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

Flowing Wind Realm.

The forest was bathed in green, the entire world a lush, verdant expanse. Yesterday, it had been autumn, with red maple leaves everywhere, but today, it was spring.

Ning Tao stood on a mountain path, her eyes filled with memories. "This used to be a lone peak with many caves. When I was a child, I hid here for a year."

Golden Canary chimed in, her eyes glowing with excitement. "I remember there were these red fruits that were delicious! I haven't had them since."

Thinking about the caves, Qi Yuan tightened his grip on Golden Canary's and Ning Tao's hands.

In the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, he had engraved his primordial divine ability and experienced the cycle of the Great Demon. The demoness who was supposed to be tricked and manipulated had been unexpectedly replaced by Golden Canary. Golden Canary had foolishly followed him, playing the role of an unusual demoness, and had even once taken him to a cave to live in seclusion.

"Do you want to trace back time and find that fruit again?" Qi Yuan asked.

Ning Tao’s divine domain was related to time. She couldn’t reverse time or resurrect the dead, but she could reconstruct a tree from the past and produce a similar fruit.

"No need. It was probably only delicious because it’s a memory. If I eat it again, it might not be as good," Ning Tao said, accepting it easily.

Her gaze shifted to the peak of the mountain, where a Buddhist pagoda stood, solemn and imposing. The ancient eaves of the pagoda were adorned with copper bells, and as the bell rang, the sound carried, stirring the copper bells to ring.

"I didn’t expect the Flowing Wind Realm to be ruled by Buddhism now," Ning Tao said with a trace of sadness in her eyes.

The Blood Palace had once been the most powerful force in the Flowing Wind Realm, reigning supreme. Qi Yuan had been a great enemy of the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, slaughtering demonesses and leaving with the source of the Extinguished Sun.

But after the Blood Lord disappeared, the Blood Palace barely survived for a hundred years before disintegrating. The accomplishments of the Blood Lord were no longer even remembered.

Qi Yuan knew what Ning Tao was thinking and smiled. "Why worry about what others think?"

Ning Tao nodded, speaking softly, "The Flowing Wind Realm is now filled with Buddhist temples. In a month, the Great Buddha Assembly will take place, and the Buddha’s disciples from the Upper Realm will participate."

Qi Yuan pondered aloud, "Do you think, given the nature of the Gate of Myriad Principles, that it will appear during the Great Buddha Assembly?"

Qi Yuan had a theory about when the Gate of Myriad Principles would manifest—whenever a major event occurred, when the energy of an entire realm converged.

"It’s possible," Ning Tao agreed.

Golden Canary, unable to contain her excitement, suddenly laughed. "Hehe, that damned gate is finally going to become my gate!"

It was clear she had some resentment toward the Gate of Myriad Principles. After all, in the past, that blood pearl guy had been constantly staring at the gate. Golden Canary couldn’t understand why.

Was the Gate of Myriad Principles more attractive than she was?

Now that the gate was about to become her home, her mood was great.

"The Buddhism here is interesting—it’s from the Upper Realm. Does that mean all these bald heads are my... white moonlight?" Qi Yuan's thoughts wandered.

People from the Upper Realm surely had many divine techniques, and to Qi Yuan, Upper Realm divine techniques were all fodder for his Qi Yuan Sutra.

"How about we explore the Flowing Wind Realm while asking for alms?" Qi Yuan suggested, looking at the temple on the mountain. "Looks like I have a connection with the Buddha!"

It was a genuine connection! After all, the Upper Realm’s divine techniques were deeply intertwined with his fate. And these monks who could offer Buddhist scriptures were his white moonlight.

Although calling monks white moonlight sounded odd, true love didn’t care about worldly opinions.

Golden Canary’s eyes sparkled with laughter, filled with anticipation. "Let’s go! I’ve never asked for alms before!"

Just then, a panicked cry for help rang out.

Qi Yuan focused his gaze and saw an old woman hanging from a cliff, clinging desperately to the root of a pine tree. Her face was filled with fear, and the root was showing signs of being pulled out, on the verge of breaking.

Not far away, a young girl watched helplessly, her face filled with worry. "Someone help! Save her!"

The girl’s name was Bai Baixiang. Though cute and powerful, she had caused too much trouble and had her powers sealed by her master. Now, all she could do was panic with no way to help.

Suddenly, a gentle voice rang out.

"Why not start today’s good deeds with you?"

A crimson streak of light flashed, and the old woman was lifted from the cliff and safely placed back on the road.

Bai Baixiang let out a sigh of relief and turned to thank the man who had saved her. She blinked in surprise. A man in a blood-red robe? This was a nearly perfect imitation of the Blood Lord’s robe! Clearly, this man was an admirer of the Blood Lord.

