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

Chapter 187: The Origin of the Treasures

How could the Great Plague Venerable not be furious?

What had he done to deserve being ambushed by a Great Venerable? The terrifying thunder serpents surrounding him could each slay a true god who had taken the first step toward heaven.

In the face of such a formidable opponent, he had no chance to resist.

At that moment, Great Venerable Shenlei stood in the sky, the wind howling around him, his hair thick and short.

Qi Yuan’s voice reached his ears, and he hesitated for a moment before reaching out with a large hand.

In an instant, the once-powerful Great Plague Venerable was reduced to a small piece of charred flesh.

Great Venerable Shenlei held the fragment in his hand and appeared before Qi Yuan. “Disciple, you spoke too slowly, but luckily, he’s still got a bit of life left.”

Shenlei opened his wide palm, revealing a small, charred piece of meat—more cooked than anything you’d find in a roast meat shop.

Yet, despite its appearance, it was still alive.

Qi Yuan eyed the fragment, his gaze flickering. “Can I have it, sir?”

He could sense that the powerful figure before him was indeed a Great Venerable.

Though not as powerful as the Moonwatching Venerable, this was still a Great Venerable, far beyond his current ability to contend with.

A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall.

“I said I’d give you a gift, so of course, it’s yours.” Shenlei handed the charred piece of flesh to Qi Yuan.

Qi Yuan looked at the piece of meat, and his sword appeared, glowing with intense light.

He was ready to kill the god and gain experience.

“Take this, old thing!” Qi Yuan shouted, having long coveted this "white moonlight" target.

He had meticulously plotted and planned to finally bring this about.

The experience and evil divine power couldn’t go to waste.

Bang!

As the sword collided with the fragment, an embarrassing thing happened.

Qi Yuan almost stumbled.

The piece of meat was too tough; he couldn’t even cut through it with his sword.

Seeing this, Shenlei burst into hearty laughter. “You need to eat more meat and build up some strength. Look at those scrawny arms and legs—you probably couldn’t even manage three thousand women in one night.”

He knew Qi Yuan wasn’t yet a true god.

Without becoming a true god, how could he fight one? Even with this tiny piece of flesh before him, Qi Yuan couldn’t cut through it.

Shenlei had been looking forward to seeing Qi Yuan struggle.

The citizens in the fiefdom wanted to laugh but dared not, knowing they had to maintain the god’s dignity.

At that moment, Wang Wenqi, who was beside Qi Yuan, plucked her pipa strings.

A sharp, piercing sound rang out, and the piece of flesh instantly turned to ash.

In that instant, a torrent of experience flowed into Qi Yuan’s body.

Having just reached level 70, his level soared, reaching 89 before stopping just shy of 90.

Powerful evil divine power also fell into Qi Yuan’s hands.

Feeling elated, Qi Yuan turned to the burly, short-haired old man, his gaze appreciative. “Sir, your strength is impressive.”

“And your talent isn’t bad either,” Shenlei replied, scrutinizing Qi Yuan. “In ancient times, which faction were you from?”

Qi Yuan looked at Shenlei and leaned in to whisper, “My identity is a bit special. I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t share it with anyone else.”

Shenlei nodded, understanding that Qi Yuan was likely on some special mission. How else would he know so many true gods that even Shenlei hadn’t heard of?

“I belong to… the Dragon Group of China!” Qi Yuan said calmly.

The Dragon Group of China—who hasn’t heard of it? Full of talented individuals, producing the likes of the Four Heavenly Kings, was perfectly normal.

“The Dragon Group of China?” Shenlei murmured the name, feeling a sense of gravity and importance in those words. “I’ve never heard of it, but just hearing it for the first time… it feels extraordinary.”

“Sir, are you interested in joining the Dragon Group? If you join now, I can appoint you as the captain of a special operations team.” Qi Yuan continued, trying to persuade him.

The strength of a Great Venerable was certainly worth recruiting.

Shenlei chuckled, his eyes playful. “I came to take you as my disciple, not to join some Dragon Group. Do you think my strength is up to the task? Come, be my disciple. I’ll treat you well.”

