Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?
Chapter 170: A New World, the Mortal Heart Realm

"The one behind the Great Catastrophe—is it that sun?" Qi Yuan looked at the sun, deep in thought.

"Now in the Canglan Realm, there are two suns in the sky."

Old Man Wutian sat in his wheelchair, his eyes profound.

"Unfortunately, the second sun is too small. Otherwise, if the two fought, our Canglan Realm might have had a chance to break free from the Great Catastrophe."

Qi Yuan was speechless. He looked at Old Man Wutian and said, "You're the one that's small!"

He never liked being called small.

Old Man Wutian seemed not to hear Qi Yuan's words and muttered, "Born in the Canglan Realm, we are too constrained by the Great Catastrophe."

"If we could shatter that sun in the sky, wouldn’t the Great Catastrophe be over?" Qi Yuan asked seriously.

Old Man Wutian chuckled, "The Great Catastrophe itself is already invincible in this world. Even if the supreme beings of this realm joined forces, they wouldn't be its match.

Moreover... to kill that sun in the sky, one would need to at least reach the realm of a Yang God.

But without ascending to the higher realms, it's impossible to break through to the Yang God stage.

And once we ascend to the higher realms, we people of the Canglan Realm become meat on their plate."

Generally speaking, cultivators at the Yin God stage have the opportunity to ascend to the higher realms.

The rules of heaven and earth are more complete in the higher realms, and the world's essence is more abundant.

To advance to the Yang God stage, one must be in the higher realms.

It's impossible to reach the Yang God stage in the lower realms.

"I’ve sat here for endless years and finally found a way out," Old Man Wutian said as his wheelchair rolled over to a jade slip, which he picked up.

"What way out?"

"We become the fodder of the Great Catastrophe, marked by that sun in the sky, all because our cultivation techniques... have flaws," Old Man Wutian said solemnly.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was surprised.

He had known for a long time that there were problems with the cultivation methods.

But this was the first time he heard it from a native of the Canglan Realm.

The Yin Gods he had encountered before had never mentioned this, and Qi Yuan had also discovered that the techniques they practiced had the same flaws.

Hearing it from a Purple Mansion cultivator was indeed interesting.

"If we create a new method and use it to cultivate to the Yin God stage, then ascend to the higher realms, we could... avoid the Great Catastrophe," Old Man Wutian said, his voice hoarse. "But creating a new method is incredibly difficult."

Qi Yuan suddenly had an idea. "If we use techniques left behind in the Canglan Realm from the higher realms, wouldn’t there be no problem cultivating them?"

"Not so," Old Man Wutian replied. "According to ancient records, the supreme being who once arose in the Canglan Realm obtained a cultivation method from a Yang God in a dream and cultivated all the way to the realm of a great sovereign.

But even then... he still became fodder for that sun.

The Great Catastrophe even affects the will of heaven in the Canglan Realm, so even techniques from the higher realms, when cultivated here, inadvertently make one fodder."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan was shocked.

This Great Catastrophe sounded truly unsolvable.

Fortunately, though his Qi Yuan Sutra had some minor issues, it wouldn't turn him into fodder.

"Unfortunately, despite all my years of struggle, I still haven't created a new method that can truly escape the Great Catastrophe," Old Man Wutian sighed deeply, his voice filled with endless sorrow.

The purpose of creating the Ascending Sky Pavilion was to create a new method to avoid the Great Catastrophe.

Qi Yuan, however, said, "Even if you create a new method, at most only a few cultivators can avoid the Great Catastrophe.

If this new method spreads and the Great Catastrophe and that sun replace out, wouldn’t the Canglan Realm still... be doomed? So I believe that the Great Catastrophe cannot be avoided. Escaping it won't solve the problem.

We must face it head-on, take the initiative, and resolve the Great Catastrophe!"

Qi Yuan spoke passionately.

With his increased strength and after sweeping through a series of Yuandan and Nascent Soul cultivators in the Eastern Lands, he had become somewhat overconfident.

He felt like someone who could command the world, and no one would dare disobey.

Old Man Wutian looked at Qi Yuan and pointed in a direction.

"The Great Catastrophe should be in that direction. After traveling for three months, you'll reach it. Are you sure you want to go and see the Great Catastrophe, Lord Wangyue?"

Qi Yuan immediately looked in that direction.

Suddenly, his right eyebrow began twitching wildly.

They say when your left eye twitches, it's good luck; when your right eye twitches, it's bad luck.

If it was just a minor twitch, it might still mean luck.

But this was too intense!

Qi Yuan couldn’t deceive himself.

