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

Chapter 164: Past Events, Action of the Ye Qiong Venerable

Memories of the past surged into Qi Yuan's mind.

All the fragmented images replayed in his mind.

“You are... that Hairpin?” Qi Yuan asked, looking at the young girl.

Back then, when he emerged from Tianjue, he had carefully prepared a gift for Jinli. Unfortunately, by the shores of July Lake, he never got to meet her.

The two of them were at opposite ends of time and space.

Accompanying Qi Yuan, as snow covered his shoulders, the one sharing the snowfall with him was the Moon Maiden.

Later, he ventured alone to Dijue, where the Moon Maiden left a crescent moon mark on his arm. He also left a hairpin for the Moon Maiden, hoping she could pass it on to Jinli, who existed in the future.

“I am not some hairpin; I’m my father’s daughter,” the High Priestess stubbornly raised her head.

Qi Yuan looked at her, feeling overwhelmed with emotions.

Everything was connected at this moment.

He and Jinli had only communicated through the Linglong Yuxi.

They had never met in person, but Qi Yuan could sense that she was just an ordinary girl.

He recalled the bits of conversation he had overheard in the Forbidden Land of the Five Elements.

Back then, the Great Sun faced a formidable enemy, and despite using every means, he could only manage to wound the enemy's leg.

He also remembered Jinli mentioning her embarrassing experiences from her youth—falling flat on her face during her coronation, and how her leg had been injured early on, never fully healing.

So, the formidable enemy who fought against the Great Sun was the previous incarnation of Jinli.

But why did she later become the Moon Maiden, and then Jinli again? The High Priestess seemed to notice the confusion in Qi Yuan’s eyes. She said in a clear voice, “Father, do you want to know about Mother’s origins?”

“...Yes.” Honestly, Qi Yuan was reluctant to acknowledge this daughter.

After all, having a daughter suddenly appear out of nowhere, and one who hadn't yet dominated the ancient world, made his previous bold claims seem awkward.

But when he thought about it, having one more daughter was better than mysteriously losing one, so he accepted it in his heart.

In a certain sense, she was indeed his daughter.

“Mother comes from the Upper Realm,” the High Priestess said, gazing up at the star-filled sky.

Qi Yuan couldn’t help but also look at the stars twinkling among the ancient trees.

He thought of the Moon God Sovereign and the Moon Token his master had left behind.

“Back then, Mother received an order from the Moon God Palace to descend and destroy the ruler of this world, the Great Sun.

She easily slew the Great Sun but was ambushed by the Black Demon Abyss.

The Black Demon Abyss is a force in the Upper Realm, even more powerful than the Moon God Palace, and has always been in opposition to it.

After slaying the enemy, Mother was also caught in the cycle of reincarnation.

The arrangements made by the Yin God of the Black Demon Abyss before his death also took effect, creating the Otherworld Demons scenario.

Once that scenario was completed, Mother would completely perish, unable to return to the Upper Realm.

Later, with no memory of her past, Mother became the Moon Maiden and met Father.

Father ventured alone to Dijue, destroyed the Outer Realm evil spirits and the Great Sun, broke the pre-determined scenario, and saved Mother.” The High Priestess’s lips were as thin as cherries, and her teeth were like broken jade.

Qi Yuan was silent for a long time before finally saying, “So it was she who awakened me?”

In her first reincarnation in this world, Jinli was known as the Moon Maiden.

She left a crescent moon mark on Qi Yuan’s hand.

Back then, Qi Yuan fought alone against the Outer Realm evil spirits, slew the Great Sun, and performed the Heavenly Dao Foundation Building.

In truth, his injuries were severe.

It was the Moon Maiden who used her remaining divine power to heal his injuries.

So, when Qi Yuan awoke again, the Moon Maiden no longer existed.

After who knows how many years of slumber, nearly reduced to a mere mortal, Jinli reappeared.

Without divine power, even the injury on her leg left by the Great Sun in the past could no longer be suppressed.

The High Priestess looked at Qi Yuan, lifting her head, “Mother says Father is very handsome.”

“Where is she now?” Qi Yuan couldn’t help but ask.

“The battle between the Moon God Palace and the Black Demon Abyss has reached its climax.

After Mother’s cultivation was restored, she ascended to the Upper Realm through the teleportation array.

She left me here because she believed that Father surely hadn’t perished.

One day, Mother will meet Father again!” The High Priestess’s starry eyes were full of smiles.

Like seeing you, seeing you.

Where had they missed each other? They had clearly met, just in the wrong time, not recognizing each other.

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky, at the vast array of stars, lost in thought.

Why... are they all up in the heavens?

