Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Chapter 225: Chapter 208: Celestial Capital Sect Leader

「The Magic World」

Zhu Ju’s figure appeared near the Sword Sect’s grounds.

"Halt!"

Four young disciples—three men and one woman—sprang out from the sides, barring his path with their longswords as they shouted:

"This is the Sword Sect’s gate. Outsiders are forbidden!"

"Hmm..." Zhu Ju paused, a faint smile touching his lips.

"What? You don’t recognize me?"

"Should we know you?" one of them asked, raising an eyebrow and speaking in a cold voice.

"Leave the mountain at once, or we won’t be so courteous!"

"Young man," the female Magician among them spoke up, her voice clear and bright.

"If you wish to apprentice yourself to the sect, you can go down the mountain and find Martial Uncle He. Not just anyone is allowed to enter here."

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she forced a calm expression and said:

"My name is Liu Rong. You can mention my name; Martial Uncle He might be a bit more lenient with you."

Zhu Ju stroked his chin.

His advancement to the Dao Foundation stage had, without exaggeration, completely transformed him.

He had always been handsome, but now he was exceptionally so, possessing a unique aura. This aura was naturally in tune with the world, making him uniquely attractive to those who practiced the Cultivation of the Divine Soul Method. It was no wonder the female disciple couldn’t stop her heart from fluttering.

However, Liu Rong was clearly popular among her male peers. At her words, the expressions of the other three men soured, their gazes turning hostile.

"Never mind."

He shook his head and stepped forward.

"I’ll just go find Xiaoo Meng directly."

"How dare you!" The disciples’ faces darkened, and the one who had spoken first said angrily:

"Is Hall Master Xiaoo’s name one you can use so casually? To force your way through the gate on top of that... you must have a death wish!"

SWISH!

With a flick of his wrist, he thrust his longsword forward.

But Zhu Ju, as if he hadn’t even seen the incoming longsword, continued his unhurried pace, his body a phantom as he swept past the four of them.

"Magic!"

"He’s a master!"

As the thrust met nothing but air, the faces of the gate guards changed drastically. They shouted urgently:

"Quick, alert the others! Someone is forcing their way through the gate!"

"After him!"

The four of them fired a warning signal into the sky and gave chase, pursuing Zhu Ju with all their might.

Despite them sprinting with all their might while he maintained his leisurely pace, the distance between them only grew.

RUMBLE...

A group of Sword Sect disciples rushed out from ahead. The moment they saw Zhu Ju, they unhesitatingly attacked him with all kinds of Magic.

"Stop!"

"All of you, stop this instant!"

Just then, an angry roar echoed.

A flash of Sword Light flared out of thin air, instantly cutting through the barrage of Magic. A man hurriedly appeared before Zhu Ju.

"Sect Leader!"

The newcomer dropped to his knees with a thud and exclaimed loudly:

"This disciple greets the Sect Leader!"

’Sect Leader?’

The crowd of Sword Sect disciples froze, their faces filled with confusion. As for the few who had just attacked, their faces went deathly pale.

As members of the Sword Sect, how could they not know of the Sect Leader?

Once the greatest expert in Tianzui City!

The man who single-handedly raised the dilapidated Sword Sect into the ranks of the top Sects. Even after not being seen for many years, his formidable reputation remained.

’The legendary Sect Leader...’

’He’s so young?’

"Oh, it’s you." Zhu Ju recognized the man. He was a disciple from the Sharp Gold Hall, who had only been a Magician back in the day.

"You’ve advanced to a Mage. Not bad."

"It is all thanks to the Sect’s training," Song Jian said, his body trembling with excitement.

"Sect Leader, you haven’t appeared in many years, so most of the newer disciples don’t recognize you. I beg you to forgive their ignorance."

"There’s no fault in not knowing," Zhu Ju said with a wave of his hand.

"Let’s head up the mountain first."

"Yes," Song Jian nodded eagerly.

"This way, Sect Leader."

"What are you all standing around for? Scatter and inform the four Hall Masters that the Sect Leader has returned!"

"...Yes!" The disciples finally snapped back to their senses, acknowledging the order and rushing off to report the news to their superiors.

...

「Sword Sect, Main Hall」

The four halls were assembled.

The Core Disciples of the four halls—Sharp Gold, Fire Separation, Mountain Shattering, and Talisman—stood in the hall, each group clad in different colored robes.

Many of them had never seen Zhu Ju before and were naturally curious about this legendary figure.

’So young.’

’Did the Sect Leader cultivate some kind of Rejuvenation Secret Technique?’

’So handsome!’

Some of the female disciples were blushing, their eyes filled with infatuation as they wore shy expressions.

’The place is the same, but the people have changed.’

Zhu Ju’s gaze swept across the hall, his expression full of complex emotions. The Sword Sect had changed a great deal in the years he had been away.

Kan Feichen, the Hall Master of Sharp Gold Hall, had passed away, with Su Fei succeeding him. Jiang Qiu, Hall Master of the Talisman Hall, had also died of a sudden illness last year, and now the hall was led by a Female Cultivator named Gan Shuyun.

Only Xiaoo Meng, Hall Master of the Mountain-Shattering Hall, remained. She was also currently the Sword Sect’s only Treasure Artifact True Man.

"We greet the Sect Leader!"

All the Sword Sect disciples, gathered as one, knelt and shouted in unison, their voices echoing through the grand hall.

"Rise."

Zhu Ju waved his hand.

"All these years, I was trapped and could not break free. I am unworthy of the title of Sword Sect’s Sect Leader. You have all worked hard."

"Sect Leader," Xiaoo Meng said, looking up, the excitement in her beautiful eyes impossible to conceal.

"Without you, the Sword Sect would have ceased to exist long ago. Besides, for the past few years... the Sect’s situation hasn’t been so bad."

"Indeed," Su Fei nodded.

"Riding on your reputation as the strongest expert in Tianzui City, many young people with outstanding Talent have come to the Sword Sect to study."

"The number of disciples in the four halls has doubled since your time."

The Sword Sect’s lack of True Men was a weakness of the Treasure Cultivation Technique.

However, for the common person, becoming a Mage or Great Mage was a lofty goal; the rank of True Man was unimaginable.

It was therefore no surprise that the number of Sword Sect disciples had steadily increased.

But those from established cultivation lineages would almost never choose the Sword Sect—a regrettable but unavoidable fact.

"In that case, I am relieved," Zhu Ju said, his heart easing.

"I have come for two reasons. First, to see old friends. Second, I will soon be traveling overseas for a long time. I don’t know when I will be able to return, so the position of Sect Leader of the Sword Sect must pass to someone else."

"Xiaoo Meng!"

"From now on, you shall be the new Sect Leader."