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

Chapter 205: The Final Tower and the Lost Glow Stick

Ten true gods attacked in unison. The formidable embryonic divine domains they wielded completely suppressed the two third-step evil gods. These evil gods were rendered immobile, their terror and shock palpable.

"You… are powerful. If you were to join us, you would hold positions equivalent to Great Venerables in the New Gods' ranks!" Feng Kui, realizing brute force was futile, resorted to persuasion.

Tan Zui quickly added, "Your future is bright, and you are destined to become Great Venerables. The fall of the mortal realm is inevitable. Why not join us in the New Gods' ranks?"

The two of them desperately tried to convince the ancient gods, listing the advantages of the New Gods over the Ancient Gods. The ancient gods, hearing this, felt a heavy weight on their hearts. The joy of awakening their divine domain seeds faded as they realized the truth in the evil gods' words.

Despite their newfound strength, they were but small figures standing against the overwhelming tide of fate. The gap between the Ancient Gods and the New Gods was not something a few Great Venerables could close.

"You two would be excellent at scams and pyramid schemes with your silver tongues," Qi Yuan waved dismissively. "Unfortunately, I can't stand those kinds of people. Kill them."

Without further hesitation, the ancient gods attacked. The divine domains crushed the two evil gods, and divine power overwhelmed them. What they once considered mere second-step gods obliterated them in an instant.

Qi Yuan clapped his hands. "Not a bad haul. Barely worthy of my 'White Moonlight' title."

Indeed, it had been fruitful. The divine power of two third-step evil gods would surely produce powerful deities when visualized. If he could find a way to break through to a true god, he could summon even more formidable deities.

Most importantly, this would allow him to level up from being a level 89 divine entity to level 90. With the experience gained from previous evil gods and these two third-step ones, he was well on his way. Once he broke through to a true god, his levels would soar.

"You two didn’t die in vain—this was an unexpected bonus. Someone, give my White Moonlight a proper burial," Qi Yuan said, clearly in a good mood.

The ancient gods exchanged puzzled glances. The younger twin sister, having reverted to her normal form with a deliberately smaller chest, spoke up, "Divine Lord, this is the ancestral land. We can’t bury them here."

Digging anywhere might disturb a puppet god.

"Sigh, not only can we not bury them, but we can’t even hold a feast. My poor White Moonlight, you died so tragically," Qi Yuan lamented.

In the past, when his White Moonlight died, he could at least hold a grand feast. But these two died in this godforsaken place—no feast, no burial.

"Since we can’t bury them, we’ll…" Qi Yuan’s eyes fell on a metal box. Seeing no immediate danger, he glanced at the two corpses with deep affection. "We’ll have to put them in the trash bin."

With a gentle kick, the two evil gods’ bodies were sent into the trash bin.

"Sigh, when we return to Qing Shui Village, we’ll hold a feast for them," Qi Yuan sighed.

"As you command!" Chen Xifan responded promptly. He was the head chef, well-versed in preparing such feasts.

The ancient gods remained puzzled by Qi Yuan's actions, but Zhu Zhuangshi quickly began explaining Qi Yuan’s heroic deeds at Qing Shui Village. The ancient gods listened, realizing that such bizarre actions were indeed typical of Qi Yuan. In this context, his behavior in the ancestral land seemed almost normal.

"Alright, let’s move. It’ll be morning soon, so let’s speed this up!" Qi Yuan led the group deeper into the ancestral land.

Meanwhile, back in Qing Shui Village, Shen Lei Great Venerable gazed at the starry sky, feeling a deep sense of unease. He handed a storage bag to his petite servant, Xiao Xue.

"Inside this bag is everything I own. When Qi Yuan returns, give it to him," Shen Lei Great Venerable said, his tone heavy.

Xiao Xue was confused. "But…"

"Hmph, that kid will be so dazzled by what’s in this bag that he’ll beg me to take him as a disciple. But, alas, I won’t be around to see that," Shen Lei Great Venerable’s voice was melancholic, filled with resignation.

"Tell Qi Yuan that the Zhang Feng he’s always wanted to kill—I’ll do it for him!" Shen Lei Great Venerable declared, his energy surging. "I… am leaving now."

With that, Shen Lei Great Venerable transformed into a stream of light and vanished, his voice echoing through the sky.

"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes. My life was worth it."

"I am the true reckless hero!"

He was heading out early to hunt down Zhang Feng. He couldn’t travel openly, as that would draw the attention of other Great Venerables and alert Zhang Feng. He needed to move discreetly, even if it took longer.

In the darkened Qing Shui Village, Xiao Xue held the storage bag, finally realizing what was happening. She was distraught. "What do I do, what do I do!"

…

An hour passed, and Qi Yuan’s group emerged from another tower, their harvests plentiful. The group’s spirits were high, some visibly proud, others introspective.

Qi Yuan, however, was disappointed. He still hadn’t found a way to break through to become a true god.

