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

Ice Sword’s tone was full of bitterness, and the resentment behind his words was as clear as day.

Once, he was the number one prodigy of the Black Abyss.

But after Black Sword arrived, he was relegated to second place.

Black Sword’s talent was extraordinarily strong, and he had already stepped into the realm of Yang God Tianzun.

Ice Sword knew he couldn’t compare.

But… what was the deal with this Blood Robe?

Not only did this newcomer suddenly show up, but the Ancestor of Purple Fate Heaven directly gifted him Black Abyss Ancestor Blood.

How could Ice Sword possibly reconcile with that?

The surrounding prodigies, hearing Ice Sword’s complaint, all had complicated expressions.

“If Black Sword got the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood, we’d all accept it without question.”

“But this guy, who’s only been in the Black Abyss for less than a year, somehow qualifies to get Black Abyss Ancestor Blood. It’s just…”

The crowd of prodigies whispered among themselves.

Ice Sword’s face darkened, and the cold aura around him grew even more intense.

He even thought about questioning his own Ancestor—why not give him Black Abyss Ancestor Blood?

Of course, it was only a thought.

After all, the Ancestor was a Supreme Truth realm powerhouse.

Ice Sword wasn’t even qualified to meet him easily, let alone demand anything from him.

He wasn’t like Purple Fate Daxue, who was a direct descendant of the Purple Fate Ancestor.

At that moment, Qi Yuan and Purple Fate Xiaolu arrived, landing among the crowd.

Instantly, countless eyes fell upon them—curiosity, envy, jealousy, and desire filled their gazes.

Qi Yuan noticed this and quietly sent a message to Purple Fate Xiaolu, “There are too many thirsty guys and girls here in the Black Abyss. We’re dressed super conservatively, not showing any skin, yet they’re all staring at us!”

Purple Fate Xiaolu’s toes curled slightly, her hands gripping the edges of her skirt as her face flushed red.

She wanted to tell Qi Yuan that they weren’t staring at her—they were staring at him.

“Stop staring at the girl already. Can’t you see Purple Fate Xiaolu is shy, clutching her hands?”

“And stop staring at me! I’m socially anxious. If I get mad, I might hit you right in the nose!”

“If you keep this up, I might accuse you of secretly photographing us and harassment!”

Finally, the brave Qi Yuan stepped forward. He overcame his social anxiety, meeting the eyes of the crowd head-on.

The surrounding prodigies were left baffled by his words.

Qi Yuan’s speech left them somewhat confused.

At this moment, Purple Fate Daxue burst into laughter. “If you’re going to stare at someone, at least stare at An Xunlu. She’s dressed skimpier!”

An Xunlu’s expression didn’t change at all. To her, the body was nothing more than a smelly skin bag—the soul was what truly mattered.

“Big Horn Sister, people have the freedom to dress as they like. Whether An Xunlu dresses provocatively or not, we shouldn’t stare at her!” Qi Yuan said.

“Hmph, you’re the one who always talks about freedom of speech, and now you’re trying to shut me up?” Purple Fate Daxue replied smugly.

This left Qi Yuan at a loss for words.

It felt as though his entire worldview had crumbled.

Whenever he argued with Big Horn Sister, she always found a flaw in his logic.

With Qi Yuan’s intelligence, he could easily refute her if he tried.

But Qi Yuan wasn’t good at speaking. It was normal for someone as socially anxious and introverted as him to avoid loud arguments, right?

Most importantly… he didn’t feel like thinking.

Using his brain to win an argument was more effort than just using his fists.

So, Qi Yuan remained silent, reflecting on his shortcomings.

He realized he often contradicted himself. How should he fix this?

“I need to comprehend a Supreme Truth to cover this shortcoming!”

“That way, next time I face Big Horn Sister… I won’t need to think and can still win!”

Qi Yuan thought seriously.

He’d save the brainpower for important occasions, like a Supreme Truth debate.

