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

The Purple Fate Ancestor stood, clad in a black robe, with the rules of the Supreme Truth flowing around him. His entire form seemed less like a living being and more like an embodiment of certain profound rules.

He stood outside the skies, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

After a long while, another figure in black robes appeared beside him. The newcomer radiated a powerful aura—it was clearly another practitioner of the Supreme Truth.

Besides the ancestral figures, this man was the highest authority in the Purple Fate Heaven: the only Minor Supreme Truth Yang God of their division.

Yang Gods were incredibly rare, and Supreme Truth practitioners were the absolute elites in the Sixth Heaven.

The Purple Fate Clan, like many bloodline-based clans, was both strengthened and limited by their bloodline. They had produced a Grand Supreme Truth practitioner, but even giving birth to more Yang Gods was a challenge.

On the other hand, clans like the Moruo Clan, which didn’t have a Grand Supreme Truth, had far more Yang Gods and even Supreme Truth Yang Gods than Purple Fate Heaven.

This was why the Purple Fate Clan often sought to expand their influence by absorbing other bloodlines. Having even one more Yang God was no small matter.

“Greetings, Ancestor. The Blood-Robed one has arrived in Purple Fate Heaven. Shall I arrange a meeting with him?” the man in black respectfully saluted, not daring to directly look at the ancestor.

In his perception, the ancestor had no fixed form, only a shifting embodiment of the Supreme Truth.

The Purple Fate Ancestor shook his head. “No need.”

The man, Purple Fate Tan, wasn’t surprised by this response.

“What kind of treatment should he receive?” Purple Fate Tan inquired.

At the same time, he was mentally evaluating what level of bloodline talent the Blood-Robed one possessed.

“In Purple Fate Heaven, he will be ranked as the foremost below the Yang Gods,” the Purple Fate Ancestor replied calmly.

“As you command.” Purple Fate Tan was unsurprised.

If the ancestor was taking an interest, this meant the Blood-Robed one’s bloodline talent was of a high level, at least capable of producing a Supreme Truth practitioner. Being ranked above Purple Fate Daxue in terms of treatment was only natural.

“Here’s a gift for him. Pass it along,” the ancestor said as a black storage bag materialized, landing in Purple Fate Tan’s hand.

As he took the bag, Purple Fate Tan bowed again, thoughts racing through his mind. The current state of Purple Fate Heaven was rather precarious, with a lack of promising young talent—no wonder the ancestor was so invested.

After all, Purple Fate Heaven had only one Supreme Truth practitioner and very few Yang Gods compared to other branches. This was a source of embarrassment for the ancestor.

“Give him the ‘Ancestral Blood Art,’ and tell him that if he can reach the seventh layer, he may come see me, and I will grant him a small wish,” the ancestor instructed.

“Understood,” Purple Fate Tan nodded, keeping his voice low.

“Oh, by the way, how far has Black Sword progressed in the ‘Ancestral Blood Art’?” the ancestor asked.

“I’m not sure of the exact details, but according to recent rumors, he’s reached at least the ninth layer,” Purple Fate Tan replied.

Hearing this, the ancestor’s tone shifted slightly. “The seventh layer is too easy. Tell him to come see me once he reaches the ninth.”

Purple Fate Tan couldn’t help but smile wryly. The ancestor loved to compete.

Reaching the ninth layer of the Ancestral Blood Art was incredibly difficult. Even a Yang God like the Blood-Robed one might not achieve it.

His own daughter, Purple Fate Daxue, who was on the cusp of becoming a Yang God, had only reached the sixth layer.

The Ancestral Blood Art was an unconventional cultivation technique, where progress depended almost entirely on the strength of one’s bloodline and a sliver of one’s insight.

Bloodline determined ninety-nine percent of one’s progress, and insight only one percent.

When Black Sword had first acquired the Ancestral Blood Art, he had reached the third layer within half a month, an achievement that left everyone astonished.

This was the fastest anyone had ever progressed in the Ancestral Blood Art, surpassing even the ancestor’s own master.

