Golden Core is a Star, and You Call This Cultivation?

The phantom was stunned.

The Sole Hall coming to see him?

What kind of thought was that?

The Sole Hall, devoid of self-awareness, resided in the Seventh Heaven. Ordinary beings avoided it like the plague, fearing being assimilated into aberrant spirits by the Sole Hall. Yet, this man wanted the Sole Hall to come to him.

"I can't do that either," the phantom shook his head.

"Is the Celestial Palace deeply connected to the Sole Hall?" Qi Yuan asked. "If I destroy the Celestial Palace, will the Sole Hall be willing to meet me?"

The Sole Hall was an existence at the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm, lacking self-awareness, much like the Black Heaven. However, since the Taihuang Palace had managed to establish a connection with the Sole Hall and control the Linya Transformation, it suggested that there might be entities within the Sole Hall similar to the Black Heaven and Black Earth.

The phantom fell silent, unsure how to respond. After a long while, he finally said, "The Celestial Palace is a treasure of the Realm Lord. Ordinary people... cannot destroy it."

"How do you know without trying?" Qi Yuan smiled mysteriously.

The Celestial Palace was indeed a treasure of the Realm Lord, but it was an ordinary one, far inferior to the Human Enlightenment Light forged from the primordial rules of the universe. He extended a finger and pointed toward the sky.

"Become... pregnant!"

A chaotic aura spread. Qi Yuan's presence became inexplicably strange.

The phantom widened his eyes, utterly confused.

What was the Great Sun Supreme doing? Pregnant? What did that mean? As a being attached to the spirit of the Celestial Palace, the phantom suddenly clutched his stomach.

"What did you do to me?" he asked, a terrifying thought forming in his mind.

"I suddenly thought that destruction is not as good as creation. So... I'm trying to make the Celestial Palace pregnant. If the Celestial Palace is pregnant, the Sole Hall, as its parent, will have to come out and see, right? After all, no betrothal gifts have been given, no banquet has been held," Qi Yuan said seriously.

The phantom wanted to cry but had no tears. "You're insane! You're a madman!"

He couldn't understand what his pregnancy had to do with the Sole Hall meeting Qi Yuan. Of course, his thought process couldn't comprehend Qi Yuan's logic.

"Don't be like this. I'm a man... I don't want to be pregnant!"

"What's wrong with being pregnant? I have a friend who can lay eggs! Are you discriminating against him? If you keep this up, be careful he won't let you eat his eggs!"

"No, it's just... why would the Sole Hall want to see you because of this?" The phantom clutched his stomach, utterly baffled.

At that moment, Qi Yuan suddenly looked up at the sky, a smile on his face. "It seems the Sole Hall cares about you after all. Here it comes."

As Qi Yuan's voice fell, the phantom froze. A special aura descended upon him.

"Rules, All Things, Creation realm... Such strength is enough to wake me and meet you."

The phantom wasn't strong enough to see that Qi Yuan's earlier move had displayed the power of the Creation Realm. But this move had awakened someone, who now descended upon the phantom.

"I never thought that after so many years, someone in the Immortal World could break the limits and reach the Creation Realm," the new phantom sighed.

Since the sword that severed the future, the limit of the Immortal World had been the second layer of the Yang God Realm. To reach higher realms, one had to construct the Seven Heavens of the Immortal World. But there were always exceptions. He had seen many exceptions, but none who had reached the Creation Realm. Moreover... this person seemed to be at the Creation Realm, yet not quite. To reach the Creation Realm, one had to merge with the will of the Immortal Dao and master the rules of all paths. But this person's path didn't seem to align with the will of the Immortal Dao. Only an outsider could explain this.

An outsider, a Creation realm expert, had entered the cage of the Immortal World. This filled him with inexplicable emotions.

"Who are you?" Qi Yuan asked.

"The Sword Keeper of the Sole Hall, Nameless," the phantom replied.

"Hey, what's going on with your Sole Hall?" Qi Yuan directly questioned. "Helping the Taihuang Palace, targeting me, huh?"

Sword Keeper Nameless looked confused. Then, a flood of information entered his mind, and he smiled.

"The Taihuang Palace was just lucky. They barely obtained the Sole Token, which allowed them to control the Linya Transformation," Nameless replied.

He had been in a deep slumber. If not for sensing Qi Yuan's aura, he wouldn't have awakened. After all, every being who broke the limits was worth recruiting.

Nameless added, "You and I are not enemies."

