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

If Qi Yuan’s earlier statements had been dismissed as a joke, now, his sheer confidence and domineering presence caused everyone to take notice.

Of all the prodigies present, not a single one wasn’t in awe of Black Sword.

Even Ice Sword, though he wouldn’t admit it outwardly, had always seen Black Sword as his ultimate goal and had worked tirelessly to catch up to him.

However, the more he chased, the further the gap grew.

But now, what had this Blood Robe said?

That unless Black Sword reached the Grand Supreme Truth realm, he wasn’t qualified to be his target!

Every prodigy’s heart was shaken, and they all turned their gaze toward Qi Yuan, their expressions varied.

Was this Blood Robe provoking Black Sword?

Or perhaps… declaring war on him?

Old stories from Purple Fate Heaven began to resurface in their minds.

Some could almost smell the gunpowder of imminent conflict.

Thinking about how Purple Fate Heaven’s Ancestor had personally gifted Blood Robe the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood, they couldn’t help but overthink.

Black Sword represented the Great Elder of Black Abyss.

Among the Nine Elders, at least half were the disciples of the Great Elder.

The Sixth Elder of Purple Fate Heaven was one of them as well.

However, it was no secret that the Sixth Elder and the Great Elder had their grievances and long-standing disagreements within Black Abyss.

Now, with Blood Robe seemingly challenging Black Sword, many sensed this as an extension of that old conflict between the Sixth Elder and the Great Elder.

But… did Blood Robe truly have the strength to rival Black Sword?

It must be known that a long time ago, a Grand Supreme Truth expert once visited Black Abyss. Upon meeting Black Sword, the expert remarked, "When I was young, I was far inferior to Black Sword."

Of course, none of them knew that Qi Yuan didn’t have such ambitions at all.

People said he wanted to surpass Black Sword, that Black Sword was his target.

In truth, he simply wanted to clear his name. To him, Black Sword wasn’t even worthy of being his goal.

Black Sword’s expression remained unchanged, calm and composed like a blossoming chrysanthemum. “I am merely walking a little ahead of you. There’s no need to set me as your target to surpass.”

It seemed that he hadn’t taken Qi Yuan’s words to heart at all.

An Xunlu looked at Black Sword, her eyes brimming with admiration and starlight. Then, she turned toward Qi Yuan with a face full of disdain. “Look at Brother Black Sword, and then look at yourself. Can’t you see the difference?”

“Huh?” Qi Yuan was confused by An Xunlu’s words. “I see it clearly. He’s not as good-looking as me, that’s the difference.”

“You!” An Xunlu was furious. “What nonsense are you spouting? Brother Black Sword’s talent surpasses yours a hundredfold, and his looks are a hundred times better than yours!”

Qi Yuan couldn’t be bothered to argue with her.

He realized she was just a delusional fangirl.

And Qi Yuan despised fanatics the most. Arguing with a fanatic was pointless; they always made up their own fantasies.

However, Purple Fate Xiaolu, who stood nearby, couldn’t help but retort, “Clearly, Senior Brother Blood Robe looks better than Senior Brother Black Sword…”

“Purple Fate Xiaolu, are you blind!?” An Xunlu was shocked that this usually shy person would dare to talk back to her.

“My eyes are perfectly fine. Senior Brother Blood Robe is clearly better looking!” Purple Fate Xiaolu’s face turned red. Arguing clearly wasn’t her strong suit.

“Hmph!” An Xunlu quickly shifted the topic, though she had to admit that Blood Robe was indeed better looking than Brother Black Sword. “But Brother Black Sword is a Yang God Tianzun, the number one prodigy of Black Abyss, and his talent far surpasses Blood Robe!”

“Senior Brother Blood Robe just started cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art later. If he’s given enough time, surpassing Black Sword will be no problem!” Purple Fate Xiaolu argued confidently.

Qi Yuan was stunned as he watched this unfold.

Was Purple Fate Xiaolu… his fangirl?

