Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

“He seems to be in Yunxue City. It might be worth visiting him,” the Master of the Learning Academy said with a sigh.

In the process of compiling Outline of Universal History, he had encountered countless people—ordinary mortals as well as extraordinary heroes.

He sang the praises of the common folk and recorded the exploits of heroes.

In his eyes, anyone who dared to draw their blade against the Dark-eye God in the Quijin Realm was a true hero.

Behind him stood a young girl, her eyes filled with anticipation.

<hr>

Three thousand miles away, Qi Huang floated high in the sky.

His entire form was covered in white fur, his curved horns shaped like a bow. His aura exuded otherworldly power.

Beside him stood the towering figure of the Dark-eye God, whose cold demeanor betrayed a hint of discontent as he gazed into the distance where his own corpse was displayed—a grim spectacle of warning.

“Heh, Dark-eye, you’re truly pathetic. A mere human not only killed you but set your corpse up as a trophy to mock us!” sneered the Two-headed Serpent God, his eyes filled with scorn.

The other gods present were silent but uneasy.

Many of them were on par with the Dark-eye God in strength. If the white-haired human could kill Dark-eye so easily, it meant he could kill them too.

“If not for Qi Huang reviving you, you’d still be stuck standing there in Yunxue City, serving as a famous… tourist attraction,” the Two-headed Serpent God taunted.

But when Qi Huang’s name was mentioned, the serpent’s tone shifted, filled with reverence and awe.

Unlike the rest of them, Qi Huang was a second-generation god, hailing from Black Heaven and Black Earth.

“For Dark-eye to be slain by a mere human is a stain on the honor of all gods.

I will go personally and kill this human. You all wait here—I’ll return shortly,” declared the Two-headed Serpent God.

He was eager to prove himself in front of Qi Huang and showcase his strength.

Indeed, his power was formidable, ranking among the top ten in the Quijin Realm and firmly within the ranks of Great Venerables.

Dark-eye dared not respond, knowing the serpent’s strength vastly exceeded his own.

“With the Serpent God going, this will be an easy victory,” one god said.

“Anyone who causes trouble in the Quijin Realm is simply courting death,” another added.

The other gods spoke in flattery, while the serpent basked in their praises. He glanced toward Qi Huang, awaiting his approval to depart and destroy the white-haired human in Yunxue City.

But Qi Huang smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in his expression.

“How interesting… so this is a Destined One, blessed by the will of fate,” Qi Huang remarked cryptically.

The surrounding gods exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of what he meant.

Qi Huang continued casually, “If I were to let you go, your fate would mirror Dark-eye’s.

Afterward, your rival Kai Chi would likely try to seize the opportunity for glory, only to follow you in death.”

His tone was relaxed, almost playful, as he revealed his insights.

Destined Ones were beings favored by the will of the universe.

Although the Quijin Realm was under the control of the gods, it still existed within the greater Divine Wood Universe, whose will naturally protected its Destined Ones.

This protection meant that those who opposed them would inexplicably encounter misfortune or act irrationally.

The Two-headed Serpent God’s expression froze. Despite his confidence, Qi Huang’s words sent a chill through him.

“Even if he managed to kill Dark-eye, he’s not a Great Venerable. I could easily crush him,” the serpent protested.

Qi Huang chuckled. “Who told you he wasn’t a Great Venerable?”

“What? Are you saying he is?” The other gods’ expressions grew solemn.

If the human was a Great Venerable, then the serpent might genuinely face trouble.

“He’s not just a Great Venerable—he’s no ordinary one,” Qi Huang said, his eyes glinting with greed. “He’s a… withered Myth.”

“A Myth?”

The gods gasped in shock.

A Myth was not something that could be compared to an ordinary Yin God.

A single Myth was capable of obliterating all ninety-nine gods of the Quijin Realm.

Some gods even began considering retreat.

<hr>

“Three thousand years ago, one of my uncles sought to ascend to the Yang God realm,” Qi Huang began, clearly enjoying the attention of his audience.

“He encountered this man outside the bounds of this world, and the two fought.

“Of course, my uncle was victorious. He returned to meditate for a thousand years and successfully ascended to the Yang God realm.”

The gods listened with awe.

Qi Huang’s uncles were the stuff of legend.

Some whispered that one of his uncles had reached the Second Layer of Yang God, perhaps even higher.

<hr>

Qi Huang smirked. “This human? He’s a Myth whose strength has withered. At best, he’s far stronger than a six-step Great Venerable but weaker than a true Myth.”

The serpent hesitated, sensing how close he’d come to rushing to his own death.

“Even so, if we were to subdue him, the cost would be catastrophic. It’s better to request reinforcements from Black Heaven and Black Earth. Only another Myth can guarantee his destruction,” the serpent said.

But Qi Huang merely laughed. “There’s no need to summon a Myth. Together, we are enough to kill him.”

"See, this man is the Destined One, blessed by the universe. If it weren't for my powerful uncle, maybe Quijin Realm would be in trouble today.

