My Golden Core is a Star, do you call this cultivating?

Seeing the expression on the Jade Maiden's face, some of the cultivators present were confused. The burly man quickly stepped forward and said, "Naturally, there's no need for Lady Jade Maiden to personally take action. We can take care of the Blood-Clad Sword God ourselves!"

He thought that asking the Jade Maiden to act had offended her. After all, she was high above, a mythic figure who illuminated the heavens. How could she lower herself to deal with a mere Blood-Clad Sword God?

"Personally take action?" The Jade Maiden sneered. "Why wouldn't I act personally? Of course, I must act personally!"

The burly man was delighted when he heard this. But in the next instant, a strong sense of danger swept over him, like needles stabbing into his back. He instinctively grew alert, but before he could gather his divine power, an overwhelming pressure crushed down on him.

The same pressure fell on the other great lords who had been clamoring alongside him.

"No!"

They could not understand why the Jade Maiden had turned against them, nor could they comprehend the reason. These great lords, being alternative myths, were far too weak compared to the true myth who illuminated the heavens.

In an instant, the eight great lords were reduced to dust, obliterated in a flash.

Coming from the Upper Realm, the Jade Maiden had achieved an extraordinary level of control over her power. Such an annihilation would not even provoke the interference of the Heavenly Dao, nor would it trigger entry into the Void Realm.

The atmosphere grew heavy as the remaining cultivators, now breathing rapidly, stared at the Jade Maiden with a mix of fear and caution. She clapped her hands and said, "He is the light of this world, the only one with the hope of freeing you all from the calamity. And you want me to kill him?"

She wasn't even speaking of the Blood-Clad Sword God's ability to resist the calamity. Just the fact that he could challenge the Ten Suns in the sky made him someone she couldn’t contend with.

That was someone powerful enough to challenge the Great Sun.

And if he truly was the one her master had once followed and admired, how could she possibly make a move against him?

The other cultivators witnessing this scene were left in shock.

"He can resist the calamity?"

"Isn't the calamity supposed to be unstoppable?"

"And what about the marks on us?"

The remaining cultivators were both excited and bewildered.

How could the Blood-Clad Sword God resist the calamity? After all, hadn't the Jade Maiden once said that not even the Yang Gods of the Upper Realm could withstand it?

So how was this possible?

If even a Yang God couldn’t do it, could the Blood-Clad Sword God really pull it off?

"Come, let us go pay our respects to the Blood-Clad Sword God!" A sharp gleam flickered in the Jade Maiden's eyes.

If the Blood-Clad Sword God truly was the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign, the entire situation in the Canglan Realm was about to change.

However, her expression clouded with melancholy for a moment. If the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign openly opposed the Great Sun, then while the calamity in the Canglan Realm might be averted, the entire realm’s living beings could still face annihilation.

At the same time, in the Upper Realm, on the sixth level of heaven.

Inside one of the branch palaces of the Taihuang Palace, Kun Xia Daoist was hurriedly packing his belongings and slipping away under the cover of night.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "Kun Xia Daoist, where are you headed so late at night?"

Kun Xia Daoist’s heart skipped a beat, but when he saw who it was, he let out a sigh of relief.

"Sigh, I’ve been in closed-door cultivation for too long. I’m feeling bored, so I thought I’d take a stroll and experience the mortal world a bit," Kun Xia Daoist said seriously, a faint look of weariness flashing in his eyes at just the right moment.

"Not surprising for this period’s rising star on the merits board. Kun Xia, you’ve really hit the jackpot, making the rest of us envious.

"Meanwhile, the place I’ve been watching over for years hasn’t yielded any good Destiny Seeds. Unlike your world, which not only produced a Yang God but now has a new powerhouse with the aura of the Great Dao.

"This is prime-grade nourishment. Once harvested, the rewards from above will be beyond compare!" The old man in green robes spoke, his eyes full of envy.

The world he watched over had plenty of rebels, but they were all small fry. There wasn’t a single one capable of gathering enough destiny and momentum to pose a real challenge.

Out of the 3,000 worlds, his realm ranked near the bottom.

That’s why he had come to ask his friend Kun Xia for advice.

"Cough, just luck," Kun Xia Daoist said awkwardly, but inside, he was anxious.

Not long ago, he had been quite pleased with himself, even ecstatic.

After all, the Dark Sun had been destroyed!

The Dark Sun held many corpses used as puppets for harvesting nourishment. In terms of combat power, the Dark Sun could suppress the entire Canglan Realm.

But now, with the Dark Sun destroyed, a figure named the Blood-Clad Sword God had appeared on his radar.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that any figure capable of such feats in the Canglan Realm must have been gathering destiny and the aura of the Great Dao.