Otherwise, thinking too much would be exhausting. He needed to conserve his mental energy.

Just then, Ice Sword’s sharp gaze landed on Qi Yuan, as if trying to see what made him so special that the Ancestor had given him Black Abyss Ancestor Blood.

However, at that moment, a vast voice resounded from the sky.

“Silence!”

“Listen!”

The sky above Black Abyss Heaven darkened in an instant, becoming pitch black.

On the peak of the mountain appeared a man in white robes, his clothes fluttering in the wind. His face was as fair as jade, and his demeanor was elegant and refined.

In stark contrast to the gloomy tones of Black Abyss Heaven, this man was clad entirely in white, like a warm beam of light.

“Greetings, Senior Brother Black Sword!”

All the prodigies, including Ice Sword, bowed their heads, looking up in awe at the man on the mountain peak, who was as graceful as a jade deity.

Qi Yuan, used to being an actor, bowed slightly as well.

“Today, I shall be your lecturer,” Black Sword said as he sat atop the peak, his aura ethereal, like an otherworldly immortal.

An Xunlu gazed at Black Sword, her eyes filled with admiration and reverence.

Even the other prodigies, no matter how prideful they were, displayed respect and awe in the presence of Black Sword.

Their reverence came from two things. First, Black Sword was incredibly powerful, a Yang God Tianzun.

Second, Black Sword’s talent was so great that even the Nine Elders of the Black Abyss felt inferior.

“Thank you, Senior Brother!”

Nearly a thousand prodigies echoed in unison, sitting down to listen.

All previous disputes and small thoughts vanished the moment Black Sword arrived.

“Today’s lecture is on the Yang God,” Black Sword’s voice was gentle, like a spring breeze.

Qi Yuan, sitting beside Purple Fate Xiaolu, seemed somewhat inattentive.

He quietly transmitted his thoughts to her.

“This is beyond me. I’d rather hear about the Yin God instead.”

Qi Yuan was only at the Purple Mansion level. To put it in Earth terms, he was still in middle school. Listening to university-level advanced mathematics was definitely too much.

Purple Fate Xiaolu whispered back, “Senior Brother, your talent is so extraordinary, you don’t need to listen to this.”

Her gaze toward Qi Yuan was filled with admiration.

“I’m not someone who shuts myself off. It’s good to hear different perspectives, open up the mind,” Qi Yuan replied.

“Senior Brother, I have some questions on the path of cultivation. When you have time, could you guide me?” Purple Fate Xiaolu blinked expectantly.

“Hmm… sure, no problem.” Qi Yuan agreed right away.

Teaching someone how to cultivate? That’s easy.

Besides, he had plenty of clever ideas and insights.

“Thank you, Senior Brother.” Purple Fate Xiaolu smiled sweetly.

At this point, Black Sword began his lecture.

“The starry sky is devoid of stars; the heavens and earth are shrouded in darkness—this is yin.

In ancient times, great beings discovered light in the void and roamed through yin and yang, imitating the stars. They ascended to divine thrones, creating star projections that illuminated the heavens, allowing the world to see the sun…”

“The path of the Yang God involves capturing the purest yang energy of heaven and earth, fusing it with oneself to forge an indestructible, eternal soul.”

Black Sword was teaching the purest Yang God path from the Sixth Heaven.

To become a Yang God, one must create a star projection that illuminates all realms.

For these prodigies, the most challenging part was creating a star projection.

To forge such a projection, one had to capture the pure yang light from beyond the heavens and temper it.

However, the pure yang light in the Sixth Heaven was nearly depleted. Only the most powerful factions still had some stored away.

Alternatively, it could still be found in certain mysterious locations.

Black Sword continued to explain how to capture the heavenly yang light, where it was most easily found, and how to make it easier to harness.

The gathered prodigies listened intently, utterly captivated.

But Qi Yuan, hearing all this, looked puzzled.