"Forget it, I’ll let the Great Catastrophe go for now," Qi Yuan decided. He wouldn't mess with the Great Catastrophe until he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage.

"Is it okay if I copy all your techniques here?" Qi Yuan asked.

If he could copy all the techniques in the Ascending Sky Pavilion, he could return to the Seven-Colored Peak and play games in peace.

The game icon was almost loaded; it only needed a few more days of preparation before he could enter.

Qi Yuan planned to memorize all the techniques now so that he could continue refining the Qi Yuan Sutra in his spare time while in the game.

Otherwise, if he didn’t get enough techniques to advance the Qi Yuan Sutra before entering the game, his power would increase, but without enough techniques, his progress in the real world would be slow.

"Feel free, Lord Wangyue," Old Man Wutian said as he pushed his wheelchair away.

Qi Yuan then immersed himself in the Ascending Sky Pavilion, collecting all the techniques.

...

Seven days later.

On a spiritual boat, Kang Fulu was beaming with pride. "In the Eastern Lands Genius Battle, I, your senior brother, fought valiantly against many and upheld the prestige of our Five-Colored Saint Law!

Even when faced with several geniuses from major sects, I didn’t flinch and defeated them honorably.

Now, I’m ranked 498th on the Eastern Lands Genius List.

It’s a pity you didn’t participate in the Eastern Lands Genius Battle, or you would’ve seen your senior brother's heroic performance."

Qi Yuan looked at the few strands of gray hair on Kang Fulu’s head, knowing that he must have worked hard to achieve this in the Eastern Lands Genius Battle.

After leaving the Ascending Sky Pavilion, Qi Yuan briefly gave instructions to the Blood-Robed Alliance, announced his seclusion, and then reverted to his original identity, taking Qi Jianjun back to the Shining Light Sect.

On the way back, he happened to meet Kang Fulu and decided to travel with him.

"Unfortunately, I couldn’t break into the top 100 of the Eastern Lands Genius List, so I couldn’t bring back the treasure the sect master needed.

I’ve been secretly investigating who took that treasure, but I haven’t found any clues," Kang Fulu said, disappointed.

Qi Yuan smiled at this.

If Kang Fulu had found out, that would’ve been a problem.

"Sigh, you kid, disappearing for a while, and now you have such a big daughter?" Kang Fulu said, looking curiously at Qi Jianjun, who was playing chess with another little girl on the spiritual boat. Hearing Kang Fulu's voice, she turned her head and glanced over.

"The past is gone," Qi Yuan replied, not bothering to explain.

As they neared the mountain gate, Qi Yuan said to Kang Fulu, "Senior Brother, I won’t be accompanying you to see the sect master. I need to return to the mountain peak."

He beckoned, and Qi Jianjun ran over.

Kang Fulu nodded. "I understand, I understand."

He patted Qi Yuan on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Junior Brother, don't be too hard on yourself. There’s a difference between people. Give it some time, and you’ll surely make it onto the Eastern Lands Genius List."

Kang Fulu was very excited.

Making it onto the Eastern Lands Genius List was already an extraordinary achievement.

When he returned to the sect, he would definitely surprise the master and the sect master, wouldn’t he? After all, the Shang Kingdom, such a poor place, finally produced a true dragon like him.

...

At the Seven-Colored Peak.

Qi Jianjun held Qi Yuan's hand, her eyes full of curiosity. "Is this Daddy's home?"

"Mm." Returning to the Seven-Colored Peak, Qi Yuan felt a sense of peace.

Stirring up trouble outside was indeed exhilarating, but home was the true harbor of the heart.

"The environment here is quite beautiful, perfect for seclusion," Qi Jianjun remarked.

Qi Yuan gave his daughter a sideways glance, thinking she was saying this place was remote.

Qi Yuan and Qi Jianjun landed in front of the brick house.

He glanced at the wooden hut next door, looking puzzled. "Where’s Junior Sister?"

Suddenly, his expression changed.

He felt a strong icy aura emanating from his junior sister’s wooden hut.

He walked inside, and immediately several talismans ignited, forming a formation to block Qi Yuan.

His junior sister often used talismans to guard her surroundings during cultivation.

The power these talismans emitted was close to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

In the Shang Kingdom, these talismans were considered top-tier protective talismans.

Qi Yuan's gaze swept over, and the top-tier talismans shattered instantly.

He turned around and immediately saw Jiang Lingsu lying on the bed, dressed in a thin robe.

She was covered with a layer of gauze, exposing her lotus-white arms and a faint layer of frost on her snow-white neck.

She frowned, seemingly enduring some pain.

"Junior Sister?" Qi Yuan's heart tightened.

