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

Chapter 179: Is This Forcing Growth? Wrong, the Earth God is Strong Too!

Qi Qi was deeply puzzled. Everyone in the Mortal Heart Realm with even a bit of common sense knew that Venerable Youlong governed agriculture. But now, there was an Earth God as well.

Qi Yuan smiled, "This just shows how little you know!"

On Qi Yuan's previous world, Blue Star, the Earth God had an exceptionally strong following.

Yet Qi Qi still couldn’t grasp it. After all, gods with divine roles were both rare and precious.

Qi Qi knew that countless followers cultivated the divine technique of Venerable Youlong. When considering the crop yields of her godfather’s territory, she had thought about using Venerable Youlong’s divine technique but ultimately decided against it. Too many people had visualized it, making it nearly ineffective.

"You should take Xiaoxue to the fields and try it out," Qi Yuan suggested without further explanation, busy with writing his own Qi Yuan Sutra and planning which village to visit that night for a feast.

As Qi Qi led Xiaoxue, she couldn’t help but recall the scene of the big black dog pinning Zhu Zhuangshi down during the feast.

"Xiaoxue, now that you’ve reached the Purple Mansion stage, you won’t bully me, will you?" Qi Qi asked.

"Miss, I would never!" Xiaoxue responded quickly, waving her hands in alarm.

Only then did Qi Qi smile, "How do you feel?"

Her confusion remained unresolved. The only explanation that made sense was that the true god Xiaoxue had visualized was powerful and also held some agricultural responsibilities. Only that could explain why it was an epic one-star.

With Xiaoxue in tow, they arrived at the fields.

Qingshui Village now had water and was growing a variety of crops, including something resembling wheat, rice, and sweet potatoes. While similar to those on Blue Star, these crops were not exactly the same. They contained some spiritual energy, as expected in a world of cultivation, and were not bound by the seasons.

"Miss!" The village chief greeted Qi Qi with respect. As the god’s adopted daughter, she was a treasure to Qingshui Village.

Qi Qi noticed a man in plain clothes standing beside the village chief, "And who is he?"

"Miss has been diligent in agricultural matters, so I invited Mr. Xu Youping from Shisha Town. He’s the most skilled in agriculture among the seven towns and has gained some insights by visualizing Venerable Youlong," the village chief, Yu Lei, introduced.

Shisha Town was the only one of the seven towns under Feihuang City that still worshipped an ancient god.

Xu Youping was a highly respected figure in Shisha Town, responsible for agricultural affairs. His accomplishments in visualizing Venerable Youlong were notable, despite the fact that many had visualized Venerable Youlong; he was one of the few who had achieved significant results.

Xu Youping looked at the fields of Qingshui Village and sighed, "The land is too barren. Even if I give it my all, I could only increase the yield by half."

Yu Lei was not surprised by this answer, "That would already be quite good."

Qi Qi, standing beside them, suddenly looked at Xiaoxue, "Didn’t the god say that your primordial divine power is related to agriculture? Would you like to try?"

Yu Lei then turned to Xiaoxue, his eyes filled with disbelief. They had just shared a feast yesterday, and Xiaoxue had only been in the Golden Core stage. How had she suddenly reached the Purple Mansion stage?

A divine technique! Realizing this, Yu Lei could no longer stay calm.

Xu Youping glanced at Xiaoxue and respectfully said, "I didn’t expect to meet a fellow cultivator!"

Shisha Town had many people at the Purple Mansion stage, so Xu Youping wasn’t overly deferential toward someone at that level. He assumed Xiaoxue had also visualized Venerable Youlong and thus knew something about agriculture.

"Unfortunately, too many people have visualized Venerable Youlong. Even if one becomes a true god on their own, they can only increase crop yields by sixty to seventy percent," Xu Youping lamented.

Xiaoxue, eager to try, said, "Let me give it a try!"

She was about to unleash her primordial divine power when Xu Youping watched with interest. But then, Xiaoxue suddenly looked distressed, "Miss, my primordial divine power… part of its effect requires your cooperation."

Yu Lei was stunned. Xu Youping was also taken aback. A primordial divine power that required cooperation? They had never heard of such a thing.