In the 3,000 "pig farms," this was what you called a "prime pig."

He had casually leaked some information about the "prime pig," which brought him heaps of praise, and even earned him a commendation from above.

For a while, he had basked in the glory, living comfortably for a year or two, just waiting for the harvest.

"You call that luck? Anyway, I came to ask if I could visit your realm and learn from you.

"It’s been years without any real achievements, and I’m getting frustrated." The old man in green robes handed a storage pouch to Kun Xia Daoist as he spoke.

Kun Xia Daoist discreetly accepted the pouch, then replied, "The harvest is still a few hundred years away. There’s not much to learn at this stage.

"How about this: after the harvest, I’ll personally take you to see my realm."

Kun Xia Daoist certainly knew what he was talking about when it came to managing such things.

While a calamity couldn’t be openly acknowledged, you always had to leave behind some artifacts and leak information about the calamity, letting some people believe they could save the world.

Destiny, after all, could snowball.

"That sounds good. I’ll be counting on you, Kun Xia!" The old man bowed respectfully, then sighed. "When will the realm I oversee produce a prodigy like the one in yours?"

Hearing this, Kun Xia Daoist wanted to grimace but restrained himself. He said, "I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back in 300 years, and we’ll discuss the harvest then. Farewell!"

With that, Kun Xia Daoist transformed into a stream of light and disappeared.

As for "farewell"?

Farewell, my foot. It was more like never seeing him again!

The old man had to flee!

Sure, he was good at "raising pigs" and had helped harvest plenty of prime nourishment.

But being too good was a curse.

Especially after the "Ten Suns Rising in the Sky" incident...

Why did it feel so familiar?

Suddenly, he remembered that some time ago, one of his disciples had reported seeing ten suns in the Canglan Realm.

At the time, he had brushed it off as either an illusion or a rare celestial phenomenon.

He had been busy with a critical moment in alchemy and had planned to check it out in a few years.

Now, though, there was no need to look.

He had killed that disciple immediately, and after a soul search, he confirmed that only he knew about the ten suns appearing in the Canglan Realm.

Raising pigs was one thing, but raising a dragon that could devour its owner?

How could he not flee?

If Taihuang Palace found out that the hottest figure in the Upper Realm—the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign—originated from the Canglan Realm, how could he survive?

He packed his bags and ran!

"Sometimes, being too capable can be a curse. Fleeing is more important."

As for the news about the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign? He would keep it hidden for as long as possible.

"The Upper Realm isn’t safe anymore. I’ll head to the Lower Realm... With all the disputes in the Buddhist Kingdom, many powerhouses are descending. I’ll blend in, and no one will notice.

"Sigh, my homeland. From now on, there will be no more glamorous Kun Xia Daoist—only an unknown hermit hiding in the gutters."

For someone used to living in the Upper Realm, and especially on the sixth level of heaven, the idea of fleeing to the Lower Realm felt agonizing.

It was like someone who lived in a mansion on Earth being forced to survive in the sewers.

Kun Xia Daoist felt bitter, but what could he do? He was just too good at what he did, so now he had to pack up and flee, heading to the Lower Realm to lie low.

As for returning to the Upper Realm? Not happening.

...

While Kun Xia Daoist was fleeing, the Jade Maiden finally met Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan sized up the woman from the Upper Realm, his eyes showing disappointment. "I thought you were coming to cause me trouble. It would’ve saved me time to just kill you all at once."

Lately, he had been busy illuminating the heavens, searching for the Flowing Wind Realm, and had no time to deal with the Hidden World Organization.

Originally, he had planned to pay them a visit when he had time and meet those old "white moonlights."

But unexpectedly, the white moonlight came looking for him.

The Jade Maiden looked at Qi Yuan, feeling a bit intimidated. To be honest, this was the first time she had encountered someone of such power.

"Those who offended you have all been dealt with," the Jade Maiden quickly said.

"Oh... You’re from the Upper Realm?" Qi Yuan asked.

His eyes could detect an unusual aura from the Jade Maiden.

"Yes, my lord!" the Jade Maiden quickly replied.

Hearing this, Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. "You’re stronger than Shen Wushen... How about we do some trade between the two realms? Smuggling, perhaps."

"I can gather resources from the Lower Realm for you, and you can send me some cultivation techniques from the Upper Realm!"

Typically, smuggling between realms was incredibly profitable.

When he used to watch TV back on Earth, Qi Yuan had always envied those time-travelers who smuggled "antiques" between the past and present.

They would trade simple things like salt, glass, or mirrors for ancient gold and treasures, or even get famous scholars of the past to personally write them calligraphy.

That was a real antique, an original piece!