He had always known that his junior sister had a physical problem that required a water-attribute heavenly spirit root Purple Mansion cultivator to resolve.

Unfortunately, even after establishing the Blood-Robed Alliance and practically dominating the Eastern Lands, he still hadn’t found a Purple Mansion cultivator with a water-attribute heavenly spirit root.

He reached out and grabbed Jiang Lingsu's arm.

A scorching warmth swept through her body.

Qi Yuan practiced the Five Elements Qi Refinement, which, while it couldn’t eliminate the root of Jiang Lingsu’s illness, could alleviate her pain.

As the heat wave swept through the wooden hut, the frost on Jiang Lingsu's body melted, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

She weakly opened her eyes, a hint of frailty in them. "Senior Brother..."

She seemed to be thanking Qi Yuan.

"Don't speak," Qi Yuan said, continuing to transmit his spiritual energy, using this simple method to help Jiang Lingsu dispel the cold within her.

Jiang Lingsu opened her eyes, her slender arm trying to move, reaching for something.

"Don’t move," Qi Yuan said, grabbing Jiang Lingsu's arm to stop her from moving.

His junior sister, this wealthy lady, had helped him so much, and he felt he should take good care of her to repay her kindness.

"If you need anything, just tell your senior brother, and he’ll help you," Qi Yuan said, full of responsibility.

A blush spread across Jiang Lingsu's pale face. She turned her head, unwilling to look at Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was puzzled.

What was wrong with his junior sister? "Daddy, I think this big sister wants you to help her adjust her clothes," Qi Jianjun teased from the side.

Lying on the bed, Jiang Lingsu’s skin was faintly visible beneath the pink gauze. Even lying down, her delicate figure was apparent, and at this moment, one of her curves was half exposed, the white skin dazzling.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan gently blew, and Jiang Lingsu's robe shifted up, covering her.

Jiang Lingsu felt Qi Yuan's warm breath, and her blush deepened.

Who helps adjust clothes like this? But Qi Yuan was quite proud of himself, thinking he was being considerate.

As they say, men and women should maintain proper distance. He didn’t use his hands to avoid touching anything inappropriate and instead chose to blow gently.

"Junior Sister, no need to thank me." Seeing Jiang Lingsu’s complexion improving, Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, Jiang Lingsu seemed to have recovered significantly. She covered her chest with her hands, still showing a weak expression like a sick beauty. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

"Your condition is worsening," Qi Yuan said, looking at her.

When he dispelled the cold from her body earlier, he realized that the cold had been accumulating for half a month.

It was clear that his junior sister, Jiang Lingsu, had been enduring the pain for half a month.

She had been lying in bed alone for half a month, suffering in silence.

This made Qi Yuan feel that even wealthy people have their own difficulties.

"It’s fine, I’m used to it," Jiang Lingsu seemed to take it lightly, her expression relaxed. "Senior Brother, how did you fare in the Eastern Lands Genius List?"

"I didn’t disappoint you; I made it onto the Eastern Lands Genius List."

"Really?" Jiang Lingsu’s face lit up with joy. "Senior Brother, you truly are amazing!"

Making it onto the Eastern Lands Genius List meant truly stepping onto the stage of the Eastern Lands.

Now, if Senior Brother went to her Jiang family, he would be treated with respect by such a prestigious family.

Before, if Senior Brother had gone to her family with a letter of introduction, he probably wouldn’t even have been able to get through the door.

"Have there been any major events recently in the Shining Light Sect or the Shang Kingdom?" Qi Yuan asked.

"If there have been major events, there are two." Jiang Lingsu looked at Qi Yuan with a strange expression. "Two Purple Mansion cultivators from the Blood-Robed Alliance came to our Shining Light Sect and killed an elder of the Red Sword Sect."

At first, Jiang Lingsu always thought the Blood-Robed Sword God was just a smaller version of her Senior Brother.

But later, she realized the Blood-Robed Sword God was simply too powerful.

There was no way the two could be the same person.

Now, the Blood-Robed Sword God had established the Blood-Robed Alliance and sent people to the Shining Light Sect. When her Senior Brother sent word that two subordinates would be coming, she couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild.

But thinking about how her Senior Brother had spoken to her just now, friendly and without the overwhelming aura of a great demon, and how he reacted normally even when she threw a little tantrum, she felt she must be overthinking it.

However, there must be some deep connection between her Senior Brother and the Blood-Robed Sword God.

Could it be that the Blood-Robed Sword God was her master?

Only that would make more sense.

Of course, she still harbored a slight suspicion that her Senior Brother was the Blood-Robed Sword God.

"And what’s the other major event?" Qi Yuan asked.