Qi Yuan looked surprised. “You want to take me as a disciple?”

“Of course.”

“Your strength… it’s not quite there.”

Shenlei’s smile froze on his face.

“I cultivate with the five elemental energies, have a Heavenly Dao foundation, and condense a stellar golden core… your strength is just so-so. You could perhaps be a member of my team, maybe as a special effects artist.” Qi Yuan continued.

He had music and BGM, but he was still lacking in the special effects department for his expeditions.

Shenlei’s boundless sea of lightning and terrifying thunder god form would certainly suffice for special effects.

“This is interesting.” Shenlei squinted. “Do you have a master?”

“Yes,” Qi Yuan replied, looking at Shenlei. “I don’t know how strong my master is, but… she’s definitely much stronger than you. Even though I’ve formed a stellar golden pill, I wouldn’t dare to confront her.”

Qi Yuan said earnestly.

His master, Ruan Yixi, had always seemed mysterious to him.

“Your master sounds intriguing. Where is she?” Shenlei inquired.

He pondered, guessing that Qi Yuan’s master might be the leader of this so-called Dragon Group of China.

Could it be that she was a powerful figure who had taken six or even seven steps toward heaven?

If that were the case, he wouldn’t dare to challenge her.

“My master is a bit shy. I keep calling her ‘wife,’ and she got embarrassed and ran away.” Qi Yuan said seriously.

“…” Shenlei’s expression turned strange. “You call your master ‘wife’?”

“She’s my wife, so why wouldn’t I call her that?” Qi Yuan said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Cough cough… “I’d rather not take you as a disciple. I don’t have the patience for that.” Shenlei didn’t want someone calling him “wife.”

That would be far too awkward.

He imagined bringing this disciple along to meet some old friends, only for the disciple to call him “wife” repeatedly—it would be unbearable.

Thinking of something, he asked, “Has your master ever taken you to meet her friends?”

“No,” Qi Yuan shook his head.

Shenlei understood—no wonder she didn’t dare to bring him along.

The scene would indeed be exaggerated.

Qi Yuan, sensing Shenlei’s confusion, said, “I think you misunderstand. I don’t have a habit of calling men ‘wife.’”

Shenlei chuckled. “No misunderstanding.”

“Sir, why not join my special effects team? If you join now… you can even be the leader. But when the members of the Dragon Group of China’s Heavenly Court descend, you’ll only be a bit player.” Qi Yuan suggested.

From Qi Yuan’s perspective, Great Venerable Shenlei was still worth recruiting.

Shenlei, amused, replied, “I’m quite interested in your Dragon Group. I’ll see which gods are in it—maybe I won’t know any of them.”

“You can stay in Qingshui Village, but I have one condition: don’t steal my kills,” Qi Yuan said. He was very averse to kill-stealing, as each kill meant a significant amount of experience.

“Interesting.” Shenlei gazed at Qi Yuan. “I won’t intervene recklessly. If I attract other powerful beings, I could end up dead myself.”

His restraint during today’s attack was deliberate.

Otherwise, if he had drawn the attention of other new gods, he would have found it difficult to escape.

“That’s good.” Qi Yuan sighed in relief.

---

Feihuang City.

The people in the City Lord’s Mansion were astonished.

“The aura of the Great Plague Venerable… it’s gone!”

“Gone?”

“Did you see that terrifying lightning?”

“It must have been a true god! The Origin Heavenly God had outside help!”

“We misunderstood him…”

Huang Mengying, hearing this, felt a pang of regret.

They had been deeply suspicious of the Origin Heavenly God.

Now, with the truth revealed, she felt a deep sense of guilt.

The others were also ashamed.

Weak Feather felt it even more acutely, having fled Stone Sand Town out of fear of the Origin Heavenly God and come to Feihuang City.

His shame weighed heavily on him.

At that moment, Nangong Wuji spoke gravely, “The Great Plague Venerable has fallen… Feihuang City’s greatest crisis is just beginning!”

His words brought a heavy silence over the group.