"Can the Linya Transformation end? After all, the cultivation world's atmosphere is already bad. Adding the Linya Transformation, with all the killing, isn't good," Qi Yuan said, his sense of justice flaring up.

"The Linya Transformation... its beginning and end are not up to me. This was decided by my master," Nameless said.

"You have a master?"

"Yes... he is the Sole Hall," Nameless said, his voice filled with reverence.

"Perhaps you know him by another name," Nameless looked at Qi Yuan and slowly said, "Ming Zun."

"Ming Zun, who severed the future with a sword?" Qi Yuan was surprised.

During his time at the Supreme Truth Assembly, Qi Yuan had inquired about many things. According to the Assembly, the Immortal World originally had Nine Heavens. But then, a peerlessly talented expert named Ming Zun appeared. With a single sword strike, he severed the future of the Immortal World. Qi Yuan had been amazed at the time. To sever the future with a single sword strike—how powerful was that? Even now, Qi Yuan found it difficult to achieve such a feat.

"Why did Ming Zun sever the future?" Qi Yuan asked.

This was another question. Because, in other universes, most had futures. As far as Qi Yuan knew, only the Immortal World and the world where the Foodless Holy Mother once resided lacked futures.

"Do you know the path of the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm? What about the fifth layer?" Nameless asked.

"The fifth layer is the Dao Lord, the master of a path," Qi Yuan replied.

The path of the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm involved losing one's true spirit and becoming something incomprehensible. Even if there was a one-in-a-million chance of revival, the revived being would be a new entity. Because, the moment one stepped into the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm, it meant the annihilation of the true spirit. Qi Yuan was unwilling to walk this path. He wanted to skip the fourth layer and directly enter the fifth layer. He was currently exploring this path, hoping to modify and adapt it to his own Yang God path.

"The end of the Yang God Realm is the fifth layer, the Dao Lord."

When mentioning this, Nameless's face was filled with reverence.

"Even if the universe perishes, the Dao Lord remains. With a single thought, the birth, death, and reincarnation of the universe are all under their control. This is the Dao Lord."

Qi Yuan listened quietly.

He knew how powerful the Dao Lord was. One could say that the Dao Lord stood at the peak, the strongest in existence. They could gather timelines and pull the true spirits of those they wished to revive from the River of the Universe. Once a Dao Lord emerged in a path, no second Dao Lord could appear. Within the Dao Lord's domain, they were invincible, undefeatable.

"The Dao Lord is powerful, but do you know that the day the Dao Lord achieves the Dao is also called the Day of Cycle?" Nameless's voice was desolate.

Qi Yuan listened quietly.

The Day of Cycle?

This term was thought-provoking.

"The Dao Lord has infinite lifespan, capable of controlling the life and death of all beings in one or even multiple universes. Within their domain, they are invincible. But..."

Nameless paused, his eyes filled with desolation and sorrow.

"Once the Dao Lord achieves the Dao, time within their domain ends, and then... begins an infinite cycle."

"The day the Dao is achieved is also the day the cycle begins. Everything in the world... is frozen!"

Nameless's expression turned somewhat grim.

This meant that in a world where the Dao Lord achieved the Dao, time reached its end and would no longer move forward. Time would enter a cycle, from the beginning to the day the Dao was achieved, repeating endlessly. During this cycle, there might be some changes due to the Dao Lord's interference. But... everything had an end. When time reached the day the Dao was achieved, the next cycle would begin.

If someone made an appointment to meet before the Dao Lord achieved the Dao, perhaps they would meet every time, but they would never truly meet.

"The end of the cultivation path is actually like this. How laughable, how laughable!" Nameless's face was filled with indignation.

Such a Dao Lord was indeed majestic, invincible. They controlled the life and death of all beings. Perhaps many would be willing to become such a Dao Lord. But there were also cultivators who were unwilling to accept this.

Qi Yuan also fell silent. "This is actually the end of the cultivation path."

He put himself in the shoes of someone before the Dao Lord achieved the Dao. If one didn't become a Dao Lord, there would be no River of the Universe. Friends who died in battle, or aging relatives, could not be revived. One would have to watch as loved ones grew old, their divine hearts crumbled, and they perished. Loneliness, loss.

If one became a Dao Lord, everything seemed frozen. Children who would never grow up, trees that would never bloom, rivers that would never reach the sea...

"Isn't it despairing?" Nameless asked, his voice trembling.

"It is... for the Dao Lord, it's fine. But for others... it's despairing."

