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

Chapter 186: The Furious Qi Yuan

Thundercloud Valley.

Great Venerable Shenlei bathed in lightning, his emaciated body sighing deeply, “This lightning is still too weak; it can’t heal my wounds.”

Seventy years ago, one of his close friends betrayed the ancient gods and joined the ranks of the evil gods, infuriating Shenlei. In his rage, he fought two Great Venerables at once, severely injuring his former friend.

But his own injuries were even more severe.

“I can still live for 300 more years... that’s not bad,” Shenlei murmured as he assessed his body.

His injuries were far too grave.

Otherwise, as a Great Venerable, his lifespan would be measured in tens of thousands of years.

Three hundred years would pass in the blink of an eye.

Just then, an ancient voice echoed.

“Great Venerable Shenlei, it’s been a long time.” The speaker was the white-haired elder who had just finished conversing with White Xi Venerable.

Shenlei’s eyebrows twitched, and a bolt of lightning struck the white-haired elder.

“You’re old enough to know better than to barge in without knocking! Is my body so fascinating?”

The white-haired elder didn’t take offense, laughing heartily. “Great Venerable Shenlei, haven’t you been searching for a worthy successor? I’ve found one for you.”

Shenlei frowned. “If they’re too weak, I’d rather not bother.”

“They’re definitely not weak. If it weren’t for the need to train the Child of Destiny, I wouldn’t have given such a promising disciple to you.” The white-haired elder then told Shenlei about Qi Yuan.

“A legend?” Shenlei was somewhat surprised.

A legendary god-imagining technique could almost certainly produce a Great Venerable.

“And according to him, there are three other true gods of the same level,” the white-haired elder added.

Shenlei lowered his head, muttering, “These Four Heavenly Kings… why haven’t I heard of them before? And that Howling Celestial Dog, Earth God, and Giant Spirit God—I’ve never heard of them either.”

The white-haired elder frowned, pondering, “I haven’t heard of these true gods either.”

“Could they be from a divine lineage that never appeared on the front lines?” Shenlei speculated.

During the Great Flood War, not all gods fought openly; some divine lineages carried out crucial, secretive missions.

“But that’s not important. The question is, do you like this potential disciple?”

“Fair enough,” Shenlei said nonchalantly, but his whiskers practically curled in excitement.

“The true gods he imagines are unknown. Perhaps he knows of a god who controls lightning, which could help heal your injuries.”

“Hah, you’re really reaching. It would take at least a legendary god-imagining technique for that to happen.” Shenlei kicked the white-haired elder. “I need to get dressed. Get out!”

The white-haired elder chuckled, “Shenlei, don’t be as reckless as before.”

Shenlei had always been impulsive, charging into battle like a brute.

If he hadn’t recklessly fought two Great Venerables back then, he wouldn’t have suffered such severe injuries.

“Do I need your advice?” Shenlei glared at the white-haired elder.

“Poor kid, whoever becomes your disciple will have to constantly persuade you to be cautious, not reckless.” The white-haired elder left, still laughing.

“Get out, I need to prepare for my journey!” Shenlei called out.

Even for him, entering a fallen region required caution.

Otherwise, he might face death.

The fallen region had more than one Great Venerable.

In the north, there was even a Great Venerable who had taken five steps toward heaven.

Shenlei didn’t even entertain the idea of fighting such a being, who could easily kill him.

---

One day later.

Feihuang City.

Wang Wenqi gazed out the window at the continuous rain, her eyes filled with sorrow.

She thought of the Jiang Kingdom, her family, and her great-grandfather.

The maid beside her, also affected by the gloomy weather, said, “Miss, when will we leave Feihuang City? I want to see the snow in the Jiang Kingdom again.”

It was raining in the Lin Kingdom, but snowing in the Jiang Kingdom.

Wang Wenqi stared blankly at the snow outside. “I don’t know.”

Originally, she had come to Feihuang City on her great-grandfather’s instructions to find the Origin Celestial Venerable.

But now, the Origin Celestial Venerable was collaborating with the new gods.

Her great-grandfather had died at the hands of an evil god. How could she give her great-grandfather’s belongings to the Origin Heavenly God?