He was already aware of the Blood-Robed Alliance's activities.

"The Demon Desire Sect had an internal conflict. The Shen family suddenly launched an attack and suppressed the Ji family, slaughtering all its members.

Now, the Demon Desire Sect is ruled by the Shen family," Jiang Lingsu said seriously.

Qi Yuan was a bit surprised.

He had been planning to deal with the Ji family of the Demon Desire Sect upon his return.

But now, he didn’t need to deal with them; the enemies within the Demon Desire Sect were already gone?

Life is truly unpredictable.

"Senior Brother, who is this..." Jiang Lingsu finally took a serious look at Qi Jianjun, her eyes full of curiosity.

Earlier, she had vaguely heard the little girl call Senior Brother "Daddy."

"This is my daughter, Qi Jianjun."

"Daughter?" Jiang Lingsu's eyes widened. "Senior Brother, if I remember correctly, you’re not even twenty years old. How do you have such a big daughter?"

"I have a game, and she’s my daughter in the game," Qi Yuan explained.

Jiang Lingsu was confused.

She remembered that in her family, some people played game jade slips and adopted brothers, sisters, even fathers and daughters.

But those were just... games.

Such a young Qi Jianjun... What’s going on here?

"Alright, Junior Sister, now that you're awake, I’m going back. I need to continue playing my game.

I haven’t played in a long time, and I’m eager to get back to it," Qi Yuan said, hurrying off.

The room was left with a bewildered Jiang Lingsu.

"Could it be that the little girl is an orphan adopted by Senior Brother? So pitiful," Jiang Lingsu’s maternal instincts were stirred.

She stood up, her body stiff from lying down too long.

However, as a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the discomfort quickly vanished.

Suddenly, she thought of something, her expression turning curious.

"Where are the talismans I placed at the door?"

Every time she went into seclusion to cultivate, she would place talismans around to protect her safety.

Now, the talismans were gone.

"How did Senior Brother avoid my talismans?" Jiang Lingsu wondered, her expression puzzled.

...

In the Mortal Heart Realm.

In the village of Qingshui.

Villagers, their faces pale and gaunt, walked back with heavy injuries on their faces.

The village chief, Yuli, was a small old man with a hunched back, his pants rolled up to his knees, exposing legs as thin as matchsticks.

"We lost the village battle. Such a disgrace!"

A fat man cried bitterly, looking particularly sad.

"Shijia Village has no martial virtue; they worship a new god!" a scholarly-looking man said disdainfully, expressing his contempt for Shijia Village's new god.

At the mention of the new god, everyone present looked uneasy.

For these villages to have favorable weather and good harvests, they had to worship a god.

Qingshui Village had been worshiping the Dogtail Grass God, who hadn’t shown any response for decades.

According to the god official Shentu, the Dogtail Grass God had probably starved to death.

It sounded ridiculous, but it was understandable.

After all, Qingshui Village had always been dirt poor, with nothing to offer the Dogtail Grass God.

"Without the blessings of a god, we can’t possibly defeat Shijia Village!" a man said.

Qingshui Village was overall stronger than Shijia Village.

But Shijia Village had a new god who could bless their villagers, making Shijia Village much stronger than Qingshui Village.

In this fight over water resources, Qingshui Village suffered heavy losses.

"Even if the Dogtail Grass God blesses us, we still can’t beat Shijia Village. Their new god is too powerful!"

At the mention of the new god, everyone in the village felt a deep sense of dread.

"How about we also worship a new god?" a villager tentatively suggested.

"No!" The usually silent village chief, Yuli, spoke up. "No matter what, Qingshui Village must not worship a new god, absolutely not!"

The crowd fell silent.

They all knew why the village chief was so adamant.

The difference between the new gods and the old gods was that the new gods required human sacrifices!

Shijia Village’s new god demanded the sacrifice of a child every month.

This was something the people of Qingshui Village could never accept.

"Moreover, we are the remnants of an ancient clan. How could we possibly worship a new god?" Yuli said.

At the mention of the ancient clan, pride filled the eyes of the villagers.

The ancient clan was the most unyielding.

Once, when the heavens were blind, the great gods of the ancient clan dared to challenge the heavens.

Now, with the new gods causing chaos, how could they bow to these new gods and survive by groveling? "Our ancient clan dares to challenge the gods. Even if we decline, we mustn’t bend our spines!"

"Dare to fight the heavens, dare to challenge injustice in the world—our ancient clan will not be humiliated!"

"Ugh, I’m so hungry. Goudan, give me a steamed bun!"

"Your ancient clan bloodline is so pure, and you have the nerve to ask me for a steamed bun?"