"The Immortal World... has a Dao Lord," Nameless revealed another shocking truth.

"The Immortal World has a Dao Lord?" Even Qi Yuan felt a chill.

If the Immortal World had a Dao Lord, did that mean that one day, time would reach the day the Dao Lord achieved the Dao, and then... enter an infinite cycle?

"Don't worry, that Dao Lord... no longer exists," Nameless said.

This statement was like a bolt from the blue.

It was as if he was saying that the invincible Dao Lord of the present had fallen.

"Although the Dao Lord is gone, the world still moves toward the future, beginning the next cycle. My master, Ming Zun, accidentally entered the Immortal World and could not bear to see this. So, he chose to step into the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm. The moment he stepped into the fourth layer, he reached the pinnacle and severed the future of the Immortal World."

When mentioning this, Nameless's face was filled with reverence.

"From then on, the Immortal World no longer had a future, and no one could see the future. All Yang Gods could no longer have future selves."

"Ming Zun is amazing," Qi Yuan was genuinely impressed. "Coming from the outside world, yet willing to sacrifice his true spirit to sever the future of the Immortal World."

It was clear that Ming Zun had reached the pinnacle of the Creation Realm. He might even have had the chance to skip the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm and directly enter the fifth layer. But he chose to step into the fourth layer, and at that moment, he reached the pinnacle and severed the future of the Immortal World.

"The Linya Transformation... rebuilding the Nine Heavens of the Immortal World is about reshaping the future of the Immortal World," Nameless said.

"Do you know about Heterodox Dao Fruits?" Nameless asked.

"I've heard of them, but never seen one."

Purple Fate Ancestor had been injured by a Heterodox Dao Fruit.

"As the saying goes, when a whale falls, all things flourish. Heterodox Dao Fruits are formed from the rules comprehended by that Dao Lord."

"How did this Dao Lord... die?" Qi Yuan was curious.

Logically, the Dao Lord was the end of the cultivation path. Such an existence could not be killed by anyone.

Nameless shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps... only my master knows."

Qi Yuan pondered.

Generally, the lifespan of a Yang God was almost infinite, but an infinite lifespan didn't mean one could live forever. Even if the world perished, the Yang God would not. But if the era ended, all things withered, and the universe collapsed, even a Realm Lord could only hide within the rules of the universe, while other Yang Gods would perish. But even as a Realm Lord, transcending the universe, one could still die if they lived too long, say, a trillion eras, and the rules collapsed.

"Cultivation is too hard. Even though I'm now an Yin God with an infinite lifespan, I might witness the universe's destruction trillions of times and then die. Becoming a fourth-layer Yang God means instant death; the fifth layer is also despairing. This cultivation path is making me depressed."

Qi Yuan was speaking the truth.

Thinking about Nameless's words, he felt a sense of unnecessary worry.

What about the future?

Cultivation is so hard!

Nameless fell silent for a moment.

Indeed, those who lived long enough all had something wrong with their heads.

This Great Sun Supreme might have witnessed the universe's destruction thousands of times, making him mentally unstable.

However, he finally said, "Since you have the strength of a Realm Lord, I will give you this Ming Zun Token."

Nameless handed a Ming Zun Token to Qi Yuan.

"My master stepped into the fourth layer of the Yang God Realm and became the Sole Hall. After countless eons, the Sole Hall is about to enter the final stage of the fourth layer and become a unique treasure. My master once said that if he became a unique treasure, it would be fine for a future person to control it. But he hoped that this future person could take control of the Sole Hall and go to the Nine Heavens of the Immortal World to seal the Dao Fruit of the Immortal World's Dao Lord. Otherwise, once the Dao Fruit completely leaks, there might be no more Immortal Dao in the world. Including this one, I have given out seven Ming Zun Tokens. I hope you have the chance to take control of the Sole Hall in the future."

Nameless said a lot more.

Qi Yuan took the Ming Zun Token. "Just in time, my home is missing a house. The Sole Hall seems perfect."

Nameless didn't respond.

The other six who had received Ming Zun Tokens were all, more or less, mentally unstable.

"By the way... I have another question. Why do beings die when they leave the Immortal World?"

Qi Yuan remembered the ancestor of the Black Demon Abyss and other rumors. Any being that left the Immortal World would instantly perish.

Nameless shook his head. "I can't answer that question either."

"It seems there are still many unknowns in the Immortal World. Sigh, cultivation is so hard," Qi Yuan lamented.

