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

Led by Purple Fate Xiaolu, Qi Yuan used a teleportation array to return to Purple Fate Heaven.
“The Ancestor Blood Pavilion is where the progress of one’s cultivation in the Ancestor Blood Art is measured. Every day, many people from Purple Fate Heaven come here to assess their progress.

“Even if you have a thin bloodline and are a marginal cultivator, if you manage to reach the sixth layer of the Ancestor Blood Art, you can still become a core figure in Black Abyss.

“That’s why in all of Purple Fate Heaven, and even in Black Abyss itself, every cultivator spends their life cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art,” explained Purple Fate Xiaolu as she and Qi Yuan flew through the sky.

Looking out, endless black mountains and rivers stretched across the landscape, with the occasional town coming into view.

“Reach the sixth layer and you'll go from slave to master?” Qi Yuan said in amazement.

Core figures in Black Abyss enjoyed numerous privileges.

Back in the Fifth Heaven, the informant Qi Yuan had encountered was at the Divine Realm, yet they were still striving to become a core figure of Black Abyss.

Of course, even though Qi Yuan had also reported An Xunlu this time, he considered it a righteous report, so instead of being labeled as a snitch, he liked to think of himself as a justice seeker.

“But we, as demon scions, don’t have such limitations. Beneath the Yang Gods, our status is the highest!” Purple Fate Xiaolu continued explaining with pride.

In Purple Fate Heaven, more than half of the demon scions in every generation successfully entered the Yang God realm.

“If the price is right, we can even ask a Yang God Sovereign to act on our behalf!” There was an excited look on Purple Fate Xiaolu’s face.

Yang God Sovereigns were like towering mountains.

For a Yin God to request the assistance of a Yang God was nearly unthinkable below the Sixth Heaven.

“Oh, with just three words, I can make four thousand Yang Gods spend 30 billion for me!” Qi Yuan responded casually to Xiaolu's excitement.

Purple Fate Xiaolu opened her mouth in surprise, her lips forming an “O” shape like she was holding a drink.

The two of them then landed near the Ancestor Blood Pavilion.

Rather than calling it a pavilion, it was more accurate to call it a small kingdom.

A vast, walled city stretched out for an unknown number of miles, teeming with life. From a glance, there were billions of creatures here.

It was worth noting that all of these beings were cultivators.

Without sufficient space and spiritual energy, progress in cultivation would be slow.

Many of the beings were locals, but the majority had come from various realms under Purple Fate Heaven’s jurisdiction.

Purple Fate Heaven governed a total of six hundred worlds.

Every day, countless cultivators came to test their progress in the Ancestor Blood Art.

It was a sight akin to students in the ancient world flocking to take the imperial exams.

Reaching the first level of the Ancestor Blood Art in your own world was enough to elevate you above ordinary people.

“Black Abyss truly deserves its reputation as a powerhouse of the Sixth Heaven—there are Purple Mansion cultivators everywhere!” Qi Yuan muttered in amazement.

Just a brief scan revealed thousands of cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage.

As someone at the Purple Mansion realm himself, Qi Yuan felt a bit intimidated.

Inside the Ancestor Blood Pavilion, endless lines of cultivators stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Looking down, it resembled a black dragon winding its way through the landscape.

Many of the cultivators appeared anxious, clenching their fists in anticipation.

Some younger ones looked confused or dejected, as if already feeling defeated.

This was perfectly normal.

In their own nation, they might have ranked among the top ten geniuses. In their world, they might have been among the top 300—true prodigies.

But upon arriving at Purple Fate Heaven’s Ancestor Blood Pavilion, they were just another face in the crowd.

Here, the strong were as common as dogs.

Even prodigies had to stand in line with the masses.

Seeing all this, Qi Yuan felt a bit emotional.

In places like this, there really were far too many geniuses.

He thought to himself that if he randomly picked someone from this crowd, they could probably thrash his old senior, Kang Fulu.

It was clear—sometimes where you’re born truly matters.