At that moment, the younger twin sister transmitted a message to her elder sister. "Sister, someone just asked if we wanted to become citizens of Qing Shui Village. What do you think?"

The elder sister was taken aback. The gains they had made by following Qi Yuan into the ancestral land were unimaginable. In the past, she wouldn’t have thought it possible to become a Great Venerable, even if given ten thousand years. But now, she was almost a pseudo-Great Venerable. With a bit more time, she might even reach the Great Venerable level.

"Qi Yuan has granted us so much; this debt is too great to repay even in a thousand years," the elder sister sighed.

"So, should we become permanent citizens and offer eternal service?" the younger sister asked.

"No," the elder sister declined. "There are other ways to repay kindness besides becoming someone’s servant. These gains are great, but losing my freedom to serve one person is something I can’t do."

The elder sister spoke honestly, reflecting the thoughts of most ancient gods. It was like a wealthy person, worth billions, being helped by someone to reach tens of billions. Would they be willing to lose their freedom and become a servant? Probably not.

"Got it," the younger sister sighed.

"Why think about this now? Our greatest enemies are still the New Gods. If Qi Yuan can drive them out of the mortal realm, I wouldn’t mind serving him," the elder sister confided.

Serving someone meant too many restrictions. What if Qi Yuan betrayed them? They would be forced to follow, something she couldn’t accept. While she was deeply grateful to Qi Yuan, it wasn’t enough for her to give up everything.

After hearing this, the younger sister relayed the message to the others, and the idea of becoming citizens faded. Besides Wangsong Venerable, the other ancient gods decided they would serve Qi Yuan for a thousand years instead.

The group fell silent as they followed Qi Yuan through the air.

"Is this the only tower on the seventh floor?"

After about a hundred breaths, the group halted before the final tower. The seventh floor contained only this one tower.

"There’s an evil god’s presence here… an evil god was here!" Wangsong Venerable said, his expression stern.

"It seems a Great Venerable was here… could it have been Ao Shi Great Venerable?" The elder sister’s face grew serious.

The mention of Ao Shi Great Venerable darkened the mood. Ao Shi was no ordinary Great Venerable. Even though the ancient gods had awakened their divine domain seeds, their embryonic domains were no match for his fully formed domain. Ao Shi’s talent surpassed even Wu Shi Shengmu.

"They left? It seems they left in a hurry. Did something happen?" one ancient god wondered.

The situation was odd, but Qi Yuan wasn’t concerned. His attention was focused on the final tower.

As he looked, information flooded into his mind, his expression growing complex.

"Sigh, my White Moonlight, you died so tragically," Qi Yuan lamented.

"Huh? What’s wrong, Divine Lord?" the younger sister asked, confused.

"To open this door, we need to burn some… things," Qi Yuan explained. "And the only things we can burn are my poor, helpless White Moonlights."

Without further explanation, Qi Yuan said, "Let’s go back and retrieve my White Moonlights from the trash bin. Waste not, want not."

The ancient gods were baffled, but knowing Qi Yuan’s antics in Qing Shui Village, this didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Soon, they retrieved Feng Kui and Tan Zui’s bodies from the trash. Qi Yuan looked at the continuously burning flames, then at the two White Moonlights.

"It’s not that I’m heartless, refusing to let you rest in peace. But the law says no burials, only cremations in the new era. Sigh, I can only apologize and hope you rest well. When we get back to Qing Shui Village, I’ll hold a three-day feast in your honor."

With that, Qi Yuan kicked the two bodies into the flames. The ancient gods, watching this, felt a growing fear of Qi Yuan. He was too ruthless—a person not to be crossed.

After about ten breaths, the tower door opened with a loud bang. Qi Yuan peered inside, his expression surprised.

"Did we stumble into a puppet god’s lair?"

Inside the tower were countless puppet gods, all of them at least as powerful as Great Venerables.

"This tower is going to be tricky," Qi Yuan hesitated.

The ancient gods felt a chill. Qi Yuan had never hesitated before. If he was now, it meant this was serious trouble.

"Divine Lord, should we leave?"

"Yes, we’ve already gained so much."

"We’re practically emptying the ancestral land. Let’s leave something behind."

They all urged caution, trying to dissuade him.

"No," Qi Yuan refused firmly. He hadn’t reached true godhood yet. Based on his instincts, the key to his breakthrough might lie in this tower.

"Based on how long it’ll take, my brow might have to jump for an entire hour. It might take one or two hours to reach the top," Qi Yuan estimated.

"Two hours? That long?" Wangsong Venerable began to speak but fell silent.

The others, hearing this, felt relieved. In the past, they would’ve thought it was a miracle to safely reach the top of a tower in two hours. But after so many quick victories, even two hours now seemed like a long time.

"Let’s go!" Qi Yuan led the way, and everyone followed him into the final tower.

This tower was clearly different from the others. The others were well-preserved, but this one was in ruins. Debris, shattered helmets, thin steel needles, and various treasures were scattered everywhere.

"Don’t touch anything here; it’s too dangerous," Qi Yuan warned.