And his master was none other than the First Elder of the Black Abyss, the greatest of the Nine Elders.

…

“Your Black Abyss is awfully dark and gloomy, all gray and dull. Doesn’t look much like a righteous cultivation sect, does it?” Qi Yuan glanced around.

Even the river water was black, and the trees had a dull, ashen quality, almost as if they were fake.

“Why are you judging a place by its appearance? Didn’t you say everyone is equal?” Purple Fate Daxue shot back, throwing Qi Yuan’s own words at him.

Qi Yuan paused, momentarily at a loss for words.

Then, with a sigh, he said, “I never expected to find the light of humanity in the Black Abyss—in you. You truly believe in equality!”

Just then, the space around them rippled, and a man in black robes appeared. Like Purple Fate Daxue, he also had a horn on his head, but rather than looking rough, he appeared quite refined.

Qi Yuan’s senses immediately sharpened. Purple Fate Heaven was full of powerful figures, and he had already faintly detected two immensely strong presences watching him from the shadows.

And now, another Supreme Truth practitioner had arrived.

When Purple Fate Daxue saw the newcomer, her face lit up with excitement. “Father! I brought Blood-Robed back!”

She waved her hand enthusiastically, almost as if she were seeking praise.

The boisterous and carefree demeanor of Bullhorn Sister vanished, and she now acted like a little girl trying to impress her father.

Purple Fate Tan smiled warmly. “What gift do you want this time?”

As a Supreme Truth Yang God, he could easily see through his daughter’s little schemes, but he was happy to indulge her nonetheless.

“I want a Black Cloud Blood Steed!” Purple Fate Daxue’s face beamed with excitement. “I’ve always wanted one since I was a kid. Riding it through the heavens would be so cool!”

On the way here, Qi Yuan had already heard Purple Fate Daxue mention the Black Cloud Blood Steed several times.

It was… a mode of transportation.

For cultivators.

In Earth terms, well, it was like a motorcycle.

Which fit Bullhorn Sister perfectly in Qi Yuan’s mind.

Of course, the Black Cloud Blood Steed wasn’t just a motorcycle—it also had space-jumping abilities.

Random space-jumping, that is.

You could start it, but there was no telling where you’d end up.

Which made it pretty thrilling.

After all, the Sixth Heaven was vast and uncharted—even Yang Gods couldn’t fully explore it.

“Your cousin was riding a Black Cloud Blood Steed when he fell into a strange place and died.”

“And you still want one?”

Hearing this, Purple Fate Daxue’s heart skipped a beat, but warmth flooded through her.

“Father, I shouldn’t be so reckless,” she admitted.

“It’s not recklessness. I think your cousin’s Black Cloud Blood Steed is pretty nice. Do you want it?”

Purple Fate Daxue blinked, speechless.

Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “Yes!”

“Remember your cousin’s lesson, though,” Purple Fate Tan added.

“I understand, I won’t run around recklessly.”

“No, what I mean is, don’t bring random people with you.”

“Your cousin made the mistake of taking someone else’s newlywed partner, a lone man and woman out on an adventure.

“When that woman’s partner contacted her through a communication jade, she swore an oath, vowing to be struck by lightning if she was having fun with another man.

“Coincidentally, your cousin happened to be riding through a thunder region. Lightning struck the Black Cloud Blood Steed, causing a malfunction. They crashed into a strange land… and died.”

Purple Fate Daxue blinked again, not expecting her cousin’s death to have such a dramatic backstory.

“Father, I’ve learned the lesson. Don’t worry—I won’t fool around with married men on a Black Cloud Blood Steed.”

“What I mean is, if you do, make sure to shut them up so they don’t talk too much,” Purple Fate Tan said lightly.

Qi Yuan, listening from the side, was speechless.

What was wrong with this Purple Fate family? Did they all have a screw loose?

Could it be something wrong with their bloodline?

He pondered this for a moment.

