Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

Chapter 252: Chapter 226: Breakthrough

Daqi was founded on martial prowess and has always valued the Martial Arts.

Every State Mansion has a martial arts arena for people to compete, practice their skills, or even fight to the death.

The Divine Capital is no exception.

Soft tomb soil, when ceaselessly pounded by Martial Arts masters, transforms into an incredibly hard earthen stone.

Even a Second-Grade Grandmaster would struggle to leave a significant mark on it.

The martial arts arena, constructed from this material, was over ten acres in size. Upon it, two Swordmen stood facing each other.

They had yet to make a move.

But their two Sword Intents were already clashing across the distance, kicking up a fierce wind that forced the onlookers to retreat again and again.

"Daoist."

Jiao Ru began.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Sword Madman, I suppose," Zhu Ju said casually.

"His foundation is deeper."

He knew next to nothing about the two men on the stage. Even a Dao Foundation Cultivator couldn’t guess who would win or lose.

"True," Jiao Ru nodded.

"As the prodigy of this generation’s Absolute Saber Sect, his physical foundation is solid. Sword Ghost is no match for him in that regard."

"But Sword Ghost is a veteran of countless battles and has a history of the weak defeating the strong. Since this is a duel to the death, the outcome is hard to predict."

"It’s starting!"

The first to attack was, surprisingly, Sword Madman Wuh Luo. His figure flashed, leaping a hundred meters and bringing his saber down in a cleaving strike.

Mountain-Splitting Battle!

It was a seemingly ordinary strike, yet it caused the world to suddenly darken, leaving only the downward slash of the saber in everyone’s vision.

Sword Intent!

A Sword Intent that could distort the perceptions of others.

In this world, a First-Grade Grandmaster’s techniques might be inferior to a Nine Acupoints Innate, but their combat prowess was by no means lacking.

In close combat,

they could even have the upper hand.

Just as the long saber was about to land, a sinister, strange, and cold Sword Intent emerged, lunging upward like a venomous snake.

"CLANG..."

The two sabers collided.

The saber in Sword Madman’s hand was long and wide, a size larger than what most people used. The saber in Sword Ghost’s hand, however, was a broken one.

Left hand, broken saber, a bizarre Saber Technique.

The Saber Techniques of the two men, one orthodox and one unorthodox, were a study in contrasts.

A flicker of interest appeared in Zhu Ju’s eyes.

"HISS..."

The broken saber flashed. To others, it was like a venomous scorpion, its tail striking suddenly into the void.

In an instant,

thousands of afterimages appeared.

Within a radius of several dozen meters, saber shadows weaved and interlaced into a net, launching a fierce assault on the figure within.

Sword Ghost’s sinister and vicious Saber Technique was enough to make one’s skin crawl with just a few glances.

"I’ve long heard of Sword Ghost’s name, but only today do I truly witness it," Jiao Ru said, his expression grave.

"He truly is extraordinary."

"BOOM!"

A loud explosion cut off his monologue.

Sword Madman Wuh Luo’s face was solemn. He executed the nineteen forms of the Proud World Saber in sequence, creating even more variations.

Qiankun Roaming!

Ten Thousand Worlds Cross!

...

A savage Sword Intent, like a torrential storm, enveloped the entire Martial Arts Arena. Cracks appeared on the ground beneath their feet.

Compared to his ferocity, Sword Ghost’s Saber Technique was exceptionally insidious.

The Sword Intent would either stab at the eyes or confuse the senses. The Sword Qi was sinister and malicious, and every strike was unexpected.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG..."

The sounds of collision were as incessant as rain on banana leaves.

The two on the arena stage were like two Fierce Beasts from a primordial wilderness, baring their fangs and claws in a life-or-death struggle.

A casual dodge would carry them a hundred meters. The overflowing Sword Qi they released carved deep marks into the ground.

The onlookers retreated again and again, yet they were unwilling to leave.

The allure of a duel between two First-Grade Grandmasters was too great for martial artists to resist, even if it meant taking some risks.

"Huh?"

Jiao Ru frowned.

"The situation isn’t looking good. They’re actually in a stalemate."

Unless the combatants were nearly identical in strength and skill, a fight between martial artists would usually end quickly.

Even with a small gap in power, a single mistake could decide the outcome in an instant.

A true stalemate was a rare sight.

"They’re trying to use this opportunity to break their limits and push for the Divine Treasure Realm. They aren’t in a hurry to defeat each other," Zhu Ju explained, seeing things more clearly.

’Using the threat of death to stimulate a breakthrough... It seems their killing intent toward each other isn’t that strong. Compared to hatred, they’re more obsessed with pursuing a breakthrough in the Martial Arts.’

’A pity...’

’It’s more likely they’ll both end up grievously injured.’

The reason people so often talked about mid-battle breakthroughs was because they were so rare and exceedingly dangerous.