"How can I help?" Qi Qi asked curiously.

"Just pray for a good harvest on your godfather’s land," Xiaoxue replied.

Though puzzled, Qi Qi followed Xiaoxue’s instructions, "May all the crops on my godfather’s land grow strong, may there be abundant harvests, and may the yield increase dramatically!"

Xiaoxue closed her eyes as a unique aura spread around her. Her primordial divine power was indeed special—one of its abilities was to connect the earth with the heavens, channeling the prayers of the people to the heavens.

Even Xiaoxue herself was somewhat perplexed.

Then… the heavens responded.

Qi Qi looked at Xiaoxue, "How is it?"

Xu Youping commented, "This is the first time I’ve seen something like this…"

Just then, Xiaoxue’s height suddenly shrank, making her look like a porcelain doll. A wisp of special energy appeared in her hands.

She opened her eyes, which were filled with authority but also kindness, "By the decree of the heavens, this place shall have favorable weather and bountiful harvests!"

As she spoke, the special energy flew from her hands, spreading over the fields—not just the fields of Qingshui Village but also those of Shijia Village, Chenxi Village, and others.

"What is this…" Xu Youping muttered in confusion as he watched the expanding energy. "Shouldn't agriculture involve rain, fertilizing, loosening the soil, weeding, and pest control? What is this little girl doing?"

But in the next moment, his eyes widened in shock.

The energy settled over the fields, and a miraculous change occurred. Crops that were mere sprouts began to grow at a visible speed. The stems thickened, and branches kept sprouting. The once barren fields turned lush green. The seedlings seemed to have undergone years of growth.

"Is this… forcing growth?" Xu Youping exclaimed, "But this technique only makes the crops grow faster without actually bearing fruit!"

Watching this, Xu Youping could only think of "forcing growth" as an explanation.

Qi Qi also felt a shock of disbelief. Could this really be a form of agricultural sorcery, disguised as righteousness but actually leading to disaster?

But the next moment dispelled all her doubts.

The crops, which had appeared to be "forced" to grow, began to bear fruit. In just a few breaths, wheat, rice, and other crops filled the fields, their golden hue shimmering like waves of gold. The branches were laden with heavy grain.

The yield was far beyond that of normal growth.

"This isn’t forced growth! What on earth is going on?" Xu Youping grabbed a handful of rice, examining it intently, clearly unsettled. "What exactly is your primordial divine power? Which god did you visualize?"

In a single glance, the once-young crops had fully matured. Not only that, but the yield had also doubled!

Either one of these phenomena would astonish the world, but the two combined were simply unbelievable.

"This primordial divine power is called 'Connecting Heaven and Earth.' The god I visualized is called the Earth God," Xiaoxue explained quickly, seeing no need to hide anything.

"Earth God?" Xu Youping repeated the name, utterly bewildered, "How could there be such a god? Why have I never heard of him?"

He was ranked third among those in charge of agriculture in Shisha Town. He was highly knowledgeable about agricultural deities, but this Earth God was entirely unfamiliar to him!

If this Earth God had only a minor influence on agriculture, it wouldn’t be so shocking. But this Earth God seemed on par with Venerable Youlong. How could he have never heard of such a powerful figure?

Xu Youping couldn’t make sense of it. "Is this primordial divine power a one-time use?"

If so, that would explain things.

He looked at the now-weakened Xiaoxue.

"Yes… I’m exhausted," Xiaoxue admitted, "I’d need to eat a whole pig to recover and use it again!"

Xu Youping: "..."

Qi Qi: "..."

In the temple, Qi Yuan’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. He looked at the divine technique in his hands, still glowing with golden light.

"This divine technique could also be used by others, though it might be less effective than Xiaoxue’s. But… it should still be good."

Qi Yuan thought it was time to assign an Earth God to each village.

The Earth God didn’t just oversee agriculture; he also ensured peace in the area. Moreover, he seemed to have sharp ears, always aware of any disturbances.

In Journey to the West, whenever Sun Wukong had an issue, he would often seek out the Earth God for information.

...