Destiny may affect you, but it can't affect me."

Qi Huang’s motives were clear.

As a six-step Great Venerable, he coveted the human’s powerful body.

The gods of Black Heaven and Black Earth cultivated through strange methods, and the body of a powerful being like this human could significantly accelerate their progress.

Qi Huang believed that if he killed the human and obtained his corpse, he could ascend to the seventh step of Great Venerable, saving himself tens of thousands of years of cultivation.

If he summoned a Myth to intervene, the body would no longer be his.

Thus, Qi Huang was determined to act personally.

<hr>

Kai Chi, another god, hesitated. “Even if we work together, won’t the price be too high?”

But Qi Huang waved off the concerns. “My uncles gave me plenty of Foul Essence. Death is no longer a concern. Even if we fall, we’ll be resurrected, just like Dark-eye.”

The gods visibly relaxed at these words.

Foul Essence was the key to Black Heaven and Black Earth’s power. Even fallen Yang Gods could be revived with sufficient Foul Essence.

“If that’s the case, we’ll fight without hesitation. Together, we can bring him down!”

“Even if he’s strong, we can always self-detonate to exhaust him!”

Qi Huang is very confident that even if the other party has a one in a billion chance of being blessed by destiny and break through to the realm of the ancestor god, he can still win.

The Ancestor God who has not been blessed by the Divine Wood can still be killed by self-destructing themselves.

“What if he escapes?” Kai Chi asked.

Qi Huang’s smile deepened. “I have a treasure that creates its own domain. Once he’s trapped inside, he’ll have nowhere to run.”

The gods felt reassured, bolstered by Qi Huang’s confidence.

With Foul Essence ensuring their survival and a self-contained domain to prevent the human’s escape, the gods were ready to face the withered Myth.

They would corner him and ensure his death, no matter the cost.

<hr>

"Finally, some peace and quiet for two days."

Qi Yuan stretched lazily.

His mortal transcendence progress had inched forward by a mere 1%.

These past days had been leisurely.

The rebel forces, seemingly having deduced from the words "mortal transcendence" that Qi Yuan was the one who killed the Dark-eye God, refrained from disturbing him.

As for Wulian, she still remained next door, not having left yet.

"Master, this is strange. Why hasn’t the Blood Tiger Gang come knocking these past two days?" Zhao Yan asked curiously, watching as Qi Yuan basked in the sun.

He had been on edge these past few days, afraid that the Blood Tiger Gang would come seeking trouble. He hadn’t even dared to step outside the courtyard.

Beside him, Hongmei beamed brightly. “Maybe it’s because of my senior brother.”

Her senior brother was also nearby, and she had mentioned to him the trouble with the Blood Tiger Gang. Knowing her senior brother’s temperament, it was possible he had dealt with them.

"Really?" Zhao Yan’s face lit up with gratitude, and his admiration for Hongmei deepened.

"Master... maybe we should move somewhere else?" Zhao Yan suggested tentatively.

He had already brought up joining the Learning Academy to his master more than once.

But his master was as stubborn as an old mule and refused to even consider it.

"If you want to move, you move," Qi Yuan replied, casting Zhao Yan a glance.

By now, he had fully immersed himself in his role as Qi Yuan during mortal transcendence.

Sure enough, after killing off everyone who interrupted his process, the pace of his transcendence had indeed sped up.

Hongmei didn’t say anything, nor did she try to persuade him further. After all, she couldn’t guarantee that Qi Yuan would be accepted into the Learning Academy.

After all, joining the Academy wasn’t easy—it required not only scholarly knowledge but also character and aptitude.

Zhao Yan sighed in resignation.

At that moment, a rhythmic knock came at the door.

Zhao Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

The Blood Tiger Gang?

Hongmei looked equally surprised.

Then, a gentle, scholarly voice spoke from outside.

“May this old man have the honor of meeting the master of this courtyard?”

The voice was refined and cultured, and Zhao Yan felt as though he were basking in the glow of a sea of books just by hearing it.

Hongmei’s body trembled, her expression turning to disbelief.

That voice… it was all too familiar.

He… was here?

<hr>

"No." Qi Yuan, reclining on his chair, flatly refused.

Meet who? Didn’t they see he was busy with his mortal transcendence?

Hongmei was stunned, then hurriedly interjected, “Master, the person outside… that’s the Master of the Learning Academy!”

Zhao Yan was equally shocked.

A figure of such prestige and renown as the Master of the Learning Academy had actually come to visit his master?

"Is this some special NPC?" Qi Yuan muttered, surprised. "Does he know a lot of things?"

"Nobody in the Quijin Realm knows more than him!" Hongmei replied with absolute confidence.

"Let him in," Qi Yuan said, changing his mind.

Besides beautiful white moonlight-like figures, Qi Yuan loved nothing more than NPCs who could explain things in detail.

