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

Chapter 148: The Fish-Dragon Banquet

Inside the Bright Palace, the atmosphere was heavy.

Last time, there were only about a dozen Purple Mansion experts present.

Now, there were over thirty Purple Mansion experts gathered—more than half of the Bright Palace's total number.

The expressions on these Purple Mansion experts were grim.

Third Palace Lord Zi Lan spoke, her voice lacking its usual calmness: "All Purple Mansion experts outside the headquarters, return immediately."

Previously, when the Blood-clad Sword God had demonstrated late-stage Purple Mansion strength, Zi Lan hadn’t taken it too seriously.

Purple Mansion cultivators had already comprehended the essence of spiritual energy and awakened their original divine powers.

Killing them would be difficult.

Last time, when the Blood-clad Sword God killed five Purple Mansion experts, they assumed he had exhausted his strength and was resting somewhere.

But then, six more Purple Mansion experts from the Bright Palace fell one after another.

The situation had escalated far beyond their expectations.

"Until our confrontation with the Blood-clad Sword God is over, all Purple Mansion experts are to remain at the headquarters," Third Palace Lord Zi Lan ordered.

The Purple Mansion experts exchanged uneasy glances.

"How should we deal with this Blood-clad Sword God?" one Purple Mansion cautiously asked.

"The First Palace Lord is currently negotiating with the Eastern Lands leader of the Divine Flower Society. Until the negotiations are complete, we just need to hold our position at the headquarters," Zi Lan said, a trace of helplessness in her tone.

As the leading righteous sect of the Green Cloud Continent, the Bright Palace had never been forced into such a humiliating situation.

But the Blood-clad Sword God was no ordinary late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator.

He slaughtered Purple Mansion experts with ease.

"If we... make peace with him, it would be an utter humiliation for our Bright Palace!" one Purple Mansion cultivator remarked, already anticipating the outcome.

After all, the Blood-clad Sword God's original divine powers were powerful, and as long as he remained elusive, it would be difficult for the Bright Palace to capture him.

"Hmph, if he dares to come to our headquarters, we will make sure he has no burial place," another elder declared.

They were used to being arrogant and found it hard to accept making concessions for the first time.

"The Blood-clad Sword God isn’t foolish enough to come here and throw his life away," a Purple Mansion elder commented. "Anyone who has reached this level of cultivation is a cunning old fox. It seems we’ll have to swallow our pride this time."

"It’s his lucky day!" a woman in yellow added.

The meeting in the Bright Palace quietly came to an end.

From that day on, no one in the Bright Palace mentioned attacking the Blood-clad Sword God again, nor did anyone dare to bring up his name.

All the elders and deacons simply waited for the First Palace Lord to return.

As for the Blood-clad Sword God, who was still active on the Divine Flower Society forum, they could only ignore him.

...

Outside the cave dwelling.

Jiang Ya’s brow still held a trace of worry.

The Heaven-level technique that Elder Wutian had taught her had shown no progress in recent times.

She glanced at Qi Yuan and Kang Fulu, then waved her hand. "Are you two interested in attending the Fish-Dragon Banquet?"

In Jiang Ya's hand was an invitation to the Fish-Dragon Banquet.

Anyone who had been on the Eastern Lands Genius Ranking would receive this invitation to the Fish-Dragon Banquet.

Kang Fulu's eyes lit up. "I'm interested!"

The Fish-Dragon Banquet would feature a live performance of the Fish-Dragon Golden Core Dance, which was much better than a recording.

Qi Yuan, however, shook his head. "A friend of mine is arriving in Cloud City soon. I need to meet him. He’ll be taking me to the Fish-Dragon Banquet, so I won’t be going with you two."

Jiang Ya looked at Qi Yuan, a bit surprised.

Kang Fulu was also surprised. "Junior Brother, you actually have a friend here?"

"Uh-huh, we met online."

Kang Fulu was puzzled by the term "online." Did he mean a spider web?