Of course,

if the two could stop now and digest the insights from this battle, they would gain much, perhaps even enough to lay the foundation for the Divine Treasure.

But alas, who would dare to stop when the fight was at its peak?

They were already riding a tiger, unable to dismount!

"Not good!"

"SWISH!"

Jiao Ru’s expression changed. He abruptly appeared near the martial arts arena, clapping his hands together in front of him.

A blast of ferocious Powerful Qi formed an iron gate, firmly shielding the arena.

At that very moment.

"BOOM!"

The two sabers collided again. A sharp, visible wave of Powerful Qi, like ten thousand blades sweeping through the air, surged out in all directions.

If it were allowed to run rampant, the surrounding onlookers would undoubtedly suffer heavy casualties.

"ARGH!"

Veins bulged on Jiao Ru’s forehead as he gritted his teeth and roared,

"Hold it back!"

"Peng!"

The Powerful Qi churned. His body swayed, the shirt on his upper body exploded into shreds, and he staggered back several steps.

Meanwhile, the two men on the arena stage lay on the ground, covered in blood, their fate unknown.

Shaking his head, Zhu Ju turned and left.

He wasn’t worried about Jiao Ru. Even if Jiao Ru hadn’t acted, the nearby commoners would have been fine.

There was a Divine Treasure Martial Saint hidden among the crowd.

However...

A fight between First-Grade Grandmasters held little educational value for Zhu Ju; it was merely a show for him.

Compared to the two men on the stage, he had a better target for observation, and tonight was about the right time.

*

*

*

The Southern Barbarians were vassals of Daqi, but not one of its states. Instead, their Barbarian King managed their own territory, similar to a feudal king with a different surname.

In the Divine Capital,

there was an Yi Hall for the Southern Barbarians.

Dozens of carriages fully loaded with goods pulled into the rear courtyard of the Yi Hall. A group of Barbarians skillfully unhitched the reins.

"Prince."

One person stepped forward to report.

"Lord Ming has come to visit."

"Oh!" The Barbarian King’s son, Batu, frowned.

’What is he doing here?’

Shaking his head, he put down what he was holding and walked toward the reception hall, where a middle-aged man in a long robe was already waiting.

"Lord Ming!"

Batu bowed. As the son of the Barbarian King and envoy of the Southern Barbarians, he was, aside from his name, no different from a Daqi scholar.

"My esteemed Prince Batu, we meet again." Lord Ming laughed heartily and embraced Batu.

"Prime Minister Zhang asked me to send his regards."

"The Prime Minister is too kind," Batu said, lowering his head. Though he was a Barbarian, he disliked the custom of embracing. It made him feel like he hadn’t truly integrated into Daqi society, that others still treated him as a Barbarian.

A flash of anger crossed his eyes as he spoke slowly,

"Please reassure the Prime Minister, we will not be late for Your Majesty’s birthday."

"Of course!" Lord Ming nodded.

"I have great confidence in the way Prince Batu handles matters. I’ve actually come today to entrust you with another important task."

"What is it?" Batu looked up.

"If it is a request from the Prime Minister, I will go through fire and water to accomplish it."

"Haha..." Lord Ming laughed aloud.

"A small matter."

"I need to trouble the Southern Barbarians to poison someone for me."

"Poison someone?" Batu’s expression changed almost imperceptibly. He asked cautiously,

"Who is the target?"

"The roads weren’t very peaceful today, were they?" Lord Ming changed the subject.

"Did someone block your path?"

"Yes," Batu nodded.

"Lord Geng Wenyong blocked the road to remonstrate with Your Majesty. Unfortunately, his words were too sharp, and he has been thrown into the Celestial Prison."

"He’s the one we’re killing," Lord Ming’s face darkened.

"That Geng fellow knew disaster was upon him and that he couldn’t escape, so he spouted that mad slander against Your Majesty. This way, he could hide in the heavily guarded Celestial Prison."

"Hmph!"

Lord Ming snorted coldly.

"Does he think he’s safe just because he’s hiding in the Celestial Prison?"

"I’ve long heard that the Southern Barbarians are skilled with poisons, that even your common folk raise venomous creatures and have methods for cultivating Gu Insects. It shouldn’t be difficult to kill a defenseless scholar, right?"

"Lord Ming!" Batu’s face paled.

"Geng Wenyong is a Third-Grade Official of the Court..."

"Not anymore," Lord Ming’s voice was icy.

"Just a short while ago, Your Majesty issued a decree stripping him of his official rank. He is now a mere commoner. No one will care if he is killed."

?

’How could no one care?’

’Geng Wenyong is a famously upright official, a role model for countless scholars. Killing him would offend so many people.’

"My lord."

Batu said in a low voice,

"Since his rank has already been stripped, that Geng fellow is a nobody now. Does it really make a difference whether he’s killed or not?"

"Hmph!" Lord Ming snorted.

