Cultivation: I Can Traverse Otherworlds

The Celestial Intent Sect had sensed something amiss during their operation to assist the Eastern Palace and withdrew in time, so their losses were not significant.

However, many of their members’ identities were exposed as a result.

Most of the Celestial Intent Sect disciples hidden in the Divine Capital had to be evacuated, and the forces remaining behind were thrown into disarray.

"Saintess!"

"Saintess!"

Li Ningzhen always appeared in public wearing a thin veil, so very few had ever seen her true face. Even fewer knew that she and Li Ningxue were identical twins.

So, when her twin sister, Li Ningxue, took her place, the disguise was perfect.

At their stronghold.

When the Celestial Intent Sect disciples saw the ’Saintess’ approaching, they all stopped what they were doing and bowed in salute.

"Mm."

Li Ningxue’s voice was ice-cold.

"Has Elder Zuo returned?"

"He has," an old woman replied, cupping her hands.

"Elder Zuo was injured while fighting an expert from the Imperial Court. He instructed us not to disturb him."

"Understood," Li Ningxue said with a nod.

"Bring me the roster of disciples who are to remain hidden in the Divine Capital. I need to know who is still available to me."

"A general ignorant of her troops is a fatal flaw."

The old woman looked up, a fleeting, almost unnoticeable look of surprise crossing her face before she nodded. "Yes."

"This old servant will fetch it at once."

The Saintess held a revered position in the Celestial Intent Sect, one that was even higher than some Martial Saints who had Opened their Divine Treasure. The disciples stationed in the Divine Capital were naturally at her command.

It was just that the ’real’ Li Ningzhen had never taken the initiative to ask about such matters before. Today’s behavior was completely out of character.

A short while later.

A wooden box was presented to her.

Li Ningxue used the Saintess’s token to open the box. Inside were several thin booklets.

The booklets detailed the Celestial Intent Sect’s hidden agents planted in the Divine Capital, as well as compromising information on certain individuals.

This information could be invaluable at a critical moment.

’The Ninth Prince was born an imbecile, Imperial Consort Shu is having an affair, Prince Kang has two illegitimate children on the side...’

Li Ningxue flipped through the booklets, her beautiful eyes darting back and forth under her veil, her thoughts unreadable.

"Saintess!"

A gruff shout interrupted her thoughts.

"I have not failed you. I have slain the Stove Tower Master. Here is his head."

A powerfully built man with a long saber on his back knelt on one knee, holding a severed head in his right hand, its eyes wide open in death.

"The man dared to plot against you, Saintess. He deserved to die!"

"You have done well, Brother Lu." Li Ningxue nodded, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before she spoke slowly.

"The Wind and Fire Kitchen God was quite formidable, to actually be able to wound the renowned Sword Venerable."

The Sword Venerable, Lu Shouli.

He was a First-Grade Grandmaster on the verge of Opening his Divine Treasure and one of the top experts the Celestial Intent Sect had stationed in the Divine Capital.

This man was fiercely loyal to the Saintess, ’Li Ningzhen’.

"Hm?"

Lu Shouli looked up at the sound of her voice, his brow furrowed.

"Saintess..."

SWOOSH!

He shot to his feet, and the force of his movement stirred a gust of wind that whipped the veil from Li Ningxue’s face, revealing her features.

"You’re not the Saintess!"

"It’s you!"

"Li Ningxue! You’re just a handmaiden! How dare you impersonate the Saintess? This is blatant insubordination! Do you have a death wish?"

Lu Shouli roared and lunged forward.

SWISH!

With a flick of her wrist, two short swords shot out from Li Ningxue’s sleeves. One blocked the incoming longsword while the other thrust forward with an uncanny trajectory.

CLINK!

The charging figure retreated even faster than he had advanced.

"The Yin Yang Unpredictable Sword!"

Lu Shouli’s eyes widened in fury.

"Li Ningxue, you dare to secretly learn a Sword Technique that only the Saintess is permitted to practice?"

"Hmph!" Li Ningxue snorted coldly.

"I *am* the Saintess."

Even if she wasn’t the Saintess, she was Li Ningzhen’s stand-in. She knew everything the Saintess knew.

It was just that in the past, her lack of talent and resources meant her Cultivation and strength were far inferior to Li Ningzhen’s.

But things were different now.