But these days, admiration for the Blood Lord was a niche interest, far less popular than devotion to the bald monks.

Seeing the man’s handsome face, Bai Baixiang was even more pleased. After all, it seemed that fans of the Blood Lord were good-looking men and beautiful women.

However, when she saw the two women standing beside him, her heart sank in self-consciousness.

These women were extraordinarily beautiful, filled with grace and charm. To have even one of them would be a blessing beyond measure. To have both—well, better to stay alive and enjoy it, right?

Without hesitation, Bai Baixiang rushed over to greet them, excited to meet a fellow admirer of the Blood Lord.

Meanwhile, the man in the blood-red robe—Qi Yuan—looked kindly at the old woman. "Hey, according to how things go, you should thank me now."

After doing a good deed, a thank you was the natural response.

The dazed old woman finally came to her senses. She turned to look at the Buddhist pagoda on the mountain, her expression devout.

"Thank you, Buddha, for showing your divine powers and saving me from danger. I will eat only vegetarian food and sincerely worship you!" she said, bowing deeply in gratitude to the Buddha.

Qi Yuan was dumbfounded. A bit annoyed, he said, "You’re thanking the Buddha? Shouldn’t you be thanking me?"

The old woman replied, "You were sent by the Buddha to save me. Of course, I should thank the Buddha!"

There was no gratitude in her eyes for Qi Yuan—if anything, she didn’t want to feel grateful. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have to repay him?

More importantly, when she had been in danger, she had prayed to the Buddha in the temple for help. Clearly, this was the Buddha’s mercy at work, guiding someone to save her.

Naturally, her thanks were reserved for the Buddha.

At this moment, Bai Baixiang arrived, her face filled with anger. "These monk followers are the worst!"

She was careful with her words, clearly not condemning all followers.

Qi Yuan chuckled. He had encountered many religious zealots like this before. You help them, but they thank their deity, believing it was divine guidance that saved them.

"Are you sure it was the Buddha’s guidance?" Qi Yuan asked the old woman calmly.

Even though she knew Qi Yuan was a cultivator, the old woman was unafraid, her devotion unshaken. She was clearly a fanatic.

"This temple has a true Buddha in residence, so naturally, it was the Buddha’s guidance!" the old woman said with certainty.

She had no gratitude for Qi Yuan whatsoever.

The young girl beside her seemed to notice the shift in Qi Yuan’s expression and quickly warned him, "There’s a half-Buddha of the Sixth Realm residing in that pagoda. You shouldn’t act rashly!"

A half-Buddha of the Sixth Realm was equivalent to a Yin God.

Bai Baixiang thought Qi Yuan might be about to harm the old woman, so she tried to intervene.

Qi Yuan laughed, looking at the pagoda atop the mountain. He raised a finger and said, "Hey, you up there in seclusion! Get over here—I’ve got a question for you!"

His voice boomed like thunder, resonating across the entire mountain.

The ancient bell in the pagoda rang loudly, and golden light began to spread from the pagoda.

Bai Baixiang, witnessing this, was stunned. She covered her mouth in disbelief. "That’s a half-Buddha of the Sixth Realm! How could you dare?"

Her master had been a powerful figure ten thousand years ago, a true dominator of the Flowing Wind Realm. After ten thousand years, her master had also reached the Sixth Realm. Yet even her master would steer clear of these monks.

These monks were not only strong but had powerful backers. They were untouchable.

Even at the height of its power, the Blood Palace wouldn’t dare challenge these monks.

But this man in a blood-red robe had just casually called out to them. What was going on?

Qi Yuan’s voice echoed throughout the pagoda, and the hundreds of monks inside were furious.

"Who dares shout in front of the pagoda?"

"How dare you not bow before a half-Buddha?"

These monks were used to being feared and respected. Naturally, they were enraged by anyone who would shout so disrespectfully.

However, deep inside the pagoda, the half-Buddha, whose body was bathed in golden light, broke into a cold sweat.

That presence…?

Golden light burst forth from the pagoda, and the towering figure of the half-Buddha emerged. Countless monks and followers immediately knelt, their faces filled with devotion.

A voice filled with Buddha’s aura resonated from the half-Buddha. "What business does this benefactor have at our humble temple?"

Despite the calm in his voice, the half-Buddha’s eyes were filled with dread. He was deeply curious about Qi Yuan’s identity. But with the backing of the Buddhist Holy Land, he didn’t fear ordinary Yin Gods.

"Come here!" Qi Yuan beckoned with his finger.

