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

Chapter 171: The God of Slaughter, Ready to Feast

A group of people returned to the village, passing by a dilapidated temple.

Suddenly, a sturdy man suggested, "Since the Dogtail Grass God is no longer with us, why don’t we sell his statue? Maybe we can trade it for some food."

The others looked at the broken statue, their eyes lighting up with interest.

"The Dogtail Grass God's statue could probably get us a few hundred steamed buns, right?" the fat man said, his eyes gleaming.

Shentu, the village god official, became anxious. "The god has protected our Qingshui Village for so long; how can we smash his statue!"

If the statue were destroyed, he, as the god official, would lose all his status.

"The Dogtail Grass God protected us while he was alive. Now that he’s gone, he would certainly want to sacrifice himself to keep us from starving," the fat man argued.

The other villagers also eyed the statue, their eyes gleaming with greed.

Since the Dogtail Grass God was born from the statue, he hadn’t really protected Qingshui Village.

After all, Qingshui Village never had much food or offerings.

The Dogtail Grass God probably ran away or starved to death a long time ago.

"If we smash the statue, Qingshui Village will incur divine wrath. No god will ever protect us again!" Shentu said urgently.

As long as the statue remained, it meant the legacy was intact.

If they sincerely prayed and offered sacrifices, perhaps a new god might emerge from the statue.

"This statue is too low-level. We can’t even feed ourselves—how can we support a god and hope for the future?

I think it’s better to sell it for money and enjoy ourselves before we die!"

"Yes, most of the nearby villages already worship the new gods.

If we don’t, we’ll all be killed sooner or later.

Better to trade the statue for money.

I’ve heard that the temple on Old Immortal Mountain has some beautiful demon women who look like celestial beings.

For just a few coins, you can enjoy a night with those demon women and feel like a god yourself," the fat man said, his eyes glowing with lust.

The temple on Old Immortal Mountain was home to many beautiful demon women who specialized in taking the life essence of men, providing a service known as "peaceful death."

However, before death, those demon women would serve their clients lavishly, allowing those who sought death to experience the ultimate pleasures of the world.

Villagers from nearby often saved up to die peacefully at the temple.

In fact, the temple’s business was booming.

For decades, their prices had never increased, making it a popular place.

The villagers of Qingshui, trapped in their village with barely enough to eat or drink, had little hope for the future.

To them, dying in the temple was almost a blessing.

"We can’t!" Shentu stood in front of the temple. "I heard the statue come to life recently; it seems a new god is being born inside!"

"Shentu, stop making things up. No one’s offered any sacrifices here, so how could a new god appear?"

"Who’s been secretly worshiping?"

"What if Shentu is telling the truth? After all, a newly born god is still a life. If we sell the statue, it might die!"

The villagers debated among themselves.

Some wanted to sell the statue, while others hesitated.

"I think Shentu is just making this up because he doesn’t want to lose his position as god official," an old man said weakly, just wanting to die peacefully.

Nearly a hundred villagers, considered the strong labor force of Qingshui Village, were present.

Whenever the village needed to fight for water or go hunting, they were the ones sent out.

But now, most of them were gaunt and emaciated from hunger.

The village chief, Yuli, watched the scene, his old eyes clouded with emotion but saying nothing.

To think that proud Qingshui Village would fall under his leadership—it was truly... a disgrace.

He would go down in history as a sinner.

Just then, a sudden gust of wind swept through the village.

The villagers were momentarily stunned.

The dilapidated statue suddenly exploded.

"What’s happening?"

"The statue exploded?"

"We're doomed—no money now!"

The villagers regretted it deeply.

That statue was worth money!

But then a light voice echoed, "A new game? My people?"

Everyone looked over and saw a stunningly handsome man standing in the ruined temple.

The man had a sword on his back and an extraordinary aura.

"A god?"

"A god!"

The villagers were stunned.

They could clearly sense that this person was indeed their god.

The sudden appearance of a god left them bewildered.