...

Qi Mountain Market.

Shen Wushen's face was filled with confusion.

"Strange, for several days, why has there been no more flowing light?"

He had promised to help Lian Mei gather the flowing light needed to reach the late stage of the Purple Mansion Realm. But recently, no flowing light had appeared. How could he not be shocked?

"Could it be related to the changes in the Celestial Palace?" Lian Mei speculated.

A few days ago, they had just parted ways with Shen Wushen's friend when a mysterious expert suddenly opened the Celestial Palace. After that, Yang God experts flew out of the Celestial Palace. The Qi Mountain Market had been bustling for a while, but those Yang Gods didn't stay and quickly left. The market had quieted down since then. But now, after so many days, no flowing light had appeared. The Purple Mansion cultivators were disappointed and anxious.

"Perhaps," Shen Wushen said.

At that moment, a sorrowful voice rang out.

Sorrowful, yet tinged with despair.

"Cultivation is so hard! Shen Wushen, drink ten pounds of wine with me. I want to drown my sorrows!"

As the voice fell, the handsome Qi Yuan appeared. However, his face was now filled with worry, and he didn't seem happy.

Shen Wushen said, "Brother Qi, you never drink alcohol."

Qi Yuan paused. "Ah, I'm so sad that I forgot. In that case, I'll substitute wine with juice and drink with you."

As he spoke, a bottle of juice appeared in his hand, and he downed it in one gulp.

Beside him, Shen Wushen also poured wine into his mouth.

"Fellow Daoist, what has made you so sorrowful?" Lian Mei asked curiously.

The previous Qi Yuan had been somewhat erratic, different from the current one.

"Cultivation is too hard, filled with despair everywhere. Even if I reach the fifth layer of the Yang God Realm, I'll still face despair. If I don't reach the fifth layer, I might die. Even if my loved ones reach the third layer of the Yang God Realm with my help, they might one day perish due to the collapse of the rules. And those who don't work hard in cultivation might die at the second layer of the Yang God Realm. Worry, worry, worry!"

Qi Yuan spoke seriously.

After talking with Nameless, the more he learned about the end of the cultivation path, the more despairing he felt.

"Sigh, look, I'm so worried that I've grown a white hair."

As he spoke, Qi Yuan plucked a white hair. Of course, this hair was one he had just dyed to match his current mood and express his sorrow. Although he was deeply worried about the future, his appetite remained strong—he could still eat several cows in one meal—and his hair was still black. So, he had dyed one strand white.

Beside him, Lian Mei's smile froze.

What had she just heard?

The fifth layer of the Yang God Realm?

And the third layer of the Yang God Realm?

Was this guy for real?

This guy... must be insane.

Lian Mei was speechless. This kind of speechlessness was like hearing your classmate, a person of Asian descent, suddenly worrying about becoming the President of the United States and having many troubles.

If Lian Mei were closer to Qi Yuan, she would have slapped him by now.

Shen Wushen, however, remained calm and frowned as he comforted Qi Yuan. "Brother Qi, there will always be a way."

He knew Qi Yuan was incredibly strong. The things Qi Yuan worried about might involve some profound secrets. It was just that Shen Wushen's current strength was too weak to fully understand.

"I hope so. Sigh, the Yang God Realm is so hard. How can I break through to the Yang God Realm? What kind of Yang God is a true Yang God?" Qi Yuan drank his slightly sweet juice, his face filled with worry.

Lian Mei rolled her eyes at Qi Yuan. Just now, he was talking about breaking through to the fifth layer of the Yang God Realm, and now it was about breaking through to the Yang God Realm. He was clearly delusional.

"The hardships of life are like the endless river, though it has the ambition to flow east to the sea..." Qi Yuan began to plagiarize again.

Given how sad he was, the original author probably wouldn't blame him, right?

If they did, then... when I'm sad, killing someone to shut them up is fine, right?

"Everyone has their difficulties in life. This is normal," Lian Mei said, though it was unclear if she was comforting Qi Yuan.

"Sigh, you're right. If I destroy the world and kill everyone, wouldn't that solve all these troubles?" Qi Yuan muttered to himself.

Lian Mei chuckled.

At that moment, Shen Wushen's expression tightened. "Brother Qi, don't think like that!"

He knew how terrifying Qi Yuan was. If Qi Yuan really went down that path, the Immortal World would face a true catastrophe.

Just then, an arrogant voice rang out.