The ancient gods obeyed, not daring to make a move. If Qi Yuan said it was dangerous, it was dangerous.

Closing his eyes, Qi Yuan’s brow twitched wildly. In the past, ten breaths would suffice, but this time, it took a full quarter of an hour. The ancient gods found the sight amusing but didn’t dare laugh.

"Follow me," Qi Yuan said, opening his eyes, full of anticipation.

"Right!"

Though this level was perilous, for Qi Yuan, it was no different from the others. As long as he searched for a safe path, he would find it. But for anyone else, this level would be almost certain death.

An hour and a half later, Qi Yuan’s brow continued to twitch as he led the group to the top floor. The highest level of the tower was empty, containing only a glowing metal rod.

The others felt a twinge of disappointment. After all that effort, there was nothing to show for it.

"This time, we lost out!"

"Lost? Compared to before, we’re rolling in it!"

"True, we’ve gained so much we’ve become complacent."

The group reflected on their situation. Qi Yuan’s eyes, however, were fixed on the glowing rod. His mind was filled with information.

[Lost Glow Stick, a special creation. This item may allow you to return to the past and witness the events of bygone days.
Note 1: Using this item will not alter history; it is only for observation.
Note 2: Only 3 uses remain.
Note 3: Once a scene is chosen, it cannot be changed.
The desolation here may be linked to its use.]

Qi Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Time travel?"

This was his first encounter with a time-related treasure. Though he had traversed time in the past, even altering history, that was a game reward. This, however, was a game item, and he couldn’t help but be amazed.

The Lost Glow Stick wasn’t as powerful as the game’s rewards, only allowing observation, not interaction, with the past. But even so, it was an incredible artifact.

He examined the Lost Glow Stick, scanning every inch of the tower. Countless pieces of information flooded his mind.

After a quarter of an hour, Qi Yuan finally understood.

"Due to some unknown reason, the Lost Glow Stick has already been used twice."

"It brought the aura of the ancient past to this place, allowing Ao Shi Great Venerable to break through to true godhood."

In ancient times, when the Heavenly Pillar stood unbroken, anyone could ascend to godhood without special treasures. The Lost Glow Stick, due to its unique nature, had opened a window to the ancient past, and Ao Shi Great Venerable had harnessed this aura to break through.

But that aura had been depleted. Now, the only way to break through to true godhood was to activate the Lost Glow Stick and journey back to the ancient times. In those ancient times, they could break through.

Of course, they would be mere observers, unable to interact with historical figures, just tourists witnessing history. But they could use the ancient aura to break through.

"So, this is a bug?" Qi Yuan wondered, holding the Lost Glow Stick with curiosity.

Perhaps, for some, the Lost Glow Stick was a tool for exploring and studying ancient history. But for Qi Yuan, it was a means to break through to true godhood.

"Wait, I can’t activate it?" Qi Yuan was surprised. The Lost Glow Stick remained inert, refusing to activate.

"Of course, treasures like this aren’t for just anyone," Qi Yuan mused, considering how to break the lock. Was it only usable by the original inhabitants of the ancestral land?

Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Sometimes, luck is key!"

He retrieved the blood-red jade leaf from his storage bag and wore it. The leaf was a gift from a little girl and was said to increase his fortune in the mortal realm.

With the jade leaf on, Qi Yuan looked at the Lost Glow Stick again. This time, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.

"Conditions met. Would you like to begin the journey now?"

"This journey will start no later than one-quarter of an hour from now."

"Conditions met?" Qi Yuan was taken aback.

He glanced at the blood-red jade leaf, his mind racing. Could the girl who gave him the jade leaf be a descendant of the original inhabitants of the ancestral land? Was that why he met the conditions?

However, it seemed that once activated, the Lost Glow Stick couldn’t be turned off. This meant that within the next quarter of an hour, he would begin the journey into the past.

"Not bad," Qi Yuan smiled, pleased with his fortune.

This trip to the ancestral land had been well worth it. He looked at Dragon Subduing Arhat, Tiger Taming Arhat, and the eight ordinary people who had accompanied him.

"This is an opportunity I can’t waste," Qi Yuan muttered.

Since they could break through in the ancient times, he would use the remaining evil god power to piece together powerful visualization methods and bestow them upon the eight mortals.

Then, they would all go to the ancient times to break through together. After all, the deities in his memories were too powerful to visualize without special means. Only by traveling to the ancient past could they be summoned.

No need to waste the opportunity.

"Wait here. I’m going to visualize a god and come back," Qi Yuan said.

Village Chief Yulü’s eyes widened.

Zhu Zhuangshi was overjoyed. "Haha, my time has finally come!"

The villagers were ecstatic. The deities Qi Yuan visualized—who would they be given to? There was no need to guess.

The ancient gods, however, were puzzled.

"Why is he visualizing a god now?"

They didn’t understand. To visualize a god in the dangerous ancestral land seemed reckless. What was the point of visualizing an ordinary or even rare deity now?