At that moment, Purple Fate Tan turned his gaze to Qi Yuan. “Blood-Robed, are you interested in marrying into Purple Fate Heaven?”

“No thanks!” Qi Yuan rejected immediately.

He was now certain—this family had serious bloodline issues. Otherwise, why would their first question be about marrying in?

Shouldn’t they be asking things like whether he owned a house or a vehicle? What his salary was?

Oh, wait… that doesn’t matter for a son-in-law.

“This is the ‘Ancestral Blood Art,’ given to you by the Ancestor. Once you’ve reached the ninth layer, you may visit the Ancestor and ask for a small favor,” Purple Fate Tan said bluntly, handing the Ancestral Blood Art to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan took the scroll, curious.

“Is this a cultivation technique?” Qi Yuan asked.

“It is and isn’t. It’s a unique technique for those of our bloodline,” Purple Fate Tan explained, knowing Qi Yuan had come from the Second Heaven and wasn’t familiar with the Black Abyss.

He continued, “In the Black Abyss, our greatest strength lies in our bloodline.

“The stronger the bloodline, the greater the talent, potential, and future achievements.

“The Ancestral Blood Art allows our bloodline to evolve, to transcend, and to gain various special abilities, ultimately reaching perfection.

“The Ancestral Blood Art has fifteen layers. If someone could reach the highest layer, no matter how poor their bloodline, they could lie down, sleep, and without doing anything, still reach the Supreme Truth realm… eventually.”

Pride and confidence filled Purple Fate Tan’s voice as he spoke.

Though no one in the Black Abyss had yet accomplished such a feat.

Generally, the stronger the bloodline, the faster one could cultivate the Ancestral Blood Art.

“And how long would this ‘sleeping’ take?” Qi Yuan asked with a gleam of expectation in his eyes.

Wouldn’t that mean he could cultivate this technique to the highest level, then take a nap in some virtual world, and when he woke up, he’d be a Supreme Truth Yang God?

“Only ten thousand years!” Purple Fate Tan answered with great enthusiasm.

“...Isn’t that ‘only’ a bit misleading?” Qi Yuan was speechless.

Ten thousand years was “only”?

With that kind of time, he might as well just stay in the Gate of Supreme Truth and ponder the deeper truths of the universe.

After a million years, he’d come out invincible.

Of course, that wasn’t nearly as fun as playing games.

Purple Fate Tan blinked, then added more earnestly, “Blood-Robed, your bloodline is strong, but don’t aim too high too quickly.

“Becoming a Supreme Truth practitioner isn’t so easy.

“However, if you fully master the Ancestral Blood Art, I estimate you’ll be able to reach the Yang God realm within a hundred years.”

Hearing this, Purple Fate Tan’s eyes gleamed with envy.

The creatures of the Black Abyss were born from Creation Treasures, and their cultivation system differed somewhat from the Sixth Heaven’s.

In the eyes of Sixth Heaven cultivators, Black Abyss practitioners becoming Yang Gods seemed almost like a shortcut.

Most other cultivators needed to refine their magical power, strengthen their souls, and comprehend the Dao.

Any one of those tasks could take thousands of years to grasp.

But the Black Abyss bloodline practitioners were different—they only needed to strengthen their bloodline.

Bloodline was everything.

Bloodline could bring everything.

Blood-Robed’s bloodline was clearly much stronger than his own—otherwise, the ancestor wouldn’t have shown such interest.

In truth, Purple Fate Tan’s own bloodline was quite average, even inferior to his daughter, Purple Fate Daxue.

But through perseverance and high insight, he had become the foremost Supreme Truth practitioner under the ancestor’s command.

Naturally, he envied those like Qi Yuan who possessed such powerful bloodlines.

“It sounds like a low return on investment, but I’ll give it a try if I have time,” Qi Yuan said lazily.

After all, reaching the ninth layer allowed him to ask for a favor from the Purple Fate Ancestor.

Not a bad reward.