Suddenly, Qi Yuan realized he had been biased, viewing a particular group with tinted glasses.

Even among fanatics, there were good ones too.

The two girls kept arguing non-stop.

At this moment, Black Sword spoke up, his voice calm. “There is one more thing to announce.

The Supreme Truth Dao Discussion will begin soon. There are thirty spots for the younger generation to attend as spectators.

These spots will be allocated based on contribution to Black Abyss.”

Upon hearing this, the prodigies’ faces changed drastically, and their breathing quickened.

The Supreme Truth Dao Discussion was one of the most important events in the Sixth Heaven.

When the time came, any Yang God or force that received an invitation would attend the Dao Discussion.

That was where Yang Gods discussed the Supreme Truths!

For prodigies like them, the benefits were immense. It could lay the foundation for their future paths.

A single moment of insight could save them tens of thousands of years of cultivation.

However, ordinary cultivators had no chance of attending.

Even regular Yang Gods wouldn’t be eligible without contributing significantly to the Dao Discussion.

Only top-tier sacred grounds like Black Abyss had more spots, allowing even the younger generation to attend.

“Contributions… Looks like we’ll have to stop cultivating and start doing missions!”

“Damn it! I haven’t done a mission in years!”

“There’s less than a year until the Dao Discussion. How many contributions can we even earn?”

The prodigies’ faces grew serious, a mix of joy and anxiety.

There were two ways to earn contribution points: completing missions or advancing in the Ancestor Blood Art.

The higher one’s cultivation in the Ancestor Blood Art, the more contribution points they would earn.

For example, Ice Sword had already reached the eighth level of the Ancestor Blood Art.

Just from that alone, the contribution points he could exchange were more than enough to secure him a spot at the Dao Discussion.

As the lecture ended, everyone slowly dispersed.

Purple Fate Xiaolu’s face was still red. It was clear she wasn’t used to arguing and felt awkward about it.

Every now and then, she furrowed her brow, as if replaying the argument in her mind, thinking about how she could have improved.

Meanwhile, An Xunlu, not far away, suddenly attacked with a sneer, “Senior Brother Blood Robe has only just arrived at Purple Fate Heaven, and he’s only just started cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art. He hasn’t done any missions either. Looks like he’ll miss the Dao Discussion this time. Such a pity!”

Qi Yuan didn’t feel anything from her words.

Even if he didn’t qualify, he still had Majue’s invitation.

When the time came, he could just pretend to be Majue and attend.

However, An Xunlu’s smugness didn’t sit well with Purple Fate Xiaolu, who simply turned her head away in defiance.

She refused to listen to negative comments.

An Xunlu, feeling victorious, strutted off toward the mountaintop to meet Black Sword.

Purple Fate Xiaolu looked worried.

She waved her hand, revealing a list of missions.

She examined the list, her expression growing more concerned.

“Senior Brother Blood Robe, these missions don’t give many contribution points, and they take too much time. You…”

She was genuinely worried for Qi Yuan.

After all, Senior Brother Blood Robe’s talent was terrifying, but if he missed the Dao Discussion, it would be a huge loss.

The gap between him and Black Sword would only grow larger.

“Don’t worry about it,” Qi Yuan said lazily, glancing at the mission list. Then, he suddenly asked, “Can contribution points be exchanged for Black Abyss Ancestor Blood?”

He noticed that many of the missions were related to the Molo Clan.

Recently, the Molo Clan had stopped paying tribute, causing quite a stir in Black Abyss.

Many new missions were related to this.

If he wanted to complete them, it would be a breeze.

For example, one mission required traveling to the Fifth Heaven to negotiate with the Molo Clan and demand at least one hundred portions of Miluo Light as tribute.

These tasks were right up his alley.

“No, they can’t,” Purple Fate Xiaolu shook her head, looking troubled.

The Black Abyss Ancestor Blood was far too valuable. Aside from Grand Supreme Truths, there was almost no way to obtain it.