Sure, people often wondered how these items could be brought through time with fresh ink and still pass as authentic to modern experts. But hey, when there’s a time-travel portal, everything makes sense.

Now, with the chance for inter-realm trade before him, Qi Yuan wasn’t going to let it slip.

"If the great one requires it, this humble one will do her utmost!" The Jade Maiden immediately agreed.

Though the Canglan Realm had fallen from the Upper Realm and had been disconnected for a long time, becoming a lower realm, to someone like her—a mythical being from the Upper Realm—the Lower Realm was nothing but a trash heap. What could be of value here?

Still, if the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign wanted something, she would comply.

"Give me some cultivation techniques, then. Preferably divine techniques. I’m short on those!" Qi Yuan’s eyes gleamed. "The more, the better. I also need basic techniques."

As his power grew, advancing The Qi Yuan Sutra became increasingly difficult.

Even though he had leveraged the power of Pinduoduo to scavenge techniques from across the world.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Now that he had someone from the Upper Realm—a mythic being at that—he had to make the most of it.

Even Shen Wushen had provided him with several divine techniques, so surely this myth could do the same.

Without hesitation, the Jade Maiden handed over a jade slip to Qi Yuan. "My lord, there are seven divine techniques recorded within, along with a number of others. If you need more, I will return to the Upper Realm to gather them for you."

"Excellent, excellent. What should I give you in return?" Qi Yuan asked.

The Jade Maiden smiled. "Whatever you wish, my lord."

Clearly, she was leaving the decision up to Qi Yuan.

She was gambling.

If the Ten Sun Heavenly Sovereign was generous, she would profit greatly.

If he was stingy, well, she’d take the loss.

But getting on the good side of someone like him was certainly not a bad thing.

Qi Yuan blinked, then said, "I’m flat broke right now, not even enough to buy a plot of land. How about this: you keep collecting divine techniques for me, and when I eventually have some money, I’ll pay you back?"

Money… Qi Yuan wasn’t keen on spending any of it.

When the time came, he’d probably just grab a handful of dirt from the Underworld to settle the debt.

Qi Yuan’s cunning plan was falling into place.

The Jade Maiden smiled. "This humble one is not in a hurry."

Just being able to connect with such a great figure was fortune enough; she wasn’t expecting much more.

After all, in the Upper Realm, she—a mere second-level myth—wouldn’t even qualify to meet someone of this caliber.

Qi Yuan nodded approvingly at the Jade Maiden, then asked out of the blue, "Do you have any melons?"

"Huh?" The Jade Maiden was confused by the question.

"Isn’t there a saying, ‘The Jade Maiden has no melons’? Just curious," Qi Yuan muttered.

From the side, Golden Canary stifled a laugh and said, "She’s the Jade Maiden, not the Rain Maiden!"

Clearly, she was familiar with the joke Qi Yuan had told before.

"Oh, right. I got mixed up," Qi Yuan said.

This odd conversation left the Jade Maiden utterly baffled.

At that moment, the Great Wisdom True Monarch spoke up from the side.

"Her robes look pretty puffy. Maybe she’s hiding two melons."

Jade Maiden: "..."

She really wanted to smack this Nascent Soul brat to death!

What kind of nonsense was he spouting?

Why would she need to hide melons to look impressive?

Just then, Golden Canary’s eyes lit up with excitement. She bounced over to Qi Yuan and whispered in his ear, "We’ve found the Flowing Wind Realm!"

Qi Yuan’s eyes also brightened at the news. "Good!"

At that moment, the Jade Maiden looked at Qi Yuan and softly said, "My lord, if you intend to face the calamity, you should be cautious of the marks on your friends. If that sovereign has even a single thought, all life in the Canglan Realm could perish."

Qi Yuan nodded. "I’m aware of this. I will never let them die at the hands of the calamity!"

This time, Qi Yuan had become much wiser.

With the help of the Great Wisdom True Monarch, he had made great progress, even a leap forward.

He had added a backup plan to his perfect "Qi Yuan Defeats the Calamity" strategy.

This was a rare, monumental leap in progress.

According to the backup plan, if they failed to reach the Gate of Principles and the calamity destroyed the Canglan Realm’s beings through the marks, then Qi Yuan would act first, destroying the realm himself and ensuring everyone was revived through the Underworld.

"Alright, that’s enough. I’ve got urgent business. Bye-bye."

With the Flowing Wind Realm located, Qi Yuan was preparing to revisit an old place and seek out the Gate of the Myriad Principles.

However, a sense of unease tugged at his heart.

The passage of time was merciless. Who knew if the people he once knew were still alive?

...

In the Flowing Wind Realm.

In a tavern.

A storyteller, full of excitement, was spitting as he spoke.

