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

As Qi Yuan spoke, the six unspeakable Buddhas simultaneously turned their gazes toward the ninety-seven true Buddhas.
They had no self, no person.
No being, no life.

The Buddhas of past, present, and future gathered.
Their appearances were majestic, and their wisdom boundless.
The sanctity of the Buddhist Kingdom fell into Qi Yuan’s hands like a plaything, no longer carrying the oppressive majesty of the creation artifact.

"I see the Tathagata, and the Tathagata sees me as I am.
This poor monk, Taihang, greets the Buddhas," said Taihang True Buddha, a Grand Principle true Buddha, as he folded his hands in a gesture of respect to the six Buddhas.

Seeing this, the other true Buddhas felt their hearts cleansed.
"We greet the Buddhas," they all said.
Ninety-seven true Buddhas bowed, their voices as solemn as a great thunderstorm.

All the half-Buddhas followed suit, bowing.
"We greet the Buddhas!"

The sound resounded through the heavens, spreading across the entire Flowing Wind Realm.

All monks and cultivators, hearing this, realized that the Buddhist Kingdom had a Buddha Lord.

Countless monks folded their hands in reverence, bowing toward the direction of Guizhi City.
"We greet the Buddhas!"

Ninety-seven true Buddhas paying homage to the Tathagata signified that the Buddhist Kingdom now had a Buddha Lord.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan beamed.
"I’m a decent guy, right? You lent me the Great Sun Golden Lotus, and I’ve given you a Buddha Lord in return."

Not far away, the half-Buddha, Cantuo, was sweating profusely.
This guy is serious!
And he actually delivered a Buddha Lord!

"But you’ve been pretty decent too, just handing me the Buddhist Kingdom like that."

Qi Yuan held the Buddhist Kingdom, his expression calm.
The Buddhist Kingdom, now resembling a relic, was filled with countless stars of Buddha’s words, dense and infinite. Just by gazing at it, one could sense the deep and boundless wisdom of Buddha.

Within the Buddhist Kingdom, several supreme truths stood out, flashing brilliantly due to the presence of the three-time Buddhas, and the sound of Buddha’s chants filled the sky.

Taihang True Buddha’s expression shifted.
The other true Buddhas were bitter but could not voice their frustrations.

The Buddhist Kingdom was priceless, the foundation of the sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom.
None of these true Buddhas could control the creation artifact—if they could, the Buddhist Kingdom would already be unified under them.
But now, how did it end up in his hands?

"Haha, I’m just joking. This Buddhist Kingdom is useless to me."
Qi Yuan waved his hand as he held the Buddhist Kingdom, appearing nonchalant.

After all, this was the treasured possession of the sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom. If lost, those sacred lands might fall from the Fifth Heaven.
First, Qi Yuan thought of himself as a good guy—he’d borrow, but never return.
Second, a wealthy "white moonlight" was always better than a poor one.

The other true Buddhas breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, their eyes fixed on the Buddhist Kingdom.

Then, Qi Yuan waved his hand.
"Wutian, I’ll leave this Buddhist Kingdom in your care."

The Buddhist Kingdom fell into the hands of Wutian Buddha Lord, who smiled darkly, his disheveled appearance adding to the ominous aura.
The Buddhist Kingdom trembled, as if trying to escape.

However, in Wutian’s hands, the Buddhist Kingdom was utterly powerless.

The other true Buddhas saw this and were deeply unsettled.
They feared that this unkempt Buddha would crush the Buddhist Kingdom in his palm.

"Relax, Wutian Buddha Lord is... my friend, completely trustworthy. He’s just playing a little game with the Buddhist Kingdom," Qi Yuan said casually.

Since he said he was recommending friends, these Buddhas were indeed his friends.

At this moment, Taihang True Buddha stepped forward, gazing at Qi Yuan with reverence in his eyes.
"May I ask, how should we address the Heavenly Sovereign?"

All the true Buddhas were curious about Qi Yuan’s identity.
After all, if he was merely a Blood Lord from the lower realm, there was no way he could be this powerful.

"In this realm, I am the Blood Lord. In the Canglan Realm, I am the Blood-Clad Sword God. My name... is Qi Yuan."
Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm.

The eyes of the true Buddhas flickered with recognition, countless thoughts racing through their minds.
Meanwhile, next to Chen Huan, Kunxia Daoist’s heart felt as if it had been struck by a heavy stone.