“Can I ascend to the Upper Realm through the teleportation array?” Qi Yuan asked.

The High Priestess narrowed her eyes, “One must reach the Yin God realm to ascend to the Upper Realm through the teleportation array.”

In the Moon Dynasty, there is a teleportation array that can send some people to the lower realms of other lineages of the Moon God Sovereign.

Only the arrays in those lineages can allow a Yin God to ascend to the Upper Realm.

“Yin God... that’s too far away,” Qi Yuan sighed.

He could slay Yin Gods, but his current cultivation was only at the Golden Core stage.

He was still two major realms away from the Yin God level, including the Nascent Soul and Purple Mansion stages!

“What’s your current cultivation, Father?” The High Priestess stared at Qi Yuan’s face.

“I’m very weak, just a small Golden Core cultivator.”

“Golden Core?” The High Priestess was surprised, “That must not be an ordinary Golden Core.”

Qi Yuan looked at this daughter, whom he had never met before, “What... is your name?”

The High Priestess smiled, her starry eyes twinkling as she kept staring at Qi Yuan, “Qi Jianjun.”

...

In the inn.

True Lord Dazhi yawned.

Jiang Ya sat nearby, carefully studying the newly acquired cultivation techniques.

Xu Tongchen was also focused, studying the newly obtained Suona Score and learning the techniques.

The inn’s door opened, letting in a gust of cold wind mixed with snowflakes.

Two figures, one large and one small, entered the inn.

True Lord Dazhi glanced at Qi Yuan, his eyes showing a look of wisdom.

Jiang Ya, however, was staring at the little girl, sensing a threat.

A Yin God?

How could a Yin God-level powerhouse be born on Moon Watching Continent? Wasn’t this place supposed to be deficient in the Heavenly Dao? And why was this Yin God holding the Blood-Robed Sword God’s hand... what for?

At that moment, Zhao Ci’s eyes widened as he looked at the girl holding the Blood-Robed Sword God’s hand. His eyes showed confusion, which quickly turned into reverence.

“Greetings, High Priestess!” Zhao Ci hurried forward, his eyes full of respect.

Six or seven members of the suona troupe also stepped forward, bowing to Qi Jianjun.

In truth, they were deeply puzzled.

Though the High Priestess was small in stature, she was usually cold and interacted with people rarely, always maintaining an air of authority.

When had she ever been so lively and cute, like a young girl frolicking in her elder’s arms?

Qi Jianjun’s eyes sparkled, and she looked at Qi Yuan with a proud expression, “Father, did you see that? Your daughter is quite powerful.”

Qi Yuan heard this and didn’t want to respond.

After so many years, she still hadn’t dominated the ancient world; does that count as strong?

He didn’t react much.

But Jiang Ya’s eyes widened in shock.

If the Blood-Robed Sword God having a Yin God partner was something she could barely accept, now... after being out for less than half an hour, he had gained a Yin God daughter? What was happening in this world? “She’s your daughter? How does Senior have a Yin God... daughter?” Jiang Ya’s voice trembled.

“Senior having a Yin God wife and a Yin God daughter makes perfect sense,” True Lord Dazhi commented.

At this moment, Qi Jianjun pinched Qi Yuan’s hand with her little fingers, “Father, did you find me another stepmother? Tell me, should I inform Mother about this when I ascend to the Upper Realm?”

These words left Jiang Ya completely bewildered!

Wasn’t the High Priestess’s mother supposed to be that Yin God who had taken two steps in Treading the Heavens?

Or was she another Yin God from the Upper Realm? How does this Blood-Robed Sword God, a mere Purple Mansion cultivator, have two Yin God partners and a Yin God daughter?

This situation felt very strange.

True Lord Dazhi’s eyes shone with wisdom, “Senior Blood-Robed Sword God is truly brilliant! I had merely suggested that Senior find a few more Yin God partners to become invincible, but it seems Senior has already begun implementing the plan!”

“Cough, cough...” Qi Yuan coughed lightly.

“The only unfortunate thing is that Senior has too little time left,” True Lord Dazhi lamented again.

After all, the threat from the Molo Clan was imminent.

Where would the Blood-Robed Sword God find the time to go and find more wives?

Xu Tongchen, Jiang Ya, and the others finally snapped out of their shock, their expressions now filled with worry.

The Molo Clan had two Yin Gods who had taken two steps in Treading the Heavens and two more who had taken one step.

Having killed the Demon Sovereign, the Blood-Robed Sword God was sure to face the Molo Clan’s revenge.

Their situation was indeed very precarious.

“There is a teleportation array within the Moon Dynasty. If we cannot win, we can use the array to escape to another world,” Qi Jianjun’s voice was clear and crisp, like a bell.