"And so, on that day, the Blood Lord led an army of one hundred thousand Supremes and stormed the Gate of Ten Thousand Monsters.

"The Blood Demon Sword was unsheathed, and the myriad monsters bowed in submission, corpses littering the ground for miles.

"The demonic woman who had brought calamity upon the world could only kneel and beg for mercy.

"As for the Blood Lord, his bearing was extraordinary, and his sword-bearing disciple, Ling Yayi, was even more so..." The elderly storyteller’s eyes gleamed as he recalled the past.

But sadly, the listeners in the tavern showed little interest.

"Old man Nangong, why are you still talking about this stuff?"

"Who cares about the Blood Lord? The Blood Palace is ancient history!"

"Yeah, we want to hear about the Buddhist Sons’ struggles!"

"Tell us about the Buddhist Kingdom War!"

The customers below chimed in.

The events of the Blood Palace were from an era long past.

The Blood Palace had faded like a fleeting flower, unable to last even a hundred years without its Blood Lord.

As for the old tale of the Blood Lord saving the world at the Gate of Ten Thousand Monsters, it was scarcely known to anyone.

Nowadays, most cultivators treated it like a piece of ancient gossip.

The world of cultivation was vast, and time was cheap.

In the span of ten thousand years, countless amazing stories could unfold.

No myth, no individual, could remain eternal.

The old storyteller sighed and was about to say something when a brash voice interrupted.

"That Blood Lord? He just had a bit of luck.

"Ten thousand years ago, he led his army into the Gate of Ten Thousand Monsters.

"I was there!

"Unfortunately, back then, I was just a lowly Supreme and didn’t have enough power.

"When the Blood Lord entered my territory, of course, I didn’t want to be humiliated. So, I… well, I pissed all over the place to declare that this was my land!

"Even though they had the numbers, I wasn’t afraid!"

At that moment, an elderly man and a young man entered the tavern.

The old man was the one who had spoken, his body exuding a strong demonic aura.

He had been a survivor of the Gate of Ten Thousand Monsters from ten thousand years ago.

At that time, he had been too far from the battlefield.

When he saw the legions of Supremes appear, he had been so scared that he pissed himself and fled back to the Monster Realm.

Eventually, he had broken through to the Yin God stage and ascended to the Upper Realm.

However, he was still a dog demon.

Now, having broken through to the Yin God stage, he figured he should embellish his past and make a name for himself.

He wasn’t scared out of his wits! No, he had bravely pissed in defiance of the Blood Lord, declaring that this was his territory.

Hearing this, the diners in the tavern turned to look.

But most of their attention was focused on the young figure next to the old man.

The young man wore a monk’s robe, his head smooth and gleaming, without a single hair.

"A Buddhist Son!"

"That’s the Illumined Buddha!"

All the diners stood in reverence, their eyes filled with awe.

In today’s Flowing Wind Realm, who was the one group you absolutely could not provoke?

The monks!

And among the monks, the most respected were the Buddhist Sons.

These Buddhist Sons had all descended from the Upper Realm.

Every one of these immortals from the Upper Realm possessed the power to destroy worlds.

At that moment, the Illumined Buddha raised his head, his gaze landing on the old storyteller.

His eyes were deep, a strange light flickering within them. "Ling Yayi, once one of the Thirteen Northern Demons, a disciple of the Blood Lord. This humble monk finds you quite interesting. Come with me."

His tone left no room for refusal, brimming with authority.

The old storyteller's face changed upon hearing this, and a flicker of memory passed through his weary eyes.

"Sigh."

The customers in the tavern were equally shocked.

The Blood Lord's disciple?

A legendary figure… actually existed!

"And what do you want with this old man?" Ling Yayi dusted off his robes, his demeanor calm, still carrying the pride of the Blood Lord's disciple.

Back then, when the Blood Lord taught, Ling Yayi had been one of his most promising students, always at the forefront.

While the name Ling Yayi might not be well known within the Blood Palace, everyone was familiar with the name Nangong Big Dog.

"This humble monk is quite interested in the Blood Lord." The Illumined Buddha's gaze deepened.

If possible, he wanted to capture the Blood Lord. He was eager to study the power of reincarnation.

In the Buddhist Kingdom, reincarnation was a legendary ultimate principle, something even the Great Sun Luminous Buddha had never fully comprehended.

However, after poring over ancient texts from the Flowing Wind Realm, he had discovered that the Thirteen Northern Demons seemed to have experienced reincarnation.

The old storyteller, Ling Yayi, waved his sleeve dismissively, showing no fear. "I haven't seen my master in ten thousand years. Even if you kill me, he won't show up. Your little scheme is doomed to fail."