"Canglan Realm... Blood-Clad Sword God!"
His eyes bulged, his mind shaken.

This... Oh no... He looked up at the ten suns in the sky, on the verge of tears.

Chen Huan, however, didn’t notice Kunxia Daoist’s distress. He was equally shocked, his admiration for his older brother swelling.
No wonder he’s my big brother—he’s incredible!

Always creating miracles.

At this moment, Taihang True Buddha’s gaze remained steady. He looked up at the sky and spoke a single true word.
"Seal!"

Instantly, the Flowing Wind Realm was completely cut off from the upper realm.
Before descending, he had already isolated the realm, and now he added a second layer of protection.

After all, the matter of the Buddha Lord was of utmost importance—especially the future Buddha.

There was no future in this world, so how could there be a future Buddha?
If the future Buddha existed, wouldn’t that mean that one day, the sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom could reach the highest Three Heavens?

In the Sixth Heaven, a Grand Principle true Buddha could be a ruler.
The uppermost Three Heavens were shrouded in mystery, beyond comprehension.

At this moment, Taihang True Buddha’s eyes glowed with compassion.
"Join the Ten Thousand Buddhas Assembly and attain eternal bliss."

The vast sound of Buddha’s voice spread.
Immediately, several hidden cultivators let out screams of pain.

"Ah!"
"No!"

Even Kunxia Daoist was bound by the Buddha’s voice, his entire body paralyzed.
Clearly, Taihang True Buddha was cleansing the realm of spies from the upper realm.

The enemies were sent to bliss.
Allies were immobilized and had their memories erased.

As for Kunxia Daoist, he wasn’t killed.
But any information regarding the future Buddha was instantly erased from everyone’s memories and replaced.

"This man likely belongs to Taihuang Palace and may have ties to the Canglan Realm."
Taihang True Buddha captured Kunxia Daoist and brought him to Qi Yuan’s side.

Qi Yuan’s expression remained calm, unsurprised. He extended his hand, and a few jade slips fell into his palm.

Kunxia Daoist’s soul was extinguished, and his lifetime of memories was absorbed by Qi Yuan.

"Heavenly Sovereign, may I ask how this future Buddha attained Buddhahood?"
Taihang True Buddha spoke.

Among the ninety-seven true Buddhas, six stepped forward, all gazing at Qi Yuan.
Including Taihang True Buddha, these seven were Grand Principle true Buddhas.

As for the remaining true Buddhas, they closed their senses and isolated the surrounding area, ensuring no information would escape.

The conversation between Taihang True Buddha and the Heavenly Sovereign was clearly beyond their level.
The memories of today were of great importance, and they, too, would be erased.

"He just... practiced and succeeded." Qi Yuan replied casually.

"Could you elaborate?" Taihang True Buddha asked solemnly. "The Immortal Realm has a past and a present, but no future."

Taihang True Buddha’s words echoed something Qi Yuan had heard before.
Back on the Moonwatch Continent, his daughter Qi Jianjun had once said that the Yang God could have a past body and a present body, but not a future body.
There was no future in the Immortal Realm.

This was the common understanding among all upper-realm cultivators.

Now, the sudden appearance of a future Buddha naturally shook the true Buddhas of the Buddhist Kingdom.
The future was linked to the unspeakable highest Three Heavens.

If every true Buddha of the Buddhist Kingdom could cultivate a future self, the implications were unimaginable.

"There’s nothing more to explain. I gave him the contemplation method for the future Buddha, and after contemplating it, he attained Buddhahood. Simple as that," Qi Yuan shrugged.

Taihang True Buddha’s expression shifted, and after a moment, he sighed.
"Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed. It seems this poor monk lacks the fate to witness it."

The other Grand Principle true Buddhas folded their hands in prayer, chanting sutras.

Clearly, they believed this was beyond their current realm, and they were unable to touch the future.
To attempt it without reaching the Grand Principle Great Truth realm would not be wise.

"Hey, now that my friends have become your Buddha Lords, I’m thinking of asking them for some divine techniques. What do you say?"
Qi Yuan smiled at Taihang True Buddha.

These single monks, already quite old, were the perfect "white moonlight" candidates according to Qi Yuan’s White Moonlight Standard Manual.

"If the Heavenly Sovereign seeks divine techniques, we will gather all the power of the sacred lands of the Buddhist Kingdom to collect them for you!"

