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

"Didn’t the old man say that you were feeling guilty, filled with sorrow?" Qi Yuan kept his distance from Sister Bullhorn, worried that if he got too close, the mushrooms from her mouth might end up in his.

"Yes, didn’t you see me washing my face with tears?" Sister Bullhorn was clearly happy to see Qi Yuan.

"Tears? From your mouth?" Qi Yuan was at a loss for words.

Sister Bullhorn was indeed "crying" with tears running down her face, but they were flowing from her mouth.

To the untrained eye, it might appear to be drool, but in fact, it was tears.

"Is there a rule that tears can only flow from the eyes?" Purple Fate Xue asked thoughtfully.

This question stumped Qi Yuan once again.

He felt like the phrase was oddly familiar, as if he had said it before himself.

He suspected that Purple Fate Xue was copying him, but he had no proof.

"Do you want some mushrooms? Fresh from the oven!" Purple Fate Xue picked up a mushroom and offered it to Qi Yuan.

"No thanks, I don’t eat imported mushrooms, nor ‘mouth mushrooms’." Qi Yuan refused quickly.

"Are you disgusted by me?" Purple Fate Xue’s eyes widened in mock surprise.

"Hehe, you figured it out?" Qi Yuan chuckled.

"You... sigh, you have no idea how lucky you are to find a woman who’s self-reliant and self-sustaining," Purple Fate Xue lamented dramatically.

"I’d rather find a tree; at least it can photosynthesize."

Hearing this, Purple Fate Xue thought for a moment.

Then she asked, "So, you survived an attack from a Yang God of Ghost Heaven? Impressive. I was almost preparing to attend your funeral."

In Purple Fate Xue’s view, Blood Robe was only a Yin God. Surviving an assassination attempt by a Yang God seemed impossible.

"This time, Ghost Heaven not only went after Black Sword but also targeted you. It seems they’ve made up their mind to declare war on us, the Black Demon Abyss!" Purple Fate Xue added, her tone becoming more serious.

With Lynia's Transformation approaching, the situation in the Six Heavens was becoming increasingly complex.

"War?" Qi Yuan’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

His Human Emperor Banner was in need of some good fertilizer!

And what better fertilizer than the myriad soul banners of Ghost Heaven—especially the Ten Thousand Souls Banner wielded by the flag master?

"Yes," Purple Fate Xue nodded. "With Black Sword and you being attacked, if we in Black Demon Abyss don’t respond, we’ll be looked down upon."

Qi Yuan nodded thoughtfully. "Sigh, I guess I was being too tactful before."

When he had met with Purple Fate Ancestor, Qi Yuan had been very tactful and didn’t mention too much about the attack from Ghost Heaven.

After all, the flag master of Ghost Heaven was considered part of the second echelon of Great Supreme Truth practitioners, and he was extremely powerful.

Qi Yuan feared that if he mentioned it, Purple Fate Ancestor might act out of filial devotion and rush to avenge him. That would be a problem.

Sometimes, it’s better to feign ignorance.

"It seems war is imminent. Do you want to join the battlefield?" Purple Fate Xue asked. "There’s bound to be plenty of military merit."

"I’ll think about it." Qi Yuan nodded.

He didn’t care about military merit but was very interested in strengthening his Human Emperor Banner.

He couldn’t yet defeat the true Ten Thousand Souls Banner, but if he absorbed the myriad soul banners from the disciples, continually refining them and nurturing them with his power, the Ten Thousand Souls Banner wouldn’t dare defy him.

He was the true master, after all.

At present, Qi Yuan was quite poor and lacked a powerful offensive divine treasure.

Even though Purple Fate Ancestor was incredibly filial, it was clear that he was also poor and couldn’t offer Qi Yuan a proper offensive divine artifact.

"When the time comes, let’s team up. Sister and Little Purple Fate will avenge you!" Purple Fate Xue said confidently, looking rather pleased with herself. "I guess I won’t be stepping into the Yang God realm anytime soon. With my current strength, I can protect you on the battlefield!"

Purple Fate Xue patted her chest as she spoke, creating an exaggerated and seductive curve. However, when combined with her constant spitting of mushrooms from her mouth, any semblance of allure vanished.

"What’s the matter? Can’t look at me? Afraid of falling in love?" Purple Fate Xue teased with a wide grin. She sat with her legs crossed, her snow-white thighs provocatively exposed beneath her skirt.

"No, I just don’t want to ‘condense’ you!" Qi Yuan replied tactfully, understanding that while Sister Bullhorn didn’t mind, he preferred to be respectful.

After all, staring too much could be seen as harassment.

And if he let his thoughts wander, that would be even worse—it could land him in serious trouble.

Back in his cave, Qi Yuan reactivated the protective formations.

The image of Linglong Yuxi appeared before him.

A graceful silhouette entered Qi Yuan’s sight.

Jin Li was wearing an elegant orange-yellow palace gown. The bright color didn’t quite match her usually cool demeanor, giving her a warm and inviting look.

The gown was exquisitely tailored, perfectly accentuating her slender and graceful figure.

The slightly open neckline revealed her smooth, snow-white skin, like polished jade, enticing anyone to reach out and touch it.

Her cold, beautiful face held subtle hints of allure, especially in her eyes.

Previously, Jin Li had always dressed in simple, understated clothing. But since reuniting with Qi Yuan, her wardrobe had gained more color and liveliness.

"I’ve got good news: Celestial Moonflower has agreed. You won’t have to give up your identity as a Moon Maiden. We’ll choose an auspicious day, and I’ll come to marry you. What day do you think would be good?" Qi Yuan asked, smiling brightly as he admired Jin Li’s beauty.