“How long would I have to wait in line here, until the year of the monkey?” Qi Yuan clicked his tongue.

To be honest, he didn’t want to wait in line.

But, of course, his sense of justice and fairness told him that he should.

This made him feel like he was encountering the horns of a dilemma—like dealing with Bullhorn Sis.

He’d have to comprehend a Supreme Truth to fix this flaw in his thinking.

“Senior Brother Blood Robe, we are demon scions. There’s no need to wait in line. Come with me,” Purple Fate Xiaolu said with a smile.

Qi Yuan blinked.

Was there really such a good deal?

Not having to wait in line lifted his mood.

But... deep down...

Qi Yuan suddenly found himself admiring some of the more adaptable people back on Earth.

People who could easily adjust their principles to suit their interests.

If he could comprehend such a Supreme Truth, wouldn’t that make him invincible?

“Let’s go!” Qi Yuan said softly.

The two of them transformed into streams of light and strode toward the Ancestor Blood Pavilion.

Down below, many cultivators looked up at them with curious expressions.

“How can they fly directly inside?”

“They’re demon scions—the most elite bloodlines in all of Purple Fate Heaven!”

“I never thought I’d live to see a demon scion in person.”

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Qi Yuan and Purple Fate Xiaolu arrived at the Ancestor Blood Pavilion.

As soon as they landed, an old white-haired man hurried over to greet them, his expression full of respect. “Greetings, Demon Scions!”

“Mm, I’m here to measure my progress in the Ancestor Blood Art and convert it into contribution points,” Qi Yuan said straightforwardly, not wanting to waste any time.

The old man hunched over respectfully, “This way, Your Highness.”

Purple Fate Xiaolu didn’t follow them inside.

As Qi Yuan entered the testing area of the Ancestor Blood Pavilion, his expression remained calm, his eyes scanning his surroundings.

Contrary to what he expected, the atmosphere inside wasn’t filled with ethereal mist. Instead, it was dark, somber, and tinged with a blood-red hue.

A massive, blood-red chandelier hung overhead, casting a strange glow.

A river of blood divided the room in two.

In the blood river, Qi Yuan noticed many tiny, insect-like creatures.

These creatures were about the size of bacteria, swarming in dense clusters, appearing almost alive.

“Please infuse the blood spirit aura of your Ancestor Blood Art into the blood river, Your Highness. The blood spirits in the river will sense the quality of your bloodline and determine how many layers you’ve cultivated,” the old man explained quietly, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.

This Demon Scion had only been in Black Abyss for less than half a year.

He’d barely had any time to cultivate the Ancestor Blood Art, and now he was already here for a test.

The old man couldn’t help but feel a mix of awe and humility.

He himself had taken ten long years to finally reach the first layer of the Ancestor Blood Art.

By normal standards, that wasn’t too bad.

But he was just a gatekeeper, while the person in front of him was a demon scion.

This Blood Robe Scion had been cultivating for less than half a year. Could he be at the first layer? The second? Maybe even the legendary third?

The old man pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

Black Sword had taken half a month to reach the third layer and three months to reach the fourth.

That was the fastest record in the history of Black Abyss.

Other than Black Sword, no one had reached the third layer within a year.

Even for a typical demon scion, it took about a year to reach the first layer.

So, the old man estimated that Blood Robe was probably at the first layer, with a small chance of being at the second.

As the old man explained the process, Qi Yuan’s attention was drawn to the strange creatures in the blood river, and a surprised expression appeared in his eyes.

[Intelligent Miniature Detection Insects. Capable of detecting progress in the Ancestor Blood Art. Network connection status: offline.]

His vision allowed him to perceive these blood spirits in a completely different light.

The description seemed almost... sci-fi?

It didn’t quite align with the cultivation path.

But then again, when he thought about it, cultivation and science fiction weren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. In some ways, they were two sides of the same coin.

“Where did this blood river come from?” Qi Yuan asked curiously.

The old man seemed puzzled. “This... old me does not know.”

