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

Chapter 195: Hanging on the Tree

Qi Yuan remained calm as he killed the golden-haired monkey with a single strike. The Eighteen Arhats and the Four Heavenly Kings were unfazed, as if they were used to such occurrences. Only the green-robed old dragon looked worried, mumbling to himself, "This is bad. You’ve killed the strongest genius of the Ancient Ape Clan. The Ancient Ape Clan will definitely... cause trouble."

Qi Yuan heard this and smiled. "Why is this bad? I killed Jin Jiao, so why wouldn’t I kill a monkey?"

The green-robed old dragon was stunned. The North Sea Dragon Clan didn’t dare kill the golden-haired monkey, but Qi Yuan did, and he even killed Jin Jiao. Thinking of this, the old dragon sighed with a hint of regret, though it wasn’t clear if it was for Jin Jiao or the monkey. The golden-haired monkey was arrogant, but its strength was only at the Purple Mansion level, and it had no idea about the power of Qionghua Venerable or the others around Qi Yuan. It could be said that ignorance led to its fearlessness, which led to Qi Yuan killing it without any hesitation.

The other two monkeys stood nearby, trembling. One of them, called Xiao Liu, stepped forward and clasped his hands together, saying, "Gu Jin brought this on himself and angered you. My brother and I are willing to return to the Ancient Ape Clan and report today’s events truthfully to the elders to avoid any conflict."

Xiao Liu was quick-witted, speaking rapidly. He was trying to save himself. Qi Yuan looked at Xiao Liu with some surprise. "What if the Ancient Ape Clan wants to cause trouble for me?"

"I will explain the situation, and the elders, being reasonable, will not start a conflict," Xiao Liu replied.

"And if they do?" Qi Yuan pressed.

"If the elders still want to trouble you, I will die before them!" Xiao Liu’s voice was resolute, and he seemed prepared to sacrifice himself.

Qi Yuan smiled. "Then I’ll give you a chance, a chance for the Ancient Ape Clan."

What happened afterward didn’t concern Qi Yuan—he didn’t care. After all, it was just a game, and enjoying it was the most important thing.

After leaving the North Sea Dragon Clan, Qi Yuan passed by Qionghua Palace and finally left the North Sea God’s Eye with the group of ancient gods. Qionghua Venerable remained at the palace. On one hand, Qi Yuan had given her the Divine Visualization of the Hundred Flowers Fairy, and she needed time to comprehend it and further her progress toward the Flower God position. On the other hand, she also stayed to help Qi Yuan collect any treasures that might emerge from the North Sea God’s Eye.

Outside the North Sea God’s Eye, a group of ancient gods bid Qi Yuan farewell. At this Hundred Flowers Gathering, Qi Yuan’s Dragon Subduer Arhat had defeated the North Sea Dragon Clan, and Qi Yuan had awakened Qionghua Dazun, who then recognized Qi Yuan as her master. Each of these events was astonishing.

"Heavenly Venerable Origin, I reside on Xuan Kong Mountain. If you pass by, I will certainly offer you the best food and wine," an ancient god said gallantly.

Ye Liuyun looked at Qi Yuan, feeling more shaken than the others. Unlike them, he had the blood of the dragon race, so he could tell that the dragon shadow behind the Dragon Subduer Arhat was a true five-clawed golden dragon of the Seventh Step, a step beyond the Dragon Ancestor. He couldn’t comprehend why such a powerful dragon had been subdued by the Arhat. Reflecting on Qi Yuan’s previous words, Ye Liuyun felt the need to report this to the elders in his clan.

After Ye Liuyun left, the others also said their farewells to Qi Yuan. The last to leave was the Dusk Elder. He looked at Qi Yuan and sighed, "With your talent, it’s too dangerous for you to stay in the fallen zone."

The Dusk Elder understood the terror of Qi Yuan’s talent—twenty consecutive legendary Divine Visualizations. Only the most extraordinary, those destined to create myths, could compare.

"If you’re so worried about my safety, why not become my bodyguard?" Qi Yuan joked.

The Dusk Elder chuckled wryly. He wasn’t that selfless. If Qi Yuan could visualize a legendary Divine Visualization that suited him, he might consider serving Qi Yuan like Qionghua Venerable, but such visualizations were rare. The chance of finding a second one was slim.

"Alright, I’ve gained enough this time. It’s time to go home," Qi Yuan said, and with the Four Heavenly Kings and the Eighteen Arhats, he turned into a stream of light and disappeared.

Back at Qionghua Palace, Qionghua Venerable’s pupils showed traces of flower petals. The Palace Mistress stood beside her, hesitant to speak.

"You’re wondering why I, a Grand Venerable, would choose to serve the Heavenly Venerable, right?" Qionghua Venerable asked.