After all, since the Dogtail Grass God disappeared, they hadn’t expected another god to be born in Qingshui Village.

They hadn’t offered any sacrifices or prayed sincerely.

The god that appeared... must be one of the weakest, right?

And the statue’s destruction meant this was the last god Qingshui Village would have.

The villagers were filled with mixed emotions; the broken statue saddened them.

No more peaceful deaths now.

"Let’s go."

"Everyone back to your homes."

The villagers weren’t as reverent as the legends described.

However, most of them stayed, watching the newly born god.

One old man even boldly asked, "Lord God, are you hungry? I have half a steamed bun at home—do you want it?"

This god was, of course, Qi Yuan, who had entered the game.

Hearing their words, he felt a bit strange.

"I’m a god, and I’m a player—how could I be hungry?" Qi Yuan said confidently.

But then, a loud grumbling noise echoed.

The villagers looked at Qi Yuan with interest.

Qi Yuan was stunned.

The sound had come from his stomach.

He was... hungry!

This was hard to understand. After reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, cultivators could avoid eating.

He was now a Golden Core master—how could he be hungry?

"Lord God, you should rest; don’t starve to death," one villager said.

Seeing this, Shentu gritted his teeth, ran behind the temple, and brought out half a flatbread, handing it to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan saw the flatbread, which still had teeth marks on it, and turned his head away. "Is this all you have for your god?"

The villagers burst into laughter.

"Lord God, be grateful for what you get!"

"Don’t be picky—if you don’t eat it now, there won’t be any left!"

The villagers seemed very familiar with this situation.

Qi Yuan looked at the villagers, surprised.

He noticed three Nascent Soul cultivators among them, with the rest being Golden Core cultivators.

This kind of strength would be enough to form a large cultivation sect in the Shang Kingdom, where they could live in luxury.

But here... they were living in such poverty?

How bizarre.

And why were these cultivators, including himself, feeling hungry?

"You are my people—I'm very disappointed in you!" Qi Yuan said.

Upon arriving in this world, his first task was to become the god of Qingshui Village and protect it.

"Lord God, why don’t you bless us so we can go wipe out those brats from Shitou Village!" the fat man said.

He didn’t think this newly born god had any extra divine power to bestow upon them.

Given how hungry they all were, this god was probably no different from the Dogtail Grass God.

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky.

The stars were densely packed.

The brightest one was a blood-red star.

He could hardly find the sun or moon of the Canglan Realm.

As he gazed at the stars, he spotted the star that represented his own golden core.

"Why should I bless you? I’ll just go kill them myself!" When he received the task, Qi Yuan had also absorbed many memories from the remnants of the statue.

This world was called the Mortal Heart Realm.

Humans worshipped gods to receive blessings and protection.

In return, they had to offer sacrifices to the gods.

Gods and humans were mutually dependent.

When gods were strong, the humans they protected would also become stronger, enabling them to offer more sacrifices and food, helping the gods grow.

However, thousands of years ago, new gods suddenly descended, changing the world's order.

More and more villages, cities, and even nations began to worship the new gods.

These new gods were more powerful and much more evil.

People who worshipped the new gods had their will and spirit influenced, becoming more prone to violence and often invading other villages.

Qingshui Village and Shitou Village had once shared a border, each controlling a river, and they coexisted peacefully.

But everything changed when Shitou Village began worshipping a new god.

Shitou Village started attacking Qingshui Village, trying to seize their stream.

In several skirmishes, Qingshui Village lost each time.

After all, without a god’s blessings, Qingshui Village couldn’t gain any battle advantage.

"Someone lead the way—I’ll go kill Shitou Village’s new god!" Qi Yuan declared.

The villagers looked at each other in disbelief.

They had lived for decades and had never heard of a god personally going to another village to kill another god.

Wasn’t the usual practice to bless the villagers and let them fight?

"Lord God, are you serious?" the fat man asked, stunned.