“Could I have a little bit of it? My place feels kind of empty, no pets around,” Qi Yuan said, holding out his hand, asking for the blood.

This put the old man in an awkward position.

In the end, he gritted his teeth, “Alright, but just a small portion.”

“Thanks! Here’s a ‘Good Person Card’ for you.” Qi Yuan pulled out a card from his pocket, took a brush, and wrote the words “Good Person Card” on it.

“Look, your good person certificate!” he said with a smile.

The old man couldn’t help but chuckle as he accepted the card. “Thank you, Your Highness.”

Perhaps, when this Demon Scion ascended to the Yang God Sovereign level, his ink would become valuable.

With a wave of his hand, the old man scooped some of the blood river into a golden bowl.

The small bowl, though it seemed insignificant, held over ten thousand pounds of blood.

“Will this be enough?” the old man asked cautiously.

He didn’t quite understand why anyone would be interested in this blood river. It had no practical use outside of measuring progress in the Ancestor Blood Art.

“It’s plenty,” Qi Yuan said as he stashed the bowl away.

“Alright, time for the test,” Qi Yuan said, activating his Ancestor Blood Art.

As his mind wandered, he wondered whether he should conceal his true progress.

Most cultivators tended to keep some of their strength hidden.

But then he shook his head.

Conceal it? Why bother?

He was tempted to go directly to the Old Ancestor of Purple Fate Heaven and demand more Ancestor Blood!

He needed to improve his cultivation quickly and strengthen his ability to protect himself.

Without overthinking it, Qi Yuan unleashed his Ancestor Blood Art to its fullest.

The old man watched intently, focusing on the blood river, his eyes filled with anticipation.

After about a single breath, the old man’s eyes lit up. “A single pillar of blood without diminishing. As expected, His Highness has surpassed the first layer and is now breaking into the second.”

Seeing this, the old man was filled with admiration.

The difference between people was truly staggering.

Reaching the second layer in just half a year—this speed was enough to rank him among the top ten fastest in all of Black Abyss.

He felt as if he were witnessing history in the making.

Geniuses truly abounded.

It seemed Purple Fate Heaven was about to produce a true prodigy.

But just as he was marveling, in the next instant, his eyes widened in shock. “There are... three pillars now?!”

Three pillars of blood surged from the blood river.

This Blood Robe Scion... could he really be second only to Black Sword?

In all of Black Abyss, no one besides Black Sword had ever reached the third layer within a year.

It was no wonder there were rumors outside that the Old Ancestor was grooming Blood Robe to challenge Black Sword.

At first, the old man had thought this was nonsense.

To put it bluntly, if ordinary demon scions were once-in-ten-thousand-year geniuses, then Black Sword was a once-in-a-billion-year prodigy.

He believed Blood Robe could surpass other demon scions and even Ice Sword, but reaching Black Sword’s level seemed impossible.

But now...

His breathing became rapid.

The Old Ancestor's insight was truly extraordinary.

And yet, as his breathing quickened, something even more unexpected occurred.

Before his eyes, the blood river began to bubble and surge even higher.

One blood pillar after another shot up.

From three pillars... to four... then five!

The old man stood there, dumbfounded, utterly shocked.

He stared at the blood river in disbelief, his mind in chaos.

“Seven... pillars?!”

His eyes were wide open, his pupils dilated, and his thoughts were in disarray.

Seven pillars?!

This was the seventh layer!

Reaching the seventh layer of the Ancestor Blood Art meant that without any further cultivation, with just enough resources and ten thousand years of time, one would naturally ascend to the Yang God realm.

The seventh layer was a clear dividing line.

Among all the demon scions of the Nine Heavens, only a handful had cultivated the Ancestor Blood Art to the seventh layer.

Now, there was one more.

And these other demon scions had all spent tens of thousands of years cultivating.

But Blood Robe... had done it in half a year?!

The old man was completely dumbfounded. He couldn’t even think straight anymore.

“Stop gasping! It’s getting hot in here. Seven layers, come on, give me my contribution points!” Qi Yuan said, extending his hand.