Thanks to the resources and guidance from Zhu Ju, while her strength might still be slightly less than her sister Li Ningzhen’s, her outward abilities were now nearly identical.

"Insolence!"

Lu Shouli growled.

"You’re hopelessly stubborn."

"Li Ningxue is impersonating the Saintess and usurping her position—a crime punishable by death! What are you all waiting for? Take her down!"

He shouted to the other men in the room. They exchanged glances, then drew their longswords and charged.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Lu Shouli staggered backward, his face a mask of astonishment as he stared at the men now attacking him.

"What are you doing?"

"That’s Li Ningxue! She’s impersonating the Saintess! Are you all going to join her in this rebellion?"

"Hee hee..." Li Ningxue giggled, her beautiful eyes dancing.

"I told you, I *am* the Saintess."

"Lu Shouli, you are the one committing insubordination, daring to assassinate the Saintess. Now, drop your sword and accept your death!"

"Strike!"

At her low command, the men in the room charged as one.

Li Ningxue joined the fray, her Body Technique ethereal and unpredictable. Her twin swords moved with an uncanny, unfathomable grace.

In just a few moments.

Lu Shouli, already grievously wounded, collapsed to the ground with a look of bitter indignation.

"Drag him away."

Li Ningxue sheathed her swords and flicked her sleeve.

"Clean this up."

"Yes."

Two of the men immediately answered and began skillfully disposing of the body and washing the floor, leaving not a single trace behind.

CLAP!

CLAP! CLAP!

Just then, the sound of applause echoed through the room.

An invisible pressure descended upon them, and the faces of the men in the room paled. Li Ningxue, who had just sat down, shot back to her feet.

A Martial Saint!

"Impressive."

A light, airy voice drifted over.

"What a handmaiden. To usurp your superior and seize the position of Saintess, and to have secretly won over so many people to your side. The crucial part is, it seems you’ve actually succeeded."

"Li Ningxue..."

"I have truly underestimated you!"

Zuo Hu!

The Divine Treasure Martial Saint of the Celestial Intent Sect, the ’Sky-Holding’ Venerable Zuo Hu. He had appeared in a corner of the room at some unknown point.

No one had noticed his arrival!

"Elder."

Li Ningxue’s beautiful eyes flickered as she said in a low voice,

"The world calls the Celestial Intent Sect the Demon Sect precisely because we don’t abide by their rules. For the positions of Saintess and Saint Heir, the weak should step down and the strong should rise."

"Ningzhen is not my equal. Why shouldn’t I be the Saintess?"

’He saw everything that just happened but didn’t intervene,’ she thought. ’This means there’s a chance.’

"Haha..." Zuo Hu laughed heartily.

"What a sharp-tongued girl."

"You and Li Ningzhen were born of the same womb, but your talent is inferior to hers. A Saintess who cannot become a Martial Saint has no hope of becoming the Sect Leader."

"That was before." Li Ningxue spun around in place, revealing the aura of a First-Grade Grandmaster.

"Elder, am I qualified now?"

Zuo Hu fell silent, his expression thoughtful. After a long moment, he finally spoke.

"Where is Li Ningzhen?"

"I don’t know." Li Ningxue shrugged.

"My sister has always had a mind of her own. She threw her things at me and then disappeared. To be honest, I only took on this role because I had no other choice."

"Hmph!" Zuo Hu snorted coldly.

"Useless girl!"

"In that case, you are indeed a suitable replacement. But... what’s in it for me?"

Li Ningxue’s beautiful eyes lit up.

Clearly.

Zuo Hu didn’t care who was Saintess. As long as it served his interests, it made no difference whether it was Li Ningxue or Li Ningzhen.

In fact.

The ambitious Li Ningxue might even be a better fit.

Of course.

If Zuo Hu had truly disagreed, Li Ningxue had other options. At worst, she could have asked for help from the one at Baiyun Temple.

But if another Divine Treasure Martial Saint were to meet a sudden end, the Celestial Intent Sect would surely realize something was amiss with her.

*

*

*

「Southern Barbarian Hall.」

Shamu knocked on a door.

"Enter!"

CREAK...

The door swung open with a piercing groan.

An incredibly foul stench washed over him, and Shamu instinctively covered his nose and mouth, his brow furrowed.

His eyes fell on the source of the stench—a figure seated cross-legged on a cushion—and a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Prince Batu?"

"Elder."