As Taihang True Buddha spoke, a jade slip fell into Qi Yuan’s hand.
The other true Buddhas seemed to receive a message from Taihang True Buddha, and they each condensed the divine techniques they knew into jade slips and handed them to Qi Yuan.

Seeing this, Qi Yuan grinned widely.
"I’ve hit the jackpot!"

He looked at the monks, noting that they were still quite handsome and dignified!
After all, these divine techniques were far more valuable than any other gifts he had received.

It was the accumulation of an entire sacred land of the Buddhist Kingdom.

"Tsk tsk, how many star golden cores will I get out of this?"
Qi Yuan mused, feeling a little embarrassed.

He was already thinking of naming the star golden cores after a few of these monks when he condensed them.
This time, he had truly struck it rich.

Moreover, he was now practically the emperor of the Buddhist Kingdom.
In the Nine Heavens, he could be considered quite influential.

"Is Taihuang Palace really that powerful?" Qi Yuan asked.

Kunxia Daoist was only a mythical being, and although he belonged to Taihuang Palace, he didn’t know much about the palace’s inner workings. Many things were beyond his reach.

Taihang True Buddha gave Qi Yuan a meaningful look, as if he had guessed something about Qi Yuan’s identity.

"Taihuang Palace stands in the Sixth Heaven, near the peak of the Immortal Realm.
In the Sixth Heaven, the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign is a ruler. He alone can suppress our Buddhist Kingdom." Taihang True Buddha explained.

"Isn’t the upper realm divided into Nine Heavens? If the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign is so arrogant, why don’t people from the upper Three Heavens come down and beat him up?"
There wasn’t much information about the upper Three Heavens in Kunxia Daoist’s memories.

But it was clear that the higher one went in the Nine Heavens, the more abundant the immortal energy, and the more powerful the rulers.

"The upper Three Heavens are an unspeakable realm. They cannot be spoken of or passed down, only personally witnessed."

When the upper Three Heavens were mentioned, the seven Grand Principle true Buddhas all seemed to share an air of deep reverence.

"Oh," Qi Yuan remarked. "If I take you guys and a bunch of Buddha Lord-level powerhouses with me, can we flatten the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign’s Taihuang Palace?"

The Grand Principle Great Truth realm was indeed formidable.
Even these seven Grand Principle true Buddhas felt somewhat difficult for Qi Yuan to deal with.

Let alone the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign, who had mastered the creation artifact.

"It would be difficult," Taihang True Buddha shook his head.

"Oh, so I’m still too weak.
Sigh, this Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign really doesn’t play fair. He’s a big shot in the Sixth Heaven, yet he’s bullying a small newcomer like me, who’s just half a step into the Purple Mansion!
He’s not giving the people a way to live!
If the people have no way to live, they’ll overthrow him!"

Qi Yuan was furious.
The Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign was too unfair.

If ten suns weren’t enough, how about a hundred suns? A thousand suns? Ten thousand suns?

Quantity could cause a qualitative change!

Taihang True Buddha looked at Qi Yuan, not daring to speak.

Previously, he would have thought it was self-delusion for the Ten Suns Heavenly Sovereign to challenge the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign.

But now, with a future Buddha in play, everything had changed.

The odds of Qi Yuan winning against the Great Sun Heavenly Sovereign were about thirty to seventy.

And if he won, the Buddhist Kingdom might even ascend to the Sixth Heaven.

The unfulfilled wish of the Great Sun Enlightened Buddha could finally be realized in their generation.

What an enormous achievement that would be!

"By the way, what’s the current date in the upper realm?" Qi Yuan suddenly asked.

"February 27th," Taihang True Buddha replied.

"July 17th... soon," Qi Yuan’s eyes deepened.

July 17th was Jinli’s birthday.

The letter he sent to Jinli, if all went well, would reach her on her birthday this year.

He wondered if, by then, he would have overcome the great calamity and ascended to the upper realm.

But... it was soon.

"Taihang True Buddha, could I ask you for a favor?" Qi Yuan asked. "Don’t worry, you’ll be well compensated."

"Please, speak," Taihang True Buddha replied, his expression growing serious.

"Don’t worry, it’s a small matter, not difficult..." Qi Yuan explained the task to him.

But Taihang True Buddha’s face showed difficulty.
"Heavenly Sovereign, I cannot go."