In Shisha Town, Xu Youping returned with a heavy heart.

As soon as he arrived in town, he headed straight to the temple.

"Greetings, my lord!" The deity of Shisha Town, named Ruoyu, was a being at the peak of the Purple Mansion stage.

Ruoyu, dressed in white with a feather in his hair, had sunken eyes and looked extremely tired.

"Did you meet the ancient god of Qingshui Village?" Ruoyu asked.

Aside from Shisha Town, the other towns and their villages mostly worshipped the new gods. The Origin Heaven Sovereign of Qingshui Village was an exception, having killed several new gods and drawn considerable attention.

It could be said that many gods were now aware of him.

However, because Qingshui Village belonged to Gale Wind Town, other powerful new gods had not yet acted against the Origin Heaven Sovereign.

"I didn’t meet him, but… something extraordinary happened today!" Xu Youping described the event in the most exaggerated terms.

"Oh?" Ruoyu showed a hint of interest.

Xu Youping recounted what had happened that day to Ruoyu.

Hearing this, Ruoyu’s eyes were filled with amazement, "A god even stronger than Venerable Youlong, and one who governs agriculture? Strange, I’ve never heard of such a god."

Before he died, his memories had been revived. Yet, he had never heard of such a god.

"If this god were to come to our Shisha Town, I’m confident that crop yields would increase several times over every year, and we would no longer have to worry about anyone going hungry!" Xu Youping said excitedly.

Ruoyu nodded in agreement, "Indeed."

But despite agreeing, he didn’t seem particularly excited.

No matter how good the agricultural yield, even if it increased tenfold or a hundredfold, it couldn’t change the bigger picture.

Right now, the threat from the other six towns was imminent.

The ancient god Yuan hadn’t appeared in a long time.

The entire Feihuang City was filled with undercurrents.

Only military strength could break the current stalemate.

Even if Qingshui Village had excellent harvests and plenty of food stores, if the evil god of Gale Wind Town, the Wolf God, took action, wouldn’t all these resources just fall into his hands?

"And what do you think of the Origin Heaven Sovereign?" Ruoyu asked.

"This ancient god must have had a high status in ancient times. Now, he’s produced two divine techniques, both rare and valuable. If given a few decades, along with treasures that allow for a breakthrough to true godhood, he might indeed become a true god, like the ancient god Yuan," Xu Youping answered earnestly.

Ruoyu’s worry deepened.

Recently, the five great families had been secretly contacting the other six towns’ evil gods, seemingly planning something big.

Ruoyu sensed danger.

He felt that something major was about to happen.

Time was running out.

"Tell the ancient god of Qingshui Village that something big may happen in Feihuang City. He should be prepared, and if the situation is beyond his control, he should focus on protecting himself," Ruoyu advised, his voice devoid of any emotion.

Xu Youping’s joy was cut short, as if cold water had been poured over him.

"My lord, is the situation that serious?" he couldn’t help but ask.

...

In Qingshui Village, Shi Chongshan, accompanied by an elderly man, asked curiously, "Yu Lei, why has the lord summoned us with these agriculture experts?"

The leaders of the surrounding villages had each brought their most skilled agricultural elder.

"Could it be related to the strange occurrence in the fields today?" Chen Xifan pondered.

Today, all the fields had suddenly seen their crops grow rapidly, with the plants maturing in an instant. Such a miracle had shocked everyone.

"The lord has visualized a new divine technique and wishes to grant it to those skilled in agriculture," Yu Lei explained, puffing on his pipe, though his tone was somewhat disgruntled.

Shi Chongshan and Chen Xifan’s hearts skipped a beat.

"A new divine technique?"

"Granted to those skilled in agriculture?"

"Is it too late for me to start learning agriculture now?"

The leaders of the villages were filled with envy and jealousy.

This was a new divine technique.

When Zhu Zhuangshi’s black dog learned a divine technique, its status skyrocketed, even earning a seat at the feast.

This made them green with envy.

The elderly agriculture experts were overjoyed at the news.

"Does this mean I’ll have the chance to learn a divine technique?"

"The lord is truly divine!"

These men were over the moon.