Batu looked up. A layer of black Qi seemed to swirl around him, and his eyes were as dark and deep as pitch.

"It is I."

Batu grinned and spoke slowly.

"I am in the middle of cultivating a Secret Technique, which has caused some... side effects. But it’s nothing to worry about."

As he slowly rose to his feet, the black Qi swirling around him visibly receded back into his body and vanished.

A vast aura emerged in its place.

First Grade!

A First-Grade Grandmaster!

Shamu’s expression grew grave.

He sensed an aura on Batu similar to that of the Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill, but it was far more vicious and brutal.

In fact.

It seemed to faintly suppress his own Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill.

As Batu slowly approached, Shamu felt his own aura grow unstable. The Ten Thousand Poisons within him stirred restlessly, and a look of horror appeared on his face.

’What is this Method?’

"My father, the king, was right."

Batu raised his hand, his expression complicated as he gazed at the dense, bizarre patterns covering his wrist.

"A Barbarian is a Barbarian. We are different from the Qii People."

"However, someone must pay the price for my mother’s death. The title of Barbarian King should have been mine from the start."

?

Shamu raised an eyebrow, his face showing disdain.

"Prince Batu, the position of Barbarian King belongs to the greatest Prince of the Southern Barbarians, and you are not fit for it."

"No Prince would ever learn the cowardice of the Qii People."

"Heh..." Batu tilted his head.

"Weren’t you, Elder, given the cold shoulder when you were sent to the Divine Capital, just as I am now?"

"Enough." Shamu waved his hand impatiently.

"Why did you call me here? If it was just to speak nonsense, then you needn’t have bothered."

"Such an impatient man, Elder." Batu chuckled and spoke slowly,

"The previous occupant of this room was Elder Yuee Xi."

"Oh?" Shamu raised an eyebrow.

"Brother Yuee?"

"Yes," Batu nodded.

"Elder Yuee was one of the Qii People. Although he became a disciple of the National Preceptor, he was never favored. A waste of his talent, truly."

Shaking his head, he continued,

"Elder Yuee once tried to break through to the Divine Treasure Martial Saint realm in this very room. Alas, he failed, and his life and cultivation were extinguished."

"That’s normal," Shamu said, his expression unchanged.

"Using the Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill to open the Divine Treasure is a path of certain death. Without immense willpower and determination, one cannot achieve greatness."

"Heh..." Batu narrowed his eyes.

"Is that what you truly believe, Elder?"

"What do you mean?" Shamu frowned.

"Is it possible," Batu said, "that the Ten Thousand Poisons True Skill you cultivate is flawed, making it fundamentally impossible to open the Divine Treasure?"

"Or..."

"Even if you do open the Divine Treasure, it will awaken the dormant Gu Insect within you, turning you into a living Flying Moth Gu?"

WHOOSH!

The color drained from Shamu’s face.

"The Flying Moth Gu..."

"What exactly do you know?"

"It’s simple." Batu made a grasping motion with his hand.

"I can help you advance to the Martial Saint realm, Elder. But... you must help me become the next Barbarian King."

......

「The Imperial Palace.」

The Heir of Marquis Jinghai, Wang Yutang, stood amidst a crowd, his face ashen as he watched the young general in white walking shoulder-to-shoulder with the Seventh Princess, Qii Wanyan.

"That’s Liu Shao!"

"He was generously rewarded by His Majesty for his meritorious service in protecting the emperor."

"He Opened his Divine Treasure and became a Martial Saint at such a young age, and he even wields the Exotic Treasure, the Greed Wolf Divine Spear. His strength is already on par with a Vajra Martial Saint. If he advances to the Vajra Realm one day, won’t he become one of the world’s greatest masters, just like his ancestor?"

"He and the Seventh Princess look like a match made in heaven."

The ceaseless whispers in his ear made Wang Yutang’s expression grow darker and darker, his hands slowly clenching into fists.

’A Martial Saint?’

’The Greed Wolf Divine Spear!’

’I can do that too!’

’The Wang Family has a Divine Artifact like that too!’

"Did you hear? The Seventh Princess just had an audience with His Majesty. As a reward for her part in protecting him, she was granted the choice to enter a Daoist Temple as a Female Crown or a Buddhist monastery as a Nun, freeing her from any marriage obligations."

’Hm?’

Wang Yutang whipped his head around, looking toward the source of the voice.

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