Seeing Qi Yuan eyeing the Molo Clan missions, she had a sudden realization. “Could Senior Brother Blood Robe resolve these Molo Clan tasks?”

Senior Brother Blood Robe came from the Abyss, so he might have close ties with the Molo Clan.

And from the way he was asking, it seemed like he was confident in handling the Molo Clan’s missions.

“I can handle it,” Qi Yuan said honestly.

Purple Fate Xiaolu’s eyes lit up. “Senior Brother Blood Robe, you’re amazing! Why don’t you take on these missions? If you complete them, you should have enough contribution points to attend the Dao Discussion.”

“I’m not completing them,” Qi Yuan shook his head.

What, did she think he was stupid?

Why would he do these missions?

Completing them would indeed earn him contribution points, but… he’d be at a loss.

These missions mostly required the Molo Clan to pay tribute.

The Molo Clan was his! Asking them to pay tribute to Black Abyss in exchange for a measly amount of contribution points?

Was he out of his mind?

“Huh?” Purple Fate Xiaolu was confused.

“Don’t worry, Pink Horned Girl. I have my own plan for contribution points,” Qi Yuan said confidently.

He didn’t need to do any tasks to get contribution points.

He could just advance in the Ancestor Blood Art.

“How many levels of the Ancestor Blood Art would be enough to exchange for a spot at the Dao Discussion?” Qi Yuan asked.

“Six levels would give you a chance… but to be safe, it should be at least seven,” Purple Fate Xiaolu replied, starting to understand Qi Yuan’s thinking, though she thought it was a bit far-fetched.

Still, she didn’t question him further and simply gave her answer.

“Ah, it’ll be done tonight,” Qi Yuan said with a smile.

This Dao Discussion, he planned to attend both as Majue and as Blood Robe.

After all, he had powerful backing now.

With a Grand Supreme Truth supporting him, getting things done was much easier.

“Huh?” Purple Fate Xiaolu blinked in confusion, unsure of what Qi Yuan meant.

But being shy as she was, she didn’t ask.

"Where can I get the Ancestor Blood Art level checked in Purple Fate Heaven? I want to check my progress and exchange for contribution points."

Hearing this, Purple Fate Xiaolu’s eyes widened, and her breathing quickened slightly.

Senior Brother Blood Robe was going to exchange his Ancestor Blood Art progress for contribution points?

Did that mean… he had already reached the first, second, or maybe even the third level?

The fastest record for cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art was set by Black Sword—half a month to reach the third level, and three months to reach the fourth.

He was far ahead of everyone else.

It had taken her a whole year just to reach the first level.

"Alright!" she said, her tone filled with admiration.

...

At the peak of the mountain, Black Sword, dressed in white robes, radiated elegance and majesty.

Standing beside him was a Yang God in the Great Heaven stage, with a smile on his face. 'That Blood Robe... he's a bit too arrogant,' the man said, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.

Black Sword, hearing this, remained calm and indifferent. 'He has his own goals. There’s nothing wrong with him not seeing me as his target.'

'Sigh, you... you're just too generous and kind,' the Yang God lamented.

The more he understood Black Sword, the more terrifying he realized Black Sword's talent was.

'If he doesn’t see me as a goal, it's just like how I never pay attention to the struggling practitioners below me on the path. It’s nothing of significance,' Black Sword said flatly.

And what he said was the truth.

He wasn’t afraid of challenges from his peers—he didn’t even acknowledge them.

Anyone who lagged behind him would only fall further and further behind, as his sights were always set on the Star Realm and the Grand Supreme Truth masters at its pinnacle.

As for those struggling to catch up behind him, why would he ever turn around to look at them?

'The rise of Black Abyss depends on you,' the Yang God said, full of admiration. 'The others are just passing clouds.'

While other prodigies of the same generation were still striving to break through to the Yang God stage, Black Sword had already become a distinguished guest of Yang Gods in the Great Heaven stage and could even engage in discussions on Supreme Truths.