Before, other evil gods hadn’t targeted Feihuang City because it had caught the Great Plague Venerable’s interest. Now that he was dead, those evil gods would likely make a move against Feihuang City.

“Let’s go to Qingshui Village to see the Origin Heavenly God!” Huang Mengying decided.

But before they could leave, a clear voice echoed throughout Feihuang City.

“By order of the Origin Heavenly God!”

“The Great Plague Venerable has fallen!”

“Feihuang City will host a feast for three days!”

The group, who had been about to head to Qingshui Village, stopped in their tracks.

Nangong Wuji shook his head. “The Origin Heavenly God is quite a character. What a shame.”

“What’s a shame?” someone asked him.

“It’s a shame I worship the Wushi Holy Mother; otherwise, I’d join in the feast,” Nangong Wuji said.

Everyone laughed.

“If the Origin Heaveny God is hosting a feast for three days in Feihuang City, it means he’s taken charge. As for the evil gods, he’ll handle them. We don’t need to worry.” Nangong Wuji reassured them.

The news that the village-level god of Qingshui Village, the Origin Celestial Venerable, had slain the Great Plague Venerable spread like wildfire to nearby cities and towns.

Many true gods took notice of Qi Yuan, their eyes filled with curiosity, while some evil gods dismissed him, not taking him seriously.

Some ancient gods, however, looked on with interest.

---

In the North Sea Dragon Eye.

A woman in a luxurious robe held some invitations in her delicate hands.

Her eyes gleamed with a curious smile. “The Origin Heavenly God of Qingshui Village… defeated the Great Plague Venerable? Interesting, interesting.”

This was the second time she had heard the name Origin Celestial Venerable.

The first time was a few days ago when the North Sea God-Eye Palace Lord was preparing to host the Hundred Flowers Festival, sending out invitations to ancient gods.

She was in charge of the arrangements.

A few days ago, an old friend had come to her, requesting an invitation for someone.

She saw that the person was only a village-level guardian god, not even a true god, possibly not even at the Purple Mansion stage.

So she had politely refused.

After all, not just anyone could attend the Hundred Flowers Festival.

But now, since the person had shown true god-level strength, she decided to do her friend a favor.

“Someone, bring Ma Po over,” the woman in the robe ordered.

Soon, an old woman entered the palace.

The old woman’s expression was a bit dazed, her eyes clouded, and she seemed mentally unwell.

“Ma Po, the guardian god of Qingshui Village you mentioned likely has true god-level strength. Initially, he wasn’t qualified to attend the Hundred Flowers Festival, but given our long friendship, I’ll give him an invitation.” The woman handed the invitation to Ma Po.

Ma Po’s eyes cleared for a moment as she took the invitation. “Thank you.”

The woman smiled. “There’s no need for thanks between us. But you should remind that ancient god to keep a low profile at the festival. The guests this time are all of very high status. If he offends someone, even I won’t be able to help.”

“Understood.” Ma Po nodded.

The woman looked at Ma Po, her gaze tinged with nostalgia. “Our two clans were once close allies, great families in ancient times. What a shame…”

The North Sea God-Eye was inhabited by aquatic beings.

Without the permission of these beings, not even true gods could enter the North Sea God-Eye.

Because of this and other geographical advantages, no evil god had yet dared to target the North Sea God-Eye.

In the Northern Lands, it was one of the safest places.

Every year, many true gods sought refuge in the North Sea God-Eye.

Ma Po’s eyes flashed with determination. “The Phoenix Clan will rise from the ashes!”

She knew that if she could take her young mistress back to the ancestral land, the mistress would have a chance to inherit the Phoenix Clan’s legacy and restore its glory.

The Phoenix Clan had once produced several powerful beings who had taken six steps toward heaven.

In ancient times, they were among the great powers.

---

Qingshui Village.

Qi Yuan held the treasures in his hand, his expression complicated.

“These five treasures… can’t help me break through to the true god stage?”

After reaching level 89, Qi Yuan had intended to break through to the true god stage.