Earlier that day, at the City Lord’s Mansion, she had met several important figures of Feihuang City, including Weak Feather, the ancient god of Stone Sand Town.

Everyone was deeply wary of the Origin Heavenly God.

Most of them believed that the Origin Heavenly God had chosen to survive by collaborating with the new gods.

In the past, she might have been sympathetic toward those who sought to survive by collaborating with the new gods.

But her great-grandfather’s betrayal by a friend in the Lü Kingdom had left a deep scar.

Now, she harbored resentment toward the Origin Heavenly God.

“It’s all that Origin Heavenly God’s fault for siding with the new gods!” the maid couldn’t help but exclaim.

If the Origin Heavenly God had remained a good ancient god, Wang Wenqi could have given him her great-grandfather’s belongings, helping him grow stronger and seek revenge.

But with this change, Wang Wenqi felt lost, even despairing about her future.

The maid felt the same way.

Just then, footsteps approached.

A man holding an umbrella walked through the rain.

As he raised the umbrella, he revealed a handsome, clean-cut face.

Wang Wenqi was surprised to see him and heard him ask, “Have you met Tianbao Venerable?”

Wang Wenqi nodded. “I’ve met my great-grandfather, but not often.”

“Who’s the living person who knew him best?” the man asked again.

Wang Wenqi’s eyes filled with anger. “In the Lü Kingdom, Zhang Feng!”

“A true god?”

“A true god who has taken three steps toward heaven!”

“Then… he must remember Tianbao Venerable very well,” the man murmured.

Then he looked at Wang Wenqi.

“I’m Qi Yuan, a friend of your great-grandfather’s from the group chat. Wang Wenqi, do you want to kill a god?”

Wang Wenqi’s eyes widened. Whether from tension or excitement, her chest rose and fell rapidly.

The maid behind her was anxious. “Miss, he’s the Origin Heavenly God who sided with the evil gods!”

But Wang Wenqi looked into Qi Yuan’s clear eyes and reached out her hand.

“I… want to!”

She jumped down from the windowsill, splashing water everywhere.

---

As the day of the new god’s descent approached, the people of Feihuang City grew increasingly anxious.

Huang Mengying looked exhausted, her expression weary.

“The Origin Heavenly God is truly stubborn. He can’t be persuaded!” Weak Feather said, lowering his head.

It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t be persuaded as that he didn’t dare try.

“Frankly, I think the Origin Heavenly God might be planning something against that new god,” Nangong Wuji defended Qi Yuan. “Otherwise, Miss Wang Wenqi wouldn’t have agreed to go to Qingshui Village with him.”

The others fell silent upon hearing this.

Weak Feather said, “He’s got guts, that’s for sure. But that’s a true god, with three divine apertures. How dare he plot against him!”

Weak Feather was genuinely baffled.

At that moment, a mysterious voice echoed, “Three days from now… when the Great Plague descends, I will make a move, as a favor to that young friend.”

The gathered people were ecstatic upon hearing the familiar voice.

“Circle God, you’ve awakened!”

“Lord God, you’ve finally awakened!”

They were overjoyed, though there was no further response.

The Circle God had once again fallen into slumber.

Still, their hearts were buoyed.

With the Circle God’s intervention, they might have a chance three days from now.

---

Meanwhile, in Qingshui Village, Qi Yuan looked at the altar before him, excitement in his eyes. “So, the Great Plague Venerable will descend here in three days?”

The evil god, who looked malnourished and frail, nodded. “Yes.”

He was terrified of this demon, Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan smiled. “I can’t wait for time to pass faster. I wish the day after tomorrow would come quickly.”

When a true god falls, what kind of feast would be appropriate? Holding the feast in Gale Town again would be an insult to the god.

This time, it had to be in Feihuang City, and it had to be grand.

The evil god beside him trembled at Qi Yuan’s words.

Qi Yuan sat on a stone, lost in thought.

After a while, someone approached and whispered something in his ear.

Qi Yuan’s expression changed to one of surprise. “The Circle God is about to act?”