“Today’s lesson ends here. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask me,” Black Sword concluded.

He sat on the peak, his demeanor refined, his white robes otherworldly.

Many prodigies eagerly asked their questions.

Black Sword answered each one meticulously, without the slightest hint of arrogance, despite being a Yang God.

At that moment, Qi Yuan suddenly stood up and asked a question.

“Must the path of the Yang God be followed in this way?”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Qi Yuan in surprise and curiosity.

After all, while Ice Sword wasn’t happy with Blood Robe, the fact that the Ancestor of Purple Fate Heaven favored Blood Robe so much showed that Blood Robe’s talent might be second only to Black Sword.

His question might provide unique insights.

Everyone listened closely, hoping to gain something from the debate between these two prodigies.

“I have a bold idea: capturing yang light is too slow.

Why not go straight to the source and capture an entire star from another universe to refine?

Wouldn’t such a Yang God be far more powerful?” Qi Yuan voiced his question.

Immediately, the prodigies’ faces twitched.

At first, they thought Blood Robe would say something profound and groundbreaking.

But this… was just too outlandish!

Did that even need to be asked?

Leaving aside the question of how one would travel to another universe to find a real star, who among them could actually refine an entire star?

Yes, Yang Gods were strong enough to destroy a star with a single strike.

But they were only Yin Gods—far from that level of power.

Blood Robe’s suggestion had a peculiar charm, akin to someone saying:

“Want to earn a million a year? Just deposit sixty million in the bank.”

“The path of the Yang God stems from the wisdom of our ancestors, though there may be other methods,” Black Sword patiently explained, without dismissing Qi Yuan’s wild suggestion. “However, one must proceed with caution. A true star is far too powerful for a Yin God to refine. Attempting it would likely lead to the destruction of one’s soul.”

Black Sword’s answer was simple: it might be possible, but it was far too dangerous, and not recommended.

Qi Yuan heard this and thought it made sense.

Yin Gods were so weak that they couldn’t even swallow a star.

Refining a star was just a pipe dream!

So the path of the Yang God had to be taken step by step—capturing the heavenly yang light and gradually refining it into a star projection.

However, at that moment, a sudden flash of insight struck Qi Yuan, and his face turned deathly pale.

Purple Fate Xiaolu immediately grew worried. “Senior Brother, what’s wrong?”

“I think I’m going to die.”

Qi Yuan was deeply troubled.

Because… he had already refined an actual sun into a golden core.

According to conventional logic, shouldn’t he already be dead?

After all, Yin Gods who refined real stars would die.

The path he had taken was wrong.

Could it be that he was already dead?

Was everything now just a dying fantasy?

“Senior Brother, what’s going on?” Purple Fate Xiaolu asked anxiously.

“Bring your face closer. Let me pinch it,” Qi Yuan said, his expression dark.

“Uh?” Purple Fate Xiaolu was confused but obediently leaned in.

Qi Yuan gave her a gentle pinch and asked seriously, “Did it hurt?”

“N-no, not really…” Purple Fate Xiaolu replied shyly.

It did hurt a little, but she didn’t want to admit it and make her Senior Brother feel bad.

“You felt no pain? Could this all be an illusion? Am I just imagining this?” Qi Yuan’s mind was in turmoil.

He didn’t dare pinch himself because he was afraid of pain.

Seeing Qi Yuan’s distressed state, Purple Fate Xiaolu grew even more concerned. “It did hurt a little, just a tiny bit.”

She didn’t want to hide anything from her Senior Brother anymore. Honesty seemed the best approach.

“It hurt?” Qi Yuan’s eyes lit up. “So this isn’t an illusion after all. But then…”

He was still confused.

Why hadn’t he died?

Yin Gods who swallowed stars were supposed to die.

Suddenly, a thought dawned on him, and he realized the truth.

“Yin Gods die from swallowing stars, but what does that have to do with someone at the Foundation Establishment level?”