Led by Yu Lei, they entered the temple, first bowing in reverence before stepping inside.

A dozen of them saw Qi Yuan, who was in the middle of creating a new technique.

"You’ve arrived?" Qi Yuan opened his eyes and got straight to the point, "These are the agriculture experts?"

"Yes!" the elderly men answered quickly, their joy evident on their faces.

"I’ll grant you this divine technique to visualize together!" Qi Yuan tossed the glowing golden divine technique into the air.

Yu Lei, Shi Chongshan, and Chen Xifan’s eyes turned red with envy at the sight.

This was an epic-level divine technique, guaranteed to create a true god.

They were beyond envious, with Chen Xifan even drooling.

The elderly men quickly knelt in gratitude before starting to visualize the divine technique.

Watching from the side, Chen Xifan couldn’t help but ask, "My lord… could I visualize the big black dog’s divine technique? I’ve been spending a lot of time with the village dogs lately, learning from them."

Shi Chongshan was furious at Chen Xifan’s shamelessness.

But he quickly stood up as well, "My lord, I’ve recently become sworn brothers with the divine dog, and I’m very eager to learn that divine technique!"

Qi Yuan looked at them and said playfully, "That divine technique is limited in scope and can only create one true god, so I can’t let you see it."

After all, creating ten Purple Mansion cultivators wouldn’t be as valuable as one true god.

The two men were speechless.

A true god?

They hadn’t even considered that—becoming Purple Mansion cultivators was already astonishing!

But the lord was thinking about true godhood, which was far beyond their reach.

Could a true god really emerge from their little village?

It would be like their ancestors’ graves were smoking!

"Today, we’ll continue hunting evil gods and then have a feast. The more evil god power we collect, the more divine techniques there will be. Don’t worry—you won’t be left out," Qi Yuan said casually.

"Prepare yourselves, we’re setting out soon!"

"Understood!"

Everyone present was overjoyed, though some couldn’t help but worry, fearing that the lord was just making empty promises.

...

In Feihuang City, Huang Mengying looked out the window at the drizzle, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes filled with worry.

A man dressed in battle armor entered, and Huang Mengying’s expression immediately changed to one of coldness, "What’s the situation?"

The man kept his head down, his expression grim, "Recently, the five great families have been contacting the evil gods of the various towns, seemingly planning something major."

"Are they preparing to summon the new god?" Huang Mengying’s heart sank.

The five great families were finally making their move, no longer hiding their intentions.

"Most likely," the man replied.

"Give the order to prepare more medicinal herbs. Also, go to the neighboring city and buy herbs at high prices. Bring in some doctors as well," Huang Mengying instructed.

She had a good idea of which new god the five great families intended to summon—one associated with plagues.

In the coming days, the five great families and those new gods would surely spread disease.

Unable to kill the evil gods or stop the spread of the plague, all they could do was mitigate the damage, reducing the number of deaths.

"Yes, ma’am," the man replied.

At that moment, Huang Mengying thought of something else, "What about the ancient god of Qingshui Village?"

She remembered briefly meeting that ancient god with Nangong Wuji. She had a certain impression of him.

"According to reports, he has taken over several more villages belonging to the new gods."

Huang Mengying sighed, "He’s a truly righteous ancient god, but unfortunately, his power is too weak, and the time left for him… is running out."

In these chaotic times, those who worshipped ancient gods had no way to survive.

While worshipping the new gods might bring temporary peace, in the long run, it would lead to assimilation and the loss of self.

Huang Mengying couldn’t bear to see the place where she grew up overrun by the walking dead.

Thinking of something else, Huang Mengying asked, "What about our contact with the Ancient God Alliance?"

The man’s face darkened, "The Ancient God Alliance has no one to spare to help Feihuang City. Their contact person said that if we leave Feihuang City, they could offer assistance."

"Leave… That’s out of the question," Huang Mengying said, her voice firm. How could she leave the place where she was born and raised, or stand by while her people turned into the walking dead? "At some point, pass the Ancient God Alliance’s message to the ancient god of Qingshui Village. He has great potential. If he joins the Ancient God Alliance, he might become a true god in the future."