Wang Wenqi, sitting beside him, was holding a pipa, her fingers gently plucking the strings.

“Do you think the Great Plague Venerable might get scared and refuse to descend?” Qi Yuan asked Wang Wenqi.

He hadn’t spread the word about his plans for the Great Plague Venerable.

What if the Great Plague Venerable was a coward and got scared off? Because of this, he had only given Wang Wenqi the god-imagining technique for Dhritarashtra and hadn’t yet had her consume the treasures to break through to the level of a true god.

This time, Wang Wenqi had brought him five treasures that could help someone at the peak of the Purple Mansion stage break through to become a true god.

Though Qi Yuan had never met Tianbao Venerable, he was deeply grateful.

He also remembered Zhang Feng’s name.

“He probably won’t be scared. The Circle God has been in a deep slumber, severely wounded. Even if he awakens, he won’t have much strength,” Wang Wenqi replied.

“Good. I’m just worried… that he might be too scared to descend.”

The altar preparations continued.

In an unknown space, a voice echoed.

“Great Plague Venerable, aren’t you afraid someone is setting you up?”

“Hmph, if I were that timid, I wouldn’t have become a true god!”

“Then why are you burning through your divine power to force an early descent?”

“That boy is too strange. I can’t give him any more time.”

“May your journey be smooth, Great Plague Venerable!”

The Great Plague Venerable ignored the voice and stepped into the membrane.

Suddenly, the sound of a massive heartbeat and chewing filled the air.

The Great Plague Venerable’s divine power rapidly diminished.

Above his three divine apertures, powerful light shone brightly.

“So hungry, so hungry, so very hungry!” The Great Plague Venerable couldn’t help but roar.

A fierce hunger gripped him, making him want to cut off his own flesh and eat it.

After what felt like an eternity, the starving Great Plague Venerable suddenly burst into laughter.

“The Mortal World… I’ve finally arrived!”

At that moment, in the night sky above Gale Town, a colossal figure appeared.

He roared in delight, his expression ecstatic.

The aura of a true god spread across the land, as if the entire world was shrouded in mist.

The residents of Gale Town were shocked.

“The Great Plague Venerable… has descended early!”

“How is that possible?”

In the City Lord’s Mansion of Feihuang City, the powerful figures there sensed the aura, their faces turning pale.

“The Great Plague Venerable!”

“He’s descended early!”

“He must have sensed a threat. We’re doomed!”

“Where is the Circle God? Hasn’t he awakened yet?”

Huang Mengying looked up at the terrifying figure in the sky, her expression grim. “The Circle God… can’t wake up in time. It’s up to the Origin Celestial Venerable now.”

The people in the City Lord’s Mansion felt a deep sense of impending doom, overwhelmed by the crisis.

At the same time, Qi Yuan looked at the terrifying figure in the sky and was slightly surprised. “Finally using his brain, but not much.”

Wang Wenqi, seeing this, immediately swallowed the Yinsheng Stone.

Instantly, the spiritual power within her body transformed into divine power.

A divine aperture quickly formed.

The realm of a true god… was within reach!

But just then, Qi Yuan’s expression suddenly changed. “Oh no, someone’s going to steal my kill!”

A hearty laugh echoed, “Good disciple, let me give you a greeting gift!”

From the nine heavens above, vast lightning descended, terrifying thunder serpents, each capable of slaying a god.

Qi Yuan shouted at the top of his lungs, “Please, spare his life a little! Don’t steal my kill!”

He really wanted to curse the person for being shameless, but they were a Great Venerable! As the former Moonwatching Venerable, Qi Yuan knew the power and terror of a Great Venerable.

Anyone below four steps toward heaven was an ant, not just a saying.

The difference between a Great Venerable and a regular Venerable lay in their divine domain! Within their divine domain, a Great Venerable could kill a regular Venerable with a snap of their fingers.

So, he chose to back down!

Meanwhile, the Great Plague Venerable was both hungry and terrified. Poor old man, he had finally managed to descend after much hardship.

And what did he encounter? A Great Venerable!

A Great Venerable, lying in wait for a true god with three divine apertures—was this even fair?

“You… shameless!”