"Be careful and don’t get scammed," Kang Fulu advised.

As the senior brother of the Divine Radiance Sect, he felt responsible for looking out for Qi Yuan.

"Don't worry," Qi Yuan replied, glancing at the Divine Flower Society's jade slip.

He felt uneasy. Why did a simple meetup have to be so complicated?
The Rogue Immortal hadn’t replied to his messages for two days now.

Could something have happened to him again?

...

On the spirit boat.

The Rogue Immortal looked at the man with upturned eyes, concern showing in his gaze. "Senior Brother, are you feeling better?"

"Cough, cough, much better," the man with upturned eyes replied, his face pale and looking quite weak.

Seeing this, the Rogue Immortal felt exasperated.

This senior brother of his loved making new friends.

As someone ranked on the Eastern Lands Genius List, he was a big deal even on this small flying boat.

A few days ago, this senior brother had made friends with a female cultivator from the lower Eastern Lands Genius List.

They quickly ended up in bed together.

If the Rogue Immortal hadn’t found him, this senior brother would have been drained dry.

The female cultivator from the lower Eastern Lands Genius List practiced a technique that absorbed yang energy to nourish yin energy, and the man with upturned eyes had fallen victim to it.

During this time, the Rogue Immortal had to use his own vitality to restore his senior brother's weakened body.

After all, this senior brother was their sect's hope.

He was also the only cultivator in the sect who had made it onto the main Eastern Lands Genius List.

"Senior Brother, from now on, stay away from those demonesses," the Rogue Immortal advised earnestly.

The man with upturned eyes, still a bit shaken, couldn’t help but reminisce. "But those demonesses... they're so... tempting. Junior Brother, I've learned my lesson this time. I won’t make the same mistake again!"

The Rogue Immortal didn’t believe him at all. This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened with his senior brother.

And the sect master never scolded him, which left the Rogue Immortal puzzled.

At that moment, he decided not to dwell on these troublesome thoughts.

"We’re almost at Cloud City. My friend said he’d meet me down below," the Rogue Immortal thought of Origin Heavenly Sovereign and grew excited.

"Mm, bring him along. We’ll go to the Fish-Dragon Banquet together. Sigh, this journey has been full of twists and turns, but at least we’re going to make it to the banquet," the man with upturned eyes said with a sigh.

It had indeed been a turbulent journey.

Just then, a voice, half-intentional, half-accidental, reached their ears.

"To think that a figure from the Eastern Lands Genius List would be bewitched by a demoness. Gao Jien, when we reach Cloud City, don’t tell anyone you’re from Lei Xingzhou."

An exceptionally handsome man with long hair down to his waist appeared, his eyes gleaming sharply.

Gao Jien looked at the handsome man, his expression sour. "Hmph, Luo Cha, let’s talk when your ranking on the Eastern Lands Genius List surpasses mine!"

The handsome man was named Luo Cha, and his sect had a longstanding feud with Gao Jien's sect.

The two of them had always been at odds.

Gao Jien’s ranking on the Eastern Lands Genius List was exactly ten spots higher than Luo Cha’s.

"This time, when the Eastern Lands Genius List is finalized, I’ll definitely surpass you," Luo Cha declared, his handsome face showing a determined expression.

At that moment, the spirit boat finally stopped.

Luo Cha’s face lit up with excitement as he looked at Gao Jien, boasting, "Do you see that golden-robed man up ahead? He’s Lei Chong, ranked eighty-ninth on the Eastern Lands Genius List, and he’s my sworn brother. With his help, I’ll definitely surpass you this time!"

Hearing this, Gao Jien looked at Lei Chong with a wary expression.

Being in the top three hundred of the Eastern Lands Genius List was indeed impressive.

But the top one hundred—those were the real geniuses.

The Rogue Immortal wasn’t interested in Lei Chong at all. Standing beside Gao Jien, he was busy looking for something but found nothing.