Purple Fate Tan’s face twitched but he didn’t comment. “This is a message from the Ancestor, and I advise you not to mention it to others. Otherwise, it could arouse jealousy.”

He handed a storage bag to Qi Yuan and offered some words of caution.

After all, being favored by the ancestor could attract unwanted attention from others with ulterior motives.

“To not be envied is a mark of mediocrity,” Qi Yuan responded casually.

After all… he was just having fun.

As long as it didn’t hurt his interests, he would act as he pleased.

Purple Fate Tan chuckled. “As you wish.”

He was only offering advice, after all.

In such cases, the gifts from the ancestor weren’t usually anything too precious—the true treasure lay in the ancestor’s favor.

He wasn’t jealous of what the ancestor gave to Blood-Robed.

“Daxue, take Blood-Robed to his new residence so he can begin his cultivation.”

After speaking, Purple Fate Tan disappeared.

Purple Fate Daxue looked at Qi Yuan with envy. “In my entire life, I’ve only ever received one gift from the Ancestor, and you get one as soon as you arrive. Sigh… Comparing yourself to others really is disheartening…”

“Reminder: you’re not human,” Qi Yuan pointed out her mistake.

With horns on her head, how could she pass herself off as a human?

“I wonder what gift the Ancestor gave you,” Purple Fate Daxue mused, her curiosity piqued. “I wonder if it’s more valuable than a Black Cloud Blood Steed?”

A gift from the Ancestor was sure to be precious, as it would be an insult otherwise.

Of course, it wouldn’t be overly extravagant, either.

Back when Purple Fate Daxue was younger, she had been gifted a divine pet of mythological grade, which had made her the envy of many.

“Let’s head to my new residence first. Didn’t I say I wanted a nice place? Otherwise… I won’t be happy about this,” Qi Yuan reminded her.

“You sure know how to ask for more after getting something. Do you even realize… the Ancestor has appointed you as the top Demon Son of our younger generation?” Purple Fate Daxue said enviously.

“A Demon Son?” Qi Yuan wasn’t fond of that title.

After all, he considered himself to be lawful good.

“Our Purple Fate Heaven originally had four Demon Sons. You’ll be the fifth.

“And now, you’ve already been named the top Demon Son. I’m sure the others won’t be happy,” Purple Fate Daxue said with a smirk.

Laughing and chatting, they arrived at a towering mountain suspended in the sky.

The mountain was desolate, with no buildings or signs of life—just scattered rocks everywhere.

Purple Fate Daxue pointed ahead, hands on her hips. “Look, there it is—your residence… Cool, right?”

Qi Yuan glanced over and was stunned. “Why… does my residence look so strange?”

In front of him was a giant steel ball.

The reason it was described as “giant” was because it was truly massive—larger than the entire Shang Kingdom.

This was supposed to be the cultivation world.

Yet the giant ball was made of steel, giving off a sci-fi, cyberpunk vibe.

“What’s strange about it? This residence is called Yuan Star, and it’s modeled after the stars that illuminate the heavens!” a crisp voice interrupted.

Two young women appeared, one tall, one small.

One had a pink horn tied with a butterfly ribbon, a cute look with her bangs cut straight across her forehead, wearing a light blue dress, and standing daintily.

The other had no horns, with a tall, elegant figure, a cold expression, and wore a deep green dress that clung to her figure. Her chest was half-exposed, revealing a soft, blindingly white expanse of skin. A black ribbon was tied around her smooth thighs. It was the taller one who had spoken.

“These are two other Demon Sons. The cute one is called Purple Fate Xiaolu, and the sexy one is An Xunlu,” Purple Fate Daxue introduced them.

Purple Fate Xiaolu blinked and quickly lowered her head after stealing a glance at Qi Yuan, clearly shy.

An Xunlu, on the other hand, scrutinized Qi Yuan with a sharp, assessing gaze.

But Qi Yuan’s focus was also on An Xunlu.

Not because of her revealing attire—but because her name was all wrong.

It should have been An Xin-Ku (Safety Panties).