A god leaving the temple ceased to be a god.

So, even in the most terrifying wars between villages, gods never personally fought.

At most, they bestowed blessings.

But here was a god who wanted to kill someone personally.

It sounded... strange.

What kind of god does something so degrading?
"Hurry and lead the way—I’m starving and want to feast!" Qi Yuan said, dissatisfied.

These ragged villagers didn’t look like cultivators at all.

They probably even had to dump their own chamber pots every morning.

"Feast?" the fat man swallowed nervously, not understanding.

"If we kill their god, they’ll have a feast. We can crash it and eat for free," Qi Yuan said, proud of his cleverness.

What better way to get a free meal?
"That makes sense," Shentu, the god official, mused.

The village chief said, "Lord God, you’ve only just been born, so your power is weak. If you recklessly go to Shitou Village, it could be dangerous."

The fat man added, "Leaving the temple will diminish your divine power, making you weaker and easier to devour."

Although Qi Yuan's plan to kill the god and feast sounded interesting, it wasn’t practical.

"How could it be dangerous? My left eyebrow has been twitching, which means great fortune awaits!" Qi Yuan said, feeling hungrier by the moment. "You’re the god official—take me there quickly, and don’t waste time!"

Shentu’s expression changed several times before he finally relented. "I’ll take you there, Lord God!"

With that, he pushed through the crowd.

Qi Yuan followed Shentu out of the village.

The other villagers watched in disbelief.

"Is this new god a bit... crazy?"

"Sigh, it’s our fault for not offering good sacrifices. The god is malnourished and didn’t develop properly!"

"Village Chief, what should we do? If the god goes there, it’ll be suicide," the fat man asked Yuli.

"This god was just born—there’s no way it can defeat the evil god of Shitou Village," another villager lamented.

Especially on the enemy's home turf!

It was a death sentence.

Village Chief Yuli's face remained expressionless as he finally said, "Let’s go and follow them!"

About two-thirds of the villagers decided to follow the village chief.

The others, however, couldn’t be bothered to watch the spectacle.

After all, they already knew the god’s fate—it was better to go home and eat their steamed buns.

"Lord God, are you the Origin Heavenly Sovereign?" Shentu asked as they walked.

Last time, in his dream, he seemed to hear the name Origin Heavenly Sovereign.

"Yes," Qi Yuan replied, looking at Shentu. "How did you end up so miserable, as a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Qi Yuan couldn’t understand.

"No reliable support, no money, and nothing to eat," Shentu replied weakly.

By reliable support, he meant the god that Qingshui Village worshipped.

"Generally, after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, you don’t need to eat, right?" Qi Yuan asked, still puzzled by his hunger.

"Don’t need to eat? If you don’t eat, you’ll die," Shentu said, looking at Qi Yuan as if he were the strange one.

"Alright." Qi Yuan could only chalk it up to different world customs.

"Lord God..."

"Hmm?"

"Are you sure you don’t want that flatbread I offered earlier?" Shentu clutched the piece of bread with teeth marks, secretly eyeing Qi Yuan, as if afraid Qi Yuan would change his mind.

Qi Yuan was speechless. "I’m sure!"

Shentu smiled brightly. "That’s good. At least I can fill my stomach before I die, so I won’t be a hungry ghost."

"Having a follower like you is really... a blessing," Qi Yuan said helplessly.

Qingshui Village was so poor that they probably didn’t even have a suona.

Otherwise, he would’ve had Shentu help him form a band.

Shentu ignored Qi Yuan's words, quickly devouring the flatbread, as if afraid Qi Yuan would snatch it from him.

Just then, Qi Yuan stopped in his tracks.

In the village ahead, the sound of drums and gongs echoed.

"Seems lively over there," Qi Yuan remarked.

Shentu looked at the village of a hundred households ahead.

"Today is their sacrificial day. They’re going to sacrifice three boys to the new god," Shentu said, his expression darkening. "These damned new gods are all evil. Since when do gods eat people!"