But despite preparing five treasures, he had a premonition that they wouldn’t be enough to achieve the breakthrough.

He glanced at the five treasures.

【Mysterious Spirit Armor: Its origins are somewhat mysterious. It can help one break through to the true god stage.】

…

【Three Joy Jade: Its origins are somewhat mysterious. It can help one break through to the true god stage.】

“They clearly state they can help… so why can’t I use them? Could it be… I’m not human?”

Qi Yuan looked at the treasures, feeling both strange and curious.

He decided to step out of the temple.

He immediately saw his adopted daughter Qi Qi and Great Venerable Shenlei.

Since coming to Qingshui Village, Shenlei had initially intended to take Qi Yuan as his disciple.

But after meeting Qi Qi, he had considered taking her instead.

Unfortunately, Qi Qi refused.

Why work hard herself when she could rely on her godfather’s efforts? “Qi Qi, your talent is no less than your godfather’s. You shouldn’t waste it!” Shenlei urged.

Qi Qi shook her head. “No need to say more. I refuse.”

At that moment, Qi Yuan’s laughter rang out. “Qi Qi did the right thing. If you acknowledge him as your master, he’ll be on the same level as me. That’s too much of a loss for me.”

Shenlei’s eyes widened. “It’s beneath you to be on the same level as me?”

“A little bit,” Qi Yuan replied honestly.

If looks could kill, Shenlei would have murdered Qi Yuan dozens of times over. “You little brat, your mouth is even nastier than mine. Be careful, or you’ll bring disaster upon yourself!”

Despite his words, Shenlei found himself quite fond of Qi Yuan.

Otherwise, a guy who wasn’t even a true god wouldn’t dare act so boldly in front of him.

“I brush my teeth every day. My mouth isn’t nasty.” Qi Yuan retorted, grinning. “Would you like me to recommend a toothpaste… maybe Naais Tooth Tooth Fun? It’d be perfect for you.”

Shenlei rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you preparing to break through to the true god stage? Why are you out here?”

Qi Yuan took out the five treasures, his expression melancholic. “Sigh, for some reason, these treasures can’t help me break through.”

Shenlei was surprised. “Can’t break through?”

“Yeah, can’t.” Qi Yuan nodded firmly.

Shenlei’s eyes flickered with understanding. “These treasures can indeed help people break through to the true god stage. But… some true prodigies, with immense potential, might need more than one treasure to break through. You… are one of those prodigies? I didn’t see that coming.”

He was astonished. Such prodigies were exceedingly rare.

Qi Yuan’s expression fell. “That’s so extreme?”

He knew that treasures like the Yinsheng Stone were in limited supply in this world.

Or rather, there were only so many of them.

If his breakthrough was restricted by this, wouldn’t it mean that summoning someone like Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun would be impossible even with these treasures?

“To explain this, we must go back to ancient times,” Shenlei began, gazing at the treasures in Qi Yuan’s hands. “Do you know what these treasures are?”

“Huh?” Qi Yuan was puzzled.

“These treasures are actually… the remnants of the Wushi Holy Mother after her death,” Shenlei explained, his voice filled with sorrow. “During the Great Flood War, the Wushi Holy Mother was the most powerful ancient god in the Mortal World. Her strength was just a step away from surpassing the true god stage. But, unfortunately, she fell in battle against the evil gods.

When the evil gods invaded, they shattered the Pillar of Heaven, making it impossible for anyone in the Mortal World to break through to the true god stage. The Wushi Holy Mother couldn’t bear this, so before she died, she transformed herself into these treasures, leaving an alternative path for the people of the Mortal World.”

Qi Yuan was moved by this revelation.

The Wushi Holy Mother’s sacrifice was akin to a whale’s fall, giving life to countless beings.

“Because of this, if someone’s talent exceeds that of the Wushi Holy Mother, a single treasure might not be enough for them to break through to the true god stage. In fact, some exceptionally gifted individuals might not be able to break through even with multiple treasures,” Shenlei explained slowly.

Although the Wushi Holy Mother had been the greatest figure in the Mortal World, her talent wasn’t the absolute peak.