"All your troubles are because you don't have enough spirit stones and lack a strong background." A young master who clearly looked like a spoiled brat walked over, his expression haughty and condescending.

Lian Mei's expression tightened when she saw the newcomer.

It was Young Master Qi Tan!

The Qi Mountain Market was dominated by the Qi Family. The Qi Family had an ancestor who was a Yang God from Ghost Heaven. Young Master Qi Tan, backed by the Qi Family, was arrogant, domineering, and lecherous. Every Purple Mansion cultivator who came to the Qi Mountain Market knew to stay far away from this young master.

Seeing Qi Tan, Lian Mei instinctively covered her chest, her face pale.

Would this young master take a fancy to her?

But to her surprise, Qi Tan glanced at her with disdain, his face full of disgust. "I've seen plenty of women like you. Do you think I'd be interested in you?"

With that, he walked toward Qi Yuan, his eyes gleaming. "This is a true beauty. A hint of sorrow in the brows, a touch of drunkenness in the eyes, so pitiable, so lovable. Little beauty, you have so many worries, why not follow Young Master Qi..."

As Qi Tan spoke, he reached out to touch Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan was stunned, his face showing disgust.

"Damn, what kind of trash are you, daring to flirt with me?" Qi Yuan couldn't help but curse.

It had been so many years, yet he still encountered small-time thugs causing trouble.

But after saying this, Qi Yuan regretted it. He glanced around, relieved that Sister Horns wasn't here. Otherwise, she would surely say, "Didn't you always say everyone is equal? Why are you dividing people into classes now?"

Beside him, Qi Tan was also stunned, not expecting such a strong reaction.

"Haha, I never thought someone in the Qi Mountain Market would dare speak to me like this!" Qi Tan exuded confidence, full of himself.

The Yin God guards beside him eyed Qi Yuan, ready to strike if he made any move.

"Hmph, showing off? Who can't do that?" Qi Yuan said calmly. "From now on, this market will be renamed... 'The Market Where the Spoiled Brat Qi Tan Was Killed by Qi Yuan'! Consider this your chance to be remembered for eternity!"

On Earth, Qi Yuan had watched countless TV dramas, including those about dragon kings, security guards becoming emperors, and domineering CEOs falling in love with menopausal women. When it came to showing off, he was an expert. Although showing off in front of small-time thugs was beneath him, everyone was equal. Besides, he was currently troubled by the fifth layer of the Yang God Realm. Killing a small-time thug would help improve the atmosphere of the cultivation world.

"How dare you!" Qi Tan was furious.

Beside him, Lian Mei looked worried, trying to think of a way out of this situation.

The onlookers also watched, eager to see the drama unfold.

"I..."

"This..."

These spectators wanted to whisper and mock Qi Yuan, but suddenly found they couldn't speak or transmit their voices. They were confused, not knowing what was happening. They didn't realize that Qi Yuan had silenced them to avoid hearing their taunts.

Everyone was dumbfounded. Some were terrified, while others stared blankly at Qi Yuan.

"Look, who is this?" Qi Yuan casually reached into the air.

Suddenly, an old man fell from the sky, his face filled with fear and confusion. He had been in seclusion, cultivating, when a hand grabbed him and pulled him out.

"This is..." Qi Tan's eyes widened in shock.

This was... the ancestor!

He had seen the ancestor's statue!

But the ancestor was a Yang God. How could he suddenly appear?

Yet, in the next moment, something even more terrifying happened.

Slap!

The handsome man before him slapped his ancestor across the face.

The Yang God ancestor's face immediately bore a bright red handprint.

Qi Tan was dumbfounded, both terrified and frightened.

Qi Yuan said calmly, "See, this is how you show off!"

Qi Tan seemed to understand something.

As soon as the words fell, Qi Tan's body instantly disintegrated.

As for the Qi Family's Yang God ancestor, he trembled in fear, looking at Qi Yuan with terror, unable to speak.

Beside him, Lian Mei's eyes widened in disbelief.

What just happened?

Who am I?

Where am I?

The onlookers were still silenced, unable to speak, but their eyes showed their shock, and they occasionally gasped.

At that moment, Qi Yuan looked at the old man before him and smiled gently. "How about renaming the Qi Mountain Market to... 'The Market Where the Spoiled Brat Qi Tan Was Killed by Qi Yuan'? Do you have any objections? If you do, feel free to speak up. I'm a very reasonable person."

Qi Yuan was always very reasonable—he just loved to act first.