Just then, a voice filled with surprise called out, "Are you the Rogue Immortal?"

The Rogue Immortal quickly turned to see a man in a blood-red robe standing in front of him.

The man was extraordinarily handsome, exuding a cold and fierce aura.

He stood in the middle of the crowd, yet if you didn’t pay close attention, you might subconsciously overlook his presence.

"Origin Heavenly Lord?" The Rogue Immortal's face lit up with joy as he looked at Qi Yuan. "You really came, and you’re so handsome!"

Gao Jien also glanced at Qi Yuan and remarked, "So, you’re a friend of my junior brother. You’re indeed impressive."

In front of others, Gao Jien would still give his junior brother face.

"I never rely on my looks—I rely on my strength," Qi Yuan said modestly, though he was pleased with the compliment.

Knowing he was going to the Fish-Dragon Banquet, Qi Yuan decided not to attend under his usual identity.

After all, he was from a small country, and what if people looked down on him?

Besides, there was a Heavenly Dao Foundation cultivator at the Fish-Dragon Banquet.

He needed to go under a more impressive alias, like the Blood-clad Sword God, to attend the banquet.

That way, he wouldn’t be underestimated.

Hearing Qi Yuan's shameless comment, the Rogue Immortal was convinced—this was definitely Origin Heavenly Lord.

"Alright, we’d better hurry to the Fish-Dragon Banquet. If we’re late, we might miss it," Gao Jien urged.

The Fish-Dragon Banquet was very important for geniuses like them.

It was a great opportunity to expand their networks.

At that moment, a voice whispered in Qi Yuan’s ear.

"Fellow Daoist, walking with someone like that is embarrassing. On the spirit boat, that Gao Jien was drained of his essence by a demoness—how hilarious, haha!" Luo Cha sneered as he spoke to Qi Yuan, then laughed as he walked away, leaving behind a sullen Gao Jien.

Qi Yuan glanced at Gao Jien and couldn’t help but comment, "Who would have thought that someone so unassuming would catch the eye of a demoness? Your talent must be... really high."

Gao Jien was left speechless.

Was this a compliment about his talent?
Or an insult about his looks?
"Senior Brother, Origin Heavenly Lord is very straightforward—don’t take it to heart," the Rogue Immortal quickly intervened.

"No, no, let’s just go," Gao Jien said, his mouth twitching.

The three of them then headed to the Fish-Dragon Banquet.

On the way, Gao Jien couldn’t stop talking.

But all he did was badmouth Luo Cha.

This made Qi Yuan sigh—Gao Jien sure could hold a grudge.

This was the kind of person you shouldn’t offend.

If you did, you’d better kill them quickly.

Otherwise, they might curse your ancestors for eighteen generations.

Beside him, the Rogue Immortal kept glancing at Qi Yuan.

During this time, while restoring his senior brother's vitality, he hadn’t been online and was unaware of what had been happening on the forum.

Looking at Qi Yuan, he couldn’t help but ask, "Origin Heavenly Lord, are you really going to participate in the Eastern Lands Genius List?"

Ice Queen had mentioned that Origin Heavenly Lord was a big shot.

But what big shot would participate in the Eastern Lands Genius List?

"Of course, I’m going to participate. My senior brother is also participating. We’re even attending the Fish-Dragon Banquet together," Qi Yuan replied.

The Rogue Immortal wanted to ask, "Aren’t you a Purple Mansion cultivator?"

But then he realized that with Origin Heavenly Lord's odd way of thinking, he wouldn’t get a sensible answer.

He would probably say something like, "I have a Heavenly Dao Foundation and an Immortal-grade Golden Core."

The Rogue Immortal decided not to ask further and just treated Qi Yuan as a friend of one of the Four Emperors of the Divine Flower Society.

"It’s a pity the Great Sun Flame Emperor and Ice Queen aren’t here. Otherwise, with the Heavenly Dao Foundation of Ice Queen, the Four Emperors of the Divine Flower Society would definitely make a name for themselves at the Fish-Dragon Banquet," Qi Yuan sighed.