The Molo Clan was part of the Black Demon Abyss.

The Black Demon Abyss had been in conflict with the Moon God Palace for a long time.

Moon Watching Continent, surrounded by the Black Demon Abyss’s forces, was an anomaly.

“Since I’m here, I won’t leave. I will deal with the Molo Clan myself,” Qi Yuan declared.

In a few days, he would fully regain control of the Heavenly Dao.

His power would reach a terrifying level.

“Does this mean Senior... you have other Yin God partners?” Jiang Ya couldn’t help but blurt out.

Now, she too was being led astray.

She couldn’t think of how else the Blood-Robed Sword God could break the current predicament.

The only solution she could imagine was for him to summon his other partners. She looked at Qi Yuan expectantly.

She had to admit, following the Blood-Robed Sword God to Moon Watching Continent had broadened her horizons.

True Lord Dazhi, however, shook his head, “Senior said he would handle it personally, so it can’t be about summoning anyone.

Senior Blood-Robed Sword God is in the late Purple Mansion stage, powerful indeed, but still unable to break the stalemate.

If he intends to personally slay the Yin Gods, there’s only one possibility!”

“What possibility?” The others all looked at True Lord Dazhi.

Even Qi Yuan was curious.

“My guess is that Senior Blood-Robed Sword God will shout to the sky, ‘Future me, come save me!’

Then the future Senior will appear to help the current Senior overcome this tribulation.”

Jiang Ya was stunned, feeling as though her mind couldn’t keep up.

“What if Senior has no future?” she muttered, glancing at Qi Yuan.

She meant to ask, what if the Blood-Robed Sword God perished in the Moon Dynasty?

True Lord Dazhi looked at Jiang Ya, “Even if Senior is outmatched by the Molo Clan, escaping with his life should be easy.

This time, he only needs to flee and lay low, and then he will have a future.

The future him may cross time and space to make up for past regrets.”

True Lord Dazhi’s words left the musicians in the inn feeling confused, as though they understood but didn’t.

Qi Jianjun looked at True Lord Dazhi, her eyes sparkling with a bright smile, “An interesting idea.”

“Sigh, speaking of this, I feel a bit sad.

A few years ago, I sent an invitation to my future self.

In the invitation, I said that if the future me didn’t come, I would die here.

But after sitting for seven days, the future me remained in the future.

It seems... my cultivation in this life is too limited to pierce through time and space.”

True Lord Dazhi sighed deeply, then looked at everyone.

“This method must not be revealed.

It is my own invention and can be used to test whether one can truly cross the river of time!”

Jiang Ya furrowed her brow.

For some reason, she felt that True Lord Dazhi’s words made a lot of sense.

At this moment, Qi Jianjun chuckled, “Your idea is good, but... it has a flaw.”

“Oh?” True Lord Dazhi looked at the High Priestess.

“First, those who can pierce through time and space must have already ascended to the Upper Realm, where the strong can only descend to the lower realms once or twice in their lives.

Second, you might not know... that living beings in this world have a past self, a present self, but no... future self.” Qi Jianjun said, glancing at Qi Yuan.

“No future self?” True Lord Dazhi’s body stiffened, then filled with fear.

Not even Yang Gods have future selves? What does that imply? Qi Yuan found this quite interesting.

Honestly, this was the first time he had heard such knowledge.

His daughter knew so much.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Actually, I’ve always had a question in my mind.”

“Father, please ask.”

“Why do the Molo Clan, Moon Watching Continent, and Canglan Realm all speak the same language?”

Even the same language as Blue Star.

Logically, different races should have different languages, right?

On Blue Star, a small place, there are thousands of languages.

But in the vast Canglan Realm, they all use the same language.

“The lands under the stars of the heavens all share the same language.” Qi Jianjun was surprised, not expecting Qi Yuan to ask such a question.

Qi Yuan was stunned, reaching out to catch a snowflake, “Then why don’t snowflakes speak human language?”

“...”

...

Three days later.

Moon Dynasty, July Lake.

Qi Yuan sat by the lake, watching it grow larger and larger, his eyes filled with memories.

He had finally arrived here.

But the one accompanying him wasn’t the Moon Maiden; instead, it was Qi Jianjun.

The two of them seemed carefree, as if they were fishing.

In the distant pavilion, the woman in white watched the scene, her expression unreadable.

“The Blood-Robed Sword God... is actually the Faceless Sword God.”

This was something she hadn’t anticipated.

The Faceless Sword God was considered an ancient figure in the history of Moonwatch Continent.

But now, he was still alive, and his cultivation seemed to still be below the Yin God level.

This was very strange.