After all, he still needed those points to attend the Supreme Truth Dao Discussion.

His words snapped the old man back to reality.

This was an unprecedented situation for him.

A cultivator reaching the seventh layer of the Ancestor Blood Art in less than half a year?

It was world-shaking.

It was like hearing that your neighbor had won a trillion-dollar lottery—it was just too absurd to accept.

The old man didn’t dare to question it, but this was something that definitely needed to be reported.

As the keeper of the Ancestor Blood Pavilion, he had privileges that others didn’t—he could transmit information directly to the Old Ancestor.

He hurriedly produced a black incense stick and lit it.

In Black Abyss, black was the color of supreme authority.

Lighting black incense signified that the highest-priority information was being transmitted.

After lighting it, the old man stood there nervously, staring at the seven pillars of blood, his mind still in a daze.

Outside, beyond the heavens, Purple Fate Ancestor was in the middle of refining Black Abyss Ancestor Blood. After a moment, his expression turned grim.

“Sigh, I can’t keep cultivating. My Root Demon Tribulation is approaching. With my current strength, I doubt I can survive the next one.”

For Supreme Truth cultivators, increasing their power meant facing the Root Demon Tribulation.

The tribulation grew stronger each time.

If the Supreme Truth one had grasped was of too low a grade, surviving the tribulation would be incredibly difficult. Many Supreme Truth masters perished in the sea of Root Demons.

In fact, most Supreme Truth Yang Gods didn’t die in battle but fell to the Root Demon Tribulation.

Even some Grand Supreme Truth masters had been killed by the Root Demon Tribulation.

Only those who had mastered the Grand Supreme Truth could face the tribulation without such peril.

“My limit is three tribulations, is it?” Purple Fate Ancestor mused.

He had only survived three Root Demon Tribulations in the Grand Supreme Truth realm.

Among all the Grand Supreme Truth masters, aside from the Great Elder, none had survived four.

“And Linya's Transformation is fast approaching. I’d better stop cultivating. Sigh, being a Grand Supreme Truth master is so difficult,” Purple Fate Ancestor sighed before muttering to himself in frustration, “Why did my stupid brain have to comprehend such a low-grade Supreme Truth?”

Just then, a wisp of black smoke rose in the distance.

Purple Fate Ancestor's attention was drawn toward it.

“A message from the Ancestor Blood Pavilion...”

His thoughts began to race.

“Could it be that a new prodigy has emerged? Or perhaps... Blood Robe has gone for the test?”

After considering it for a moment, he concluded that it was most likely Blood Robe.

His eyes filled with anticipation. “Has he reached the third layer? Maybe even the fourth?”

Purple Fate Ancestor had high hopes for Blood Robe.

Although Black Sword’s bloodline was naturally aligned with the Black Abyss Ancestor Blood, it was understandable if Blood Robe’s progress was slightly slower. As long as the gap wasn’t too large, Purple Fate Ancestor would be satisfied.

He reached out and grasped the black incense.

Then, his eyes twitched.

“Seven layers?!”

For a moment, he was completely stunned.

Three months... and seven layers?

Are you even human?!

Purple Fate Ancestor was certain that Blood Robe had never cultivated the Ancestor Blood Art before.

And yet, in three months, he had reached the seventh layer.

It wasn’t that he was cultivating the Ancestor Blood Art—it was more like the Ancestor Blood Art was begging him to cultivate it!

With a wave of his hand, Purple Fate Ancestor projected an image of the Ancestor Blood Pavilion in front of him.

Seven pillars of blood stood tall, radiating brilliance!

This proved that Blood Robe had truly reached the seventh layer in just three months!

Staring at Qi Yuan, Purple Fate Ancestor was filled with shock before bursting into joy. “To hell with Linya's Transformation! To hell with the Sixth Heaven! I’m done serving them!”

He had something far more important to serve now, after all.

His thoughts racing, the Grand Supreme Truth power within him surged as he moved to cut off this revelation from the heavens.