Under his blood-red robe, the aura of slaughter and demonic energy was well concealed.

The Rogue Immortal glanced at Qi Yuan and asked quietly, "Where is the Blood-clad Sword God?"

The Rogue Immortal only knew that the Blood-clad Sword God had slaughtered Nascent Souls but wasn’t aware of what had happened since the Blood-clad Sword God arrived in the Green Cloud Continent.

"Isn't that me?" Qi Yuan pointed to himself.

Hearing this, the Rogue Immortal was left speechless.

He decided not to dwell on it.

After about half an hour, Qi Yuan, the Rogue Immortal, and Gao Jien finally arrived at the entrance to the Fish-Dragon Banquet.

The banquet was being held at Yunzhong Pavilion.

Yunzhong Pavilion was located in the middle of a three-hundred-li cloud lake.

The three of them boarded a celestial boat and crossed the three hundred li of the cloud lake, eventually reaching a lavish island.

On the island stood a grand palace.

Various decorated boats were moored on the lake, with songs occasionally drifting from them.

This made Qi Yuan, standing on the boat, exclaim, "As expected of a big city—so large, so prosperous."

Although he had become the ruler of Liufeng Realm, he had mostly stayed in Wugui City and hadn’t visited other places.

Gao Jien raised his head and said, "Compared to our Zilei City in Lei Xingzhou, this is far inferior. However, the environment is quite elegant, suitable for seclusion."

Cloud City wasn’t considered a particularly prosperous place even within the Green Cloud Continent.

Naturally, it couldn’t compare to the most prosperous Zilei City in Lei Xingzhou.

Qi Yuan looked at Gao Jien with admiration. "As expected of someone from a big place—you have great knowledge."

Hearing this flattery, Gao Jien couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased.

This Origin Heavenly Lord was much more agreeable than Luo Cha.

This made Gao Jien think that if it weren’t for networking, it might be better to spend more time with "low-status people" in the future—he would receive more praise that way.

Unlike Luo Cha, who always verbally attacked him.

The celestial boat docked, and the three disembarked, heading towards the grand hall of Yunzhong Pavilion.

Qi Yuan looked around, curious about everything he saw.

Unfortunately, the crowd was full of young people, with no old men or his "white moonlight."

Led by a servant girl, the three entered the palace.

The grand hall was filled with thousands of people.

"Origin Heavenly Lord, let’s find a quiet place to sit," the Rogue Immortal suggested.

Although he was talkative in the Divine Flower Society group, in reality, he was somewhat socially anxious and didn’t like interacting with too many people.

Gao Jien glanced at his junior brother and smiled wryly. "Don’t cause any trouble—I’m going to meet some friends."

He didn’t insist on bringing his junior brother along to meet people.

He would let him and his friend catch up instead.

Qi Yuan sat in a corner and casually picked up a piece of fruit from the table to eat.

The Rogue Immortal, now relaxed, realized that Origin Heavenly Lord wasn’t much different from him—just another newbie.

"Sigh, I wonder when I’ll be able to make it onto the Eastern Lands Genius List," the Rogue Immortal sighed as he looked at the geniuses in the hall.

"Isn’t that easy?" Qi Yuan glanced around and replied casually.

"Oh?" The Rogue Immortal was intrigued.

"All I have to do is kill all the geniuses in this hall, and there will be vacancies on the Eastern Lands Genius List. You’ll definitely make it then. Of course, I might not be able to kill the Heavenly Dao Foundation cultivator, but as for the others, they won’t be able to stop me," Qi Yuan said confidently, genuinely wanting to help the Rogue Immortal.

The Rogue Immortal’s expression changed. "Origin Heavenly Lord, don’t say such things out loud—transmit them directly. If others hear you, they might misunderstand!"

This Origin Heavenly Lord was just like in the group—always speaking recklessly.

