." Qii Yao’s expression was complicated. She looked like she wanted to say something but didn’t dare, her eyes full of pity.

"You... be careful."

"I will be." Zhou Yuantong gestured to Zhu Ju.

"Husband, wait for me in the Cave Mansion."

...

「In the palace.」

The male slaves who usually fawned over the mistress of this place were absent. Only Princess Consort Yuann sat alone upon the grand hall’s throne.

"Master!"

Zhou Yuantong walked into the hall and knelt on one knee.

"Mm."

Princess Consort Yuann nodded.

"Take these things."

With a light wave of her long sleeve, some Spiritual Objects fell to the floor.

"Yes." Zhou Yuantong waved her own sleeve, storing them away.

"Thank you, Master."

"Don’t be in such a hurry to leave." Princess Consort Yuann rested her chin on her hand, picked up a luminous pearl from the side, and toyed with it.

"I have something interesting to show you."

"This is a conversation I had with Zhu Ju a few years ago, when you left the valley on a mission for the first time."

She tossed the pearl lightly with one hand. It floated in mid-air, and a scene materialized within it.

Zhu Ju’s figure appeared, looking straight ahead at where Princess Consort Yuann was, which in reality meant he was facing Zhou Yuantong.

That familiar face now looked so unfamiliar.