The Palace Mistress nodded. She was indeed puzzled. While the Heavenly Venerable Origin had awakened the Grand Venerable with the Divine Visualization of the Hundred Flowers Fairy, which was a great favor, such a favor could be repaid with treasures or other means. Serving as a subject seemed excessive. In ancient times, the Heavenly Venerable Origin might have been a powerful figure, perhaps at the Sixth or Seventh Step, but those days were gone. Now, the Heavenly Venerable was only at the Purple Mansion stage, while Qionghua Venerable had started from a much higher point. It seemed almost impossible for the Heavenly Venerable to surpass Qionghua Venerable in this life, which made the Palace Mistress’s confusion all the more understandable. Serving the Heavenly Venerable wasn’t just a matter of words—it was a serious commitment.

Qionghua Venerable’s gaze deepened. "Have you ever heard of the Hundred Flowers Fairy?"

The Palace Mistress shook her head. "No, I haven’t."

Before this, she had never heard of any stories about the Hundred Flowers Fairy.

"The position of Flower God has been my lifelong pursuit. It’s a role that no one in the Fanxin World holds..." Qionghua Dazun said.

The Palace Mistress’s face changed. "Then he... could it be..."

...

"On my way here, it rained constantly, but now the skies are clear and sunny."

Qi Yuan looked up at the sky, observing the clouds and the faintly glowing red star, feeling content. After a long journey, he and his followers finally returned to Qing Shui Village. The village was peaceful, with the chief, Yu Lei, and the priest, Shen Tu, away in Fei Huang City, buying supplies. The Four Heavenly Kings and the Eighteen Arhats dispersed, leaving Qi Yuan alone in the temple.

Gazing at the blood-colored sky, Qi Yuan decided to dig a big pit to sleep in. However, he suddenly stopped and looked at the silent Xiaojia standing nearby.

"I suddenly remembered that the dresses in the forbidden land hang on trees to sleep. How about we hang on the tree tonight?" Qi Yuan suggested, looking at Xiaojia with excitement.

Xiaojia stood quietly beside him, her figure bathed in the weak blood-red light, giving her an eerie beauty. Soon, Qi Yuan, imitating the tree spirits from the forbidden land, hung himself and Xiaojia on a tree branch.

"I still feel safer sleeping in a pit," Qi Yuan said, holding onto Xiaojia’s slightly cool sleeve. "But hanging on a tree, feeling the night breeze and watching the stars, can be quite romantic sometimes."

The night sky was filled with stars, and Qi Yuan pointed at the former moon, saying, "I’ve heard there’s a Chang’e living on the moon. I wonder if it’s true."

Xiaojia also looked up at the moon, seemingly lost in thought. A wooden plaque with a happy expression slipped from the intricately patterned sleeve and into Qi Yuan’s hand.

"It seems you really like hanging on trees, Xiaojia," Qi Yuan said, looking at her.

Xiaojia held Qi Yuan’s hand tighter, remaining silent.

Time passed slowly as the night breeze danced lightly, bringing peace to the moment. Qi Yuan closed his eyes, letting various thoughts drift through his mind.

"This game world is indeed... strange."

Qi Yuan confirmed that the time flow in the Fanxin World was peculiar compared to the Canglan World. The time here seemed bizarre, as if while only a moment passed in Canglan, eons had passed in Fanxin. Because of this, he was hesitant to leave the game and return to Canglan World. What if he logged out and slept in Canglan, only to find that Qing Shui Village had disappeared?

"It’s strange. If time is frozen in Canglan, my Stellar Golden Core should also be frozen. Why is my Sun True Fire still growing?" Qi Yuan pondered.

It felt as if time no longer had a precise measure or comparison.

"This world is truly odd," Qi Yuan sighed. Unable to figure it out, he decided not to think about it anymore.

"Even the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Subduer can’t break through to the True God realm with treasures. It seems that visualizing anything more powerful won’t help for now." On the way back, Qi Yuan had attempted to help the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Subduer break through to the True God realm, but it was to no avail. This left Qi Yuan with a dilemma.

He was now at a crossroads, uncertain about who to visualize next. Visualizing someone weaker might allow for a breakthrough to the True God realm, but visualizing someone too strong could leave them stuck at the Purple Mansion stage. There were two ways to resolve this: either bring more powerful figures like Qionghua Dazun under his command or find a way to overcome the barrier to the True God realm.

Holding onto Xiaojia’s cool sleeve, Qi Yuan slowly drifted into sleep.

Meanwhile, in Fei Huang City, a carriage stopped outside the City Lord’s Mansion. Three men and two women, all dressed in fine clothes and clearly from a noble family, stepped down. These five people were from the Wang family of Fei Wu City.

The Wang family controlled seventy percent of the taverns in Fei Wu City, making them a significant power. Huang Mengying received a message and came out of the City Lord’s Mansion, looking puzzled. "Madam Wang, what brings you here?"

Madam Wang, the middle-aged woman leading the group, had black hair streaked with white and looked deeply worried. "Just today, at the hour of the tiger, the late emperor... passed away."

"What!" Huang Mengying was shocked.

Lin Guo, the kingdom in question, was known for its strong resistance against the evil gods, largely because the emperor was a devout believer in the ancient gods and opposed the evil gods strongly. Now that the emperor had passed, it was a huge blow to Huang Mengying.

"The third prince has ascended the throne," Madam Wang added, revealing a harsh reality.