"It’s a pity that I have no grudge against them. Otherwise, I’d really want to kill them all. That way, I wouldn’t even have to participate in the Eastern Lands Genius Battle to make it onto the list," Qi Yuan sighed.

Participating in the Eastern Lands Genius Battle could take ten to fifteen days, or even years—Qi Yuan really didn’t feel like joining.

The Rogue Immortal wanted to cover Qi Yuan’s mouth or, better yet, move farther away from him.

He was genuinely worried that some of the geniuses might get annoyed with Origin Heavenly Sovereign and decide to deal with him.

Half an hour passed.

Qi Yuan and the Rogue Immortal had eaten quite a few spiritual fruits by now.

There were now a few more people at their table.

These people seemed to be just as uninterested in socializing and had casually found a place to sit.

"Origin Heavenly Lord, where’s your senior brother?" the Rogue Immortal asked out of boredom.

"He should be inside," Qi Yuan guessed. Kang Fulu was probably being introduced to some geniuses by Jiang Ya.

Qi Yuan wasn’t interested in that.

How could geniuses compare to white moonlight?

"Inside?" The Rogue Immortal was surprised. "The hall is divided into the inner hall and the outer hall. Only those ranked in the top one hundred on the Genius List can enter the inner hall."

The others at the table now looked at Qi Yuan with surprise.

After all, being in the top one hundred on the Eastern Lands Genius List almost guaranteed that one would reach the Zifu Realm.

Such people were true geniuses wherever they went.

"Yes, the one who took my senior brother inside is in the top one hundred."

Qi Yuan remembered that Jiang Lingsu had told him her sister, Jiang Ya, was ranked seventeenth on the Eastern Lands Genius List.

At that moment, a woman at the table spoke up. "Why don’t you ask your friend to take us into the inner hall as well?"

The others also looked at Qi Yuan, their expressions varied.

Qi Yuan glanced at them but didn’t respond.

He had no relationship with these people.

If the Rogue Immortal had asked, he might have agreed.

Seeing that Qi Yuan didn’t respond, the woman felt awkward, and the others looked at him with a hint of mockery in their eyes.

The group secretly transmitted messages, discussing something among themselves.

Qi Yuan didn’t pay them any mind, happily continuing to eat spiritual fruits with the Rogue Immortal.

Just then, a phoenix cry suddenly echoed through the hall.

A group of dozens of geniuses emerged from the inner hall.

At the forefront was Huang Tu, whose ranking wasn’t the highest, but as the host from the Green Cloud Continent, the others gave him face.

Huang Tu's face was beaming with a smile, looking as if he was on top of the world, with no sign of the grief from his master’s recent death.

He strode forward, his expression full of respect. "Heavenly Soul Fairy, it’s an honor to have you here. Please, come inside!"

The phoenix cry signaled the arrival of a top-ten figure from the Genius List.

Heavenly Soul Fairy, dressed in a black combat outfit that accentuated her curves, caught the gaze of nearly every genius in the outer hall.

Heavenly Soul Fairy was ranked eighth on the Eastern Lands Genius List.

She was someone to be admired!

The Rogue Immortal looked at Heavenly Soul Fairy with admiration. "Heavenly Soul Fairy has an Immortal-grade Foundation. If her family had a Yin God, she might have achieved a Heavenly Dao Foundation."

Hearing this, Qi Yuan's gaze toward Heavenly Soul Fairy grew more serious. "It seems that talent alone isn’t enough—you also need the right background."

The others at the table also watched Heavenly Soul Fairy with admiration. The woman who had spoken earlier sighed, "Now, this is a true genius, someone who could shape the future of the Eastern Lands. Given ten thousand years, she might become someone like the Blood-clad Sword God."

"Shh, we’re in the Green Cloud Continent—don’t mention the Blood-clad Sword God here," someone quickly reminded her.

The Rogue Immortal was taken aback.

Even these geniuses knew about the Blood-clad Sword God?