To understand the world’s backstory and plotlines was to better bulldoze through the game.

Before Zhao Yan could move, Hongmei had already stepped forward and opened the courtyard gate.

<hr>

The sight of the hunchbacked old man filled Hongmei with awe.

He was small, standing only about 1.6 meters tall, with a hunched back and a frail appearance akin to that of a mortal elder.

His long, white hair and beard gave him a scholarly air. His robes, though faded and threadbare, were meticulously clean and orderly.

His very presence radiated an aura of learned elegance.

It really was the Master of the Learning Academy!

<hr>

Qi Yuan eyed the hunchbacked old man, noting the unique hidden information displayed by his eyes.

This wasn’t just any NPC.

No, this figure was far from ordinary.

In fact… he might not even be fully alive anymore.

<hr>

“Old sir, are you writing a book?” Qi Yuan asked directly.

His thoughts turned to Xianling Yingjun, who had mentioned helping an old man gather information.

Could it have been this person?

The Master of the Learning Academy nodded. “Does sir know of me?”

Hongmei was astonished.

Why was the Master addressing Qi Yuan as sir?

Usually, he referred to others as “lad” or “youth,” but sir was an exceptional term, rarely used.

Could it be that Qi Yuan had some extraordinary identity?

“Just bits and pieces. I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Qi Yuan said.

The Master smiled warmly. “Before sir asks, may this old man ask you a few questions first?”

“Go ahead,” Qi Yuan replied.

Hongmei immediately pricked up her ears, eager to listen in.

“Sir lives in this humble residence amidst the city’s common folk. What prompted you to slay the Dark-eye God?” the Master asked curiously.

Hongmei and Zhao Yan froze as though lightning had struck them.

The Dark-eye God was slain?

By Qi Yuan?!

<hr>

“Because… I’m undergoing mortal transcendence,” Qi Yuan replied casually. “I wanted to focus, but people kept interrupting me every day. It was incredibly frustrating, so I killed the most powerful figure in Yunxue City, the Dark-eye God, hoping I’d finally get some peace and quiet.”

Zhao Yan: “???”

Hongmei: “???”

To prevent interruptions, he had killed a god?

The Master was taken aback. He hadn’t expected such a straightforward answer.

“How intriguing. But, sir, have you considered this: the gods are endless. This is a war zone. Killing one god will only invite another. Peace and quiet will be hard to come by.”

“In that case, I’ll just kill all of them. That way, no one will disturb me,” Qi Yuan replied nonchalantly.

His plan was simple, brutal, and yet flawless.

<hr>

The Master hesitated, then remarked, “The gods are innumerable. Even if sir were to wipe out all the gods of the Quijin Realm, stronger gods may descend. Alone, sir might find it difficult to hold out forever.”

“Why would I need reinforcements? The advantage is clearly mine,” Qi Yuan replied, puzzled.

He didn’t fear strong opponents; he only worried they wouldn’t be strong enough.

The Master paused, intrigued by this line of reasoning.

“Sir is quite fascinating,” he said finally.

“Alright, you’ve asked your questions. Now it’s my turn,” Qi Yuan said.

The Master nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

“First question: What lies within the Divine Wood Abyss?”

The Master furrowed his brow. He hadn’t expected such a question.

“I’ve never ventured into the Divine Wood Abyss myself, but I’ve heard from some Destined Ones that it’s empty—there’s nothing inside,” he replied.

Qi Yuan pondered this for a moment, then asked his second question.

“What is Black Heaven, exactly? Are they very powerful?”

This was something Qi Yuan was deeply curious about.

The Master fell silent for a moment before responding.

“No one truly knows the origins of Black Heaven.

Once, the Divine Wood Universe mobilized its full strength to cooperate with a Void Traveler. This traveler sought answers from the great Void Realm Master about Black Heaven’s origins.

The Void Realm Master gave an answer, but the Void Traveler found himself unable to recall anything about Black Heaven afterward.

So, as it stands, no one knows. Even those who might know can’t remember unless they’ve reached the Void Sovereign’s level of power.”

Qi Yuan reflected on this.

Black Heaven… was indeed formidable.

<hr>

“Third question: Is Black Heaven and Black Earth truly so strong? Do they have Realm Lords?”

The Master hesitated briefly before answering.

“They possess Rule-level Realm Masters, but their exact numbers are unknown.

Black Heaven and Black Earth are terrifyingly strong. Their power inspires despair because… it’s endless.

As long as Black Heaven exists, no matter how many of their forces you kill, they can always resurrect.”

At this, the Master’s aged face turned bitter.

Enemies who resurrect after death, and who grow stronger each time—how could they be defeated?

Countless heroes of the Divine Wood Universe had perished, and none had ever truly eradicated a Black Earth Yang God.

“Resurrection after death?” Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up.

Wasn’t that essentially infinite experience points?

This wasn’t a fearsome foe—this was an exquisite and unmatched White Moonlight, perpetually reviving at a perfect farming spot!

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