The third prince was known in the royal court for advocating the worship of the evil gods. His ascension meant only one thing: a dark future for Lin Guo.

Madam Wang’s next words shocked Huang Mengying even more. "At noon, a transfer order came from the capital. Lord Zhuge has been removed from his position as Governor of Fei Ling Prefecture."

Fei Ling Prefecture governed Fei Huang City, Fei Wu City, and five other surrounding cities. Lord Zhuge was also a staunch supporter of the ancient gods, so his removal was a clear sign of the times changing.

"Our Wang family has been keeping a close eye on the situation and has been preparing for this. With the late emperor gone, we are planning to leave Lin Guo and head to the Ancient God Alliance," Madam Wang explained, her voice tinged with uncertainty about the future.

It was clear that the Wang family had been preparing for this move for some time. With the current upheaval, they were ready to leave. "Fei Huang City should start making preparations as well," Madam Wang advised. "If your Huang family decides to leave, we can help."

The Wang and Huang families had been close for generations. After some discussion, Madam Wang took her leave, not staying the night in Fei Huang City.

As she watched the Wang family’s carriage depart, Huang Mengying’s resolve hardened. "Someone, report this to the Heavenly Venerable Origin immediately."

The Wang family’s carriage moved through the night, the occupants somber. Madam Wang lifted the curtain and looked back at Fei Huang City, filled with the warmth of daily life, and sighed. "With the evil gods on the rise, who knows when Fei Huang City will become a ghostly domain?"

Worshiping the evil gods might bring short-term benefits, but once fully assimilated, it would turn people into walking corpses. Such a fate was unacceptable to these noble families. Of course, some evil gods offered tempting conditions, winning the loyalty of certain noble families and even some ancient gods.

Wang Wenya, lost in thought, asked softly, "Madam Wang, do you think that ancient god from Qing Shui Village will leave?"

They had already heard about the events in Fei Huang City and were curious about the ancient god from Qing Shui Village.

"Judging by his actions, I don’t think he will leave," Madam Wang replied. You can tell a lot about an ancient god’s intentions by how they manage their domain. For example, the Wang family had been slowly withdrawing from Fei Wu City, selling off their fixed assets and consolidating their holdings, a clear sign of their readiness to flee at any moment. In contrast, Qing Shui Village had been expanding its farmland, with no indication of any intention to leave.

"Now, going to the Ancient God Alliance is the best outcome," Wang Wenya said.

A man in the carriage added, "Perhaps he’s unwilling to abandon his people."

The others fell silent at this. After a long while, the carriage continued on its way.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out, "Routine inspection!"

Routine inspections were common when traveling through various cities, checking for spies of the evil gods in the domains of the ancient gods, and vice versa.

Wang Wenya recognized the voice and peeked through the curtain, surprised to see a familiar figure. "Zhao Zun, is that you!"

"Wenya?" Zhao Zun recognized Wang Wenya as well.

"What are you doing here?" Wang Wenya asked, a hint of happiness in her voice. They had been classmates at the academy, though they hadn’t been particularly close. But a year ago, Zhao Zun’s family had been ruined, and he had disappeared.

"My family was destroyed, and I escaped to this place," Zhao Zun explained briefly.

Wang Wenya listened, feeling conflicted. She hadn’t expected her former classmate to have gone through such hardship. "Are you following the Heavenly Venerable now?" she asked curiously. Recalling their old friendship, she suggested, "There might be a war soon. Would you like to leave this troubled place with me?"

"No," Zhao Zun shook his head firmly. "My future was given to me by the Heavenly Venerable. I won’t leave."

As the Dragon Subduer Arhat, he was no longer the old Zhao Zun. Wang Wenya was puzzled by his unwavering resolve, but since he didn’t want to leave, she wouldn’t insist. Returning to the carriage, she felt a bit melancholic.

Madam Wang, noticing this, asked, "Your classmate, was he always this strong?"

"Huh?" Wang Wenya didn’t understand what Madam Wang meant.

"He’s incredibly strong now. How could he have lost his family to Zhao Si?" Madam Wang was puzzled.

"Isn’t he just a Nascent Soul cultivator?" Wang Wenya asked, still confused.

"He’s not a Nascent Soul cultivator. If he wanted, we might all have to stay here," Madam Wang said solemnly.

As the most powerful member of the Wang family, Madam Wang was at the peak of the Purple Mansion stage. But facing Zhao Zun, she had a premonition that she wasn’t even his equal in a single move.

"How could he be so strong?" Wang Wenya couldn’t comprehend it. It had only been a year, yet he had advanced by an entire major realm?

"Perhaps it’s related to his claim of being the Dragon Subduer Arhat," Madam Wang murmured, thinking about the Divine Visualization. "No wonder he’s willing to serve Qing Shui Village’s guardian god. To have advanced so quickly to the peak of the Purple Mansion, that Divine Visualization must be incredibly powerful."

But admiration aside, the Wang family had no intention of staying in Qing Shui Village to serve its guardian god. Heading to the Ancient God Alliance was the only way to survive in the fallen zone.