Suddenly, the energy of the world was sealed.

The half-Buddha’s face twisted in terror. Despite the golden light shining from his body and the surging power of his divine energy, he couldn’t break free.

His eyes widened in horror.

This… this is a Yang God? And not an ordinary god!

The revered half-Buddha was effortlessly dragged down like a chick being picked up. All the monks looked on in shock, as if their very understanding of the world had shattered.

The old woman, too, turned deathly pale.

That proud and imposing half-Buddha was now hunched over, grinning awkwardly at the blood-robed man. "Great master, how did I offend you?"

To him, Qi Yuan was undoubtedly a deity.

In the Upper Realm, even among the most powerful Yang Gods, deities were highly revered.

A small half-Buddha like him was insignificant in comparison!

The old woman’s inner faith collapsed. Her face turned white.

"Earlier, I saved this woman, but she claimed it was your Buddha’s guidance that saved her. Was it really your guidance?" Qi Yuan asked, pointing at the old woman.

The old woman had just claimed that Buddha had guided her to safety.

Now that he had brought the Buddha down, it was time for a face-to-face confrontation!

Let's see how she explains it now!

Qi Yuan was very serious about this.

He was meticulous in his actions.

If a stray dog barked at him on the street, he’d sit down and explain things to the dog for half an hour until it apologized.

After all, what’s the point of living if not to enjoy oneself and find satisfaction?

The half-Buddha’s face twisted. He glanced at the old woman, then at Qi Yuan, his heart sinking.

Really?

Over such a trivial matter?

To be dragged down like this?

His dignity was gone, completely lost!

And this deity… why was he so strange?

"How could I dare guide you? It is you who guides us!" The half-Buddha was now filled with resentment toward the old woman.

Qi Yuan smiled broadly. "See? Even your Buddha says it wasn’t his guidance that saved you. Now, how about saying thank you?"

The old woman’s face turned pale as her faith shattered. She stammered, but couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

At that moment, Ning Tao’s eyes flashed with cold light. "Since it was the Buddha’s guidance before, and the Buddha is here now, let’s see if he guides you again."

With just a glance from her, the old woman found herself back on the cliff, clinging once again to the tree root.

"Help me!" she screamed, her voice filled with terror. But this time, there was no divine intervention from the Buddha.

…

"Master, these are all the divine techniques I have!"

In the pagoda, the half-Buddha’s tone was filled with humility, treating Qi Yuan like a plague.

Qi Yuan took the divine techniques and beamed. "How many bald heads from the Upper Realm have descended here? Are they all as wealthy as you?"

The half-Buddha was puzzled, unsure of Qi Yuan’s identity, but he answered truthfully. "There are about two thousand half-Buddhas who have descended."

Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. "I really like you bald guys."

If he could capture all these monks, how many divine techniques would he get?

One divine technique could advance the Qi Yuan Sutra and the Stellar Gold Core section just as much as a new Stellar Gold Core.

One divine technique meant one Stellar Gold Core!

Qi Yuan was thrilled.

The half-Buddha forced a smile, not daring to comment.

At that moment, Qi Yuan said, "Help me find some people, and we’ll call it even for that misunderstanding."

"Who are you looking for?" The half-Buddha asked, curious.

"Hmm, Bai Ze, the Foolish Daoist, Ling Yayi…"

Qi Yuan didn’t feel like searching for them himself. If he searched, he might accidentally destroy the Flowing Wind Realm.

After all, he was too powerful.

So, it was better to leave the task to this half-Buddha.

"Bai Ze? Do you mean the disciple of the Great Sun Brightness Buddha?" The half-Buddha’s expression shifted slightly.

Nearby, Bai Baixiang also reacted, her face growing more curious as she looked at Qi Yuan.

Her master was White Crane, and the person she followed was White Emperor.

The names Qi Yuan mentioned were all part of the Thirteen Northern Demons!

Suddenly, her gaze fell on Ning Tao, and her heart raced with excitement.

Could it be…?

Godfather?

Qi Yuan didn’t notice Bai Baixiang’s reaction. He nodded. "Yes, do you know where he is? He’s more or less my disciple, so there’s some connection between us."

Seeing the half-Buddha’s expression change, Qi Yuan smiled. "What’s with that look? Is he not doing well?"

The half-Buddha’s heart trembled.

He couldn’t figure out this god’s true identity.

Bai Ze was a disciple of the Great Sun Brightness Buddha, destined to unify the Buddhist Kingdom and become the Buddha.

Yet this man casually claimed Bai Ze was his half-disciple. Was he not afraid of the immense karmic burden that would bring?

Or… could this man not be a deity at all?!