According to ancient clan records, gods were simply powerful humans, the spirits of heroes who died fighting for humanity.

These spirits protected humans, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.

But the new gods, also known as evil gods, fed on humans.

At that moment, Qi Yuan's gaze pierced through the village, seeing a weeping woman and a man pinned to the ground.

"Wuwu, Xiao Qian, Xiao Qian..." the woman cried, struggling.

One of the sacrificial offerings was her young child.

"Sister Li, offering sacrifices to the god is an honor for us!" a burly man said, his eye glowing with a bloody light.

This indicated he was already influenced by the new god, gradually being assimilated. It wouldn’t be long before he became the new god’s most loyal guard.

Another man sighed, "Sacrificing a dozen children each year for good weather in Shitou Village—that’s a fair trade."

"Sister Li, look at Qingshui Village next door. They refuse to worship the new god, and now look at their fate. I bet in another month, everyone there will be dead," said a fat man with large ears, who was also touching the woman’s chin.

"Ptui! Evil god!" The woman spat in the fat man’s face.

The fat man’s expression turned dark. "Sister Li, I was talking nicely to you, but you won’t listen. Seems like you’re disloyal to the god—send her to the Red Pen!"

Hearing this, the woman struggled even more fiercely.

The man pinned to the ground shed tears from his tiger-like eyes.

Since the new gods appeared, a new term had been coined: the Red Pen.

New gods loved to eat young children.

But what if there weren’t enough children?

Then, they would lock up some women, putting them in the Red Pen, where they were kept just to... breed.

This treatment of people like livestock was utterly inhumane.

"This is Shitou Village, ruled by the Shi family. You Wang family people better behave, or I’ll send you all to the Red Pen!" the fat man said.

Shitou Village wasn’t solely inhabited by the Shi family; other families lived there too.

However, it was the Shi family, the largest family in the village, that had orchestrated the descent of the new god.

Because of this, they now completely controlled Shitou Village.

As for the other families, they didn’t dare speak out.

Offending the Shi family could mean having your children offered to the new god!

"The heavens are blind to let you evil gods descend..." the woman wailed.

The fat man laughed. "Evil god? This is the true god, the future ruler of the Mortal Heart Realm!"

Everyone knew that the new gods were slowly devouring the territory of the old gods.

Now, two-thirds of the Mortal Heart Realm worshipped the new gods.

The old gods were barely holding on. It wouldn’t be long before they were completely wiped out.

"Evil god, come out and die!

I’m hungry—hurry up and die so we can feast!"

At that moment, a crisp voice echoed from the sky. Two figures appeared above, one was Shentu, the other Qi Yuan.

The people of Shitou Village looked up in surprise.

"The god of Qingshui Village?"

"A new ancient god?"

"Come to Shitou Village to die?"

Many Shi family villagers had red-glowing eyes.

If this were happening in Qingshui Village or at their temple, they might have felt fear.

But here in Shitou Village, this was their home ground.

They were confused and astonished.

Was this ancient god out of his mind, daring to leave his temple and come here?
Generally, gods rarely left their temples or domains.

Meanwhile, the woman on the ground looked up at Qi Yuan in the sky, her eyes filled with devotion as she repeatedly bowed, her forehead bleeding. "God, please save my son."

Just then, a seductive voice rang out.

"Oh my, a newly born cutie has come to me. Do you want to merge with your sister?"

A she-wolf in a blood-red dress appeared, looking particularly eerie.

The villagers of Shitou Village saw the god manifest and quickly knelt.

"Greetings, Lord God!"

The new god was their god, their heaven.

The fat man looked at the wolf-dressed woman with fanaticism.

As for the newly born ancient god of Qingshui Village, he was nothing.

Standing next to Qi Yuan, Shentu was trembling, but remembering he had eaten a bit of bread, he felt it was worth it and grew bolder.

"Bold evil god, you’ve plagued the world. The god of Qingshui Village will destroy you!"