"That Geng fellow brought this upon himself; you don’t need to ask any more about it. He’s clever, though, hiding in the Celestial Prison while burnishing his reputation for protection."

"But if this man doesn’t die, others will follow his example. We must eliminate him, if only to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys."

"Prince Batu."

He turned his head to look at him and said slowly,

"We have our people in the Celestial Prison as well, but this matter has caused such a stir that being too obvious would be unwise. Therefore..."

"Do the Southern Barbarians have a rare poison that can kill without a trace? One that, even if examined by a famous physician, would be mistaken for a relapse of an old illness rather than murder?"

"..." Batu’s eyes flickered, and then he slowly nodded.

"We do!"

"Good," Lord Ming laughed.

"That makes things simple. The Court has already issued the decree stripping Geng Wenyong of his rank and demoting his entire family. We will kill Geng Wenyong first, then his family."

"We must let the whole world see what happens to those who defy His Majesty’s will!"

’Kill his family too?’

’They want to eradicate the root and branch?’

A chill ran through Batu’s heart, but he quickly recovered his senses. Poisoning one person could be explained away as death by illness, but poisoning an entire family was impossible to explain.

’So the matter of killing the entire Geng Family probably won’t fall on my shoulders.’

And indeed, it was so.

Lord Ming went on to ask him about the methods of poisoning and killing, never once mentioning the Geng Family.

Finally, he left, carrying a few ’local specialties’.

......

After seeing Lord Ming off, Batu’s expression shifted several times. After a long while, he sighed helplessly and strolled to the Yi Hall Villa, where the top master of the Southern Barbarians in the capital resided.

The National Preceptor’s second disciple, Yuee Xi.

"Elder Yuee."

Arriving before a door, he bowed and spoke.

"The item you requested has arrived."

"Oh!"

The door swung open on its own, without any wind. A clean-shaven man with a fair complexion walked out, a smile on his face.

"Batu, my thanks."

"You’re too kind, Elder." Batu clasped his hands and asked curiously,

"The Ashoka Fruit contains a potent poison. Are you sure you want to use it, Elder?"

"Poisons counteract each other. Since I have decided to use it, I naturally have a way to deal with it," Yuee Xi smiled.

"Prince Batu, rest assured."

"That’s good to hear," Batu breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’m sure you will succeed in your endeavor, Elder. And our Southern Country will gain another Dharma King."

"I’ll count on your auspicious words." Yuee Xi took the item. His expression was complex as he looked down, and after a long moment, his face grew solemn.

’Success or failure hangs on this single attempt!’

「Night.」

The Quiet Chamber was dim.

As a First-Grade Grandmaster, Yuee Xi could see in the dark as if it were day, but he still lit an oil lamp out of habit.

He sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion in the center of the room. In front of him was a stick of poisonous burning incense. The method for his breakthrough flashed through his mind.

’The Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill is a Secret Technique passed down by the National Preceptor. It refines the body with poison, hiding ten thousand poisons within. The more poison I consume, the higher my Cultivation becomes. This is how I managed to reach the First-Grade Peak before the age of fifty.’

’But if I cannot break through to become a Divine Treasure Martial Saint, then in another two or three years, I will die from the poison.’

’Heh...’

’From the moment I began this Cultivation, I have had no other choice.’

’Let’s begin!’

His hands lightly formed a Seal Technique. Yuee Xi’s eyes gradually dimmed, and the aura All Over his Body receded until he seemed like a dead man.

His heart stopped beating, his breathing was nearly nonexistent, and wisps of white smoke seeped out from his body.

The smoke formed a large cocoon, enveloping him completely.

This was the "Butterfly Transformation Skill," the Secret Technique within the Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill for Opening the Divine Treasure. It sealed the Nine Acupoints and six senses, leaving only a single thread of consciousness in the mind.

If he succeeded,

he would emerge from the cocoon as a butterfly, advancing to Martial Saint.

If he failed,

his body and soul would be obliterated.

"WHOOSH..."

A gentle breeze blew through the room, and a figure appeared silently.

"After waiting for so long, I’ve finally found a First-Grade Grandmaster attempting a breakthrough. An opportunity like this is truly rare."

"Butterfly Transformation Skill?"

Zhu Ju mused.

"The Divine Treasure opened by this technique should be the Essence Spirit. Only with endless Essence and a nourished Physical Body can one withstand such potent poisons."

"Huh?"

"A problem already?"

He saw the white smoke rippling. Inside, Yuee Xi’s face was contorted in a savage grimace, and the veins on his forehead bulged high. It was the appearance of one becoming a Fallen Demon.

"There’s a problem with the Cultivation Technique!"

Zhu Ju’s expression was grave.

"Could it be that the Southern Barbarians’ National Preceptor won’t tolerate a second Martial Saint?"

"Consider yourself lucky."

With such a rare opportunity before him, Zhu Ju certainly didn’t want the other man to fail halfway. He reached out his large hand and plunged it into the white smoke.