Hearing this, Jin Li’s eyes lit up with joy. "I will follow your instructions."

"Looks like we need to pick a good day," Qi Yuan mused.

When they’d had their wedding in the game, hardly any friends or relatives had attended.

This time, he could invite many friends.

Qi Yuan even considered whether to hold a makeup wedding for Ning Tao and Canary from Stellar Golden Core.

But that was just a passing thought.

He had suggested it before, but both Ning Tao and Canary had declined.

"I’m fine with any time," Jin Li said softly, looking a bit reserved.

Qi Yuan noted that Jin Li was often more reserved when they talked online, but in person, she became much more passionate.

Back when they had met at Moon God Palace, Jin Li had almost overpowered him.

Since they weren’t married at the time, they hadn’t gone all the way, but Jin Li had been quite proactive. Despite her usually cold demeanor, she could become quite seductive, and it almost made Qi Yuan lose his composure.

Yes, the offline version of Jin Li had a slightly naughty side when they were alone, though it was mostly driven by her deep love and longing after all those years apart.

And Qi Yuan wasn’t exactly shy about his desires either.

Since lust is harmful to the body, Qi Yuan had long since decided to avoid alcohol.

Seeing Jin Li now, so composed and dignified, Qi Yuan couldn’t help but ask, "Can I see your legs?"

A blush quickly spread across her face. She bit her lip and slowly raised her skirt, revealing her smooth, jade-like feet and snow-white calves, exuding a myriad of allure...

"Do you like them?" Jin Li’s voice trembled, her eyes full of shy seduction.

"Blue Star people never lie to immortals—I love them."

"Next time... I’ll meet you just like this."

"If you show up like that, I won’t be getting any sleep."

...

The Human Emperor Banner trembled.

Qi Yuan began to reflect.

"All creatures in this world have two sides, or perhaps they’re just... complex."

"Once, he was a regular cultivator, a prodigy in his world, almost perfect, except for a minor quirk of scratching his feet—a beacon of hope in his small world."

"But one day, the cultivators from Ghost Heaven descended and wiped out his world."

"He transformed from a prodigy into a malevolent soul envoy. But after my righteous reformation, he became a good ghost who helps elderly women tuck themselves into bed!"

Qi Yuan was crafting his own scripture, the Qi Yuan Sutra, as he sought to walk the path of the Yin God.

During the Supreme Truth Debate, he had gained valuable insights.

"The path of the Yin God lies in divinity. To become a god, one must see through everything in the world. Maybe... even master a craft? Like creating worlds?

That way, even if I get laid off by some shady factory, I’ll still have the skills to find a new job."

"But before that, I need to understand human nature, the nature of all things... and comprehend the hearts of all beings."

As the saying goes, having a stable monthly income of three thousand is better than a volatile income of one hundred thousand. But having a skill is even better.

To become a god, one must have a craft.

To create a world, one must understand the hearts of all beings.

Take Jin Li, for instance. To others, she seemed cold and aloof, but to Qi Yuan, she was as warm as fire, eager to embrace him and merge their bodies into one.

That side of her was just another facet of the nature of all beings.

"So, in the next chapter of the Qi Yuan Sutra, I’ll draw on my insights from the Realm of Mortal Hearts: ‘All beings are me!’"

With that thought, Qi Yuan’s mind became clear.

It was as if he could already see his path to becoming a Yin God.

About half a month passed.

Qi Yuan halted his work on the Qi Yuan Sutra.

"It’s about halfway done... now I just need to log into the game."

Cultivating in the real world was too slow for Qi Yuan. He preferred the accelerated training in the game.

His consciousness entered the jade slip.

His expression was one of mild surprise.

"It’s only been half a month, and it’s loaded this much?

Four-fifths completed?"

Qi Yuan was excited and pleased.

As his power had increased, the game’s loading time had slowed.

Sometimes it would take months just to load a little more. But in the last few days, the progress had jumped more than it usually would in half a year.

"Not bad, not bad. Looks like it’s almost ready. I wonder what kind of game it’ll be this time—what style?"

Qi Yuan pondered.

In the past few days, aside from composing the Qi Yuan Sutra, he had also been consuming the Black Demon Ancestor Blood that Purple Fate Ancestor had given him, advancing the Ancestral Blood Technique to its twelfth level.

Now, his strength had increased again.

Aside from a Great Supreme Truth practitioner, there wasn’t anyone he couldn’t take on head-to-head.

If he could get his hands on a powerful offensive divine artifact, he’d dare hand out flyers right in front of Taihuang Palace.

"Brother Blood Robe, the war is about to start. Come quickly!" came Little Purple Fate’s sweet voice.

Qi Yuan heard it but remained calm.

He knew that the Black Demon Abyss had officially declared war on Ghost Heaven.

These two colossal forces had finally reached the boiling point, and war was inevitable.

It would likely mark the start of Lynia’s Transformation.

"War has started?" Qi Yuan appeared beside Little Purple Fate.

Her pink bullhorns were tied with a bow on one side and had a mushroom hanging from the other, giving her an odd appearance.

"Yes, the war has started, but..." Little Purple Fate hesitated. "It’s not a full-scale war!"

When Ghost Heaven attacked both Blood Robe and Black Sword, it was a clear sign that there would be no reconciliation between the two sides.

War was inevitable.

"Not a full-scale war?"

"No. Black Demon Abyss has nine divisions in total, but only five... support the war!" Little Purple Fate said angrily.