But strange or not, against the Molo Clan, their Moon Dynasty still stood no chance.

After all, one of the Yin Gods from the Molo Clan had taken two steps in Treading the Heavens and had reached the pinnacle of that path.

One more step, and they would become a Three-Step Treading the Heavens existence.

Such a powerhouse could single-handedly suppress the entire Moon Dynasty.

“July, shouldn’t you try to persuade the High Priestess to prepare for our departure from Moon Watching Continent?” the woman in white asked.

She now thought the best course of action was to leave this world as quickly as possible.

The July Priestess had already been replaced many times. She looked at Qi Yuan by the lake, her expression fervent, “The Faceless Sword God will surely save Moon Watching Continent again!

Those who offend Moon Watching Continent shall all perish!”

Hearing this, the woman in white couldn’t help but facepalm.

She didn’t understand why everyone on Moon Watching Continent had such inexplicable faith in the Faceless Sword God.

Even though he had once saved the world, the facts were clear now: they were outmatched.

Why such blind trust?

She was baffled.

She wanted to try persuading the High Priestess again, but in the end, she didn’t.

Because the High Priestess’s fervor was even stronger than everyone else’s.

...

Canglan Realm, within the Heavenly Cave.

A childish voice echoed.

“The results are in: the Blood-Robed Sword God doesn’t have a Yin God artifact; rather, he has a Yin God who has taken two steps in Treading the Heavens backing him.”

“A two-step Treading the Heavens Yin God?” Affectionate Venerable gasped, “No wonder he dares to kill our subordinates at will and provoke us.”

“Thankfully, I didn’t offend such a powerhouse,” said an elderly voice.

“But he has killed Mohui, thoroughly angering the Molo Clan.

Just now, the Molo Clan’s Mojun Venerable sent a message.

He wants to cooperate with us three to jointly kill the Blood-Robed Sword God and the Yin God backing him,” the childish voice continued, calm and without emotion.

“A two-step Treading the Heavens Yin God... This kind of conflict is too much for my frail old body, so I won’t get involved.”

“Hehe, Yunju Venerable, are you afraid?” The Affectionate Venerable chuckled seductively.

“Mojun Venerable said that we don’t need to face the Yin God backing the Blood-Robed Sword God directly.

We only need to capture the Blood-Robed Sword God alive and prevent the Moon Dynasty from using their teleportation array. Such a small task is easy for us.

Mojun Venerable also said that if we succeed, one-fourth of Moonwatch Continent’s territory will be divided among us.” The childish voice carried a hint of greed.

“I’m in,” the seductive voice of the Affectionate Venerable responded with a light laugh.

“I won’t get involved,” the elderly voice said again.

“Are you afraid of Fengjun?” the childish voice sneered.

“This has nothing to do with Fengjun; it’s just that as I get older, my courage has grown smaller,” the elderly voice replied, sounding helpless.

“Yunju Venerable, it’s fine if you don’t participate, but... you must not inform Fengjun or anyone else until this matter is resolved!” The childish voice carried a slight threat.

“Fine, I won’t interfere,” the elderly voice said helplessly, finally falling silent.

In the Heavenly Cave, only the childish voice and the seductive female voice remained, seemingly discussing something.

Who knows how long it took, but eventually, the childish voice echoed throughout the Heavenly Cave.

“Send a message to Shuiyun Palace, telling them that their grudge with the Blood-Robed Alliance can be settled at any time.”

Shuiyun Palace, located on Shuixian Continent, had always been at odds with Cuiyun Continent.

Recently, the Blood-Robed Alliance had captured a Zifu cultivator from Shuiyun Palace, leading to friction between the two sides.

Now, word had come from Moonwatch Continent that Ling Jiao had offended the Blood-Robed Sword God and been slain by him.

Shuiyun Palace was furious, and if not for the three Venerables above them and their fear of the Blood-Robed Sword God, they would have already launched an invasion of Cuiyun Continent.

Since the two of them now planned to cooperate with the Molo Clan to target the Blood-Robed Sword God, they decided to throw Shuiyun Palace a bone, letting them attack the Blood-Robed Alliance and eliminate the Blood-Robed Sword God’s allies.

This wasn’t a crucial matter and could be done easily.

“As you command!” Within the Heavenly Cave, a Zifu cultivator’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.

The Blood-Robed Sword God had long irritated them by provoking the Heavenly Cave.

“Let’s go to Moonwatch Continent.” At that moment, even the Ye Qiong Venerable, who had been asleep in the Heavenly Cave for thousands of years, finally stirred.

In the Eastern Territory, a long rainbow could be seen streaking across the sky.

All the cultivators who saw that rainbow knew that something major was about to happen!