'That Blood Robe has earned the favor of the Sixth Elder, so his talent is likely extraordinary as well. He might even become a Grand Supreme Truth master someday. Perhaps you should put him through some trials now, sharpen him into a useful sword,' the Yang God advised.

He respected Black Sword deeply but also harbored envy and jealousy. His suggestion was born from a desire to ingratiate himself with Black Sword.

'Thank you for your advice,' Black Sword responded with his usual calm demeanor.

But he didn’t take the words to heart.

I am invincible. Why would I need another sharp sword?

'An Xunlu is coming. I’ll take my leave...' The Yang God smiled and vanished from sight.

The moment he disappeared, a voice filled with eagerness rang out. 'Brother Black Sword!'

An Xunlu rushed over, her face full of unabashed adoration.

'Hmm, how is your cultivation progressing lately?' Black Sword was kind, and he treated An Xunlu with warmth.

An Xunlu’s heart swelled with happiness, and the arrogance and coldness she had displayed toward Qi Yuan vanished, replaced by a gentle, ladylike demeanor.

'Ancestor Blood Art is still at the fifth level,' An Xunlu said with a hint of frustration.

'The cultivation of the Ancestor Blood Art relies on bloodline, and in this matter, there’s not much I can do to help you.'

'I understand. I’ll keep working hard,' An Xunlu said, though the thought of something made her frown as she continued. 'But the Ancestor was too unfair, giving the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood to Blood Robe instead of you, Brother Black Sword!'

Mentioning this, she was filled with anger.

It had once been said by the Ancestors that Black Sword would be gifted Black Abyss Ancestor Blood when he reached the Supreme Truth realm.

But Blood Robe, who had just joined Black Abyss, was already granted this precious treasure.

Naturally, she felt this was unjust and resented it on behalf of Black Sword.

'It’s fine. The Black Abyss Ancestor Blood doesn’t help me much. Whether I have it or not doesn’t really matter,' Black Sword said nonchalantly. 'I can rely on myself.'

His bloodline was already closely linked to the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood.

In truth, the blood flowing through his veins was practically Black Abyss Ancestor Blood.

By cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art, it was as if he was constantly being nourished by Black Abyss Ancestor Blood.

This wasn’t cheating; it was simply a part of his innate bloodline talent.

Therefore, the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood had little value to him at this stage.

However, once he reached the Supreme Truth realm, that would change.

'But it's so unfair!' An Xunlu was still indignant on his behalf.

Black Sword smiled and gently stroked her hair. 'Don’t think too much about it. Focus on accumulating your contributions. Don’t you want to attend the Supreme Truth Dao Discussion?'

At his words, An Xunlu nodded eagerly. 'I’ll work hard!'

'And don’t worry about me. There’s no need to feel threatened by this Blood Robe,' Black Sword said, his voice calm. 'Everything I have in Black Abyss, I earned with my own hands. No one can take that away.'

Black Sword had complete confidence in himself.

Blood Robe didn’t consider him a target to surpass, but from Black Sword’s perspective, he hadn’t even noticed Blood Robe behind him.

His focus had always been on Linya's Transformation.

In Linya's Transformation, even Yang Gods were merely pawns, their fates controlled by others.

Even Supreme Truth realm Yang Gods were nothing more than bigger pawns.

Only those who mastered the Grand Supreme Truth could be considered true players on the chessboard.

Black Abyss had cultivated him to step onto the chessboard, to become a player and look after Black Abyss within Linya's Transformation.

But his ambitions surpassed Black Abyss itself. He didn’t just want to be a player; he wanted to be the strongest player!

The one who dominated the game of the Sixth Heaven!

As for Blood Robe… he wasn’t even a large pawn yet.

Why would Black Sword care?

Looking at the confident and gentle Black Sword, An Xunlu’s eyes were filled with adoration and admiration.

'Brother Black Sword...'