Right!

He had refined the sun into a golden core back when he was at the Foundation Establishment stage.

So, it was fine.

Everything was just his overactive imagination scaring him.

Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he had narrowly escaped death.

This also reminded him of his earlier conversation with Purple Fate Daxue.

His cultivation path had some serious flaws!

He needed to comprehend a Supreme Truth to fix this issue.

At that moment, Black Sword noticed Qi Yuan’s unusual behavior and asked, “Blood Robe, is something troubling you?”

After all, Qi Yuan had been acting strangely after asking his question, drawing a lot of attention.

Qi Yuan felt a bit embarrassed.

He couldn’t very well tell them that he’d almost thought himself to death, right?

Suddenly, an idea came to him. “Senior Brother Black Sword, I’d like to report something!”

Although Qi Yuan didn’t like tattletales, he supported the idea of open and righteous reporting.

This made Qi Yuan feel quite conflicted.

His words left the other prodigies puzzled.

This Blood Robe… really was more like a Purple Fate Heaven person than the actual Purple Fate Heaven people!

“What do you want to report?” Black Sword asked.

“I’d like to report An Xunlu. She’s been trying to sow discord between us, insisting that I’ll never surpass you and that I’m targeting you as my rival,” Qi Yuan said seriously.

The entire crowd fell into a stunned silence.

Moments later, Purple Fate Daxue’s goose-like laughter echoed across the peak.

“Hahaha…”

An Xunlu’s eyes widened in disbelief, while the other prodigies barely managed to contain their laughter.

Those words… sounded exactly like something An Xunlu would say.

Ice Sword, sitting off to the side, also remembered when An Xunlu had said similar things to him.

Back then, he had been furious but powerless.

Now, seeing Qi Yuan expose this in front of everyone, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

At the same time, his wariness toward Qi Yuan increased.

Initially, Ice Sword had planned to challenge Blood Robe, hoping to prove that he, not Qi Yuan, was second only to Black Sword.

But now… with how shameless Blood Robe was, how could Ice Sword dare challenge him?

What if, during the challenge, he said something inappropriate and Qi Yuan exaggerated it, telling everyone? How would Ice Sword save face?

Staying near Blood Robe would only bring misfortune.

Ice Sword came to this conclusion.

In the future, he would stay as far away from Blood Robe as possible!

The other prodigies, too, looked at Qi Yuan with distaste.

This guy really would say anything!

At first, there had been rumors that Qi Yuan went around asking if the Ancestor was his long-lost grandson. They hadn’t believed it.

But now… they believed it.

“Blood Robe… stop making things up!” An Xunlu’s chest heaved with anger, her voice trembling.

“I’m not making it up. I even recorded it as evidence.” Qi Yuan took out a recording stone.

“Black Sword, this An Xunlu is clearly a manipulative woman, always trying to drive a wedge between us. You should stay away from her.

Don’t let her swindle you out of your wealth and your looks. As a man, you have to be cautious in the outside world.”

Qi Yuan, full of righteous indignation, exposed the harsh truth.

“Brother Black Sword, I didn’t say anything like that!” Tears welled up in An Xunlu’s eyes.

Black Sword, standing atop the mountain, remained calm.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan continued, “Isn’t it just typical manipulative behavior? When her lies get exposed, she starts playing the victim.

Let me make it clear: I have never viewed Black Sword as a rival, nor have I ever tried to surpass him.”

An Xunlu glared at him, her gaze as sharp as a sword. She gritted her teeth. “You’re just afraid to compete with Brother Black Sword!”

“There she goes, spreading rumors again,” Qi Yuan said lazily.

“Black Sword may become a Supreme Truth one day, but I’ll only consider him a target to surpass after he reaches that realm. Right now… he’s not quite worthy yet.”

Qi Yuan’s voice was calm, but in that moment, it stirred a storm in everyone’s hearts.