"??" Qi Yuan blinked. "It’s just one heaven away—how can the difference be so big?"

"Under the light of the creation artifact, even a Grand Principle Buddha like me cannot remain hidden, let alone a mere monk," Taihang True Buddha shook his head.

The task Qi Yuan had entrusted him with was to infiltrate the Moon God Palace...

But the Moon God Palace was no less powerful than Taihuang Palace.

Its core regions were illuminated by the creation artifact, making it impossible for even powerful beings to infiltrate.

To infiltrate would mean becoming enemies.

---

Inside the Buddha Tower.

The Buddha discussion continued.

The position of Saint Buddha Son had sparked fierce competition among the Buddha sons and daughters, as well as the thirteen Northern Demons.

In the end, with help from Bai Ze and Ling Yayi, the Foolish Daoist claimed the title of Saint Buddha Son.

Purple Lotus Buddha Woman grinned widely, patting her chest.
"Hehe, looks like this time the position of Saint Buddha Son belongs to my Purple Zen Sacred Land."

The other Buddha sons and daughters looked on with envy, but soon their desires faded, replaced by serenity.

Ling Yayi was excited.
"Foolish Daoist, remember to plead for my master. When they take the Great Sun Golden Lotus, make sure they spare his life. And ask for some elixirs for him—I don’t want to take care of a drooling old master!"

Master, from now on, I’ll be the one looking out for you!
Ling Yayi felt a wave of emotion.

He imagined his master, now a cripple, standing before his tall and imposing figure. Surely, he’d be too embarrassed to call him "Dog" anymore.

With this thought, Ling Yayi found some comfort amidst the bitterness.

Foolish Daoist shot Ling Yayi a glare.
"I understand."

The Illumined Buddha Son remained calm.
"As for this Blood Lord, I’m quite curious about him. He’s received the creation of a world and possesses the power of reincarnation. Without the Great Sun Golden Lotus, he could become a true Buddha."

He spoke with a hint of regret.

Sometimes, a deeper connection could be a curse.

With excitement in their hearts, Ling Yayi and the others left the Buddha Tower.

But when they stepped outside, the sky was already dark.

The ninety-seven Buddhas who had sat atop the sky were nowhere to be seen.

The once bustling Ten Thousand Buddhas Assembly had become eerily quiet.

Ling Yayi panicked.
"Where is everyone? Did they kill my master?"

Foolish Daoist also looked worried.

At that moment, the figure of a prospective Buddha appeared, his gaze deep, still showing traces of shock.

"A great event occurred during the Ten Thousand Buddhas Assembly, and all the Buddhas have returned, leaving me to handle the matter of the Saint Buddha Son," the prospective Buddha said, his eyes kind as he looked at Foolish Daoist. "Are you the new Saint Buddha Son?"

Ling Yayi blinked, secretly sending a voice message to the Illumined Buddha Son.
"This Saint Buddha Son position sure is lacking in grandeur, isn’t it? No one’s even here to congratulate us."

The Illumined Buddha Son was equally confused, rubbing his head in thought.

"Do you think it’s just a hollow title? Will my plea still work?" Ling Yayi was growing anxious.

At that moment, Foolish Daoist spoke.
"Master, I’ve been fortunate enough to become the Saint Buddha Son. I have a humble request—could you please grant it?"

The prospective Buddha nodded, his gaze warm.
"Speak, and I will listen."

"My master, the Blood Lord, did not intentionally claim the Great Sun Golden Lotus.
If the Buddhist Kingdom must remove the lotus, could you be careful and spare his life?"

The prospective Buddha’s brow twitched at this, his expression turning frantic, losing his serene composure as a monk.

"Hey, don’t say that! Don’t slander us! Since when did the Buddhist Kingdom ever plan to take the Great Sun Golden Lotus from the Blood Lord? That’s completely baseless."

"Ah?" Ling Yayi was dumbfounded.

Foolish Daoist and the Illumined Buddha Son were also stunned.

The prospective Buddha continued.
"Wutian Buddha Lord declared that the Blood Lord should be... the Supreme Buddha. From now on, the Blood Lord is our Supreme Buddha!"

"Supreme Buddha?" Ling Yayi was dumbfounded.

This term... sounds so strange.
I only attended the Ten Thousand Buddhas Assembly, and now my master is the Supreme Buddha?